Title The mythological Moon horse as reflected in Baltic archaeology, folklore and linguistics
Translation of Title Mitinis mėnuo-žirgas baltų archeologijos, folkloro ir kalbos duomenimis.
Authors Razauskas, Dainius ; Vaitkevičius, Vykintas
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Is Part of Archaeologia Baltica: Astronomy and cosmology in folk traditions and cultural heritage.. Klaipėda : Klaipėdos universiteto leidykla. 2008, vol. 10, p. 71-77.. ISSN 1392-5520. eISSN 2351-6534
Keywords [eng] moon ; horse ; crescent-shaped pendants ; Roman Iron Age
Abstract [eng] In this article we discuss the phenomenon of crescent-shaped pendants dating back to the Late Roman Iron Age and Early Migration Period (3rd – 6th centuries AD). Placed on horse’s foreheads, these crescent-shaped pendants evidently embodied a mythological link between the moon and the horse. The same link is clearly reflected in linguistic data and folklore right up until the 20th century. We draw special attention to a horse with a white mark on its forehead called laukas (adj.), laukis (noun) in Lithuanian, which derives from the I-E root *louk- ‘shining, bright’, as also does the Latin luna (< *louksnā). Considering the data as a whole, we propose an unexpected link between the Baltic and Roman traditions.
Published Klaipėda : Klaipėdos universiteto leidykla
Type Journal article
Language English
Publication date 2008
CC license CC license description