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Arcadia is a central pastoral region on the Peloponnese peninsula of southern Greece. It's equated with idyllic Arcadia, a paradise of peace and prosperity, romanticized during the Renaissance. Its name comes from the mythical figure Arcas. See also: Mythology: Gods of Mycenean Greece Erinyes - Vengeful Women of Ancient Greece Despoina - Goddess of the Mysteries Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Arcas is a hunter who becomes King of Arcadia. He teaches the people agriculture, weaving and baking bread. The Arcadians are already working the fertile lands when the people known as Mycenaeans arrive from the lands to the west. Read: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure The mountainous countryside with lush green valleys and grassland is home to Hermes, herald of the gods, and Pan, the rustic goat-god. Arcadia venerates other deities, such as Artemis and Athena. See also: Bronze Age Trade of Mesopotamia Lord Rodent (Ninkilim) Sumerian Pest God Bizilla - Shining Love Goddess Sukkal Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle They're adopted in various versions by the coastal Mycenaean cultures into enduring Greek myth. Demeter, Persephone and Poseidon also originate in Arcadia. Read: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure Considered a god of Thracian origin, Dionysos (Dionysus) is found in the ancient Arcadian pantheon. From Arcadia also come the Erinyes, later incorporated into general Greek myth as the Furies. See also: Soap & Medicine Herb of Ancients Taurus Mountains: Bronze Age Bounty Caspian Tiger: Bronze Age Wild Predators Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books In the ancient world the Arcadians are among the oldest tribes of Greece. They're considered descended from an older culture, the Pelasgians, indigenous to the area. Pelasgians is also a blanket term for those living in Greece before the arrival of the Greeks. The Arcadians establish several towns and settlements. They form a loose aggregation of clan and tribal groups. Because Arcadia is entirely inland, it doesn't have a navy. For the Trojan war, King Agamemnon supplies the Arcadian contingent with sailing vessels. See also: Ancient Greek Cultures: People of Minos Humbaba: Giant Mountain Forest Man Cleopatra the Alchemist of Greece Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle In Arcadia, the cities Mantinea, Tegea and Orchomenos control the fertile valleys. About two dozen smaller towns are established in the mountains and plains, gradually increasing in number over time. The Peloponnese peninsula has a unique structure of valleys, gorges, cliffs and crags created by violent seismic activity. Despoina, along with Demeter, is the primary deity worshipped in Arcadia. The cult of Despoina is especially popular at a sanctuary in Lycosura, south Arcadia. See also: Ancient Greece - the Mycenean Invasion Rosemary: Immortal Essence & Balm of Kings Wild Women and Winter Tales Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Despoina is the half-horse daughter of Demeter. Poseidon, chthonic god of groundwater and horses, pursues Demeter as a horse. She changes to a mare, and they beget the divine horse Arion and his sister Despoina. Read: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure She can appear as a mare, human woman or a woman with horse's head. The Titan Antyos, who raises Despoina, is another important figure of Arcadian myth. Despoina's real name is known only to those initiated into the Mysteries of her cult. She's called 'the mistress' or 'the lady'. See also: Destroying Angel: Nature's Deadly Poison Aruru - Violent Vegetation Goddess Lahar: Flock & Sheep Pastoral Goddess Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books In 370 BCE the Arcadian League forms, a group of city states united under the name. Arcadians battle Spartans and Mycenaeans successfully for a number of years. Finally Mycenae prevails. Shortly thereafter Arcadia joins the Achaean League in the north. Another, later myth of Arcadia involves the Arcadian King, Lycaon, who has fifty sons. Zeus pays him a visit. Lycaon murders his youngest son, Nyctimus, cooks him up and serves him to Zeus. Lycaon wants to know if the 'all-knowing' Zeus can recognize human flesh. See also: German Myth - Werewolves Sacrifice of the Male: Temple at Uppsala Animal Spirits - Wolf, Mouse, Swan Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle He can, and he's appalled. Zeus turns Lycaon into a wolf, murders the other 49 sons and restores Nyctimus to life. Lycaon has three daughters as well - Callisto, Dia and Psophis. Callisto, a member of the cult of Artemis, is a love interest of Zeus. Zeus disguises himself as Artemis and deceives Callisto into sleeping with him. She gets pregnant and is thrown out of the cult. Either Hera or Artemis turns her in a bear. As Callisto is about to be killed by her son hunting, Zeus puts her in the sky as constellation Ursa Major. She's considered the "bear-mother" of the Arcadians. See also: Animal Spirits - Bear, Stag & Eagle Bear Worship: Sacrifice of the Gods Before the Viking Age - Gods of the Sámi Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books With the romantic inclinations of the the European Renaissance, Arcadia is portrayed as a land of simplicity, peace and plenty. For a while, its name is synonymous with Paradise. See also: Nungal (Manungal) Prison Goddess Kusarikku - Bull Men of Mesopotamia Giant Cinnamon Birds of Arabia Back to Top

The Nordic Bronze Age of c. 1750 - 500 BCE sweeps through cultures of Scandinavia, the North Sea, Netherlands and Baltic regions. Appearing after its southern counterpart, the Nordic Bronze Age lays the groundwork for the rise of the Vikings a thousand years later. Read: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure See also: Battle Axe - Burial, Settlement, Culture Immortal - Quest for the Elixir of Life Before the Viking Age - Gods of the Sámi The Nordic Bronze Age evolves from the Battle Axe Culture who arose from earlier migrations in the south. The early Bronze Age follows the Chalcolithic or Copper Age, as metalsmiths discover the formula of bronze at 88% copper and 12% tin. Other materials can be used instead of, or mixed with tin, including arsenic and lead. Arsenic was used for a harder form of bronze. Its toxic effects could cause permanent disability and death in metal workers such as blacksmiths. See also: Blacksmiths: Iron, Metal, Gods & Myth Ereshkigal Goddess of Underworld & Night Mythic Fire Gods - Vulkan of Germania Sylvia Rose Books People import bronze objects to Scandinavia by 2000 BCE. Through a network of routes by land and sea the people of the North interact as far as the Myceneans of Greece. They bring back secrets of metallurgy and trade the coveted Baltic amber. The catalyst for change from the Chalcolithic Battle Axe culture to the Nordic Bronze Age comes from local experiments with metallurgy and a wave from Central Europe. The Unetice culture in parts of the Czech Republic, Poland, Austria and Germany plies a strong influence. See also: Before the Vikings: Battle Axe Culture Sulfur - Treasure of the Underworld Bronze Age: Ancient Tribes, Metal & Myth Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Even during the Copper Age in the North, the climate is warmer than it is now. Grapes are growing in Scandinavia. During the Copper and subsequent Bronze Ages farming and forage-gathering are profitable. Read: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure Rye (Secale), emmer wheat (Triticum dicoccum), spelt (Triticum spelta) naked barley (Hordeum vulgare var. nudum) are among the northern crops. Others include einkorn (Triticum monococcum), gold-of-pleasure (Camelina sativa), and millet (Paniceae). See also: Woad, the People's Blue: Ancient Pigments Divine Twins: Germanic & Greek Mythology Mythic Fire Gods - Vulkan of Germania Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books The Nordic Bronze Age culture has a strong maritime focus. Ships and ship building references appear in Nordic art. Ships are represented in countless numbers. They have an uncanny resemblance to those used by the Vikings over a thousand years later. Another sign of progress working its way into Nordic culture c. 1800 BCE is domestication of a wild horse species, the Norwegian Fjord horse, which has just arrived on the land. Horses become an important part of society, signifying industrious work and wealth. See also: Kermes Insect & Ancient Red Pigments German Traditions - the Linden Tree Ancient Marsh Muse - Rough Horsetail Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books In the Nordic Bronze Age, nature worship is the dominant religion. A Sun Cult celebrates the journey of the Sun Goddess across the sky. Other deific figures such as Divine Twins go back hundreds of years to Proto-Indo-European roots on the Ponti-Caspian Steppe. People also pay homage to the Mother Goddess Nerthe (Nerthus, Erde, Earth). She also appears as an elemental goddess in southern European mythology. See also: Neolithic Skull Cults & Ritual Skulls Garnets - Gemstones of Blood and Life Neolithic Europe - Danube Valley Culture Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books The Earth Goddess is one of the deities worshipped cross-culturally. She's found in Neolithic, Greek, Celtic and early tribal lore, and in the mythologies of those who came after and before. Read: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure Sacrifice is common practice in cultures world-wide. Sacrificial rites and holy ceremonies are often held near bodies of water such as bogs, ponds, streams, rivers and lakes. Besides grave contents and stone carvings, many artifacts are found in locations of sacrifice. See also: Bronze Age Afterlife & Burial Beliefs Eye of Ra Egypt - Wrath of the Woman Elixir of Life: Alchemy & the Emperor Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle Housing and settlements rise to new heights by c. 1350 BCE. Habitations are often single farmsteads. Each farmstead has a longhouse and four-post built structures or helms. Longhouses evolve from two aisles to a more complex three-aisle structure. Some are up to about 500 m2 (5400 sq ft) in area, described as chiefly halls, to compare with the size of a megaron in Mycenean palaces. The influence of the southern trading partners is clear. Terramare Culture - Bronze Age Italy Istustaya & Papaya - Dyad of Destiny Sacrifice of the Male: Temple at Uppsala Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books In Sweden, Norway and Denmark, larger settlements include fortified sites. They specialize in workshops for metal and ceramic production, and cult houses dedicated to specific deities or religious figures. In today's northern Germany, the 12th century BCE habitation of Hünenburg bei Watenstedt was an important center of trade and commerce during the Nordic Bronze Age. See also: Tumuli - Burial Mounds of the Bronze Age Winter Tales - 4 Novellas Herbology & Lore: Stinging Nettle Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Graves and burials grow more elaborate. Nordic Bronze Age settlements include burial cairns, mounds and cemeteries. Burials are in coffins of oak, or urn burials. Rock carvings and wetland bronze hoards indicate active settlement with more emphasis on permanence. During the Bronze Age oxen are used as draft animals. Horses are rarer and generally belonged to the elite. Fishing and hunting supplemented farm-grown food with shellfish, deer and Norwegian elk (aka moose). See also: Wild Women and Winter Tales Lead: Death Metal of Metallurgy Eschenfrau: Wicked Ash Tree Woman Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Bronze Age traders bring the "gold of the north", amber, to Egypt, Greece and other flourishing centers of civilization. Routes from the north go back as early as c. 3000 BCE, but trade especially in amber intensifies by 1900 BCE. Baltic amber is among the gems in the 14th century BCE tomb of King Tut. Amber is found after storms in the raging northern seas, which cast pieces to shore in raw chunks or polished by the water. Nuggets are picked up on rocky coast. See also: Amber Trade - Bronze Age on the Baltic Ancient Deities: Proto Indo European Gods Herbology & Lore: Stinging Nettle Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Due to its rarity, strange origins and golden beauty amber is considered a precious gem during the Nordic Bronze Age. In the 1st century CE Roman naturalist and writer Pliny the Elder finally identifies it as a type of resin. From the growing trade routes, exchange includes amber, tin, salt from central Europe, fur, wax, wool, wheat, leather, spices, dye and weapons. At this time the Iron Age is approaching and trade in iron ore steps up. See also: Cleopatra the Alchemist of Greece Immortal - Quest for the Elixir of Life Warrior Queen: Kriemhild of the Burgundians Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Nonetheless iron is considered inferior to bronze, until metal masters discover the secrets of steel. Evidence of steel comes as far back as c. 1800 BCE. The first dedicated steelworks open in Turkey in 1324 BCE, at least a century before the advent of the Iron Age. Scandinavia has the most plentiful Bronze Age rock carvings of any region. Carvings feature scenes from everyday life, chariots, the sun, plows, birds and mammals. Boats and human figures are most popular themes. See also: Red Madder: Organic Ancient Colors Alchemy: Science, Philosophy, Magic Agrippina & Son: Poisonous Plots of Rome Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle The Nordic Bronze age culture is based on admiration of warrior qualities. Numerous weapons of bronze, stone or iron occupy grave burials now. Plate bronze armor is also found. Weapons and tools include axes, swords, daggers, spear and arrowheads, knives and maces. Vessels such as pots, vases and bowls show period use. See also: Mythic Fire Gods: Hephaestus of the Greek Divine Twins: Germanic & Greek Mythology Shamhat: Sacred Prostitute & the Wild Man Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Wagons are a common form of transportation, often pulled by oxen. The spoked wheel first appears c. 2000 BCE. Chariots of the Nordic Bronze Age are earlier than those of the Greeks. Many cultural attributes of the Nordic people are derived from travel and trade. See also: Pagan Christmas Yule Fests: Frau Holle Aufhöcker - Cursed Undead of German Myth Romanesque - Magic of Light & Stone Back to Top .

