Ašvieniai

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Ašvieniai, also called little horses , on the roof of the Thomas Mann House in Nida

Ašvieniai are pseudo-divine twins in Lithuanian mythology . They are identical to the Latvian Dieva dēli and are direct counterparts to the Vedic Ashvins .

Both names are derived from the same Proto-Indo- European word stem for the word horse - * ek'w -. Both the ancient Lithuanian word ašva and the word ashva in Sanskrit both mean “horse”.

The Ašvieniai are represented as horses pulling a chariot on which Saule (the sun) is transported through the sky.

As "little horses" (Lithuanian žirgeliai ) they are frequent motifs on the roofs of Lithuanian houses, which are placed there to protect the house. Similar motifs can also be found on bed frames, beehives, looms, and other household appliances.

The Ašvieniai are also similar to other horse gods , such as the Latvian Ūsiņš .

Individual evidence

  1. ^ A b c Duane W. Hamacher: The Sumerians and Gemini: Sumerian Astronomical Interpretations as Origins of the Divine Horse Twins and Solar Chariots in Indo-European Mythology. WebCite, Oct. 31, 2010, p. 7 , archived from the original on Oct. 31, 2010 ; accessed on January 1, 2014 (English).
  2. ^ Indo-European etymology. starling.rinet.ru, accessed June 7, 2014 .
  3. ↑ Pranė Dundulienė (1991). Lietuvių etnologija. Mokslas . Page 50. ISBN 5-420-00713-4 (Lithuanian).
  4. ↑ Egidijus Musteikis: Arklys tradicijose. Horse Museum, branch of the Memorial Museum for A. Baranauskas and A. Vienuolis-Žukauskas, June 9, 2003, archived from the original on October 31, 2010 ; Retrieved September 17, 2014 (Lithuanian).
  5. ^ David Adams Leeming: From Olympus to Camelot: The World of European Mythology. Oxford University Press , 2003, pp. 125–126 , accessed January 1, 2014 (English, also as a book; ISBN 0-19-514361-2 ).