Mary, Saints, and Hills: Place-Based Sacredness in Lithuanian Folklore and Folk Piety

Abstract

In Lithuanian traditional folklore, figures such as the Virgin Mary and various saints might be portrayed near the natural elements, including hills, stones, and, springs, which serve as representations of aspects of local mythology. This article examines the relationships among the Virgin Mary, saints, and landscape features such as hills, mounds, and hillforts in the context of Lithuanian folk piety and traditional folklore narratives. It draws upon frameworks from the spatial study of religion and sacred landscape
research, viewing sacredness as a historically dynamic relationship between narrated meanings and material objects. The analysis combines interpretations of narrative motifs with place-based case studies of devotional sites, utilizing sources that include manuscript texts, published collections, and the author’s field documentation of devotional practices. Initially, the article highlights the cultural significance of hills within Lithuania’s lowland environment, where mythological, ritual, and memory functions intersect. It then presents the narratives in which the figure of Mary and other sacred personages appear in relation to hills. The findings show that hills and saints serve a dual role in Lithuanian folklore: they are both objects of belief and sacred spaces that facilitate religious experiences. Hills are recognized as significant sites marked by miraculous events, including saintly apparitions and extraordinary healings. These locations function as threshold spaces where folk piety is actualised through devotional practices and commemoration.