Girios medeliai - mano broleliai

LTTradiciniam žmogaus ir miško ryšiui Lietuvoje būdinga, kad žmogus: 1) miške su biologinėmis rūšimis – medžiais, krūmais, žvėrimis, vabalais, grybais, kerpėmis, uogomis ir kitomis – kuria, palaiko ryšį kaip su sau lygiomis būtybėmis; 2) miško išteklius naudoja (medžius kerta, žvėris medžioja, grybus, uogas, vaistinius augalus renka ir kitas veiklas atlieka) laikydamasis tvarumo – socialinės atsakomybės – nuostatų ir sau priimtinu būdu už gautas dovanas miškui atsilygina arba padėkoja; 3) bendrauja su mišku ir medžiais, atrasdamas ten prieglobstį, dvasinę pusiausvyrą, sveikatos ir kūrybos įkvėpimo šaltinį, saugodamas istorinę atmintį ir ugdydamas pilietiškumą. Pabrėžtina, kad žmogaus ir miško ryšys yra įsišaknijęs skirtinguose tradicinės kultūros lygmenyse, jis reiškiasi per mąstyseną, elgseną, jauseną; tai yra svarbus lietuviškos tapatybės dėmuo [p. 60].

ENThe participants of the 21st Indigenous Culture Seminar focused on the connection between humans and the forest. More than four dozen researchers from different fields of science and twice as many listeners gathered to explore ways to describe and reveal ones connection with the forest (and with a single tree). The task was to describe this tradition as a national value and to submit a corresponding application to the Intangible Cultural Heritage Inventory (the project was funded by the Lithuanian Council for Culture). The traditional relationship between humans and the forest in Lithuania is characterised by the following: 1) in the forest with its biological species (trees, bushes, animals, insects, mushrooms, lichens, berries, etc.) creates and maintains contact with beings equal to oneself; 2) consumes forest resources (tree felling, game hunting, mushroom, berry, medicinal plant picking, etc.) following the provisions of sustainability social responsibility and rewarding or thanking the forest for the gifts received; 3) communicates with forests and trees, finding shelter, spiritual balance, source of inspiration for health and creativity, preserving historical memory, and developing public spirit. It should be emphasised that the relationship between humans and the forest is rooted in different levels of traditional culture and manifests itself through mindsets, behaviours, and feelings; this is an important element of Lithuanian identity.The story about Elena Butrimavičiūtė-Targavičiene (1929-2018) from Poškonys (Dieveniškės, Šalčininkai d.) and her connection with an oak tree that her great-grandfather planted in the yard, compared to Tėvelis, and a pine tree 2.3 km away at the crossroads of a forest road, which Elena often called Motule, is presented as an illustration of the spiritual connection with the forest and trees. In 2012-2014, a group of researchers from the Institute of Lithuanian Literature and Folklore Inga Butrimaitė-Jurginienė, Dr. Daiva Vaitkevičienė, and Dr. Asta Skujytė-Razmienė, assisted by the operator Mantas Lapeika recorded Elenas stories and how she communicated with her pine tree: talked to it, prayed, made sacrifices, and what place the tree occupied in her worldview (the collected material is stored in the Lithuanian Folklore Archives).