Bangpūtys- Baltic GodDeity"Wave-Blower"
Also known as: Bangputys and Bangputtis
Description
The Wave-Blower, who could raise the tranquil Baltic into deadly walls of foam or calm its waters at will. Lithuanian fishermen offered prayers and cast food into the waves before every voyage, begging Bangpūtys to hold back his fury. When they returned safely, they gave thanks for his restraint.
Mythology & Lore
The Wave-Blower
His name combines the Lithuanian banga (wave) and pūsti (to blow). Jonas Lasickis recorded him among the Samogitian gods in 1615, a deity of the storm-tossed sea whose breath drove water into peaks and ships onto rocks. Bangpūtys was not the deep ocean or the quiet tidal pull. He was the surface in fury: the whitecaps, the spray, the noise.
Offerings to the Sea
Fishermen and sailors offered prayers to Bangpūtys before casting off, asking him to restrain his wind during their voyage. Food and small valuables went into the waves to buy safe passage. When storms arose despite the offerings, there was nothing to do but find shelter and wait.
Returning safely prompted thanksgiving. The loss of a boat or crew was Bangpūtys claiming what was his. The sea gave fish and trade routes, and it took lives. Baltic coastal people prayed before every departure knowing this, and prayed again after every return.