Milda, in the Lithuanian mythology, is the goddess of love. However, her authenticity is debated by scholars. Despite the uncertainty, Milda became a popular female given name in Lithuania.

Neo-pagan Modern paganism, also known as contemporary paganism and neopaganism, is a term for a religion or family of religions influenced by the various historical pre-Christian beliefs of pre-modern peoples in Europe and adjacent areas of North Afric ...

societies and communities, including Romuva, organize various events in honor of goddess Milda in May. The Milda Mons, a mountain on Venus, is named after her.

Narbutt's information

Milda was first mentioned by Teodor Narbutt in his 1835 work on the history of Lithuania. According to Narbutt, Milda was also known as Aleksota. Her temples stood in Aleksotas,

Kaunas Kaunas (; ; also see other names) is the second-largest city in Lithuania after Vilnius and an important centre of Lithuanian economic, academic, and cultural life. Kaunas was the largest city and the centre of a county in the Duchy of Trakai ...

and in Antakalnis, Vilnius, where the Church of St. Peter and St. Paul now stands. The month of April was dedicated to Milda. In a December 1835 letter to Narbutt, Szymon Ławrynowicz (a teacher from Kaunas) described two figurines found at the

House of Perkūnas The House of Perkūnas is one of the most original and Gothic secular buildings, located in the Old Town of Kaunas, Lithuania. Originally built by Hanseatic merchants and served as their office from 1440 until 1532, it was sold in the 16th cent ...

at the end of the 18th or beginning of the 19th centuries. Narbutt identified the figurines as those of Perkūnas, the god of thunder, and Milda. Another bronze figurine was found at Vilnius Castle Complex and acquired by

Adam Honory Kirkor Adam Honory Kirkor (21 January 1818 – 23 November 1886) was a Polish publisher, journalist and archeologist. Biography Adam was born in Sliwino on 21 January 1818, finishing school in Mogilev. From 1834 to 1866, he worked in Vilnius, later ...

and Władysław Syrokomla who with the help from Narbutt identified it as that of Milda. This figurine was later held at the Museum of Antiquities in Vilnius.

Scholastic analysis

However, other authors, including Aleksander Brückner,

Norbertas Vėlius Norbertas Vėlius (1 January 1938 in Gulbės, near Šilalė – 23 June 1996 in Vilnius, buried in the Antakalnis Cemetery) was a Lithuania Lithuania (; lt, Lietuva ), officially the Republic of Lithuania ( lt, Lietuvos Respublika, links= ...

, Gintaras Beresnevičius, expressed serious doubts whether such goddess actually existed in the Lithuanian mythology due to lack of evidence. According to

, Narbutt invented Milda borrowing the idea of a beautiful Roman nymph Alexothe from the writings of Dominik Szybiński. As one of Kaunas' suburbs is Aleksotas, it was only natural that Milda's temple stood there. There is no evidence, either in written documents, archaeological research, or folklore, to support Narbutt's claims. In the same vein, Latvian ethnographer Pēteris Šmits argues that Milda is a fabrication by Narbutt, since there are no traces of her as a deity either in the languages, the historical chronicles, or in Baltic folk tradition.Šmitas, Pėteris. ''Latvių mitologija''. Iš latvių kalbos vertė Dainius Razauskas. Vilnius: Aidai, 2004. pp. 117-118.

Cultural legacy

Narbutt's information was later repeated and popularized by many other writers and historians, including Dionizas Poška, Jonas Totoraitis, Pranė Dundulienė. Milda owes her popularity to Józef Ignacy Kraszewski. In 1840, he wrote ''Anafielas'', a three-part epic poem in Polish. The first part, ''Witolorauda'', mentioned Milda and her festival in early May. The poem was translated into Lithuanian and published several times popularizing the goddess. Its Polish publication in 1846 was illustrated with 50 woodcuts by Wincenty Smokowski. His image of Milda continues to influence Milda's representations. In 1918, wrote a poetic play dedicated to Milda.

Narbutt's information

Scholastic analysis

Cultural legacy

References

Further reading