Eternal Baltics | A Spiritual Journey Through The Sacred Groves Of Dievas

Lithuanians of the past referred themselves as the children of the sun. The sun goddess Saulė (pronounced "Sow-ley"), was revered as the universe's first matriarch and the queen of heaven and earth. Both Lithuanians and Latvians held her in high esteem, considering her a significant deity. Saulė was celebrated during the Rasa festival, which commemorates the summer solstice. It was believed that she ruled the world during the summer and gradually diminished as winter approached. To strengthen her essence, people performed various charms and rituals.

Saulė was revered as a defender of women, particularly single mothers, and was closely associated with maternity and healing. She was not only a goddess linked to the arts and music, but she also played the kankles, a traditional harp-like instrument. In Latvia, Saulė served as a protector for those enduring difficult times and for orphaned children. According to legends, she was married to one of three gods, depending on the myth: Perkūnas, the thunder god; Dievas, god of the sky; or Menulis, the moon. Ultimately, Saulė remains the independent matriarch of the sky. The concept of a sun goddess is widespread, with many cultures, including Finnish, Japanese, Hindu, Scandinavia, Sámi, and numerous Native American tribes, having their own female sun deities. For the ancient peoples, the sun was essential for sustaining life on Earth, and Saulė, representing the sun, embodied life itself in all its splendor. For the ancient Balts. Saulė, was the queen of heaven and mother of the celestial bodies, she embodied the divine feminine, not in subjugation, but as the central axis of the universe. She nurtured all beings, even the planets, and brought order to chaos through light and care.

Dievas was the Lithuanian god of heaven. Dievas lived and worked on his own farmstead in heaven. This farmstead was similar to those of humans but was more lavish and celestial. It was situated on the top of a high, steep, or rocky mountain. Dievas's farm was abundant, surrounded by fields, gardens, stables, buildings, and a sauna (pirtis). He drove a golden or silver wagon or sleigh, pulled by two beautiful steeds. At times, these steeds appeared as two black dogs or two ravens, symbolizing Dievas's prophetic powers. Dievas rode his steeds, and his slow descent down the mountainside symbolized the approaching spring or summer.

Austéja was the goddess of bees and symbolizes growth, abundance, and reproduction. She was mentioned in Lithuanian literature as early as the 17th century. J. Lasicki described her as the protector of families and the true mother of bees. Austéja embodied both a woman and a bee. Her name is associated with the Lithuanian verb "austi," meaning "to weave" (like linen), and "austyti," which signifies "to fly swiftly everywhere" and "to repeatedly shut and close doors." These meanings serve as metaphors for gathering honey and building honeycombs. The Greek equivalent of Austéja is the goddess Melissa, who also protects large families and pregnant women; she was known as "bee melissa." Traditionally, when offering a toast to Austéja, drinks were tossed into the air towards the ceiling. Mead was presented to her before wedding dances. During christenings, mead was served, and matchmakers would mention Austéja in their toasts, invoking her blessing so that "bees would gather honey abundantly."

Similar to many stories about sea goddesses around the world, this one also has a tragic ending. The name Jūratė comes from the Lithuanian word "jūra," which means "sea." She lived in the Baltic Sea in an underwater palace made entirely of amber and was revered as the goddess of the sea and its creatures. One day, a handsome fisherman named Kastytis was fishing near her palace. He managed to catch a large amount of fish, which angered Jūratė. She believed he was disturbing the tranquility of the ocean by taking so many of its inhabitants. Initially, she planned to punish him, but when she confronted him, she fell in love with Kastytis, and he fell for her as well. For a time, they lived happily together in her palace. However, their love affair came to the attention of Perkūnas, the god of thunder and Jūratė's father. Perkūnas, known for his temper and power, was furious to discover that his daughter was involved with a mortal man.

In the spring, Žemyna was honored as the pregnant mother during a festival called Užgavėnės (Spring Equinox), which was celebrated in early March to drive away winter. Žemyna played a significant role in various rituals associated with the first planting, as she was the goddess of sustaining life. Additionally, she received the dead; while she did not bring death herself, she transformed it into new life. They did not joke about, spit on, throw trash on, or disrespect the earth in any way. Instead, they frequently kissed the ground, especially in the morning before starting work and in the evening before going to bed.

The name Perkūnas is derived from the proto-Baltic word "perk," which means oak. Perkūnas is the god of fire, thunder, order, and chaos. Throughout Lithuania, sacred sites called Alkos were established, where fires dedicated to Perkūnas burned continuously. The women who tended these sacred fires were known as vestals. Oaks and hills that had been struck by Perkūnas' lightning were highly revered. A rock or tree that was hit by Perkūnas was considered immune to illness and evil. For farmers, Perkūnas was the god of nature, responsible for lightning and weather, as he brought rain with him. He sent rain to restore the earth's fertility. Thunder was seen as a sacred event. Every spring, people would wait for the first thunder before they could begin tilling the ground, as Perkūnas awakened the soil, allowing everything to grow.

In folktales, Velnias is known by many names and can take on the forms of various animals, birds, reptiles, and people of different ages and occupations. He is more closely associated with deities that inhabit the earth rather than celestial ones, and he has stronger relationships with earthly and local spirits. In many folktales, Velnias seeks friendships with people, as well as their love and assistance. He often ends up helping them by building bridges, houses, churches, and other structures. He protects them against wrongdoers and offers support to blacksmiths, merchants, farmers, and priests.

In Lithuanian and Latvian folklore, Ragana is the goddess of witches. Her name derives from the verb "regeti," which means to know, see, and foresee, as well as the noun "ragas," meaning horn or crescent. This suggests that she possesses knowledge and vision, and is associated with the crescent moon, a common symbol of witches. Ragana can appear as a beautiful woman or as a nightmarish creature. She has the ability to transform into various animals, such as a toad, hedgehog, or fish, and she can also take the form of a bird. Unlike the traditional image of witches flying on broomsticks, Ragana flies on a tree stump, symbolizing the death of nature. This aspect of Ragana indicates that she may have originally been a goddess of nature, representing its decline and the cycle of season, such as the transition from summer to winter.