Since ancient times, people have explained many phenomena as the “wrath” or “gift” of God. To the question “how many pagan gods were there?” no one can answer. Only a few pagan gods are known, such as the ancient Russian god Svarog or Dazhdbog, but they could also form a pantheon.
There were also pagan gods of a “lower” class who united minorities or were associated with seasonal rituals or economic cycles.
Also included in this class of pagan gods were female deities, in which only a few groups believed.
As a sign of respect for all the gods, feasts were held for everyone, where they sacrificed all kinds of livestock like goats and rams, thus influencing them, and sometimes they simply brewed beer with the whole tribe. At such holidays, pagan gods also ate alongside people.
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Various pagan gods and spirits controlled certain elements and impulses of natural phenomena. The gods represented the role of the creator in their domain. In turn, people with developed consciousness controlled natural gods and spirits. After listing some pagan gods, you can not only learn about that era, but also compare the cultures of different peoples. Svarog, who is also a saint - researchers believe that he was the supreme god of the Eastern Slavs and heavenly fire. He is depicted in the drawings as a warrior with a four-headed horse, which symbolizes the cardinal directions. In his hand you can see a cornucopia.
Perun - in
Slavic mythology
he took the place of the thunder god. At the end of the years of paganism in Rus', he was the main god, personifying princely power. Depicted in the drawings as an angry bull of Tours. There is also a mention of it in the book “The Tale of Igor’s Campaign.”
Belobog is the god of fertility.
Niy, aka Viy, is a pagan god who acts as a posthumous judge and ruler of the underworld. Gloomy guardian of souls. Souls that have left their bodies.
Lelya is the daughter of Lada, the goddess of Spring. Inextricably linked with the awakening of nature in spring, as well as the resumption of field work.
Alive - youth, beauty, fruitful strength, all this in the personification of Spring.
Makosh is the pagan goddess of fate, as well as all women's handicrafts. "Makosh" can be referred to as "mother". Prefers female fertility and productivity, economic prosperity in the house.
Mara is the most ancient Slavic goddess. Death, aka Morena, Mara. Gloomy, but not at all angry.
Volkh - supposedly was a werewolf god, an earthly god, a god of hunting.
Stribog was the god of the wind in Slavic mythology. The tamer of the storm, found on the pages of the book “The Tale of Igor’s Campaign.”
Yarila (Yarilo) - ardent, like a hot-tempered, cheerful, furious. Yarila was a rider on a white horse with red hair.
Chernobog - acted as the pagan god of darkness, the ruler of Navi and the Pekel kingdom. Depicted as a humanoid idol. Black body color and silver mustache.
Dajbog is the sun god who gives warmth and light. Ancestors believed that this pagan god was the patron of weddings.
Dogoda is the pagan god of warm winds and pleasant weather. God of the quiet. In the images one can see a ruddy young man in a cornflower blue wreath, with wings behind his back, who overshadows everything around with his smile.
Chislobog is the pagan god of numbers, conqueror of time. This god has two faces - one like the sun, and the other like a crescent. The sun symbolizes the flow of the day, and the moon symbolizes the night.
Horse is the Slavic god of the Sun, a relative of Veles. Scientists for a long time were unable to determine its entire nature.
Semargp is the Slavic god of fire, who is only mistakenly called heavenly dog, which guards the seeds for sowing.
Chur - among our ancestors this pagan deity was of low rank, but many remember and honor him. It is believed that he was the ruler and guardian of land holdings.
And many more different deities responsible for different moments of life.
Prayer is the most popular genre of religious literature, inherited from the ancient pagans. Every culture and people had their own prayer. The Greek hymn, the Babylonian psalm, the prayers of the Romans in prose, the liturgy of the Vedas - all this is just a small part of the prayers raised to the pagan gods.
Paganism (people, peoples) - it is generally accepted that these are different religions adopted before Christianity. In other words, there are many divine religions. Christianity is the direct opposite of these religions, since paganism meant people and “tongues”.
The pagan gods were the national religion, but the pagans themselves did not call themselves this definition. Pagan gods magically influenced nature and communicated with their ancestors. In the cult of pagan gods, in addition to the usual “calendar” holidays, there were also agricultural celebrations, as well as family feasts. Later, such religions began to be simply destroyed by Christianity, Islam, and Buddhism, but they failed to completely destroy such a cult.
Scientists, in turn, try to avoid the term “paganism” because of the diversity of concepts in this word.
In 980, Prince Vladimir Svyatoslavich made an attempt to create a national pagan pantheon, but unfortunately the attempt failed. After which the baptism of Rus' took place in 988. This opinion should be considered erroneous, since initially many peoples already had a pantheon. This pantheon was erected for a different reason. But nevertheless, paganism was pushed into popular culture by official religions (Christianity, Buddhism, Islam).
Watch the video “History of Rus'” The ancient Slavic pantheon is very complex in its structure and numerous in composition. Most gods were identified with various forces of nature, although there were exceptions, the most a shining example
of which Rod is the creator god. Due to the similarity of functions and properties of some gods, it is difficult to determine for sure which names are just variations of the names of the same god, and which belong to different gods.
In the Slavic pantheon there was no clear hierarchy of power, which was replaced by a clan hierarchy, where sons were subordinate to their father, but brothers were equal to each other. The Slavs did not have clearly defined evil gods and good gods. Some deities gave life, others took it, but all were revered equally, since the Slavs believed that the existence of one without the other was impossible. At the same time, gods who were good in their functions could punish and cause harm, while evil ones, on the contrary, could help and save people. Thus, the gods of the ancient Slavs were very similar to people not only in appearance, but also in character, since they simultaneously carried within themselves both good and evil.
Outwardly, the gods looked like people, and most of them could turn into animals, in the form of which they usually appeared to people. The gods were distinguished from ordinary beings by their superpowers, which allowed the deities to change the world around them. Each of the gods had power over one of the parts of this world. The effects on other parts not subject to the deities were limited and temporary.
Genus
The most ancient supreme male deity among the Slavs was Rod. Already in Christian teachings against paganism in the 12th-13th centuries. they write about Rod as a god who was worshiped by all peoples.
Rod was the god of the sky, thunderstorms, and fertility. They said about him that he rides on a cloud, throws rain on the ground, and from this children are born. He was the ruler of the earth and all living things, and was a pagan creator god.
IN Slavic languages The root "genus" means kinship, birth, water (spring), profit (harvest), concepts such as people and homeland, in addition, it means the color red and lightning, especially ball lightning, called "rhodia". This variety of cognate words undoubtedly proves the greatness of the pagan god.
Rod is a creator god, together with his sons Belbog and Chernobog he created this world. Alone, Rod created Prav, Yav and Nav in the sea of chaos, and together with his sons he created the earth.
The sun then came out from His face. The bright moon is from His chest. The frequent stars are from His eyes. The clear dawns are from His eyebrows. Dark nights - yes from His thoughts. Violent winds - from the breath...
"The Book of Kolyada"
The Slavs had no idea about Rod’s appearance, since he never appeared directly in front of people.
Temples in honor of the deity were built on hills or simply large open areas land. His idol was phallic in shape or simply shaped like a pillar painted red. Sometimes the role of an idol was played by an ordinary tree growing on a hill, especially if it was quite ancient. In general, the Slavs believed that Rod is in everything and therefore can be worshiped anywhere. There were no sacrifices in honor of Rod. Instead, holidays and feasts are organized, which are held directly near the idol.
