Mirusiųjų pasaulis baltų pasaulėžiūroje (archeologijos duomenimis)

LTApibendrinę įvairius duomenis, galime pasakyti, kad senovės baltai mirusiųjų pasaulį vaizdavosi esant vandenyje (arba už vandenų), žemėje (toli žemėje, už kalnų, už akmenų ar akmenyse, požemyje), miškuose (už miškų), laukuose (už laukų ežių, ežiose). Vanduo, žemė, ugnis, akmuo buvo ta substancija, per kurią patenkama į mirusiųjų pasaulį. Dangaus kaip mirusiųjų pasaulio vaizdinio atsiradimas siejamas jau su deginimo papročiu [Рыбаков Б., 1987]. Neįmanoma kiekvienu atveju nustatyti mirusiųjų pasaulį, kokį įsivaizdavo atskiros bendruomenės. Bandykime panagrinėti, kiek tos vietos, į kurias orientuoti VIII-XIII a. kapai, atitinka baltų mitologijai būdingą mirusiųjų pasaulio vaizdinį. [p. 29].

ENIn the present paper the location of the world of the dead as imagined by the ancient Balts is determined on the basis of archaeological data referring to the late Iron Age. It has been stated that a great resemblance is observed between the topographic situations while comparing the Lithuanian settlements and burialgrounds in the early Middle Ages. The main features of this phenomenon could be explained by the likeness between the world model of the alive and the world model of the dead as they had existed in the Balts’ outlook The exploratory data of four hundred Lithuanian burial-grounds indicate a close connection between the burial-grounds and the sphere of water which is extremely distinct in the western part of Lithuania, i.e., in the former lands of the Kuršiai. The connection with water is reflected in the frequently mentioned fact that the older graves are located in the lower part of the burial-grounds closer to water. According to the prevalent opinion, the orientation of the dead as it had been habitual with ancient nations is linked with the dislocation of idolized celestial bodies, this being one of the most important tribal signs, whereas the inconstancy of buryings can be partially explained by the influence of neighbouring tribes. Nevertheless, it has been stated that on the boundaries of the Kuršiai, Žemaičiai, Zemgalian and Latgalian lands, the burial-grounds are often orientated towards directions unpeculiar to neighbouring tribes. The same phenomenon can be observed on the boundaries of other lands as well. Different orientation of the dead in neighbouring burial-grounds belonging undoubtedly to the same tribe, makes, however, have doubts as to the integrity of the world outlook within one tribe. Thus, the following hypothesis has been formed: in the late Iron Age, the orientation of the Balt burials was mostly dependent on the direction towards the supposed land of the dead.The graves on the boundaries of tribes and different lands are very often orientated towards uninhabited inter-tribal spaces, where the world of the dead had been imagined to exist - beyond hills or lakes, beyond rivers or at their upper reaches, over the sea or in the woods - that corresponds completely to mythological data. A great stability of tribal boundaries as well as peculiar hydronyms and toponyms met in inter-tribal and inter-land spaces, where various accumulations of stones of religious worship are as usual as they are the boundaries of tribes and lands, and the stone statues referring to the time period between the middle of the 1st millenium and the 12th century on the outskirts of the ancient Prussian lands, testify sacralization of these spaces. In the course of time, the orientation of the graves towards the imaginary world of the dead was changing gradually. The spread of cremation rites from the Prussian lands to territories settled by the Kuršiai and Žemaičiai brought a tendency of more western orientation. So, as well as in the earlier period, the world of the dead in the Kuršiai lands could be identified with the sea. In some Žemaičiai lands situated at a greater distance from the sea and not touched by the corpse cremation rites, the inter-tribal and interland spaces were supposed to be the imaginary world of the dead even in the latest periods of heathenism. Finally, it should be stated in conclusion that the early Middle Ages saw neither unified burying rites, nor any unified imagination of the world of the dead within the Balt tribes. The unified heathenic world outlook formation can be related to the development of the early State elements in some tribes. Then, already in the Lithuanian State, the unified world outlook and religion were formed only due to the Christianity.