Vydūnas’s Followers (11)

Vydūnas

Born

in Šilutė, Lithuania, Lithuania

March 22, 1868

Died

February 20, 1953

Website

http://vydunodraugija.lt/

Genre

Philosophy, Theosophy, Tautininkas

Influences

Theosophy, Paganism, Romuva, Baltic Culture/Religion.

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Vilhelmas Storostas - Vydūnas, was a Lithuanian philosopher, writer, poet, humanist, teacher. He was one of the first Lithuanian theosophists, and was active in the Lithuanian nationalist movement (Tautininkas).

The Storostų family was for centuries living in East-Prussia (Lithuania Minor) and Vilhelmas was born in the village Jonaičiai, near Heydekrug, in the Kingdom of Prussia. Vilhelmas Storostas was the name on his German passport, while Vilimas or Vilius Storostas was the literature Lithuanian form used by himself, his family, and other Lithuanians. "Vydūnas" was added to his surname as a pseudonym when he was about 40 years old.

Storost was educated as teacher at the Präparandenanstalt in Pillkallen (1883–85) and at teacher seminar in Vilhelmas Storostas - Vydūnas, was a Lithuanian philosopher, writer, poet, humanist, teacher. He was one of the first Lithuanian theosophists, and was active in the Lithuanian nationalist movement (Tautininkas).

The Storostų family was for centuries living in East-Prussia (Lithuania Minor) and Vilhelmas was born in the village Jonaičiai, near Heydekrug, in the Kingdom of Prussia. Vilhelmas Storostas was the name on his German passport, while Vilimas or Vilius Storostas was the literature Lithuanian form used by himself, his family, and other Lithuanians. "Vydūnas" was added to his surname as a pseudonym when he was about 40 years old.

Storost was educated as teacher at the Präparandenanstalt in Pillkallen (1883–85) and at teacher seminar in Ragainė (1885–88). From 1888 to 1892 he was a teacher in Kintai, when he went to teach at a boys school in Tilžė until 1912 and taught German, French, English, Lithuanian and sports. In 1912 he left his teaching position in order to take up philosophical studies, which he took at the universities of Greifswald, Halle, Leipzig and Berlin.

1918/19 he taught Lithuanian at the Seminar for Oriental Languages in Berlin under the director Eduard Sachau. Back in Tlže he dedicated himself to reestablishment of Lithuanian Culture, especially folks songs and rural traditions. He directed a choir and wrote songs as well as theater plays. From 1933 on he worked in Memel at the music school.

1932 he wrote a book Sieben Hundert Jahren Deutsch-Litauischer Beziehung (Seven Hundred Years German Lithuanian relations). His idea of understanding between folks groups did not please the Nazis and in 1933 the book was outlawed. 1938 he was shortly incarcerated, but because of protests released after two months.

Together with nearly all of the people of East Prussia he was expelled during Communist take-over and lived in a refugee camp for some time. He died in Detmold, West Germany. One of his nephews, Juergen Storost, recently explained, that Wilhelm Storost's choice of the pen name Vydunas was, because "he wished everyone everything good".
Vydūnas was active in the old Lithuanian pagan religion (see Romuva). However, he never declared the revival of the pagan religion as either his personal goal or a goal of Lithuanians, remaining a national leader but not a religious one.

His moral influence transcended the confines of being a typical political leader or a writer at his time. He was compared by later biographers with national leaders in India of his time, such as Rabindranath Tagore or Mohandas Gandhi. Pantheistic universalism, not predefined with participating in any obligatory religious practice, was one of the leading ideas of his philosophy, and gained him later fame as a pioneer of both pagan revival and theosophy in Lithuania.

Vydūnas was an ethical vegetarian, and wrote several essays about his ethical choices.

Vydūnas was considered a candidate for the Nobel Prize by Lithuanian writers association. ...more

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Average rating: 3.78 · 129 ratings · 15 reviews · 29 distinct works • Similar authors

	Sąmonė 4.11 avg rating — 38 ratings — published 1936 — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Asmenybė ir sveikata 3.90 avg rating — 20 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Sveikata, jaunumas, grožė, gimdymo slėpiniai 4.08 avg rating — 12 ratings — published 1928	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Raštai II tomas 3.82 avg rating — 11 ratings — published 1991	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Raštai. I tomas 3.33 avg rating — 9 ratings — published 1990	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Probočių šešėliai 2.70 avg rating — 10 ratings — published 2014	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Raštai III tomas 3.83 avg rating — 6 ratings — published 1992	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Sigute 4.33 avg rating — 3 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Septyni šimtmečiai vokiečių ir lietuvių santykių by Vydūnas, Vita Gaigalaite (Translator), Rapolas Šaltenis (Translator) 4.50 avg rating — 2 ratings — published 1932 — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Vergai ir Dikiai really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 2 ratings — published 2012	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

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Quotes by Vydūnas (?)

“Protas negali išmanyti. Jis tegal gentiškas arba priešingas mintis sukviesti ir sutelkti. Ir gyvuliai tur proto, kartais daugiau negu žmogus. Jie yra tie gamtos padarai, kuriuose Visumos išmintis apskritai pradeda atsispindinti.”
― Vydūnas, Raštai II tomas

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“Visos svarbios mokslo žinios intuityviai įgytos. Žmogus, kuriame toks skaidrus išminties sušvytėjimas dažniau atsitinka, vadinamas geniališku.”
― Vydūnas, Raštai II tomas

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“Niekuomet žmogus nėra toks gražus, koks jis yra kurdamas.”
― Vydūnas, Sąmonė

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Vydūnas’s Followers (11)

Vydūnas

Combine EditionsVydūnas’s books

Combine Editions
Vydūnas’s books