Zojz (deity)

Zojz is a sky and lightning god in Albanian pagan mythology. Regarded as the chief god and the highest of all gods, traces of his worship survived in northern Albania until the early 20th century, and in some forms still continue today.

In ancient times Zojz is considered to have been presumably worshiped by Illyrians as the ancestors of the Albanians. Albanian Zojz is the clear equivalent and cognate of Messapic Zis and Ancient Greek Zeus (all from Proto-Indo-European *Di̯ḗu̯s 'sky god'). The cult practiced by the Albanians on Mount Tomorr in central Albania is considered as a continuation of the ancient Indo-European sky-god worship.

An epithet considered to be associated with the sky-god is "father", thought to be contained in the Albanian noun Zot ("Sky Father", from Proto-Albanian: *dźie̅u ̊ a(t)t-), used to refer to the Supreme Being. In Albanian the god who rules the sky is referred to as i Bukuri i Qiellit ("the Beauty of the Sky"), who is sometimes also associated with the Sun. The Albanian sky and lightning god could be related to Perëndi (another name for the Supreme Being), to Baba Tomor (father god in central Albanian folk beliefs), to Shurdh (weather and storm god in northern Albanian folk beliefs), and to the mythological demigod Drangue (Albanian culture hero).

An Albanian mythical tale concerning the highest of the gods, who uses thunderbolts to defeat the sea-storm god Talas, has been documented in the early 20th century from the Shala region in northern Albania.

Etymology
Zojz is the Albanian continuation of *Di̯ḗu̯s, the name of the Proto-Indo-European daylight-sky-god. Cognates stemming from the noun *Di̯ḗu̯s with a similar phonological development are the Messapic Zis and Greek Zeus. In the Albanian Zoj-z, Messapic Zis, and Greek Ζεύς, the original cluster *di̯ of *di̯ḗu̯s underwent affrication to *dz. In Albanian it further assibilated into *z. Other Indo-European cognates are the Rigvedic Dyáuṣ and Latin Jovis.

Sky Father
The zero grade radical of *di̯ḗu̯s and the epithet "father" are thought to be contained in an Albanian noun for the Supreme Being, Zot. It is traditionally considered to be derived from Proto-Albanian *dźie̅u ̊ a(t)t- (with the stress falling on the second member), an old compound for 'heavenly father' stemming PIE *dyew- ('sky, heaven, bright') attached to *átta ('father'), thus a cognate to PIE *Dyḗus ph₂tḗr and with its various descendants: Illyrian Dei-pátrous, Sanskrit द्यौष्पितृ (Dyáuṣ Pitṛ́), Proto-Italic *djous patēr (whence Latin Iuppiter), Ancient Greek Ζεῦ πάτερ (Zeû páter).

Beauty of the Sky
In Albanian the god/lord of the sky/heaven is also referred to as i Bukuri i Qiellit 'the Beauty of the Sky', who, according to a modern interpretation of the ancient Albanian pantheon, might be seen as the counterpart of e Bukura e Dheut 'the Beauty of the Earth' and e Bukura e Detit 'the Beauty of the Sea', who also appear in Albanian folklore.

"Divine, Goddess"
Albanian Zana "nymph, goddess", and Zonja "Goddess, Lady" (e.g. Zonja e Dheut or Zôja e Dheut and Zôja Prende or Zôja e Bukuris) are considered to contain the PAlb root *dźie̅u ̊ (< PIE *di̯ḗu̯s): Alb. zo(n)jë < PAlb *zotVnia̅ (with Alb. zot < *dźie̅u ̊ a(t)t-). Zónja (also Zónja të Jáshtëme) is the Arbëreshë variant of the Albanian theonym Zana. Ancient Greek Dióne, parallel to Latin Diāna, could be regarded as a feminine counterpart of the Sky-God. An Albanian assonant noun is ζ όνε Zonë, which appears in Albanian oaths like περ τένε ζ όνε, për tënë Zonë, "By our God/Lord", and in Old Albanian texts for Pater Noster "God the Father" (Tënëzonë, tënë-Zonë). It is equivalent to the Albanian accusative Zótënë/Zótnë, obtained through the assimilation of -tënë/-tnë into -në. At the sanctuary of Dodona the Greek Sky-God Zeus is paired with Dione, and the geographical coincidence of the Albanian case is remarkable.

