Aušrinė

Aušrinė
Morning Star
Planet	Venus
Region	Lithuania
Equivalents
Greek equivalent	Eos
Roman equivalent	Aurora
Latvian equivalent	Auseklis
Vedic equivalent	Ushas

Aušrinė (not to be confused with Aušra – dawn) is a feminine deity of the Morning Star (Venus) in the Lithuanian mythology. She is the antipode to Vakarinė, the Evening Star.

Her cult possibly stems from that of the Indo-European dawn goddess Hausos and is related to Latvian Auseklis, Greek Eos, Roman Aurora, and Vedic Ushas. Aušrinė is the goddess of beauty and youth. After the Christianization of Lithuania, the cult merged with Christian images and the symbolism of the Virgin Mary.

Aušrinė was first mentioned by Jan Łasicki as Ausca and described as goddess of the rays of the sun that descend and rise above the horizon. According to folklore, each morning Aušrinė and her servant Tarnaitis (possibly Mercury) prepare the way for Saulė (the Sun). In the evening, Vakarinė prepares the bed for Saulė. The relationship between Saulė and Aušrinė is complex. Sometimes Saulė is described as mother of Aušrinė, Vakarinė and other planets – Indraja (Jupiter), Sėlija (Saturn), Žiezdrė (Mars), Vaivora (Mercury), and even Žemyna (Earth). A popular myth describes how Mėnulis (Moon) fell in love with beautiful Aušrinė, cheated on his wife Saulė, and received punishment from Perkūnas (thunder god). Different myths also depict rivalry between Saulė and Aušrinė as Saulė is jealous of Aušrinė's beauty and brightness (Venus is the third-brightest object in the sky after Sun and Moon). Despite the adultery or rivalry, Aušrinė remains loyal and continues to serve Saulė in the mornings.

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