Vėjarodės ir vainiko simboliai Aukštaitijoje ir Žiemgaloje
LTLietuvos mažosios architektūros statinių - koplytstulpių, stogastulpių, kryžių - meninę stilistiką įtakojo prieš daug šimtmečių susiformavę baltų genčių pasaulėjautos ir estetinio požiūrio savitumai. Tai yra pastebėjęs dailėtyrininkas R Galaunė. Etnologas N. Vėlius teigė: „Lietuvos rytų areale vyravo dangaus, vidurio-žemės, vakarų-požemio mitologija. Šie skirtumai turėjo įtakos visų etninės kultūros formų savitumui“’. Nagrinėdamas vėjarodės atsiradimo geležinėse viršūnėse priežastis ir paplitimo arealą, dariau išvadą, kad vėjarodė dažniausiai buvo naudojama pajūrio regione. Gali būti, kad toje teritorijoje šis paprotys atsirado prie žemaičių gyvenusiose ir su jūra susijusiose kuršių gentyse. Ši žemaičiams kalbiniu požiūriu artima baltų gentis vėliau pasitraukė į Lietuvos gilumą, asimiliavosi su aukštaičiais ir žemaičiais. Tai patvirtina Šiaulių, Panevėžio, Molėtų rajonuose išlikę vietovardžiai.
ENThe artistic expression of Lithuanian small architecture - various types of crosses - was formed by specific features of the world perception and aesthetic attitude of ancient Balts. The famous Lithuanian ethnologist N. Vėlius has developed a theory that the mythology of the main regions of ancient Lithuania reflected different deities: from Heaven deities, predominant in Eastern Lithuania, through Earth - Mother Earth Goddess in Central Lithuania to Subterranian deities of West Lithuania. Correspondingly, the symbols of regional folk art reflected the mythological perception: typical Sun’s symbols Cross and Circled cross in the East, Triangle and stretch Square in the Central region, Green Snakes in the West. The architectonic of pillar crosses, according to N. Vėlius, expressed the idea of World’s Tree: the top of the pillar cross was the domain of Sun, Fire, Thunderstorm, Moon and Stars, small chapel under the roof with the figures of saints reflected the human life, and the bottom part of the pillar was in ground, contacting the chthonic deities and demons. The architectonic of pillar-type crosses and roofed pillartype crosses of North and Central Lithuania was close to the above mentioned.The main decorations of metali top were of two prevailing types: weathervane and corona. They have some regional differences. Weathervanes, composed at the top of the symbol, were most popular in NorthWest Lithuania. Usually they were rectangular shape. The majority of the metal tops with weathervanes was found in Pasvalio district. They were quite simple. More interesting ones, from aesthetic point of view, were found in Birzhu district. They have influenced the shapes in the neighbourhood districts, too. The North Lithuania's corona type metal top’s decoration of the pillar cross traditionally is related to the Sun’s sign. The symbol of corona is composed from the circle of blossoms, sometimes - circle of multangular stars. Separate group of corona symbol is circle of stars, fixed on the straight Sunbeams with triangular cuts. Very artistic corona's symbols were created at Birzhu district. Here we meet the traditional blossom coronas, too. The Central Lithuania had corona type decorations, similar to those of North. Sometimes corona was formed from the circle of small crosses. This region’s oldest corona type metal top was found in Radvhilishkis. It was made about 1751. The conclusion is, that metal tops with weathervane or corona decorations, being influenced by Christian iconography, still contained the relicts of ancient Balt’s world perception.
