Bangpūtys—the god of the lagoon and the waves—is often mentioned in the folklore of the Lithuanian people. He is fierce and unforgiving, described as an evil spirit: bearded, winged, and with two faces, a rooster on his head; in his left hand he holds a fish, and in his right, a vessel.
He usually lives in the depths of the lagoon, in its deepest part, where he tends his “little sea calves.” Woe betide any careless fisherman who catches them: “And the god of the waves grew angry, and the north wind rose” (from a folk song). This god is vengeful and dislikes those who meddle in his domain; for such people, he brings cold northern winds: the vakarynę and sominį—northwesterly winds—or the audenį and auštrinį—northeasterly winds; he stirs up high waves and dark, rainy clouds.
The fishermen of Kuršmariai knew many ways to please him and keep him from getting angry, and they performed the necessary rituals: when they went out into the lagoon for the first time after winter, they would offer him a freshly caught pike, bread chewed with May grass, pour out some strong drink, and throw a wooden spoon or other valuable items into the lagoon. Only a few select young fishermen, called naručiai, were allowed to dive down and “chat” with Bangpūčis. To avoid incurring Bangpūčio’s wrath, the fishermen kept an axe at the bow of the boat and dragged their newly knitted fishing nets over the threshold of their homes with rowan branches tied to them. While fishing, they tried not to shout, whistle, or swear; if they caught a good haul, they would always share it with the first poor soul they met. And they never fished on Sundays.
If you follow these rules, you can expect to return safely to shore, where Bangpūčio’s power ends.