Baltu Dievybes

I really like this short presentation entitled "Baltic Deities", even if it only covers a handful of the Goddesses. I love the artful portrayal of the Goddess after each section and I think is very apt. 
To compliment this clip I have included a translation for non Lithuanian speakers. I believe that the faith should accessible to everyone and should not only be limited to Lithuanian speakers.
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Baltic deities

Ragana-Witch/Goddess of witchcraft

gamtos jegu valdytoja

Witch manager of the forces of nature

Ragana-moteriska pasaku ir sakmiu butybe, turinti stebuklingu galiu

Female witch tales and stories of creatures with magical power

Spejama, kad raganos buvo seniausiu laiku ziniuones, laikomos magijos veiksmu atlikeejomis.

It is believed since ancient times that Witches were presumed to be priests and considered as performers of magical acts.

Ragana valde zmoniu ligas, nuo jos priklause- bus zmogus sveikas ar sigs, gyvens ligonis ar ne

Witch controls human diseases, since They belong to the person healthy or ill, if the sick person will live or not.

Raganos zinioje buvo vaistazoles, galincios tiek padeti, tiek pakenti.

Witches had the knowledge of herbs with the power to provide help or harm

Rye goddess

Rugiu deive rupindavosi pasetais rugais, ju derliumi.
Rye goddess who cares for sown Rye and their harvest

Buvo sakoma, kai rugiu laukas nuo vejo banguoja- deive vaiskto po ruguis.
It was said, that the rye fields came on the waves of the winds, the goddess walks among the rye

Atejus rugiapjutes metui deive begdavo nuo dalgiu, kol likdavo paskutinis rugiu risulys, kuriame ji ir pasilikdavo.
When the rye harvest season begins, the goddess comes up at this time and runs from the scythe, and remained until the last rye bale was cut. This is where she used to stay.

zmones ta rysuli nupjaudavo ir laikydavo savo namuose, pacioje garbingiausioje vietoje. people cut bundles of Rye and kept them in the most prestigious place in their home.

Per seja risulys buvo padedamas vidury lauko- taip deive vel paleidziama i laisve.

During the tillage this bundle was buried in the middle of the field and would assist the goddess to once again be set free.

Milda Love Goddess

Milda buvo baltu meiles, laisves, pirslybu, bekompromises meiles ir glamoniu deive 

Milda Baltic love, freedom, matchmaking, uncompromising love and caresses of the goddess

milda nera santuokos deive, ji globoja meile, tokia, kokia ji yra, visai nesvarbu, vede zmones ar ne

Milda was not the goddess of marriage, she takes care of love, such as it is, it does not matter whether married people or not

deive buvo atsakinga uz graziausius zmoniu jausmus ir gimines testinuma

goddess was responsible for the most beautiful and the people's sense of the continuity of family

mildos geguzine, geriausia diena susipazinimui ir susidraugavimui, ja svenciancius, visus metus lydi ir globoja meiles deive milda

The Svente of Milda, best day for meeting and befriending someone, Accompanied by other Gods, she is celebrated all the year by the patronage of goddess of love Milda

Laumes-Fairies/little Goddesses

Laume viena seniausiu lietuviu dangaus ir zemes deiviu

Laume is one of the oldest Lithuanian sky and the Earth Goddesses

Laume dazniausiais apsigyvendavo, miskuose, urvuose, esanciuose prie kalnu, netoli upiu, ezeru arba pelkiu

Laumes usually lived, in forests, caves, near mountain and hills, near the rivers, lakes and wetlands

daugiausia demesio skirdavo zmoniu morales saugojimui, rupinosi zmoniu lygybe, bausdavo, gobsuolius uz saiko neturejima, smerkdavo, tinginius

These little Goddesses focused on human morals contained within. They care about human equality, punish the greedy and the lazy for their indiscretions.

laumes atnesdavo is sventu vandenu zmonems vaiku globodavo uzmirstus kudikius

fairies create holy water for people to take care of  their children and will also care for neglected or abandoned infants.