Solnitsata is the oldest known town in Europe, dating to the Chalcolithic Age in the 5th millennium BCE. A major center of the Neolithic salt trade, it's in today's Bulgaria c. 53 km (33 mi) west of the Black Sea coast. Read: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure Salt Trade - the Most Precious Mineral Black Sea: Stone Age & Early History Vistula Lagoon Baltic Nature & History Sylvia Rose Books In northeast Bulgaria near modern Provadia, Solnitsata is considered the first prehistoric urban center in Europe. Settled c. 5500 BCE, the town reaches its height of glory c. 4700 ‑ 4200 BCE. The rise of Solnitsata is driven by salt. Read: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure A large salt deposit underlies the ancient settlement. As a prime salt-production center, Solnitsata is a target for takeover attempts. The town is a citadel fortified with strong stone walls, an inner and outer city, sacrificial pits and a necropolis. Bosporus: Black Sea Nature & Greek Myth Electrum: Metal of Money & Myth Neman River - Nature, History, Lore Sylvia Rose Books The salt deposit formation happens when pressure from beneath pushes salt to the surface. The salt cone is covered with marl, an earthy deposit of clay and silt. It reaches depths of 4000 m or 4 km (c. 13,000 ft or 2.5 mi) and diameter of more than 15 km (9.3 mi). READ: Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction - German Mythology Adventures Exposed surface area is c. 330,000 sq m (395,000 sq yd). Concentrated salt springs flow from the ground until the late 5th millennium BCE, and are primarily used by the community. Corycian Caves, Bee Nymphs & Greek Gods Sinope: Poison, Honey, Greeks & Clay Rhinestones: Treasures of the Rhine Sylvia Rose Books As agriculture develops among Neolithic groups after the last Ice Age, people settle down, raise and eat more grains. A meat-rich diet has enough salt to sustain the average human, but grain-centered eating habits call for supplemental salt. Read: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure In Solnitsata, salt production begins locally, practiced by households in the Neolithic Age. At the onset of the the Chalcolithic, the evaporation of brine becomes a community activity and small trade grows. Potrimpo - Baltic Sea God of Grain Ancient Grains: Wheat, Barley, Millet, Rice Mugwort (Wormwood) Herbal Lore Sylvia Rose Books As word spreads and process improves, production becomes more organized. Coordinated groups of workers collect firewood, while others make pottery and many are involved in the process of salt production itself. READ: Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction - German Mythology Adventures Solnitsata covers c. 13 ha (32 acres). Its peak population numbers nearly 400 residents, which meets the archaeological qualifications as a Neolithic city. At the time it's the sole supply of rock salt throughout the Balkans. Chamomile - Herbology & Folklore Lammašaga: Sumerian Angel Goddess Horses, Alps & Amazons: the Caucasus Sylvia Rose Books Trade loves river routes. Navigable rivers like Vistula and Oder to the north, the Danube, Nile, parts of the Tigris and Euphrates hook up with seas, lakes and other rivers. Earliest boats are canoe-style dugouts or reed vessels especially for river travel. READ: Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction - German Mythology Adventures Although the Solnitsata citadel defenses are rebuilt four times, this is thought due to earthquakes, not attacks. The region is seismically active, with the last quake being in 1917 CE. The quantity of gold artifacts found show a distinct rise in prosperity of the town. Gold - Precious Metal of the Sun Egyptian Blue Lotus: Visionary Beauty Oder River: Nature & Early People Sylvia Rose Books Solnitsata becomes one of the earliest industrial level production centers known. Life is good in the Chalcolithic Age, with many people living into their fifties when the average life span is under 30. Read: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure A complex of over 30 ritual sacrificial pits nearby is identified with worship of a Mother Goddess. A second ritual pit complex to the northeast of the settlement, on the site of the salt production center, contains stone structures, pits and graves. Ereshkigal & the Mesopotamian Underworld Destiny & Death: Fate in the Ancient World Ornithomancy - Prophecy by the Birds Sylvia Rose Books Violent death is not uncommon. Some may be earthquake victims due to frequent seismic activity. Graves of murder victims including children are also found. Death wounds are by adze, arrowhead, spear or blunt force. READ: Reiker For Hire - Victorian Detective Murder Mysteries Many buried bodies are missing bones, and some are partially decomposed by the time they're buried. No cremations are observed. The tell upon which the site sits is later used by Thracians as a small burial area. Pontic Mountains: the Black Sea Alps Amazons - Warrior Women History & Myth Hünenburg: Bronze Age European Trade Hub Sylvia Rose Books Between the Middle and Late Chalcolithic (4700‑4200 BCE), salt production develops to industrial scale. Early experimentation results in a quick rise in production. Large open-air installations are built. In deep pits, big pottery vessels shaped like inverted cones are set close together. The ceramics are left rough on the outside (briquetage). Inside they're smoothed down and coated with kaolin (china clay) to prevent the pot from cracking during production. Kaolinite: White Pigment with Benefits Baal Cycle - Myths of Ba'al Hadad Is Cherry Laurel Poisonous? Sylvia Rose Books Briquetage or "very coarse pottery" is the ceramic material used to make evaporation vessels for extracting salt from brine. On the outer surface the pots are coated with clay, straw or dung to raise inner heat levels. Two knobs on each vessel serve as handles. READ: Reiker For Hire - Victorian Detective Murder Mysteries The thick-walled pots are filled with saltwater, heated by fires below. The water evaporates, leaving salt. Concentrated brine may be transferred to a smaller pot for final reduction. The vessels are broken to remove the salt, creating many sherds for future archaeologists to find. Red Madder: Organic Ancient Colors Tooth Worms of Ancient Mesopotamia Khnum: Ram Headed Potter God Egypt Sylvia Rose Books Trade takes place at the Solnitsata production center. Routes by buyers include the Aytos Pass of the Balkans to the Maritsa River Valley. Read: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure Another route covers the way from the south Black Sea coast, through Lake Varna and up the Povadiyska River. Demand for salt is intense, including as a flavor enhancer, antiseptic, an essential need of the human body, and for preservation of fish and meat. Victorian Health: Sea Water Hydrotherapy Nature Spirits of German Mythology Lake Van: Fate of a Primeval Salt Lake Sylvia Rose Books Salt deficiency (hyponatremia) is rare in today's society but can happen through drinking too much water, thus diluting the body's natural salt; or an underlying health condition. Symptoms include vomiting, headache, confusion, lethargy, spasms and seizures. Sharing the Neolithic trade routes is obsidian, another major Neolithic commodity. From the north, Baltic amber makes its way through the networks in exchange for salt. Later, Bronze Age Egyptians trade salt fish at Byblos on the Levant. Baltic Amber - Gold of the North Obsidian: Ancient Volcanic Black Glass Weather God of Zippalanda: Bronze Age Gods Sylvia Rose Books Around 4200 BCE, sudden rapid climate change causes salt springs and freshwater ponds and rivers to dry up. Crops fail and drought pushes a swift and comprehensive migration. Despite its treasured resource, Solnitsata is abandoned for thousands of years. Bird Woman Elwetritsch: German Folklore Colchis - Bronze Age on the Black Sea Mahaleb Cherry: Spice, Nature & Myth Back to Top

Elves emerge when the world is young. Fleeting spirits, they develop with the fecundity of creation into nature entities found in almost any environment. Elves are connected to Earth energy and celestial bodies Sun, Moon and stars. The word Elf means 'being of light'. See also: Butzemann, Witches & Nyx - Scare 'em Good Wiedergänger - the Undead Walk Again Periwinkle: Magic & Medicine of Europe Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Elves vary in popular culture from little helpers at Santa's workshop to role playing stereotypes to workers of mystic magic. The term Elf is ambiguous. In early literature and lore it can refer to diverse magical nature entities such as Kobolds, Dwarfs and Fairies. Elf means 'white being' or 'being of light', from the Proto Indo European language c. 4500 BCE, at the dawn of the first civilizations. Elves are used to describe spectral anomalies, illness, strange behavior and natural disasters. See also: Jimson Weed, Witches & Zombies Witches' Night - Hexennacht Elderberry Tree: Germanic Nature Lore Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle Visible Elves and Dwarfs are originally perceived as person sized and resemble ordinary people. Like nixies, who always show an aspect of themselves such as wet hems, elves can be recognized by their strange beauty and ethereal manifestations. They can see in the dark. Among the Scandinavian myths are those of the Swedish älvor, beautiful young women who live in the forest with an Elf king. The elves can be seen dancing over meadows, especially at night and on misty mornings See also: Fairy Rings, Moon & Nature Magic German Folklore - Irrwurz or Mad Root German Myth & Folklore: Dwarfs Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books A common saying in German is 'Die Elben/der Alp treiget mich! (The elves/elf deceive/s me!)' The word Alp means Elf. The Alps in Bavaria, Tyrol, Switzerland and Austria are the domain of Elves and nature magic. The Mare is a German spirit causing night terrors. According to the Old High German Dictionary of Saxony, the Mare is a "nature-god or nature-demon, equated with Fauns of Classical myth ... regarded as eerie, ferocious beings ... As the mare he messes around with women." See also: German Myth: Lindwyrm, Mare & Pig Demons The Sex Demons - Incubus & Succubus Ancient Egypt Remedies: Ebers Papyrus Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Alpdruck (elf oppression) or Alptraum (elf dream; pl. Albträume or elf dreams) mean nightmares in German. In this case the Alp or Elf is seen as a sinister character and incubus spirit. The relation with Greco Roman nature spirits Fauns, who have horns and cloven hooves, associate Elves with the Christian Devil. The pentagram Drudenfuss (Drudenfuß) or Drude's foot is also called Alpfuß or Elf's foot, and considered to protect against evil elf magic. See also: Aufhöcker - Cursed Undead of German Myth Drude: Germanic Demon of Darkness Ambrosia: Divine Nectar & Immortal Gods Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Elves are thought to take part in the Wild Hunt, a European supernatural phenomenon involving a raging host of spirits including Goddesses, Gods and epic heroes, witches and fauns, elves, dwarfs, six-legged horses, dragons, monsters and shape-shifting spirits. Like nixies, elves are associated with seduction. These sensual spirits enchant a person to stray from the path and get lost in the forest. Elf activity can also create fairy rings. Time spent with elves seems short, but years can pass in the mortal world. See also: Fairy Rings, Moon & Nature Magic Women of the Wild Hunt: Holle, Diana, Frigg Curse of the Evil Eye & Apotropaic Magic Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books In some areas the fairy lights of folklore, which try to lead a person astray, are known as Elfenlichter (elf lights). It's tempting to follow the lights, as they can reveal treasure, but are more likely to cause madness and mindless wandering. Elves dislike caraway, and fruits of this plant are scattered to repel harmful magic including mold and mildew in grain. Caraway has known antifungal properties. In folklore chamomile is