Today there is an autumn equinox, and Baltics Unity day, so I've decided to share some paintings with you:
Fire is an element that cleanse the earth, water is an element that puts up the fire and irrigates the land, the land grows a variety of plants, wind dries the plants, and causes fires...
It's a repetitive cycle in nature.
First painting - fire:
In all ancient cultures fire was a basic element. It wasn't only a source of light, but also it gave warmth and a protection from dangerous predators, it also gave an opportunity to cook meet, and other goods, so they would be more tasty and nutritious and last longer.
Fire was placed in the center of ancient dwellings, it was also the center of social life, the important decisions were discussed by the fire.
Second painting - water:
Water was also important in ancient culture, so it's not a coincidence that all cities, towns and villages, all the settlements are situated near the rivers.
After all - human can survive about 40 days without food, but without fresh water, even a week wouldn't be possible.
It is not a secret that the main component of an each life form of an living organism is water. With out it the life on earth would be impossible.
Third painting - earth:
In ancient world, where the agriculture was the base, it was necessary to understand the cycles between moon phases. People use to sow the seed in the ground, graft trees even fish, by directly looking at the phases of moon.
Sun was also important, at least its quantity. Because in the Baltic region where the temperature differences are so obvious between winter and summer.
Now, why the cross?
Because there was no modern plows made of metal with the measured right land conversion angle, only with primitive wooden plows - it was difficult to cultivate the ground - people had to: plow the ground lengthwise, then transversely. And then put the seed to the ground.
Fourth painting - find:
The wind could be warm or cold, dry or wet.
In ancient world there was no meteorological stations, no synoptics that could tell the weather, the only tool was a wind vane that people use to put on top of then dwelling.
In the Baltic ancient art, a common symbol was a rooster reporting the direction of the wind...