Founding Fathers
Gediminas and Mindaugas are generally regarded as the founding fathers of Lithuania. Gediminas was said to have had a dream which led to the founding of Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania; in this dream, an iron wolf howled all night near the site of the present-day Gediminas Tower. A seer interpreted this as meaning that a great city should be built there. "What is destined for the ruler and the state of Lithuania, let it be: the iron wolf means a castle and a town which will be established by the ruler on this site. The town will be the capital of the Lithuanian lands and the dwelling of rulers and the glory of their deeds shall echo throughout the world". Mindaugas was the first king of Lithuania, crowned in 1253.
The Columns of Gediminas have been dated to the 14th century. They were often drawn on walls and fences as protest against the Soviet occupation. Eurobasket 2011, which will be held in Lithuania, uses a modified version of the columns in its logo. Gediminas is a frequently used street name, most notably Gediminas Avenue in Vilnius. Mindaugas and Gediminas are popular first names for men in Lithuania.
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Columns of Gediminas
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Gediminas, an imaginary portrait
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Mindaugas, from a medieval chronicle
Read more about this topic: National Symbols Of Lithuania
Famous quotes related to founding fathers:
“The Founding Fathers in their wisdom decided that children were an unnatural strain on parents. So they provided jails called schools, equipped with tortures called an education. School is where you go between when your parents can’t take you and industry can’t take you.”
—John Updike (b. 1932)