Editing Māra

{{Short description|Goddess in Baltic mythology}}
{{Distinguish|text=the Hindu Deity [[Mara (Hindu goddess) |Mara]]}}
{{Other uses|Mara (disambiguation){{!}}Mara}}
{{Multiple issues|
{{more citations needed|date=November 2012}}
{{Expand Latvian|Māra|date=November 2012}}
}}

{{Baltic religion}}

'''Māra''' is the highest-ranking [[goddess]] in [[Latvian mythology]], the ancient Dawn-goddess, previously called Austra,<ref>{{cite journal |url=https://www.academia.edu/40090976/Lh%C3%A9riti%C3%A8re_lettone_de_lAurore_indo_europ%C3%A9enne |title=L'héritière lettone de l'Aurore indo-européenne |journal=Wékwos |issue=4 |date=2019 |first=Didier |last=Calin |lang=FR}}</ref> and,<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.academia.edu/48970984 | title=Indo-European Poetics and the Latvian Folk Songs | date=January 1996 | last1=Calin | first1=Didier }}</ref> not at all, although often stated,{{clarify|date=September 2023}} the same as Zemes māte ([[Earth goddess|Mother Earth]], pace).<ref>Janis Paliepa, [https://books.google.com/books?id=8mxZP9834RMC&q=M%C4%81ra+&pg=PA52 The Origin of the Baltic and Vedic Languages: Baltic Mythology]</ref>

==Names==
Alternative names: Māre, Mārīte ([[diminutive]]), Mārša, Māršava (Western Latvia).

==Description==
She is the patroness of all feminine duties (children, cattle), patroness of all the economic activities ("God made the table, Māra made the bread"), even money and markets. Being the alternate side of Dievs, she takes a person's body after their death while Dievs is taking the soul. She is the goddess of the land, which is called ''Māras zeme'' ('Māra's land'). She is called 'Mother of Cows' (''Govu māte''), the same way the [[Vedas|Vedic]] Dawn-goddess is called ''gávām mātár-'' 'id'.

In western [[Latvia]], and to a lesser degree in the rest of Latvia, she was strongly associated with [[Laima]], and may have been considered the same [[deity]].{{Citation needed|date=September 2023}}

==Festivals==
The festival [[Māras]] was held in her honor every August 15. This is probably a result of [[Christianity|Christian]] influence and identification of Māra with [[Blessed Virgin Mary|Mary]], whose main festival ([[Assumption of Mary|the Assumption]]) has fallen on the same date since early times. Opinions are divided over whether Māra is a pre-Christian deity,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.liis.lv/folklora/mitol/origin/mara.htm |title=Latvian folklore: Māra |access-date=2012-11-23 |url-status=bot: unknown |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090126063800/http://www.liis.lv/folklora/mitol/origin/mara.htm |archive-date=January 26, 2009 }} {{in lang|lv}}</ref> or originated as a reflection of the Christian Mary created by semi-Christian Livonian peasants.

== See also ==
* [[Morana (goddess)]]
* [[Mara (Hindu goddess)]]
* [[Mara (disambiguation)]]
* [[Mare (folklore)]]
* [[Marah (Bible)]]
* [[Mokosh]]
* [[Semele]]
* [[Eos]]
* [[Aurora (mythology)]]
* [[Ēostre]]
* [[Freyja]]
* [[Bendis]]
* [[Mara (demon)]], a "demon" of the Buddhist cosmology
* [[Hausos]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

== Further reading ==
* {{cite journal |title=Motina Žemyna baltų deivių kontekste: 1 d.: Tacito mater deum, trakų-frigų Σεμέλη, latvių Zemes māte, Māra, lietuvių bei latvių Laima, Laumė ir lietuvių Austėja |trans-title=Mother-Goddess Žemyna in the context of Baltic deities |last=Laurinkienė |first=Nijolė |author-link=:lt:Nijolė Laurinkienė |journal=Liaudies kultūra |date=2007 |issue=2 |pages=9-19 [13-14] |issn=0236-0551 |url=https://www.lituanistika.lt/content/7871 |lang=Lithuanian}}

==External links==
* [http://dainuskapis.lv/meklet/m%C4%81ra Māre at Krisjanis Barons folk closet], Latvian Folklore {{in lang|lv}}
* [https://archive.today/20130126080425/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-03-06/chennai/31126888_1_goddess-tamil-dialogue Latvia seeks common roots in Tamil Goddess Mariamma ], ''Times of India''

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mara}}
[[Category:Latvian goddesses]]
[[Category:Commerce goddesses]]
[[Category:Agricultural goddesses]]
[[Category:Animal goddesses]]
[[Category:Childhood goddesses]]
[[Category:Earth goddesses]]