Death of a friend, death of a great man and death of my dear Mociute (Nana)

The Goddess of death, Giltine, has come into my life and touched my heart three times already this year. First, a lady who I supported for the last 4 years passed the thresh hold on the 31st of December. She was a miracle that she was born and fought to live 33 years on this earth. She was born massively deformed and at 33 only stood to 4 foot tall but she is the oldest person on record with her condition. Most people with her genetic condition die within the first few years of their life. She had been ill most of her life, suffering pneumonia, aspiration, epilepsy, disfaghia,(inability to swallow solid food), and general respiratory distress often, but she was the most self determined person with a disability, who I have ever met. Unable to verbally communicate, she would often self harm and scream the most blood curdling scream you ever heard, in order to get her needs met, which confused staff because we were always at her "beck and call". I guess in the past, that maybe what she needed to do? No one will ever know the workings of her mind. At times she would laugh hysterically for hours while looking at her thumb touching her index finger making a ring! Many times her best comforter friend was a toy that staff affectionately called, "Wilson", after Tom Hanks only friend in the movie "Cast away". Alot of the time it was only Wilson who could calm her and stop her from hurting herself. Other times she would scream and harm herself and not be able to be comforted. It was a constant guessing game. Is she hot/cold/uncomfortable/hungry/in pain/scared/bored etc. All the staff were burnt out, at times with frustration, as we constantly tried to interact and redirect her, sometimes, without any effect for hours at a time. I always said that she had an infectious laugh that made you laugh, and an infectious scream that made you scream. (Scream on the inside of course! but sometimes, in desperate frustration, it did slip out audibly!)

I describe JS life as it touched me. I thank JS for the lessons that she taught me. She taught me a level of patience beyond the patience that I never thought I could achieve), she taught me selflessness as her needs were so much greater than mine, that my own needs were insignificant in comparison, she taught me courage and determination to fight for life every time she bounced back from illness even when the doctors weren't hopeful!She constantly reminded me to be so grateful for my own allotment and life. JS was a friend whose gratitude could not be expressed but I knew that she valued my efforts to make her quality of her life better or as best as we could.

The next time Giltine touched my life was on the 20th of January this year when my beloved High Priest, Krivis Jonas Trinkunas, crossed the thresh hold. He was only 75 years old but had accomplished much in his short life. The following is an extract from Wikipedia that sums up the accomplishments of Krivis Trinkunas.

Trinkūnas was born in 1939 in Klaipėda. He finished primary school in Kaunas in 1957 and in 1965 he earned a degree in philology at the Faculty of Lithuanian Language and Literature of Vilnius University. While still a student, he founded the Society of Friends of India (Lithuanian: Indijos bičulių draugija). TheVedic traditions of India were what pushed him to search for the roots of Lithuanian culture and its spiritual meaning.

In 1967, Trinkūnas and his friends organised the first Rasos (Summer Solstice) celebration in Kernavė, which was met with disapproval by the Soviet authorities. Despite pressure from the KGB, Lithuanians organized folklore and ethnographic ensembles, lit the bonfires on Rasos and candles on Vėlinės (All Saints' Day)—symbols important to the cultural vitality of the nation. Trinkūnas was one of the founders of the Ethnographic Ramuva Society of Vilnius University. He studied folklore, traveled to Lithuanian villages for the purpose of writing down Lithuania's living culture, songs and traditions. His students and followers continue to call themselves ramuviai and žygeiviai (“travellers”).

From 1969 to 1973, Trinkūnas worked at the Faculty of Philology at Vilnius University as a post-graduate and lecturer. In 1973, for his folklore studies which were considered to be dissident activities, Trinkūnas was forced to leave the University. Until 1988 he was forbidden from engaging in any scientific research work and activities in his profession. Therefore, for more than two decades, Trinkūnas dedicated his life to studying the living traditions of Lithuania. Travelling from village to village, he listened to and learned their songs, stories, customs and beliefs. These experiences turned the Ramuva folklorist into a true believer of Romuva.

In an independent Lithuania.

With the beginning of Sąjūdis (the Reform Movement of Lithuania), Trinkūnas was able to return to the University and worked as an assistant at the Ethics division of the Institute of Philosophy and Sociology. From 1990 until 1993, he was the head of the Ethnic Culture division of the Ministry of Culture. From 1994 he worked as a researcher at the Ethics and Ethno-Sociology division of the Institute of Philosophy and Sociology; he lectured on ethnic culture at Vilnius Pedagogical University, participated in numerous international conferences and events related to old pagan faiths, authored many articles in both the Lithuanian and foreign presses and penned several books. He was a member of the ritual folklore ensemble Kūlgrinda, Etninės kultūros draugija (Ethnic Culture Society), Tautos namai (Home of the Nation), Mažosios Lietuvos reikalų taryba (Board of the Affairs of lithuania Minor), Prūsa club and other organisations.