Belbog
Son of Rod, god of light, goodness and justice. In Slavic mythology, he is the creator of the world along with Rod and Chernobog. Outwardly, Belbog appeared as a gray-haired old man dressed like a sorcerer.
Belobog in the mythology of our ancestors never acted as an independent individual character. Just as any object in the world of reality has a shadow, so Belobog has its integral antipode - Chernobog. A similar analogy can be found in ancient Chinese philosophy (yin and yang), in the Ynglism of the Icelanders (Yuj rune) and in many other cultural and religious systems. Belobog, thus, becomes the embodiment of bright human ideals: goodness, honor and justice.
A sanctuary in honor of Belbog was built on the hills, with the idol facing east, towards the sunrise. However, Belbog was revered not only in the sanctuary of the deity, but also at feasts, always making a toast in his honor.
Veles
One of the greatest gods of the ancient world, son of Rod, brother of Svarog. His main act was that Veles set the world created by Rod and Svarog into motion. Veles - “cattle god” - master of the wild, master of Navi, powerful wizard and werewolf, interpreter of laws, teacher of the arts, patron of travelers and merchants, god of luck. True, some sources point to him as the god of death...
At the moment, among various pagan and Rodnoverie movements, a fairly popular text is Veles’s book, which became known to the general public in the 1950s of the last century thanks to the researcher and writer Yuri Mirolyubov. The Veles book is actually 35 birch tablets, dotted with symbols, which linguists (in particular, A. Kur and S. Lesnoy) call Slavic pre-Cyrillic writing. It is curious that the original text really does not resemble either the Cyrillic or Glagolitic alphabet, but the features of the Slavic runitsa are presented in it indirectly.
Despite the wide spread and mass veneration of this god, Veles was always separated from the other gods; his idols were never placed in common temples (sacred places in which images of the main gods of this territory were installed).
Dazhdbog
God of the Sun, giver of heat and light, god of fertility and life-giving force. The symbol of Dazhdbog was originally considered to be the solar disk. Its color is gold, speaking of the nobility of this god and his unshakable strength. In general, our ancestors had three main solar deities - Khors, Yarila and Dazhdbog. But Khors was the winter sun, Yarilo was the spring sun, and Dazhdbog was the summer sun. Of course, it was Dazhdbog who deserved special respect, since a lot depended on the summer position of the sun in the firmament for the ancient Slavs, a people of farmers. At the same time, Dazhdbog was never distinguished by a tough disposition, and if a drought suddenly attacked, then our ancestors never blamed this god.
The temples of Dazhdbog were located on the hills. The idol was made of wood and placed facing east or southeast. Feathers from ducks, swans and geese, as well as honey, nuts and apples were brought as gifts to the deity.
Devana
Devana is the goddess of hunting, wife of the forest god Svyatobor and daughter of Perun. The Slavs represented the goddess in the form of a beautiful girl dressed in an elegant marten fur coat trimmed with squirrel. The beauty wore a bear skin over her fur coat, and the head of the animal served as her hat. Perun's daughter carried with her an excellent bow and arrows, a sharp knife and a spear, the kind used to kill a bear.
The beautiful goddess not only hunted forest animals: she herself taught them how to avoid dangers and endure harsh winters.
Dewana was first of all revered by hunters and trappers; they prayed to the goddess to grant good luck in the hunt, and in gratitude they brought part of their prey to her sanctuary. It was believed that it was she who helped to find the secret paths of animals in the dense forest, to avoid clashes with wolves and bears, and, if the meeting did take place, to help the person emerge victorious.
Share and Nedolya
Share is a good goddess, Mokosh’s assistant, weaving a happy destiny.
He appears in the guise of a sweet young man or a red-haired maiden with golden curls and a cheerful smile. He cannot stand still, he walks around the world - there are no barriers: swamp, river, forest, mountains - Fate will instantly overcome.
Doesn't like lazy people, careless people, drunks and all sorts of things bad people. Although at first he makes friends with everyone - then he will sort out the bad things, evil man will leave.
NEDOLYA (Need, Need) - the goddess, Mokosh’s assistant, weaves an unhappy fate.
Dolya and Nedolya are not just personifications of abstract concepts that do not have objective existence, but on the contrary, they are living persons identical to the maidens of fate.
They act according to their own calculations, regardless of the will and intentions of a person: a happy person does not work at all and lives in contentment, because Share works for him. On the contrary, Nedolya’s activities are constantly aimed at harming people. While she is awake, misfortune follows misfortune, and only then does it become easier for the unfortunate man when Nedolya falls asleep: “If Likho is sleeping, don’t wake him.”
Dogoda
Dogoda (Weather) - the god of beautiful weather and a gentle, pleasant breeze. Young, ruddy, fair-haired, wearing a cornflower blue wreath with blue butterfly wings gilded at the edges, in silver-shiny bluish clothes, holding a thorn in his hand and smiling at the flowers.
Kolyada
Kolyada is the baby sun, in Slavic mythology the embodiment of the New Year's cycle, as well as a holiday character similar to Avsen.
Kolyada was celebrated on winter holidays from December 25 (the turn of the sun to spring) to January 6.
“Once upon a time, Kolyada was not perceived as a mummer. Kolyada was a deity, and one of the most influential. They called carols and called. The days before the New Year were dedicated to Kolyada, and games were organized in her honor, which were subsequently held at Christmastide. The last patriarchal ban on the worship of Kolyada was issued on December 24, 1684. It is believed that Kolyada was recognized by the Slavs as the deity of fun, which is why he was called upon and called upon by merry bands of youth during New Year’s festivities” (A. Strizhev. “People's Calendar”).
Kryshen
The son of the Almighty and the goddess Maya, he was the brother of the very first creator of the world, Rod, although he was much younger than him. He returned fire to people, fought on the shores of the Arctic Ocean with Chernobog and defeated him.
KUPALO
Kupala (Kupaila) is the fruitful deity of summer, the summer hypostasis of the Sun god.
“Kupalo, as I remember, was the god of abundance, like the Hellenic Ceres, to whom the madman offered thanks for the abundance to the Shah at that time, when the harvest was about to arrive.”
His holiday is dedicated to the summer solstice, the longest day of the year. The night before this day was also sacred - the Night before Kupalo. Feasting, merrymaking and mass swimming in ponds continued all that night.
They sacrificed to him before collecting bread, on June 23, St. Agrippina, who was popularly nicknamed the Bathing Suit. Young people decorated themselves with wreaths, lit a fire, danced around it and sang Kupala. The games continued all night. In some places, on June 23, they heated bathhouses, laid grass for a bathhouse (buttercup) in them, and then swam in the river.
On the very Nativity of John the Baptist, weaving wreaths, they hung them on the roofs of houses and on barns to remove evil spirits from the home.
Lada
LADA (Freya, Preya, Siv or Zif) - the goddess of youth and spring, beauty and fertility, an all-generous mother, patroness of love and marriages.
In folk songs, “lado” still means a dearly beloved friend, lover, groom, husband.