"Heat of the day-time sky"
The Albanian term zúshë/zúsha "day-time heat" derives from PIE *dieu + Eús(i)-ēA₂ "heat of the day-time sky", with the stress falling on the second member.

"Daylight"
The Albanian verb din < PAlb *dī̆i̯a/i- "break of the daylight, to be bright, to shine", contains the PIE root dei̯h₂- "to be bright, to shine".

This root is thought to be found also in the second element (dí/día/dei) of the name Perëndi, one of the nouns used in Albanian to refer to the Supreme Being. Uncapitalized it is also used for "deity", or in some dialects for the "sky, heaven" with both direct and figurative meaning.

History of the cult
The confrontation between the belief systems of Pre-Indo-European populations—who favored 'Mother Earth Cults' comprising earthly beliefs, female deities and priesthood—and of Indo-European populations who favored 'Father Heaven Cults' comprising celestial beliefs, male deities and priesthood, might be reflected in the dichotomy of matriarchy and patriarchy that emerges from the two types of female warriors/active characters in Albanian epic poetry, in particular in the Kângë Kreshnikësh. Also in Albanian folk tales the victory of E Bija e Hënës dhe e Diellit ("the Daughter of the Moon and the Sun", who is described as the lightning of the sky) over the kulshedra (often described as an earthly/chthonic deity or demon) might symbolize the reflection of the supremacy of the deity of the sky over that of the underworld. On the other hand, the Albanian belief system has preserved also the importance of the cult of the earth (Alb.: Dheu).

In ancient times the sky and lightning god Zojz is considered to have been presumably worshiped by Illyrians as the ancestors of the Albanians. Albanian Zojz is the clear equivalent and cognate of Messapic Zis and Ancient Greek Zeus, the continuations of the Proto-Indo-European *Di̯ḗu̯s 'sky god'. In the pre-Christian pagan period the term Zot was presumably used in Albanian to refer to the sky father/god/lord, father-god, heavenly father (the Indo-European father daylight-sky-god).

After the first access of the ancestors of the Albanians to the Christian religion in antiquity the term Zot has been used for God, the Father and the Son (Christ). The cult of the sky is preserved in Albanian oath swearings, which are often taken by sky (e.g. për atë qiell, pasha qiellin!), as well as expressly 'by Zojz', Alb.: "Pasha Zojzin!". A typical folk expression says: Beja me rrêna ka rrufenë! "Swearing with lies, there is lightning!". The worship and practices associated to the sky and lighning deity have been preserved until the 20th century, and in some forms still continue today.

Cult, practices and folk beliefs
Early evidence of the celestial cult in Illyria is provided by 6th century BCE plaques from Lake Shkodra, which belonged to the Illyrian tribal area of what was referred in historical sources to as the Labeatae in later times. Each of those plaques portray simultaneously sacred representations of the sky and the sun, and symbolism of lighning and fire, as well as the sacred tree and birds (eagles). In those plaques there is a mythological representation of the deity, who throws lightning into a fire altar, which is held by two men (sometimes on two boats). This mythological representation is identical to the Albanian folk belief and practice associated to the lightning deity: a traditional practice during thunderstorms was to bring outdoors a fireplace (Albanian: vatër), in order to gain the favor of the deity so the thunders would not be harmful to the human community. Albanian folk beliefs regard the lightning as the "fire of the sky" (zjarri i qiellit) and consider it as the "weapon of the deity" (arma/pushka e zotit/perëndisë). Indeed an Albanian word to refer to the lightning is rrufeja, related to the Thracian rhomphaia, an ancient polearm. In those plaques, the Illyrian symbolism of the birds (eagles and two-headed eagle), finds correspondences to the myth of the Eagle of Zeus. The sacred significance of the eagle as a celestial symbol has been scrupulously preserved by Albanians, who have always considered it their animal totem.

