Another fascinating place in Lithuania is a hill on the right bank of the Neman River in Rambynas Regional Park, Pagėgiai Municipality, western Lithuania.
The hill is also located right on the border with Prussia and was even in Prussia at one stage so even Prussians held this place sacred too.
It was believed that to the East of the hill grew an ancient grove and in 1838, Eduard Gisevius published "Scenes from Lithuanian People's Lives" (Szenen aus dem Volksleben der Litauer).
He also described a 600-year-old three-trunk linden tree that grew near the hill and was worshiped as goddess of fate Laima's tree.
The locals always knew that Ramybas hill was sacred and tended by a priest until the Teutonic Knights drove him away.
Summer Solstice celebrations are popular on Ramybas hill and enjoyed by Lithuanian and Lithuanian Prussian peoples and have been recorded as late as happening up until the mid 19th century. There are also many pre Christian customs still practiced on Ramybas hill such as on the wedding day, the newly weds in the area had had to walk to the top of the hill and give offerings for a blessed marriage.
Pagėgiai area has a long history dating back to at least the bronze Age. Two bronze axes were found in the area which shows that settlements existed in this area 1100-850 BCE. The inhabitants of this Baltic tribe known as Skalvians who succumbed to the Teutonic Order and the Skalvians are now extinct.
There are many legends of the hill and some say that the Altar stone was put there by the Thunder God and also buried gold and silver under it or somewhere on the hill.
Legend says that fairies had blessed the stone and it is believed that while the stone still stands, the area would prosper. But in 1811, the Altar stone was destroyed by a Miller wanting stone to make a milestone. Reports say that the Miller died shortly after that.
The Altar stone was rebuilt several times after that and was rebuilt in 1928 where the architect Martynas Jankus also started off the "eternal book". It was a kind of sign in book for visitors to the Altar stone and the very first sign in was well known Lithuanian philosopher, Vydūnas. The last entry was made on the 16 th of March, 1939, and was taken, kept safe and from 1963 until now is kept as a rare book in the Martynas Mažvydas National library of Lithuania.
A replica has been made and can still be signed at the Martynas Jankus Museum in Bitėnai.
Another belief of the myth of the hill has inspired many treasure hunting quests that was always fruitless. Unfortunately, these quests have caused damage to the hill.
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Another sacred place in Lithuania is called Birutės Hill in Palanga on the coast of the Baltic sea.
The Hill has a long history and much of it has been documented to have occurred in the early to mid 14 th century. Birutė Hill is one of the most well-known and most widely studied Lithuanian seaside archaeological monuments of the 9th/10th-15th century.
The legend about Birutė and her Hill are intriguing and Birutė herself has become a type of Goddess or Pagan saint which continues hundreds of years after her death. As late as 550 years after the death of Birutė, in 1965, a sculpture was placed at the base of the hill. The inscription on the the sculpture reads,
"už tau Birutė".
(For you Birutė).
The text is interesting in that the familiar "you" was used instead of the formal "you". In Lithuanian, the familiar tense is only used for friends and family!
Birutė was Couronian or Žemaitian and born into a magnate family and in her youth decided to dedicate her life to serving the old Deities. This also meant that she chose to remain a virgin.
Birutė moved to the Hill and tended the sacred fire,day and night. There was an altar and a temple on the summit of Birutės Hill and it appears that only after the death of Birutė was the paleoastronomical observatory was placed there.
Birutė was a very beautiful woman and word of this beautiful priestess from Palanga spread near and far until it reached the ears of Kęstutis, the Grand Duke of Lithuania.
Here's where the story gets ugly because it's totally against the woman's rights fought for and enjoyed in todays era, in most westernised countries, but I acknowledge that it was a different time. Being judgemental of what happened in a by gone era doesn't change anything. For some reason, the story has been romanticised in lithuanian culture and it is the theme in many musicals, ballads and ballets.
Grand Duke Kęstutis went to Palanga and sought out Birutė and instantly fell in love. He asked for her hand in marriage but she refused because of her vow to dedicate herself to the Deities!