Freya's outfit shines with the dazzling brilliance of the sun's rays, her beauty is charming, and the drops of morning dew are called her tears; on the other hand, she acts as a warlike heroine, rushing through the heavens in storms and thunderstorms and driving away rain clouds. In addition, she is a goddess, in whose retinue the shadows of the deceased march into the afterlife. The cloud fabric is precisely the veil on which the soul, after the death of a person, ascends to the kingdom of the blessed.
According to popular poems, angels, appearing for a righteous soul, take it on a shroud and carry it to heaven. The cult of Freya-Siwa explains the superstitious respect that Russian commoners have for Friday, as a day dedicated to this goddess. Anyone who starts a business on Friday will, as the proverb goes, back off.
Among the ancient Slavs, the birch tree, which personified the goddess Lada, was considered a sacred tree.
Ice
Ice - the Slavs prayed to this deity for success in battles; he was revered as the ruler of military actions and bloodshed. This ferocious deity was depicted as a terrible warrior, armed with Slavic armor, or all-weapon. A sword at the hip, a spear and a shield in the hand.
He had his own temples. When preparing to go on a campaign against enemies, the Slavs prayed to him, asking for help and promising abundant sacrifices if they were successful in military operations.
Lel
Lel is the god of love passion in the mythology of the ancient Slavs, the son of the goddess of beauty and love Lada. The word “cherish” still reminds us of Lela, this cheerful, frivolous god of passion, that is, undead, love. He is the son of the goddess of beauty and love Lada, and beauty naturally gives birth to passion. This feeling flared up especially brightly in the spring and on Kupala night. Lel was depicted as a golden-haired, winged baby, like his mother: after all, love is free and elusive. Lel threw sparks from his hands: after all, passion is fiery, hot love! In Slavic mythology, Lel is the same god as the Greek Eros or Roman Cupid. Only the ancient gods hit the hearts of people with arrows, and Lel kindled them with his fierce flame.
The stork (heron) was considered his sacred bird. Another name for this bird in some Slavic languages is leleka. In connection with Lelem, both cranes and larks were revered - symbols of spring.
Makosh
One of the main goddesses of the Eastern Slavs, the wife of the thunderer Perun.
Her name is made up of two parts: “ma” - mother and “kosh” - purse, basket, shed. Makosh is the mother of filled koshes, the mother of a good harvest.
This is not a goddess of fertility, but a goddess of the results of the economic year, a goddess of the harvest, and a giver of blessings. The harvest is determined by lot, fate, every year, so she was also revered as the goddess of fate. A mandatory attribute when depicting her is a cornucopia.
This goddess connected the abstract concept of fate with the concrete concept of abundance, patronized the household, sheared sheep, spun, and punished the careless. The specific concept of “spinner” was associated with the metaphorical one: “spinning of fate.”
Makosh patronized marriage and family happiness. She presented herself as a woman with a large head and long arms, spinning in the hut at night: superstitions forbid leaving the tow, “otherwise Makosha will spin it.”
Moraine
Morena (Marana, Morana, Mara, Maruha, Marmara) - the goddess of death, winter and night.
Mara is the goddess of death, daughter of Lada. Outwardly, Mara looks tall beautiful girl with black hair in red clothes. Mara cannot be called either an evil or a good goddess. On the one hand, it gives death, but at the same time it also gives life.
One of Mara’s favorite pastimes is needlework: she loves to spin and weave. At the same time, like the Greek Moira, he uses the threads of fate of living beings for needlework, leading them to turning points in life, and, ultimately, cutting off the thread of existence.
Mara sends her messengers all over the world, who appear to people in the guise of a woman with long black hair or in the guise of doubles of people who are destined for warning, and foretell imminent death.
No permanent places of worship were erected in the part of Mara; honors could be paid to her anywhere. To do this, an image of the goddess, carved from wood or made from straw, was installed on the ground, and the area was surrounded by stones. A larger stone or wooden plank, which served as an altar. After the ceremony, all this was dismantled, and the image of Mary was burned or thrown into the river.
Mara was revered on February 15, and flowers, straw and various fruits were brought as gifts to the goddess of death. Sometimes, during years of severe epidemics, animals were sacrificed, bleeding them directly at the altar.
Welcoming spring with a solemn holiday, the Slavs performed a ritual of expelling Death or Winter and threw an effigy of Morana into the water. As a representative of winter, Morana is defeated by the spring Perun, who strikes her with his blacksmith's hammer and at all summer time throws her into an underground dungeon.
In accordance with the identification of Death with thunder spirits, ancient belief forced these latter to fulfill its sad duty. But since the thunderer and his companions were also the organizers heavenly kingdom, then the concept of Death split into two, and fantasy portrayed it either as an evil creature, dragging souls into the underworld, or as a messenger of the supreme deity, accompanying the souls of deceased heroes to his heavenly palace.
Diseases were considered by our ancestors as companions and assistants of Death.
Perun
The Thunder God, a victorious, punishing deity, whose appearance excites fear and awe. Perun, in Slavic mythology, the most famous of the Svarozhich brothers. He is the god of storm clouds, thunder and lightning.
He is presented as stately, tall, with black hair and a long golden beard. Seated on a flaming chariot, he rides across the sky, armed with a bow and arrow, and slays the wicked.
According to Nestor, the wooden idol of Perun, placed in Kyiv, had a golden mustache on its silver head. Over time, Perun became the patron of the prince and his squad.
Temples in honor of Perun were always built on hills, and the highest place in the area was chosen. Idols were made mainly of oak - this mighty tree was a symbol of Perun. Sometimes there were places of worship of Perun, arranged around an oak tree growing on a hill; it was believed that this was how Perun himself designated the best place. In such places no additional idols were placed, and the oak tree, located on a hill, was revered as an idol.
Radegast
Radegast (Redigost, Radigast) is a lightning god, a killer and eater of clouds, and at the same time a luminous guest who appears with the return of spring. Earthly fire was recognized as the son of Heaven, brought down as a gift to mortals, by fast-flying lightning, and therefore the idea of an honored divine guest, a stranger from heaven to earth, was also connected with it.
Russian villagers honored him with the guest's name. At the same time, he received the character of a guardian god of every foreigner (guest) who came to someone else’s house and surrendered under the protection of local penates (i.e. hearth), the patron god of those who came from distant countries merchants and trade in general.
The Slavic Radigost was depicted with the head of a buffalo on his chest.
Svarog
Svarog is the creator god of earth and heaven. Svarog is the source of fire and its ruler. He creates not with words, not with magic, unlike Veles, but with his hands, he creates the material world. He gave people the Sun-Ra and fire. Svarog threw a plow and a yoke from the sky to the ground in order to cultivate the land; a battle ax to protect this land from enemies, and a bowl for preparing a sacred drink in it.
Like Rod, Svarog is a creator god, he continued the formation of this world, changing its original state, improving and expanding. However, Svarog’s favorite pastime is blacksmithing.
Temples in honor of Svarog were built on hills overgrown with trees or shrubs. The center of the hill was cleared to the ground and a fire was lit in this place; no additional idols were installed in the temple.
Svyatobor
Svyatobor is the god of the forest. Outwardly, he looks like an aged hero, representing an old man of strong build, with a thick beard and dressed in animal skins
Svyatobor fiercely guards forests and mercilessly punishes those who harm them; in some cases, the punishment can even be death or eternal imprisonment in the forest in the guise of an animal or tree.
