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About Oak crafts & Carvings
In the old days, especially during the time of paganism, oak tree was considered a sacred tree. Not only Lithuanians but also other Baltic, Slavic and Germanic nations respected and worshiped oak tree. Numerous sacrifice rituals would take place in the presence of an oak – according to the common belief, the spirits of the ancestors dwelt in the oak trees.
The presence of an oak is very common in fairy tales and legends. Oak is undoubtedly the strongest and the most powerful tree of all forests and woods; moreover, it is one of the trees that are believed to have an immense energetic power.
The contemporary Lithuanian wood masters utilize oak for the production of numerous things: they spoon, carve and chisel pieces of wood in order to make Pensive Christ statues, little shrines, sculptures as well as informational signs and stands, pictures, outdoor light holders and plant pots. Wooden columns, the doors, window shutters and frames of the old traditional houses as well as numerous other objects are decorated with carved images of humans, birds, animals and other folk art elements.
The woodworkers must love and feel every piece of wood they work with - only this way they can inspire and bring a new life into a chunk of wood. It is also believed that when touching oak or spending time in the presence of oak, a human being receives the biggest possible amount of tree energy.
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