Iavnana ( ka, იავნანა) is a genre of

Georgian Georgian may refer to: Common meanings * Anything related to, or originating from Georgia (country) ** Georgians, an indigenous Caucasian ethnic group ** Georgian language, a Kartvelian language spoken by Georgians **Georgian scripts, three scrip ...

folk song Folk music is a music genre that includes #Traditional folk music, traditional folk music and the Contemporary folk music, contemporary genre that evolved from the former during the 20th-century folk revival. Some types of folk music may be c ...

, traditionally intended as a lullaby, but historically sung also as healing songs for the sick children. Some of the Iavnana lyrics are, however, of didactical or heroic character. The name of the genre comes from its refrain ''iavnana'' (or ''iavnaninao'', ''nana naninao'', etc.), which contains the vocable ''nana'' (ნანა), purportedly derived from the name of a pagan mother goddess. Some of its variants, e.g., ''iavnana vardo nana'', combine the names of the two flowers

violet Violet may refer to: Common meanings * Violet (color), a spectral color with wavelengths shorter than blue * One of a list of plants known as violet, particularly: ** ''Viola'' (plant), a genus of flowering plants Places United States * Viol ...

(''ia'') and

rose A rose is either a woody perennial flowering plant of the genus ''Rosa'' (), in the family Rosaceae (), or the flower it bears. There are over three hundred species and tens of thousands of cultivars. They form a group of plants that can be ...

(''vardi'') which frequently feature in Georgian folklore and classical literature, and are commonly associated with feminine and masculine symbols, respectively. Over sixty versions of "Iavnanas" have been recorded. Most of these lullabies are sung directly to the child, and are largely preserved in modern-day Georgia. Many of the Iavnana variants, however, were "healing songs" performed specifically in the presence of the sick child, but addressed to the "lords" (''batonebi'') or "angels" (''angelozebi''), the spirits who were popularly believed to have taken possession of the patient suffering from

smallpox Smallpox was an infectious disease caused by variola virus (often called smallpox virus) which belongs to the genus Orthopoxvirus. The last naturally occurring case was diagnosed in October 1977, and the World Health Organization (WHO) c ...

measles Measles is a highly contagious infectious disease caused by measles virus. Symptoms usually develop 10–12 days after exposure to an infected person and last 7–10 days. Initial symptoms typically include fever, often greater than , cough, ...

scarlet fever Scarlet fever, also known as Scarlatina, is an infectious disease caused by ''Streptococcus pyogenes'' a Group A streptococcus (GAS). The infection is a type of Group A streptococcal infection (Group A strep). It most commonly affects childr ...

or other infectious diseases. The Iavnana motifs have been exploited in their poetry by several Georgian poets such as

Ilia Chavchavadze Prince Ilia Chavchavadze ( ka, ილია ჭავჭავაძე; 8 November 1837 – 12 September 1907) was a Georgian public figure, journalist, publisher, writer and poet who spearheaded the revival of Georgian nationalism during the ...

Akaki Tsereteli Count Akaki Tsereteli ( ka, აკაკი წერეთელი) (1840–1915), often mononymously known as Akaki,Sometimes mistakenly rendered in Russian as Akakiy. Georgian spelling Akaki and Russian spelling Akakiy are both derived from th ...

, and

Galaktion Tabidze Galaktion Tabidze ( ka, გალაკტიონ ტაბიძე), simply referred to as Galaktioni ( ka, გალაკტიონი),(November 17, 1892 – March 17, 1959), was a Georgian poet of the twentieth century whose writings pr ...

.გ. ჩხიკვაძე (G. Chkhikvadze), "იავნანა" (''Iavnana''). ქართული საბჭოთა ენციკლოპედია (''Georgian Soviet Encyclopaedia''), p. 37.

Tbilisi Tbilisi ( ; ka, თბილისი ), in some languages still known by its pre-1936 name Tiflis ( ), is the Capital city, capital and the List of cities and towns in Georgia (country), largest city of Georgia (country), Georgia, lying on the ...

: 1980.

References

Music of Georgia (country) Folk songs Georgian words and phrases Songs of Georgia (country) {{Georgia-stub