Lauma

Originally a sky spirit, her compassion for human suffering brought her to earth to share our fate.

The image of these goddesses may have formed during the historical Mesolithic period, just after the Ice Age.

[2] Laumės could appear in the form of animals, as mares or as female goats, bears and dogs.

They could tickle or tweak them to death and then eat their bodies, and in this way, they were similar to Lamia of Greek mythology.

The Lithuanian myth also claimed Laumės kept huge cows which could be milked by all people.

However, after very cold weathers, the cows died; pieces of belemnitida were considered to be the remains of their udders.

During the rain, Straublys stretches the ribbon of Vaiva across the sky, while Perkūnas is angry and shouts in thunder.

The other myth claimed Laumė fell in love with a beautiful young man down to earth.

Usually, Laumės were most powerful at Friday of New Moon, at the rainiest days of the month in Lithuania.

Following are two examples folk tales featuring Laumės:[2] A woman was harvesting a flower bed and had taken her child with her.

She ran as fast as she could to the place in which she left her son, hearing a Laumé speak: "Čiūčia liūlia, forgotten child."

When she approached the field, she heard the fairies, "Čiūčia liūlia, you left your child in greed."

From within another would answer, "This nightly birth is a big work smarter not harder, to live well whole life long."

The answer was "Noontime born is a very happy child, full of bubbles and envy for what is not strictly in accordance with wealth."

In Latvian mythology Lauma is an assistant at birth, assuring the health and welfare of both mother and child.

Accused of baby-snatching by disrespectful husbands (since she is unable to bear children of her own), her looks and sweetness were lost, turning her into an evil old hag.