Mari (goddess)
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Mari, also called Mari Urraca, Anbotoko Mari ("the lady of Anboto"), and Murumendiko Dama ("lady of Murumendi"), is the main goddess of the pre-Christian Basque mythology. She is married to the god Sugaar (also known as Sugoi or Maju). Legends connect her to the weather: when she and Maju travel together hail will fall, her departures from her cave will be accompanied by storms or droughts, and which cave she lives in at different times will determine dry or wet weather: wet when she is in Anboto; dry when she is elsewhere (the details vary). Other places where she is said to dwell include the chasm of Murumendi, the cave of Gurutzegorri (Ataun), Aizkorri and Aralar, although it is not always possible to be certain which Basque legends should be considered as the origin.
Etymology
It is believed that Mari is a modification of Emari (gift) or Amari (mother + the suffix of profession) by losing the first vowel. The closeness in names between
Myths associated with Mari
Mari is the main character of Basque mythology, having a god-like nature, unlike other creatures that share the same spiritual environment. Mari is often witnessed as a woman dressed in red. She is also seen as a woman of fire, woman-tree and as thunderbolt. Additionally, she is identified with red animals (cow, ram, horse), and with the black he-goat. Mari is associated with various forces of nature, including thunder and wind.
Mari lives underground, normally in a cave in a high mountain, where she and her consort
Christianization
The most accepted syncretism is with the Virgin Mary; she is widely venerated by modern Catholic Basques.
See also
References
- Jose Miguel Barandiaran and Juan Thalamas Labandibar.
- ^ Esteban de Garibay Zamalloa, Memorial histórico español: colección de documentos, opúsculos y antigüedades, Tomo VII.
External links
- Mari and other Basque legends, Buber Basque Page
Further reading
- Luis de Barandiarán Irízar (editor), A View From The Witch's Cave: Folktales of The Pyrenees (Reno: University of Nevada Press, 1991). ISBN 0-87417-176-8
- Toti Martínez de Lezea "Leyendas de Euskal Herria". Erein 2004