also planted to guard from malevolent magic in and around the home. See also: Herbology & Lore: Caraway Chamomile - Herbology & Folklore House Spirits of Germanic Mythology Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Anti-witch superstitions, such as burying an iron knife at a threshold, or hanging an iron horseshoe, are also used against Elf powers. Mirrors, rowan wood and periwinkle are considered to have protective magic against supernatural forces. Elves are once thought to walk invisibly among people, causing health problems, accidents and plagues. Founder of Lutheranism, Martin Luther (1483 - 1546), believes his mother to be afflicted by witches and Elf magic. His enemies call her a whore and bath room attendant. See also: Schrat: German Nightmare Forest Elf German Myth & Folklore: Moss People Winter Tales - 4 Novellas Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books In Norse mythology Elves are once associated with the Æsir, the Nordic pantheon, and may have been among the deific number. In Nibelung of the Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction series, anti-hero Oberon is a fairy in the UK, elf in France and a dwarf in Germany. Ambiguous in nature, the word Elf can apply to all three. It's used as a blanket term for creatures of general malevolence and evil. In Norse religion the Dwarf (Zwerge) is a predominant alpine nature spirit. See also: Lora Ley Adventures Book 2 - Nibelung Yarrow (Achillea) Magic & Medicine Ornithomancy - Prophecy by the Birds Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle In Norse mythology there are two types of elves, Dökkálfar (Dark Elves) and Ljósálfar (Light Elves). According to medieval lore, dark elves dwell within the earth and have a dark complexion, while the light elves live in Álfheimr, and are "fairer than the sun to look at". In European lore the terms Dwarf and Elf are often interchangeable. In Northern literature more mention occurs of Dwarfs, who have the magic of Elves, including the Tarnkappe (cape or helmet of invisibility). See also: German Myth - Headless Horseman Night Raven (Nachtkrapp) Germania Pretty Poisons: Holly, Yew, Mistletoe Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books As thieves or henchmen of wicked witches working against the protagonist, fictional elves come to represent anyone greedy, of low moral character, threatening or evil. In lore Elves include the Mare and goblin Schrat, both responsible for bad dreams. The popular 1823 American poem 'A Visit from St Nicholas' (The Night Before Christmas) describes Santa as "a right jolly old Elf." Elves can also refer to White Ladies. Along with fairies and trolls, elves may be prone to stealing children and leaving changelings. See also: Germanic Mythology - Brook Horses Nature Spirits of German Mythology German Myth - White Ladies & Changelings Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books In the time of the Witch Hunts elves and imps are commonly associated with alleged witches, who reportedly send them out to wreak destruction. Elves have the power to poison food, corrupt cows' milk and spread sickness or blight. They can cause mental derangement. During the Renaissance, alchemist Paracelsus creates gnomes to explain strange earth shifts, tremors, avalanche or landslides in the Alps. The term Alp relates to wild nature Elves as well as those who may live among, help, torment or otherwise interact with mortals. See also: German Myth & Folklore: Imps Gnomes: Earth Spirits of Renaissance Mythology Sprites: Ethereal Creatures of Faerie Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle Like Dwarfs, Elves have been downsized and pigeonholed over the centuries, becoming shallow stereotypes of their true nature. Part of the reason is fear of unknown magic. Diminutive size makes one appear harmless and an easy object of ridicule or comedy. Elves include miniature domestics like Heinzelmännchen (brownies) in the region of Cologne, Germany; or Wichtelmänner (elf men or imps) in the 'Elves and the Shoemaker'. Whatever size they are, shape-shifting powers are part of their repertoire. See also: Fire Men & Lights Errant: German Lore Harvest Spirits: Katzenmann (Cat Man) Eschenfrau: Wicked Ash Tree Woman Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books They can transform into animals, plants or geographic features, or create the illusion of transformation. Elves have a wild nature and can be helpful or harmful, mischievous or malevolent. Existing in parallel realms of Faerie they may have little interest in humans. See also: Hyssop - Magic & Medicine Herb Lore Wandering Womb - Ancient Medicine Alchemist Dippel: the Frankenstein Files Back to Top

In German Alp can refer to an Elf or a mountain. An antiquated term, Alp for Elf drops out of common vocabulary in the Middle Ages and Elb takes its place. Sayings such as "Die Elben betrügen mich" or "the elves trick me" may be heard in German-speaking lands. READ: Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction - German Mythology Adventure See also: German Myth & Folklore: Elves Fairy Rings, Moon & Nature Magic Aufhöcker - Cursed Undead of German Myth Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books "Die Elfen täuschen mich" or the Elves deceive me is another folk saying. The term Elf is the same in German and English. The older term Elb almost drifts out the door to obsoletion, resurrected by JRR Tolkien in 1972. READ: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure Although Elben means "elves" in German, the name of the River Elbe just means river, as in River River. In the past Elves are thought do spread disease or curses, cause accidents, trick people, put victims into a trance or bring on bouts of madness. See also: Chamomile - Herbology & Folklore House Spirits of Germanic Mythology Curse of the Evil Eye & Apotropaic Magic Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle The term Alp lives in bad dreams. Nightmares are thought caused by Elves, and called Alptraum (pl. Albträume) or Alpdruck (Albendrück), meaning Elf Dreams or Elfin Pressure. Some nightmare-bringing elves, like Mare and Schrat, sit on the sleeper's chest. These Aufhocker-type creatures cause feelings of heaviness, attacks of breathlessness and anxiety. Another nightmare bringer is the Drude or Trute, also a sex demon. During the witch hunting craze, "Drude" becomes equated with "witch" and revels with the devil. See also: Nanshe - Nature Goddess of Dreams Drude: Germanic Demon of Darkness Schrat: German Nightmare Forest Elf Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Alp is the same in German and English. Alp (Elf) of lore is not linguistically connected to the Alps, a mountain range famous in Europe, formed by intense upheaval of tectonic plates. Still, plenty of Elf magic and mythical creatures such as Wolpertinger exist in the Alps. READ: Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction - German Mythology Adventure Alps are also found in Honshu, Japan, born from compressive stress of oceanic plates in the Quaternary Period over 2.5 million years ago. Alpine mountains are created by folding of the Earth's crust. These young mountains are tall and craggy. See also: Taurus Mountains: Bronze Age Bounty Mountain Gazelle: Wild Ancient World The Anxious Victorian - Mental Health Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle Another range of Alps, the Rocky Mountains of North America also form due to immense tectonic pressure pushing up the Earth's crust. In geological perspective, Alps are fairly young. READ: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure Alps can be made of volcanic rock upthrust. At 40 - 50 million years old, the alpine Himalayas are the youngest mountains in the world. The Makhonjwa Mountains of South Africa are 3.5 billion years old, the oldest mountains in the world. See also: Chamois - Alpine Wild Nature & Lore Ebony - Precious Wood of Ancients Women of the Wild Hunt: Holle, Diana, Frigg Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books The mountain word Alp initially comes from Swiss/German (Indo-European) plural: Alpen, meaning mountain pastures. The Italian and Romansh (Swiss) word alpina is used to describe a pine forest. In today's English alpine describes high craggy mountains with pastureland and coniferous forests. Scandinavian Alps are formed the same way, by pressure and folding. The mountain range runs through the Scandinavian Peninsula. See also: Germanic Mythology - Brook Horses Victorian Health: Sea Water Hydrotherapy Fänggen (Fangga): Man-Eaters of Tyrol Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books West sides of the mountains drop precipitously into the North and Norwegian Seas, forming the fjords of Norway. To the northeast they curve toward Finland. READ - Reiker For Hire - Victorian Detective Murder Mysteries High in the Scandinavian Alps lives a Dwarf King called Alberich. In France, he's described as an Elf, while in England he's a fairy, and not just any fairy but Oberon, King of the Fairies. His story is featured in the Lora Ley series novel, Nibelung. See also: Einkorn Wheat - First Domestic Crops White Pigments of Ancient Artisans Nature Spirits of German Mythology Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Volcanoes occur along some alpine ranges including Japanese Alps, Taurus mountains and the Caucasus. At one time the Alps are at the bottom of a sea. It's marked in the name Seebodenalp (Lake Bottom Alp) in Lucerne, Switzerland, central to the Lucerne Wild Hunt. Today the creature called Alp is an early variant of German Elb, which in turn is an early variant of German Elf (capital E), which means the same thing in English. Just to spice it up, the word "eleven" in English is "elf" (small e) in German, but it comes from the English. See also: Lammašaga: Sumerian Angel Goddess Black Sea: Stone Age & Early History Giant Cinnamon Birds of Arabia Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle In today's lore the elfin Alp has no specific niche. For example Mare and Schrat, also types of elves, are specifically associated with nightmares and dream states. Mare and the demonic Drude (Trute) terrorize livestock or ride horses to exhaustion all night. Druden can be sex demons, and the Mare is known for its potential incubus qualities. Schrat is a nasty little devil-elf who brings nightmares, pulls hair, slams doors and breaks machinery. See also: Bizilla - Shining Love Goddess Sukkal Music of Ancient & Medieval Egypt Sacred Music of Ancient Mesopotamia Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books The Alp has an abundance of powers, suggesting a convergence of other entities, which also describes the Elf. Indeed, the words Elf and Alp come to broadly mean any power perceived to be supernatural, especially with evil intent. READ: Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction - German Mythology Adventure Elves including the Alp in mythology and superstition are thought to cause: nightmares or night terrors breathlessness, panic and anxiety insomnia exhaustion of people and horses delusions or hallucinations confusion mental health issues such as depression sickness of any kind especially epilepsy widespread plague tree parasites or blight cows giving no milk hens giving no eggs sick livestock dead livestock bad luck serious accidents crop failure fires localized inclement weather ... and more. See also: Sinope: Poison, Honey, Greeks & Clay Mugwort (Wormwood) Herbal Lore Witches & Witchcraft: Ancient World Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books A late medieval prayer from Munich speaks to elves, Elf, little Elf, you shall remain no longer Elf's sister and father, you shall go out over the gate; Elf's mother, Trute and Mare, you shall go out to the roof-ridge! Let the Mare not oppress me, let the Trute not pinch me let the Mare not ride me, let the Mare not mount me! Elf with your crooked nose, I forbid you to blow on folk. It's once thought the breath of an elf can bring disease. See also: German Myth - Headless Horseman Dream Interpretation (Oneiromancy) - Ancient Egypt