Dartsa-Nana, the Blizzard-Mother

Vainakh blizzard-and-avalanche goddess of Mount Kazbek, one of the elemental '-nana' (mother) deities. English 'Dartsa-Nana, the Blizzard-Mother' leads; native Дарца-нана (Dartsa-nana) in term. SOLITARY: described as a solitary mountain-goddess with no individuated kin, spouse or parentage in the sources (Hunt, Legends of the Caucasus 2012; Tsaroïeva 2005; the Vainakh-religion survey). The 'mother' (-nana) of her name is an elemental epithet, not an attested genealogical tie.

Domains

• blizzards and snowstorms
• avalanches
• the high mountain of Kazbek

Powers

• raise blizzards and snowstorms
• loose the death-dealing avalanches
• ward the magic circle on Kazbek

Epithets

• Дарца-нана Vainakh · Dartsa-nana · epithetBlizzard-MotherMariel Tsaroïeva, Anciennes croyances des Ingouches et des Tchétchènes; Vainakh-religion survey (secondary)

Sources

• Dartsa-Nana (Дарца-нана, 'Blizzard-mother') is the Vainakh goddess of blizzards and avalanches; she dwells on the snowy summit of Mount Kazbek, around which she has traced a magic circle no mortal of sense dare cross, casting trespassers into the abyss beneath her death-dealing snows.: David Hunt, Legends of the Caucasus (Saqi Books, 2012) (secondary); Mariel Tsaroïeva, Anciennes croyances des Ingouches et des Tchétchènes (Paris: Maisonneuve & Larose, 2005) (secondary); Vainakh religion, Wikipedia (Dartsa-Naana) (tertiary)