Kęstutis couldn't take "no" for an answer and kidnapped Birutė and took her to his castle where they later wed.
Birutė gave birth to 4 sons and 4 daughters. One of her boys grew up to become known as Vytautas "the great ". That's another story.
There is speculation over the death of Birutė. Some say that she returned to the hill and continued her priestess duties until she died while others tell of her drowning in Belarus. Either way her influence has become legendary.
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One holy place in Lithuania that fascinates me is called Alkakalnis which literally means hill of the Alka.
An "Alka" is a pre Christian term for a holy or sacred place where prayers and offerings are given to the Deities. Here is only a little of what I have learnt about this amazing place.
Located in Žemaitija National park with over 1000 visitors a year.
Mikytų Alkakalnis was an attractive archaic holy place. And makes up part of an Alka complex of sacred natural places. There is a dried up Spring, a living Spring called Jonikė and the holy Oak tree nearby.
There many legends and myths about the Hill and how it got its name. One such tale and common belief that I found interesting was that the word "Mykta" apparently refers to a word that means goat in Žemaičių language. This possibly relates to a legend of the "ghost goat" who distracts and misleads people with the sound of his bleating!
There is a mysterious mist that comes from Alkakalnis. No one knows from where it comes! There's a belief that weather predictions can be made when the fog is seen.
Lithuania.Some of Mikytai places are associated with the name of the devil and is confirmed by local legends which indicates the pre Christian history of the area.
Alkakalnis is the most striking element of the Mikytai landscape. On the side of the hill, there is a 1.4 kilometre educational trail where in 2012, 38 wooden carved statues of Baltic Deities and Spirits were placed there.
There was some gravel mining on the south side of the hill in WW1 but was immediately stopped when various old items, including a human skull, were uncovered. A roof top pole was placed there and digging never resumed.
Devils stone sits at the top of the north eastern side of Alkakalnis. On the top of the rock there's a foot print left by the Devil as he ran away scared because he heard the rooster crow.
There is an Aukuras on the summit of Alkakalnis where wooden sculptures of Velnias, Perkūnas and Praamžius face towards it.
An eternal flame burned on Alkakalnis and was the very last to be extinguished in Žemaitija which occurred in 1413. It is believed to have been cared for by the ghosts of the hill, faires and a priest who lived in a wooden house nestled in an Oak Grove on mount Gaudis.
In the area people believed that a temple stood at a fire altar under a large oak tree. Snakes were kept there and worshipped as representatives of the snake God.
This is an amazing place and I can fully relate to the sanctity of this Alko complex to my ancestors as I have found many places throughout my life that would also be considered to be holy.
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Žemaičių Alka (The sacred place/shrine of Žemaitija Provence of Lithuania)
This shrine/holy place is located on a dune in the Šventoji district and is an astronomically correct reproduction of the same paleo-astronomic bservatory that once stood on Birutės Hill in Palanga. The site was rebuilt on the dune in 1998 and has regularly restored due to the moist sea breezes decaying the poles.
There were:
*Perkūnas
*Austėja
*Lada
*Saulė
*Mėnulis
*Patrimpas
*Patula
*Velnias
*Anadievas
*Aušrinė
*Žemyna
When the sun is setting, the shadows cast by the poles determine the time for the various traditional feasts (šventės) such as Rasa, Jorė Užgavėnės and Vėlinės.
Another integral element to this site is the "Aukuras"(altar) where ritual sacrifices and prayers are offered to the Deities and ancestors. When it existed on Birutės Hill, there was an eternal flame that never went out and was tended to by a Vaidilutė by the name of Birutė but that's another story!
Large numbers of people gather at the Alka to celebrate various festivals including to Goddess Milda, Springtime Jorė and Midsummer (Rasa).
Žemaičių Alka iš definitely a special place!
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A large part of being an adherent of Romuva is stewarding, reinstating and reusing the sacred places of your ancestors.