Reiker For Hire, Victorian Era & Nixies Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books The Alp may wear a Tarnkappe, a hat or cape of invisiblity. The Tarnkappe features in the story of Germanic Siegfried of Xanten. Siegfried steals it from a mountain dwarf named Alberich. READ - Reiker For Hire - Victorian Detective Murder Mysteries In art, Swiss painter Henri Fuseli's "Nachtmare" shows the Mare on the chest of the restless sleeping woman. Interpretation of his painting is difficult for English speakers who equate Mare / Mahr with a female horse. In German a female horse is die Stute. See also: Song of the Loreley - Lethal Beauty Klagefrau: Wailing Woman of German Folklore Jimson Weed, Witches & Zombies Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle The German title Nachtmare refers to night (Nacht) and the creature of evil on the woman's chest, the Mare. Sticking words together to make other words or meanings is a common feature of the German language. "Fuseli's painting has been considered representative of sublimated sexual instincts. Related interpretations of the painting view the incubus as a dream symbol of male libido, with the sexual act represented by the horse's intrusion through the curtain." Chu, Petra Ten-Doesschate (2006). Nineteenth Century European Art The Mare may ride a Stute to exhaustion at night. The Mare rides horses of any gender and also pine trees, twisting them out of shape. These trees are called Albtraumkiefern or "nightmare pines". See also: Hippomancy: Sacred Horse Divination Red Ocher (Ochre) Ancient Pigments Queen Eleanor & the Calamitous Crusade Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books To deter a Mare or Drude from attacking a horse, a red ribbon braided into the horse's mane is apt protection. A Drudenfuss or pentagram is also an anti-evil symbol across Europe. See also: Periwinkle: Magic & Medicine of Europe Figs - Food of the Ancient World Soap & Medicine Herb of Ancients Back to Top

Another Goddess duo in ancient mythology is Wadjet and Nekhbet. A hybrid animal goddess, Wadjet is usually depicted as a cobra snake with wings. Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books She represents the power of the Eye of Ra, and also the Crown of Pharaohs, a sun disc encircled by a cobra. Her partner Nekhbet appears as a vulture, and represents the Crown of Queens. See also: Ambrosia: Divine Nectar & Immortal Gods Nekhbet - Vulture Goddess of Egypt Nefertari Queen of Peace Ancient Egypt Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle In an Eye of Ra role Wadjet can be a bloodthirsty Goddess wreaking vengeance and punishment on disrespectful humans. In this compacity she may target the enemies of Buto. Another influential Goddess associated with the Eye of Ra is Sekhmet, Egyptian Goddess of War and Medicine. In the pre-Dynastic period, Wadjet is patron Goddess of Lower Egypt. Her major cult center and sacred city is Buto on the Nile Delta. Annual festivals on 25 December and 21 June, as well as smaller occasions, celebrate the Goddess Wadjet. See also: 1st Peace Treaty 1258 BCE - the Queens Tollense Valley Battlefield: Ancient Germania Destroying Angel: Nature's Deadly Poison Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Nekhbet the vulture goddess is a tutelary deity for Upper Egypt, the southern part of the Nile. An ancient protector goddess, her image or artefacts are associated with the burial of the Egyptian Queens. The cobra aspect of Wadjet is used for Kings. She's often depicted coiled upon the head of Ra. Always present in the uraeus, the serpent sun disc, she acts as his protector. Another early depiction of Wadjet is as a cobra entwined around a papyrus stem (c. 3100). It's thought to be the first image showing the snake coiled around a staff, which would later become the Staff of Aesculapius, a symbol of medicine. See also: Papyrus (Cyperus papyrus): Plant of Aaru Nabarbi - Rustic Goddess of Pastures Seduction of Hedammu, Father of Snakes Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Below, the unification of Egypt from c. 3100. Wadjet (right) wears the red grown of Lower Egypt and Nekhbet the white crown of Upper Egypt. The two Egypts combine in the crown of Ptolemy. Wadjet becomes a divine duo with Nekhbet. Here both Goddesses wear vulture crowns beneath their headgear, representing the women as Queens and possibly sisters. See also: Sprites: Ethereal Creatures of Faerie Nefertum: He Who is Beautiful Gods of Egypt Sekhmet - War Goddess of Ancient Egypt Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books The color green relates to vegetation, fertility, health and divinity. It also corresponds to papyrus, the sacred plant of Wadjet, which grows along the Nile. On the flip side, in Egypt green is associated with death. Underworld God Osiris is often colored green, as are gods, sometimes, who dally in the Land of the Dead. Thus Wadjet relates to life, health, prosperity and the realm of death at once, bringing all factors of nature into play. See also: German Folklore - Irrwurz or Mad Root Ptah: God of Creators & Creation Egypt Steppe Trade Routes: Before the Silk Road Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books The snake shedding its skin is a symbol or regeneration. Snakes are commonly associated with both medicine and poison. The winged snake figure is also seen in the German dragon, the Lindwyrm, and the alchemy glyph Ouroboros. The snake hybrid form of Wadjet is shown various ways. She might be a snake with a woman's head, or a woman with a snake's head. She may or may not have wings.Together with the Sun Disc, Wadjet the cobra creates the uraeus, or crown of kings. It's often worn by kings in Egyptian art, along the beard of divinity. See also: Sun God of Heaven - Hittite Solar Deity Germanic Mythology - Brook Horses Visigoths, King Alaric & the Ruin of Rome Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle The beard is false, a sign of rank and link to the gods. Ptolemy wears one, above. Keeping with tradition the ruler is expected to appear in public clean-shaven. At first in history, the cobra surrounds the head of the Pharaoh like a crown. Later, she wraps herself around the solar disc representing Sun God Ra. The wings of the cobra symbolically embrace the ruler, while the motion of the wings creates pure essential air. This air can be breathed in the afterlife. See also: Lelwani - Hittite Underworld Goddess Cult of the Bull - Prehistoric Aurochs Primeval Deities: Goddess of the Dawn Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books In mythology Wadjet is nurse to the infant Horus. In the Nile delta she protects Horus and his mother Isis from Set, who is trying to kill them. Later Wadjet is associated with the Eye of Horus. Horus is god of kingship, protection, healing, sky and sun, one of the major Egyptian Gods. See also: Sulfur - Treasure of the Underworld Earth Mother - Goddess of Life Lusatians - Nordic Bronze Age Cultures Back to Top

The Vistula Lagoon (Zalew Wiślany) is a brackish water lagoon on the Baltic Sea 90 km (56 mi) long, 10 to 19 km (6 to 15 mi) wide, and up to 17 feet (5 m) deep. It's separated from Gdańsk Bay by the Vistula Spit. READ: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure Old Prussians of the Baltic Coast Neman River - Nature, History, Lore Laima - Baltic Fate Goddess Sylvia Rose Books The sand spit is narrow, a few hundred meters wide on average. The widest point is 1.8 km (1.1 mi). About 70 km (43 mi) long, it consists of marine sand dunes up to 50 m (164 ft) high. Average sand height are 10 - 20 m (32.8 - 65.6 ft) READ: Lora Ley Adventures - Germanic Mythology Fiction Series The spit is considered stable. Two canals lead through into the sea, one in Russian territory. The other is the new Nowy Świat Canal in Poland, between villages of Skowronki and Przebrno. In extreme winters the lagoon freezes for about four months. Potrimpo - Baltic Sea God of Grain Curonian Freshwater Baltic Sea Lagoon Žaltys: Sacred Snake & Serpent Queen Sylvia Rose Books A number of fish inhabit the Vistula Lagoon. They include perch, bream, northern pike, zander, sea trout, sturgeon, flounder, herring and cod. The waters of the Vistula Lagoon are saltier than those in the adjacent Curonian Lagoon. READ: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure Some fish such as northern pike, a freshwater species, show tolerance to the salinity of the Vistula's brackish water. The region is a member of the Natura 2000 network of protected areas covering Europe's most valuable and threatened species and habitats. Electrum: Metal of Money & Myth Bosporus: Black Sea Nature & Greek Myth Song of the Loreley - Lethal Beauty Sylvia Rose Books The Vistula river originates in the Barania Góra Mountains in SW Poland and flows north. The Vistula (Wisla, Vistule, Weichsel) River Basin has a drainage area of 193,894 km2 and covers almost 60% of Poland. Upon reaching the Baltic delta it splits into six distributaries. The lagoon is shared between Poland and Russia's Kaliningrad Oblast. Before the 2022 inauguration of the Polish Nowy Świat or Vistula Spit canal, the only water route from the lagoon out to Gdańsk Bay is the Strait of Baltiysk in Russia. Christmas Oranges & Yule Fruits Lake Van: Fate of a Primeval Salt Lake Nimrod: Lord of Chaos & Creation Sylvia Rose Books The Vistula Lagoon is considered part of Gdansk Bay, which dips in a long graceful arc to form a natural curve in the Baltic Sea. Branches of the Vistula River flowing into the lagoon include Nogat and Szkarpawa. Nogat is the most significant distributary. Along the Nogat is an impressive castle of the early Middle Ages, built by the Teutonic Order (Teutonic Knights) of Malbork in the 13th century. The Teutonic Knights, a German Catholic society, destroy the Old Prussians from this stronghold. Weld Yellow: Ancient Nature Pigments Queen Eleanor & the Calamitous Crusade Winter Tales - 4 Novellas Sylvia Rose Books Frombork, Poland is a small port on the lagoon with a 14th century Gothic cathedral. It's the home of Renaissance polymath Nicolaus Copernicus (1473 - 1543), who is the first to place the Sun at the center of the universe. READ: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure The Frombork region is an important bird area of Poland. Birds include smew, greater white-fronted goose, bean goose, northern pintail, tufted duck, common pochard duck and little gull. It's an area favored by birders due to many migrational bird species. Hattusa Green Stone - Mystic Secrets European Grass Snake: Nature & Lore Baltic Ancient Mythology & Folklore Sylvia Rose Books Three phytoplankton groups dominate in in the Vistula Lagoon - cyanobacteria, green algae, and diatoms. Blooms are observed June to September in the central part of the lagoon. Toxic cyanobacteria blooms have also been observed regularly in the Russian part. READ: Lora Ley Adventures - Germanic Mythology Fiction Series Small blooms of green algae are normal and provide abundant food for aquatic animals. As blooms grow they block out sunlight and suck the oxygen from the water, killing fish and other water life, as well as the ecosystem around them. Chamomile - Herbology & Folklore Enkomi: Bronze Age Trade of Cyprus Gold-of-Pleasure: Bronze Age Crops Sylvia Rose Books Almost the entire Vistula river fails to meet water quality standards and swimming is not suggested, also due to unseen undercurrents. Boating is allowed. The Wloclawek Dam, constructed 30 years ago, is a toxic trap for much of the waste discharged into the river. READ: Reiker For Hire - Victorian Detective Murder Mysteries The lagoon is also an outlet for the Pregolya River. The Polish port Elbląg is an influential shipping and trading center in the past. Today silting and international cooperation issues have depleted its influence. Romanesque - Magic of Light & Stone Emmer Wheat - First Domestic Crops Dream Interpretation (Oneiromancy) - Ancient Egypt Sylvia Rose Books Silting occurs naturally, forming the beautiful deltas at the mouths of streams or rivers. From the highlands, rivers bring fertile silt and