ANCIENT EUROPEAN FERTILITY CULTS: Albanian
My name is Laurence Hardy, I’m a creative professional from the Pacific Northwest and in this series I am documenting the history of ancient European pagan fertility cults.
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Introduction:
Albanian mythology and folklore are a rich tapestry of customs, rituals, myths, legends, and tales of the Albanian people. These tales are of ancient Paleo-Balkanic origin, and nearly all of them are pagan in nature, reflecting the country's rich cultural heritage.
Over time, Albanian folklore has evolved and thrived in a relatively isolated tribal culture and society. Even today, Albanian folk tales and legends are still very much alive in the mountainous regions of Albania, Kosovo, western North Macedonia, Montenegro, South Serbia, as well as among the Arbëreshë in Italy and the Arvanites in Greece, passed down through the generations through oral tradition.
Deities:
Prende
The main fertility deity of Albanian folklore is Prende, also known as Prenne, Prema, Premte or Petka, is a goddess from Albanian pagan mythology. She is the dawn-goddess, associated with love, beauty, fertility, and the protector of women. In Albanian folklore, she is known as "Lady Prenne" or "Lady of Beauty" (Zonja Prende or Zonja e Bukurisë).
She is revered as the goddess of dawn, love, beauty, and fertility, and is considered the Albanian equivalent of Roman Venus, Norse Freyja, and Greek Aphrodite. According to some traditions, she is believed to be the daughter of Zojz, the Albanian sky and lightning god.
The title "daughter of the sky-god" is commonly found in Indo-European traditions and is associated with the dawn goddess. Her sacred day is Friday, named "e premte" in Albanian. She is often associated with Venus, the morning star (Hylli i Dritës, Afêrdita), and the evening star (Ylli i Mbrëmjes, Afërdita).
Perëndí
Another word that bears mentioning is "Perëndí," a name for God, the sky, and heaven in the Albanian language. It is capitalized when referring to the Supreme Being and takes the plural forms "perëndí" for deities. Its roots can be traced back to Old Albanian literature, where it was first mentioned in the late 16th century. Interestingly, "Perëndí" has undergone a fascinating transformation over time, originally used differently from its present meaning as the name of the Deity.
The origin of "Perëndí" remains an enigma, with scholars proposing several fascinating etymological theories. Some believe it may have evolved from the Latin word "imperāns," meaning "commanding" or "ruling." Others suggest a link to the Albanian verb "perëndoj," which means "to set of the sun," possibly connecting it to the ancient Albanian Sun cult. Intriguingly, "Perëndí" could have been a sky and thunder god in Albanian pagan mythology, akin to the weather and storm gods revered by the ancient Illyrians.
Beliefs, Rituals & Practices
Prende was once worshiped in northern Albania, particularly by Albanian women in the ancient past. Her festival was celebrated on July 26 every year, where devotees would wear beautiful clothing and set out a mortar and pestle to represent sexual union. According to folk beliefs, swallows, known as "the Lady's Birds," would pull Prende across the sky in her chariot. The rainbow, also known as "the Lady's Belt," was said to connect swallows to the chariot.
When Albania was Christianized in antiquity, Prende was appropriated into Christian canon as Saint Anne, the mother of the Virgin Mary, and called "Saint Veneranda" (Albanian: Shënepremte or Prende, known in Gheg dialect as Prenne, Perende, or Petka). She was so popular in Albania that of the approximately 275 Catholic churches recorded to have existed in Albania in the late 16th and early 17th centuries, 33 were named after her, more than any other saint except Virgin Mary and Saint Nicholas. Many other Catholic and Orthodox churches were dedicated to her in the 18th and 19th centuries.
In the Kurbin valley, pilgrimages to the church of Saint Veneranda were common among both Christians and Muslims. People went there in the hope of a cure for mental illness. Prende's legacy is an intriguing mix of pagan mythology and Christian influence, with a widespread impact that lasted centuries.
Thunder-stones, believed to be formed during lightning strikes, were considered potent cult objects. They were kept in homes to bring good fortune and protection from harm. Additionally, invoking "Perëndí" in incantations and songs was a traditional way of praying for rain during times of drought. The ancient ritual of rainmaking, still observed in some regions, sought to bring life-giving showers to nourish the earth and its inhabitants.
In this series we will examine the various fertility cults throughout the history of Europe and find the commonalities between them. Next up I will be covering Baltic mythology and folklore.
To read the first article in this series CLICK HERE.
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