Dalia (mythology)
Encyclopedia
Dalia is the goddess
of fate
in the Lithuanian mythology
. She is the giver and taker of goods and property. Dalia is often confused with and hard to distinguish from Laima
, another goddess of fate. Sometimes Dalia is thought of as a different manifestation of Laima. However, Laima is more involved in predicting the length of a person's life while Dalia is more concerned with material wealth a person would earn during the lifetime – allotting a proper share (Lithuanian: dalis) to everyone. According to myths, just as a father divides his estate among the children, so Dievas Senelis (manifestation of supreme god Dievas
) allots each newborn with a proper share. Dalia is seen more as an enforcer of Dievas' will rather than a decision maker. She can appear as a woman, lamb, dog, swan, or duck.
Goddess
A goddess is a female deity. In some cultures goddesses are associated with Earth, motherhood, love, and the household. In other cultures, goddesses also rule over war, death, and destruction as well as healing....
of fate
Destiny
Destiny or fate refers to a predetermined course of events. It may be conceived as a predetermined future, whether in general or of an individual...
in the Lithuanian mythology
Lithuanian mythology
Lithuanian mythology is an example of Baltic mythology, developed by Lithuanians throughout the centuries.-History of scholarship:Surviving information about Baltic paganism in general is very sketchy and incomplete. As with most ancient Indo-European cultures Lithuanian mythology is an example of...
. She is the giver and taker of goods and property. Dalia is often confused with and hard to distinguish from Laima
Laima
Laima was the personification of fate and luck in the Latvian and Lithuanian mythologies. She was associated with childbirth, marriage, and death; she was also the patron of pregnant women...
, another goddess of fate. Sometimes Dalia is thought of as a different manifestation of Laima. However, Laima is more involved in predicting the length of a person's life while Dalia is more concerned with material wealth a person would earn during the lifetime – allotting a proper share (Lithuanian: dalis) to everyone. According to myths, just as a father divides his estate among the children, so Dievas Senelis (manifestation of supreme god Dievas
Dievas
Lithuanian Dievas, Latvian Dievs, Prussian Deywis, Yotvingian Deivas was the supreme god in the Baltic mythology and one of the most important deities together with Perkūnas. Dievas is a direct successor of the Proto-Indo-European supreme god *Dyēus of the root *deiwo-...
) allots each newborn with a proper share. Dalia is seen more as an enforcer of Dievas' will rather than a decision maker. She can appear as a woman, lamb, dog, swan, or duck.