Gyvūnai baltų pasaulėjautoje: gaidžio (vištos) aukojimas XV–XVII a. rašytinių šaltinių duomenimis

LTReikšminiai žodžiai: Auka; Baltų mitologija; Baltų religija; Gaidys; Višta; Baltic mythology; Baltic religion; Cock; Hen; Sacrifice.

ENData recorded in written sources from the 15th to the 17th century show that roosters / chickens were sacrificed much more abundantly and more often than other animals. Apparently, this is why the range of goals is very wide: from the yield of an individual crop (for example, cereals) or ensuring the abundance of animals of a certain breed to the success and prosperity of the whole farm; from the request to protect man to the desire to atone for the wrath of all the gods. In any case, the goals of the sacrifice almost always correlate with the functions of the deity to whom the sacrifice is made (the sphere of protection). Why roosters / chickens are sacrificed most often compared to other animals, for different gods and with different intentions, can only be guessed at. One of the reasons is that roosters and chickens are popular in the farming community, abundantly bred birds that grow relatively fast and do not require large resources and care. Another possible reason is that most of the descriptions of sacrifices were recorded after baptism, when less communal rituals were performed. For community rituals (whole village or several villages) larger animals (bull, goat, pig) were usually chosen. When sacrificing in a small family circle, a rooster / chicken sacrifice was quite sufficient, which was often consumed by the participants themselves. The analysis of the 15th-17th-century data on rooster and chicken sacrifices recorded in written sources shows that no clearer difference was found between the bird (rooster or chicken) chosen for the sacrifice and the addressee, purpose, method and place of sacrifice. [From the publication]