The list of Lithuanian gods is reconstructed based on scarce written sources and late

folklore Folklore is shared by a particular group of people; it encompasses the traditions common to that culture, subculture or group. This includes oral traditions such as tales, legends, proverbs and jokes. They include material culture, ranging ...

. Lithuania converted to Christianity in 1387, but elements of

Lithuanian mythology Lithuanian mythology ( lt, Lietuvių mitologija) is the mythology of Lithuanian polytheism, the religion of pre-Christian Lithuanians. Like other Indo-Europeans, ancient Lithuanians maintained a polytheistic mythology and religious structure. ...

survived into the 19th century. The earliest written sources, authored by foreigners and Christians, only briefly mention the Lithuanian gods. Beginning in the 16th century, the pagan religion received more attention from authors, but often their accounts were confused, contradictory, and heavily influenced by various religious agendas. Collection and recording of folklore began in the 19th century, by which time the pagan mythology had become fragmented and mixed with Christian traditions. The cults of old deities transformed into folklore (individual tales, myths, songs, etc.) without associated rituals. Because of such difficulties obtaining data, there is no accepted list of Lithuanian gods. Different authors present wildly contradictory reconstructions of the Lithuanian pantheon.

Names from folklore myths and legends

This section includes the names of gods, divine or demonic beings, and other personages from Lithuanian myths, legends,

, and fairy-tales.

Gods and goddesses

Ašvieniai Ašvieniai are divine twins in the Lithuanian mythology, identical to Latvian Dieva dēli and the Baltic counterparts of Vedic Ashvins. Both names derive from the same Proto-Indo-European root for the horse – ''*ék̂wos'': Old Lithuanian ašv ...

, the divine twins who pulled the chariot of the Sun (the Vedic

Ashwins The Ashvins ( sa, अश्विन्, Aśvin, horse possessors), also known as Ashwini Kumara and Asvinau,, §1.42. are Hindu twin gods associated with medicine, health, dawn and sciences. In the ''Rigveda'', they are described as youthful div ...

). *

Aušrinė Aušrinė ("dawning", not to be confused with ''Aušra'', "dawn") is a feminine deity of the morning star (Venus) in the Lithuanian mythology. She is the antipode to "Vakarinė", the evening star. Her cult possibly stems from that of the Indo-E ...

, the Morning Star, a goddess, a daughter of the God ("dievaitė"). She was the goddess of the morning. Alternatively her name is given as Aušra ("dawn").

Ushas Ushas (Vedic Sanskrit: / ') is a Vedas, Vedic goddess of dawn in Hinduism. She repeatedly appears in the Rigvedic hymns, states David Kinsley, where she is "consistently identified with dawn, revealing herself with the daily coming of light to t ...

in Vedic religion. *Auštaras (Auštra), the god of the northeast wind, who stands at the gates of

paradise In religion, paradise is a place of exceptional happiness and delight. Paradisiacal notions are often laden with pastoral imagery, and may be cosmogonical or eschatological or both, often compared to the miseries of human civilization: in paradis ...

and lights the way for those going to paradise. His function of shining this beacon makes him similar to

; some consider him to be her cousin. *

Bangpūtys Bangpūtysor “bryanē is the name of a masculine deityStraižys, Vytautas; Gods and Goddesses of the Ancient Balts, Lietuvos Dangus (Sky of Lithuania), Vilnius, p.115, 1990. in Lithuanian mythology. Basing on very scanty sources, some mythologi ...

, the god of the seas and storms ––he is two-faced like the Roman god

Janus In ancient Roman religion and myth, Janus ( ; la, Ianvs ) is the god of beginnings, gates, transitions, time, duality, doorways, passages, frames, and endings. He is usually depicted as having two faces. The month of January is named for Janu ...

. * Dalia, goddess of fate and weaving. *Deivės Valdytojos (Lithuanian: ''Governing Goddesses''), were the goddesses who made

garment Clothing (also known as clothes, apparel, and attire) are items worn on the human body, body. Typically, clothing is made of fabrics or textiles, but over time it has included garments made from animal skin and other thin sheets of materials ...

s from human's lives. They were seven sisters: Verpiančioji (who spun the threads of life), Metančioji (who threw rims of life), Audėja (the weaver), Gadintoja (who broke the thread), Sergėtoja (who scolded Gadintoja, and instigated war between people), Nukirpėja (who cut the cloth of life), and Išskalbėja (the laundress). They have similarities with the

Greek Greek may refer to: Greece Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group. *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family. **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...

Fates The Fates are a common motif in European polytheism, most frequently represented as a trio of goddesses. The Fates shape the destiny of each human, often expressed in textile metaphors such as spinning fibers into yarn, or weaving threads on a ...

and the Norse

Norns The Norns ( non, norn , plural: ) are deities in Norse mythology responsible for shaping the course of human destinies.'' Nordisk familjebok'' (1907) In the ''Völuspá'', the three primary Norns Urðr (Wyrd), Verðandi, and Skuld draw wate ...

. Deivės Valdytojos were associated with Dalia and

Laima Laima is a Baltic goddess of fate. She was associated with childbirth, marriage, and death; she was also the patron of pregnant women. Laima and her functions are similar to the Hindu goddess Lakshmi. In Latvia In Latvian mythology, Laima and ...

. *

Dievas Lithuanian Dievas, Latvian Dievs, Latgalian Dīvs, Old Prussian Dìews, Yotvingian Deivas was the primordial supreme god in the Baltic mythology and one of the most important deities together with Perkūnas and he was brother of Potrimpo. He ...

