Location
State: Latvia
Region: Kurzeme
County: Ventspils
Parish: Usma
Other references to the location
In Ameļciems between the Veckušķi and Billiņi homesteads, within the territory of the Billiņi homestead embraced by a high wire fence, not far from the gate, next to the fence, in the bush.
Coordinates
lat=57.21905, lon=22.0365333333
57° 13′ 8″ N, 22° 2′ 11″ E
Description
The last recorded circumference of the Veckušķi Holy Oak of 7.6 m is found in Juris Urtān’s book “Latvijas senās svētnīcas” (Latvian Ancient Shrines) (R., 1993), where it is described in more detail. The Holy Oak was described for the first time already by a Baltic German scholar August Bielenstein before more than 100 years. In literature, the Veckušķi Holy Oak is sometimes also called the Billiņi Oak, because it is located in direct proximity to a homestead with such a name. Now one can see only remains of the old oak ingrown into underbrush. The site of the former secular oak is significant as an ancient sacred site, but there is nothing more to see – neither a secular tree nor a tourism object.
Narrative
They say in tales that in former times when there were no churches yet under the oak people worshiped the God or made offerings. The proprietors of the Veckušķi homestead itself were considered to be sorcerers and Devil’s servants. It is possible that under the influence of these tales, a story by Dagnija Zigmonte “Veckušķis kāzās” (“A Veckušķis at the Wedding”) appeared about the feelings of an old wizard’s sole in his strive for something light. It was forbidden to break even a single branch from the oak, because then the person who did so would become ill or even die. In 1971 in the oak’s hollow, there were two spoons dating back to the beginning of the 20th century found, which are nowadays stored at the Ventspils Museum, but it is not known whether they had been sacrificed or got there in some other way.
Attraction
Some
Availability
Access hindered. There are no information signs. The site can be reached easily, but a fence, a closed gate, underbrush, and dogs hinder seeing the oak stump in person.
Infrastructure, management, facilities
The object is situated in a private property (inside the homestead’s fence). The grass mowing and facilitation works are performed by the homestead’s proprietors, but the tree, actually, is only remains fallen over the nearby stones and ingrown into
Local info
There is no information stand on site
Capacity
0 – 9
Publicity
Known
Legal Status
Private
Comments
According to news provided by local inhabitants, the dead-oak broke around the year 2000.
