Lamaria

Article summary

Lamaria (also Lamara or Lamia; ) is a goddess in Georgian mythology, specifically of the Svan ethnic subgroup. Like many other deities of the Svan pantheon, her name is derived from a Christian figure; in her case, Mary, mother of Jesus. Lamaria is the goddess of the hearth, protector of cattle, and a protector of women – particularly during childbirth. She also ensured the fertility of a village's grain fields. She was also known as a patron of beekeeping, although that function was later assigned to the Svan interpretation of St. George. Lamaria is generally categorized today as a goddess of female functions and spaces. She was venerated by women either inside their homes in the absence of men (the "interior of the interior"), or in small shrines in uninhabited spaces outside a village's boundaries (the "exterior of the exterior"). This was in contrast to religious rituals performed by men for male functions, which were either performed at public rituals inside the home, or within remote churches far up mountainsides (the "exterior of the interior" and the "interior of the exterior", respectively). Offerings made to Lamaria included cloth, jewelry, and beads. Sometimes, portable hearths were used for outdoor rituals involving Lamaria. Lamaria was also sometimes associated with or considered equivalent to Barbol, another goddess of feminine and domestic functions.…

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