Zana (mythology)

Zana (Zanë in Gheg or Zërë in Tosk[1][2] pl. zanë/t, Zonjë in Arbëreshë) is an Albanian mythological figure of pre-Roman Paleo-Balkan origin,[3][4] usually associated with mountains, vegetation and sometimes destiny.[5] The zana are thought to have observed the speeches at the League of Prizren at 1878.[6] Similar Albanian mythological figures are: Ora, Bardha, Shtojzovalle, Mira and Fatí.

Etymology

The name Zanë/Zërë probably derives from Albanian: zë/-ri, zâ/-ni, 'voice', with the sense of muse.[2] Alternatively, it may be a cognate of the Latin Diāna and Romanian zână/zînă.[4][7] From this point of view, it may be related to Proto-Indo-European Dyeus ('bright, sky, deity'), both ultimately deriving from *dyeu 'sky'. An Arbëreshë variant of the name is Zónja or Zónja të Jáshtëme, the latter is found also in standard Albanian as Jashtësme, an euphemism of Zana, while zonjë is the common term for "lady".

Attributes

Zana is considered to have been the local pre-Roman deity of vegetation, the Albanian equivalent of the Roman goddess Diana,[7] however there is no conclusive evidence of this.[3] Zana may also be related to the Thracian goddess Bendis.[8] The original Zana was escorted by three wild goats with golden horns.[9][3] In Northern Albania and Kosovo every mountain was said to have its own zana, who appeared as a fair maiden found bathing naked in mountain streams.[1] The zana is believed to be extremely courageous, a formidable opponent, who can bestow her protection on warriors.[1] In Albanian there is a notable expression, Ai ishte trim si zana, meaning, "He was as brave as a fairy", used to refer to very courageous individuals.[10] The zana is believed to have the power to petrify humans with a glance.[9]

Fate

In northern Albania, the zana are represented—similarly to the ora and to the southern Albanian fatí—as a group of three mythological goddesses who congregate in the night to decide the baby's destiny at birth and distribute their favors. Three types of Fates are believed to exist among the inhabitants of the Dukagjini highlands: e Bardha (the White One) distributes good luck and provides humans well, e Verdha (the Yellow One) distributes bad luck and castes evil spells, and e Zeza (the Black One) decides death.[11]

Appearances in folklore

The zana appear in many folktales and in the Albanian oral tradition. A zana appears, for example, in the Albanian folktale The Lover's Grave. She appears to a young army captain, Bedri, who prostrates himself at her feet and must be reassured that she means him no harm. On the contrary, she warns Bedri to beware a wooden beam and a doe, and that he is not safe when he is "at the root". Bedri goes on to meet a beautiful woman, with whom he elopes, pursued by soldiers who know from his pronunciation of the word for "wooden beam" that he comes from an area with which they are at war. Bedri learns that his beloved's name is Dre, meaning doe, and the soldiers capture and kill the couple outside the town of Nderendje - the name of which means "at the root".[12] They are comparable with the Valkyries of the Nordic mythology, and other branches of Balkan and European folklore like that of the Romanian zina and southern Slav Vila.

From Albanian literature by Robert Elsie:[6]

The Zana of mount Vizitor provides an idyllic interlude to the fighting. The Great Zana is outraged at witnessing the murder of her childhood companion Tringa. She brings the body back to the Alpine pastures where it is buried ceremoniously at the foot of a linden tree. In a spirit of vengerance the Great Zana calls upon all good men to hasten to the battlefield of Noshiq.

Lahuta e Malcís, a classic work of Albanian folk tradition published in the 1920s, includes several appearances by zana. In one canto the zana of the Šar Mountains watches over local noblemen as they rally against the Treaty of San Stefano (which awarded areas hitherto under Albanian rule to Prince Nikola of Montenegro), and delights in their speeches and rhetoric.[6] In another, the "great zana" issues a call to arms for all willing Albanian men to avenge the murder of the maiden Tringa by Slav bandits.[6]

See also

Sources

Citations
  1. Fishta 2005, p. 471.
  2. The Journal of Indo-European Studies. University of Virginia. 1996. pp. 345–346.
  3. Lurker 2004, p. 207.
  4. Elsie 2001, p. 269.
  5. Doja 2005, p. 456.
  6. Elsie 2005, p. 123–125.
  7. Treimer 1971, p. 28.
  8. Poghirc 1987, p. 179.
  9. Bonnefoy 1993, p. 253.
  10. Zymberi 1991, p. 142.
  11. Doja 2005, pp. 456–457.
  12. Elsie, Robert. "Albanian literature in translation: The Lover's Grave". Retrieved 14 June 2009.

Bibliography
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