Trinkūnas’ scientific and ethno-cultural activities bloomed during the post-Soviet period in Lithuania. When Trinkūnas was head of the Ethnic Culture division of the Ministry of Education and Culture, this division cared not only for ethnographic and folklore ensembles, issues of Lithuanian education and culture in Lithuania Minor and Kaliningrad Oblast, but also extensive publishing activities. As Head of the Ethnic Culture division, Trinkūnas demanded that a special Jonas Basanavičius Award be founded, which would stimulate folklore research and activities. This was also the same time when the idea was raised to found the Council for the Protection of Ethnic Culture, accountable to the Seimas, which even now continues to implement the Law on National Protection of Ethnic Culture. In 1992, together with his followers, Trinkūnas registered the Romuva religious community, which later included all of the communities throughout Lithuania and became the community of the ancient Baltic religion. In 1998, at the World Congress of Ethnic Religions (WCER, now the ECER) in Vilnius, Trinkūnas was chosen as this organisation's Chairman. Later, as Chairman of this Congress and spiritual leader of the Lithuanian Romuva, he was invited to different events in India, Australia and the USA. In 2002, Trinkūnas was ordained as Krivis (High Priest) of Romuva and was given the name Jaunius (from jaunas meaning “young”), symbolising the rebirth of the ancestors' faith.

In 1997, along with Venantas Mačiekus, for the organisation of the Ramuva cultural reform movement, Jonas Trinkūnas was awarded the State Jonas Basanavičius Award.

In 2013, on the occasion of the Statehood Day, for active anti-Soviet dissident activities, organising of ethnographic activities as well as underground distribution of religious and nationalistic literature, Jonas Trinkūnas was awarded by the President of Lithuania the Order of Grand Duke of Lithuania Gediminas.

This article doesn't mention that he is also author of numerous books and papers written in Lithuanian, German and English. Many of which, helped me find the journey of Romuva in my own life here in Australia.He was the catalyst for the revival of one of the oldest spiritual traditions in the world. Jonas Trinkunas reminded us of the Baltic customs of our ancestors that teach us how to strive for Harmony within ourselves, with our community, our Gods and Goddesses and with with our ancestors. 

Krivis Trinkunas revived Baltic customs initiation, marriage, funeral.

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Glossary

Giltine- Lithuanian Goddess of Death

Seimas- Government

Mociute- Dear Little old Mother (Grandmother)

Kugelis- Lithuanian potato dish

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The third time the Giltine touched my life was in February this year when I visited Mociute for her 90th bEarthday in Torquay, Victoria. Mociutes physical state had deteriorated in the last 4 months. She had lost weight, not speaking and wasn't weight bearing so Mociute needed to be cared for in a nursing home, my Aunt could not physically care for hber at home. I felt a strong urge to see Mociute for her milestone 90th bEarthday. I knew deep down, that it maybe her last and just needed to be with Mociute.

On Mociutes Bearthday, my Aunt and I made a Kugelis and took some with sour cream out to her in the nursing home. Kugelus was always Mociutes favourite and she appeared to enjoy it. Mociute never spoke a word but her eyes gleamed a dull and vague recognition of me. Over the days that I visited Mociute, I fed her custard, drinks and brushed her teeth. I held her hands and gently massaged moisturising cream into them. I felt that we connected and I was glad to be with her.

It was 3 days after her bEarthday that we were called by the nursing home and asked to come in for Mociute because she was leaving us soon. My Aunt and I rushed to the nursing home and found Mociute panting in her bed. We both sat on each side, holding her hands and telling her that we were here for her and that it was ok to go and be with God. My Aunt spoke some Catholic prayers and I spoke some Lithuanian Pagan prayers for Mociute. I remember that I said in Lithuanian, Strength of Perkunas to you, Gabija bless you, may your journey along the Milky Way to Dausos, Paradise where your ancestors are waiting. It was over 45 minutes that Mociute breathing slowed and with a couple of gulps, her breathing stopped. I felt lucky to be there for Mociute, her passing was peaceful and with family.

Eulogy for Mociute:

My childhood memories of Mociute were always happy ones. I remember every visit we made with my brother and sister, we always begged Mociute to make Kugelis or Blynai. Mociute would always ask, “potato or flour?”, which we would usually reply with, “potato”. She would sometimes spend a lot of time in the kitchen grating the potatoes by hand.

As a child I always felt different from other kids my age. I loved walking in the bush, watching animals, trees, clouds and stars. I could never understand why other kids weren't the same. Most other kids my age, here in Australia seemed to prefer to play with tonka trucks and match box cars. My parents divorced when I was 10 years old and, when asked, I chose to live with my mother. It was hard for my father’s parents, being catholic, to accept the divorce and for some reason, I didn't see them again until I was 16 years old. Mociute explained that we were Lithuanians and proudly stated that we were the last of the pagans in Europe. Mociute proudly declared that as Lithuanians, we have always had a love and deep respect for nature. It was like a light bulb turned on and I realized why I was different from other kids. It was from this time, that I realized that I wasn't who I thought I was and eager to learn more which started a lifelong journey of self discovery as an Australian Lithuanian.

I always felt loved and accepted by Mociute and she will always be alive in my memories and in the plants and veges that she loved so much. Mociute made me who I am today and I will be eternally grateful to her.