Gabija (also known as Gabieta, Gabeta) is the spirit of the

fire Fire is the rapid oxidation of a fuel in the exothermic chemical process of combustion, releasing heat, light, and various reaction Product (chemistry), products. Flames, the most visible portion of the fire, are produced in the combustion re ...

Lithuanian mythology Lithuanian mythology () is the mythology of Lithuanians, Lithuanian polytheism, the religion of pre-Christian Lithuanians. Like other Indo-European studies, Indo-Europeans, Lithuanians (tribe), ancient Lithuanians maintained a polytheistic myth ...

. She is the protector of home and family. Her name is derived from ''gaubti'' (to cover, to protect) or from

St. Agatha Agatha of Sicily () is a Christian saint. Her feast is on 5 February. Agatha was born in Catania, part of the Roman Province of Sicily, and was martyred . She is one of several virgin martyrs who are commemorated by name in the Canon of the Mas ...

(, Gafiya). Gabija is only mentioned in a

list of Lithuanian gods The list of Lithuanian gods is based on scarce written sources and late folklore. Many of them were outright invented. Lithuania converted to Christianity in 1387, but elements of Lithuanian mythology survived into the 19th century. The earlies ...

by the Christian theologian

Jan Łasicki Jan Łasicki (; 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 the Unity of the brethren in 1567 ...

in his treatise on

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

(published in 1615). She is found in Lithuanian

folklore Folklore is the body of expressive culture shared by a particular group of people, culture or subculture. This includes oral traditions such as Narrative, tales, myths, legends, proverbs, Poetry, poems, jokes, and other oral traditions. This also ...

. Gabija could take

zoomorphic The word ''zoomorphism'' derives from and . In the context of art, zoomorphism could describe art that imagines humans as non-human animals. It can also be defined as art that portrays one species of animal like another species of animal or art ...

forms of a cat, stork or rooster, or she could appear as a woman clothed in red. Gabija was greatly respected and cared for like a living creature. People would feed Gabija by offering

bread and salt Bread and salt are offered to guests in a ceremony of welcome in cultures around the world. This pair of foods is particularly significant in Slavs, Slavic countries, but is also notable in Nordic race, Nordic, Balts, Baltic, Balkan and other E ...

. Fire had to be laid to bed – women would cover the charcoal with ashes every evening so that fire would not wander around. Just as Gabija was the protector of the house, mother of the household was the protector of fire. Sometimes a bowl of clean water would be left near the hearth so that Gabija could wash herself. If angered, Gabija would "go for a walk" burning the house. Much folklore describes the ill fate of those who offended Gabija by stomping, spitting, or urinating on her. Matka Gabia is the Lithuanian goddess of the home, hearth, and patron of their care. She most likely originates from Gabija. In

microbiology Microbiology () is the branches of science, scientific study of microorganisms, those being of unicellular organism, unicellular (single-celled), multicellular organism, multicellular (consisting of complex cells), or non-cellular life, acellula ...

the name Gabija, shortened to Gaj, has been attributed to a genome.

References

Lithuanian goddesses Domestic and hearth deities Fire goddesses Cat goddesses {{Europe-myth-stub

See also

References