Shtatol
Wax candle supported by an ornamented wooden vessel used in traditional Erzya rituals
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Etymology
The oldest known use of the term shtatol (from Erzya: šta, 'wax', and tol, 'fire') in a non-Erzya source is in the Russian-language Explanatory Dictionary of the Living Great Russian Language published by Russian lexicographer Vladimir Dal in 1863.[2]
Use and symbolism
Shtatols symbolize life, ancestor reverence, and the passage of time. The wooden vessel in which the candle is placed is called a jandava (Erzya: jandava). Jandavas are carved from solid linden trunks and are vaguely duck-shaped. Shtatols and jandavas are commonly used during Ras'ken' Ozks, Verya Ozks and other Erzya rituals.[3][4]
