Baltic mythology

Japanese: バルト神話 - バルトしんわ（英語表記）Baltic mythology

A mythology held by peoples who speak languages belonging to the Baltic language family, such as Lithuanians and Latvians, before they converted to Christianity. The chief deity of the Baltic pantheon was Perkunas, the thunder god who closely resembled Thor in Norse mythology. There was also a supreme deity called the "Heavenly Father" who was thought to have twin sons reminiscent of the Dioscuri in Greek mythology and Ashvin in India. The sun and moon were considered a married couple, and the morning star was also revered as a goddess. The second most important deity after Perkunas was the earth goddess Zemina, who was said to have a brother called Zemepatis. The goddess of fate, Laima, who resembled the Moirai in Greek mythology, was believed to weave silk sheets to cover the beds of women in childbirth and to predict the future of their children. The land of the dead was believed to be under the rule of a fearsome goddess, whom in Latvia was called Belmate; in Latvia, fire, water, sea, forest, field, and wind were also thought to have their own mother goddess, Mate.

Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica Concise Encyclopedia About Encyclopaedia Britannica Concise Encyclopedia Information

Japanese:

リトアニア人，ラトビア人など，インド＝ヨーロッパ語の一派のバルト語に属する言語を話す諸民族が，キリスト教に改宗する以前に所有していた神話。バルト神界の主神は，北欧神話のトルと酷似した雷神ペルクナスで，このほかに「天の父」と呼ばれる至高神があり，ギリシア神話のディオスクロイやインドのアシュビンなどを思わせる双子の息子をもつと考えられた。太陽と月は夫婦とみなされ，暁の明星も女神として尊崇された。ペルクナスに次いで最も重要であったのは，大地母神のゼミナで，彼女にはゼメパティスと呼ばれる兄弟があるとされた。ギリシア神話のモイライと似た運命の女神ライマは，産褥にある女性のために絹の敷布を織って寝床をおおい，生れてくる子の未来を予言すると信じられた。死者の国は，ラトビアでベルマテと呼ばれた恐ろしい女神の支配下にあるとされ，ラトビアではこのほか，火，水，海，森，野，風などもそれぞれの母神マテをもつと考えられた。

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