The Pilgrimage to the Hill of Crosses: devotional practices and identities

ENYou will never meet such popular piety or indeed hear such expressions of spirituality, as those that exist today in the Lithuanian cult of the Hill of Crosses, a phenomenon unique in the whole world. More than 160 years ago, when the Hill was first declared to be a sacred place, pilgrims began to flock there from every part of Lithuania. During the period of Soviet occupation, pilgrims secretly erected crosses at night despite the threat of persecution, but in 1990, following the restoration of Lithuanian independence, visitors returned in huge numbers. Today the Hill of Crosses (in Lithuanian – Kryžių kalnas) comes under the jurisdiction of the diocese of Šiauliai and is often referred to as the Mound of Jurgaiciai or Domantai, in other words, the Castle Hill, the Holy Hill. Pilgrims come here to observe particular devotional practices but their widespread geographical origins offer a variety of narratives and explanations for the crosses that they leave behind. The tradition of erecting crosses on the Hill of Crosses is intertwined into several layers and related to the commemoration of the dead, folk beliefs and geo-political practices. Our research is based on the assumption that the identity of the Hill of Crosses derives from its unique historical origins, including diverse folk devotions, prayers, hymns and music from a wide variety of liturgical, Holy Land, Polish and local sources.