Role
Considered as the chief god and the highest of all gods, traces of Zojz' worship survived in the Zadrima region in northern Albania until the early 20th century. The local people used to swear "Pasha Zojzin!". According to the elders, Zojzi lives among the clouds with a thunderbolt in his hand. It was believed that he notices the deeds of the people, who are frightened by his power because when he realises that people are sinning, he brings them destruction hurling his thunderbolt on the trees and the tall buildings, and burning and smashing the sinners. Local Albanian mythology has it that Zojz has a son and a daughter. His son is called Plutoni (cf. the Ancient Greek Pluto), the god of fire and the underworld. With the fire in his hand, he holds control of the center of the Earth. Plutoni used to be worshiped as well. Zojz's daughter is the goddess Prende, widely worshiped in northern Albania.

The Albanian noun Zot, used to refer to the Supreme Being, is regarded as the Albanian equivalent of the Indo-European sky-father-god. The worship of the father god, being regarded as the father of gods and humans, has survived in central Albanian mythology and folklore until today, associated with the cult of Mount Tomorr. In central Albanian folk beliefs the god associated with this mountain is euphemistically referred to as "Him of Tomorr" and "the Holy One of Tomorr", and Albanian solemn oath swearings are taken by him. He is described as an old man with a long white beard flowing down to his belt. He is accompanied by female eagles and the winds are his servants. His consort is e Bukura e Dheut ("The Beauty of the Earth"), a chthonic/earth goddess. The sister of e Bukura e Dheut is e Bukura e Detit ("The Beauty of the Sea"), a sea-goddess.

The god of the sky/heaven is regarded as the one who makes the sky cloudy or clears it up, and he is referred to as "the Beauty of the Sky" (Albanian: i Bukuri i Qiellit). According to a modern interpretation, the ancestors of the Albanians presumably had in common with the Ancient Greek theogony the tripartite division of the administration of the world into heaven, sea, and underworld, and in the same functions as the Greek deities Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades, they would have worshiped the deities referred to as the Beauty of the Sky (i Bukuri i Qiellit), the Beauty of the Sea (e Bukura e Detit), and the Beauty of the Earth (e Bukura e Dheut). The phrase "the Beauty of the Sky" continues to be used to refer to the monotheistic God in Albanian, the Beauty of the Sea and the Beauty of the Earth are kept as figures of Albanian folk beliefs and fairy tales.

Mountain cult and sacrifices
According to Albanian folk beliefs, Zojz resides on the peak of mountains such as Mount Tomorr, the highest and most inaccessible mountain of central Albania, considered the home of the deities. This tradition has been preserved in folk beliefs until recent times. The enduring sanctity of the mountain, the annual pilgrimage to its summit, and the solemn sacrifice of a white bull by the local people provide abundant evidence that the ancient cult of the sky-god on Mount Tomorr continues through the generations almost untouched by the course of political events and religious changes.

Mount Tomorr certainly seems to have been the site of a pre-Christian cult, being worshiped still today by the locals, both Christians and Muslims, as a mountain with a supernatural force—swearing solemn oaths "By Him of Tomorr" and "By the Holy One of Tomorr", and practicing ritual sacrifices of animals—long before the shrine of Abbas Ali was correlated with the sacred site. The name of the village Mbrakull/Vrakull at the foot of Mount Tomorr, which evolved through Albanian sound changes from oraculum, suggests the existence of an oracle in the area during antiquity.

