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Paper short abstract

This paper examines how Lithuanian belief narratives of natural sites portray places as dynamic and living. Using theoretical approaches such as phenomenology, ontological turn, and Japanese Shinto non-dualistic thought, it shows how these belief narratives blur boundaries between humans and nature.

Paper long abstract

This paper explores how certain places gain significance through folklore and collective memory, and how the meaning of these places is never fixed, and rather lived. In Lithuanian ethnic tradition, sacred groves, hills, mythological stones, and bodies of water are not passive geographical locations, but rather dynamic sites where humans interact with nature and (most importantly) vice versa. These interactions are often represented through belief narratives.

The focus of my paper is twofold. First, I will discuss theoretical approaches that help us understand the relationship with place in these belief narratives, such as phenomenology and the ontological turn in anthropology. To further contextualize this discussion, I will introduce Japanese non-dualistic thought, particularly the conception of landscape and place in Japanese Shinto. Despite the cultural and geographical distance, there are notable parallels between Shinto and the remnants of Lithuanian ethnic religion, particularly with regard to their relationship to sacred space, place and nature. In Shinto practices, places are understood to be living entities, not merely neutral containers for religious practice. This aligns with the contemporary approach to landscape studies. According to this approach, landscapes are regarded as dynamic phenomena that actively influence human lives, and the meaning of places is never fixed. A similar sentiment can be expressed regarding Lithuanian ethnic religion and its relationship with the landscape. The second aim of my paper is to present different traditional belief narratives about Lithuanian natural sites and demonstrate how place lore often blurs the line between humans and nature.