Gabija (goddess)
Gabija (also known as Gabieta or Gabeta ) is the fire goddess of Lithuanian mythology . She is the guardian of the home and the family. Her name is derived from gaubti (= to cover, to protect) or from the holy Agatha (Russian: Gafiya ).
Gabija is only mentioned in a list of Lithuanian deities by the Christian theologian Jan Łasicki in his treatise De diis Samogitarum ("On the Zemaite Gods") from 1615. It occurs in Lithuanian folklore .
According to tradition, Gabija could take on zoomorphic forms as a cat, stork or rooster or appear as a woman dressed in red.
Gabija was very respected and treated like a living being. The people "fed" them bread and salt . Just as Gabija was seen as the protector of the house, the mothers of a household were seen as the protectors of the fire. The fire also had to be "put to bed". The women had to cover the ashes of the fireplace with coal every evening so that it could not "wander around". Sometimes a bowl of water was placed next to the fireplace so that Gabija could "wash" herself. If she was angry, Gabija would “go for a walk” by setting the house on fire. Many folk tales describe the evil fate of those who angered Gabija by stamping, spitting, or urinating on the fire.
The goddess Matka Gabia is the goddess of the home, the hearth and the patroness of care in Polish mythology. Her name probably comes from Gabija.
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c d Marija Gimbutas ; Miriam Robbins Dexter (2001). The Living Godesses . University of California Press . Page 203. ISBN 0-520-22915-0 .
- ↑ a b Endre Bojtár (1999). Foreword to the Past: A Cultural History of the Baltic People . CEU Press. Page 298. ISBN 963-9116-42-4 .
- ↑ a b c Jonas Trinkūnas (1999). Of Gods & Holidays: The Baltic Heritage. Tvermė. Pages 85-87. ISBN 9986-476-27-5 .
- ^ Cait Johnson (2002). Earth, Water, Fire, and Air: Essential Ways of Connecting to Spirit . SkyLight Paths Publishing. Page 135. ISBN 1-893361-65-9 .