იავნანა, ბატონებო, ვარდო ბატონებო, | o violetnana, o spirit lords, o rosenana, o spirit lords,
იავნანა, ბატონებო, ვარდო ბატონებო, | o violetnana, o spirit lords, o rosenana, o spirit lords,
დატკბით, დატკბით, დაშოშინდით, ვარდო ბატონებო | Enjoy, be calm, o rosenana, o spirit lords,
დატკბით, დატკბით, დაშოშინდით, ვარდო ბატონებო | Enjoy, be calm, o rosenana, o spirit lords.

Context:

This Healing lullaby was collected form an informant who grew up in Georgia. It is only performed when a child is very sick and only by female family members, usually the mother.

Analysis:

In ancient Georgian belief, measles were caused by angry spirits called “ბატონები”. Once a child is
visited by spirits they must be pleaded with to leave. This lullaby contains many religious artifacts from a time when Georgians worshiped pagan gods. Their names remain in Georgian folklore as vocables. For
examples the vocable “ნანა” is through to be derived from a name of a pagan mother goddess. These
vocables, combined with common flowers in Georgian culture such as violets and roses, are used to
decorate the spirits’ names. Combined with this lullaby the child’s room is decorated with flowers and
various fruits. When used in this context we can think of the lullaby as a healing spell to ward off evil
spirits and sway the child into a peaceful sleep. This Georgian lullaby is passed down the
maternal line. The healing ritual is only performed by women and highlights the traditional role of a
maternal figure in Georgian culture as a caretaker.