minerals into the delta. In this type of environment, civilizations such as Mesopotamia and Egypt are born thousands of years ago In the Vistula Lagoon an island of silt is created by humans from the inflow of the rivers. According to analytic sources the silt on the Polish side of the Vistula Lagoon is well suited for fortifying beaches and island-building. Woad, the People's Blue: Ancient Pigments Cyprus: Prehistoric Humans & Pygmy Hippos Cattle Goddesses & the Cosmic Cow Sylvia Rose Books The history of Elbląg dates back to 1237, when the Teutonic Knights builds a fortified stronghold on the Ebling River. The purpose of the citadel is to prevent resettlement of Old Prussian site Truso, as the German crusaders are at war with the pagan Prussians. READ: Lora Ley Adventures - Germanic Mythology Fiction Series The castle becomes the official seat of the Teutonic Order Masters. Elbląg joins the Hanseatic League, increasing its status and prosperity. Velnias - Baltic Devil God of Death Slavic River Spirits & Roman Gods Great Cormorant: Wild Birds & Mythic Beasts Sylvia Rose Books Founded by north German towns and merchant communities abroad, the League protects mutual trading interests. It dominates commerce in north Europe from the 13th to 15th century. From the first half of the 13th c. the lagoon is part of the State of the Teutonic Order. READ: Reiker For Hire - Victorian Detective Murder Mysteries In 1454, King Casimir IV Jagiellon incorporates the region into the Kingdom of Poland, as requested by the anti-Teutonic Prussian Confederation. The 1466 Peace of Thorn (Toruń) of is a treaty signed in Hanseatic city Thorn between King Casimir IV and the Teutonic Knights. Ugarit Royal Palace: Romancing the Ruins Hünenburg: Bronze Age European Trade Hub Perkūnas: Baltic Storm & Fertility God Sylvia Rose Books The signing of the treaty ends the Thirteen Years' War, the longest of the Polish - Teutonic Wars. Afterward, the lagoon remains part of Poland. In the West is the Polish province of Royal Prussia and Greater Poland. READ: Lora Ley Adventures - Germanic Mythology Fiction Series The east is a Polish fief, held by the Teutonic Knights and Ducal Prussia. The surrounding area is inhabited by Poles, Germans and Kursenieki. Before the Vikings - Early Northern Cultures Rise of the Phoenicians - Early Years Giant Cinnamon Birds of Arabia Sylvia Rose Books After the First Partition of Poland in 1772, the territory forms part of the Kingdom of Prussia. Prussia becomes part of the German Empire in 1871. READ: Reiker For Hire - Victorian Detective Murder Mysteries The earliest version of the name of the Vistula Lagoon is recorded in historical sources as Estmere by trader and traveler Wulfstan of Hedeby at the end of the 9th century. It's an Anglo-Saxon rendition of Aīstinmari, the Old Prussian name for the lagoon. Stymphalian Birds & Greek Heroics Bosporus: Black Sea Nature & Greek Myth Eschenfrau: Wicked Ash Tree Woman Sylvia Rose Books The name merges two Old Prussian words: Aiste and *mari meaning "lagoon". This oldest known meaning of the name is "the lagoon of the Aesti", a Baltic Germanic group. The Old Prussian name is still used in Lithuanian as Aistmarės to maintain original meaning. Syrian Brown Bear - Bronze Age Wild Sinope: Poison, Honey, Greeks & Clay Mythic Fire Gods: Hephaestus of the Greek

The Old Prussians are hardy fishers, hunters, farmers, and cattle breeders. They occupy the Baltic coast between the lower Vistula and Neman rivers, a swampy morass of brackish ponds, deep forests, freshwater streams and fertile soils. Read: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure Neman River - Nature, History, Lore Laima - Baltic Fate Goddess Curonian Freshwater Baltic Sea Lagoon Sylvia Rose Books Old Prussians speak an Indo-European Baltic language. They're related to the Latvians and Lithuanians. They inhabit the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea between the Vistula and Neman rivers. READ: Lora Ley Adventures - Germanic Mythology Fiction Series Etymologists believe the name of the Old Prussians comes from the word Prūsas, meaning "a Prussian" based on another term for a water body. Countless lakes, streams and marshes occupy the Baltic coastal regions. Taweret - Hippopotamus Goddess of Egypt Minoan Genius (Genii) Helper Spirits Sun God of Heaven - Hittite Solar Deity Sylvia Rose Books Old Prussian begins to be written down in the Latin alphabet in about the 13th century. A small amount of literature in the language survives. Read: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure The original Old Prussian settlement area in the west Baltics, as well as that of the eastern Balts, is occupied from the North Iron Age (5th century BCE). Archaeological records confirm uninterrupted presence starting in the tribal Migration Period (c. 300 - 700). Sacred Cave Trapeza (Kronion), Crete Ox Hide Ingots - Bronze Age Trade Urnfield Bronze & Iron Age Burials Sylvia Rose Books The Migration Period, also the Völkerwanderung, is a vast movement in medieval Europe. Also called the Barbarian Invasions, this period marks the transition from Late Antiquity to the Early Middle Ages. Adalbert of Prague & the Old Prussians Recorded Baltic history begins in the 10th century, with the unsuccessful excursions by Adalbert of Prague (997 AD). These follow the failed attempts to Christianize the Bohemians despite six years of preaching and prayer. Ambrosia: Divine Nectar & Immortal Gods Silver - Queen of Precious Metals Potrimpo - Baltic Sea God of Grain Sylvia Rose Books The Bohemian belief system has deep pagan roots. Adalbert gives up his diocese at Gniezno to become a missionary near Prussia. He has moderate success but alienates the locals with his arrogance. Even more offensive to Prussians, he speaks out of a book. Prussian society is an oral tradition. Communication is word of mouth and face to face. To the people, Adalbert reading from a book is some kind of evil magic. After a local chieftain strikes him on the head with an oar, scattering his papers to the winds, he flees the village. Klabautermann - Germanic Sea Kobold Mugwort (Wormwood) Herbal Lore Hematite: Magnetic Iron Oxide Red Sylvia Rose Books He and his companions cross a river. His next attempt is no better. Local people bang sticks on the ground, shouting for the death of Adalbert and his companions. Forced once more to retreat, Adalbert and entourage go to a market place of Truso, near Vistula Lagoon. READ: Lora Ley Adventures - Germanic Mythology Fiction Series Here the group is again met with hostility. On April 23 997, after mass, Adalbert and friends are lying in the grass taking in a snack and sun, when a pagan mob attacks them. Sicco their leader strikes the first blow, and the pagans kill Adalbert. Romanesque - Magic of Light & Stone Agrippina & Son: Poisonous Plots of Rome Oldest Cattle Cult 6000 BCE - Arabia Sylvia Rose Books They march his head around on a pike, then take the body back to Poland, where it's bought back, according to record, for its weight in gold. Due to Polish attacks around the same time, the Old Prussians lose several border areas. Old Prussians Baltic society is based on the laūks, a word attested in Old Prussian as "field". Settlements are family dwellings surrounded by fields, forests and swamp. A laūks is also formed by a group of farms with common economic interests and need for safety. Žaltys: Sacred Snake & Serpent Queen Slavic River Spirits & Roman Gods Velnias - Baltic Devil God of Death Sylvia Rose Books The family is ruled by a male head of household or buttataws. Strongholds and hill forts spring up as the southern threat grows. Administrative power comes from gatherings or meetings of all adult males. They decide communal matters and elect a leader and a chief. Read: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure The leader holds dominion over everyday matters, while the chief or rikīs is reponsible for building roads, watchtowers and border defenses. Fortification building is done by the Vidivarii, a mixed cultural group who since c. 550 inhabit the lands of the lower Vistula. Honey Bees (Apidae): Nature & Myth Lammašaga: Sumerian Angel Goddess Ornithomancy - Prophecy by the Birds Sylvia Rose Books They arise from the Willenberg culture of the Iron Age and include tribes of Vistula Veneti, Goths, Rugii, Gepids and possibly Huns. After the defeat of the Hun Empire in 469 migrations brings many back to homelands they hastily vacated due to the invading threat. READ: Reiker For Hire - Victorian Detective Murder Mysteries By the 13th century building of hill forts and strongholds escalates. In the area later Prussia, Latvia and Lithuania larger polities and territorial groups take hold. A territorial unit or pulka comprises about a dozen laukses each with up to 2,000 inhabitants. Humbaba: Giant Mountain Forest Man Pentagram: Drudenfuß, Five Point Star Nanaya - Goddess of Erotic Love Sylvia Rose Books The Baltic tribes form loose affiliations but see no need to unite nationally. They're known after the regions they inhabit. A 13th century text by Peter of Dusburg lists eleven separate ethnic groups. Pomesania (Pomesanians) Varnia (Warmians) Pogesania (Pogesanians) Natangia (Natangians) Sambia (Sambians) Nadrovia (Nadruvians) Bartia (Bartians) Scalovia (Skalvians) Sudovia (Sudovians / Yotvingians) Galindia (Galindians) Culm (-) Tooth Worms of Ancient Mesopotamia Mot - Death & the Ugarit Underworld Drude: Germanic Demon of Darkness Sylvia Rose Books The Old Prussians are known for courage and strength. Physically large and fiercely aggressive, the Old Prussians are formidable in battle. They are nonetheless referred to as "humble", rejecting luxury. READ: Reiker For Hire - Victorian Detective Murder Mysteries Their hospitality is noted as well as their love of celebration and drinking to excess. They are especially fond of mead. Butter - Food of Peasants & Barbarians A Myth of Hahhima, Frost Demon God Honey Mead: Most Ancient Ambrosia Sylvia Rose Books Ninth century trader and traveler Wulfstan of Hedeby visits the trading town of Truso at the Vistula Lagoon. He notes wealthy people drink fermented mare's milk, kumis, instead of mead. READ: Lora Ley Adventures - Germanic Mythology Fiction Series According to Adam of Bremen, the Samians are said to drink horse blood as well as horse milk. He also mentions the Samians eat horse meat. Horse sacrifice is well-attested in the Baltic region and medieval site are identified in Poland. Bird Woman Elwetritsch: German Folklore Asray: Ugaritic Underworld Goddess Nekhbet - Vulture Goddess of Egypt Sylvia Rose Books Women are the inferior sex among Old Prussians, according to Peter von Dusburg. They're treated as servants and forbidden to share the husband's table. Commercial marriage is common. After the husband's death, the widow goes to the son as inheritance. Men have up to three wives and adultery (by the wives) is punishable by death. Destiny & Death: Fate in the Ancient World German Myth - Father Rhine River God Christmas Oranges & Yule Fruits Sylvia Rose Books Burial customs change over time. During the Northern Iron Age (5th century BCE - 1st century CE), the western Baltic kurgan culture dominates. A kurgan, tumulus, barrow or mound is a grave site or pit with or without burial goods, covered by a hill. Read: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure Later, cremation in urns prevails. Grave mounds were raised over stone cells for up to thirty urns, or stone boxes for the urns. They were buried in Bronze Age style barrows. During the early phase of imperial Rome, shallow graves appear, with corpses buried in tree coffins. Castle Frankenstein - Legend & Lore Tumuli (Tumulus): Bronze Age Burial Mounds Tumulus Culture - Nordic Bronze Age Sylvia Rose Books Cremation with urns is popular in the third century. Except for the Samians and Sudauers, where shallow grave fields exist until Christianization, cremation pits without urns become the preferred burial type. Different forms of burial can occur side by side at the same time. Peter of Dusburg comments on the religion of