In modern
Dievturiba, she is the highest-ranking goddess, a feminine
Dievs. She may be thought as alternate side of
God (Like in
Yin Yang). Other goddesses, sometimes all other goddesses, are considered her alternate aspects. Mara may have been the same goddess as
Lopu mate as well.
She is the patroness of all the feminine duties (children, cattle), patroness of all the economic activities ("God made table, Mara - bread"), even money and markets. Being the alterante side of God, she takes away with her the body after person's death while God (Dievs) taking the soul. She is the goddess of land, it is called The Mara land.
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.
The festival Maras was held in her honor every August 15.
Alternative: Marsava (Western Latvia), Moschel, Marha
The
ogress who hags people when sleeping is also called
Mara. People feel pressure on their chest, and some people report that they observed
Mara laying on their chest sometimes choking their necks, and mostly accompanying with
sleep paralysis.
See also: incubus, succubus, Mara experience[?], Lucid dreaming, Kama
In the
Bible,
Naomi[?] called herself
Mara after she suffered the deaths of her husband and her two sons. -
Ruth nn:mm
Mara was the nickname of career diplomat and former
Finnish president Martti Ahtisaari.