Svyatobor is married to the goddess of hunting Devan.
Temples were not built in honor of Svyatobor; their role was played by groves, forests and forests, which were recognized as sacred and in which neither deforestation nor hunting was carried out.
Semargl
One of the Svarozhichs was the god of fire - Semargl, who is sometimes mistakenly considered only a heavenly dog, the guardian of seeds for sowing. This (storing seeds) was constantly carried out by a much smaller deity - Pereplut.
The ancient books of the Slavs tell how Semargl was born. Svarog hit the Alatyr stone with a magic hammer, struck divine sparks from it, which flared up, and the fiery god Semargl became visible in their flames. He sat on a golden-maned horse of silver color. Thick smoke became his banner. Where Semargl passed, a scorched trail remained. Such was his strength, but more often than not he looked quiet and peaceful.
Semargl, God of fire and the Moon, fire sacrifices, home and hearth, stores seeds and crops. Can turn into a sacred winged dog.
The name of the God of Fire is not known for certain; most likely, his name is so sacred. Of course, this God does not live somewhere in seventh heaven, but directly among people! They try to pronounce his name out loud less often, replacing it with allegories. The Slavs associate the emergence of people with Fire. According to some legends, the Gods created a Man and a Woman from two sticks, between which a Fire flared up - the very first flame of love. Semargl does not allow evil into the world. At night he stands guard with a fiery sword and only one day a year does Semargl leave his post, responding to the call of the Bathing Lady, who calls him to love games on the day of the Autumn Equinox. And on the day of the Summer Solstice, 9 months later, children are born to Semargl and Kupalnitsa - Kostroma and Kupalo.
Stribog
In East Slavic mythology, the god of the wind. He can summon and tame a storm and can turn into his assistant, the mythical bird Stratim. In general, the wind was usually represented in the form of a gray-haired old man living at the edge of the world, in a dense forest or on an island in the middle of the ocean.
Stribog's temples were built on the banks of rivers or seas; they are especially often found at river mouths. The temples in his honor were not fenced off from the surrounding area in any way and were designated only by an idol made of wood, which was installed facing north. A large stone was also placed in front of the idol, which served as an altar.
Triglav
In ancient Slavic mythology, this is the unity of the three main essences-hypostases of the gods: Svarog (creation), Perun (law of Rule) and Svyatovit (light)
According to different mythological traditions, Triglav included different gods. In Novgorod of the 9th century, the Great Triglav consisted of Svarog, Perun and Sventovit, and earlier (before the Western Slavs moved to the Novgorod lands) - of Svarog, Perun and Veles. In Kyiv, apparently, from Perun, Dazhbog and Stribog.
The Lesser Triglavs were composed of gods lower on the hierarchical ladder.
Horse
Horse (Korsha, Kore, Korsh) is the ancient Russian deity of the sun and solar disk. It is best known among the southeastern Slavs, where the sun simply reigns over the rest of the world. Horse, in Slavic mythology, the god of the Sun, guardian of the luminary, son of Rod, brother of Veles. Not all gods were common among the Slavs and Rus. For example, before the Russians came to the banks of the Dnieper, Horses were not known here. Only Prince Vladimir installed his image next to Perun. But it was known among other Aryan peoples: among the Iranians, Persians, Zoroastrians, where they worshiped the god of the rising sun - Khorset. This word also had a broader meaning - “radiance”, “brilliance”, as well as “glory”, “greatness”, sometimes “royal dignity” and even “khvarna” - special marking by the gods, chosenness.
Temples in honor of Khors were built on small hills in the middle of meadows or small groves. The idol was made of wood and installed on the eastern slope of the hill. And as an offering, a special pie “horoshul” or “kurnik” was used, which crumbled around the idol. But to a greater extent, dances (round dances) and songs were used to honor the Horse.
Chernobog
God of cold, destruction, death, evil; the god of madness and the embodiment of everything bad and black. It is believed that Chernobog is the prototype of the immortal Kashchei from fairy tales. Kashchei is a cult character in Slavic mythology, whose folklore image is extremely far from the original one. Kashchei Chernobogvich was the youngest son of Chernobog, the great Serpent of Darkness. His older brothers - Goryn and Viy - feared and respected Kashchei for his great wisdom and equally great hatred of his father's enemies - the Irian gods. Kashchei owned the deepest and darkest kingdom of Navi - the Koshcheev kingdom,
Chernobog is the ruler of Navi, the god of time, the son of Rod. In Slavic mythology, he is the creator of the world along with Rod and Belbog. Outwardly, he appeared in two forms: in the first, he looked like a hunched, thin old man with a long beard, a silver mustache and a crooked stick in his hands; in the second he was depicted as a middle-aged man of thin build, dressed in black clothes, but, again, with a silver mustache.
Chernobog is armed with a sword, which he wields masterfully. Although he is able to instantly appear at any point in Navi, he prefers to move astride a fiery stallion.
After the creation of the world, Chernobog received Nav, the world of the dead, under his protection, in which he is both a ruler and a prisoner, since, despite all his strength, he is not able to leave its borders. The deity does not release from Navi the souls of people who ended up there for their sins, but the sphere of its influence is not limited to Navi alone. Chernobog managed to bypass the restrictions imposed on him and created Koshchei, who is the incarnation of the ruler of Navi in Reality, while the power of God in another world is significantly less than the real one, but still allowed him to spread his influence to Reality, and only in Rule does Chernobog never appear.
Temples in honor of Chernobog were made of dark stones, the wooden idol was completely covered with iron, except for the head, on which only the mustache was trimmed with metal.
Yarilo
Yarilo - god of spring and sunlight. Outwardly, Yarilo looks like a young man with red hair, dressed in white clothes with a flower wreath on his head. This god moves around the world riding a white horse.
Temples in honor of Yarila were built on the top of hills covered with trees. The tops of the hills were cleared of vegetation and an idol was erected in this place, in front of which a large white stone was placed, which could sometimes be located at the foot of the hill. Unlike most other gods, there were no sacrifices in honor of the god of spring. Usually the deity was worshiped with songs and dances at the temple. At the same time, one of the participants in the action was certainly dressed up as Yarila, after which he became the center of the entire celebration. Sometimes special figurines in the image of people were made, they were brought to the temple, and then smashed against a white stone installed there; it is believed that this brings the blessing of Yarila, from which the harvest will be larger and sexual energy will be higher.
A little about the world order of the Slavs
The center of the world for the ancient Slavs was the World Tree (World Tree, Tree of the World). It is the central axis of the entire universe, including the Earth, and connects the World of People with the World of the Gods and the Underworld. Accordingly, the crown of the tree reaches the World of the Gods in heaven - Iriy or Svarga, the roots of the tree go underground and connect the World of the Gods and the World of people with the underground World or the world of the Dead, ruled by Chernobog, Madder and other “dark” Gods. Somewhere in the heights, behind the clouds (heavenly abysses; above the seventh heaven), the crown of a spreading tree forms an island, and here is Iriy (Slavic paradise), where not only the Gods and ancestors of people live, but also the ancestors of all birds and animals. Thus, the Tree of the World was fundamental in the worldview of the Slavs, its main component. At the same time, it is also a staircase, a road along which you can get to any of the worlds. In Slavic folklore, the Tree of the World is called differently. It can be oak, sycamore, willow, linden, viburnum, cherry, apple or pine.
