
The spring of Krokulė flows south-west of Lygamiškis mound, located near a small, yet very beautiful town of Užpaliai, Utena district. According to the Great Dictionary of Lithuanian Language, the word krokti stands for making noise, shouting or humming, while a spring is a metaphor for the source and beginning of something. Members of the older generation of the parish love to tell various stories and legends, related to the spring: In the ancient times there was a pagan sanctuary and the settlement of the pagan priest. There also used to be an ancient oak, yet even the oldest of the townspeople can’t remember it. When the tree finally fell, some unknown master made a shrine and put it into a younger tree, growing near the spring. No one managed to destroy the shrine and people can still admire this relic today.
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Local seniors still remember their grandparents’ stories about Jesus Christ, surrounded by rays of light, appearing to local shepherds, herding their flocks near Krokulė spring. Later here, near the Holy Spring of Krokulė, people built a chapel using the same bricks and style as that of Užpaliai Church of the Holy Trinity, with a large statue of the heart of Jesus Christ inside. Several years later this place was surrounded with a wooden fence. Some decades later the fence was replaced, while the spring was equipped with a stone curb with a hole on the side. After surviving two world wars, the statue from the chapel was stolen. People used to say: “God, forgive them for their wrongs, for they don’t know what they’re doing. You can steal or destroy statues, chapels and fences, yet nobody will be able to destroy the holiness of this place, radiating with the strength of Jesus Christ for ever.” The fact that this place is sacred is known not only among the locals, but other parishes as well. This is the reason why so many people come to Krokulė during the Feast of the Holy Trinity. However, visitors come here not only on the big days. Many of them visit this place whenever they have time. Some of them want to throw a symbolic coin into the well of the spring, wishing for luck, others — drink some of the sacred water of Krokulė spring, or at least wash their faces (people talk that this water had healed many believers), while others simply want to feel the sacred aura of the place and pray at the chapel. Others just seek for a short refuge in the nature, enjoying some time in a calm, sacred place, cleansing their soul. The water of Krokulė is famous for its extraordinary quality of healing various illnesses. The small rivulet from the sacred source of Krokulė flows into Šventoji river, which also contributes to the beautiful views of Užpaliai. Hopefully, this wonderful place will continue delighting and healing people for many future generations.