Homestead-Mother of the Mordvins

Erzya ⟨Юрт ава⟩ Jurt ava (jurt 'homestead/house-site' + ava 'mother'); Moksha Yurkhtava. The household pantheon also includes Kud-ava (home-mother), Kardaz-ava (yard/barn-mother) and Ban'a-ava (sauna-mother); Yurt-ava is the owner of the homestead as a whole. The cult-title azor-ava ('master-mother') typifies the whole Mordvin spirit-owner system.

Domains

• household and homestead
• dwelling and property

Powers

• protects the dwelling, its yard, property and cattle

Sources

• Abercromby, J. 'The Beliefs and Religious Superstitions of the Mordvins.' The Folk-Lore Journal 7, 1889.
• Hamari, Arja, & Rigina Ajanki. 'Mordvin (Erzya and Moksha).' The Oxford Guide to the Uralic Languages. OUP, 2022, ch. 23 (household deities: Kudava, Yurtava/Yurkhtava, Kardazava, Baniava).