In the ideas of the ancient Slavs, the World Tree is located on the Buyan island on the Alatyr-stone, which is also the center of the universe (the center of the Earth). Judging by some legends, light Gods live on its branches, and dark Gods live in its roots. The image of this tree has come down to us, both in the form of various fairy tales, legends, epics, conspiracies, songs, riddles, and in the form of ritual embroidery on clothes, patterns, ceramic decorations, painting of dishes, chests, etc. Here is an example of how the Tree of the World is described in one of the Slavic folk tales that existed in Rus' and tells about the capture of a horse by a hero-hero: “... there is a copper pillar, and a horse is tied to it, there are pure stars on the sides, a moon is shining on the tail , in the forehead there is a red sun...". This horse is a mythological symbol of the entire universe
Of course, one post cannot cover all the gods that our ancestors worshiped. Different branches of the Slavs called the same gods differently, and they also had their own “local” deities.
In Ancient Rus', at a time when Christianity had not yet been adopted, the Slavs idolized otherworldly incorporeal creatures. The pagan gods of ancient Rus', according to the ideas of the ancients, are endowed with supernatural abilities to influence all things. They are responsible for all the fundamental principles of human existence, control both the fate of the people themselves and everything that surrounds them.
Each deity performs a specific, utilitarian function. The history of ancient times stores many dozens of names, of which we now know only a part. This part has survived to this day thanks to pagan rituals and rituals passed down from generation to generation, which over time became the basis of the customs of the Slavic family.
At the hierarchical top stands the supreme god, under him are the gods of the environment of existence of all living things, then are the gods of human destinies and the everyday life of people, at the bottom of the pyramid are the elements and forces of darkness.
Table of pagan gods of ancient Rus':
| No. | Deity name | Purpose |
| 1 | GENUS | Supreme god of heaven and earth |
| 2 | HORSE | Sun God |
| 3 | YARILO | God of the spring sun. Son of Veles |
| 4 | DAZHDBOG | God of fertility and sunshine |
| 5 | SVAROG | Master of the Universe. God of the sky |
| 6 | PERUN | God of lightning and thunder |
| 7 | STRIBOG | God of the wind |
| 8 | VELES | God of fertility (cattle) |
| 9 | LADA | The female embodiment of Rod |
| 10 | CHERNOBOG | Lord of the forces of darkness |
| 11 | MOKOSH | Goddess of the earth, harvest and female destiny |
| 12 | PARASKEVA-FRIDAY | Mistress of revelry |
| 13 | MORAINE | Goddess of evil, disease and death |
Ancient Slavic god Rod
This is the supreme god who rules over all things in the Universe, including all other gods. He heads the pinnacle of the pagan pantheon of gods. He is the creator and ancestor. He is omnipotent and influences the entire cycle of life. It exists everywhere and has no beginning or end. This description fully corresponds to the concept of God of all modern religions.
The genus governs life and death, abundance and poverty. No one has ever seen him, yet he sees everyone. The root of his name is sewn into human speech - into the words with which people interpret (voice) their dominant spiritual and material values in the material world. Birth, relatives, homeland, spring, harvest - Rod is present in all this.
Hierarchy of pagan gods of Rus'
Under the leadership of the Family, all Slavic deities and other spiritual entities are distributed according to levels corresponding to their impact on the everyday affairs of people.
The top level is occupied by deities who manage global and national affairs: wars and ethnic conflicts, weather disasters, fertility and famine, fertility and mortality.
At the middle level there are deities responsible for local affairs. These are the patrons of agriculture, crafts, fishing and hunting, and family concerns. People liken their face to their own.
The stylobate of the base of the pantheon is assigned to spiritual entities whose physical appearance is unlike that of a human. These are kikimoras, ghouls, goblins, brownies, ghouls, mermaids and many others like them.
The Slavic hierarchical pyramid ends here, unlike the ancient Egyptian one, where there was also an afterlife with its own governing deities and laws, or, for example, where the basis was a numerous pantheon of gods.
Slavic gods by importance and power
God of the Slavs Horse and his incarnations
Khors is the son of Rod and the brother of Veles. This is the sun god in Ancient Rus'. Horse's face is like a sunny day - yellow, radiant, dazzlingly bright. He has 4 incarnations:
- Kolyada
- Yarilo
- Dazhdbog
- Svarog.
Each hypostasis operates in a specific season of the year, and people expect help from each divine incarnation, which is associated with the corresponding rituals and ceremonies.
We still follow the traditions of the ancient Slavs: we tell fortunes on Christmastide, fry pancakes on Maslenitsa, burn bonfires on Ivan Kupala and weave wreaths.
1. God of the Slavs Kolyada
Kolyada begins the annual cycle and reigns from the winter solstice to the spring equinox (December 22 – March 21). In December, people greet the young Sun and praise Kolyada with ritual songs; festivities last until January 7. It's Christmastide.
By this time, the owners are slaughtering livestock, opening pickles, and taking supplies to fairs. Throughout Christmas time, people organize gatherings, rich feasts, tell fortunes, have fun, get married and have weddings. In general, doing nothing becomes quite legal. Kolyada treats with its mercy all benefactors who show mercy and generosity to the poor.
2. God of the Slavs Yarilo
He is also Yarovit, Ruevit, Yar - the solar god of young age with the face of a barefoot young man on a white horse. Wherever he looks, shoots will sprout; wherever he passes, the grass will sprout. On his head is a crown of ears of grain, in his left hand he holds a bow and arrows, in his right hand are the reins. Its time is from the spring equinox to the summer solstice (March 22 – June 21). People's supplies at home are depleted and there is a lot of work to do. When the sun turned back, the tension in the labors subsided, the time of Dazhdbog had come.
3. God of the Slavs Dazhdbog
He is Kupala or Kupaila - the solar god with the face of a man mature age. Its time is from the summer solstice to the autumn equinox (June 22 - September 23). The reunion celebration is postponed on July 6-7 due to work commitments. On this mysterious night, people burn Yarila (or rather, a scarecrow) on a large bonfire and jump over it, girls throw wreaths of woven flowers down the river. Everyone is looking for the blooming fern of desires. There is also a lot of work during this season: mowing, harvesting fruit, repairing the house, preparing the sleigh.
4. God of the Slavs Svarog
The tired Sun sinks lower and lower towards the horizon. In its slanting rays, the tall, strong old man Svarog (aka Svetovid), whitened with gray hair, takes up the baton of power. He looks north, clutching a heavy sword in his hand, with which he slays the forces of darkness. He is the husband of the Earth, the father of Dazhdbog and all other gods of natural phenomena. His time from September 23 to December 21 is a period of satiety, peace and prosperity. People are not sad about anything, they organize fairs and have weddings.
Perun god of thunder and lightning
This is the god of war. In his right hand, Perun holds a rainbow sword, in his left - lightning arrows. The clouds are his hair and beard, the thunder is his speech, the wind is his breath, the raindrops are the fertilizing seed. He is the son of Svarog (Svarozhich), and is also endowed with a formidable disposition. He patronizes brave warriors and gives them luck and strength to everyone who puts in the effort to do hard work.
