Historical and archaeological sources on birds of prey in the cremation rites in the State of Lithuania in the 13th to 14th centuries

ENThe establishment of the State of Lithuania in the 13th century is an exceptional case in the concept of medieval Europe. The historical and archaeological sources on Baltic religion and mythology provide valuable data on the cremation rites in the State of Lithuania in the late pre-Christian period (13th and 14th centuries). The most significant written data, mainly related to the military campaigns of the Teutonic Order along the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea, were recorded in the mentioned centuries. Descriptions of burial customs allow a more comprehensive insight into the cremation rites (with shrouds, birds of prey, bear claws, dogs and horses as furnishings) and the perception of death and the afterlife. Burial rites were influenced by the social status of the deceased. The sources on Baltic religion and mythology mention different Baltic tribes who cremated the deceased but, as is the case with many written documents, they mostly describe the burials of a very limited part of Lithuanian society, i.e. representatives of the highest social class and warriors, leaving the other part of the society aside, which is reflected only in archaeological research.