Lithuanian Children's Stories - Eglė the Queen of Serpents is considered one of the most archaic and best-known Lithuanian fairy tales and the richest in references of Baltic mythology. Over a hundred slightly diverging versions of the plot have been collected. Its multi-layered mythological background has been an interest of Lithuanian and foreign researchers of Indo-European mythology; Gintaras Beresnevičius considered it being a Lithuanian theogonic myth. Interestingly, the tale features not only human–reptile shapeshifting, but an irreversible human–tree shapeshifting as well. Read the full story.
Lithuanian Folklore Stories
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In some other time, long prior experienced an old man and his significant other. Them two had twelve children and three little girls. The most youthful being named Egle. On a warm summer evening each of the three young ladies chose to go swimming. In the wake of sprinkling about with each other and washing they climbed onto the riverbank to dress and prep their hair. Be that as it may, the most youthful, Egle, gazed for a serpent had crawled into the sleeve of her shirt. What was she to do? The eldest young lady snatched Egle's shirt. She tossed the pullover down and bounced on it, anything to dispose of the serpent. However, the serpent swung to the most youthful, Egle, and addressed her in a man's voice:
- Egle, guarantee to wind up noticeably my lady of the hour and I will readily turn out.
Egle started to cry how might she wed a serpent? Through her tears she replied:
- Please give me back my pullover and come back from whence you came, in peace.
Yet, the serpent would not tune in:
- Guarantee to wind up noticeably my lady of the hour and I will happily turn out.
There was nothing else she could do; she guaranteed the serpent to end up plainly his lady of the hour.
Read to : The Legend of the Wawel Dragon
Read to : The Legend of the Wawel Dragon
Following three days the family observed that each serpent in the land had gone to their homestead, carrying with them a wagon. The entire family was frightened, while every one of the serpents started to crawl around in wild forsake. One of the serpents went into the house to meet with the old man, Egle's dad, and to talk about the terms of the union. At first the old man faltered, declining to trust this could be going on; yet when every one of the serpents in the land have assembled in one man's homestead it doesn't make a difference how one feels, so he guaranteed to give his most youthful and most wonderful little girl over to the serpents. Yet, the old man held bad form in his heart. He requested that the serpents hold up a short time; as fast as he might he be able to hurried to the neighborhood savvy lady and disclosed to her beginning and end. The savvy lady stated:
- It is anything but difficult to trap a serpent, rather than your little girl give him a goose and send the wedding presents.
The old man did as the astute lady prompted. He dressed a white goose in Egle's attire, and together father and "little girl" moved into a wagon and started their trip. A brief time later they heard a coo-coo feathered creature in a birch tree, singing:
- Coo-coo, coo-coo, you have been deceived. Rather than a lady of the hour, he has given you a white goose. Coo-coo, coo-coo!
The serpents came back to the homestead, and irately tossed the goose out of the wagon and requested the lady of the hour. The guardians, on the counsel of the astute lady, dressed a white sheep up. Again the coo-coo feathered creature sang:
- Coo-coo, coo-coo, you have been deceived. Rather than a lady of the hour, he has given you a white sheep. Coo-coo, coo-coo!
The serpents come back to the homestead in extraordinary outrage and again requested the lady of the hour. This time the family gave the serpents a white bovine. The coo-coo fowl tells the serpents of the father's misdirection and again the serpents return - yet this time in a transcending rage. The serpents debilitated starvation for the lack of respect appeared by the guardians. Inside the house, Egle cried. She was dressed as was suitable for a lady of the hour and was offered over to the serpents. While taking Egle to her future spouse the serpents heard the coo-coo winged creature sing out:
- Drive, rush, the prepare anticipates his lady!
In the long run Egle and every one of her chaperones went to the ocean. There she met a great looking young fellow who was sitting tight for her by the shoreline. He revealed to her that he was the serpent that had slithered into her sleeve of her shirt. Before long, they all moved to an adjacent island, and from that point they plunged underground, under the ocean. There could be discovered a sumptuously enriched royal residence of golden. It was here that the wedding was held, and for three weeks they drank, moved and devoured.
The serpent's castle was loaded with visitors, and Egle at long last quieted down, ended up plainly more joyful and totally overlooked her country.
Nine years passed by and Egle brought forth three children - Azuolas, Uosis and Berzas – and a little girl - Drebule – who was the most youthful. One day while playing the eldest child asked Egle:
- Dearest Mother, where do your folks live? We should go and visit them.
It was then that Egle recalled her country. She recollected her folks, siblings, and sisters. Also, she started to think about whether life regarded them; would they say they are sound? It had been quite a while and perhaps they were all dead. Egle urgently needed to see her country. It had been numerous years since she saw that place where there is her introduction to the world; she longed to see it once more. Her better half, the serpent, did not have any desire to hear her out pleas.
