- Whitehorn's Windmill
- Published by: Alma littera
- Level: Intermediate
- First Published in: 1952
This is the most important novel by Kazys Boruta, a famous Lithuanian writer who haswritten a number of folk stories and who was known for his expressionist style and profound descriptions of characters. The story seems like an amalgam of Lithuanian folk stories and modern tragedy, which some literary scholars have also referred to as revolutionary romanticism.
Baltaragio Malūnas (Whitehorn’s Windmill or, as it is alternatively translated, The Windmill of Baltaragis) is the most important novel by Kazys Boruta, a famous Lithuanian writer who has written a number of folk stories and who was known for his expressionist style and profound descriptions of characters. The story seems like an amalgam of Lithuanian folk stories and modern tragedy, which some literary scholars have also referred to as revolutionary romanticism. The plot of the novel resembles a fairytale, which in Lithuanian folk literature often means it ends badly.
"Kazys Boruta manages to give some rural flavour to his novel without making it seem overly archaic. Perhaps that – along with the universal themes of the story – is the reason Baltaragio Malūnas remains to this day an extremely enjoyable read."
Baltaragis, a miller who lives in his millhouse on top of a hill protected by swamps and forests, strikes a deal with Pinčukas, a devil who lives in the swamps. Pinčukas agrees to make the woman Baltagaris loves love him back, but only if the miller gives the devil something in return, something Baltaragis will receive in twelve years. Baltaragis, madly in love, agrees to this vague deal and does not realize that he has actually promised to give up his first-born daughter, Jurga. When it is time for Pinčukas to receive his share of the deal, Baltaragis, whose wife dies during childbirth, tricks the devil and instead brings him his housekeeper, an old maid (senmerg ė in Lithuanian), for Pinčukas to marry. The old maid quickly escapes from the devil – moving to a convent – and Baltaragis tricks the devil again, telling him to spin the blades of his mill, since Pinčukas did not want to marry the miller’s “daughter” as it was agreed.
However, Pinčukas discovers the miller’s lie and decides to have his revenge by preventing any young man who might ask the miller’s daughter’s hand in marriage from reaching the windmill. After a number of unsuccessful attempts by many potential suitors, Girdvainis, a young man from far away, manages to reach the mill by making his beloved horses run faster than the confusing fog that Pin čukas casts over the swamps. Girdvainis falls in love with Jurga and she loves him back, yet just before they reach the town church to receive their marriage vows, Pin čukas steals Girdvainis’ horses and makes their neighs ring in Girdvainis’ head so that they constantly lure him away from Jurga. After he realizes he has been fooled by Pinčukas, Girdvainis attempts to come back to the mill, yet the devil kills him along the way. After hearing the news, Jurga drowns herself in a lake and Baltaragis turns into stone out of sorrow.
The theme of loss is dominant. Baltaragis loses his wife, Girdvainis loses his horses, Jurga loses Girdvainis, and, finally, Baltaragis loses his beloved daughter. This tragic plot is not uncommon in Lithuanian folk stories, and Kazys Boruta makes sure to give his novel the feel of a fairytale through language. The devil, a character that in Lithuanian literature is usually portrayed as a rather misbehaving and somewhat playful figure instead of a demonic creature, is even given an innocent-sounding name. “Pinčukas” entails “uk,” which is a Lithuanian suffix used to construct diminutives. The very name of this swamp devil could indicate human-like characteristics.
It is easy for modern Lithuanian-speakers to understand the novel, just like it was when the book was written in 1945. Some words indicate that the story takes place in rural surroundings and in older times, though the year is not indicated. For example, the term “neprietėlius,” in Lithuanian, means an opponent, an enemy, or simply a rascal. However, it is safe to say that younger generations would never use this word; neither would they understand it if no context were provided. In a way, Kazys Boruta manages to give some rural flavour to his novel without making it seem overly archaic. Perhaps that – along with the universal themes of the story – is the reason Baltaragio Malūnas remains to this day an extremely enjoyable read.
