The tradition of tying verbos (Easter palms) in Vilnius region

The verba of Vilnius region is a distinctive variant of Lithuanian verbos, bouquets of evergreen plants (made of juniper, willow). It is an artistic composition of dried flowers and plants. The tradition lives on for several functions: the religious one as the verba is an intrinsic part of the religious festival – Palm Sunday, when verbos are consecrated at the Catholic Church on that day and then displayed at home in an honourable place; the aesthetic, the decorative function of verbos in private and public interiors, which recently has become significant; the role of verbos as a symbol of regional and national culture; and nevertheless the economic benefit of the tradition.

The tradition has developed and become transmitted from generation to generation (some practitioners count seven generations) in villages lying North West of Vilnius. The first iconographic records of the tradition of tying verbos have reached us from the middle of the 19th century (in the form of the famous painting “Lithuania with verbos” by Kanutas Ruseckas (1847), a description by ethnographer Oscar Kolberg (1866) etc.).

In post-war period verbos of Vilnius became part both of the Easter Holiday and St. Casimir’s (Kaziukas) Fair, while nowadays verbos are for sale at many other fairs in Lithuania and abroad, at song celebrations and festivals. As a distinctive folk art expression – verbos are commonly displayed at the exhibitions.

The making of verbos is a long, complicated process necessitating knowledge, mastery and artistic taste. Collecting of plants, drying and dying may take the whole year. It is only then the creative process starts. Verbos are composed on a nut-tree branch used as a stem to hold natural and dyed flowers, other plants (immortelles, sunrays, cat’s claws, corn ears, moss etc.). The most archaic verbos still produced have a roller or a flat shape; however, the tradition has developed bringing new shapes, varieties of colour compositions, creative solutions (figurative, branchy verbos, crown, pineapple, sunflower shape etc.). The best artists distinguish for their own creative style.

Submitters – Association of Crafsmen and Artists of Vilnius Region, Centre of Traditional Crafs in the Houvalt Manor, Maišiagala, House of Verbos and Ethnography in Čekoniškės, 2018

Custodians – crafswomen of Vilnius Region