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Paper short abstract:

The paper discusses alleged sacred site of Lopaičiai in north western Lithuania and how it emerged in the early 21st century, disguised as a pagan historical site. Paper will focus on the techniques of narrative construction in re-shaping and re-storying a place.

Paper long abstract:

Lopaičiai is a village in Žemaitija ("Samogitia" in Latin), north western part of Lithuania. There is a hill-fort in Lopaičiai, located few hundred meters from the village in nearby forest. Lopaičiai hill-fort, as most hill-forts in Lithuania, was frequently mentioned in local place-lore during 20th century, but it wasn’t until 21st century when the place gained its fame and significance. After Lithuania regained independence in 1990, questions of unique Samogitian identity began to arise in public. Local public figures, societies, various cultural fellowships and local press have been slowly building the case of Samogitian identity. It helped to set the scene for a new place to emerge in early 21st century – the alleged sacred pagan site, located over the small river from the Lopaičiai hill-fort. Since 2004 numerous mentions of this sacred site suddenly appeared in local journals and internet websites. Afterwards local people and ideological Samogitian leaders started to build the mythology around the place and Lopaičiai sacred site emerged, as it seems, from nothing. Today alleged sacred site of Lopaičiai is increasing in popularity every year. However, if the legend of Lopaičiai began with Samogitian duke Vykintas and pagan religion, today it became a center for spiritual healing and transcendental connections with the cosmos. It also became increasingly prominent place of Samogitian identity, because it was methodically spread by people interested in building this kind of narrative.

In my paper I will address how the legend of Lopaičiai sacred site was constructed using a combination of historical data, folk tales, samogitian nationalism and spiritual healing. I will focus on the techniques of narrative construction, and how people re-shaped and re-storied Lopaičiai by adding additional meaning to a historical place.