, ("God"), the supreme deity *Dievas Senelis ("God Old Man"), a teacher of people and judge of their morality. He looks like an old traveling beggar. Dievas Senelis is proficient at magic and medicine. Epithet of Dievas. *

Gabija Gabija (also known as Gabieta, Gabeta) is the spirit of the fire in Lithuanian mythology. She is the protector of home and family. Her name is derived from ''gaubti'' (to cover, to protect) or from St. Agatha (russian: Гафия, Gafiya). Gabija ...

, the foster of the Holy Fire, a goddess, a daughter of Dievas ("dievaitė"). *

, goddess of Fate and pregnant women. *Mėnuo, the Moon, a son of Dievas ("dievaitis"). *

Perkūnas Perkūnas ( lt, Perkūnas, lv, Pērkons, Old Prussian: ''Perkūns'', ''Perkunos'', Yotvingian: ''Parkuns'', Latgalian: ''Pārkiuņs'') was the common Baltic god of thunder, and the second most important deity in the Baltic pantheon after Die ...

, the Thunder, the main god. ("dievaitis") (

Parjanya Parjanya ( sa, पर्जन्य ) according to the Vedas is a deity of rain, thunder, lightning, and the one who fertilizes the earth. It is another epithet of Indra, the Vedic deity of the sky and heaven. Description It is assumed Parjanya is ...

Indra Indra (; Sanskrit: इन्द्र) is the king of the devas (god-like deities) and Svarga (heaven) in Hindu mythology. He is associated with the sky, lightning, weather, thunder, storms, rains, river flows, and war. volumes/ref> I ...

in Vedic religion). *Praamžius, Praamžis, Pramšans, Pramžimas, Praamžimas, an

epithet An epithet (, ), also byname, is a descriptive term (word or phrase) known for accompanying or occurring in place of a name and having entered common usage. It has various shades of meaning when applied to seemingly real or fictitious people, di ...

of Dievas (the chief god); probably of later literary origin."Praamžius". Mitologijos enciklopedija, vol. 2. Vilnius. Vaga. 1999. 291 p. *

Saulė Saulė ( lt, Saulė, lv, Saule) is a solar goddess, the common Baltic solar deity in the Lithuanian and Latvian mythologies. The noun ''Saulė''/''Saule'' in the Lithuanian and Latvian languages is also the conventional name for the Sun and o ...

, the Sun Goddess (

Surya Surya (; sa, सूर्य, ) is the sun as well as the solar deity in Hinduism. He is traditionally one of the major five deities in the Smarta tradition, all of whom are considered as equivalent deities in the Panchayatana puja and a m ...

in Vedic religion) *Vakarinė, goddess of the Evening Star. *Vėjopatis, god of the wind and master of Dausos (paradise) *

Žemyna Žemyna (also Žemynėlė or Žemelė) (from lt, žemė – ''earth'') is the goddess of the earth in Lithuanian religion. She is usually regarded as mother goddess and one of the chief Lithuanian gods similar to Latvian Zemes māte. Žemyna ...

, goddess, the deified soil (

Thracian The Thracians (; grc, Θρᾷκες ''Thrāikes''; la, Thraci) were an Indo-European speaking people who inhabited large parts of Eastern and Southeastern Europe in ancient history.. "The Thracians were an Indo-European people who occupied t ...

''Zemele;'' Zamin in Persian and Hindi for "land"). *Žvaigždės (

singular Singular may refer to: * Singular, the grammatical number that denotes a unit quantity, as opposed to the plural and other forms * Singular homology * SINGULAR, an open source Computer Algebra System (CAS) * Singular or sounder, a group of boar, ...

: žvaigždė), stars. Saulė (the sun) is their mother and sometimes with the

Moon The Moon is Earth's only natural satellite. It is the fifth largest satellite in the Solar System and the largest and most massive relative to its parent planet, with a diameter about one-quarter that of Earth (comparable to the width of ...

as their father. One of the most important stars is

. Other stars, Aušrinė's sisters, are less important, but they sometimes appear in mythic stories too. Especially notable ones are Vakarinė or Vakarė (the evening Venus, who makes the bed for

), ''Indraja'' (Jupiter), ''Sėlija'' (Saturn), ''Žiezdrė'' (Mars), and ''Vaivora'' (Mercury).

Heroes and heroines

*Pajauta, the legendary princess of

Kernavė Kernavė was a medieval capital of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and today is a tourist attraction and an archeological site (population 272, 2011). It is located in the Širvintos district municipality located in southeast Lithuania. A Lithuanian ...

Jūratė and Kastytis Jūratė and Kastytis (Lithuanian: ''Jūratė ir Kastytis'') is one of the most famous and popular Lithuanian legends and tales. The first time it was recorded was in 1842, in the writings of . Since then it has been adapted many times for modern ...

are heroes of a Lithuanian legend, which subsequently became popular, mostly because of its modern poetic interpretation by

Maironis Maironis (born Jonas Mačiulis, ; – 28 June 1932) was a Lithuanian Roman Catholic priest and the greatest and most-known Lithuanian poet, especially of the period of the Lithuanian press ban. He was called the Bard of Lithuanian National Reviv ...

. The queen of the amber palace

Jūratė Jūratė is a Lithuanian female given name. People named Jūratė include: *Jūratė Kiaupienė (born 1947), Lithuanian historian * Jūratė Ladavičiūtė (born 1985), Lithuanian freestyle swimmer * Jūratė Trimakaitė (born 1987), Lithuanian ...

may be considered a manifestation of the goddess of Sea in this legend.

