IN PRE-CHRISTIAN TIMES, THE LITHUANIANS HAD COMMUNAL SACRED FIRES WHICH WERE TENDED TO BY PRIESTESSES, BUT THE LAST LITHUANIAN FIRE WAS EXTINGUISHED IN 1413. THEN, THE TRADITION WAS MOVED INTO THE HOME AS THE "GABIJA", AND, BECAUSE ONLY WOMEN COULD CARE FOR HER, EVERY EVENING THE MISTRESS OF THE HOUSE CAREFULLY TENDED THE FIRE AND PRAYED TO IT TO ENSURE THE FAMILY'S GOOD FORTUNE. PEOPLE FED HER BY OFFERING BREAD AND SALT. SOMETIMES A BOWL OF CLEAN WATER WOULD BE LEFT NEAR THE HEARTH SO THAT SHE COULD WASH HERSELF. PROFANING FIRE IN ANY WAY WAS SACRILEGE, AND THERE IS MUCH FOLKLORE THAT DESCRIBES THE FATE OF THOSE WHO OFFENDED THE GODDESS. SOMETIMES, IT IS SAID, SHE WOULD "GO FOR A WALK" BURNING THE HOUSE.
THE SACRED CULT OF GABIJA WITH ITS PREHISTORIC ROOTS HAS SURVIVED TO THE PRESENT, AND THE HEARTH FIRE IS THE FOCUS DURING EVERY TRADITIONAL BALTIC HOLIDAY...A FIRE IS LIT, WHETHER SUCH IS IN AN ALTAR OR BONFIRE, OR BY CANDLE FOR ALL FAMILY RITUALS AND RITES OF PASSAGE. EACH RITUAL BEGINS WITH INVOKING HER PRESENCE WITHOUT WHICH RITES WOULD BE POSSIBLE. THIS FIRE GODDESS IS STILL HELD IN REVERENCE, AND, LIKE" BRIGID", SHE HAD SPECIAL FESTIVALS AT THE BEGINNING OF FEBRUARY DEDICATED TO THE HER AND THE RENEWAL OF FIRE. SACRIFICES OF POWER TO GABIJA ARE BREAD, SALT, WATER.
"THANK YOU, LITTLE FIRE, FOR THIS OUR DAY, LET US GREET OUR GOOD LITTLE NIGHT, AND PROTECT OURSELVES FROM THOSE WISH US BAD, AND LET THOSE WHO ARE LOST FIND THEIR ROAD.
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