Stribog god of the wind
He is the god above the gods of the elemental forces of nature (Whistling, Weather and others). Stribog is the lord of the wind, hurricanes and blizzards. He can be touchingly kind and furiously evil. When he angrily blows the horn, the elements arise; when he is kind, the leaves simply rustle, streams gurgle, the wind howls in the crevices of the trees. From these sounds of nature came music and songs, and with them musical instruments. They pray to Stribog for the storm to subside, and hunters ask him for help in pursuing the sensitive and timid animal.
Veles pagan god of wealth
This is the god of agriculture and cattle breeding. Veles is also called the god of wealth (aka Hair, Month). He commands the clouds. When he was young, he tended the heavenly sheep himself. In anger, Veles sends torrential rains to the earth. After reaping, people still leave him one collected sheaf. In his name they swear word of honor and fidelity.
Lada goddess of love and beauty
Goddess Lada is the patroness of the hearth. Her clothes are snow-white clouds, and the morning dew is tears. In the predawn haze, she escorts the shadows of the departed to the other world. Lada is the earthly incarnation of Rod, the high priestess, the mother goddess, surrounded by a retinue of young servants. She is beautiful and smart, brave and dexterous, flexible with a vine, ringing flattering speech flows from her lips. Lada gives people advice on how to live, what they can do and what they can’t do. She condemns the guilty and exonerates the falsely accused. A long time ago, her temple stood on Ladoga, now her abode is the blue of heaven.
God of the Slavs Chernobog
Many ancient legends have been told about the evil spirits of the swamp, but not all of them have reached us. After all, they are protected by the powerful Chernobog - the ruler of the dark forces of evil and whim, serious illnesses and bitter misfortunes. This is the god of darkness. His abode is terrible forest thickets, ponds covered with duckweed, deep pools and marshy swamps.
He holds a spear in his hand with malice and rules the night. The evil spirits subordinate to him are numerous: goblins who entangle forest paths, mermaids who drag people into pools, cunning banniki, malicious and insidious ghouls, capricious brownies.
God of the Slavs Mokosh
Mokosh (Makesha) is the goddess of trade, like the ancient Roman Mercury. In Old Slavonic, mokosh means “full wallet.” She uses the harvest prudently. Another of its purposes is to control fate. She is interested in spinning and weaving; With spun threads she weaves the destinies of people. Young housewives were afraid to leave an unfinished tow overnight, believing that Mokosha would ruin the yarn, and with it, fate. Northern Slavs consider Mokosha an unkind goddess.
God of the Slavs Paraskeva-Pyatnitsa
Paraskeva-Friday is Mokoshi’s concubine, who made Paraskeva a deity ruling over riotous youth, gambling, drinking bouts with vulgar songs and obscene dances, as well as dishonest trade. Therefore, Friday was a market day in Ancient Rus' for a long time. On this day, women were not allowed to work, because for disobedience Paraskeva could wrap the naughty girl in a cold toad. It poisoned the water in wells and underground springs. Today this goddess has no power and is practically forgotten.
God of the Slavs Morena
The goddess, ruler of evil, incurable diseases and death, is Maruja or Morena. She sends severe winters, stormy nights, epidemics and wars to the Earth. Her image is scary woman with a dark, wrinkled face with deep-sunk small eyes, a sunken nose, a bony body and the same hands with long curved nails. Ailments serve her. She herself never leaves. They drive her away, but she appears again and again.
Painting by Boris Olshansky.
A long time ago, in Soviet times, I somehow thought about this. I know Greek myths well, Hindu, Arab, Chinese and Scandinavian myths are a little worse, and I have an idea about some others. I asked myself the question: do I know Russian mythology? At first I even doubted: does it exist? I thought there should be one, but I didn’t know it at all. Almost nothing.
Then I could name several dozen heroes of Greek myths, and tried to remember the names of Russian gods. I strained my memory and realized that I only remember two or three. Even I felt ashamed myself.
They say that every cultured person general development must know Greek myths. I won’t argue, this is probably true, but every person first of all needs to know HIS OWN, native, primordial. And you need to know your mythology at least twice as much better than any other.
But in those days it was almost impossible to find out anything about Russian mythology. We had to wait for better times.
About seven years ago, I finally discovered the wondrous world of Russian myths, and was simply stunned by the enchanting picture that opened up to me - as if the indescribable beauty of the City of Kitezh had emerged from unknown waters in front of me. There was a truly Russian spirit here, there was a smell of Russia.
Almost immediately I found paintings by magnificent artists who painted on these themes: Boris Olshansky, Viktor Korolkov, Vsevolod Ivanov, Andrey Klimenko, Vladimir Suvorov, Nonna Kukel, Viktor Krizhanivsky. The genius Konstantin Vasiliev has become clearer to me, he also has images of mythical Rus'...
Below is a very brief description of the main gods and goddesses of Russian mythology:
"Heavenly Family" - artist Nonna Kukel.
GENUS. Born from the Golden Egg, created by the thought of the Almighty. He in turn created the entire visible world. Divided the world into three parts: upper, middle and lower. The top one is in the heavens. The gods live there and rule over people. They do what is right, and therefore the inhabited heavens are called Rule. Below is the human world, which we clearly see - that’s why its name is Reality. Nizhny is the world of the past, Nav. The ancestors went there.
"Svarog" - artist Viktor Korolkov.
SVAROG. Creator of earth and heaven. Svarog is the source of fire and its ruler. He creates not with words, not with magic, unlike Veles, but with his hands, he creates the material world.
TRIGLAV. This is a threefold god. This main symbol expressed the very essence of our ancient faith: God is one, but he has many manifestations. Most often, it combined three main hypostases - Svarog, Perun and Svyatovit (Sventovit). It was believed that Triglav vigilantly monitors all the kingdoms: Rule, Reality and Navy.
Great Horse" - artist Viktor Korolkov.
HORSE. Ancient Slavic god of the Sun, son of Rod, brother of Veles. Khors is the god of solar, yellow, light. In Rus' there were at least three sun gods at the same time: Dazhdbog, Khors and Yarilo. Their difference was as follows: Dazhdbog personified the heavenly light spilling onto the earth, into the world of Reveal. Khors is the god of solar, yellow, light. Yarilo was the god of spring light, sometimes personifying the sun.
"Veles" - artist Andrey Klimenko.
VELES (Volos). One of the greatest gods of the ancient world, son of Rod, brother of Svarog. He set the world created by Rod and Svarog in motion. He was called the god of material wealth, wealth, well-being, the patron of domestic animals, fertility, and was considered an underground god, the Serpent, the ruler of the Underworld. Veles is the master of the wild, the master of Navi, a powerful wizard and werewolf, interpreter of laws, teacher of the arts, patron of travelers and traders, god of luck.
"Dazhdbog" - artist Nonna Kukel.
DAZHDBOG. Giver of heat and light, god of fertility and life-giving force, the time of harvest ripening.
"Perun" - artist Nonna Kukel.
PERUN. Perun - god of thunderclouds, thunder and lightning; the manager god, the god who punishes for non-compliance with laws, can cause rain. The most famous of the Svarozhich brothers. The thunder god Perun was represented as a middle-aged, strong man with a gray, silver-plated head, and a golden mustache and beard. He rode across the sky on a horse or on a flaming chariot, armed with lightning, axes or arrows. He commanded the clouds and heavenly waters.