Local and nature spirits

*Ežerinis, a spirit of lakes *Javinė, a household goddess who protects

grain A grain is a small, hard, dry fruit (caryopsis) – with or without an attached hull layer – harvested for human or animal consumption. A grain crop is a grain-producing plant. The two main types of commercial grain crops are cereals and legum ...

barn A barn is an agricultural building usually on farms and used for various purposes. In North America, a barn refers to structures that house livestock, including cattle and horses, as well as equipment and fodder, and often grain.Allen G. ...

s. *Jievaras, a household spirit who protects grain. Sacrifices to Jievaras are made after the

rye Rye (''Secale cereale'') is a grass grown extensively as a grain, a cover crop and a forage crop. It is a member of the wheat tribe (Triticeae) and is closely related to both wheat (''Triticum'') and barley (genus ''Hordeum''). Rye grain is u ...

harvest. While cutting grain, women would leave a few grain tufts uncut, which would later be braided into plaits. They would also leave some

bread and salt Bread and salt is a welcome greeting ceremony in some Slavic, Nordic, Baltic, Balkan and other European cultures as well as in Middle Eastern cultures. It is also shared with some non-Slavic nations—Lithuanians, Latvians (both Baltic), Roman ...

under the plait, and would say: ''Davei manei, Žemele, duodame ir tau'' ( ougave for us, Mother Earth, we are giving for you too), a request for the land to continue to be fruitful. *Kupolė, the spirit of springtime vegetation and flowers. The Festival of Kupolė (Kupolinės) was associated with Feast of

St. John the Baptist John the Baptist or , , or , ;Wetterau, Bruce. ''World history''. New York: Henry Holt and Company. 1994. syc, ܝܘܿܚܲܢܵܢ ܡܲܥܡܕ݂ܵܢܵܐ, Yoḥanān Maʿmḏānā; he, יוחנן המטביל, Yohanān HaMatbil; la, Ioannes Bapti ...

(

Joninės Saint Jonas' Festival, also known as ''Rasos'' (''Dew Holiday''), ''Joninės'', ''Kupolė'', Midsummer Day or Saint John's Day) is a midsummer folk festival celebrated on 24 June all around Lithuania. While midsummer day is celebrated throughout ...

). In this festival, women picked sacral herbs, danced and sang songs. Kupolinės is also known as Rasos. Compare this with Ziedu māte in

Latvian mythology Latvian mythology is the collection of myths that have emerged throughout the history of Latvia, sometimes being elaborated upon by successive generations, and at other times being rejected and replaced by other explanatory narratives. These myth ...

Kupala Slavic pseudo-deities (pseudo-gods, pseudo-goddesses) are Slavic deities that exist in popular or even scientific literature, but their historicity is not recognized by the vast majority of scholars, i.e., that the deity in question was not actua ...

in Polish mythology and

Ivan Kupala Kupala Night ( be, Купалле, pl, Noc Kupały, russian: Иван-Купала, uk, Івана Купала, Купайла), also called Ivanа Kupala, is a traditional Slavic holiday that was originally celebrated on the shortest night of ...

Russian mythology Slavic mythology or Slavic religion is the religious beliefs, myths, and ritual practices of the Slavs before Christianisation, which occurred at various stages between the 8th and the 13th century. The South Slavs, who likely settled in the B ...

*Laukų dvasios (spirits of fields), spirits, who were running through the fields. When crops in the fields waved in the wind, people saw them as being the actions of spirits. Laukų dvasios include Nuogalis, Kiškis (hare), Meška (bear), Lapė (fox), Katinas (tomcat), Bubis, Bubas, Bubė,

Baubas The list of Lithuanian gods is reconstructed based on scarce written sources and late folklore. Lithuania converted to Christianity in 1387, but elements of Lithuanian mythology survived into the 19th century. The earliest written sources, author ...

, Babaužis, Bobas, Maumas (bugaboo), Raudongalvis (red-headed), Raudongerklis (red-throated), Žaliaakis (green-eyed), Paplėštakis, Guda, Dizikas, Smauglys (boa), Ruginis (spirit of rye), Papiokė, Pypalas, Žebris, Arklys (horse), Vilkas (wolf). *Upinis, a spirit of rivers

Various lower beings

*Kaukas, spirits similar to

leprechaun A leprechaun ( ga, leipreachán/luchorpán) is a diminutive supernatural being in Irish folklore, classed by some as a type of solitary fairy. They are usually depicted as little bearded men, wearing a coat and hat, who partake in mischief. I ...

s. *

Laumė Latvian Lauma or Lithuanian Laumė is a fairy-like woodland spirit, and guardian spirit of orphans in Eastern Baltic mythology. Originally a sky spirit, her compassion for human suffering brought her to earth to share our fate. In Lithuanian ...

, a fairy-like female creature (

pixie A pixie (also pisky, pixy, pixi, pizkie, and piskie in Cornwall and Devon, and pigsie or puggsy in the New Forest) is a mythical creature of British folklore. Pixies are considered to be particularly concentrated in the high moorland areas arou ...

s). Described as white and blue as the sky itself. Good spirit, very friendly with the Earth and Nature gods. However, if anyone tried to use them for personal gain, their punishment would be severe. *Nykštukas,

gnome A gnome is a mythological creature and diminutive spirit in Renaissance magic and alchemy, first introduced by Paracelsus in the 16th century and later adopted by more recent authors including those of modern fantasy literature. Its characte ...

s. *Vėlės,

spirit Spirit or spirits may refer to: Liquor and other volatile liquids * Spirits, a.k.a. liquor, distilled alcoholic drinks * Spirit or tincture, an extract of plant or animal material dissolved in ethanol * Volatile (especially flammable) liquids, ...

s of dead human beings.