the Old Prussians: Because they did not know God, therefore, in their error, they worshipped every creature as divine, namely the sun, moon and stars, thunder, birds, even four-legged animals, even the toad. They also had forests, fields and bodies of water, which they held so sacred that they neither chopped wood nor dared to cultivate fields or fish in them. Baba Yaga - Slavic Forest Witch Humbaba: Giant Mountain Forest Man Schrat: German Nightmare Forest Elf Sylvia Rose Books Baltic paganism is a type of polydoxy, belief in the sacredness of all natural forces and phenomena. These are not personifications, which are common in ancient Egypt, for instance Heka the personification of magic. READ: Lora Ley Adventures - Germanic Mythology Fiction Series The people follow the animistic concept of spirits and magical powers in all things. Countless spirits and demons dwell in the worlds seen and unseen. The people practice ancestor worship, believe in a "soul" and afterlife. Ereshkigal & the Mesopotamian Underworld The Way to Aaru - Egyptian Paradise Gold - Precious Metal of the Sun Sylvia Rose Books The highest priest Kriwe-Kriwajto is in permanent connection to spirits of dead ancestors. He lives in a sacred grove, the Romove. Each district is headed by its Kriwe, who also serves as lawgiver and judge. READ: Reiker For Hire - Victorian Detective Murder Mysteries Next in rank, the Siggonen maintain a healthy spiritual connection with natural sacred sites, such as springs and trees. The Wurskaiten or lower ranking priests oversee rites and ceremonies. Figs - Food of the Ancient World Sylvia Rose Books Simon Grunau (c. 1470 – c. 1530) is the author of Preussische Chronik, the first comprehensive history of Prussia. According to Grunau, the Prussian High Priest or Kriwe-Kriwajto or Kriwe is a powerful figure. He can start or end war. An elderly Kriwe is supposed to sacrifice himself to the gods by suicide, particularly by burning, though it's not common. When the time comes, a new Kriwe is selected by lower rank priests and prophets (waidelottes). Ancient Egypt Remedies: Ebers Papyrus Garnets - Gemstones of Blood and Life Weld Yellow: Ancient Nature Pigments Sylvia Rose Books Baltic amber has already been a major trade item from the Baltic coast since the Neolithic. It appears with Sicilian amber in the Mediterranean by c. 3634 - 3363 BCE. Roman statesman Cassiodorus, acting in the name of Ostrogoth king Theodoric the Great (r. 475–526) sends a missive to the Aesti, a group inhabiting today's north Lithuania: It is gratifying to us to know that you have heard of our fame, and have sent ambassadors who have passed through so many strange nations to seek our friendship. We have received the amber which you have sent us. Baltic Amber - Gold of the North Bronze Age Europe - the Amber Roads Cleopatra the Alchemist of Greece Sylvia Rose Books You say that you gather this lightest of all substances from the shores of ocean, but how it comes thither you know not. But as an author named Cornelius (Tacitus) informs us, it is gathered in the innermost islands of the ocean, being formed originally of the juice of a tree (whence its name succinum), and gradually hardened by the heat of the sun. Thus it becomes an exuded metal, a transparent softness, sometimes blushing with the color of saffron, sometimes glowing with flame-like clearness. Then, gliding down to the margin of sea, and further purified by the rolling of the tides, it is at length transported to your shores to be cast upon them. Enkomi: Bronze Age Trade of Cyprus Immortal - Quest for the Elixir of Life Warrior Queen: Kriemhild of the Burgundians Sylvia Rose Books We have thought it better to point this out to you, lest you should imagine that your supposed secrets have escaped our knowledge. We sent you some presents by our ambassadors, and shall be glad to receive further visits from you by the road which you have thus opened up [Amber Roads] , and to show you future favors. By 1147, the Polish duke Bolesław IV the Curly attacks the Prussians, due to their cooperation with Władysław II the Exile, who also gets help from Crusader King Conrad III of Germany. The Prussians are defeated. Queen Eleanor & the Calamitous Crusade Lora Ley Adventures - Feast of Fools Rise of Pan: Fertility Goat God Péh₂usōn Sylvia Rose Books In 1157 Prussian troops support the Polish army against Emperor Frederick Barbarossa, son of Conrad III. In 1166 two Polish dukes cross the Ossa River into Prussia. The Prussians lure the Polish army into swamp and bog. It's a massacre. Almost all the Poles either drown, or die hit by arrows and throwing clubs. Attacks by Konrad of Masovia in the early 1200s fail to subdue the Prussians. In 1209 Pope Innocent III commissions Cistercian monk Christian of Oliva to convert the pagan Prussians. Baba Yaga - Slavic Forest Nature Witch Ugarit Royal Palace: Romancing the Ruins Cyprus: Prehistoric Humans & Pygmy Hippos Sylvia Rose Books In 1215, Christian becomes first bishop of Prussia. The Duchy of Masovia is subject to constant Prussian counter-raids. In response, Konrad I of Masovia begs for help from the Pope several times, founds a military order (the Order of Dobrzyń) and finally calls on the Teutonic Knights. The results are edicts supporting Northern Crusades against the Prussians. Yahweh: Warrior Origins, Name & Lore Nimrod: Lord of Chaos & Creation Ancient Deities: Proto Indo European Gods Sylvia Rose Books In 1224, Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II proclaims Prussia and neighboring provinces under his direct protection. The Teutonic Order, officially subject to the Popes, but also answering to the Empire, takes control and establishes a monastic state in Prussia. In 1226, the Emperor establishes the Golden Bull of Rimini, giving conquest rights to the Teutonic Order in Prussia. The Prussian Crusade begins with an invasion by Grand Master Hermann von Salza and Duke Konrad I of Masovia Christianize the Baltic Old Prussians. Baal (Ba'al): Storm God & Love Demon Baal Cycle - Myths of Ba'al Hadad Lucifer, Venus & Anti-Gods of Mythology Sylvia Rose Books The Order then creates the independent Monastic State of the Teutonic Knights in the conquered territory. They then conquer Courland, Livonia, and Estonia. The Dukes of Poland accuse the Order of holding lands illegally. Over 21,000 Crusaders take part in an attack on Prussia in 1233. The main battle occurs at the Sirgune (Dzierzgoń) River south of the Vistula Lagoon, where the Prussians suffer a massive defeat. Casting the Bones - Astragalomancy Al-Mi'raj: Unicorn Hare of Arab Myth Eye of Ra Egypt - Wrath of the Woman Sylvia Rose Books Attacks on Prussian lands continue about sixty years. In 1252, the Teutonic Knights build a castle at strategic Memelburg (later Klaipėda, Lithuania) by the Baltic Sea. Knights throughout Catholic Europe join the Prussian Crusades. Revolts, including a major 1286 rebellion, are suppressed by the Teutonic Knights. In 1283, according to the chronicler of the Teutonic Knights, Peter of Dusburg, the conquest of the Prussians ends, and war with the Lithuanians begins. Victorian Health: Sea Water Hydrotherapy Song of the Loreley - Lethal Beauty Pretty Poisons: Holly, Yew, Mistletoe Sylvia Rose Books Sudovian Book The Sudovian Book (German: Sudauer Büchlein, Lithuanian: Sūduvių knygelė) is an collection of texts by a Protestant priest describing the customs, religion, and daily life of the Old Prussians from Sambia. The manuscript is written in German in the 16th century by Lutheran clergy for the elucidation of missionaries and others. The original is lost and the book is known from later copies, transcriptions and publications. Verdigris: Volatile Blue Green Pigment Striped Hyena - Bronze Age Wild Elixir of Life: Alchemy & the Emperor Sylvia Rose Books The book includes a list of Prussian gods, in descending order from sky to earth to underworld. The pantheon includes: Ockopirmus (chief god of sky and stars) Swayxtix (god of light) Auschauts (god of the sick) Autrimpus (god of sea) Potrimpus (god of running water)\ Bardoayts (god of boats) Pergrubrius (god of plants) Pilnitis (god of abundance) Parkuns (god of thunder and rain) Peckols (god of hell and darkness) Pockols (flying spirit or devil) Puschkayts (god of earth) ... and his helpers Barstucke (little people) and Markopole. Horse in Dreams - Meaning of Horses Gold-of-Pleasure: Bronze Age Crops Perkūnas: Baltic Storm & Fertility God Sylvia Rose Books The book also covers traditional weddings, funerals, and honoring of the dead. The book describes the ritual sacrifice of a goat in detail. Stone Babas A number of stone babas are found all over Old Prussia dating between the 8th and 13th century. So far scholars have failed to discover their meaning. Myth & Metallurgy - Metals of Antiquity Wine God Liber: Liberty & Liberal Libation Elderberry Tree: Germanic Nature Lore Sylvia Rose Books The remaining Old Prussians are assimilated into the rising cultures during the following two centuries. The Old Prussian language, documented only in a limited way, is extinct by the 18th century. Night Raven (Nachtkrapp) Germania Mahaleb Cherry: Spice, Nature & Myth Wiedergänger - the Undead Walk Again Back to Top

Curonian Lagoon is a freshwater body beside the Baltic Sea at western Lithuania, separated from the sea by the narrow Curonian Spit. Europe's largest coastal lagoon, it's formed c. 7000 BCE as glaciers of the last ice age recede, the land warms and plants grow. READ: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure See also: After the Ice Age - Neolithic Builders Baltic Amber - Gold of the North Žaltys: Sacred Snake & Serpent Queen Sylvia Rose Book The Baltic Sea forms as the melting Scandinavian ice sheet retreats toward the Arctic at the end of the Pleistocene Epoch glaciations (c. 2.58 million to 11,700 ya). Due to warming climate, reaching a global average of 4% temperature rise, the ice melts. READ: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure The Baltic Sea basin becomes an immense meltwater lake, c. 11,000 - 9800 BCE. The ice keeps melting and water rises in the Baltic basin to overflow in a great flood c. 9500 BCE. As the waters recede a freshwater lagoon appears, divided by a sandy spit from the sea Honey Bees (Apidae): Nature & Myth Potrimpo - Baltic Sea God of Grain Before the Vikings - Early Northern Cultures Sylvia Rose Books At 1,619 sq km (625 sq mi), the lagoon is fed largely by the Neman river, the longest river in Lithuania. The river in arises in central Belarus, flows through Lithuania then forms the northern border of Lithuania / Kaliningrad Oblast, Russia's western exclave. READ: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure Neman (Niemen, Nyoman, Nemunas or Memel) is a major Eastern European river 937 km (582 mi) long. Every 12 - 15 years the river undergoes massive flooding. Otherwise it's up to 5 m (16 ft) deep. At its widest the river measures c. 500 m (1,600 ft). Great Bear - Nature, Spirituality & Lore German Myth: Father Rhine River God Reiker For Hire Victorian Crime Trilogy Sylvia Rose Books At its delta Nemunas diversifies into river branches and canals, mixing with polders and wetlands. The four main distributaries are Atmata, Pakalnė, Skirvytė (the southern mouth, marking the international border) and Gilija. READ: Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction - German Mythology Adventures As the primary inflow, the river is essential to the ecosystem of the lagoon. It determines the freshwater quality of the lagoon. Fresh and brackish waters co-exist. The lagoon is saltier at the spit, due to storm waters. Pagan Solstice Fests: Saturnalia Great Bear - Nature, Spirituality & Lore Perkūnas: Baltic Storm & Fertility God Sylvia Rose Books The Curonian Spit extends 98 km (61 mi) to separate the freshwater lagoon from the Baltic sea. The narrow land line is 0.4 - 4 km (0.25 - 2.5 mi) wide. Habitation goes back to prehistory. Fishing villages and resort towns occupy the spit today. READ: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure The highest moving (drifting) sand dunes