The Lithuanian myth of Sovijus

The Lithuanian myth of Sovijus is said to have established cremation as a funerary practice in the 13th Century in Lithuania. Previously, Earth burials were more common.

"Sovijus was a man who caught a wild boar and ripped out its nine spleens, which he gave to his sons to fry up. The sons ate them all and he became angry with them.

He then descended through the nine gates of hell, only finally making it through the ninth gate with the help of his youngest son.

The other brothers were angry with that son and they then resolved to bring their father back. As the youngest son was responsible, he agreed to go down to hell to find his father and bring him back for burial. He found his father and had dinner with him.

That night the son made a bed for his father underground, but Sovijus slept terribly because the next day he moaned that he had been eaten by worms all night.

On the second night a bed was prepared in the trunk of a tree, but Sovijus complained the next day that he was stung by bees and mosquitoes all night.

On the third night the son prepared a bed of fire and put his father in it. (Cremation)

The next morning he asked his father how he had slept; to which Sovijus’ reply was

“I slept like a log.”