"Demonic" beings

Aitvaras Aitvaras is a nature spirit in Lithuanian mythology. It is also known by other names, such as Atvaras, Damavykas, Pūkis, Sparyžius, Koklikas, Gausinėlis, Žaltvikšas, and Spirukas, and is identical to the Latvian Pūķis. An Aitvaras looks ...

, a household spirit bringing both good and bad luck *Baubas, an evil spirit with long lean arms, wrinkly fingers and red eyes. He harasses people and tears their hair or stifles them. To children, he is the equivalent of the

boogeyman The Bogeyman (; also spelled boogeyman, bogyman, bogieman, boogie monster, boogieman, or boogie woogie) is a type of mythic creature used by adults to frighten children into good behavior. Bogeymen have no specific appearance and conceptions var ...

of the English-speaking countries. A misbehaving child could be told by the parents: "Behave, or baubas will come and get you". Also it could be described as a black and dark creature living under the carpet or in some dark spot of the house. *Giltinė – goddess of death, also The Reaper. Other names include Kaulinyčia, Maras (

black death The Black Death (also known as the Pestilence, the Great Mortality or the Plague) was a bubonic plague pandemic occurring in Western Eurasia and North Africa from 1346 to 1353. It is the most fatal pandemic recorded in human history, causi ...

or the Plague), Maro mergos, Kolera, Pavietrė, Kapinių žmogus. Her sacred bird is the owl. Sometimes she was considered to be a sister of

(luck). *Ragana, a forest-dwelling witch. *Slogutis means pain, misery or nightmare. Also can mean fear or bad feelings. *Pinčiukas, devil, not the pure evil being of Christianity, but a trickster. Earlier - dweller or even god of bogs and marshes. *Žiburinis, a scary forest spirit that appears as a phosphorescent skeleton.

Holy places and things

*Dausos or Dangus, the home of good souls. Dausos is on a high mountain ( Latvian Debeskalns, or Norse

Valhalla In Norse mythology Valhalla (;) is the anglicised name for non, Valhǫll ("hall of the slain").Orchard (1997:171–172) It is described as a majestic hall located in Asgard and presided over by the god Odin. Half of those who die in combat e ...

), between two rivers. There are golden apple-trees in the Dausos garden. Day in the garden is perpetual but outside its confines is perpetual night. Master of Dausos is Vėjopatis (Lord of the wind) or Vėjas (Wind) who is also one of the oldest gods in Lithuanian mythology. Vėjas is identical to

Vayu Vayu (, sa, वायु, ), also known as Vata and Pavana, is the Hindu god of the winds as well as the divine massenger of the gods. In the ''Vedic scriptures'', Vayu is an important deity and is closely associated with Indra, the king of ...

Hinduism Hinduism () is an Indian religion or '' dharma'', a religious and universal order or way of life by which followers abide. As a religion, it is the world's third-largest, with over 1.2–1.35 billion followers, or 15–16% of the global p ...

. Auštaras and Vėjopatis are keepers of Dausos's gates (Dausų Vartai). While Auštaras shows the way for good souls, Vėjas (Vėjopatis) blows bad souls into oblivion.

Names by written sources

Earliest Rus' chronicles

Some names from Lithuanian mythology are also found in

Kievan Rus' Kievan Rusʹ, also known as Kyivan Rusʹ ( orv, , Rusĭ, or , , ; Old Norse: ''Garðaríki''), was a state in Eastern and Northern Europe from the late 9th to the mid-13th century.John Channon & Robert Hudson, ''Penguin Historical Atlas of ...

chronicles of the 13th century. These deities were secretly worshiped by

King of Lithuania The monarchy of Lithuania concerned the monarchical head of state of Lithuania, which was established as an absolute and hereditary monarchy. Throughout Lithuania's history there were three ducal dynasties that managed to stay in power—House ...

Mindaugas Mindaugas (german: Myndowen, la, Mindowe, orv, Мендог, be, Міндоўг, pl, Mendog, c. 1203–1263) is the first known Grand Duke of Lithuania and the only crowned King of Lithuania. Little is known of his origins, early life, or r ...

after his baptism. Rus' chronicles are considered the best source of information about the ancient Lithuanian pantheon worshiped by nobles and the military. *

Sovijus Sovij ( lt, Sovijus) is a character in a Baltic mythology, Baltic myth recorded in the Russian translation of ''Chronography'' by the Byzantine chronicler John Malalas (1261). According to the myth, Sovij was the instigator of the ancient Baltic tra ...

in 13th-century Rus' chronicles was a person who introduced the pagan custom of burning bodies after death, according to studies by

Gintaras Beresnevičius Gintaras Beresnevičius (July 8, 1961 in Kaunas – August 6, 2006 in Vilnius) was a Lithuanian historian of religions specializing in Baltic mythology. He together with Norbertas Vėlius is considered to be the best specialist in Lithuanian myt ...

. *Žvoruna (Zvoruna) was a

euphemism A euphemism () is an innocuous word or expression used in place of one that is deemed offensive or suggests something unpleasant. Some euphemisms are intended to amuse, while others use bland, inoffensive terms for concepts that the user wishes ...

for the hunting and forest goddess like Roman Diana. Her name is connected with wild animals. There was mentioned in chronicle that she is a bitch, it means that her

zoomorphic The word ''zoomorphism'' derives from the Greek ζωον (''zōon''), meaning "animal", and μορφη (''morphē''), meaning "shape" or "form". In the context of art, zoomorphism could describe art that imagines humans as non-human animals. It c ...

shape is female dog. *

Medeina Medeina or Medeinė (from lt, medis – "tree" or ''medė'' – "forest"), often treated as synonymous to Žvorūnė or Žvorūna (derived from ''žvėris'' – "beast"), is one of the main deities in the Lithuanian mythology, and is similar to ...

