Location
State: Estonia
Region: Muhu Parish
County: Saare
Parish: Muhu
Other references to the location
Painase village, from Hiie farm 170 m to the South along the soil road between stone fences, from there 130 m to the West along the edge of the forest, 10 m to the South of the stone fence, in the forest.
Coordinates
lat=58.625056472091, lon=23.16410782774
58° 37′ 30″ N, 23° 9′ 50″ E
Description
2,9 m long, 2,8 m wide, 1,5 m high, reddish brown.
Narrative
Village shrine. Healing, sacrifice and prayer have all taken place by the stone. It is used as a shrine even today. Estonia’s sacred groves Sacred groves (hiied) are the oldest nature reserves in Estonia, preserved from development out of respect for the forces of nature and ancestors and used as a wellspring of vitality. Estonia has close to 600 known sacred groves or grove-like sites. The area of a sacred grove can span 100 ha and often it can encompass sacred springs, stones, and festive and funeral sites. The sacred grove was used for prayer, offerings, councils, healing, celebration of days on the folk calendar by people in at least one village. The principle of non-violence to people, animals and plants is paramount in the sacred grove. People visit the sacred grove in a clean and sober state and domesticated animals and pets are kept away. Over the centuries, foreign overlords have attempted to destroy and occupy the indigenous sanctuaries to break the people’s spirit of resistance and sense of self-worth. In spite of this, many shrines survived.
Attraction
One of the most noteworthy sacred grove forests in Estonia, this being a broad-leaved forest.
Availability
300 m by foot down an overgrown road.
Infrastructure, management, facilities
none
Local info
Marker for protected archaeological monument in Estonian
Capacity
0-9
Publicity
Known
Legal Status
Private land, heritage conservation
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