Laima

Gimino ir gyvenimo deive

Goddess of the living and all relatives

Laima atskrisdavo gegutes pavidalu ir lemdavo ne tik gimima, bet ir tolesni gyvenimo likima

Laima arrived in the form of a cuckoo and plays a role not only the birth, but the way of life and destiny of a person.

svarbiausia deives Laimos veiklos sritis buvo lemti gimstanciam kudikiui likima ir sekti, kad lemimas pildytusi

the most important goddesses Laima activity in birth was to announce baby's fate and follow throughout life so that destiny reaches it's fullness.

Jei Laima pasirupins, priziures, tai vaikas gims sveikas ir jo lauks ilgas ir laimingas gyvenimas
Ragana-moteriska pasaku ir sakmiu butybe, turinti stebuklingu galiu
If Laima maintains and takes care of this child, they will be born healthy and live a long and happy life. 

Gabija

ugnies ir seimos zidinio deive

the fire and the family hearth goddess

Gabija buvo vaizduojama moterimi, apsirengusia raudonais drabuziais arba moterimi su sparnais.

Gabija depicts a woman dressed in red clothing or a woman with wings .

Degancios ugnies liepsnos ir kibirkstys simbolizavo deives Gabijos soki.

Flames and sparks of the flame symbolised the dance of the goddess Gabija.

Namu seimininkes kiekviena diena ruosdavo patala ugniai-stropiai sutvarkydavo zarijas, o jei to nepadarydavo tai ugnis pykdavo ir kartais net iseidavo is savo seimininkes namu- uzdegdavo namus

Everyday the Housewife would prepare the fire -carefully arranged the coals, and if we do not do this the fire would get angry and sometimes even get out of his owner's house - or burn down the home.

Breksta

ankstyvo ryto ir sutemu deive

Early morning and dusk goddess

deive Breksta valde sapnus, kuriais pasinaudodama zmones ispedavo apie busimus ivykius.

Goddess Breksta ruled the dreams, through which people were warned about future events .

Ji saugodavo nakti ir tik pasirodzius pirmiesiems ankstyvo ryto spinduliams i miskus, taip globa perduodama deivei Saulei.

She guarded the night and at the first hint of early morning rays reached into the woods, Breksta transferred custody to Saule, the sun goddess.

Lithuanian Folklore: the Origins [ENGLISH SUBTITLES] Vakar ir visados (1...

Published on Youtube on Apr 28, 2014.

[YOU CAN TURN THE SUBTITLES ON/OFF BY CLICKING THE CAPTIONS ICON AT THE BOTTOM OF THE VIDEO]

This movie about the roots of Lithuanian folk customs was filmed in Lithuanian Film Studio in 1982 but it was banned from cinemas until 1984 because people in charge of Central USSR television regarded it as "too ethnic". The director of this film Gytis Lukšas recounts: "At the time when Lithuania's national broadcaster was not allowed to show even distaffs with traditional ornaments (because the Central Committee of the Communist Party regarded all ethnic items as idolization of the feudal-bourgeois past) a feature-length movie about the 9th century roots of our culture suddenly comes out! It featured the poetry of Marcelijus Martinaitis, ancient polyphonic folk songs & instruments, it was an open challenge! Moscow had requested to make this film but when they saw the end result, they got angry and banned it from the public for several years. However, unofficially people were still watching it in Lithuanian village culture centres, each such screening would turn into folk get-togethers even before the Sajūdis* had started. At that time people in Lithuania were already talking about the independence and us being a European nation with deep cultural roots."

*Sąjūdis*, initially known as the Reform Movement of Lithuania, is the political organization which led the struggle for Lithuanian independence from Russia which was established as an official organisation on June 3, 1988 and was led by Vytautas Landsbergis. Its goal was to seek the return of independent status for Lithuania.

This film reconstructed Lithuanian customs, traditional works and rituals in different seasons. The film features sounds of Sutartine chants from Aukštaitija*, cultural ethnic rituals and Samogitian* war songs, old folk instruments such as horns, blown in a row and skudučiai* circles, reveal the formation of the past national consciousness and worldview.

*Aukštaitija*, one of 5 ethno graphic regions of Lithuania and located in the eastern highland area of Lithuania.

*Samogitian*, from one of the 5 ethnographic areas of Lithuania and located in the North western lowland area of Lithuania. Today Samogitia is known as Žemaitija.
*Curonian*, from one of the 5 ethnographic areas of Lithuania and located in the western coastal area of Lithuania. Curonia was part of Prussian Lithuanian territory.