(Medeinė) is another euphemism of the hunting and forest goddess. Medeina also was mentioned in the 16th century by J. Lasicki. She was worshiped by King Mindaugas and represented military interest of warriors. *Teliavelis (Televelis) was a powerful smith who made the sun and threw it to the sky. This myth survived in folk tales in the beginning of the 20th century. Some scholars, like K. Būga, tried to prove that Televelis is incorrectly written Kalvelis (smith diminutive in Lithuanian). Teliavelis has connections with Finnish

Ilmarinen Ilmarinen (), the Eternal Hammerer, blacksmith and inventor in the ''Kalevala'', is a god and archetypal artificer from Finnish mythology. He is immortal and capable of creating practically anything, but is portrayed as being unlucky in love. He i ...

. *Andajus (Andajas, Andojas, etc.) was mentioned in medieval chronicles as the supreme deity. It may be euphemism for

. It is mentioned in chronicle that warriors invoke Andajus in battle. *Nonadievis (Nunadievis; etimologized by some scholars as Numadievis) is an incorrectly written name of the supreme god or just another euphemism. *Perkūnas was the god of thunder, one of the most powerful deities. Perkūnas survived in popular belief and folk tales until the 20th century. *Diviriks is thought to be one of Perkūnas' euphemisms, meaning "leader of gods".

Martynas Mažvydas

Martynas Mažvydas Martynas Mažvydas (1510 – 21 May 1563) was a Protestant author who edited the first printed book in the Lithuanian language. Variants of his name include Martinus Masvidius, Martinus Maszwidas, M. Mossuids Waytkūnas, Mastwidas, Mažvyda ...

in his Latin introduction to ''Catechismusa Prasty Szadei'' (1547) urged the people to abandon their pagan ways and mentioned the following gods: *

(Percuno) – god of thunder *Laukosargas (Laucosargus) – god of grains and other agricultural plants *Žemėpatis (Semepates) – god of cattle and other farm animals *Aitvaras and kaukas (Eithuaros and Caucos) – evil spirits

Maciej Stryjkowski

Maciej Stryjkowski Maciej Stryjkowski (also referred to as Strykowski and Strycovius;Nowa encyklopedia powszechna PWN. t. 6, 1997 – ) was a Polish historian, writer and a poet, known as the author of ''Chronicle of Poland, Lithuania, Samogitia and all of Rutheni ...

(1547–1593) – Polish–Lithuanian historian and author of ''Chronicle of Poland, Lithuania, Samogitia and all Russia''. In this work, Stryjkowski provided two lists of gods, one

Old Prussia Prussia (Old Prussian: ''Prūsa''; german: Preußen; lt, Prūsija; pl, Prusy; russian: Пруссия, tr=Prussiya, ''/Prussia/Borussia'') is a historical region in Europe on the south-eastern coast of the Baltic Sea, that ranges from the Vis ...

n and another Lithuanian. He listed 16 Lithuanian gods: #Prakorimas (Prokorimos) – the supreme deity. Stryjkowski elaborated that people used to sacrifice white cocks to Prakorimas. Their flesh was divided into three pieces: one for peasants, another for pagan priests (Lithuanian: ''žynys''), and a third for burning. Stryjkowski pointed out that Prakorimas was similar to the Prussian supreme god Okopirmas. #Rūgutis (Ruguczis) – god of fermentation and fermented foods #Žemininkas (Ziemennik) – god of land and agriculture. The cult of the

žaltys A žaltys (, literally: ''grass snake'') is a household spirit in Lithuanian mythology. As sacred animal of the sun goddess Saulė, it is a guardian of the home and a symbol of fertility. People used to keep it as a pet by the stove or other spe ...

(grass snake) is associated with the cult of Žemininkas. #Krūminė (Kruminie Pradziu Warpu) – deity of

ears An ear is the organ that enables hearing and, in mammals, body balance using the vestibular system. In mammals, the ear is usually described as having three parts—the outer ear, the middle ear and the inner ear. The outer ear consists o ...

, provider of crops #Lietuvonis (Lituwanis) – god of rain #Kauriraris (Chaurirari) – deity of war and warhorses. The name etymology is unclear.

Vladimir Toporov Vladimir Nikolayevich Toporov (russian: Влади́мир Никола́евич Топоро́в; 5 July 1928 in Moscow5 December 2005 in Moscow) was a leading Russian philologist associated with the Tartu-Moscow semiotic school. His wife was ...

suggested that it is derived from the Lithuanian word ''kaurai'' (fur), while

Wilhelm Mannhardt Wilhelm Mannhardt (March 26, 1831, Friedrichstadt – December 25, 1880, Danzig) was a German mythologist and folklorist. He is known for his work on Germanic mythology, on Baltic mythology, and other pre-Christian European pantheons; and for his ...

argued it stems from ''karas'' (war). #Sutvaras (Sotwaros) – god of all cattle #Šeimos dievas (Seimi Dewos) – god of family #Upinis dievas (Upinis Dewos) – god of rivers #Bubilas – god of honey and bees #Didis Lado (Dzidzis Lado) – the great god. Festivities, songs, and dances in his honor lasted from May 25 to June 25. There are doubts whether this represents an actual god. #Gulbis (Gulbi Dzievos) – the good spirit of every human, guardian angel #Ganiklis (Goniglis Dziewos) – god of herds and shepherds #Šventpaukštinis (Swieczpunscynis) – god of all domesticated and wild birds. People did not offer sacrifices to him as he was a free spirit. #Kelių dievas (Kielu Dziewos) – god of roads, trade and travel #Pušaitis or Puškaitis (Puszajtis) – deity of land, dwelling in elder bushes and commanding

chthonic The word chthonic (), or chthonian, is derived from the Ancient Greek word ''χθών, "khthon"'', meaning earth or soil. It translates more directly from χθόνιος or "in, under, or beneath the earth" which can be differentiated from Γῆ ...

dwarfs (barstukas)

Jan Łasicki

Jan Łasicki Jan Łasicki ( la, Johannis Lasitii or Lasicius; 1534–1602) was a Polish historian and theologian. He was well-educated and traveled extensively in Western Europe from 1556 to 1581. Around 1557 he converted to Calvinism, becoming a follower of th ...

