Stories from a past
The pagan Slavs were polytheistic, which means that they worshipped many gods and goddesses. The gods of the Slavs are known primarily from a small number of chronicles and letopises, or not very accurate Christian sermons against paganism. Additional, more numerous sources in which Slavic theonyms are preserved include names, proper names, place names, folk holidays, and language, including sayings.
Information about Slavic paganism, including the gods, is scarce because Christian missionaries were not very interested in the spiritual life of the Slavs.[1] Also, no accounts written down directly by the pagan Slavs exist. During the Christianization missions, the deities, on the one hand, were demonized in order to deter from worshipping them, on the other hand, their characteristics and functions were assumed by the saints, which was supposed to make the new religion less alien.
Because of the small number of sources, there is no consensus among scholars of Slavic mythology on the extent of the worship of even the most important deities. Listed in this paragraph are those whose Panslavic range is most often recognized. In addition to these, the East Slavic Mokosh (a presumed toponym in Czechia), and the East Slavic Stribog (toponyms in Poland) are sometimes indicated.
Based on the reconstructed myths around the figures of Perun and Veles, some scholars believe that both of these gods are chief deities. They are primarily found in the Slavic creation myth. According to some scholars, a pair of these gods prove "Slavic dualism", but there is no consensus on this either, and those who assume that such dualism in mythology may have existed, point out that Slavic dualism was probably not as extreme as in Christianity or Zoroastrianism.
Perun is the god of lightning and thunder, as well as of war, and the patron of the druzhina. He is the etymological and functional continuator of the Proto-Indo-European thunder god *Perkʷunos, and shares many characteristics with other thunder gods worshipped by Indo-Europeans. He is mentioned most notably in Primary Chronicle, where a grey-haired and golden-moustached statue of Perun is described in temple on Old Kyiv Hill, and Third Novogorod Chronicle, where his statue is described in Peryn, and in many texts warning against paganism. His name survived in spells and in proper names. Armed usually with an axe, hammer, or spear, he fights chaos demons. His figure is preserved in folklore primarily in the form of saint Elijah and saint George.
Veles is a god with many functions, which makes it difficult to compare him to any other deity. He is attributed with being a chthonic god: he rules over the underworld, where the souls of the dead find their way, where he leads them out into the meadows. He is also attributed with the care of cattle, which symbolize wealth, he also patronizes artists, especially poets, and is the god of magic. His name is most likely etymologically related to death. Mentioned primarily in Primary Chronicle; his name also often appears in proper names. His animal incarnations are bull or ox, dragon or zmey. His figure is preserved in folklore primarily in the form of saint Nicholas and the devil.
Dazhbog is a sun god. His name, meaning "god of giving", may suggest that he was also a god of abundance. He appears in the Primary Chronicle, where he is described as the son of Svarog, in The Tale of Igor's Campaign, as well as in folk songs and proper names. By some researchers he is identified with Svarozhits, or is considered to be his brother.
Yarovit is a Polabian god mentioned in the Life of St. Otto, which describes a festival dedicated to him during which the city was decorated. From the description and etymology it seems that he is an agricultural and war god and his temple had a golden, decorated shield. Yarilo is the name for a spring festival, and a character in it, found among the East and South Slavs. Many scholars consider Yarilo to be a desacralized deity, and equate him to Yarovit, pointing to common traits and etymology.
Svarozhits is a fire god mentioned in minor East Slavic texts. He is also mentioned by Bruno in a letter to King Henry II and later in Thietmar's Chronicle as the chief deity of Rethra, the main political center of the Veleti.[21] His name is generally translated as "son of Svarog", less commonly as "little, young Svarog". Generally identified with Radegast, less commonly with Dazhbog.
Rozhanitsy ("Givers of life"), Sudenitsy ("Givers of fate"), and Narechnitsy ("Givers of destiny") are female spirits or deities of fate. They appear in the plural or as a single entity. In East and South Slavic sources they are often mentioned together with Rod. Their main function is to determine the child's fate for life, then they leave an invisible mark on his forehead. Man's fate was symbolized by the thread of life, on the length of which, measured by the Rozhanitsy, depended the length of man's life. Bloodless sacrifices were offered to them.
Rod is a figure, spirit, or deity often mentioned in minor East and South Slavic texts, generally along with Rozhanitsy. Etymologically related to the Slavic words for "family", "kin", "giving birth", etc. Bloodless sacrifices were offered to him. There is no consensus in scholarship about Rod's status in mythology.
Dola is the personification of fate and destiny. Dola was assigned to a person at birth and stays with him for the rest of his life. It may be inherited from ancestors. It is generally invisible, but may have manifested in human or animal form. The opposite of Dola, understood as good fortune, was Nedola, the personification of bad fortune. Etymologically related to the Slavic words divide, part.
Mat Zemlya is a personification of the Earth appearing mainly in East Slavic texts but remaining in most Slavic languages. Perhaps epithet of Mokosh.
Zorya is the personification of the dawn. She is the Slavic continuation of the Proto-Indo-European goddess of dawn *H₂éwsōs and has many of her characteristics: she lives overseas on the island of Bujan, opens the door for the Sun to go on its daily journey across the sky, also has a golden boat. Zora can be a single figure, two figures, or three. She appears in Christianized prayers and orders.
