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God Rode Slowly lyrics and meaning

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Tai lėtai Dievužis jojo Nuo kalnelio klonužėlin, klonužėl Nekliudydams ievos žiedo Nei artojo žingsnužėlių, žingsnužėl Tai lėtai Dievužis jojo Nuo kalnelio klonužėlin, klonužėl Saulės dukra vartus vėrė Su žvaigždėtom pirštinėlėm, pirštinėl Eikš, Dievuži, tu pas mane Šį vakarą vakarėlį, vakarėl Baltas mano liepos stalas Švarūs mano kambarėliai, kambarėl Užu vartų Dievužėlis Su rasotu žirgužėliu, žirgužėl Bėk, sesuže, atverk vartus Leisk Dievužį kiemužėlin, kiemužėl Dievas žengė kambarėlin Didžiu, plačiu apsiaustėliu, apsiaustėl Eikš, Dievuži, tu aptiksi Siauras mano duružėles, duružėl Tyli jaunas, tyli senas Dievas eina kambarėlin, kambarėl Dievas eina kambarėlin, Sėdas galan stalužėlio, stalužėl Čia aplinkui vaško žvakės, Vidur dengtas stalužėlis, stalužėl Dievas žvakes deginėjo, Laima tiesė staltiesėlę, staltiesėl Sėskim, broliai, už stalelio Mielą Dievą paminėkim, paminė Lai darbuos padės Dievužis Miela Mara lai palydi, lai palyd

Meaning

This song can be understood as a mythological song that presents God as a guest. At the beginning, Dievužis rides slowly from the hill into the valley, without disturbing the bird-cherry blossom or the plowman's steps. This image can be read as a gentle God who preserves nature and the plowman.

Then the Sun's daughter, wearing starry gloves, opens the gates and invites God to her for the evening, praising her white linden-wood table and clean rooms. These images can be understood as preparation for a heavenly visit.

At the end, God enters the room, sits at the end of the table, burns wax candles, while Laima lays the tablecloth, and the brothers are invited to sit at the table and remember dear God, asking that he help in work and dear Mara accompany them. These images can be read as old Baltic deities gathered around a ritual table. This is one possible meaning, but the mythological motif of God, the Sun's daughter, Laima, and Mara is clear.

Symbols

God riding slowly
God who does not disturb nature or the plowman marks a gentle, protective deity.
Sun's daughter with starry gloves
The heavenly maiden opening the gates marks the daughter of the sun in Baltic mythology.
Laima laying the tablecloth
The goddess preparing the table marks the goddess of fate and fortune as hostess of the visit.
Dear Mara
The goddess asked to accompany people marks a protective Baltic mythological figure.

History

This song belongs to rare mythological songs that preserve imagery from the old Baltic religion: God, the Sun's daughter, the fate goddess Laima, and Mara, who in Lithuanian and Latvian tradition is associated with protection and well-being. God is shown as a slowly riding guest, disturbing neither the bird-cherry blossom nor the plowman's step, while the Sun's daughter with starry gloves opens the gates and invites him to supper at a white linden table. The whole song turns around the image of a heavenly visit and a ritual table.

The exact place and time of recording are not given on this page, so the song is presented according to genre features. The parallel Latvian title "Lēni lēni Dieviņš jāja" points to a shared Lithuanian and Latvian mythological-song tradition. Such songs are considered one of the most archaic layers of folklore, reflecting a pre-Christian world of deities; the page gives no more precise data about their distribution.

Sources