(Lasicius) was a Polish Protestant activist. He wrote a treatise on

idolatry Idolatry is the worship of a cult image or "idol" as though it were God. In Abrahamic religions (namely Judaism, Samaritanism, Christianity, the Baháʼí Faith, and Islam) idolatry connotes the worship of something or someone other than the A ...

''About the gods of Samogitians, other Sarmatians, and false Christians'' (''De diis Samagitarum caeterorumque Sarmatarum et falsorum Christianorum'', written ca. 1582 and published in 1615). This 18-page treatise contained a lists of 76 Lithuanian gods with brief description of their functions. Łasicki obtained most of his information from Łaszkowski, a Polish lesser noble who worked as a royal land surveyor. The list contained very minor deities, representing everyday household items. Łasicki was also not intimately familiar with Lithuanian culture or language. Therefore, the academic opinion on the list ranges from a valuable resource to a practical joke designed to poke fun of

Christian saints In religious belief, a saint is a person who is recognized as having an exceptional degree of holiness, likeness, or closeness to God. However, the use of the term ''saint'' depends on the context and denomination. In Catholic, Eastern Ortho ...

through an inverted mirror. Deities mentioned by Jan Łasicki were: # Aukštėjas (Auxtheias Vissagistis) – a

for the supreme god. Derived from the Lithuanian word ''aukštas'' (high). # Žemėpatis (Zemopacios) # Perkūnas (Percunos) – god of thunder # Audros – god of storms # Algis # Aušra (Ausca) – the morning star (

Venus Venus is the second planet from the Sun. It is sometimes called Earth's "sister" or "twin" planet as it is almost as large and has a similar composition. As an interior planet to Earth, Venus (like Mercury) appears in Earth's sky never fa ...

). Her other name was

. # Bežlėja (Bezlea) # Brėkšta (Breksta) – goddess of twilight. Also could be a euphemism for Vakarė. # Ligyčius (Ligiczus) # Datanus # Kirnis (Kirnus) – local god of cherries # Kremata – god of hogs # Pyzius (Pizio) – god of spouses # Medeina (Modeina et Ragaina) – goddess of forest and hunting # Kerpyčius and Šilinytis (Kierpiczus and Siliniczus) – gods of forest,

moss Mosses are small, non-vascular flowerless plants in the taxonomic division Bryophyta (, ) '' sensu stricto''. Bryophyta (''sensu lato'', Schimp. 1879) may also refer to the parent group bryophytes, which comprise liverworts, mosses, and hor ...

es and

lichen A lichen ( , ) is a composite organism that arises from algae or cyanobacteria living among filaments of multiple fungi species in a mutualistic relationship.Gintaras Beresnevičius Gintaras Beresnevičius (July 8, 1961 in Kaunas – August 6, 2006 in Vilnius) was a Lithuanian historian of religions specializing in Baltic mythology. He together with Norbertas Vėlius is considered to be the best specialist in Lithuanian myt ...

noted that this deity could be the same as medieval Teliavelis. # Orthus # Ežerinis (Ezernim) – spirit or deity of lakes. Derived from ''ežeras'' (lake). # Sidžius, Simonaitis and Ventis Rekičionis (Simonaitem, Sidzium, Ventis Rekicziouum) – spirits worshiped by individual noble families # Karvaitis Ėraitinis (Kurvvaiczin Eraiczin) – deity of calves and lambs # Gardūnytis (Gardunithis) – protector of newly born lambs # Prigirstytis (Prigirstitis) – can hear whispers # Derintojas (Derfintos) # Bentis # Laukpatis (Lavukpatimo) # Priparšis (Priparscis) # Ratainyčia (Ratainicza) – god of horses # Valgina (Walgina) – god of cattle # Krikštas (Kriksthos) – protector of tombstones # Apydėmė (Apidome) – deity of changed residence. The name is also known from hand-written collection of sermons from 1573. # Kriukis (Krukis) – deity of pigs # Lazdona (Lasdona) – goddess of

hazelnuts The hazelnut is the fruit of the hazel tree and therefore includes any of the nuts deriving from species of the genus ''Corylus'', especially the nuts of the species ''Corylus avellana''. They are also known as cobnuts or filberts according t ...

# Bubilas (Babilos) – household god of

bee Bees are winged insects closely related to wasps and ants, known for their roles in pollination and, in the case of the best-known bee species, the western honey bee, for producing honey. Bees are a monophyly, monophyletic lineage within the ...

s, husband of Austėja #

(Zemina) – goddess of land and agriculture # Austėja (Austheia) – household goddess of bees, often presented as wife of Bubilas # Deuoitis # Vetustis # Guboi and Tvverticos # Veliuona (Vielona) – goddess of death # Warpulis # Salaus – no function recorded by Łasicki. # Šluotražis (Szlotrazis) – no function recorded by Łasicki. The name is derived from ''šluota'' (broom). # Tiklis – no function recorded by Łasicki. # Beržulis (Birzulis) – no function recorded by Łasicki. Based on etymology, it could be a god of

birch A birch is a thin-leaved deciduous hardwood tree of the genus ''Betula'' (), in the family Betulaceae, which also includes alders, hazels, and hornbeams. It is closely related to the beech-oak family Fagaceae. The genus ''Betula'' contains 30 ...

es and birch

sap Sap is a fluid transported in xylem cells (vessel elements or tracheids) or phloem sieve tube elements of a plant. These cells transport water and nutrients throughout the plant. Sap is distinct from latex, resin, or cell sap; it is a separa ...