YARILO. God of spring, spring light, warmth, fun; young, impetuous and uncontrollable force; deity of passion and fertility.
"Stribog" - artist Viktor Korolkov.
STRIBOG. The lord of the air elements, the lord of the winds, shoots them with arrows from the sea. He can summon and tame a storm and can turn into his assistant, the mythical bird Stratim. The air in Rus' was considered as a container of seven winds, seventy vortices and seven hundred winds.
"Sventovit" - artist Konstantin Vasiliev.
SVYATOVIT (Sventovit). The four-headed god of prosperity and war. Its symbol is the cornucopia. And although Dazhdbog commands the sun, he is not as influential as Svetovit. Svetovit's four heads observe the universe in all directions. Svetovit was counting on supreme power, but Perun was thinking the same thing: they are eternal rivals.
ROOF. Among the ancient Russian gods, Rod, Svarog, Perun and others, Kryshny is usually missed, but meanwhile, he is one of the main ones. The son of the Almighty and the goddess Maya, he is the brother of the very first creator of the world, Rod, although he was much younger than him.
"Semargl" - artist Anna Zinkovskaya.
SEMARGL (Simargl). Son of Svarog, god of fire and the moon, fire sacrifices, home and hearth, keeper of seeds and crops. Could turn into a sacred winged dog. Satellite of the sun Dazhdbog.
"Belobog" - artist Nonna Kukel.
BELBOG (Belobog, Belun). The embodiment of light, the personification of the daytime and spring sky. The God of luck, happiness, goodness, goodness, He is also considered the giver of wealth and fertility.
CHERNOBOG (black Serpent, Koschey). God is the destroyer. God of cold, destruction, death, evil; the god of madness and the embodiment of everything bad and black. Chernobog is the ruler of Navi, Darkness and the Pekel kingdom. The Slavs believed that the brothers Belobog and Chernobog were eternal rivals - like good and evil, light and darkness, life and death. They follow a person everywhere and write down all his deeds, good and evil, in the books of fate.
KITOVRAS (Polkan). Half-horse - centaur. This is the builder god, wizard, scientist and inventor. Has supernatural power. Legends about Kitovras belong to ancient times pan-Aryan unity and therefore known to many peoples. The Slavs believe that Kitovras guards the solar horses of Sventovit.
KOLYADA. Ancient god merry feasts. Teacher of the Third Law of Life. He told people about the Great Kolo of Svarog, about the Day and Night of Svarog, and also established the first calendar.
OWL. Kolyada's younger twin brother. He got the role of putting into practice the divine knowledge that Kolyada taught people.
"Chislobog" - artist Viktor Korolkov.
NUMBERGOD is the ruler of the current time.
“Lel” - (there are doubts about the artist’s name, sorry, that’s why I’m not writing (.
LEL (Lel, Lelya, Lelyo, Lyubich). In the mythology of the ancient Slavs, the god of love, the son of the goddess of beauty and love Lada. He was depicted as a golden-haired, winged baby, like his mother: after all, love is free and elusive.
"Makosh" - artist Nonna Kukel.
MAKOSH (Mokosh). Goddess of the earth, fertility, mother of harvests, Fate, as well as the patroness of sheep breeding, women's handicrafts and prosperity in the home. Mother of the gods, possibly the wife or incarnation of Veles-Mokos-Mokosh.
"Bereginya" - artist Boris Olshansky.
BEREGINYA. The great ancient Slavic goddess who gave birth to all things. She is accompanied everywhere by luminous horsemen, personifying the sun.
"Lada" - (the artist is unknown to me, alas).
LADA. Goddess of love and beauty. By the name of Lada, the ancient Slavs called not only the original goddess of love, but also the entire system of life - Lad, where everything was supposed to be okay, that is, good. Perunitsa is one of the incarnations of the goddess Lada, the wife of the thunderer Perun. She is sometimes called the thunder maiden, as if emphasizing that she shares power over thunderstorms with her husband. Lada is the goddess of marriage and love, abundance, and the time of harvest ripening.
"Madder - Winter Mother" - artist Nonna Kukel.
MARENA (Mara, Morena, Marana). Goddess of winter and death, the world of the dead. Daughter of Lada, sister of Zhiva and Lelya. She is Koshchei's wife.
"Devana" - artist Pyotr Orlovsky.
DEVANA (Zevana, Dzevana). Goddess of the hunt, wife of the forest god Svyatobor. The ancient Slavs represented Devan in the guise of a beauty, dressed in a rich marten fur coat, trimmed with squirrel; with a bow and arrows drawn. Instead of an epancha (outerwear), a bear skin was worn, and the head of the animal served as a hat.
"Rusalia" - artist Boris Olshansky.
Collected by A.Ziborov
(Based on materials from Russian media)
Beregini-Rozhanitsy is a word that requires no explanation. This goddess is the guardian of the hearth, warmth, nurse, mother, patroness of newlyweds and children, joy of the elderly.
In October, after all agricultural work was completed, the Slavs held weddings. A person has life path There are three important milestones: birth, wedding and death. If the first and last do not depend on us, then a wedding is a special ritual that links together two destinies, two lives, two families.
Wedding, light, holiness, Svarga concept of life, truth, connection. At the wedding they played harp, pipes, horns, tambourines, drums and other musical instruments. Songs were sung that immersed listeners in the old days. Relatives, hugging their shoulders, sang their ancestral songs and praised the young. Some jokingly measured their strength with new relatives, while others took the lead in merry undertakings. Then the buffoons got down to business and then hang on! everyone will get the worst of their antics.
Goodness and peace reigned in the ancient Slavic families. The Russians revered their ancestors, gods, and kept the traditions of deep antiquity.
Bereginya the woman in labor had assistants:
Brownies,
- courtyards,
- vinnikov,
- bannikov.
Veles, hair, volokh, sorcerer, sorcerer, volokhaty, elk, ox, forest, fox, goblin, oleshka, deer - all these words are associated with the forest. The Veles children are what the Rus call themselves in “The Tale of Igor’s Campaign.”
Christians called Veles “the cattle god,” but can Veles’s totemic animals—a bear, a wolf, and a sacred cow—be called cattle? No, peoples living in a natural tribal system considered animals equal to people. For example, in Rus' they love bears very much and consider them brothers. And the bear is Veles. Veles has many images, including in the form of animals.
The Russians learned a lot from animals, imitated them with their voice, movements, methods of attack and defense.
Veles is an inexhaustible source of knowledge; every animal in his forest is unique. But people have moved away from nature, hence all the troubles of modern civilization. It’s time to realize that only a return to naturalness, to healthy natural principles can save the soul and body from final destruction.
We live in a disfigured world, divided into religions, parties, classes, people are valued not by intelligence and strength, but by money, so humanity is withering away and not developing spiritually. For spirituality is in our roots, and nowhere else. Spirituality knowledge (Vedas). Know Ra (faith), know Rod. Veles is the keeper of hoary antiquity and the silent bones of ancestors. The last night of October is the day of remembrance of grandfathers (Halloween in the West). On this day, the Russians saw off the spirits of nature and their relatives who had died during the year under the snow with bonfires and the music of bagpipes and pipes.