Many of the sacred places that I share here, in this group, are in Lithuania which are far from Australia, and I can't physically be there but I CAN inform others in this group about these amazing places! I still have a connection to these sacred places of my ancestors and can only recollect them via Facebook but I really enjoy doing it!
Throughout my life, I, myself have been moved, inspired, healed, encouraged and rejuvenated by the local Spirits (Genus Locii) in the rainforest nature of Yeola, Kangaroo Valley, NSW.
The Spirits of that place chose me as opposed to someone setting up Altar in a location of their choosing. I see that doing this is not only rude and insulting but also culturally inappropriate.
The tenet of Romuva demanding respect applies to all living, dead and otherworldly. So when we are on someone else's ancestral lands and living with age old Spirits of place, whether you live in Australia, America, Japan or wherever, as a Romuvis, you are guided to be always respectful and may be invited to visit and use a sacred place on foreign land.
I'm sure that I'd be welcome at any sacred place in Lithuania but when I am not on that land, I am still called to be respectful as an adherent of Romuva.
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The Hill of Šatrija is located in the Žemaitiją Provence of Lithuania and stands 228 metres tall. From the top you can see Medvegalis mound which is the largest mound in Žemaitija. You can also see the mounds of Girzdute, Moteraitis and Sprude.
The Hill of Šatrija has been of great interest to researchers and archeological digs have confirmed that people lived here about 2100 years ago. It was also found that in the 14th century, there stood a wooden castle on the summit of the Hill. The castle was easily defendable against enemies because of the steep western and eastern sides of the Hill.
The Hill has long been considered to have been a centre of pagan Faith before the introduction of Christianity and since 1994 the eternal flame was relit by the honourable Krivius of Žemaitija, Adolf Gedvilas. The fire continues to this day and is constantly tended by volunteers who promise to tend the fire for at least 24 hours at a time. On the 3rd Saturday of July, in the Fire festival or the festival of the Goddess Gabija, the Fire is taken to the Summit of Šatrija mound and rites are conducted. Everyone are welcome to take some of the fire home with them. Hot coals is all that is needed!
A few legends accompany the creation of the hill and although we know the scientific explanation of mounds, I believe that legends and myths add colour and imagination to stale reality and also give us a peak into the worldview of our Lithuanian and even European ancestors.
Here's a few local legends of hill of Šatrija:
a Long time ago, before, in the distant past, there were some people who thought of building a church where the hill of Šatrija stands today.Those people worked all day but on returning the next day, they found everything covered in earth. They worked to build the church a second time and worked until nightfall but again, the next day, everything was covered in earth. Then on the third attempt, a large group of people were organised and they built the church in one day. The Devils were angry about this and rushed to cover the church with their big sacks of earth. This is how the hill was formed. According to the legend, one of the Devils had a rock in his sack which fell as the earth was being poured out of the large bag. The rock cracked the roof of the church and made an dent in the Hill.
The Devils felt sorry for their work, saying that building could've been used for something else so they dug a cave into the hill, to the church building and hid their treasures inside.
Another legend about the hill is that the Swedes once had a church on the place of the hill of Šatrija. The locals called them Giants because of their height.
Once in the church, the priest told his congregation that one day, in the future giants will no longer be tall anymore. The Giants became angry at such a prophesy and covered the church in earth and that was how the hill formed. It is believed that over the years the church has rotted and collapsed underground which is why the hill is said to be hollow.
Popular and different I have uncovered another legend of the hill of Šatrija which is about all the Witches of Žemaitiją who used to like to gather on the hill every night. They had fun and danced until the first crow of the Rooster. This is the time when it is believed that all Devils and Witches flee to their own abode.
Anyway, one night, the Witches got so frenzied with their dancing that they didn't hear the Roosters crowing. The Sun came up and they got very scared. They covered their eyes and flew away but one Witch was left with nothing to fly with. She ran around frantically running and shouting,"where's my Shatra?" A local person overheard the Witch and since then the hill has become known as Šatrija hill and as the capital of Witches. No one knows what happened to that stranded Witch but her legend continues.
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