Lithuanian concept of fortune

The possibility to speak of the Lithuanian concept of fortune takes its justification in the etymology of the Lithuanian word for “fortune”, laimė, which can also mean “(good) luck” and “happiness”. Its root is that of the verb leisti with a wide variety of meanings: “let, allow, permit”, “let go, put”, “put forth”, “throw, shoot”, “shoot, sprout”, “spread”, “spend”, “pass” etc., among which are also the meanings “melt, mould, thaw” and “pour” — more characteristic of another verb, lieti. Therefore, the majority of linguists believe in the affinity between the two — lieti and leisti — and sometimes even the direct affinity between lieti and laimė. These connections are also confirmed by folklore and mythology, as in that the Baltic goddess of good fortune, Laimė (Lett. Laime). It is said that she “lets” or “puts forth” a destiny or luck for somebody (Lith. Laimė leido, Lett. Laime laida). In its turn, human beings themselves can lieti laimes, literally “mould” or “pour fortunes”, that is to tell fortunes by melting wax or lead into a cup of water, especially on Christmas Eve. Nevertheless, there is a still deeper semantic connection between the concept of good fortune or happiness and the free flow of a liquid, water in particular. All over the world, flowing water, especially springs and rivers, are held to be holy, healthy or in other way a positive influence on the human condition. Often this is also understood figuratively, as an image of freely flowing life or inner “stream” of mind or emotions, in opposition to being stuck, fixation, freezing-up, hardening and final petrification. The reflexive verb lietis means exactly “to flow, stream”. These kinds of images in folklore and mythology constitute a firm ground for the respective interpretation of the concept of fortune, or happiness. The article consists mostly of evidence presented for that