Nane (goddess)
Encyclopedia
Nane or the "Great Mother Goddess" was a pagan Armenian goddess of war, motherhood, and wisdom.
. Her cult was closely associated with the cult of the goddess Anahit
.
of the goddess Nane was in the town of Thil
(T'il). Her temple was destroyed during the Christianization of Armenia
:
“Then they crossed the Gayl
(Lycus) River and demolished the temple of Nane, Aramazd's daughter, in the town of T'il”.
“Gregory then asked the king
for permission to overthrow and destroy the pagan shrines and temples. Drtad readily issued an edict entrusting Gregory with this task, and himself set out from the city to destroy shrines along the highways."
in Europe
.
, and Nanaia. However, the Armenian goddess name Nane should not be confused with the names of the Asian Minor goddess Nana (Nane), Sumerian goddess Ninni, Assyria
n goddess Nana or Nina, or Nana in the Greek mythology.
– Naneabut these are only assumptions that need evidence.
Nane’s relations to other Armenian pagan gods and goddesses
Nane was the daughter of the supreme god AramazdAramazd
Aramazd is the principal deity in Armenia's pre-Christian pantheon. He was considered the father of all gods and goddesses, the creator of heaven and earth. Aramazd was the source of earth’s fertility, making it fruitful and bountiful. The celebration in his honor was called Amanor, or New Year,...
. Her cult was closely associated with the cult of the goddess Anahit
Anahit
Anahit was the goddess of fertility and healing, wisdom and water in Armenian mythology. In early periods she was the goddess of war. By the 5th century BC she was the main deity in Armenia along with Aramazd.- Temples dedicated to Anahit :...
.
Appearance of the goddess Nane
The goddess Nane looked like a young beautiful woman in the clothing of a warrior, with spear and shield in hand.The Temple of the goddess Nane
The templeTemple
A temple is a structure reserved for religious or spiritual activities, such as prayer and sacrifice, or analogous rites. A templum constituted a sacred precinct as defined by a priest, or augur. It has the same root as the word "template," a plan in preparation of the building that was marked out...
of the goddess Nane was in the town of Thil
Thil
Thil is the name or part of the name of several communes in France:* Thil, Ain* Thil, Aube* Thil, Haute-Garonne* Thil, Marne* Thil, Meurthe-et-Moselle* Thil-Manneville, in the Seine-Maritime département...
(T'il). Her temple was destroyed during the Christianization of Armenia
Armenia
Armenia , officially the Republic of Armenia , is a landlocked mountainous country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia...
:
“Then they crossed the Gayl
Kelkit River
The Kelkit River , is a river in the Black Sea Region of Turkey. It is the longest tributary of the Yeşil River....
(Lycus) River and demolished the temple of Nane, Aramazd's daughter, in the town of T'il”.
“Gregory then asked the king
King
- Centers of population :* King, Ontario, CanadaIn USA:* King, Indiana* King, North Carolina* King, Lincoln County, Wisconsin* King, Waupaca County, Wisconsin* King County, Washington- Moving-image works :Television:...
for permission to overthrow and destroy the pagan shrines and temples. Drtad readily issued an edict entrusting Gregory with this task, and himself set out from the city to destroy shrines along the highways."
The People of the goddess Nane
In Armenia and other countries, the name Nane continues to be used as a personal name. Also. Nane’s followers were some of the ex- Paulician Armenians who were mostly Islamize and later known as PomaksPomaks
Pomaks is a term used for a Slavic Muslim population native to some parts of Bulgaria, Turkey, Greece, the Republic of Macedonia, Albania and Kosovo. The Pomaks speak Bulgarian as their native language, also referred to in Greece and Turkey as Pomak language, and some are fluent in Turkish,...
in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
.
Substitution and Parallel Names of Goddess Name
Some authors replace the name of the goddess Nane with Nanaor provide parallel names as Nanea, NanaNana (goddess)
Nana was a goddess in the ancient area corresponding to Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, and Northwest India. She can already be seen on seals of the Bactria-Margiana Archaeological Complex, dating to 2500-1500 BCE....
, and Nanaia. However, the Armenian goddess name Nane should not be confused with the names of the Asian Minor goddess Nana (Nane), Sumerian goddess Ninni, Assyria
Assyria
Assyria was a Semitic Akkadian kingdom, extant as a nation state from the mid–23rd century BC to 608 BC centred on the Upper Tigris river, in northern Mesopotamia , that came to rule regional empires a number of times through history. It was named for its original capital, the ancient city of Assur...
n goddess Nana or Nina, or Nana in the Greek mythology.
Adoptation of the Goddess Name “Nane”
According some authors the goddess Nane name is adopted name from the Akkadian goddess name Nanayaor PersianPersian language
Persian is an Iranian language within the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European languages. It is primarily spoken in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and countries which historically came under Persian influence...
– Naneabut these are only assumptions that need evidence.