The vatër ( sq-definite, vatra) is the domestic hearth in

Albanian folklore Albanian folk beliefs ( sq, Besimet folklorike shqiptare) comprise the beliefs expressed in the customs, rituals, myths, legends and tales of the Albanian people. The elements of Albanian mythology are of Paleo-Balkanic origin and almost all o ...

. The fire of the domestic hearth, zjarri i vatrës, is considered the sustainer of the continuity between the world of the living and that of the dead, and ensures the continuity of the tribe (''

fis FIS or fis may refer to: Science and technology * '' Fis'', an ''E. Coli'' gene * Fis phenomenon, a phenomenon in linguistics * F♯ (musical note) * Flight information service, an air traffic control service * Frame Information Structure, a Se ...

'') from generation to generation.

Etymology

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 ''vatër'', "

hearth A hearth () is the place in a home where a fire is or was traditionally kept for home heating and for cooking, usually constituted by at least a horizontal hearthstone and often enclosed to varying degrees by any combination of reredos (a lo ...

", "

fireplace A fireplace or hearth is a structure made of brick, stone or metal designed to contain a fire. Fireplaces are used for the relaxing ambiance they create and for heating a room. Modern fireplaces vary in heat efficiency, depending on the design. ...

", is derived from

Proto-Indo-European Proto-Indo-European (PIE) is the reconstructed common ancestor of the Indo-European language family. Its proposed features have been derived by linguistic reconstruction from documented Indo-European languages. No direct record of Proto-Indo-E ...

', and is related to the

Avestan Avestan (), or historically Zend, is an umbrella term for two Old Iranian languages: Old Avestan (spoken in the 2nd millennium BCE) and Younger Avestan (spoken in the 1st millennium BCE). They are known only from their conjoined use as the scrip ...

, "fire".

Tradition

The function of the fire of the domestic hearth (''zjarri i vatrës'') is the sustenance of the continuity between the world of the living and that of the dead. After death, the souls of the ancestors (''hije'') assume a divine connotation and remain in contact with the family protecting the domestic hearth. In Albanian tradition, the fire of the domestic hearth is protected also by

Nëna e Vatrës 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, associated with fire worship, the cult of the ancestor and the cult of the w ...

(the Mother of the Hearth), a beneficent deity akin to

Greek Greek may refer to: Greece Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group. *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family. **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...

Hestia In ancient Greek religion and mythology, Hestia (; grc-gre, Ἑστία, meaning "hearth" or "fireside") is the virgin goddess of the hearth, the right ordering of domesticity, the family, the home, and the state. In myth, she is the firstborn ...

and

Roman Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a letter ...

Vesta. At feasts, people used to practice sacrificial offerings to the deities throwing some of the food they prepared into the fire of the domestic hearth and around the hearth. ''Zjarri i vatrës'' also ensures the continuity of the tribe (''

'') from generation to generation. In Albanian tradition, indeed, the lineage is identified with an original fire (''zjarr''); the members of a tribe are the ones who come "from the same fire" (''pe një zjarri''). The fire burns into the hearth (''vatër''), where it assumes another connotation besides the primordial concept: the fire of the domestic hearth is considered also as a place of common existence and commensality.

Sources

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Bibliography

* * * * * {{refend Domestic and hearth deities Albanian mythology

Etymology

Tradition

See also

Sources

Citations

Bibliography