Fire Rites on Gediminas grave Hill

The Fire Rite is one of the most special Rites of our distant ancestors. The Gods, Goddesses, Ancestors and Spirits of place were honoured everyday in many ways. Trees, Fire, Rocks and Water were seen as a gateway to commune with the Deities and Spirits of the upper and lower realms within the Cosmic World Tree. My Ancestors practiced a type of Sympathetic magic, where they raised energy in public gatherings, decorated with symbols of the Spirit or Deities of nature. People celebrated around fires with song and dance. Sympathetic magic is where "like" increases "like" and the whole community benefits. That's the best I can explain it right now.
 For example:

-Rugiu Svente, the Rye festival, has many rituals, songs and dances that blessed the harvest so it could bless the whole community with the rye bread that was usually eaten daily.

 -The Pagan rites of Spring Equinox festival has melded with Easter, and still, the celebration of the new life of crops and nature are highly represented in the symbolism of this rite, (painted eggs,rabbits,flowers,etc), in order to encourage, strengthen nature and help our crops to grow well, in order to sustain and nourish us, benefiting the whole community.

-Drums emulate the sound of thunder, drawing on his qualities of strength and morality. (just to name a couple)

-Songs, are like those of Birds, who are the messengers to the Gods,

- Summer Solstice and Winter Solstice feature fire as a strengthener of Saule, the dear Mother Sun, in her decline and incline.

In Lithuanian and Baltic faith there is the belief that, 

"like" begets "like",

and that is what I mean by sympathetic magic but, I digress. I just wanted to share some of the cultural significance for the Fire Rite and how integral fire is to every Lithuanian Pagan festival. Solstices, Equinoxes, seasonal and agricultural festivals, Fire Rites feature in all these events.

It is because that, all Lithuanian cultural festivals involve Fire and Water, that this custom of the Fire Rite, has intrigued me for such a long time. I had done lots of reading and learnt many of the songs and chants. I have set up my own Fire altar, in my home, in Australia, and started performing the Rite, to the best of my knowledge. I was excited to finally have the opportunity to experience it first hand in Lithuania and was looking forward to learning some of the more practical features of this Rite.

The Fire Rite was performed every Sunday at 5pm on Gediminas grave hill, in Vilnius, Lithuania. While I was there this year, I participated every week, that I was able, so I probably attended about 6 times. I was usually the first on the grave hill and took time to take in the peace and serenity of the place, not to mention, get my breath back. It was quite a steep climb. There were steps but could not be seen or used because they were hidden somewhere under a lot of snow and ice. I usually fell at least a few times gong up or coming down the holy hill.

Most people wore their traditional garb for this special occasion. The outfits were reproductions of outfits worn by people around the 6th century in Lithuania according to archaeological findings.

The snow was scraped out of the center of the Fire altar and decorated with greenery and apples, (symbols of Zemyna, the Earth Goddess). Dry wood was split and a fire was made without much trouble. 

The altar on a wowen cloth is set up on the ground, in front of the altar and consists of:

*bowl with salt,

*bowl with amber dust,

*bowl with grains,

*bread,(sometimes 3 varieties-Rye, Poppy seed, wholemeal),

*Kaušas with hot tea, mead and sometimes beer.
*Apples
*Drinking horn

The traditional horns were blown into the 4 directions and then towards the Fire altar to signify the call to the Rite as it was about to begin.

A short chant of *Rimo Rimo is chanted by all. It is a Lithuanian chant equivalent to the "Aum" and brings much peace to your Soul.

Rimo, rimo, tuto, rimo rimo, tuto, sutarjella, sutarjella. repeat

meaning: 

Peace, peace, strength, peace, peace, strength, 

in harmony/in agreeance. in harmony/in agreeance.

and could also be translated as:

Feminine, feminine, male, feminine, feminine, masculine,

in harmony/in agreeance. in harmony/in agreeance

While standing in a circle around the fire altar,one at a time, each person introduces themselves and says what Romuva means to them/the Gods mean to them/the Ancestors mean to them/how their path is leading them/why they are there on that day, etc. Everyone listens and does not speak or interrupt or question. Everyone has a turn.

When it has come back to the Vaidila/Vaidilute, a bowl of salt is taken and sprinkled on the fire as a special prayer is being said to *Gabija Ugnele followed by a song prayer then everyone has a turn in making an offering of salt to Gabija and gives thanks for whatever they choose. Some may pray audibly and some silently. Prayers are sometimes very expressive and some may be short and sweet. Only a few words may be needed to express the sentiment. 
Song, “dega Ugnele” is usually sung after everyone has given offerings.

Some pieces of dry wood is handed to all the participants and, one by one, each person makes an offering to Gabija through her Fire with a prayer. 

Zemyna is offered prayer by the Vaidila/Vaidilute and an offering to the Fire of grains is given. The bowl of grains is passed to each person in turn who give thanks or asks for blessings. The offering of grains is then given to the Fire. 
After this, the chant, Zemynele Ziedkele is sung
-(English) dear Mother Earth blossom/bloom.

Perkunas the Thunderer,
Laima, Goddess, Proclaimer of your fate,
Saule, Goddess Mother Sun,
Menulis,Moon God and celestial Prince, 
are given prayers, songs and offerings by the Vaidila/Vaidilute, and an offering of amber dust is given to the Fire. Everyone has a turn saying a prayer and making an offering followed by blessing the next person before handing the offering to them, whether it be Amber dust, bread grains, mead, beer,or hot tea. 

Everyone understands that when we perform the Fire Rite, we are in the very presence of the Gods, Goddesses and Ancestors. All gathered, stands facing the Fire Altar and maintains a respectful silence during these prayers, listening attentively and actively participating in helping to send the prayers and songs. through the sacred Fire, to the Deities and Ancestors.

Song is sung Perkuno musu didvyru dievo,
(English) Our Perkunas, our greatest God.

This is part the song/hymn to Perkunas, sung by Romuvai in Lithuania and led by Jonas Trinkunas, Krivis and High Priest of Romuva.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zNGahjrOySM&list=PLmDjdeOOea8EgC4s4ArmL2WPApSfGYNZ3

The Ancestors are prayed to by the vaidila/Vaidilute and an offering of beer/mead is given to the fire and then passed to the next person. Each person pays homage to the ancestors, blesses the next person in the circle and takes a sip before passing it to them. The procedure is repeated until all people in the circle has had a turn.

Bread escorted around the Fire altar 3 times, while a short song is sung, this is done as a blessing by Fire and the bread is consecrated and ready for offering.

The Bread is passed around the circle at the same time and each person blesses the next before taking a piece and passes it along. Piece of the bread can be offered to the fire and the rest consumed.

Hot tea in a kaušas is passed around and the blessing of each other continues until there is no more tea. Sometimes it goes around several times before the blessing is finished.

Strengthening by fire is usually done by all after the blessings. People gather round the Fire altar, heat their hands, and draw it to their face as if washing their face. 

Dijuta Kalnali is sometimes sung and danced

Fire rite finishes with a chant of Rimo Rimo. 

The apples that have been imbued with the energy raised in the Fire Rite are usually eaten. They’re usually half cooked and quite yummy, kind of like a strudel!

I really enjoyed every Fire Rites, in which I participated. I felt energised and felt that my internal/eternal Fire was stoked each time and shining brighter each time. I felt that the prayers and chants brought me closer to my deities and my Ancestors. It was great to participate in the Fire Rite with other people who had the same passion and beliefs as myself. To sing the prayers, chant and dance like my Ancestors with others of the same blood, was like a dream come true!