Adversary Lord of the Earth-Water
Mari · deity · mythic · Recorded classification
Mari ⟨Керемет⟩ Keremet; the same word also denotes the local cult-place/spirit. Ultimately a borrowing of Arabic-via-Turkic karāmat, but fully indigenized as the adversary-deity.
Domains
- underworld and water
- retribution
Powers
- works against the good god's creation and demands appeasement
- curses and afflicts those who break ritual or commit wrong
Relations
- sibling: Great Sky-God of the MariIn the Mari dualist creation Keremet is the younger brother of the great sky god, born to mar the work of creation.Uno Holmberg, Finno-Ugric, Siberian Mythology (Mythology of All Races IV, 1927) (secondary)
- enemy: Great Sky-God of the MariThe standing adversary of Kugu Yumo, corrupting his creation and receiving propitiation at the keremet groves.Uno Holmberg, Finno-Ugric, Siberian Mythology (Mythology of All Races IV, 1927) (secondary)
Sources
- Keremet is the chief adversary of Kugu Yumo in Mari religion, lord of earth and especially water, who records misdeeds and distributes punishment, propitiated at separate sacred sites.: Sebeok, Thomas A., and Frances J. Ingemann. Studies in Cheremis: The Supernatural. Viking Fund, 1956. (secondary); Toidybekova, L. S. Mari Mythology: Encyclopedic Reference. Yoshkar-Ola, 2007. (secondary)