What is a Kulgrinda?

 Kūlgrinda is the name of one of my favourite Lithuanian folk groups who sing the traditional songs of our ancestors and who are led by Krivė and democratically elected High Priestess of Romuva in Lithuania, Inija Trinkuniene .

Kūlgrinda is also the Lithuanian word for a stone path which is hidden under water, only known by locals that leads to the safety of another village, castle fort or somewhere they can escape from Crusaders or invaders. There are 3 types of "grindas"(pathways) found throughout Lithuania,Latvia and Prussia with about 1/2 found in Samogitia/Žemaitiją. They can be made from stone, wood or earth called Kūlgrinda, Megrinda or Žemgrinda respectively. The Grindas are made by placing stones, wood or earth on top of the frozen swamp or lake in Winter which fall to the bottom as the the Spring thaw melts the ice. The process was repeated year after year until the path was fully established. I think that it's pretty ingenious! One of the longest and best known Kūlgrinda which still exists today in 3 parts is found in Sietuva swamps between Lūkštas lake and Paršežeris lake in Samogitia/Žemaitiją and connected the town's of Kaltinėnai and Tverai. The Kūlgrinda was still being used in the 19th century and it makes me wonder if my grandmother knew of it because she grew up in Varniai near Lūkštas lake! a link about Kūlgrinda and the photo is of people still interested in Kūlgrinda and travelling the path. I also believe that Kūlgrinda is a good metaphor to describe the path of Romuva which leads to a place where we feel safe and secure with our deities. I believe that even though the path may be hidden, it can be found by aligning yourself with Lithuanian locals to help others find their own path.