The Ideology Of The Ninth And Tenth Centuries 103
provided, but no real understanding of the mythology of the Khazars, Bulgars
and Alans. This would be even more difficult to achieve for each one of these
three peoples individually.
As already mentioned, one of the ancient models that shows the connec-
tion between the Great Goddess and kingship is the cult of Diana Nemorensis,
described by J. Frazer. Her sanctuary was located in a forest near a lake beneath
some steep cliffs. Fire played an important role in the cult of the goddess who
bore the title of Vesta. However, Diana was primarily associated with the sacred
tree—an oak that was guarded by the King of the Wood, who, in his capacity
as the successor of Virbius (the very first in this succession of kings), was also
her husband. Actually, he was regarded as the husband of the water nymph
Egeria who was one of the manifestations of Diana Nemorensis.389 The King
of the Wood probably impersonated Jupiter and “the goddess whom he served
and married was herself no other than the Queen of Heaven, the true wife of
the sky-god”.390 Of particular interest is the relationship between the nymph
Egeria and the wise king Numa who was her husband and lover. They met
secretly in the sacred grove of Diana. Egeria inspired king Numa with “more
than mortal wisdom” and with the laws which he gave the Romans.391 Thus,
“in the legend of the nuptials of Numa and Egeria we have a reminiscence of a
sacred marriage which the old Roman kings regularly contracted with a god-
dess of vegetation and water for the purpose of enabling him to discharge his
divine or magical functions”.392
A large part of Khazaria’s lands once belonged to the Scythians. They are
the oldest steppe people, whose religious system is documented. According
to Herodotus, the supreme deity of Scythia was Hestia, called by the Scythians
Tabiti (the Flaming One). He names two more goddesses: Gaea (Api) and
Aphrodite Urania (Artimpasa).393 The three goddesses reflect the different
aspects of the figure of the Great Goddess as a mother (Api) and her daughter
Tabiti as the celestial Maiden, as the unified but also presented in separate
incarnations earthly (chthonic) and celestial (Uranic) principle. According
to the genealogical legend of the Scythians, as told by Herodotus, after falling
asleep and losing his horses, Heracles (Targitaus) found them in a cave. But
in order to get them back, he had a love affair with the lady of the cave, the
389 Frazer 2006, 9–14 and 145.
390 Frazer 2006, 659.
391 Frazer 2006, 11 and 145.
392 Frazer 2006, 146.
393 Abaev 1962, 445; Raevskii 1977, 87 and 1985, 36; Marazov 1976, 45. See the text in Herodotus.
Histories 4.59, in Dimitrov 1990, 25.