E Bija e Hënës dhe e Diellit ("the Daughter of the Moon and the Sun") is a character in Albanian mythology and folklore, the dauther of Hëna ("the Moon") and Dielli ("the Sun"). [1] She is the lightning of the sky ( Albanian: pika e qiellit) which falls everywhere from heaven on the mountains and the valleys and strikes pride and evil. In the legends she helps a hero winning a fight against a kulshedra. [2] Sometimes described with a star on her forehead and a moon on her chest, her victory over the kulshedra symbolizes the supremacy of the deity of the sky over that of the underworld. [3]
In Albanian folk beliefs the sun (Dielli) and the moon (Hëna) are personified deities. In folk tales, myths and legends the sun appears as a male figure, and the moon as a female figure. In some traditions the sun and the moon are regarded as husband and wife, and in other traditions as brother and sister. In the case of E Bija e Hënës dhe e Diellit the sun is her father and the moon is her mother. [4] [5] E Bija e Hënës dhe e Diellit is described as the lightning of the sky ( Albanian: pika e qiellit) which falls everywhere from heaven on the mountains and the valleys and strikes pride and evil. In the legends she helps a hero in his fight against a kulshedra. [6] In a tradition she is described as bearing a star on her forehead and a moon on her chest. A similar male character with the same motifs also appears in Albanian folklore. In Albanian mythology the kulshedra is usually fought and defeated by the drangue, also seen as a sky and lightning deity or divine hero. The supremacy of E Bija e Hënës dhe e Diellit and of other similar celestial Albanian characters over the kulshedra reflects the victory of the deity of the sky over that of the underworld, showing that the symbols of heaven win. [7]
The legend of E Bija e Hënës dhe e Diellit has also been narrated by the Albanian writer Mitrush Kuteli in the collection Tregime të moçme shqiptare ("Old Albanian tales"), published in 1965. [8]
- ^ Shuteriqi 1959, p. 66; Tirta 2004, pp. 72, 128; West 2007, p. 233; Dushi 2020, p. 21.
- ^ West 2007, p. 233; Tirta 2004, pp. 72, 128; Shuteriqi 1959, p. 66; Lambertz 1922, p. 77.
- ^ Tirta 2004, pp. 72, 128
- ^ Tirta 2004, pp. 72, 128
- ^ Dushi 2020, p. 21
- ^ West 2007, p. 233; Tirta 2004, pp. 72, 128; Shuteriqi 1959, p. 66; Lambertz 1922, p. 77.
- ^ Tirta 2004, pp. 72, 127–128.
- ^ Kuteli 1965: "E Bija e Hënës dhe e Diellit"
- Dushi, Arbnora (2020). "The Sister-Brother Recognition Motif in the Albanian Folk Ballad: Meaning and Contexts within the National Culture". Tautosakos Darbai. 59: 17–29. doi: 10.51554/TD.2020.28363. S2CID 253540847.
- Kuteli, Mitrush (1965). Tregime të Moçme Shqiptare. Tirana: Naim Frashëri.
- Lambertz, Maximilian (1922). Albanische Märchen (und andere Texte zur albanischen Volkskunde). Wien: A. Hölder.
- Shuteriqi, Dhimitër S. (1959). Historia e letërsisë shqipe. Vol. 1. Universiteti Shtetëror i Tiranës, Instituti i Historisë dhe Gjuhësisë.
- Tirta, Mark (2004). Petrit Bezhani (ed.). Mitologjia ndër shqiptarë (in Albanian). Tirana: Mësonjëtorja. ISBN 99927-938-9-9.
- West, Morris L. (2007). Indo-European Poetry and Myth. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0199280759.
E Bija e Hënës dhe e Diellit ("the Daughter of the Moon and the Sun") is a character in Albanian mythology and folklore, the dauther of Hëna ("the Moon") and Dielli ("the Sun"). [1] She is the lightning of the sky ( Albanian: pika e qiellit) which falls everywhere from heaven on the mountains and the valleys and strikes pride and evil. In the legends she helps a hero winning a fight against a kulshedra. [2] Sometimes described with a star on her forehead and a moon on her chest, her victory over the kulshedra symbolizes the supremacy of the deity of the sky over that of the underworld. [3]
In Albanian folk beliefs the sun (Dielli) and the moon (Hëna) are personified deities. In folk tales, myths and legends the sun appears as a male figure, and the moon as a female figure. In some traditions the sun and the moon are regarded as husband and wife, and in other traditions as brother and sister. In the case of E Bija e Hënës dhe e Diellit the sun is her father and the moon is her mother. [4] [5] E Bija e Hënës dhe e Diellit is described as the lightning of the sky ( Albanian: pika e qiellit) which falls everywhere from heaven on the mountains and the valleys and strikes pride and evil. In the legends she helps a hero in his fight against a kulshedra. [6] In a tradition she is described as bearing a star on her forehead and a moon on her chest. A similar male character with the same motifs also appears in Albanian folklore. In Albanian mythology the kulshedra is usually fought and defeated by the drangue, also seen as a sky and lightning deity or divine hero. The supremacy of E Bija e Hënës dhe e Diellit and of other similar celestial Albanian characters over the kulshedra reflects the victory of the deity of the sky over that of the underworld, showing that the symbols of heaven win. [7]
The legend of E Bija e Hënës dhe e Diellit has also been narrated by the Albanian writer Mitrush Kuteli in the collection Tregime të moçme shqiptare ("Old Albanian tales"), published in 1965. [8]
- ^ Shuteriqi 1959, p. 66; Tirta 2004, pp. 72, 128; West 2007, p. 233; Dushi 2020, p. 21.
- ^ West 2007, p. 233; Tirta 2004, pp. 72, 128; Shuteriqi 1959, p. 66; Lambertz 1922, p. 77.
- ^ Tirta 2004, pp. 72, 128
- ^ Tirta 2004, pp. 72, 128
- ^ Dushi 2020, p. 21
- ^ West 2007, p. 233; Tirta 2004, pp. 72, 128; Shuteriqi 1959, p. 66; Lambertz 1922, p. 77.
- ^ Tirta 2004, pp. 72, 127–128.
- ^ Kuteli 1965: "E Bija e Hënës dhe e Diellit"
- Dushi, Arbnora (2020). "The Sister-Brother Recognition Motif in the Albanian Folk Ballad: Meaning and Contexts within the National Culture". Tautosakos Darbai. 59: 17–29. doi: 10.51554/TD.2020.28363. S2CID 253540847.
- Kuteli, Mitrush (1965). Tregime të Moçme Shqiptare. Tirana: Naim Frashëri.
- Lambertz, Maximilian (1922). Albanische Märchen (und andere Texte zur albanischen Volkskunde). Wien: A. Hölder.
- Shuteriqi, Dhimitër S. (1959). Historia e letërsisë shqipe. Vol. 1. Universiteti Shtetëror i Tiranës, Instituti i Historisë dhe Gjuhësisë.
- Tirta, Mark (2004). Petrit Bezhani (ed.). Mitologjia ndër shqiptarë (in Albanian). Tirana: Mësonjëtorja. ISBN 99927-938-9-9.
- West, Morris L. (2007). Indo-European Poetry and Myth. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0199280759.