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

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.
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