The legend of the Baltic amber
There is nothing more romantic than a love story and one of the most beautiful – and tragic – love stories of all time comes from Lithuania. According to the tale, Perkunas, God of Thunder, had a daughter named Jurate. Jurate lived in a palace completely constructed of Baltic Amber in the Baltic Sea.
There was also a fisherman named Kastytis who chose to cast his nets within Jurate’s underwater kingdom. The goddess sent her handmaids to alert Kastytis that fishing in her kingdom was forbidden. However, Kastytis enjoyed the number of fish he was successful in catching in these waters and so he continued. When Jurate realized he was impervious to her wishes, she chose to go in person to deliver the message to cease immediately.
And as with all great love stories, this was the major turning point for both of them. Once Jurate laid eyes on Kastytis, she fell completely in love with him and brought him back to live with her in her amber palace.
But this was to be a very short and tragic love affair because her father, Perkunas, knew that Jurate was betrothed to Patrimpas, God of Water, and was incensed that Jurate would commit to a relationship with a mere mortal. In his anger, Perkunas destroyed the beautiful amber palace by sending a bolt of lightening that would also kill Jurate’s mortal lover. So the palace was destroyed and Jurate was chained within its ruins for all eternity.
So the story goes that when storms occur in the area of the Baltic Sea, the delicate fragments of the underwater palace are washed up on shore. Many of the Amber pieces resemble the shape of tears thought to be from the grieving goddess who still cries for her lost love. These are the most precious pieces of all.
Sincerely
Svajunas Petreikis
E-mail svajunas@amberartisans.com