Moni or Mone (Kamkata-vari: Mone/Mune), also known as Mandi (from Prasun), was, after Imra, the second-most important god in the pre-Islamic pantheon of the Nuristani people. With his breath, Imra created Moni and Gish. Moni was believed to be a divine prophet, whom Imra selected to fulfill his behests. Nearly every village had a temple devoted to Moni.1
Etymology
The name of the deity is said to have been derived from a borrowing of Sanskrit Mahādeva, a title ascribed to the god Shiva, who is similar to Moni in most aspects, such as the bow, bull, and destroyer of the cattle of demons.2
References
References
- A Glossary of the Tribes and Castes of the Punjab and North-West Frontier Province: A.-K. Atlantic Publishers & Dist. 1997. ISBN 9788185297699.
- Halfmann, Jakob. "Nuristani Theonyms in Light of Historical Phonology". In: 6th Indo-European Research Colloquium, 2022. [DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.31805.54244]; www.researchgate.net/publication/359109254_Nuristani_Theonyms_in_Light_of_Historical_Phonology