WHY STUDY LITHUANIAN?

I've been studying Lithuanian for exactly 1 year and 8 months and I've had up to 300 hours of private lessons. Not to mention, the time that I've dedicate myself to the same without being in the presence of my teacher, such as: listening to music; listening to the radio and watching television shows; reading news on blogs, newspapers and social networks; and so on. This effort has encouraged me a lot in order to continue to deepen in that language and to achieve even more advanced levels. I can say that this is the first time that I've dedicate so much to a new language and the feeling is very good and satisfactory. Lithuanian is a language that I consider to be very complex and that among the languages ​​that I've had contact to date is undoubtedly the most difficult. I already dedicated two posts in this blog to this topic, as you can see in: LITHUANIA - An Epic throughout a Mysterious language and in LITHUANIAN LANGUAGE. I think I'll still write a lot more about it, but let's get back to the subject of this post.

Many people have asked me why I study a language so little known. The answer is simple, why not? We live in a world that values the speed of events and information, but people haven't realized that this unbridled search for results in short periods of time only demonstrates that these same people have failed to understand a number of elements that are fundamental to the our own development as human beings. Nowadays, we see a plethora of advertisements that offer and even promise someone to learn a language in 3 months or learn to play an instrument without effort. But what really do people who seek these almost magical and miraculous effects do not understand? The answer to this question is also simple, they didn't understand how they learn something and how they really need to devote themselves to become good at something.

We live under the aegis of this is USEFUL. The uncontrolled search for knowing and understanding what is "useful", makes people restrict themselves for knowing only what is necessary to achieve better results in their jobs and who knows, to make more and more money. But during this process, they didn't realize that by knowing and understanding something more deeply or something that sets them apart from the majority, they can enjoy the professional possibilities that only few of us can achieve. What is the secret to unveil this? We cannot allow ourselves to be just what society wants us to be, but to be able to free ourselves from our comfort zones and personal bubbles that we regard as the safest thing in the world. We cannot be naive in thinking that security really exists, especially in a world that lives within a capitalist regime. I'm saying all of this to emphasize the importance of defining what is useful and what is not. This is based on what?

In Brazil, people search for alternatives to learn English and this search makes them feel personally fulfilled by speaking the universal language. But these same people, in my opinion, limit themselves for knowing only English, because with that language they can work and travel. For me, there is no more or less important language. What exists are new languages ​​and cultures that I have the need to know. People try to learn a language, but they forget to wonder how that particular people think or act, what their history and customs are, what their beliefs and desires are. Every language carries an emotional and rational charge. As we study a new language, we aren't only communicating with other peoples, but expressing ourselves, feeling, thinking and dreaming about ourselves. I don't want to limit myself for learning only one language, but several. I expect to know at least 10 very well, or maybe 20 or 30. Lithuanian is known as the oldest living Indo-European language in the world. Imagine only the emotional and rational charge of that language. The effort I've made to be able to communicate in this language has shown me surprising results. I'm not saying this only for personal satisfaction, but for the possibilities that a little studied language like this can offer me.

Many people learn a language because of its usefulness, I learn them and apply them in some way in my personal life and then, professionally. I work as a language teacher and as a translator. With each passing day, I've seen people offer me interesting proposals simply because I speak more than 2 foreign languages, regardless of which languages they are. In July, I'm going to Lithuania and stay there for almost two months. For 2 weeks, I'll be working as a language teacher for Lithuanian children and teenagers. This experience will undoubtedly teach me a lot. I'll also do a two-week Lithuanian language course, to further my understanding. I feel that because I've learned in such a short time to speak a complex language like this, it helps me to understand even faster, other languages that I'll have been studying. People don't understand that if they learn more languages, faster they'll be for learning many many others..

Many are the benefits of learning a foreign language, just knowing what immediate benefits each of us can detect and with the passage of time, glimpsing new possibilities. To conclude, I don't know if it will be possible, but the Lithuanian consul in Sao Paulo has told me that when she has some translation work in that language, she'll hire me.

LITHUANIAN MYTHOLOGY

As I recall, one of the first interests I have had in my life, it was the study and the reading agout myths of humanity. In childhood, being influenced by the work of Monteiro Lobato, who was a Brazilian writer, and the stories of gods, demigods and heroes of Ancient Greece. When I was 14, I started to learn Classical Greek, due to the fact of wanting to know about the language of that people that had created so many fascinating stories. In the same year, I started to read about the mythology of Germanic peoples or as it is more popularly known, as Norse mythology. Much of this thanks to comic book reading and to the fact of listening and enjoying the musical work of Richard Wagner, who would become my favorite composer and so he is to this day. Later, I read some works which helped me to know more deeply these myths, such as: the Prose Edda, by Snorri Sturluson and the Song of the Nibelungs. Few people know, but at age 19 I lectured on Norse mythology. Years have passed and I have read a lot about mythologies of the world, which in my opinion has helped to broaden not only my knowledge, but how it helped me to understand more clearly how some people on Earth think. I say this, because if we know the myths of a people, we can understand more deeply as they think, beacuse the myths reflect the acts and behaviors of a place. Over the years, I have read such important works as Homer's Odyssey, Beowulf, Epic of Gilgamesh, and Popol Vuh. The latter being my favorite.

