Shurdh

Shurdh (definite Albanian form: Shurdhi) is a weather and storm god in Albanian mythology and folklore, who causes hailstorms and throws thunder and lightning. Worshiped in northern Albania until recent times, he is thought to have been an ancient Illyrian god.[1][2] In Albanian mythology Shurdhi is the counterpart of another weather god, Verbti.[3] They both could be related to Zojz and Perëndi, and some of their attributes are found in the mythological figure of drangue.[2]

Etymology

The name Shurdhi appears to be connected with the Albanian term i shurdhët meaning "the deaf one",[4] however this link seems to be only a coincidence, since the name Shurdh must be a compound of *seuro, "water" (cf. Albanian shurrë "urine"), and *dos "giver/donor" (cf. Albanian dhashë/dha, "I gave/he gave"); his name thus means "water donor".[2] Shurd seems to be related to the theonym Zibelsurdus found in ancient Thracian epigraphic monuments.[2][4][5]

Description

According to folk beliefs, Shurdhi travels using storm clouds which announce hailstorms when he arrives. He can be greeted and turned away with noise and gunshots. The Albanologist Baron Nopcsa identified Shurdhi with the ancient Thracian thunder deity Zibelsurdus, who was also greeted with weapons.[4][5] According to Karl Treimer, the basic form perejont-, "the striker", of the Albanian divine name Perëndi may be an epithet of the thunderstorm god Shurdh, who may have been a favorite god since he refreshed pastures and fields and was probably also of a warlike nature after his epithet. The name 'Shurdhi' could be related to the name of the island of Shurdhah, near Shkodër.[2]

See also

Sources

Citations
  1. Jordan 2004, p. 284.
  2. Treimer 1971, pp. 31–33.
  3. Elsie 2001, pp. 238–259.
  4. Elsie 2001, p. 238.
  5. Lurker 2004, p. 172.

Bibliography
  • Elsie, Robert (January 2001). A Dictionary of Albanian Religion, Mythology and Folk Culture. C. Hurst & Co. Publishers. ISBN 978-1-85065-570-1.
  • Jordan, Michael (August 2004). Dictionary of gods and goddesses. Infobase Publishing. ISBN 978-0-8160-5923-2.
  • Lurker, Manfred (2004). The Routledge dictionary of gods and goddesses, devils and demons. Psychology Press. ISBN 978-0-415-34018-2.
  • Treimer, Karl (1971). "Zur Rückerschliessung der illyrischen Götterwelt und ihre Bedeutung für die südslawische Philologie". In Henrik Barić (ed.). Arhiv za Arbanasku starinu, jezik i etnologiju. I. R. Trofenik. pp. 27–33.


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