Apie baltiškas teofanijas

LTReikšminiai žodžiai: Balt mitologija, dievai, teofanija; Baltų mitologija; Dievai; Teofanija; Balt mitologija, dievai, teofanija; Baltic mythology; Gods; Theophany.

ENThis article, based upon information provided in written sources from the 13th to 17th centuries and on works of folklore from the 19th and 20th centuries (especially myths and legends passed orally), attempts to determine the state of affairs that prevailed between gods and men in the pre Christian period and for at least two centuries after conversion to Christianity, and whether there were known deities who appeared to soldiers and farmers whose manner, time, place and other aspects of revelation are possible to reconstruct. The gods of the Baits, it appears, revealed themselves in anthro pomorphic or nearly anthropomorphic form as well as in the form of different objects, animals and expressions of the natural world. Three types of theophany stand out: through objects and expres sions of nature; directly, "face to face"; through dreams. Everyone, both the nobility and the common folk, were, apparently, able to see, hear, feel and experience different sorts of theophanies through dreams. Only the servants of the cult (krivis, vaidila, vaidilučiai), however, were able to interpret the greater por tion of these theophanies. Most likely, the right to invoke the gods was also their exclusive domain. During crises (war, grave disease, renunciation of the old gods) the gods were able to appear to everyone. This sort of theophany is considered to be of the direct kind, i.e., "face to face", thus no mediator was required. The other-worldly or alien nature of the gods revealing themselves is found in all cases. Even deities manifesting themselves an thropomorphically always retain this other-worldliness, i.e., certain features demonstrating their divinity. [From the publication]