Many people know about Greek, Egyptian and Germanic mythologies, but if I ask you what you know about Lithuanian mythology or rather, if you have heard of a Lithuanian mythology, possibly the answer will be "NO". Lithuania was the last European country to be converted to Christianity and still retains characterisctics and celebrations of the times that was still "heathen". With a very close relation to nature, Lithuanian mythology presents no only names of deities but a tangle of creatures and magical spirits. I will introduce some names of deities and some of their main features. From what I have seen so far, they have a scope of at least 60 names of deities and nature spirits. Below is a basic list:

Male Deities:

Praamžius - the high one, he determines the fate of the people, the world and other gods.

Ukapirmas - previous time, his feast is celebrated on December 25th.

Viršaitis - protector of homes and domestic animals.

Perkunas - god of thunder.

Kovas - god of war.

Ragutis - god of beer, vodka and mead.

Santvaras - god of daylight, of poets and doctors.

Atrimpas - god of sea and water.

Gardantis - god of the wind, storm and protector of the ships.

Poklius - god of death and the underworld.

Krukis - god of smiths.

Žiemininkas - god of the land, the harvest and the darkness.

Patelas - winged god of air.

Šneibratas - god of birds and hunting.

Kibirai - a trinity.

Female Deities:

Praurimė - goddess of sacred fire.
Lada - the great goddess.
Budtė - goddess of wisdom.
Laima - goddess of destiny.
Pelenų Gabija - goddess of the fireplaces.
Moterų Gabija - goddess of bread and bakeries.
Perkūnaitėlė - wife of Perkūnas.
Pilvytė - goddess of money, wealth and luck.
Lietuva - goddess of freedom, pleasure and joy.
Veliuona - goddess of eternity and after life.
Pergrubė - goddess of spring, flowers and gardens.
Milda - goddess of love and courtship.
Krūminė - goddess of grain and agriculture.
Nijolė - mistress of the underworld. Wife of Poklius.
Alabatis - goddess of flax.
Aušra - morning goddess.
Bezelea - evening goddess.
Brėkšta - goddess of darkness and dreams.
Kruonis - goddess of time.
Užsparinė - goddess of borders.
Verpėja - weaver of the thread of life.
Gondu - goddess of marriage.
Upinė - goddess of rivers and springs.
Ratainyčia - protective goddess of horses.
Valginė - protective goddess of domestic animals.
Luobo gelda - goddess of knowledge and rumors.
Mėšlų boba - goddess of garbage.
Budintoja - spirit that awakens people who are sleeping.
Austėja - goddess of bees.
Ragutiene Pati - wife of Ragutis.
Žemės Motina - goddess of the underworld, responsible for lost items.
Gaila - spirit that tortures people and animals.
Neris - river nymph.
Ragana - goddess of trees..
Lazdona - goddess of hazelnut.
Medziojna - goddess of forests.

Names of deities extracted from

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Lithuanian_mythological_figures

I hope this list of deities can help you get an overview of what Lithuanian mythology is all about. In the future, I will come back to this subject more deeply.

LITHUANIAN - An Epic throughout a Mysterious Language

I have been exhaustively learning Lithuanian for 1 year and 6 months. While it is little time to learn a foreign language, it seems I have done it all my life or part thereof. The feeling I have is as if I were Ulysses trying to return home, in Ithaca, after fighting in the Trojan War as reported poetically in Homer's Odyssey. My epic has begun on 5 October, 2015. This all started because I was doing Russian conversation classes with my teacher, who is actually born in Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania. After doing 36 Russian conversation classes with her, I realized that I was facing a unique opportunity, that would be, to be able to learn Lithuanian with a native speaker.

Many people have asked me or could ask me, but why Lithuanian? I have been studying foreign languages for a number of years and decided to focus on learning Indo-European languages. I have studied and had contact with languages of other families, such as: Mandarin, Sino-Tibetan family; Indonesian, Austronesian family; Yucatec Maya, Mayan family; Hebrew, Semitic family. But after a personal choice, I decided to focus entirely on Indo-European languages, so that I can learn at least 10 languages of this family. I have already knew that Lithuanian was a language quoted by several authors as being the oldest modern language of this family, and could be compared to Greek, Latin, Sanskrit and Hittite. With that, my curiosity was increasing even more and I thought that one day, at least 10 years from now, I could learn it. By the time I started learning Lithuanian, I was actually thinking of going back to German studies, but since I had a teacher in front of me and I did not know if I would have an opportunity like that again, I decided to go down that road and leave the German aside, at least at that moment, for now, I have just returned with my studies of German in a school.

