A shtatol, also called an Erzyan shtatol (Erzya: štatol, ěrzäń štatol), is a wax candle supported by an ornamented wooden vessel, used in traditional Erzya rituals (erzja Ineškipazněń Kemema).[1]
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]
