How was the earth personified in Latvian and Lithuanian religion?

In Baltic religion, the earth is personified primarily as a female chthonic deity representing the source of all life, including humans, animals, and plants.12

• Latvian Tradition: The earth is known as Zemes māte (Earth Mother). She is considered a vital protector of life and, alongside the sky god Dievs, is one of the few deities originally responsible for human welfare.12
• Lithuanian Tradition: The earth is personified as Žemyna. Lithuanians also recognize a male counterpart known as Žemėpatis (Earth Master), who serves as the guardian of farms and is often described as the brother of Žemyna.21

Zemes māte and Žemyna represent the core of the Baltic fertility cult, which focuses on ensuring human welfare. Rituals honoring the Earth Mother included offering libations of beer at festivals and burying products of the earth—such as bread, ale, and herbs—in the ground or placing them in water and trees. Following the arrival of Christianity, some of the functions of the Earth Mother were assumed by the Virgin Mary, while others evolved into specialized chthonic deities associated with the dead, such as the "Mother of the Graves" (Kapu māte).312