Mari, also called Mari Urraca, Anbotoko Mari ("the Lady of Anboto"), and Murumendiko Dama ("Lady of Murumendi"), is the main

goddess A goddess is a female deity. In some faiths, a sacred female figure holds a central place in religious prayer and worship. For example, Shaktism (one of the three major Hinduism, Hindu sects), holds that the ultimate deity, the source of all re ...

of the ancient

Basque mythology The mythology of the ancient Basques largely did not survive the arrival of Christianity in the Basque Country between the 4th and 12th century AD. Most of what is known about elements of this original belief system is based on the analysis o ...

, who is said to mainly live on the eastern slope of Mount Anboto (1,330 metres). From there she takes care of the environment and dispenses justice. When clouds appear around Anboto it is said the this is because Mari has returned to her home on this mountain, the so-called "Cave of The Lady". She is married to the

god In monotheistic belief systems, God is usually viewed as the supreme being, creator, and principal object of faith. In polytheistic belief systems, a god is "a spirit or being believed to have created, or for controlling some part of the un ...

Sugaar (also known as Sugoi or Maju). Legends connect her to the weather: when she and Maju travel together

hail Hail is a form of solid Precipitation (meteorology), 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 hailsto ...

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 for her 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 Mari and Mary may have helped pagans adapt their worship of Mari and undertake Christian veneration of the

Virgin Mary Mary was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Saint Joseph, Joseph and the mother of Jesus. She is an important figure of Christianity, venerated under titles of Mary, mother of Jesus, various titles such as Perpetual virginity ...

, (, Biscayan: ). The first known written citation of the "Dame of Amboto" was made by Charles V's chronicler Esteban de Garibay Zamalloa in his Memorial histórico español. Esteban de Garibay Zamalloa, ''Memorial histórico español: colección de documentos, opúsculos y antigüedades'', Tomo VII.

Myths associated with Mari

Mari is the main character of

, having the nature of a deity, unlike other creatures who share the same spiritual environment. Mari is often represented as a woman dressed in red. She is also seen as a woman of fire, a woman-tree, and as a thunderbolt. Mari is associated with various forces of nature, including

thunder Thunder is the sound caused by lightning. Depending upon the distance from and nature of the lightning, it can range from a long, low rumble to a sudden, loud crack. The sudden increase in temperature and hence pressure caused by the lightning pr ...

and

wind Wind is the natural movement of atmosphere of Earth, air or other gases relative to a planetary surface, planet's surface. Winds occur on a range of scales, from thunderstorm flows lasting tens of minutes, to local breezes generated by heatin ...

. Additionally, she is identified with red animals (cow, ram, horse), and with the black he-goat. Mari lives underground, normally in a cave in a high mountain, where she and her consort Sugaar meet every Friday (the night of the '' Akelarre'' or witch-meeting) to conceive the storms that will bring fertility, or sometimes disaster, to the land and the people. Mari is served by a court of ''

sorginak Sorginak (Root (linguistics), root form: ''sorgin'', Absolutive case, absolutive case (singular): ''sorgina'') are the assistants of the goddess Mari (goddess), Mari in Basque mythology. It is also the Basque name for witches, priests and prieste ...

'' (witches), and is said to feed "on the negation and affirmation" (that is, on falsehood).

Christianization

The most accepted syncretism of Mari is with the

; she is widely venerated by modern Catholic Basques. However, Santa Marina of Aguas Santas, a saint revered in the Basque Country, is considered a christianised version of Mari. Basque women invoke Santa Marina for protection against curses and aid in childbirth.

References

External links

Mari and other Basque legends
Buber Basque Page

Etymology

Myths associated with Mari

Christianization

See also

References

External links

Further reading