Supernatural Beings Identified with Christian Saints Codexery

Fælværa

Ossetian deity protector of sheep and cattle.

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Fælværa is an Ossetian mythological protector of sheep and cattle, also identified with the hunting deity Æfsati and rival of the wolf deity Tutyr.[1] An 1870 newspaper article called him the "god of cattle" represented as a ram, asked to increase livestock and grant children to women.[2]

Quick Facts

Field
Ossetian mythology
Nationality
Ossetian
Also known as
Falvara
Ossetian name
Фæлвæра
Domain
Protector of sheep and cattle
Associated deity
Æfsati
Rival
Tutyr
Ritual embodiment
Ram

Facts from the source article.

Life and work

Vsevolod Miller proposed that the name Fælværa derives from the saints Florus and Laurus, an etymology supported by Vasily Abaev and Georges Dumézil.[3] He was not always favorable to the Narts, and when the supreme god Hytsau decided to punish them, Fælværa conducted his wrath.[4] He participated in Nart feasts as a friend, often called kind and generous.[5] Among the honorary matchmakers for Atsamaz's courtship of Agunda was Fælværa, whose seat was Mount Kariu in the Kurtatin gorge.[6]

One of the Sun's daughters married Fælværa's son Dzudzumar, but his attempts to seduce the Narts' mother Satana failed when she threatened him with an old broom.[7] From heaven, Fælværa inflicted a plague upon the Narts' livestock.[4] Fælværa's appearance is that of a man missing his left eye; Tutyr knocked it out so that wolves could approach sheep undetected from the left side.[5] Among those matchmakers, Fælværa held the position of the youngest.[6]

What the cited sources add

Ethnographic research records that a boiled ram's head, part of its back, a leg and tail fat were placed before elders during a South Ossetian holiday in August, symbolizing Fælværa's presence.[8] An Ossetian praising someone's humility and meekness would say "He looks like Fælværa," a proverb that has persisted to the present day, reflecting Fælværa's proverbial good-heartedness.[9]

References

  1. Wikipedia, "Fælværa" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Abaev, "Historical and etymological dictionary of the Ossetian language", Publishing House of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR, 1979, p. 442–443; Darchiev, "Фалвара и Мыкалгабыр — Fælværa and Mykalgabyr", sevosetia.ru; Kochiev K. K., "From the history of pastoral cults of Ossetians. Fælværa", 1985, p. 157 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  2. Wikipedia, "Fælværa" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Darchiev, "Фалвара и Мыкалгабыр — Fælværa and Mykalgabyr", sevosetia.ru; Darchiev, "Фалвара и Мыкалгабыр — Fælværa and Mykalgabyr", sevosetia.ru (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  3. Wikipedia, "Fælværa" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Miller, "Ossetian studies", Scientific Notes of the Imperial Moscow University. Department of historical and philological, 1882, p. 244, 278–279; Abaev, "Selected works: Religion, folklore, literature", 1990, p. 130; Abaev, "Historical and etymological dictionary of the Ossetian language", Publishing House of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR, 1958, p. 442–443; Dumézil, "Ossetian epic and mythology", Science, 1976, p. 13, 140 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  4. Wikipedia, "Fælværa" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Jykkaity, "Нарты кадджыт - ирон адӕмы эпос — Nart saga", 2003, p. 241 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  5. Wikipedia, "Fælværa" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Meletinsky, "Фалвара — Fælværa, Mythological Dictionary", myths.kulichki.net, 1990, p. 672; Rakhno, "Deity of the Ossetian pantheon Fælværa", proza.ru; Dumézil, "Ossetian saga and mythology", Science, 2001, p. 21 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  6. Wikipedia, "Fælværa" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Jykkaity, "Нарты кадджыт - ирон адӕмы эпос — Nart saga", 2007, p. 350–352 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  7. Wikipedia, "Fælværa" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Chibirov, "Traditional spiritual culture of Ossetians", Russian Political Encyclopedia, 2008, p. 80; Rakhno, "Deity of the Ossetian pantheon Fælværa", proza.ru; Mamieva N., "Satana in the Ossetian Nart saga", Research Institute under the Council of Ministers of the North Ossetian ASSR, 1971 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  8. Wikipedia, "Fælværa" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Pchelin, "Ossetica: selected works on the history, ethnography and archeology of the Ossetian people", Golden Section, 2013, p. 79; Rakhno, "Deity of the Ossetian pantheon Fælværa", proza.ru (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  9. Wikipedia, "Fælværa" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Miller, "Ossetian studies", Scientific Notes of the Imperial Moscow University. Department of historical and philological, 1882, p. 244, 278–279; Pchelin, "Ossetica: selected works on the history, ethnography and archeology of the Ossetian people", Golden Section, 2013, p. 330; Chibirov, "Traditional spiritual culture of Ossetians", Russian Political Encyclopedia, 2008, p. 711 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org

Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article Fælværa (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.

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Ossetian mythologySouth OssetiaSacrificeNorth Ossetia

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Sources

Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.

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