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"Ragana"
wood carving by D. Šakalienė
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In Samogitia, the western region of Lithuania, near the city of Telšiai, there is a hill named Šatrija (pronounced: "shah - tria") on which, at certain times of the year, all witches of Samogitia gathered. It is said that the hill itself was built by witches mounding earth over a local Christian church. The purpose of these gatherings and what the witches did are shrouded in mystery.
It is known that on Šatrija in ancient times on the third Saturday of July of every year, pagan Samogitians celebrated the cult of Gabija, their goddess of a home's hearth. Before the invention of matches, the damp Lithuanian climate made it difficult to start a fire for heat and food preparation and people appealed to Gabija to preserve live charcoal in the hearth. (Click here to read more legends.)
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