Kovas- Baltic GodDeity"Lord of Battle"
Also known as: Kauriraris
Description
Baltic god of war whose name survives as the Lithuanian word for March, the month when winter broke and the fighting season began. The rooster was his sacred bird. Its dawn cry summoned warriors to battle, and its feathers were carried as talismans.
Mythology & Lore
March
Kovas gave his name to the Lithuanian month of March. When the roads thawed and armies could move again, warriors sought his blessing for the campaigns ahead. Rituals at the start of the fighting season asked for courage and for victory.
The rooster was his sacred bird. Its crow announced the dawn, the hour when armies joined battle. Warriors offered rooster sacrifices before combat and carried its feathers as protective talismans. The bird that woke the world each morning woke the courage in men preparing to fight.
Blood and Thanksgiving
Before combat, warriors prayed to Kovas for strength. A warrior who fought bravely honored the god; one who fled disgraced him.
After victory, thanksgiving offerings were made. Defeated enemies were sometimes sacrificed to Kovas, their blood closing what prayer had opened.