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Eglė The Queen Of Serpents
Eglė the Queen of Serpents, alternatively Eglė the Queen of Grass Snakes (), is a Lithuanian folk tale, first published by M. Jasewicz in 1837. ''Eglė the Queen of Serpents'' is one of the best-known Lithuanian fairy tales, with many references to Baltic mythology. Over a hundred slightly diverging versions of the plot have been collected. Its mythological background has been an interest of Lithuanian and foreign researchers of Indo-European mythology; Gintaras Beresnevičius considered it being a Lithuanian theogonic myth. The tale features not only human–reptile shapeshifting, but irreversible human–tree shapeshifting as well. Numerology is also evident in the tale, such as twelve sons, three daughters, three days, three tricks, three weeks of feast, nine years under the oath of marriage, three tasks given to Eglė by her husband to fulfill and nine days of visits. Published sources According to researcher Svetlana Ryzhakova and Jonas Balys, the tale first appeared in ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lithuania
Lithuania, officially the Republic of Lithuania, is a country in the Baltic region of Europe. It is one of three Baltic states and lies on the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea, bordered by Latvia to the north, Belarus to the east and south, Poland to the south, and the Russian exclave, semi-exclave of Kaliningrad Oblast to the southwest, with a Maritime boundary, maritime border with Sweden to the west. Lithuania covers an area of , with a population of 2.89 million. Its capital and largest city is Vilnius; other major cities include Kaunas, Klaipėda, Šiauliai and Panevėžys. Lithuanians who are the titular nation and form the majority of the country's population, belong to the ethnolinguistic group of Balts and speak Lithuanian language, Lithuanian. For millennia, the southeastern shores of the Baltic Sea were inhabited by various Balts, Baltic tribes. In the 1230s, Lithuanian lands were united for the first time by Mindaugas, who formed the Kingdom of Lithuania on 6 July ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Spruce
A spruce is a tree of the genus ''Picea'' ( ), a genus of about 40 species of coniferous evergreen trees in the family Pinaceae, found in the northern temperate and boreal ecosystem, boreal (taiga) regions of the Northern hemisphere. ''Picea'' is the sole genus in the subfamily Piceoideae. Spruces are large trees, from about 20 to 60 m (about 60–200 ft) tall when mature, and have Whorl (botany), whorled branches and cone (geometry), conical form. Spruces can be distinguished from other Genus, genera of the family Pinaceae by their pine needle, needles (leaves), which are four-sided and attached singly to small persistent peg-like structures (pulvini or sterigmata) on the branches, and by their seed cone, cones (without any protruding bracts), which hang downwards after they are pollinated. The needles are shed when 4–10 years old, leaving the branches rough with the retained pegs. In other similar genera, the branches are fairly smooth. Spruce are used as food pla ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Spinning (textiles)
Spinning is a twisting technique to form yarn from fibers. The fiber intended is drawn out, twisted, and wound onto a bobbin. A few popular fibers that are spun into yarn other than cotton, which is the most popular, are viscose (the most common form of rayon), animal fibers such as wool, and synthetic polyester. Originally done by hand using a spindle whorl, starting in the 500s AD the spinning wheel became the predominant spinning tool across Asia and Europe. The spinning jenny and spinning mule, invented in the late 1700s, made mechanical spinning far more efficient than spinning by hand, and especially made cotton manufacturing one of the most important industries of the Industrial Revolution. Process The yarn issuing from the drafting rollers passes through a thread-guide, round a Ring spinning#How it works, traveller that is free to rotate around a ring, and then onto a tube or bobbin, which is carried on to a Spindle (textiles), spindle, the axis of which passes through a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bridegroom