*skudučiai*,multi-pipe whistles still commonly played in many areas of northeastern Europe. 

I will attempt to describe some of the events and scenes portrayed in the film, for those unfamiliar to the old Lithuanian ethnic cultural pagan customs.

6.44-Boy playing skudučiai

7min30- 4 types of Lithuanian Beehives can be seen. (Can you spot them?). Throughout history, Lithuanians were known as skilled Beekeepers.

8min30- Sounds of the horns can be heard.

10min30-Young girl being taught to weave a sash by her mother or grandmother.

15min11-Dance Sutartine chant performed by a group of girls.

15min42-Traditional Lithuanian ornate distaffs from spinning wheels, decorated with symbols of the Sun and World Tree of the Baltic peoples.

16min39-shows the Lithuanian view of the magic of rocks and healing, purifying and cleansing ability of the water which is made alive and sacred, by gathering in a hole in the rock. 

19min50-Lithuanian bread making shows the symbol of the Sun Goddess imprinted on it before baking.

Interval at 21.45 & 23.46-distinctive ancient Curonian grave markers.

21min50-Ritualistic sharing of the sacred bread among family members.

22min49-I have no idea why girls had their cut this way! It does look ritualistic though. All I can deduce is that it has something to do with the ritual of becoming a wife. The flower wreath is taken off and the traditional head dress of a married women is ritualistically done.(24min41)
Interval at 26.20-ritualistic jewelry is reproduced from the findings of archaeologists and used as everyday dress ornaments.
28min18-ritual of burying bread, salt. The last bushel of rye, not cut in the previous years harvest, is woven into a plait leaving it's roots still in the ground. It is believed that the Rye Goddess dwells in this bushel. This ritual is done in order to increase the fertility of the field.
29min07-Songs, chants and dances were a common sight in the fields.
30min01-Lithuanians even today make these straw decorations that represent the world Tree and some represent a garden with birds which are made for Winter Solstice. At 30min34 you can see one such ornament. You can even see the birds hanging off the corners.

35min30-Flax growing,harvesting and processing was always very important to Lithuanian people. The flax was spun and woven to create all kinds of linen items. Garments, tablecloths and bedding were made, to name but a few. This was arduous work and often neighbors and extended families would come together to help each other, often working late into the night with many songs to pass the time more easily. 
40min46-Show some of the Uzgavenes customs. (Uzgavenes is also known as Mardi Gras, Pancake Tuesday,Shrove). This was a purely pagan custom which involved people dressing up as various mythical beings such as Witches, Gods, Goddesses, Devils, etc. At 41min09, you can see some dressed as Giltine, Goddess of Death. The grim reaper who spits poison with her pointed tongue and escorts the dying part way to Paradise. During Uzgavenes, there is much dancing, singing, games and laughter. For more information on the rites of Uzgavenes, feel free to read my related blog posts.
42min42- Still during the time of Uzgavenes, some neighboring boys bring More,( old man/the hag of Winter), to the farmstead and this effigy is murdered, killed and burned with much jubilation to usher out the Winter season and welcome the Spring.
47min48-Wedding preparation ritual for the bride who is adorned with traditional jewelry and a wreath of Rue. Naturally the girl is grieved to leave her parents, family and home to be married. Although it is a happy occasion it is outweighed by her sadness.You can feel her pain in the whole rite.
51min53-A traditional lamentation called Raudos can be heard. These are traditionally sung often at the time of leaving the home and at funerals. The sadness and sobbing really expresses the sentiment of the song.
56min51-A scene from a *Curonian* rite of Velines,(known as Samhain to many). Candles are lit on graves to light the way home for the Veles, (Souls) and show them that their memory, like the flame, continues to burn bright in our hearts and minds. This rite was commonly practised across all the Baltic lands.

I hope you found this clip informative and inspiring. Paganism has a rich tapestry of rites and customs which modern humankind has neglected and forgotten. I believe that understanding our ancient roots and reviving the simplistic customs of our ancestors can help us to once again re align or harmonise with our Earth mother and our Sky father.