- Fine, he stated, go and visit yet first turn this tuft of silk, and he demonstrated her the shaft.
Egle was at the shaft. She spun amid the day, she spun throughout the night. Turn, turn yet it would not be spun. She saw that she had been deceived. Turn, turn yet it will never be spun. Egle went to an old lady who lived adjacent, a known soceress. Egle deplored:
- Grandma, dear heart, show me how to understand that tuft of silk spun.
The old lady guided her and what was required for the errand:
- Toss it into a fire when next it is aroused, elseways you might not have the capacity to turn the silk.
Having returned home, Egle tossed the silk into a bread stove, as of late started up. The silk went up on fire and in the focal point of the broiler where the silk used to be there was an amphibian. The frog was making silk, from its body. Having woven the silk, Egle came back to her significant other arguing to permit no less than a couple of days for a visit with her folks. Presently, her significant other drew out from underneath his seat a couple of metal boots:
- When you wear these out, at that point you should travel.
She put on the boots and strolled, stepped, and even dragged along the stone floor, however the boots were thick, hard and were not in any way exhausted. Walk or don't walk the shoes will perpetually last. Backpedaling to the sorceress, she argued for more offer assistance. The old lady stated:
- Take them to a smithy and ask that he wear them out in his heater.
What's more, Egle did as she was told. The boots were warmed well and inside three days, Egle had worn them out.
Having worn the boots out she approaches her better half with the goal that he may enable her to visit her country.
- Fine, said the serpent, however for the excursion you should heat no less than a rabbit-pie for what might you provide for your siblings and their youngsters?
In the in the mean time the serpent requested that all the cooking utensils be shrouded with the goal that Egle not have the capacity to prepare the pies. Egle started to figure in what manner should she get water without a basin and make the batter without a bowl. Once more, she comes back to the old woman for exhortation. Grandma says:
- Spread out the filtered raising, drench the sifter into water, and inside it blend the batter.
Egle did as she was told; she blended, heated and had the pies prepared. Presently, she say goodbye to a to her better half and went out with the kids to her country. The serpent lead them mostly, and got them over the ocean and said that she be no longer than nine days in her country and that she is to return toward the finish of those nine days.
- When you return go alone, just you and the youngsters and when you approach the shoreline at that point call for me:
- Zilvine, Zilvineli,
On the off chance that alive, may the ocean froth drain
Assuming dead, may the ocean froth blood… .
What's more, on the off chance that you see coming towards you frothing milk at that point realize that I am as yet alive, however in the event that blood comes then I have achieved my end. While you, my kids, let not the mystery out, don't tell anybody how to call for me.
Having said that, he say goodbye to his family and longed for them a quick return.
Coming back to her country, Egle felt incredible satisfaction. Every one of her relatives and in-laws and neighbors accumulated round. In a steady progression posed numerous inquiries, how could she observe living with the serpent to be. She simply continued portraying the numerous parts of her life. Everybody offered their neighborliness, their sustenance and great talk. She was in such awesome spirits that she didn't feel the nine days pass.
As of now Egle's folks, siblings and sisters started to think about how to keep their most youthful among their middle. They all chose - they should scrutinize the youngsters, how their mom having landed at the shoreline would require her better half. With the goal that they could go down to the seashore, require the serpent and murder him.
Having settled upon this, they called upon Egle's eldest, Azuolas and commended him. They cornered him and addressed him yet he said that he didn't have a clue. Having fizzled they debilitated the tyke to not tell his mom of their activities. The second day they drove out Uosis, at that point Berzas, however from them too the grown-ups couldn't get the mystery. At long last they took Drubele, Egle's most youthful, outside. At first she did as her siblings, guaranteeing to not know the mystery. Be that as it may, seeing pole unnerved her, she told all.
At that point each of the twelve siblings brought their grass shearers with them and went towards the ocean. Remaining at the shore they called:
- Zilvine, Zilvineli
In the event that alive, may the ocean froth drain
Assuming dead, may the ocean froth blood…
When he swam up, at that point every one of the siblings tumbled to hacking the serpent to pieces. At that point, returning home, they kept the mystery of their deeds from Egle.
Nine days passed. Egle, saying goodbye to all the family and companions, headed out to the ocean and required her serpent.
The ocean shook and drifting towards Egle was froth of blood. What's more, she heard the voice of her darling spouse.
- Your twelve siblings with their sickles chop me down, my call was given to them by our Drebule, our most darling little girl!
With incredible distress and thundering resentment Egle swung to her kids and said to Drebule:
- May you transform into a willow,
May you shudder day and night,
May the rain scrub your mouth,
May the breeze brush your hair!
To her children:
- Stand, my children, solid as trees,
As she charged so it became: and now the oak, fiery remains and birch are the most grounded of our trees, while the willow right up 'til today will shake at the smallest whisper of a breeze for she shuddered before her uncles.
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