Nëna e Vatrës or Nana e Votrës ("The Mother of the Hearth") is the goddess of the fire hearth (hyjnia e zjarrit të vatrës) in Albanian mythology and folklore, [1] [2] [3] associated with fire worship, the cult of the ancestor and the cult of the woman-centered family life. [1] [4]
Names and etymology
Nëna e Vatrës is the deity of the hearth fire ( Albanian: hyjni e zjarrit të vatrës) commonly found in the folk beliefs of the Albanians, thus there are many dialectal variations, singular or plural: Nëna e Vatrës/Nana e Votrës, E Ëma e Vatrës/E Ama e Votrës, Mëma e Vatrës/Mama e Vatrës, Shtriga e Vatrës/Votrës, Plaka e Vatrës/Votrës, Mëmat e Vatrës/Mamat e Votrës, Xhuxhet e Vatrës etc. [5] [1] The first element nënë/nanë or ëmë/amë, means " mother"; while the last element vatër/votër, means " hearth", " fireplace", and is related to the Avestan atar, "fire". [3] [6]
Folk beliefs
In Albanian folk beliefs, Nëna e Vatrës is the protector of the vatër, the domestic fireplace. It is said that the fireplace should be cleaned in the evening. If it is left uncleaned, Nëna e Vatrës becomes angry. [5] [7] The family members should behave respectfully towards her. [7] At feasts, people used to practice sacrificial offerings to the deity throwing some of the food they prepared into the fire and around the hearth. [8] [7]
Nëna e Vatrës is akin to Greek Hestia and Roman Vesta. [3] [4] [2] [9] To the Greek and Roman goddesses well-defined public places of worship were dedicated, while in the Albanian tradition the place of worship of Nëna e Vatrës is the hearth of every house. [7] In this aspect the Albanian cult is more similar to the ancient cult of the natural eternal fire of Nymphaion. [7]
See also
- En (deity) – Albanian deity
- Verbt – Albanian god of fire and wind or thunderstorms
- Prende – Albanian goddess of dawn, love, beauty, fertility and health
- Fatia – mythological creatures in Albanian mythology
- Ora (mythology) – Albanian mythological figure of Fate
- Vitore – Albanian domestic deity
- Gabija – Spirit of the fire in Lithuanian mythology
Sources
Citations
- ^ a b c Gjoni 2012, p. 95.
- ^ a b Monaghan 1997, p. 350.
- ^ a b c Poghirc 1987, p. 179.
- ^ a b Tirta 2004, pp. 176, 410.
- ^ a b Tirta 2004, pp. 176.
- ^ Mallory & Adams 1997, p. 263.
- ^ a b c d e Gjoni 2012, p. 96.
- ^ Tirta 2004, pp. 177, 179.
- ^ Gjoni 2012, p. 90.
Bibliography
- Gjoni, Irena (2012). Marrëdhënie të miteve dhe kulteve të bregdetit të Jonit me areale të tjera mitike (PhD) (in Albanian). Tirana: University of Tirana, Faculty of History and Philology.
- Mallory, James P.; Adams, Douglas Q., eds. (1997), Encyclopedia of Indo-European Culture, London: Routledge, ISBN 978-1-884964-98-5, (EIEC)
- Monaghan, Patricia (1997). The New Book of Goddesses & Heroines. Llewellyn Publications. p. 324. ISBN 9781567184655.
- Poghirc, Cicerone (1987). "Albanian Religion". In Mircea Eliade (ed.). The Encyclopedia of Religion. Vol. 1. New York: MacMillan Publishing Co. pp. 178–180.
- Tirta, Mark (2004). Petrit Bezhani (ed.). Mitologjia ndër shqiptarë (in Albanian). Tirana: Mësonjëtorja. ISBN 99927-938-9-9.
Nëna e Vatrës or Nana e Votrës ("The Mother of the Hearth") is the goddess of the fire hearth (hyjnia e zjarrit të vatrës) in Albanian mythology and folklore, [1] [2] [3] associated with fire worship, the cult of the ancestor and the cult of the woman-centered family life. [1] [4]
Names and etymology
Nëna e Vatrës is the deity of the hearth fire ( Albanian: hyjni e zjarrit të vatrës) commonly found in the folk beliefs of the Albanians, thus there are many dialectal variations, singular or plural: Nëna e Vatrës/Nana e Votrës, E Ëma e Vatrës/E Ama e Votrës, Mëma e Vatrës/Mama e Vatrës, Shtriga e Vatrës/Votrës, Plaka e Vatrës/Votrës, Mëmat e Vatrës/Mamat e Votrës, Xhuxhet e Vatrës etc. [5] [1] The first element nënë/nanë or ëmë/amë, means " mother"; while the last element vatër/votër, means " hearth", " fireplace", and is related to the Avestan atar, "fire". [3] [6]
Folk beliefs
In Albanian folk beliefs, Nëna e Vatrës is the protector of the vatër, the domestic fireplace. It is said that the fireplace should be cleaned in the evening. If it is left uncleaned, Nëna e Vatrës becomes angry. [5] [7] The family members should behave respectfully towards her. [7] At feasts, people used to practice sacrificial offerings to the deity throwing some of the food they prepared into the fire and around the hearth. [8] [7]
Nëna e Vatrës is akin to Greek Hestia and Roman Vesta. [3] [4] [2] [9] To the Greek and Roman goddesses well-defined public places of worship were dedicated, while in the Albanian tradition the place of worship of Nëna e Vatrës is the hearth of every house. [7] In this aspect the Albanian cult is more similar to the ancient cult of the natural eternal fire of Nymphaion. [7]
See also
- En (deity) – Albanian deity
- Verbt – Albanian god of fire and wind or thunderstorms
- Prende – Albanian goddess of dawn, love, beauty, fertility and health
- Fatia – mythological creatures in Albanian mythology
- Ora (mythology) – Albanian mythological figure of Fate
- Vitore – Albanian domestic deity
- Gabija – Spirit of the fire in Lithuanian mythology
Sources
Citations
- ^ a b c Gjoni 2012, p. 95.
- ^ a b Monaghan 1997, p. 350.
- ^ a b c Poghirc 1987, p. 179.
- ^ a b Tirta 2004, pp. 176, 410.
- ^ a b Tirta 2004, pp. 176.
- ^ Mallory & Adams 1997, p. 263.
- ^ a b c d e Gjoni 2012, p. 96.
- ^ Tirta 2004, pp. 177, 179.
- ^ Gjoni 2012, p. 90.
Bibliography
- Gjoni, Irena (2012). Marrëdhënie të miteve dhe kulteve të bregdetit të Jonit me areale të tjera mitike (PhD) (in Albanian). Tirana: University of Tirana, Faculty of History and Philology.
- Mallory, James P.; Adams, Douglas Q., eds. (1997), Encyclopedia of Indo-European Culture, London: Routledge, ISBN 978-1-884964-98-5, (EIEC)
- Monaghan, Patricia (1997). The New Book of Goddesses & Heroines. Llewellyn Publications. p. 324. ISBN 9781567184655.
- Poghirc, Cicerone (1987). "Albanian Religion". In Mircea Eliade (ed.). The Encyclopedia of Religion. Vol. 1. New York: MacMillan Publishing Co. pp. 178–180.
- Tirta, Mark (2004). Petrit Bezhani (ed.). Mitologjia ndër shqiptarë (in Albanian). Tirana: Mësonjëtorja. ISBN 99927-938-9-9.