En (deity)
Albanian deity / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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*En or *Enji (Albanian: [ɛɲi]) is a reconstructed name of the fire god in the Albanian pagan mythology, which has continued to be used in the Albanian language to refer to Thursday (e enjte).[1]
The deity to whom Thursday was dedicated in Albanian is considered to have been worshiped by the Illyrians in antiquity[2] and he may have been the most prominent god of the Albanian pantheon in Roman times by interpreting Jupiter, when week-day names were formed in the Albanian language.[3] The belief in a prominent fire god, who was referred to as I Verbti ("the blind one"), and who was often regarded more powerful than the Christian God, survived in northern Albania until recent times.[4] Under Christianization the god of fire was demonized and considered a false god, and it was spread about that anyone who invoked him would be blinded by fire.[5]
In Albanian tradition the divinised fire is regarded as the Sun's offspring (pjella e Diellit), which is symbolized by the fire hearth (vatra e zjarrit).[6]