Linden of Liškiava
The older residents of Liškiava still remember that in the years of their youth the linden was tallest tree in the district. Before the war, the mother of the priest died at this linden. In her memory, the priest nailed a chapel with the picture of St. Mary to the linden. The passers-by would stop here and bowed with their hats off.
Lindens have been said to be sacred since the old ages. It was believed that the trees of exquisite appearance have magical powers and the goddess Laima lives in them. The lindens would protect the villages from thunder. It was believed that lightning rarely strikes the tree with oil in its wood. However, the Linden of Liškiava is an exception. Its unusual form was formed by the thunder. The tree broke in half after the lighting strike, that’s why it’s wide now. Only the slips of the trunk are thick and branched out from all sides. The linden of unusual form is also called by the name Paklėštarė by the locals. It may be found in the district of Varėna, on the Eastern slope of the sacred mountain of Liškiava.
