X LT Ranch Summer Session 2019

The Great Aestii Empire A country is a political entity, which represents a group of people, who are tied together by their interests, culture and history. Identity is one of the most important things for every nation.

The establishment of my small enclave at the ranch- a temporary settlement was in and around the sauna and began its development with the making of essential tools: a wooden bowl, a table, a scythe, atlatl, while cleaning and preparing the interior space for comfort. Each object was crafted, remade to gain understanding of its intimate and everyday use alongside the satisfaction of having made them, alongside the discussions with Stasys about their historic manufacture and regional distinctive marking and forms- especially the scythe.

Whilst growing up in the countryside, I could constantly see my grandad peening and sharpening scythes. This was done in order for that he could cut grass with the wide swings of this majestic tool, for that he could prepare hay for the cattle, which would feed them during the harsh winters, and for that, he could prepare overgrown fields for the planting of crop. By using a plough he would work the ground, thus preparing the soil for the sowing. This just shows that a tool is an extension of the human hands, which grands endless possibilities. It allows us to work with timber, stone and steel, which opens new horizons of creation and construction. This is of high importance to any nation, due to it being one of the main drives for its development.

I named myself its political leader, archduke Vilius, and the enclave- the Great Aestii Empire. The name comes from an old Germanic word – aestii, which was used to refer to all Baltic and Finnish tribes in the East (nowadays Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia and parts of Finland). These tribes and associated regions are somewhat lost historically, though Tacitus describes these tribal regions in ‘Germania’ (c. 1st century AD).

The aim of the Great Aestii Empire is to unite once again all of these Baltic people, to increase their importance in the European political system.

The Great Aestii Empire would be also be governed by a constitutional monarchy.

This means that power that is granted to the archduke is limited by parliament. The Monarch mostly acts as a representation of the state. This not only allows the empire to more easily project its identity, but also influence the foreign relations. This can already be noticed at the beginning stages of the Great Aestii Empire, when the archduke Vilius supported the expansion project of a neighbouring state: the kitchen, the sleeping barn forecourt.

For the reason stated above is why there is a great necessity for tools.

The forge, to work the metals for providing food, the scythe to work the agricultural production were thus studied and crafted as the tools of human need for my nation state.