A bridegroom (often shortened to groom) is a man who is about to be married or who is newlywed. When marrying, the bridegroom's future spouse is usually referred to as the bride. A bridegroom is typically attended by a best man and groomsmen. Etymology The first mention of the term ''bridegroom'' dates to 1572, from the Old English ''brȳdguma'', a compound of ''brȳd'' (bride) and ''guma'' (man, human being, hero). It is related to the Old Saxon ''brūdigomo'', the Old High German ''brūtigomo'', the German ''Bräutigam'', and the Old Norse ''brúðgumi''. Attire The style of the bridegroom's clothing can be influenced by many factors, including the time of day, the location of the ceremony, the ethnic backgrounds of the bride and bridegroom, the type of ceremony, and whether the bridegroom is a member of the Armed Forces. National or ethnic traditions * In the United States, the bridegroom usually wears a dark-colored suit for a daytime wedding or a tuxedo for an ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Common Cuckoo
The cuckoo, common cuckoo, European cuckoo or Eurasian cuckoo (''Cuculus canorus'') is a member of the cuckoo order of birds, Cuculiformes, which includes the Geococcyx, roadrunners, the ani (bird), anis and the coucals. This species is a widespread summer bird migration, migrant to Europe and Asia, and winters in Africa. It is a brood parasite, which means it lays eggs in the nests of other bird species, particularly of dunnocks, meadow pipits, and Eurasian reed warbler, reed warblers. Although its eggs are larger than those of its hosts, the eggs in each type of host nest resemble the host's eggs. The adult too is a mimicry, mimic, in its case of the Eurasian sparrowhawk, sparrowhawk; since that species is a predator, the mimicry gives the female time to lay her eggs without being attacked. Taxonomy The species' binomial name is derived from the Latin language, Latin (the cuckoo) and (melodious; from , meaning "to sing"). The cuckoo family gets its common name and Binomial no ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sheep
Sheep (: sheep) or domestic sheep (''Ovis aries'') are a domesticated, ruminant mammal typically kept as livestock. Although the term ''sheep'' can apply to other species in the genus '' Ovis'', in everyday usage it almost always refers to domesticated sheep. Like all ruminants, sheep are members of the order Artiodactyla, the even-toed ungulates. Numbering a little over one billion, domestic sheep are also the most numerous species of sheep. An adult female is referred to as a ''ewe'' ( ), an intact male as a ''ram'', occasionally a ''tup'', a castrated male as a ''wether'', and a young sheep as a ''lamb''. Sheep are most likely descended from the wild mouflon of Europe and Asia, with Iran being a geographic envelope of the domestication center. One of the earliest animals to be domesticated for agricultural purposes, sheep are raised for fleeces, meat ( lamb, hogget or mutton), and milk. A sheep's wool is the most widely used animal fiber, and is usually harvested by ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Domesticated Goose
A domestic goose is a goose that humans have domesticated and kept for their meat, eggs, or down feathers, or as companion animals. Domestic geese have been derived through selective breeding from the wild greylag goose (''Anser anser domesticus'') and swan goose (''Anser cygnoides domesticus''). Origins In Europe, northern Africa, and western Asia, the original domesticated geese are derived from the greylag goose (''Anser anser''). In eastern Asia, the original domesticated geese are derived from the swan goose (''Anser cygnoides''); these are commonly known as Chinese geese. Both have been widely introduced in more recent times, and modern flocks in both areas (and elsewhere, such as Australia and North America) may consist of either species or hybrids between them. Chinese geese may be readily distinguished from European geese by the large knob at the base of the bill, though hybrids may exhibit every degree of variation between the two species. Charles Darwin remarked in ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Water Snake (other)
The term "water snakes" is sometimes used as a descriptive term for any snakes that spend a significant time in or near aquatic environments, especially freshwater habitats, such as any species belonging to the family Acrochordidae. They should not be confused with sea snakes, which live primarily or entirely in marine environments. Examples of water snakes include: *Family Boidae ** Green anaconda - Water boa *Family Colubridae ** ''Afronatrix'', a monotypic genus with the sole representative, the African brown water snake, ''Afronatrix anoscopus'' ** ''Hydrops (snake)'' ** ''Hydromorphus'' ** ''Hydrodynastes'' species, including: ***''Hydrodynastes gigas'' – false water snake or Brazilian smooth snake ** ''Natrix natrix'' ** ''Natrix tessellata'' ** ''Nerodia'' species ** ''Opisthotropis'' species ** ''Ptychophis'', a monotypic genus with the sole representative, the fanged water snake, ''Ptychophis flavovirgatus'' ** ''Sinonatrix'' species, including: *** ''Sinonatrix percarina ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
