The Earth has become a worldwide Deity and mother. Here are a list of the various names for the Earth Goddess from around the world:
Chinese folk religion - Houtu (Di Mu)
Meitei mythology and religion - Leimarel Sidabi, Panthoibi, Phouoibi
Ancient Roman religion - Terra, Ceres, Ops, Proserpina
Slavic - Mat Zemlya
Andean (Inca, Aymara) - Pachamama
Native American - Spider Grandmother
Romanian - Muma Padurii, Mama Gaia
Mongolian and Turkic - Umay (Eje)
Old Norse religion - Sif and Jörð
Lithuanian mythology - Žemyna
Māori - Papatūānuku
Latvian mythology - Zemes māte and Māra
Vietnamese folk religion - Mẫu Địa
Tai folk religion - Phra Mae Thorani and Phra Nang Bhum Chaiya (พระนางภูมิไชยา - Bhummaso) , "Tutelary goddess of Earth and Land" in Thailand , Cambodia , Laos and myanmar
Mahayana and Vajrayana - Vasudhara
Historical Vedic religion - Prithvi
Australian Aboriginal peoples don't Revere the Earth as in other regions of the world but from Queensland, Australia, there is a belief in "Anjea who is a fertility goddess or spirit, in whom people's souls reside between their incarnations."
(Wikipedia)
This Goddess has the same functions of the Earth Goddess although there is no mention of the Earth.
So you can see that there many names for the Earth Goddess used across the globe but her essence and functions are the same. The Earth Goddess is the personification of Earth who has two main functions. She creates fertility in nature to make it bloom and flourish while at the same time carrying and caring for us in life but then She also receives our bodies in death to continue regeneration and reincarnation.
The Earth Goddess Žemyna is a very important Deity to adherents of Romuva and Baltic Faith. Many people have died for her as She also represents "freedom" and some would say that they are really nothing without their land.
There is a custom in Lithuania to kiss the earth to show respect, affection and love. This custom runs deep and even Pope John Paul ii practiced this custom. He was was Polish and part Lithuanian. His mother was Lithuanian and Polish which may explain his actions. Pope John Paul ii demonstrated the act of kissing the ground many times after getting off a plane! I saw this many times on tv as I was growing up and I just thought that it was a fear of flying thing but now I know that it was done as a returning greeting because he left the Mother Earth temporarily while he was in the sky.
Žemyna is close to the heart of Lithuanian peoples as She is for other indigenous cultures! Žemyna may be known by different names in different cultures but her gender, nature and functions are a constant throughout the world!
M.Gimbutiene, a well known Lithuanian archeologist says:
"All that is alive - is a sign of the earth’s kindness. Every earth born object is full to the brim with life’s strength, granted by mother earth. Tree, flower, stone and man - all from the earth. They are all full of earth’s power, although in each, the power is of various shape and form."
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