Raganų Kalnas. Lithuania.

Raganų Kalnas, the Hill of Witches, can be found in a scenic Fir Valley on the Curonian Spit, near the town of Juodkrantė.

It has always been a place shrouded in folklore; in the 19th century, known as the Hill of Eve it would attract crowds in their thousands on Midsummer Day to pray in the mystical atmosphere. This festival of pagan rituals, associated with fire, nature, and mythical beings, continued until the mid 20th century.

Wood carving has long been an integral part of Lithuanian folk art and in 1979, a collection of sculptors, wood carvers and blacksmiths, inspired by the beauty of the landscape and mystical atmosphere, gathered here and created 25 sculptures and dedicated the set to the International Year of the Child a further 71 sculptures were aded between 1979 to 1981.

Further sculptures have been added over the years together with restoration of those that have decayed due to weathering.

The individual sculptures mainly depict devils, witches and other mythical creatures from Lithuanian folklore and pagan traditions.

Other traditional carvings include roofed pillar shrines, household items, and ritual objects, with symbolic meanings rooted in ancient beliefs.

Each of the sculpture is crafted from local wood; oak and pine, using traditional carving techniques using chisels and axes, left untreated the often exaggerated sculptures are allowed to naturally weather

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