. # Šeryčius (Siriczus) – no function recorded by Łasicki. The name is possibly derived from ''šerti'' (feed). # Dvargantis (Dvvargonth) – no function recorded by Łasicki. # Klamals – no function recorded by Łasicki. # Atlaibas (Atlaibos) – no function recorded by Łasicki. # Numeias # Ublanyčia (Vblanicza) – patron of beggars # Dugnai – spirit of flour # Pesseias # Trotytojas kibirkščių (Tratitas Kirbixtu) – deity of spark, fire # Alabathis # Polengabia # Užpelenė (Aspelenie) # Budintojas (Budintaia) # Matergabiae # Raugo Žemėpatis (Rauguzemapati) – deity of sourdough, leaven and fermentation # Luibegeldas # Ziemennik # Vaižgantas (Waizganthos) – a god of flax #

(Gabie) – goddess of household fire # Smik smik per velėną (Smik Smik Perleuenu) – a phrase rather than a being # Ežiagalis (Ezagulis) – god of death # Aitvaras (Aitvvaros) # Kaukas (Kaukie) # Gyvatė (Giuoitos) – black snake (see also

) # Srutis and Miechutele – deities of paint and color

Matthäus Prätorius

Deities mentioned by

Matthäus Prätorius Matthäus Prätorius (c.1635–c.1704) was a Protestant pastor, later a Roman Catholic priest, a historian and ethnographer. Prätorius is thought to have been born in Memel (Klaipėda). He probably grew up speaking both German and Lithuan ...

(1635–1704) were: * Žalius (Zallus) – god of disagreement * Žėlius (Zelus) – god of grass * Šulininis (Szullinnijs) – god of wells * Bangpūtys, Vėjopatis, Bičbirbis, Giltinė, Gota, Jaučių Baubis, Karvaitis, Ėraitis, Skalsa, Biržulis / Beržulis, Prigirstytis / Girystis, Ligyčius / Lygėjus, Kelio dievas / Kelukis * Drebkulis and Magyla - Prussian Lithuanian * Gabjauja (Gabvartas)

Theodor Narbutt

Polish-Lithuanian historian

Theodor Narbutt Teodor Narbutt ( lt, Teodoras Narbutas; 8 November 1784 – 27 November 1864) was a Polish–Lithuanian romantic historian and military engineer in service of the Russian Empire. He is best remembered as the author of a nine-volume Polish-langu ...

wrote the ten-volume work ''History of the Lithuanian Nation'' (''Dzieje starożytne narodu litewskiego'') between 1835 and 1841. The first volume contained a description of Lithuanian mythology. However, modern historians have accused Narbutt of falsifying historical facts and reporting speculations. Thus, some gods mentioned only by Narbutt and unknown from other sources are usually treated as inventions of the author.

Male deities

*Praamžius (Pramżimas) – highest god, determines the fate of people, world, and other gods *Ukapirmas (Okkapirmas) – preceded time, his feast is celebrated on December 25 *Viršaitis (Wirszajtos) – protected household, domestic animals. Narbutt claimed that he was equivalent to Auxtejas Wissagistis mentioned by Łasicki and to Roman

Saturn Saturn is the sixth planet from the Sun and the second-largest in the Solar System, after Jupiter. It is a gas giant with an average radius of about nine and a half times that of Earth. It has only one-eighth the average density of Earth; h ...

(Perkunas) – thunder god *Kovas (Kawas) – god of war *Ragutis – god of beer, vodka, mead *Santvaras or Sotvaras (Sotwaros) – god of daylight, poets, doctors *Atrimpas (Atrimpos) – god of sea and water *Gardaitis (Gardeoldiis) – god of wind, storm, protector of ships *Poklius (Poklus) – god of death and underworld *Kriukis (Krugis) – god of smiths *Žiemininkas (Ziemienikas) – god of earth, harvest, and darkness *Patelas (Patelo) – flying god of air, similar to an angel *Šneibratas (Sznejbrato) – god of birds and hunting *Kibirai (Kabiry) – a trinity

