Ašvieniai
Ašvieniai are divine twins in the Lithuanian mythology, identical to Latvian Dieva dēli and the Baltic counterparts of Vedic Ashvins.[1] Both names derive from the same Proto-Indo-European root for the horse – *ék̂wos: Old Lithuanian ašva and Sanskrit ashva mean "horse".[2] Like the Greek Dioscuri Castor and Pollux, they are reflexes of a common Indo-European mytheme, the Divine Twins.[3]
Ašvieniai are represented as pulling a carriage of Saulė (the Sun) through the sky.[1] Ašvieniai, depicted as žirgeliai or little horses, are common motifs on Lithuanian rooftops,[1][4] placed for protection of the house.[5] Similar motifs can also be found on beehives, harnesses, bed frames, and other household objects.[6] Ašvieniai are related to Lithuanian Ūsinis and Latvian Ūsiņš (cf. Vedic Ushas), gods of horses.[7] Usins, one of the Ašvieniai, is described as driving a solar chariot pulled across the sky by a pair of white horses.[1]
See also
- Hengist and Horsa
- Thracian horseman
- List of Lithuanian gods and mythological figures
- Proto-Indo-European mythology
- Baltic mythology
- Prussian mythology
- Lithuanian mythology
References
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- ↑ Tumėnas, Vytautas. ""Žirgelių" ornamento semantinis laukas" [Semantic field of „žirgeliai“ (gable decoration resembling horse’s head)]. In: Liaudies kultūra, 1997, Nr. 2 (53). pp. 22–35.
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