in Europe occur on the Curonian Spit. Average height is 35 m (115 ft), growing up to 60 m (200 ft). The spit has a diverse ecology from beaches to dune ridges, inland wetlands, meadows and forests. Soap & Medicine Herb of Ancients Slavic River Spirits & Roman Gods Ornithomancy - Prophecy by the Birds Sylvia Rose Books Plants include edible glasswort (Salicornia, sea asparagus), reeds and other rhizome plants: baby's breath (Gypsophila paniculata); Baltic goat's beard (Tragopogon heterospermus). READ: Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction - German Mythology Adventures Soils at the lagoon are primarily loam leaning to clay or sand. Trees of the Lithuanian forested regions include linden, oak, elm, birch and pine species. Linden and oak are both important trees in Baltic mythology, with the linden sacred to Fate Goddess Laima. German Traditions - the Linden Tree Velnias - Baltic Devil God of Death Women of the Wild Hunt: Holle, Diana, Frigg Sylvia Rose Books 262 bird species are recorded in the park. They include great cormorants, hooded crows, ducks, swans and rare sightings of the rosy starling. Also in the area are white-tailed eagles, red-throated divers, sheldrakes and herons. READ: Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction - German Mythology Adventures Over 100 bird species nest and breed there. Peak bird-watching time on the Curonian Spit is autumn migration, August to November. Great Cormorant: Wild Birds & Mythic Beasts Brunhilde: Tragic Germanic Warrior Queen Ornithomancy - Prophecy by the Birds Sylvia Rose Books The park records 46 species of mammals, including European elk, roe deer, wild boar, fox, marten, raccoon dog - the only canid who hibernates - badger, hare, red squirrel and European beaver. The European grass snake (Natrix natrix) is entwined in Baltic lore. READ: Reiker For Hire - Victorian Detective Murder Mysteries Fish of the lagoon include perch (Perca fluviatilis), pike perch (Zander; Sander lucioperca), roach, bream (Abramis brama), and European smelt (Osmerus eperlanus). The smelt is a highly adaptable fish. Some live entirely in fresh water; others migrate from salt to breed. European Grass Snake: Nature & Lore Christmas Oranges & Yule Fruits Kulullu - Fish Man Monster of Tiamat Sylvia Rose Books Migrants also include Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar), sea trout (Salmo trutta trutta), and eel (Anguilla anguilla). In the Baltic Sea on the other side of the Curonian spit, ninety percent of the catch is herring, sprat, flounder and cod. READ: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure To the north, the lagoon connects to the Baltic Sea by a narrow strait at the Lithuanian port Klaipėda, the most significant seaport in the country. In Lithuania, the lagoon is commonly called Kuršių nerija or Nemunas Delta. Oder River: Nature & Early People Mt Nemrut Volcano: Nature & Lore Is Cherry Laurel Poisonous? Sylvia Rose Books In the 13th century, the lands are ancestral homes of Curonians and Old Prussians. The Vistula lagoon is to the west and territory borders the region of Lithuania Minor. In 1252 the Teutonic Knights establish Klaipėda and build Memelburg Castle. READ: Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction - German Mythology Adventures In 1454, at the request of the anti-Teutonic Prussian Confederation King Casimir IV Jagiellon incorporates the region to the Kingdom of Poland. Following the peace treaty of 1466, the lagoon becomes part of Poland as a fief held by the Teutonic Knights. Horses, Alps & Amazons: the Caucasus Queen Eleanor & the Calamitous Crusade Nature Spirits of German Mythology READ: Reiker For Hire - Victorian Detective Murder Mysteries Located within the Polish-Lithuanian Union (later the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth), the lagoon is part of the Kingdom of Prussia from the 18th century on. From 1871 until 1918 it's in the German Empire. Today the lagoon region is shared by Russia and Lithuania. Warrior Queen: Kriemhild of the Burgundians Romanesque - Magic of Light and Stone Nanshe - Nature Goddess of Dreams Back to Top

Neman River is the primary feed into the Curonian Lagoon at the Baltic Sea. It's the main reason the sea lagoon is freshwater. The largest river in Lithuania and navigable for long stretches, in ancient times it's among Europe's most important travel routes. READ: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure Laima - Baltic Fate Goddess Žaltys: Sacred Snake & Serpent Queen Corycian Caves, Bee Nymphs & Greek Gods Sylvia Rose Books Neman (also Niemen, Nyoman, Nemunas or Memel) springs from a source in central Belarus. The river flows through Lithuania and creates the northern border of Kaliningrad Oblast, Russia's western exclave. READ: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure It drains into the Curonian Lagoon, narrowly connected to the Baltic Sea. Most of the lagoon's water comes from the watershed of the Neman, making the lagoon fresh at the south coast and fresh to brackish at the northern spit where seawater spills over the dunes. Curonian Freshwater Baltic Sea Lagoon European Grass Snake: Nature & Lore Women of the Wild Hunt: Holle, Diana, Frigg Sylvia Rose Books At 937 km (582 mi) long Neman is an important Eastern European river for thousands of years. It's a Neolithic highway and easygoing route to the south when rivers are the only roads. READ: Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction - German Mythology Adventures Neman begins from two small headwaters merging about 15 km (9 mi) southwest of the medieval town of Uzda, central Belarus. For 17 km (11 mi), it forms the Belarus - Lithuania border. Baltic Ancient Mythology & Folklore Oder River: Nature & Early People Electrum: Metal of Money & Myth Sylvia Rose Books Then, the river makes a remarkable set of loops along a minor tectonic fault. The drainage basin of Neman stabilizes in the late Quaternary Period (c. 25,000 to 22,000 ya). The river forms along the edge of the last glacial ice sheet in Europe. READ: Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction - German Mythology Adventures Neman varies in depth from 1 m (3 ft 3 in) in the upper courses to 5 meters (16 ft) in the lower basin. Tumultuous floods happen every 12 - 15 years on the lower part of the river, often taking out bridges. Stymphalian Birds & Greek Heroics Urnfield Bronze & Iron Age Burials 12 Days of Zagmuk: Chaos & the King Sylvia Rose Books Its valley is now up to 60 meters (200 ft) deep and 5 km (3 mi) broad. The Nemunas (Neman) basin in Lithuania drains more than 20,000 rivers and streams covering almost 75% of the country. READ: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure The Nemunas Loops in Lithuania are part of the river's unique geologic structure. Nemunas Loops Regional Park is established in 1992 to preserve the natural loops (Lithuanian: vingis) the river makes in the Punia forest. Victorian Health: Sea Water Hydrotherapy Song of the Loreley - Lethal Beauty Honey Mead: Most Ancient Ambrosia Sylvia Rose Books The forest, or pinewood of Punia, is surrounded by the 19 km (12 mi) Nemunas loop. The loop almost completes itself as a circle, coming within 1.2 km (0.75) of reuniting. The Nemunas flows along the double bend between Balbieriškis and Birštonas for 48 km (30 mi) It surrounds one of the most valuable forests in Lithuania. Visits are restricted due to emphasis on preservation of a unique and vulnerable natural biosystem. Unlike regular river meanders, the loops follow tectonic formations, giving rise to natural mineral springs. Victorian Crime - Murder in the Cards Bosporus: Black Sea Nature & Greek Myth Wild Women and Winter Tales Sylvia Rose Books The resort areas Birštonas and Punia are within its borders. On the site of the former village Smalinyčia is a sculpture park with entrance gate of two carved snakes. In the center of the square, a stone altar is guarded by Perkūnas, the ancient Lithuanian thunder god. Historically the castles of the region are fortresses, used in battling the 1409 invasions of the first wave of Teutonic knights, who want to establish control of the southern regions to solidity their position. In 1252, the Teutonic knights build a castle at the Baltic Sea coast. Fortune Telling - The Mystic Victorian Sinope: Poison, Honey, Greeks & Clay Rhinestones: Treasures of the Rhine Sylvia Rose Books Many fish species inhabit the river, including perch, northern pike, zander, roach, tench, bream, rudd, ruffe, and bleak. In its tributaries one can find stone loach, three-spined stickleback, minnows, trout, sculpins, gudgeon, dace and chub. READ: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure Atlantic salmon migrate upstream to spawn in fall, but this has depleted their numbers due to 20th century dams, outdated sewage treatment technology, and lack of environmental action. Lake Van: Fate of a Primeval Salt Lake Hahhima - Deadly Hittite Frost Demon Ugarit Royal Palace: Romancing the Ruins Sylvia Rose Books Some dams such as at Kaunas in Lithuania, built 1959, do not provide fish ladders. Pollution in the river ranges from "moderately polluted" to "polluted." In Lithuania, the Kaunas Hydroelectric Power Plant barrage affects the riparian ecosystem. READ: Reiker For Hire - Victorian Detective Murder Mysteries Issues in the Kaliningrad section include high concentrations of BOD (biochemical oxygen demand) lignosulfates and nitrogen. These cause algal blooms, depleting oxygen. Blooms already happen in Curonian Lagoon but international cooperation is a problem. Hematite: Magnetic Iron Oxide Red Salt Trade - the Most Precious Mineral Ancient Greece - the Mycenean Invasion Sylvia Rose Books Algal blooms are not always devastating to the ecosystem, depending on the type of algae and concentration of growth. They can block out sunlight, killing off other plants. They can deprive water of oxygen, killing fish, other aquatic life and those who depend on them. READ: Reiker For Hire - Victorian Detective Murder Mysteries The largest cities on the Neman are Grodno in Belarus, Alytus and Kaunas in Lithuania, and Sovetsk in the Kaliningrad Oblast of Russia. The river basin population is 5.4 million. The Augustów Canal, built 1823 - 39, connects the Neman to the Vistula River. Night Raven (Nachtkrapp) Germania Mahaleb Cherry: Spice, Nature & Myth Rosemary: Immortal Essence & Balm of Kings Sylvia Rose Books The Canal connects Poland to Belarus. It's built as a way to circumnavigate high Prussian taxes on trade. With 18 locks, the Canal uses natural earth formations and integrates into the landscape. Two hundred years later It's still considered a marvel of engineering. READ: Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction - German Mythology Adventures Neman also describes a Neolithic culture once inhabiting its shores. In German, the river as it flows through historic Prussia is called die Memel since c. 1250. Around 1252 Teutonic Knights build Memelburg castle and the town of Memel at Curonian Lagoon and Baltic Sea. Potrimpo - Baltic Sea God of Grain German Myth: Father Rhine River God Slavic River Spirits & Roman Gods Sylvia Rose Books The coin (reverse view) shows the "God of the Niemen". This is to commemorate the signing of the Treaty of Tilsit (2 treaties). Napoleon and the Russian Emperor meet in the middle of the Neman to sign the first. A folk tale describes the meeting of the Neris and Nemunas Rivers in south central Lithuania. At the beginning of creation Neris is young and knows not which way to flow. She runs toward one river and another. Mother Nature wants her to turn to Daugava. Ereshkigal Goddess of Underworld & Night Nanaya - Goddess of Erotic Love Mountain Gazelle: Wild Ancient World Sylvia Rose Books Neris feels great love in her heart for Nemunas, and begs to flow to him instead. Mother Nature finally agrees. Neris runs to Nemunas in joy. She puts a hand upon his leg and where they touch, flowers grow. Obsidian: Ancient Volcanic Black Glass Edelweiss: Alpine Flower of True Love Casting the Bones - Astragalomancy

