Tiny lady covers the whole world

Pasitelkus archeologijos, rašytinių istorijos šaltinių, tautosakos ir lietuvių kalbos duomenis straipsnyje analizuojamos simbolinės ir mitinės adatos, kaip įkapės, reikšmės. Adata įgyja simbolinę reikšmę nuo pat mirties akimirkos: mirusiajam siuvami drabužiai, jis aprengiamas. Per šermenis adata saugo mirusįjį nuo bloga linkinčių būtybių ir simboliškai jį „užmigdo“. Tikima, kad adata gelbsti mirusiajam ir kelionėje į pomirtinį pasaulį, užtikrina, kad kitame gyvenime jis nebus nuogas. Straipsnyje taikomi aprašomasis, lyginamasis ir tarpdalykinių tyrimų metodas.This article analyses the symbolic and mythic meanings of needles as a grave-good using archaeological, written historical sources, data from folklore and the Lithuanian language. In burials, needles are often found as female grave-goods, sometimes together with sewing and spinning tools. In the 1st–12th c. they were usually placed at the head, while in the 13th c. the custom shifted – needle-cases were more often found than individual needles, and such grave-goods were placed at the waist. The interdisciplinary approach to research has helped re-evaluate the symbolic meaning of needles found in funerary monuments, as well as refute the old attitude that it was a household object for housewives. Needles were significant from the moment of death: clothes were sewn for the deceased, i.e. they are dressed. During the wake, the needle would protect the deceased for evil beings and symbolically help them ‘fall asleep’ in order to safely travel to the other side and not come back as a spirit. It was believed that the needle could help the deceased in their journey to the world of the dead and ensure that they would not be naked in the next life