Lurd by vysnaite
Going further from the estate you will find yourself at Birute's hill. Why is it famous? Down the hill you'll see an old pagan altar, now , of course there's lurdas (you see the statue of Maria on the right). That's the interesting blend of the old faith and catholic religion. It was the politics of catholic church from the old times how to make people lose their old faith and to do it less painfully, they used to raise their shrines in the old worshiping places. Even VilniusCathedral (in the capital) stands on the old main pagan altar, in the same place! Here is the same story. On the left side of the stairs you'll see a bronze statue of the girl - it's Birute.
In the old Baltic Pagan faith there was also hierarchy and the system. the main person was the wise-men. There were altars (made of stone) and the eternal fire, who had to be guarded day and night by young virgin girls called priestess. Birute was one of those girls saving the fire, but the duke Kestutis has fallen in love with her has stolen her and they got married in Palanga church. Traditionally she's named as the last priestess. It's regarded to be the end of the old faith officially, when the old religion partly died.