As a sailor, among unknown waters, I began my endeavour to understand something so different from everything I had learned so far, in fact, some elements of this language resemble Russian, but even so, I was in a totally strange territory.

I felt alone on a float, moving through calm waters and facing marine storms that almost beat me. At times I could see land and think it was close to home, but it was hallucinations caused by lack of fresh water or by being exposed for days and more days in the intense heat of the sun. Days passed and I arrived on dry land, but just like Ulysses, I faced giants and frightening monsters. The only way was to return to the sea and try to travel once more.

Months and more months went by and I knew many islands and fabulous beings. I began to understand things I had never seen before and to savor the taste of exotic foods. The perfumes I breathed had aromas that ran from the West, past Persia and into India. Again and again I was intoxicated by drinking a strong and unequaled drink. I was cold, warm, hungry, thirsty, and I was attacked by sea monsters and struck by heavy rain. At times I did not feel my arms or legs. My strength almost deserted me, but I always thought of beloved Ithaca. Staying so long away from home was an incomparable misfortune to me.

Giant waves dragged me from side to side and it seemed that I had provoked the king of the seas in person. Over time, I got used to life at sea and learned to fish and store rainwater. When I arrived on a new island, I hunted and picked fruit up. Today I feel that with each passing day, that I am closer to home and that the sea no longer frightens me. I dream of home and dream that the sea has also become mine. My return to beloved Ithaca has not yet been possible, but being able to know and map this sea of information and feelings that is the Lithuanian language, full of mysteries and nuances, gave me the proof that the fact that I want to return home and see that In front of me I would have to cross a whole sea, it was already worth it.

LITHUANIAN LANGUAGE

Lithuanian is a language which belongs to the family of Indo-European Languages, Baltic branch, eastern group. Its alphabet consists of 32 letters, being 11 vowels and 21 consonants. It does not use articles, nor indefinites as definites, as well as Russian and Latin. In relation to declensions, in Lithuanian, there are 7 cases, which are: nominative, genitive, dative, accusative, instrumental, locative and vocative. It is worth remembering that in German are 4, in Latin 6, in Classical Greek 5 and in Modern Greek 4, and in Russian 6.

There are 3 simple tenses, which are the past, present and future. And there is also the past frequentative tense which represents an action that happened in the past, as well as the "used to" in English language. It is not possible to describe a continuous action in Lithuanian, as in English, e.g., if you call a Lithuanian, you ask him what are he doing, he replies that he reads a book and not that he is reading a book. In addition to the indicative mood, we have in Lithuanian the conditional and the imperative. The third person singular and plural are always the same.

In Lithuanian, as well as in Russian, there are verbal aspects, but in the first language, they are in all tenses, being that in Russian, it only applies to the past and the future. The aspect is divided in perfective and imperfective. In the perfective, we put a prepositional particle at the beginning of the verb and it modifies the meaning of that verb. In the imperfective, the verb maintains the infinitive. 

The adjectives always come before nouns, as in English, German, Russian and Chinese. In relation to gender, we have the masculine and the feminine.

This was just a brief overview of the Lithuanian language.

About the title

In Lithuanian, the word lietus means rain and the verb lyti is to rain. Wether we observe these two words, we can think about the name Lietuva (Lithuania). There is in Lithuanian, an expression which if we realize it in Portuguese or even in English, it seems us a bit curious. This expression is lyja lietus, which could be translated as "the rain rains", as in the Brazilian song Chove Chuva ("the rain rains") by Jorge Ben Jor.

But leaving the music behind us, as Portuguese and English speakers it would be weird to talk like this. On the other hand, the Lithuanians use this expression for emphasizing this action of the nature. For us, it would be weird also thinking in the movement of the clouds through the sky like fish in an aquarium, or even though in the sea, but in Lithuanian, literally, the clouds swim in the sky, as we can see in the expression debesys plaukia; being the first word, the plural noun clouds and the second, the verb to swim in the third person of singular and/or plural which are the same in Lithuanian. Some of you maybe are also thinking that is weird the fact that I did not show you the definite article in the beginning of the sentence, but it occurs because in Lithuanian does not exist any kind of articles.

Let us get back to our title! Lietuva - Uma Jornada pelo País da Chuva (Lietuva - A Journey through the Country of the Rain). It was a caring way that I thought for playing with the meaning of this name and nicknaming it as País da Chuva (Country of the Rain), which is one of many accepted and debated theories among the Lithuanians, about the origin of this word. But that does not mean it is the truth behind the name of that country. There are another theories, but I, particularly, liked that one and have decided to use it as a title from my blog. Just imagine the possibility of making a journey through a country of the rain, where the clouds swim, the snow snows, the wind blows, and so on. In Lithuanian, thinking this way is possible and it has been helping me to open more and more my mind for accepting the new and descovering the poetry of this language.