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tree worship?
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Messages: 1 - 4 (9 total)
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huggin
6/25/2003 11:41 AM
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1 out of 9 |
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my latvian grandfather said the pre-xian latvians revered trees and were like druids and vedic in nature of belief. he was from the czarist era born in the 1890's under the russian flag in NYC his father was the sec. to the Ambassidor of russia at the time. i say this for the latvians that are here just for conversive reasons is all..
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brazenserpent
6/30/2003 3:12 AM
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2 out of 9 |
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i read some where (really sorry i don't remember where), but they found not long ago(as in this last century) people living in north eastern areas of europe that still practiced druid like traditions with the festivals and stuff *shrugs*
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the_remedy_pool
6/30/2003 11:38 AM
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3 out of 9 |
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Well, trees do come from the land, the Mata...
And integrated into some Slavic beliefs (not sure about Baltic) is a concept of a World Tree. *shrug*
~*~*~S'mone~*~*~
*hier kommt die sonne*
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zemyna
7/2/2003 2:29 PM
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4 out of 9 |
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The Lithuanians and Latvians both hold trees to be sacred. I know for certain that Romuva has the concept of the world tree symbolized as a holy oak with an eternal flame at the top. For Latvians from the drak.net site:
Austras Koks (Tree of the East)
Description Austras Koks (Tree of the East, or Tree of Dawn), is occasionally called the 'World Tree,' although may literally be parsed as austrumi (the East) and koks (tree). It is among the most important concepts connecting cosmos and the gods. The tree grows at the start of Saules' path (from East to West) and the rising sun hangs her belt on the tree. Though usually considered an oak - being the holiest of trees - it also may be a linden or another tree symbolizing strength and constitution.
Depending on the region of study, Austras Koks may denote where the sun sets rather than rises. Older generations of Latvians recognized a dissimilarity between the rising and setting sun, i.e., a different physical sun, and thus denoted different deities for these phenomena.
The tree itself (or herself) has gold branches, copper roots, and silver leaves; Austras Koks lies either on the shores of the Daugava (in the province of Kurzeme) or in Vidzeme or Latgale. The symbol is often used in conjunction with Saule. It is another deity in the Cult of the Sun (gaismas kulta). The symbol itself is seen often in carpentry and on candles.
The Dainas tell that "saule kokles skandija, Austrina sededama", or "the sun was strumming the kokles (traditional Latvian stringed instrument) sitting in the East."
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