Koncepcija sezonnogo otmykanija i zamykanija zemli v baltijskoj tradicii<br>The Concept of Earth’s Opening in Spring and Closing in Autumn</br>

Abstract

This article analyses the concept of the Earth’s seasonal opening and closing, which is reconstructed based on Baltic, mainly Lithuanian, and partly Slavonic folklore. It looks at what kind of mythical being was connected to these cyclical regularly occurring processes, and which played a role of an inducer or an executor of these phenomena. It is presumed that it could have been performed by St. George. In the Baltic mythology and folklore, this being is a quite a late substitute for the earlier pagan deities.

Keywords

• baltic mythology
• lithuanian folklore
• slavonic folklore
• earth’s opening and closing
• st george
• pergrubrius
• patrimpo