Zvezda, Utrenica, or Danica is the personification of the Morning Star or planet Venus as seen in the sky before sunrise.
Information about Slavic paganism, including the gods, is scarce because Christian missionaries were not very interested in the spiritual life of the Slavs.[1] Also, no accounts written down directly by the pagan Slavs exist. During the Christianization missions, the deities, on the one hand, were demonized in order to deter from worshipping them, on the other hand, their characteristics and functions were assumed by the saints, which was supposed to make the new religion less alien.
Because of the small number of sources, there is no consensus among scholars of Slavic mythology on the extent of the worship of even the most important deities. Listed in this paragraph are those whose Panslavic range is most often recognized. In addition to these, the East Slavic Mokosh (a presumed toponym in Czechia), and the East Slavic Stribog (toponyms in Poland) are sometimes indicated.
Based on the reconstructed myths around the figures of Perun and Veles, some scholars believe that both of these gods are chief deities. They are primarily found in the Slavic creation myth. According to some scholars, a pair of these gods prove "Slavic dualism", but there is no consensus on this either, and those who assume that such dualism in mythology may have existed, point out that Slavic dualism was probably not as extreme as in Christianity or Zoroastrianism.
Perun is the god of lightning and thunder, as well as of war, and the patron of the druzhina. He is the etymological and functional continuator of the Proto-Indo-European thunder god *Perkʷunos, and shares many characteristics with other thunder gods worshipped by Indo-Europeans. He is mentioned most notably in Primary Chronicle, where a grey-haired and golden-moustached statue of Perun is described in temple on Old Kyiv Hill, and Third Novogorod Chronicle, where his statue is described in Peryn, and in many texts warning against paganism. His name survived in spells and in proper names. Armed usually with an axe, hammer, or spear, he fights chaos demons. His figure is preserved in folklore primarily in the form of saint Elijah and saint George.
Veles is a god with many functions, which makes it difficult to compare him to any other deity. He is attributed with being a chthonic god: he rules over the underworld, where the souls of the dead find their way, where he leads them out into the meadows. He is also attributed with the care of cattle, which symbolize wealth, he also patronizes artists, especially poets, and is the god of magic. His name is most likely etymologically related to death. Mentioned primarily in Primary Chronicle; his name also often appears in proper names. His animal incarnations are bull or ox, dragon or zmey. His figure is preserved in folklore primarily in the form of saint Nicholas and the devil.
Dazhbog is a sun god. His name, meaning "god of giving", may suggest that he was also a god of abundance. He appears in the Primary Chronicle, where he is described as the son of Svarog, in The Tale of Igor's Campaign, as well as in folk songs and proper names. By some researchers he is identified with Svarozhits, or is considered to be his brother.
Yarovit is a Polabian god mentioned in the Life of St. Otto, which describes a festival dedicated to him during which the city was decorated. From the description and etymology it seems that he is an agricultural and war god and his temple had a golden, decorated shield. Yarilo is the name for a spring festival, and a character in it, found among the East and South Slavs. Many scholars consider Yarilo to be a desacralized deity, and equate him to Yarovit, pointing to common traits and etymology.
Svarozhits is a fire god mentioned in minor East Slavic texts. He is also mentioned by Bruno in a letter to King Henry II and later in Thietmar's Chronicle as the chief deity of Rethra, the main political center of the Veleti.[21] His name is generally translated as "son of Svarog", less commonly as "little, young Svarog". Generally identified with Radegast, less commonly with Dazhbog.
Rozhanitsy ("Givers of life"), Sudenitsy ("Givers of fate"), and Narechnitsy ("Givers of destiny") are female spirits or deities of fate. They appear in the plural or as a single entity. In East and South Slavic sources they are often mentioned together with Rod. Their main function is to determine the child's fate for life, then they leave an invisible mark on his forehead. Man's fate was symbolized by the thread of life, on the length of which, measured by the Rozhanitsy, depended the length of man's life. Bloodless sacrifices were offered to them.
Rod is a figure, spirit, or deity often mentioned in minor East and South Slavic texts, generally along with Rozhanitsy. Etymologically related to the Slavic words for "family", "kin", "giving birth", etc. Bloodless sacrifices were offered to him. There is no consensus in scholarship about Rod's status in mythology.
Dola is the personification of fate and destiny. Dola was assigned to a person at birth and stays with him for the rest of his life. It may be inherited from ancestors. It is generally invisible, but may have manifested in human or animal form. The opposite of Dola, understood as good fortune, was Nedola, the personification of bad fortune. Etymologically related to the Slavic words divide, part.
Mat Zemlya is a personification of the Earth appearing mainly in East Slavic texts but remaining in most Slavic languages. Perhaps epithet of Mokosh.
Zorya is the personification of the dawn. She is the Slavic continuation of the Proto-Indo-European goddess of dawn *H₂éwsōs and has many of her characteristics: she lives overseas on the island of Bujan, opens the door for the Sun to go on its daily journey across the sky, also has a golden boat. Zora can be a single figure, two figures, or three. She appears in Christianized prayers and orders.
Zvezda, Utrenica, or Danica is the personification of the Morning Star or planet Venus as seen in the sky before sunrise.
22-25, F
