The Albanian: vatër (or Albanian: votër; Albanian: vatra or Albanian: votra) is the domestic hearth in Albanian culture. The fire of the domestic hearth (Albanian: zjarri i vatrës) holds divine attributes in Albanian beliefs, being considered the sustainer of the continuity between the world of the living and that of the dead, and ensuring the continuity of the tribe (Albanian: [[Albanian tribes|fis]]) from generation to generation.[1]
The Albanian term Albanian: vatër (or Albanian: votër; Albanian: vatra or Albanian: votra), "hearth", "fireplace", is derived from Proto-Albanian Albanian: [[wiktionary:Reconstruction:Proto-Albanian/ōtar|*ōtr-]], obtained through the *o to *vo-/*va- development which is observed exclusively in the Albanian language as the dipthongization of *o in the two major dialect groups (label=[[Tosk Albanian|Tosk]]|vatra/label=[[Gheg Albanian|Gheg]]|votra). It is an Albanian inherited term from Proto-Indo-European < ("fire"). It is a cognate to Latin Latin: [[wiktionary:ater#Latin|ater]] and Proto-Iranian Iranian languages: [[wiktionary:Reconstruction:Proto-Iranian/HáHtr̥š|HáHtr̥š]] ("fire", cf. Avestan: [[Atar]]). The Albanian term, in particular the Tosk form with va-, was loaned to Romanian and spread to other Balkan languages such as Slavic.
The Albanian term zjarr, zjarm, zjerm, etc., "fire", is inherited from Proto-Indo-European *gʷʰermno- "warm". Notably within the Palaeo-Balkanic IE group, it is cognate to Greek, Modern (1453-);: θερμός thermos and Armenian: ǰerm.
The function of the fire of the domestic hearth (Albanian: zjarri i vatrës) is the sustenance of the continuity between the world of the living and that of the dead. After death, the souls of the ancestors (Albanian: hije) assume a divine connotation and remain in contact with the family protecting the domestic hearth.
Albanian: Zjarri i vatrës is considered to ensure the continuity of the tribe (Albanian: [[Albanian tribes|fis]]) from generation to generation. In Albanian tradition, indeed, the lineage is identified with an original fire (Albanian: zjarr); the members of a tribe are the ones who come "from the same fire" (Albanian: pe një zjarri). The fire burns into the hearth (Albanian: vatër), where it assumes another connotation besides the primordial concept: the fire of the domestic hearth is considered also as a place of common existence and commensality.
In Albanian folk beliefs the fire hearth (Albanian: vatra e zjarrit) is the symbol of fire as the offspring of Dielli ("the Sun"). The place of the ignition of fire is traditionally built in the center of the house and of circular shape representing the Sun. Traditionally the fire of the hearth is identified with the existence of the family and it is worshiped as a deity (Albanian: hyjni/perëndi të zjarrit të vatrës). Its extinguishing is regarded as a bad omen for the family.
Rose Wilder Lane (1923) provided the following description regarding the northern Albanian fire cult:
A figure which is widespread in Albanian beliefs is Albanian: [[Vitore|Gjarpri i vatrës]] (the serpent of the hearth), a household divine serpent personifying the souls of the ancestors. Another widespread figure is Albanian: [[Nëna e Vatrës]] (the Mother of the Hearth), a beneficent deity who protects the fire of the domestic hearth. She is akin to Greek Hestia and Roman Vesta. To the Greek and Roman goddesses well-defined public places of worship were dedicated, while in the Albanian tradition the place of worship of Nëna e Vatrës is the hearth of every house. In this aspect the Albanian cult is more similar to the ancient cult of the natural eternal fire of Nymphaion.
At feasts, people used to practice sacrificial offerings to the hearth deities throwing some of the food they prepared into the fire of the domestic hearth and around the hearth.