Laima
| Laima | |
|---|---|
Fate | |
| Personal information | |
| Siblings | Kārta and Dēkla |
| Equivalents | |
| Hinduism equivalent | Lakshmi |
| Part of Baltic religion |
 |
|
Laima is a Baltic goddess of fate.[1] 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
In Lithuania
In
One of the most important duties of Laima is to prophesy (Lithuanian: lemti) how the life of a newborn will take place.
Laima was related to Gegutė (cuckoo), which Greimas considered a separate goddess[11] while others see her as an incarnation of Laima. Gegutė was responsible for time and the succession of the seasons. The number of her calls was believed to predict how long a person had left to live. In spring she would also determine how a person would spend the remainder of the year; for example, if a man had no money on him when he heard the cuckoo, he would be poor for the rest of the year.[11] Laima's sacred tree is the linden.[12]
In modern culture
The Lithuanian folk music group Kūlgrinda released an album in 2014 titled Laimos Giesmės, meaning "The Hymns of Laima".[13]
See also
References
- ]
- ^ ISBN 963-9116-42-4.
- ISBN 0-520-22915-0.
- ^ ISBN 0-253-32652-4.
- Vytauto Didžiojo Universitetas.
- LCCN 86232954.
- ISBN 9986-16-389-7.
- ^ ISBN 0-253-32652-4.
- ISBN 9986-16-389-7.
- ISBN 0-253-32652-4.
- ^ ISBN 0-253-32652-4.
- ^ Klimka, Libertas (2005). "Žmogus ir gamta etninėje kultūroje" (PDF). Kultūros Aktualijos (in Lithuanian). 4 (45): 26.[permanent dead link]
- ^ Kūlgrinda – Laimos Giesmės. Discogs.
Further reading
- Vaitkevičienė, Daiva (2002). "Laima gimtuvėse ir krikštynose" [Laima at childbirth and christening]. Tautosakos darbai [Folklore Studies]. 23: 123–139. ISSN 1392-2831.