žaltys
A žaltys (, literally: ''grass snake'') is a household spirit in Lithuanian mythology. As a sacred animal of the sun goddess Saulė, it is considered a guardian of the home and a symbol of fertility. People used to keep it as a pet by the stove or other special area of the house, believing that it would bring good harvest and wealth. Killing žaltys was said to bring great misfortunes upon the household. If žaltys was found in the field, people gave it milk attempting to befriend the creature and make it a sacred household pet. See also * Eglė the Queen of Serpents * Proto-Indo-European mythology * Indo-European cosmogony * Baltic mythology * Prussian mythology The Prussian mythology was a polytheistic religion of the Old Prussians, indigenous peoples of Prussia before the Prussian Crusade waged by the Teutonic Knights. It was closely related to other Baltic faiths, the Lithuanian and Latvian mytho ... References Fertility gods Household deities Lithuanian go ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lithuanian Language
Lithuanian (, ) is an East Baltic languages, East Baltic language belonging to the Baltic languages, Baltic branch of the Indo-European language family. It is the language of Lithuanians and the official language of Lithuania as well as one of the official languages of the European Union. There are approximately 2.8 million native Lithuanian speakers in Lithuania and about 1 million speakers elsewhere. Around half a million inhabitants of Lithuania of non-Lithuanian background speak Lithuanian daily as a second language. Lithuanian is closely related to neighbouring Latvian language, Latvian, though the two languages are not mutually intelligible. It is written in a Latin script. In some respects, some linguists consider it to be the most conservative (language), conservative of the existing Indo-European languages, retaining features of the Proto-Indo-European language that had disappeared through development from other descendant languages. History Among Indo-European languag ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Grass Snake
The grass snake (''Natrix natrix''), sometimes called the ringed snake or water snake, is a Eurasian semi-aquatic non- venomous colubrid snake. It is often found near water and feeds almost exclusively on amphibians. Subspecies Many subspecies are recognized, including: ''Natrix natrix helvetica'' ( Lacépède, 1789) was formerly treated as a subspecies, but following genetic analysis it was recognised in August 2017 as a separate species, ''Natrix helvetica'', the barred grass snake. Four other subspecies were transferred from ''N. natrix'' to ''N. helvetica'', becoming ''N. helvetica cettii'', ''N. helvetica corsa'', ''N. helvetica lanzai'' and ''N. helvetica sicula''. The subspecies ''N. natrix astreptophora'', with distribution in the Iberian peninsula, the Pyrenees, and North-Western Africa, has been reclassified as its own species '' Natrix astreptophora'' or the Iberian grass snake. Description The grass snake is typically dark green or ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mate Kapović
Mate Kapović (born August 5, 1981 in Zagreb) is a Croatian linguist specializing in Indo-European, Slavic languages and the Proto-Balto-Slavic language. Biography He studied Croatian language and linguistics at the Faculty of Arts of University of Zagreb. He graduated in 2003 and he has been teaching at the same university since 2004. In 2007, he obtained his doctorate at the Faculty of Philosophy of University of Zadar (''Reconstruction of Balto-Slavic Personal Pronouns with Emphasis on Accentuation''). In 2010, he was appointed docent at the University of Zagreb, and in 2014, he was appointed associate professor. At the Faculty of Arts, he lectures on general phonology, historical-comparative linguistics, phonology and Indo-European morphology. His academic interests include accentology, sociolinguistics, dialectology and language policy. He is a member of the Committee of Dialectology at the Department of Philological Sciences of the Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
