Shurdh ( sq-definite, Shurdhi) is a weather and storm god in Albanian pagan mythology, who causes

hailstorms Hail is a form of solid precipitation. It is distinct from ice pellets (American English "sleet"), though the two are often confused. It consists of balls or irregular lumps of ice, each of which is called a hailstone. Ice pellets generally fal ...

and throws thunder and lightning. Shurdh was worshiped in northern

Albania Albania ( ; sq, Shqipëri or ), or , also or . officially the Republic of Albania ( sq, Republika e Shqipërisë), is a country in Southeastern Europe. It is located on the Adriatic and Ionian Seas within the Mediterranean Sea and shares ...

until recent times. He is thought to have been an ancient Illyrian god. In Albanian mythology Shurdhi is the counterpart of the fire, water and wind god

Verbti Verbt ( sq-definite, Verbti) is a fire, water and wind god in Albanian pagan mythology. He controls fire, water as the opposite element to fire, and the northern wind which fans the flames of fire. Also known as ''Shën Verbti'' or ''Rmoria'', he ...

. Shurdhi could be related to the sky and lightning god Zojz, and to the presumable sky and weather god

Perëndi Perëndi ( sq-definite, Perëndia) is an Albanian noun for God, deity, sky and heaven. It is used capitalized to refer to the Supreme Being, and uncapitalized for "deity", "sky" and "heaven". Name Description In Albanian, ''Perëndí'' (de ...

. Some of Shurdhi's attributes can be found in the mythological figure of

drangue The drangùe ( sq-definite, drangùa, drangòni) is a semi-human winged divine figure in Albanian mythology and folklore, associated with weather and storms. Babies destined to become drangue are born with their heads covered in caul and with two ...

Etymology

The name ''Shurdhi'' appears to be connected with the

Albanian Albanian may refer to: *Pertaining to Albania in Southeast Europe; in particular: **Albanians, an ethnic group native to the Balkans **Albanian language **Albanian culture **Demographics of Albania, includes other ethnic groups within the country ...

term ''i shurdhët'' meaning "the deaf one", however, this link seems to be only a coincidence, since the name ''Shurdh'' must be a compound of ''*seuro'', "water" (cf. Albanian '' shurrë'' "urine"), and ''*dos'' "giver/donor" (cf. Albanian '' dhashë/dha'', "I gave/he gave"); his name thus means "water donor". Some scholars believe that ''Shurdh'' seems to be related to the theonym Zibelsurdus found in ancient

Thracian The Thracians (; grc, Θρᾷκες ''Thrāikes''; la, Thraci) were an Indo-European speaking people who inhabited large parts of Eastern and Southeastern Europe in ancient history.. "The Thracians were an Indo-European people who occupied t ...

epigraphic monuments.

Description

According to folk beliefs, Shurdhi travels using storm clouds which announce

hailstorm Hail is a form of solid precipitation. It is distinct from ice pellets (American English "sleet"), though the two are often confused. It consists of balls or irregular lumps of ice, each of which is called a hailstone. Ice pellets generally fal ...

s when he arrives. He can be greeted and turned away with noise and gunshots. The Albanologist

Baron Nopcsa Baron is a rank of nobility or title of honour, often hereditary, in various European countries, either current or historical. The female equivalent is baroness. Typically, the title denotes an aristocrat who ranks higher than a lord or ...

identified Shurdhi with the ancient

thunder deity Zibelsurdus, who was also greeted with weapons. According to Karl Treimer, the basic form ''perejont-'', "the striker", of the Albanian divine name

may be an epithet of the thunderstorm god Shurdh, who may have been a favorite god since he refreshed pastures and fields and was probably also of a warlike nature after his epithet. The name 'Shurdhi' could be related to the name of the island of

Shurdhah Shurdhah ( sq, Ishulli i Shurdhahut) is an island in northern Albania in the Vau i Dejës Hydroelectric Power Station, Vau i Dejës Reservoir. It was formed after the flooding of the Drin River, Drin river valley during the construction of the HPS ...

, near

Shkodër Shkodër ( , ; sq-definite, Shkodra) is the fifth-most-populous city of the Republic of Albania and the seat of Shkodër County and Shkodër Municipality. The city sprawls across the Plain of Mbishkodra between the southern part of Lake Shkod ...

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* * * * * Albanian mythology Sky and weather gods {{europe-myth-stub

Etymology

Description

See also

Sources

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Bibliography