This article is about the mythology of the country of Georgia.
Georgian myths and legends are preserved mainly as popular tales. Many of them have eventually fused with Christian legends after the Christianization of Georgia more than fifteen centuries ago.
The most well known Georgian mythic characters include:
- Ali was a beautiful temptress goddess of rivers and woods.
- Amirani, was a mythic hero, son of Dali and the hunter Darjelani. Prototype of Greek Prometheus.
- Armazi, god of gods, the great god, conqueror of the world, lighter of the sun, giver of rain, who caused the fruits of the earth to grow, was the main god in Kartli’s (Iberia) official religion established by King Parnavaz of Iberia (4th century, BCE). According to the legend, an immense statue of Armazi was crushed by the lighting after St Nino’s prayer. Armazi is also the name of an ancient fortress near Mtskheta that dates from the same period.
- Baaduri, was a warrior, son of the gods, enemy of all evil.
- Dali, Deyla or Dalila, was the hunt goddess and 'lady of stones and animals'. She was believed to be a temptress and to have many love affairs with hunters brutally killing those who betrayed her.
- Devi, giants, usually believed to be evil beings.
- Dilis Varskvlavi (the Morning Star), the winter god, was a servant of Tamar(i).
- Gatsi and Gaim, were gods in official the Iberian pantheon according to the medieval annals.
- Iakhsari, mythic hero, was a son of Morige and a close friend of Baaduri.
- Kopala, was a mythic hero, mighty warrior (archer) and a demon killer.
- Lamara, goddess, was called ‘eye of the earth’.
- Leucothenia (the White Goddess), was a Greek name for Georgian (Kolkheti) goddess of sea.
- Memuka, was brother of Baaduri.It is believed that he studied witchcraft and wanted to become immortal.
- Morige, was creator, the Lord of the Sky sitting on a golden throne.
- Mzeqala (Sun-woman) was the sun goddess, patroness of grape growing. Later identified with Saint Barbara (Barbare, Barbale in Georgian).
- Pirkhusha was a smith, making Kopala’s arrows.
- Tamar, goddess of sky, riding on a snake, is identified with Lamara.
- Tetri Giorgi (White George), popular character in Georgian mythology, was a warrior and a moon god. Later Tetri Giorgi became one of the names of Saint George in the mountainous eastern Georgia.
- Zadeni, was the god of fertility in the Iberian official pantheon established by Parnavaz I.
See also
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This page uses content from the English Wikipedia. The original article was at Georgian mythology. The list of authors can be seen in the page history. |