BIRUTĖ // GRAND DUCHESS OF LITHUANIA
“She was the Grand Duchess of Lithuania as the second wife of Kęstutis, Grand Duke of Lithuania, and mother of Vytautas the Great. There is very little known about Birutė's life, but after her death a cult worshiping her developed among Lithuanians, especially in Samogitia. The story of her marriage to Kęstutis became a romantic legend in Lithuania. Chronicles mention that Birutė was a priestess and served the Pagan gods by guarding the sacred fire. When Kęstutis heard of her beauty, he visited the shire and asked her to marry him. She refused because she had promised the gods to guard her virginity until her death. Kęstutis then abducted her, and took her by force to Trakai where he threw a large wedding. Her death is debated, either seen as being murdered by her husband’s nephew or after her husband’s death returning to the shrine where she had served earlier in Palanga, and resumed serving the gods until her death.”
