Medeina

Forest is the dominion of Medeina

Due to a different dialect and argot, Lithuanian gods were referred by different names, depending on which place in Lithuania people were coming from. To this manner of double naming, it is possible that Medeina and Žvorūna is the same goddess. A forest goddess named Medeina, Medeinė or Medė, derived from Medis (Tree).[1] Žvorūna or Žvorūna is associated with animals and hunting, her name originated from a word Žvėris (Animal) is one of the main deities in the Lithuanian mythology, and is similar to Latvian Meža Māte.[2] She is a ruler of forests, trees and animals. Her sacred animal is a hare.[1] These two feminine divinity representants has been mentioned in ’’Gods scolls’ [3] ’where from it is only possible to guess about the old historical period of Lithuanian’s Gods Pantheon existence. About these two female figures, Medeina and Žvorūna it’s only possible to wonder about their representative places in Lithuanian’s believes and places. It is not much known about them therefore their meaning is not clear.[4]

Medeina's appearance

„Medeinė“ sculpture ( ) (made by Marius Grušas, 1988) bronze figure depicts a forest goddess sitting on a bear. (54° 40' 46.78" N 25° 17' 11.22" E )

Medeina is a hunter, animal controller and wild forest goddess. Lithunian baltic realigion stories tells that Medeina was a young unmarried beutiful lady who lived in in the woods and was followed by a pack of wolves. Other stories tells that young goddess was often seen as a bear or change her appearance and take a shape of a bear and afterwards she could easily changes her shape to a human. Until late XIX century it was popular to perform an old ritual in every new builded house. A bear was lead in to the house and if it went inside without hesitation and resistance, it meant that the building was free from evil spirits. After the ceremony the black hen was being beheaded, upside downs the water. Bird’s blood was being dribbled around the house to insure that the evil spirits won’t be able to come in.

Another form of the goddess is a female wolf, later, imagined as a woman. During Advent, people did not attend to the forest and did not cut down the trees because an old woman with grey hair, -possibly a forest goddess, would appear and start mourn and cry. Wood chopped down on Advent day burns powerfully and can ignite the house. Houses built from the wood that have been cut on Advent day is haunted by evil spirits. A coffin made out of Medeina’s forest wood after a while is found scattered and corpse lying on the grave.[5]

Lithuanians worshipped various domestic and forest beings –Medeina, Witches etc. They believed that people there were near living kites and goblins that could bring happiness to people or bad luck. Fairies and witches, Lithuanians believed, pursued a human everywhere, sometimes helped a person and sometimes could harm one. Lithuanians tried not to annoy around living spirits, therefore sacrifices were given regularly along with sacred fired, that was guarded by Vaidilutės.[6]

Medeina’s homeplace

Kražiai long time back is seen as a religious place center, therefore during all these years, many religious footsteps were left and found. Nearby, there is a wood hill (Medžiokalnis) where Medeina lived in a huge oak. During Christianity adaption years, the wild forest was cut down by a Lithuanian famous ruler, Vytautas the Great, and on its place the first Kražiai church.[7]

History acording to Others

A Slavic transcription of John Malalas' Chronicle (dated 1261) mentioned Žvorūna and three other gods. The Hypatian Codex, describing events of 1252, mentioned pagan gods still worshiped by King Mindaugas.[1] The Codex mentioned Medeina and an unnamed hare goddess. There is an academic discussion whether Medeina is the name of hare goddess mentioned in the Codex or those two are independent deities.[8] As part of the official pantheon, Medeina represented military interest of warriors and later was replaced by Žemyna, goddess of earth representing agricultural interest of peasants.[9] In the 15th century, Jan Długosz compared Medeina with Roman goddess Diana. She was also mentioned by Jan Łasicki, Mikalojus Daukša, and in the Bychowiec Chronicle.[2]

According to research by Algirdas Julius Greimas, Medeina is single, unwilling to get married, though voluptuous and beautiful huntress.[10] She is depicted as a young woman and a she-wolf (cf. vilkmergė) with an escort of wolves. According to the author, Medeina can be described as a goddess with both divine and demonic traits. Her duty is not to help the hunters, but to protect the forest.[10] Vykintas Vaitkevičius identified five Hare Churches (sacred stones, hills, forests) and ten Wolf-footprints (stones with hollows that resemble a footprint) in Eastern Lithuania (former Duchy of Lithuania) that were related to the cult of Medeina.[10] After baptism of Lithuania, the cult diminished.

Popular culture

Black metal composer Gleb Poro has a track named "Medeine".

Medeina is a rare (146 names in 110 years) lithuanian name. It's name day is August 21.

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Gimbutas, Marija; Miriam Robbins Dexter (2001). The Living Goddesses. University of California Press. p. 210. ISBN 0-520-22915-0.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 (Lithuanian) Jonas Zinkus et al., eds. (1985–1988). "Medeina". Tarybų Lietuvos enciklopedija III. Vilnius, Lithuania: Vyriausioji enciklopedijų redakcija. p. 32. LCC 86232954.
  3. ↑ BRMŠ – Baltų religijos ir mitologijos šaltiniai / Creator; Norbertas Vėlius., t. I –1996, t.2 – 2001, t. 3 – 2003, t. 4 – 2005, Vilnius.
  4. ↑ http://viduramziu.istorija.net/socium/pagonybe-en.htm
  5. ↑ http://mokslai.lt/referatai/referatas/baltu-mitologij-3-puslapis19.html
  6. ↑ http://alkas.lt/2010/10/15/apie-ugnies-reiksme-atgimimui/
  7. ↑ http://turizmokatalogas.lt/straipsniai/turistas_straipsniai.html
  8. ↑ Bojtár, Endre (1999). Foreword to the Past: A Cultural History of the Baltic People. CEU Press. p. 309. ISBN 963-9116-42-4.
  9. ↑ Beresnevičius, Gintaras. "Lithuanian Religion and Mythology". Anthology of Lithuanian Ethnoculture.
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 Vaitkevičius, Vykintas (2003). "New outlook for Žvėrūna-Medeina". Lietuvos archeologija 24. ISSN 0207-8694.