Jonas Trinkūnas facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jonas Trinkūnas
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Romuva Krivis (High Priest) Jonas Trinkūnas at the 2009 Baltic historical re-enactment festival Apuolė-854
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| Born |
Jonas Trinkūnas
28 February 1939 |
| Died | 20 January 2014 (aged 74) |
| Other names | Jaunius (The Young One) |
| Alma mater | Vilnius University |
| Known for | Revival of the Romuvan religion |
| Title | High priest (krivis) of Romuva |
| Term | 2002–2014 |
| Successor | Inija Trinkūnienė |
| Spouse(s) | Inija Trinkūnienė |
| Children | Žemyna, Rimgailė, Vėtra, Ugnė and Indrė |
| Awards | Order of the Lithuanian Grand Duke Gediminas (2013) |
Jonas Trinkūnas (born February 28, 1939 – died January 20, 2014) was a very important person in Lithuania. He helped bring back an old Lithuanian religion called Romuva. He was also an ethnologist, someone who studies cultures, and a folklorist, someone who studies old stories and traditions.
Contents
Life During Soviet Times
Early Life and Studies
Jonas Trinkūnas was born in 1939 in a city called Klaipėda. He finished school in Kaunas in 1957. In 1965, he earned a degree in philology from Vilnius University. This means he studied language and literature. While he was a student, he started a group called the Society of Friends of India. He was inspired by ancient Indian traditions. These traditions made him want to learn more about the roots of Lithuanian culture and its spiritual meaning.
Celebrating Lithuanian Traditions
In 1967, Trinkūnas and his friends organized the first Rasa celebration in Kernavė. Rasa is a festival for the Summer Solstice, the longest day of the year. The Soviet government did not like this. They tried to stop people from celebrating old Lithuanian traditions.
Despite pressure from the KGB, a secret police force, Lithuanians kept their culture alive. They formed groups to perform folklore and traditional music. They lit bonfires on Rasa and candles on Vėlinės (All Saints' Day). These were important symbols of their nation's culture. Trinkūnas was one of the people who started the Ethnographic Ramuva Society at Vilnius University.
He loved studying folklore. He traveled to many Lithuanian villages. He wanted to write down the songs, stories, and customs of the people. His students and followers still call themselves ramuviai and žygeiviai, which means "travelers."
Facing Challenges and Discovering Romuva
From 1969 to 1973, Trinkūnas worked at Vilnius University. He was a lecturer there. But in 1973, he was forced to leave the university. The government saw his folklore studies as "dissident activities." This meant they thought he was going against their rules.
For more than 20 years, he was not allowed to do scientific research. So, Trinkūnas spent this time studying Lithuania's living traditions. He traveled from village to village. He listened to and learned their songs, stories, and beliefs. These experiences helped him become the founder of the Romuva religion.
Life in Independent Lithuania
Returning to Academia and Culture
When Lithuania started its path to independence, Trinkūnas could return to the university. He worked at the Institute of Philosophy and Sociology. From 1990 to 1993, he led the Ethnic Culture division of the Ministry of Culture.
After 1994, he worked as a researcher. He also taught about ethnic culture at Vilnius Pedagogical University. He went to many international meetings about old pagan faiths. He wrote many articles and several books. He was part of several groups, including the ritual folklore music group Kūlgrinda.
Promoting Lithuanian Heritage
Trinkūnas's work really grew after Lithuania became independent. When he was in charge of the Ethnic Culture division, he did a lot. He supported folklore groups. He also helped with Lithuanian education and culture in certain regions. He also published many books and materials.
As the head of the division, Trinkūnas asked for a special Jonas Basanavičius Award to be created. This award would encourage people to research and promote folklore. At this time, they also thought about creating a Council for the Protection of Ethnic Culture. This council still works today to protect Lithuania's national culture.
Leading the Romuva Community
In 1992, Trinkūnas and his followers officially registered the Romuva religious community. This community later grew to include all Romuva groups across Lithuania. It became the community for the ancient Baltic religion.
In 1998, Trinkūnas was chosen as the Chairman of the World Congress of Ethnic Religions (WCER) in Vilnius. Later, he was invited to events in India, Australia, and the United States. In 2002, Trinkūnas became the Krivis, or High Priest, of Romuva. He was given the name Jaunius, which means "young." This name symbolized the rebirth of the old faith of his ancestors.
Awards and Recognition
In 1997, Jonas Trinkūnas received the State Jonas Basanavičius Award. He earned this award for organizing the Ramuva cultural movement.
In 2013, the President of Lithuania gave him the Order of Grand Duke of Lithuania Gediminas. This award was for his strong actions against the Soviet Union. It also recognized his work in organizing ethnographic activities and secretly sharing religious and nationalistic writings.
Death
Jonas Trinkūnas passed away in 2014 in Vilnius, Lithuania's capital. He was 74 years old. His ashes were buried at Rokantiškes cemetery. Before he died, he was able to finish his last song, An kalno an aukštojo. This song was for the Kūlgrinda music album.
See also
- Subcultures in Lithuania
- Inija Trinkūnienė
- Romuva (religion)
