thumb|right|Žaltys and the Holy Fire are depicted in Olaus Magnus' [[Carta Marina, above the inscription LITVANIE PARS]]
thumb|Parade belt of an officer of the Lithuanian Army, decorated with Žaltys ornaments.
thumb|right|Monument to Žaltys in [[Vyžuonos]]
A žaltys (, literally: grass snake) is a household spirit in Lithuanian mythology. As a sacred animal of the sun goddess Saulė, the grass snake was considered a guardian of the home and a symbol of fertility. Killing the žaltys was said to bring great misfortunes upon the household.
See also
- Eglė the Queen of Serpents
- Proto-Indo-European mythology
- Indo-European cosmogony
- Baltic mythology
- Prussian mythology