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Samogitian Sanctuary
Samogitian Sanctuary ( sgs, Žemaitiu Alks, lt, Žemaičių Alkas) is a pagan sanctuary in Šventoji, Lithuania, a reconstruction of a medieval pagan observatory. The poles corresponding to the gods and goddesses of the Balts can be used to observe the main calendar holidays. It is based on archeological records of the paleoastronomic observatory and pagan shrine that existed on Birutė Hill in Palanga until the 16th century. The wooden poles were carved by Lithuanian folk artists and were installed in June 1998. Neopagans use the sanctuary for devotional ceremonies during the major holidays.Šventoji Resort
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Pagan Sanctuary
Paganism (from classical Latin ''pāgānus'' "rural", "rustic", later "civilian") is a term first used in the fourth century by early Christianity, early Christians for people in the Roman Empire who practiced polytheism, or ethnic religions other than Judaism. In the time of the Roman empire, individuals fell into the pagan class either because they were increasingly rural and provincial relative to the Christian population, or because they were not ''Miles Christianus, milites Christi'' (soldiers of Christ).J. J. O'Donnell (1977)''Paganus'': Evolution and Use ''Classical Folia'', 31: 163–69. Alternative terms used in Christian texts were ''Greeks, hellene'', ''gentile'', and ''wikt:heathen, heathen''. Ritual sacrifice was an integral part of ancient Classical mythology, Graeco-Roman religion and was regarded as an indication of whether a person was pagan or Christian. Paganism has broadly connoted the "Civil religion, religion of the peasantry". During and after the Middle A ...
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