Tvoros ir Vartai

Tvoros ir Vartai - Fences and Gates

The custom of fencing one’s property has been widespread in Lithuania from olden times. Records from 1798 in the Rokantiškių seniūniją of Vilnius district include complaints that the poverty-stricken peasants, running low on their woodpiles in wintertime, would dismantle fences and use the wood as fuel. Elsewhere, in 1604, village elders with the same complaint added that the peasants later approached the landlord for permission to gather wood for new fences, thus causing harm to the forests.

Fences were erected along the accustomed path by which livestock was daily herded to pasture, to prevent their wandering off into croplands or gardens. Fields next to woodlands had to be fenced, to protect the growing grain from trampling by forest wildlife or carelessly tied horses wandering at night. Flower gardens in the sodyba were always fenced, but it was also necessary to fence the šeimininkų daržą (householder‘s garden) to keep the chickens from scratching at all the vegetables.

There were several different styles of fencing, all using wood, some more intricate than others, and some sturdier, but wherever there were fences, there had to be gates. Historian Ignas Koncius wrote: “Wherever there is a field, any kind of growing thing, everywhere one drives his wagon, there are gates. Driving along, a fellow curses as he raises the gates. You ride up - climb down - open the gate - climb up - drive through - climb down - close the gate - climb up - drive on. “

Somewhere in Žemaitija, there might be seen a few fences built of field stones and rocks, which were called uolomis (from uola, meaning rock.) But in Lithuania, stone and rocks were usually used in fencing cemeteries.

This article was printed in Bridges, 2011