View source for Laima

{{short description|Baltic goddess of fate}}
{{other uses}}
{{Infobox deity
| type = baltic
| name = Laima
| deity_of = Fate
| animals = [[Common cuckoo|Cuckoo]]
| siblings = Kārta and Dēkla
| tree = [[Tilia cordata|Linden]]
| Hinduism_equivalent = [[Lakshmi]]
}}
{{Baltic religion}}

'''Laima''' is a Baltic goddess of fate.<ref name=david/> She was associated with [[childbirth]], [[marriage]], and [[death]]; she was also the patron of [[pregnancy|pregnant women]]. Laima and her functions are similar to the Hindu goddess [[Lakshmi]].

==In Latvia==
In [[Latvian mythology]], Laima and her sisters, Kārta and Dēkla, were a trinity of fate deities, similar to the Norse [[Norns]] or the Greek [[Moirai]].<ref name=bojtar/> Laima makes the final decision on individual's fate and is considerably more popular. While all three of them had similar functions, Dēkla is in charge of children, Kārta holds control over the adult's life, and Laima is more associated with mothers.<ref name=bojtar/> In modern [[Dievturi]] these three goddesses are referred to as the three Laimas, indicating they are the same deity in three different aspects. Birth rituals at the end of the 19th century included offerings of hen, sheep, towels or other woven materials to Laima. Only women could participate in the ritual, performed in a [[sauna]] (''pirtis'').<ref name=gimbu/>

==In Lithuania==
In [[Lithuanian mythology]], Laima (fate, destiny) is often confused with [[Laimė]] (good fortune) and [[Laumė]] (fairy).<ref name=greimas111/> Other related deities include [[Dalia (mythology)|Dalia]] (fate) and [[Giltinė]] (The Reaper). Laima was first mentioned in written sources as ''Laimelea'' by Wilhelm Martini in the Latin prologue to Lithuanian songs, collected by [[Daniel Klein (grammarian)|Daniel Klein]] and published in 1666.<ref name=darbai/> She was also mentioned by [[Matthäus Prätorius]], [[Jacob Brodowski]], [[Philipp Ruhig]] and others.<ref name=zinkus/>

One of the most important duties of Laima is to prophesy (Lithuanian: ''lemti'') how the life of a newborn will take place.<ref name=greimas111/> Sometimes there was only one Laima, while in other cases three Laimas would give often contradictory predictions. The final pronouncement would be irrevocable and not even Laima herself could change it.<ref name=beres151/> While three fate goddesses have less support among academics, the concept is well-established in European religions (e.g. Greek [[Moirai]]).<ref name=greimas114/> In the earlier historiography, the example of [[predestination]] by Laima was used to judge the Lithuanian religion as [[fatalistic]]. For example, in 1837 Manfred Tietz wrote that, because Lithuanians believed in the determined fate, they were fearless warriors.<ref name=beres90/> [[Algirdas Julien Greimas]] argued that such a view is superficial and that Laima did not determine the fate but only knew about it.<ref name=greimas114/>
In one Lithuanian version of the [[Great Flood]] myth, Laima participates in the birth of the humankind.<ref name=greimas148/>

Laima was related to Gegutė ([[common cuckoo|cuckoo]]), which Greimas considered a separate goddess<ref name=greimas116/> while others see her as an incarnation of Laima. Gegutė was responsible for time and the succession of the seasons. The number of her calls was believed to predict how long a person had left to live. In spring she would also determine how a person would spend the remainder of the year; for example, if a man had no money on him when he heard the cuckoo, he would be poor for the rest of the year.<ref name=greimas116/> Laima's sacred tree is the [[Tilia|linden]].<ref name=klimka/>

==In modern culture==
The Lithuanian folk music group [[Kūlgrinda (band)|Kūlgrinda]] released an album in 2014 titled ''Laimos Giesmės'', meaning "The Hymns of Laima".<ref>[https://www.discogs.com/K%C5%ABlgrinda-Laimos-Giesm%C4%97s/release/6439031 Kūlgrinda – Laimos Giesmės]. [[Discogs]].</ref>

==See also==
*[[List of Lithuanian gods and mythological figures]]