Klagfrau or Klagefrau is the Wailing Woman of German folklore. To hear her is an omen of death or disaster. She goes by many names but her meaning is always the same. She's a harbinger of doom. READ: Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction - German Mythology Adventure See also: Nature Spirits of German Mythology House Spirits of Germanic Mythology Jimson Weed, Witches & Zombies Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Also called Klagmuhme (Wailing Aunt) or Klagmutter (Wailing Mother), she's the German version of the Irish Banshee (bean-síghe). The Banshee is a female spirit in folklore who foretells death of a family member by screaming, wailing, shrieking, clamoring or keening. Read - Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction - German Mythology Adventure The Banshee is connected to tumuli or gravesite and burial mounds. Every wealthy family is thought to have its own Banshee. See also: German Myth - Headless Horseman Tumuli (Tumulus): Bronze Age Burial Mounds Pentagram: Drudenfuß, Five Point Star Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle In Germania the Klagmuhme has shape-shifting powers and can appear as an animal. She might howl around the house in the shape of a longhaired black dog. In the guise of a goose she cries in the corner. She may appear as a dove in the eaves. She also appears as a large gray cat or a whimpering white or three-legged sheep near the afflicted house. She can be an eerie bird, a fiery toad or a calf with red eyes. Another toad found near the house is the Harvest Toad. German Myth - Harvest Spirits 3 Schrat: German Nightmare Forest Elf Night Raven (Nachtkrapp) Germania Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books The term Klagmutter also refers to the caterpillar of both the death's-head hawkmoth and of Arctiinae moths. The Klagmuhme is first attested in 15th century Middle High German as klagmuoter (wailing mother), referring to an owl. READ: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure The owl is also called Totenvogel (bird of death) and refers to the Little Owl (Athene noctua), who makes a wailing, keening sound. In some regions the cuckoo is also associated with death, but if one who hears it pats a pocket or purse, money will come. See also: Owl - Death, Messages, Mystic Wisdom Fire Men & Lights Errant: German Lore Yarrow (Achillea) Magic & Medicine Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books The human form of the Klagefrau has a number of manifestations. She may appear as an old woman in black dress with white scarf. She can be small or infinitely tall. Her face may be covered in spiderwebs. She can appear dressed in linen, a material used in burial shrouds. She might have glowing eyes or can be "gigantic, hollow-eyed, deathly pale, and dressed in a wafting burial robe." Ludwig Bechstein: Deutsches Sagenbuch. Meersbusch, Leipzig 1930 See also: Drude: Germanic Demon of Darkness German Myth: Lindwyrm, Mare & Pig Demons Lora Ley - Book 5 - The Corn Spirits Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books She also appears as a distorted black figure without a discernable shape. The Klagmuhme's wailing can be deadly for those who hear her, just as the Hafermann peering in the window is an omen of death for those who see him. READ: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure If a person falls ill and Klagmuhme howls at the door of the house, clothes of the ill person are placed outside. If the Klagefrau takes the clothes, the sick person will die. If she leaves the clothing untouched, the patient will recover. See also: Baba Yaga - Slavic Forest Witch German House Spirits: Beer Donkey (Bieresel) Disease Demons & Doctors: Ancient Mesopotamia Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle "In the houses over which she stretches her long bony arm in stormy nights, there will be a corpse ere the moon has finished its cycle." Ludwig Bechstein: Deutsches Sagenbuch. Meersbusch, Leipzig 1930 She does not usually enter houses, but floats over them. Her whining and keening can cause anxiety and illness. She often appears around midnight. See also: The Anxious Victorian - Mental Health Song of the Loreley - Lethal Beauty The Many Faces of Frau Holle Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Klagefrau is a tormented spirit. In Saxony, she's the soul of grieving mother seeking her drowned son. The Allgäu (Swabia) has a midnight procession of Klagefrauen (wailing women) or ghostly men carrying a coffin. In Carinthia and Switzerland, the Klagmuhme may take part in the Wild Hunt. The Wild Hunt is a cross-European spectral event with participants including Goddesses, Gods, witches, satyrs, odd-legged horses, trolls, dwarfs, demons, werewolves and immortalized warriors. See also: German Myth & Folklore: Dwarfs Women of the Wild Hunt: Holle, Diana, Frigg Werewolf & Werewolves of Germany Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle The Hunt is known from Wales to Rome, France, Tyrol to the North Sea, Scandinavia. Switzerland also has a separate hunter, Der Türst: Dread Huntsman, who might also appear in south Germany. Localized versions of the Wild Hunt exist in other regions. In the south it's often called the Wildes Heer  (Wild Host) or Wütendes Heer (Furious Host). If encountering this spectacle it's best to lie down in the middle of the road and let the Host pass over, or get sucked into the mayhem perhaps never to return. See also: Periwinkle: Magic & Medicine of Europe Der Türst: Dread Huntsman & the Wild Hunt Anat - War Goddess of Ancient Ugarit Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books In the Fichtel Mountains of Germany and the Czech Republic, Klagmütterlein is a female wood sprite or Waldweibchen (little forest woman). Klagefrau is counted among the "noisy spirits" along with poltergeist and Klabautermann the Sea Kobold. See also: Wild Women and Winter Tales German Myth & Folklore: Moss People Sprites: Ethereal Creatures of Faerie Back to Top

Velnias is initially the god of death and the underworld in the Baltic cosmology. He's a malevolent trickster of Latvian and Lithuanian mythology, and portrayed as the antithesis of Storm God Perkūnas, the Thunderer. Read: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure Destiny & Death: Fate in the Ancient World Perkūnas: Baltic Storm & Fertility God Lora Ley Adventures - Feast of Fools Sylvia Rose Books The Balts dwelt in the region of today's Latvia and Lithuania, and dwell there still. Baltic culture is rooted in deep spiritual nature-centric beliefs. They exchange influences with nearby Slavic cultures and later Germans. The devil is often depicted as a German landlord. READ: Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction - German Mythology Adventures Velnias can be a chaotic force of destruction or an imp playing pranks. He can start wars and whirlwinds, or ride through the skies with a raging host of the dead. As the epitome of evil and chaos, Velns is always plotting against humans or the Sky Gods. Baltic Ancient Mythology & Folklore Lelwani - Hittite Underworld Goddess Baal Cycle - Myths of Ba'al Hadad Sylvia Rose Books In tales and mythology, the Baltic devil is not very bright. He can be tricked. He causes trouble, steals cows and wrecks buildings and boats. Perkūnas the Storm and Thunder God is obliged to hunt him down, no matter what devious way Velnias finds to hide himself. Read: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure He can creep into stone, hide in a tree or change form. With shape-shifting powers, he may appear as a black cat, a dog, bear, goat, pig, lamb, cow, pike or person. Among his symbols is fire. Fire Men & Lights Errant: German Lore Mythic Fire Gods: Hephaestus of the Greek Jimson Weed, Witches & Zombies Sylvia Rose Books In the 16th century he's portrayed as an old man with white beard and white headdress like a a turban. He's a fearsome merciless god of death and the dead. Velns torments the living who disobey the pagan priests or bury the dead without proper sacrifices to the gods. READ: Reiker For Hire - Victorian Detective Murder Mysteries In Baltic tradition, as in other European cultures, the dead don't entirely depart the world of the living. They live on as good or bad spirits. The good are invisible. The evil return as haters and deceivers. Fänggen (Fangga): Man-Eaters of Tyrol Song of the Loreley - Lethal Beauty Curonian Freshwater Baltic Sea Lagoon Sylvia Rose Books The etymology of the name Satan is associated with the ancient Egyptian chaos god Seth or Set. It relates to Sumerian and modern Arab Shaitan (שיטאן) and Hebrew (שָׂטָן - ha-satan). Read: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure Sātan can refer to a devil, in singular or plural sātans, similar to Hebrew religion. Sātan or sātans are often angels doing the work of Yahweh, and the term relates to a supernatural being rather than an evil creature. Honey Bees (Apidae): Nature & Myth Lammašaga: Sumerian Angel Goddess Ornithomancy - Prophecy by the Birds Sylvia Rose Books Also in Hebrew lore, Ha-Sātan is defined as the bad Devil, the evildoer. In Latvia the first Jewish colony is established in Piltene in 1571 CE. In Lithuania Hebrew presence dates to 1388 in Trakei. The word may transfer to Baltic nomenclature around this time. READ: Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction - German Mythology Adventures Another evil being is the Latvian Vilkacis, Lithuanian Vilkatas, who corresponds to the werewolf. The werewolf is created purposefully. Several methods include removing all one's clothes and crawling under a log, through a crooked tree root or other natural portal. Werewolf & Werewolves of Germany Striped Hyena - Bronze Age Wild Khet, the Body: Death Rites of Ancient Egypt READ: Reiker For Hire - Victorian Detective Murder Mysteries The person becomes a wolf, but if someone takes that person's clothes, there's no way to turn back to a human. Some magic workers have the power to transform others to lupine form. "In ancient times, there were such evil people, who could turn others into wolves. Such wolves ran around the fence and yowled. If there happened to be a good person, who would give bread to such a wolf, then they could shed the wolf’s skin and be human again." A. Gari-Jone, Domopole Casting the Bones - Astragalomancy Nabarbi - Rustic Goddess of Pastures Ullikummi - Rock Monster of Legend Sylvia Rose Books Evidence of fire funeral rites appear, including human and animal bones, metal jewelry, and weapons found at funeral pyres. In funeral rites the deceased is laid out at home for a time. A meal lasting several days is held for friends and relatives of the deceased. Read: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure During funerary festivities people take part in fights and competitions on horseback. As the corpse is taken to the pyre, lamentations, praises and wishes for a safe journey to the world of the dead are intoned. The tradition of lamentation lasts into modern times. Bashmu (Bašmu): Voracious Serpent Dragon Klagefrau: Wailing Woman of German Folklore Eye of Ra Egypt - Wrath of the Woman Sylvia Rose Books Baltic funeral rites may mimic wedding ceremonies. The corpse and a living partner are dressed in elaborate wedding costumes. People sing wedding songs and dance. READ: Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction - German Mythology Adventures The rites are based on belief the dead look forward to a new companion with joy, as the living do a new in-law. The corpse’s living partner is a symbolical substitute for the new companions of the deceased. The people strongly believe in life after death. Curse of the Evil Eye & Apotropaic Magic Urnfield Bronze & Iron Age Burials Reishi or Lingzhi - Mushroom Magic Sylvia Rose Books Voluntary suicide is recorded among Lithuanians after defeat in a battle, with the participants in a celebratory mood. Widows whose husbands are lost at sea may also commit ritual suicide, believing they will rejoin their husbands. Humbaba: Giant Mountain Forest Man Pentagram: Drudenfuß, Five Point Star Nanaya - Goddess of Erotic Love Back to Top