Nganasan · deity · Nganasan traditional religion; continuing · deity
Tuy-nyamy, the Fire Mother, is the elemental 'mother of the world' (nguo) who inhabits the hearth fire at the centre of the Nganasan dwelling. Of all the great mothers she stood closest to daily life: the household fed her the first portions of food and fat, addressed her in domestic ritual, and was bound by prohibitions against polluting or striking the fire. She thus served as guardian of the home and as a conduit through which offerings reached the wider company of spirits. Her name carries the Nganasan word tuj 'fire'.
Domains
fire and hearth
household protection
Powers
to dwell in and animate the hearth fire of the household