==References==
{{Reflist|2|refs=
<ref name=beres90>{{cite book| first=Gintaras |last=Beresnevičius |author-link=Gintaras Beresnevičius | title=Lietuvių religija ir mitologija: sisteminė studija |publisher=Tyto alba |location=Vilnius |year=2004 |isbn=9986-16-389-7 |page=90|language=lt}}</ref>
<ref name=beres151>{{cite book| first=Gintaras |last=Beresnevičius |author-link=Gintaras Beresnevičius | title=Lietuvių religija ir mitologija: sisteminė studija |publisher=Tyto alba |location=Vilnius |year=2004 |isbn=9986-16-389-7 |page=151|language=lt}}</ref>
<ref name=bojtar>{{cite book |first=Endre |last=Bojtár |title=Foreword to the Past: A Cultural History of the Baltic People |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5aoId7nA4bsC&pg=PA301 |publisher=CEU Press |year=1999 |page=301 |isbn=963-9116-42-4}}</ref>
<ref name=darbai>{{cite journal| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EZ8YAQAAIAAJ&q=1666 | journal=Darbai ir dienos |volume=5–7 |publisher=[[Vytauto Didžiojo Universitetas]] |first=Ignas |last=Narbutas |title=Senieji lietuvių tikėjimai| year=1997 |language=lt}}</ref>
<ref name=david>{{cite book | last = Davidson | first = Hilda Ellis | title = Roles of the Northern Goddess | publisher = Routledge | year = 1998 | pages = 147–148 | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=9IAyyYi0OC4C&pg=PA148 | isbn = 0-415-13610-5 }}{{Dead link|date=February 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>
<ref name=gimbu>{{cite book | title=The Living Goddesses |first=Marija |last=Gimbutas |author-link=Marija Gimbutas |author2=Miriam Robbins Dexter | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Xs26aFrT0YAC&pg=PA200 | page=200 | publisher=University of California Press |year=2001 |isbn=0-520-22915-0}}</ref>
<ref name=greimas111>{{cite book| title=Of Gods and Men. Studies in Lithuanian Mythology |first=Algirdas Julien |last=Greimas |author-link=Algirdas Julien Greimas | year=1992| publisher=Indiana University Press | page=111 |isbn=0-253-32652-4}}</ref>
<ref name=greimas114>{{cite book| title=Of Gods and Men. Studies in Lithuanian Mythology |first=Algirdas Julien |last=Greimas |author-link=Algirdas Julien Greimas | year=1992| publisher=Indiana University Press | pages=114–115 |isbn=0-253-32652-4}}</ref>
<ref name=greimas116>{{cite book| title=Of Gods and Men. Studies in Lithuanian Mythology |first=Algirdas Julien |last=Greimas |author-link=Algirdas Julien Greimas | year=1992| publisher=Indiana University Press | page=116 |isbn=0-253-32652-4}}</ref>
<ref name=greimas148>{{cite book| title=Of Gods and Men. Studies in Lithuanian Mythology |first=Algirdas Julien |last=Greimas |author-link=Algirdas Julien Greimas | year=1992| publisher=Indiana University Press | page=148 |isbn=0-253-32652-4}}</ref>
<ref name=klimka>{{cite journal |url=http://www.lkdtc.lt/senas/files/2005/2005_4(45)/pusl23_27.pdf |title=Žmogus ir gamta etninėje kultūroje |first=Libertas |last=Klimka |journal=Kultūros Aktualijos |year=2005 |volume=4 |issue=45 |page=26 |language=lt }}{{dead link|date=December 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>
<ref name=zinkus>{{in lang|lt}} {{cite encyclopedia | editor=Jonas Zinkus| encyclopedia=Tarybų Lietuvos enciklopedija | title=Laimės | year=1985–1988 | publisher=Vyriausioji enciklopedijų redakcija | volume=II | location=Vilnius, Lithuania | pages=467| lccn=86232954 |display-editors=etal}}</ref>}}

== Further reading ==
* {{cite journal |title=Motina Žemyna baltų deivių kontekste: 1 d.: Tacito mater deum, trakų-frigų Σεμέλη, latvių Zemes māte, Māra, lietuvių bei latvių Laima, Laumė ir lietuvių Austėja |trans-title=Mother-Goddess Žemyna in the context of Baltic deities |last=Laurinkienė |first=Nijolė |author-link=:lt:Nijolė Laurinkienė |journal=Liaudies kultūra |date=2007 |issue=2 |pages=9-19 [14-16] |issn=0236-0551 |url=https://www.lituanistika.lt/content/7871 |lang=Lithuanian}}
* {{Cite journal |last=Vaitkevičienė |first=Daiva |title=Laima gimtuvėse ir krikštynose |trans-title=Laima at childbirth and christening |journal=Tautosakos darbai |trans-journal=Folklore Studies |date=2002 |volume=23 |pages=123–139 |issn=1392-2831 |url=https://www.lituanistika.lt/content/40022 |lang=Lithuanian}}

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[[Category:Fertility goddesses]]
[[Category:Childhood goddesses]]
[[Category:Death goddesses]]
[[Category:Latvian goddesses]]
[[Category:Lithuanian goddesses]]
[[Category:Time and fate goddesses]]
[[Category:Baltic gods]]