The Baltic Association for Folklore and Esoteric Studies (BAFES) is an independent research association based in Lithuania. We study folklore, vernacular belief, historical religions, magic and esoteric traditions, with particular attention to Lithuania and the wider Baltic region.
BAFES approaches beliefs and practices as subjects of historical, cultural and interdisciplinary research. We do not require a confessional position from researchers, and we do not treat belief, disbelief or personal spiritual practice as substitutes for evidence.
Our work is organised through defined research programmes and projects. We publish research papers, reports, working papers and annotated bibliographies, and we develop focused digital collections and datasets that can support future scholarship.
We are especially interested in the points where folklore, religion, material culture, memory and esotericism meet: pre-Christian Baltic religion and its later reconstructions, vernacular belief, protective and divinatory practices, dreams and omens, sacred landscapes, and the history of modern esotericism in the Baltic region.
BAFES is an independent non-profit research initiative. Institutional details, governance information, funded projects and annual reporting are published through the relevant sections of this website as they become available.
BAFES