Nëna e Diellit
Nëna e Diellit ("the Mother of the Sun" or "the Sun's Mother") is a mother goddess in Albanian folk beliefs, the mother of Dielli ("the Sun"). A sacred ritual called "the funeral of the Sun's Mother" was very widespread in southeastern Albania until the 20th century.{{harvnb|Golan|1991|p=55}}; {{harvnb|Daum|1998|p=236}}; {{harvnb|Golan|2003|pp=93–94}}; {{harvnb|Tirta|2004|pp=259–260}}; {{harvnb|Neziri|2015|p=124}}. She has been described by scholars as a heaven goddess{{harvnb|Golan|1991|p=55}}; {{harvnb|Golan|2003|pp=93–94}} and a goddess of agriculture, livestock, and earth fertility, as suggested by the sacred ritual dedicated to her.{{harvnb|Tirta|2004|pp=259–260}} Nëna e Diellit also features as a deity in Albanian folk tales.{{harvnb|Lambertz|1952|p=138}}{{harvnb|Elsie|2001|p=98}} Nëna e Diellit represents a manifestation of the personification of the Sun in Albanian mythology.{{sfn|Bovan|1985|p=241}}
Ritual
A sacred ritual called "funeral of the Sun's Mother" consisted in burying a female figure that probably personified a seasonal phase of the mother goddess. Occurring at the end of May, it was the last festival of the spring cycle, coinciding with the feast of Pentecost (Rusica).{{harvnb|Golan|1991|p=55}}; {{harvnb|Daum|1998|p=236}}; {{harvnb|Golan|2003|pp=93–94}}; {{harvnb|Tirta|2004|pp=259–260}}; {{harvnb|Neziri|2015|p=124}}. It was very widespread in southeastern Albania until the 20th century.{{harvnb|Daum|1998|p=236}}; {{harvnb|Tirta|2004|pp=259–260}}; {{harvnb|Neziri|2015|p=124}}. During the custom the girls and young women gathered flowers, danced and sang, celebrating together with meals. After lunch or at the end of the day, they made a clay doll that they called Sun's Mother (Nëna e Diellit), put it on a tile and went outside the village to bury the female figure.{{harvnb|Daum|1998|p=236}}; {{harvnb|Tirta|2004|pp=259–260}}; {{harvnb|Neziri|2015|p=124}}. It was performed in silence and with all the appropriate seriousness of the death ceremony.{{harvnb|Tirta|2004|pp=259–260}} The girls and young women mourned the mother goddess, pronouncing the typical verses Nënë moj nënë, kuku / erdhi dielli e s'të gjeti "Mother oh Mother, Alas, / the Sun came and didn't find you".{{harvnb|Neziri|2015|p=124}}
Folk tales
Nëna e Diellit features as a deity in several Albanian folk tales. One of them has been collected by Albanologist Maximilian Lambertz and published under the title "Bei der Sonnenmutter" ["At the Sun's Mother"] in the collection Die geflügelte Schwester und die Dunklen der Erde: Albanische Volksmärchen [The Winged Sister and the Dark Ones of the Earth: Albanian Folk Tales].{{harvnb|Lambertz|1952|p=138}} Another has been collected by Albanologist Robert Elsie and published under the title "The Snake and the King's Daughter" in the collection Albanian Folktales and Legends.{{harvnb|Elsie|2001|p=98}}
See also
References
= Citations =
{{Reflist}}
=Bibliography=
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- {{cite journal|last=Bovan|first=Vlladimir|title=Branisllav Kërstiq, Indeks motiva narodnih pesama balkanskih Slovena SANU, Beograd 1984|journal=Gjurmime Albanologjike: Folklor Dhe Etnologji|volume=15|publisher=Albanological Institute of Prishtina|year=1985|language=sq|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=O5biAAAAMAAJ}}
- {{cite book|last=Daum|first=Werner |author-link=Werner Daum |title=Albanien zwischen Kreuz und Halbmond|publisher=Staatliches Museum für Völkerkunde |year=1998 |isbn=9783701624614 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QIppAAAAMAAJ}}
- {{cite book|last=Elsie|first=Robert|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ve4SAQAAIAAJ|title=Albanian Folktales and Legends|year=2001|publisher=Dukagjini Publishing House}}
- {{Cite book|last=Golan|first=Ariel|title=Myth and Symbol: Symbolism in Prehistoric Religions|year=1991|publisher=A. Golan |isbn=9789652222459|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=FBPM0_fQ19IC}}
- {{cite book|last=Golan|first=Ariel|title=Prehistoric Religion: Mythology, Symbolism|year=2003|publisher=A. Golan |isbn=9789659055500|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vfgoAAAAYAAJ}}
- {{cite book|last=Lambertz|first=Maximilian|title=Die geflügelte Schwester und die Dunklen der Erde: Albanische Volksmärchen|series=Das Gesicht der Völker|volume=9|publisher=Im Erich|year=1952|language=German|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=IHLgAAAAMAAJ}}
- {{cite book|last=Neziri|first=Zeqirja|title=Lirika gojore shqiptare|publisher=Interlingua|year=2015|place=Skopje|language=sq|isbn=978-9989-173-52-3}}
- {{cite book|last=Tirta|first=Mark|title=Mitologjia ndër shqiptarë|language=Albanian|editor=Petrit Bezhani|publisher=Mësonjëtorja|year=2004|place=Tirana|isbn=99927-938-9-9}}
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