Female deities

*Praurimė (Praurime) – goddess of sacred fire, she was served by vaidilutės *Lada (Lado) – the great goddess, Rasos festival is dedicated to her *Budtė (Budte) – goddess of wisdom *Laima (Lajma) – goddess of fate *Pelenų Gabija (Polengabia) – goddess of fireplaces *Moterų Gabija (Matergabia) – goddess of bread and bakery * Perkūnaitėlė (Perkunatele) – wife of Perkūnas *Pilvytė (Pilwite) – goddess of money, riches, and good luck *Lietuva (Liethua) – goddess of freedom, pleasure, joy *Veliuona (Wellona) – goddess of eternity, afterlife *Pergrubė (Pergrubie) – goddess of spring, flowers, gardens * Milda – goddess of love, courtship *Krūminė (Krumine) – goddess of grain, agriculture *Nijolė (Nijola) – mistress of the underworld, wife of Poklius *Alabatis – goddess of flax *Aušra (Ausssra) – morning goddess *Bezelea – evening goddess *Brėkšta (Brekszta) – goddess of darkness and dreams *Kruonis (Kronis) – goddess of time *Užsparinė (Usparinia) – goddess of land borders *Verpėja (Werpeja) – weaver of the thread of life *Gondu – goddess of weddings *Upinė (Upine) – goddess of rivers, springs *Ratainyčia (Ratajniczu) – goddess protecting horses *Valginė (Walgina) – goddess protecting domestic animals *Luobo gelda (Lajbegelda) – goddess of knowledge and rumors *Mėšlų boba (Mahslu baba) – goddess of garbage *Budintoja – spirit that wakes sleeping people *Austėja (Austheja) – goddess of bees *Ragutiene Pati (Ragutenapati) – wife of Ragutis *Žemės Motina (Zemmes mahti) – goddess of underground, responsible for lost items *Gaila (Gajla) – spirit torturing people and animals *Neris – nymph of Neris River *Dugnė (Dugna) – nymph of rivers *Ragana – goddess of trees *Lazdona – goddess of hazelnut *Medziojna – goddess of forests *Pajauta – worshiped woman, daughter of Duke

Kernius The Palemonids were a legendary dynasty of Grand Dukes of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. The legend was born in the 15th or 16th century as proof that Lithuanians and the Grand Duchy are of Ancient Rome, Roman origins. Already Jan Długosz (1415� ...

, wife of

Živinbudas Živinbudas was one of the five senior Lithuanian dukes mentioned in the treaty with Halych-Volhynia in 1219. The treaty lists a total of 21 dukes, five of them being elder or superior. Since Živinbudas is mentioned first in the list, it is pre ...

Birutė Birutė (died 1382) was the second wife of Kęstutis, Grand Duke of Lithuania, and mother of Vytautas the Great. There is very little known about Birutė's life, but after her death a strong cult developed among Lithuanians, especially in Samogit ...

(Biruta) – worshiped woman, wife of

Kęstutis Kęstutis ( la, Kinstut, ; – 3 or 15 August 1382) was the Grand Duke of Lithuania. He was the Duke of Trakai and governed the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, 1342–1382, together with his brother Algirdas (until 1377), and with his nephew Jogaila ...

Other written sources

This section contains those names of Lithuanian and Prussian gods or other mythical beings that are mentioned in old treatises on history or philosophy, sometimes accompanied by brief descriptions, and which are known from a few independent sources or from their counterparts under different names in later collections of myths and tales. *Dimstipatis (mentioned by Jokūbas Lavinskis), is a masculine deity (

genius loci In classical Roman religion, a ''genius loci'' (plural ''genii locorum'') was the protective spirit of a place. It was often depicted in religious iconography as a figure holding attributes such as a cornucopia, patera (libation bowl) or snake. ...

). It is a household god, the guardian of

house A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air condi ...

s and caretaker of the hearth. People sacrificed

rooster The chicken (''Gallus gallus domesticus'') is a domesticated junglefowl species, with attributes of wild species such as the grey and the Ceylon junglefowl that are originally from Southeastern Asia. Rooster or cock is a term for an adult m ...

s and black hens to the deity. The birds were boiled; later people would gather around the kettle and eat the birds. The bones were burned. Sometimes Dimstipatis is reconstructed as a god of housewives, to whom pigs were

sacrifice Sacrifice is the offering of material possessions or the lives of animals or humans to a deity as an act of propitiation or worship. Evidence of ritual animal sacrifice has been seen at least since ancient Hebrews and Greeks, and possibly exi ...

d. Dimstipatis was also seen as a power protecting from fires. * Dirvolika, Nosolus (Jesuit reports from 1605) *Pagirnis (Jesuit reports from 1605) *Baukuris (Kraziu kolegijos) *Velinas (mentioned by

Konstantinas Sirvydas Konstantinas Sirvydas (rarely referred as ''Konstantinas Širvydas''; la, Constantinus Szyrwid; pl, Konstanty Szyrwid; – August 23, 1631) was a Lithuanian religious preacher, lexicographer, and one of the pioneers of Lithuanian literature ...

) *Javinė (Jawinne by

Jacob Brodowski Jacob (; ; ar, يَعْقُوب, Yaʿqūb; gr, Ἰακώβ, Iakṓb), later given the name Israel, is regarded as a patriarch of the Israelites and is an important figure in Abrahamic religions, such as Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Jac ...

) *Laima ( Daniel Klein in 1666)

Other names

Names of figures that were more marginal in Lithuanian mythology or less known from existing sources are put here. In fact they denote some spirits or local deities that do not play a main role in the mythology of Lithuanians. *Blizgulis, a god of snow. His name means "He who sparkles." *Junda, Goddess of War *Baubis, a household god of meat and

cattle Cattle (''Bos taurus'') are large, domesticated, cloven-hooved, herbivores. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae and the most widespread species of the genus ''Bos''. Adult females are referred to as cows and adult mal ...

. *Divytis, a god-like hero of fishermen legends. Fishermen at sea sang songs about Divytis. *Gardaitis, a god (a spirit?) of ships and sailors. *Jagaubis, a household spirit of fire and the

furnace A furnace is a structure in which heat is produced with the help of combustion. Furnace may also refer to: Appliances Buildings * Furnace (central heating): a furnace , or a heater or boiler , used to generate heat for buildings * Boiler, used t ...

. *Rasa, Kupolė's and Kaupolis' daughter. She is the goddess of summer's greenage and flowers. *Mokas, a stone with an ability to teach people, sometimes they are found in families - with wife Mokienė and children Mokiukas