Iron Crosses
Lithuania, on the shore of the Baltic Sea, has had a very intriguing role in European development, in various ways: militarily, economically, politically and religiously. It was the last country to accept Christianity, in 1387, as part of the marriage agreement between Grand Duke Jogaila and Jadwiga, Queen of Poland. The new faith lived in conjunction with the old nature-based beliefs; and well into the twentieth century in certain regions.

Modern Lithuanians are an unusual amalgam of Catholicism and a fierce pride in their pagan past. Many will proudly state that Grand Duke Jogaila and his cousin Grand Duke Vytautas the Great defeated the Crusading Teutonic Order. The language was nearly wiped out when it was under the auspices of the Russian Empire -- But it endured, and to this day Lithuanians are fiercely protective of both their language and of their culture.

This website is dedicated to exploring the history, culture, folktales, and folk beliefs of this most colourful country.
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