Editing Auseklis (section)

== Role ==
Auseklis is closely associated with [[Mēness]] ("moon"). They both are ''[[Dieva dēli]]'' ("sons of God"), as is Ūsiņš, and are thus confused with each other and with other male deities. Auseklis is referred to as male in the context of the ''[[dainas]]'' (folksong), and is seen as the groom of Saules meita ("daughter of the sun"), who came all the way to Germany to court her.<ref>{{cite book |chapter=Auseklis |title=Raštai |volume=II |first=Jonas |last=Balys |location=Vilnius |publisher=Lietuvių literatūros ir tautosakos institutas |date=2000 |pages=231-232 |lang=German |isbn=9986-513-33-2}}</ref><ref>Pundure, Irena. "A SOLAR CALENDAR FROM LATVIAN DAINAS". In: ''Archaeologia Baltica'' Volume 10: Astronomy and Cosmology in Folk Traditions and Cultural Heritage. Klaipėda University Press. 2008. pp. 40, 42-43. {{ISSN|1392-5520}}.</ref>

He is also said to be the attendant to a Sun deity and helper in the activities of the "heavenly bath house".<ref>Jordan, Michael. ''Dictionary of gods and goddesses''. 2nd Edition. New York: Facts On File. 2004. p. 39. {{ISBN|0-8160-5923-3}}.</ref><ref name="auto"/>

According to scholar Elza Kokare, Auseklis belongs to a group of heavenly deities that take part in a mythological drama about a "celestial wedding". Auseklis is seen as a groom of ''Saules meita'', a daughter of Saule, the female Baltic sun - the others being moon god ''Meness'' and twin gods ''Dieva deli''. Auseklis, in other accounts, is a guest or member of the bridal cortege at the wedding of Saules meita with another character,<ref name="auto"/> or he is deprived of his bride because of Meness's quarreling.<ref>Kokare, Elza. "[http://www.folklore.ee/rl/pubte/ee/bif/bif1/kokare.html A survey of the basic structures in Latvian mythology]. In: ''Journal of the Baltic Institute of Folklore'' (Tallinn), 1996, Nr.1, pp. 65-91.</ref>

Auseklis is often referred to as being very young. As a reflex of this, he is seen as too young to work with the other deities, is very playful, and his horse is either bought by him or for him by the Sun.<ref>Běťáková, Marta Eva; [[Václav Blažek|Blažek, Václav]]. ''Encyklopedie baltské mytologie''. Praha: Libri. 2012. pp. 34-35. {{ISBN|978-80-7277-505-7}}.</ref>

According to [[Marija Gimbutas]]'s analysis, Auseklis is a "dievaitis" ('little god') that appears with a horse the Sun gave him, and falls in love with the daughter of the (female) Sun ("Saules dukterims").<ref>Gimbutienė, Marija (1985). ''Baltai priešistoriniais laikais: etnogenezė, materialinė kultūra ir mitologija''. Vilnius: Mokslas. p. 165.</ref>

According to Lithuanian folklorist and ethnologist Nijolė Laurinkienė ([[:lt:Nijolė Laurinkienė|lt]]), Haralds Biezais was of the opinion that Auseklis was a male god and a son of Dievs ("Dievo sunus"). He was also part of the "celestial marriage" drama, being the first betrothed of the Sun's Daughter (Saules meita).<ref>Laurinkienė, Nijolė. ''Senovės lietuvių dievas Perkūnas: kalboje, tautosakoje, istoriniuose šaltiniuose''. Vilnius: Lietuviu literaturos ir tautosakos institutas, 1996. p. 133. {{ISBN|9986-513-14-6}}.</ref>