In Lithuanian, the Grim Reaper is called Giltinė. She is Laima’s sister—and that relationship matters.
For two decades, I owned a house in the Lithuanian countryside. During those years, I had plenty of time to read and ponder interesting ideas.
For many years, I studied a book by Algirdas Julien Greimas (also published as Algirdas Julius Greimas):
Of Gods and Men. In Search of the Nation’s Memory (Apie dievus ir žmones. Tautos atminties beieškant), 1990.
What struck me most was Greimas’s unusual take on mythology. I remember being charmed by the book. It echoed and challenged my own views, and it also had a scientific basis—logic and evidence—to support his study.
I returned to it many times. I studied it as a hobby.
When I use the word charmed, I mean that the book pulls me in, metaphorically speaking. I bring focus, concentration, and imagination to the act of reading. Often, I make connections with my real or imaginary life.
Other voices that shaped my thinking
Another book that made an impact on me was Šiaurės Lietuvos sakmės ir anekdotai (1975) by Matas Slančiauskas (full name: Matas Jonas Slančiauskas)—a collection of folk tales and anecdotes from Northern Lithuania.
Slančiauskas traveled widely throughout 19th-century Northern Lithuania, especially through villages, collecting folklore—stories, folk tales, and anecdotes—and recording it in writing.
I lived in the village myself, so I drew my own parallels and realized that some things hardly ever change.
The books and articles written by Eugenija Šimkūnaitė also had a huge impact on me.
1) How I entered the subject
As a teenager, I once got a school assignment for the summer: to collect, dry, and take medicinal plants to a collection point, and to bring the receipt to school in September.
Although it wasn’t a compulsory summer task, I liked the idea and decided to do it.
I read a few books on the topic. Since childhood, I had watched my grandma collect, dry, and store herbs. She knew what she was doing. Every summer, she collected only a few types and used them for tea throughout the year. Most days, she made ordinary tea; herbal teas were used only when needed.
2) What I expected, and what I found
For my assignment, I chose a horsetail (Equisetum arvense). I collected it in a clean environment, dried it, and then took it to the collection point, where I received some money and a receipt. I kept the money and brought the receipt to school.
That summer, I remember reading a few books about herbs and their medicinal qualities.
I remember hoping to learn about the healing properties of herbs, but instead, I learned a great deal about the side effects of plants.
3) The quote, and the wider frame
Later, I came across a quote by Eugenija Šimkūnaitė: Visi žolynai gydo, ale durno razumnu ir jie nepadarys. My free translation is: All herbs heal, but even they can’t turn stupidity into intelligence.
In gentler terms: turning unconsciousness into conscious focus and concentration is an inside job.
Šimkūnaitė wrote about traditions and superstitions, and about how they shape our private and social life. She also points out that married women in Lithuania carried a bundle of keys at their waist. The keys were a sign of responsibility and authority: they were in charge of the household. To me, it shows that their role was visible and respected.
From image to depth
Greimas gave me a lens: he taught me to notice how a living myth can degrade into a stereotype—almost into scenery. Once you notice how easily myth becomes decoration, you also see why some images are made to repel the casual passerby—those who drift past the surface and never pause for depth—and, in that way, protect it.
In the same way, Giltinė is a mirror: she strips away illusion. She is not a deal-maker—not someone who offers bargains or choices in exchange for a soul. Giltinė feels deeper than that.
She reminds you that time is limited. And when it’s time to go, it’s time to go.
Laima gives gifts—destiny—on the day you are born. Giltinė reminds you that time is finite.
We are born, we live, we die.
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