Gulbīši Sacrificial Stone

Description

State archaeological heritage (State Inspection for Heritage Protection, No 2382). On the even, slightly sloping surface of the Gulbīši Sacrificial Stone (length of 4.8 m, width of 2.8 m, height of 0.6 m) one can see an artificially made longish hollow (length of 1.3 m, width of 0.6 m, depth of 0.13 m), the sides of which have crumbled a little, because, as evidenced by archive material, in 1919 forest axemen burnt a large bonfire on the stone. The local people have been calling the stone the Sacrificial Stone or the Ancestors’ Stone since ancient times. (Urtāns, 1993) Nearby is the Gulbīši Ancient Burial Ground, Ruķi Fir-Tree, Alksnīši Ancient Burial Ground. Located in the property of the Latvia’s State Forests.

Narrative

They say that the water collected in the longish trough was used for healing eye diseases. In acknowledgement of recovery, they used to throw small coins into the stone trough. This tradition has preserved till nowadays. The black coaly soil at the stone foot testifies about other ancient rituals as well. Minor archaeological excavation works showed that once in the ground there were offerings of organic nature dug. (J. Urtāns. Footprint Stones, Boundary Stones, Trough Stones, 1990 (Pēdakmeņi, robežakmeņi, muldakmeņi.)

Status

Informācija Nacionālā kultūras mantojuma pārvaldes reģistrā.

Location

Koordinātas: 57.50998, 25.90506

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Comments

According to A. Dūmiņa-Heidoka’s narration, “Further on, there used to be the Jurģi Church, from which only a few stones are left. They looked for indications of the church hill, but nothing has been found till now. Previously a district forester with sisters lived in the Gulbīši homestead. They had a servant – an elderly woman who narrated that every Sunday the forester went to the church in the forest with his sisters. The Gulbīši homestead itself was built in 1874 (a mark on the homestead’s foundation).”

Photo, video

Archive of the “Cult Identity” project