Relation with the Sun
The Albanian oath taken "by the eye of the sun" (për sy të diellit) or "by the star" (për atë hyll) is related to the Sky-God worship. The Sun is considered "the Beauty of the Sky" (i Bukuri i Qiellit) by the Albanians. Oaths taken "by the sky" (për atë qiell), "by the sun" (për atë diell), "by the ray of light" (për këtë rreze drite) and "by the sunbeam" (për këtë rreze dielli) are often sworn by the Albanians. During the ceremonial ritual of celebration of the first day of spring (Albanian: Dita e Verës), "the Beauty of the Sky" is the human who is dressed in yellow personifying the Sun, worshiped as the giver of life and the god of light, who fade away the darkness of the world and melts the frost. In an Arbëreshë folk song of mythological nature, E Bija e Hënës dhe e Diellit ("the Daughter of the Moon and the Sun") is described as the lightning of the sky (pika e qiellit) which falls everywhere from heaven on the mountains and the valleys and strikes pride and evil. Described in some traditions with a star on her forehead and a moon on her chest, her victory over the kulshedra might symbolize the supremacy of the deity of the sky over that of the underworld.

Sky and Earth pairing
The sky is often paired with the earth in Albanian oath swearings, e.g.: për qiell e dhé, pasha tokën e pasha qiellin, etc.

Mythical tale
An Albanian mythical tale concerning the highest of the gods, who uses thunderbolts to defeat the sea-storm god Talas, has been documented in the early 20th century from the Shala region in northern Albania.

Synopsis
As the wife of the highest god was soaring over the seas to delight in the sight of the order which her husband's wisdom had created, the god Talas noticed her. She was so beautiful that no other goddess could match her. So the god Talas went after the wife of the highest god and as soon as he reached her, he raped her through the use of brute force. Afterwards the wife of the highest god, despite being above all the other goddesses, decided to take her own life due to the desecration she suffered, but only after telling her husband what she had been through. So she stepped before her husband, and immedatelly after reporting what happened, she seized a weapon and stretched herself as a corpse before the highest of the gods. Because of that horrible suicide, but more than that, because of the defilement which his wife had suffered from the god Talas, the highest god swore an oath to take vengeance on the god who did that disgrace to him. After some time the highest god accomplished his revenge by hitting Talas with one of his cruel thunderbolts that tore him to pieces, after which his corpse would have emitted a stormy wind that no one could approach, so his whole body was buried in the ground. The god Talas did not smell like humans, but rather more pleasant. Hence the interpretation that he was the god of the sea-storm or the god of the storm surge.

In oral epic poetry
The Kângë Kreshnikësh – the traditional songs of the heroic legendary cycle of Albanian epic poetry – always begin with a ritual praise to the supreme being: "Lum për ty o i lumi Zot!" ("Praise be to you, o praised God!"). This introductory religious formula brings the audience into a distant world and a primordial time. Including elements ranging from paganism to monotheism, the primeval religiosity of the Albanian mountains and epic poetry is reflected by a supreme deity who is the god of the universe and who is conceived through the belief in the fantastic and supernatural beings and things, resulting in an extremely structured imaginative creation. The components of Nature are animated, so the moon, sun, stars, clouds, earth and mountains participate in the world of humans influencing their events. People also address oaths or long curses to the animated elements of nature. The supreme god allows the existence of terrestrial female deities with their intervention in earthly events and interaction with humans. Indeed, in their life, the heroes can be assisted by zanas and oras, who symbolize the vital energy and existential time of human beings respectively. The zana idealizes feminine energy, wild beauty, eternal youth and the joy of nature. They appear as warlike nymphs capable of offering simple mortals a part of their own psychophysical and divine power, giving humans strength comparable to that of the drangue. The ora represent the "moment of the day" (Albanian: koha e ditës) and the flowing of human destiny. As masters of time and place, they take care of humans (also of the zana and of some particular animals) watching over their life, their house and their hidden treasures before sealing their destiny. Hence, the goddesses of fate "maintain the order of the universe and enforce its laws" – "organising the appearance of humankind." However great his power, the supreme god holds an executive role as he only carries out what has been already ordained by the fate goddesses.