Visiting of the spiritual site in Skudutiškis (Molėtai District)

The tradition of adoration and visiting of the special nature space in Skudutiškis called šventvietė (spiritual site) or the place of the Blessed Virgin Mary’s Apparition reflects the interweaving of ancient pagan and Christian beliefs.

The sacred place consists of four stones and a spring flowing into the Skudutė stream. A stone, especially one with marks, has long been treated as a manifestation of eternity and sacredness, while spring water embodies life force. The biggest boulder in the place is imposing, furrowed, lined with veins, and with a clear mark of the Blessed Virgin Mary’s foot. The local people tell the story that the Blessed Virgin Mary had appeared on the stone in the 18th century before the plaque and had saved people from death. Beside the biggest boulder lies the second stone marked with God’s or Christ’s feet. The third stone bears the Cross of Vytis (Lithuanian warrior) or the sign of a sword. The fourth stone is heart-shaped, called the stone of Jesus’ heart or the Health stone.

The place is usually visited with the plea for health for oneself or the family. The stories are told about people who recovered their sight and mobility afer they had washed with the spring water. Some rituals, as meditation, praying, offering, decorating the stones in flowers, drinking water, washing, wading in the spring, taking its water home, picking moss from the stones, picking small stones from the bottom of the spring, are performed in the place. Sometimes people even scour the mythological stones, thus damaging them, but hoping for their own recovery.

The worship place used to be massively visited, especially by beggars, during the Holy Trinity festival of the Skudutiškis parish and the Assumption festival. The tradition has survived until nowadays – people from neighbouring villages and even the remotest corners of Lithuania, having heard of the place from their relatives, come to visit the holy stones and the spring. The spiritual site is preserved by the local community of Skudutiškis.

Submitter – Molėtai Regional Museum, 2018

Custodian – Skudutiškis community of Suginčiai Eldership