Dazhdbog, give, rain are words with the same root meaning “to share, to distribute.” Dazhdbog sent people not only rain, but also the sun, saturating the earth with light and warmth. Dazhdbog is the autumn sky with clouds, rain, thunderstorms, and sometimes hail.
September 22 is the autumnal equinox, the holiday of Rodion and Rozhanitsa, the day of Dazhdbog and Mokosh. The entire harvest has been harvested and the final harvests are underway in the orchards and orchards. All residents of a village or city go out into nature, light a fire, roll a burning sun wheel up a mountain, dance in circles with songs, play pre-wedding and ritual games. Then they bring tables to the main street, put the best food on them and begin a general family feast. Neighbors and relatives try food prepared by others, praise them, and all together glorify the Sun, the earth and Mother Rus'.
Dazhdbozh's (solar) grandchildren called themselves Rusichi. Symbolic signs of the sun (solar rosettes, solstice) were present everywhere among our ancestors on clothing, dishes, and in the decoration of houses.
Every Russian man is obliged to create a large family, feed, raise, educate children and become Dazhdbog. This is his duty, glory, really. Behind each of us are countless ancestors, our roots, and each must give life to descendant branches.
A man who does not have children is doomed to hunger, shame, and poverty in old age. The family must be large and healthy. Our ancestors a thousand years ago did not know vodka and smoking, and therefore gave birth to strong and healthy knights and women in labor.
Lada, lad, love, affection - all this speaks of a tender relationship between husband and wife in a family union aimed at having children and prolonging the Slavic family. Lada is a little girl born in the spring with the first streams and snowdrops. Rooks, the first birds to fly home from warm countries, are the heralds of Lada’s birth. Along with Lada, flowers and young foliage appear. Birds begin to sing where Lada passes. The animals are also happy about the young goddess, who brings them food after a long hungry winter.
Lada's favorite birds, pigeons and swans, are compared in our minds with affection and loyalty. That's why girls sing calls to spring in the voices of birds. Every girl in Rus' is Lada.
Lada gains strength on Kupala, at this time she is caressed by the rays of Yarila, and a small month, a symbol of life, is born in her womb. On June 22, the Slavs celebrate the summer solstice, huge bonfires are lit, a burning solar wheel is rolled into the water (meaning “bathing” the sun), round dances are held shouting: “Burn, burn clearly, so that it does not go out!” Everyone bathes, plays trickle and other love games, and runs after each other through the forest. Fornication, as Christians claim, did not actually occur on the holiday. Magi, old people, parents closely monitored the youth and, in case of violation of the laws of morality, expelled the offenders from the family; this was at that time the most terrible punishment, because in ancient times a person could not live alone, without relatives.
Love in Rus' was not a joy, but served for procreation and the conception of new children. It is the appearance of children that is the meaning of pairing not only people, but also animals and birds. Only married couples went into the forests at the end of the holiday, under the shade of warm fogs, where they basked and made love until dawn, lighting numerous bonfires of love throughout Rus', turning the world into a huge burning fiery fern flower, a flower of truth, happiness, naturalness and eternity.
The arrival of Lada also awakened the spirits of nature - goblins, field spirits, water spirits, and mermaids. Makosh, mother, kush, purse, purse (bag, scrip), piggy bank, merchant, these words are related to each other and mean an increase in goodness and wealth.
If Lada is more related to spring water, then Makosh goddess earth, mother earth. Women of ancient times learned to be Makosh in their family. Makosh is the woman who knows how to work in the field, in the garden, in the vegetable garden, in the forest, knows medicinal herbs, knows how to raise and raise children correctly. Makosh is a goddess who reveals healer secrets to women in the summer (Morena in the winter).
Makosh is the goddess of life (some Slavic tribes called her Zhiva), she carries a month (a man) in her growing womb after Kupala.
Man in Rus' was symbolically represented by a Tree. His parents, grandfathers and great-grandfathers are roots that go into the depths of time, into hoary antiquity, feeding him with the vital juices of the family. The branches and crown of the tree are future children and grandchildren, whom every Rusich looks forward to. He stretches out his hands to the souls of the ancestors, the stars, and to the main ancestor, the sun. The Slav does not ask them for favors, like Christians, but simply speaks and assures them of his firm intention to have a family and children.
If before marriage a girl learned the work of Mokosh, then, after getting married, she fulfills sacred maternal duties, giving birth and feeding children, teaching them kindness and the correct attitude towards nature and relatives. To be Makosh is the sacred duty of all girls and women.
Moraine, pestilence, frost, drizzle (rain), sea, mara, haze, stained, dead, gloom, darkness. All these words mean darkness, bitter cold, death, dampness or unbearable heat. Similar sensations occur to the sick and dying. Morena is a goddess who fights with spring and, leaving, takes with her the remnants of the past year (cold, snow, darkness), giving way to new life, spring.
On March 22, the spring equinox begins, after which, as was believed in Rus', spring begins. Before the equinox, our ancestors cheerfully celebrated Maslenitsa. Fires were lit again, again in towns and villages, as on Kolyada, young people gathered in groups, the funniest entertainers were chosen for jokes and practical jokes; ice slides, forts for playing snowballs, swings and carousels were made; There was troika riding, hand-to-hand combat and wall-to-wall battles and, in the end, the capture of a snowy town and the burning of an effigy of Morena.
There was also a competition to see who would be the most agile and able to climb up the pole and get out a rooster (it was revered as a symbol of the sun, dawn, spring and the goddess Lada, Morena’s successor), round rolls or boots. A burning wheel was rolled down the mountain and bonfires were lit, a symbol of warmth and rebirth.
But Morena is not as terrible as she might seem. She is the image of our harsh snowy homeland, which tests everyone's strength and survival and takes only the weak. She loves the strict purity of the snow and the transparency of the ice; she is delighted by the dance of snowflakes in the deep winter sky. Morena's favorites are owls and lynxes. Russian people love winter, its invigorating cold, sparkling snowdrifts and ringing ice.
Morena moon symbol. Her face looks sternly at the earth, awakening in wolves the desire to howl, thickening the fogs in the air and giving rise to the movement of waters in lakes and seas.
Perun, rune (in Rus' these ancient letters were known as “traits and cuts” mentioned in many written sources). Speech, stream, prophet, roar, roar, roar. Perun is the great god of the Russians, the god of war and thunder. His weapons are sparkling swords, axes, a huge thundering hammer, a mace and a spear that strikes without missing a beat. Animals and birds of Perun, wolves, ravens, falcons. We love and honor Perun among the people. His roaring thunderous voice is mesmerizing. The unearthly brilliance of his lightning weapon is shocking and awe-inspiring. The rapid flight of the blue-leaden clouds of his warriors delights.
Perun was especially revered in times of war and danger. In a bloody battle or during martial games, everyone tried to ignite in themselves the fiery spirit of this formidable ancestor-god.
Although Perun was related to the cold (he was born in the first month of winter), the Days of Perun began on June 20 and ended in early August. At this time, the Russians celebrated funeral feasts for the soldiers who had fallen in battle, gathered on mounds and red mountains, held feasts, military fun, measured their strength in running, throwing weapons, swimming, and horse racing. They killed a bull bought by chipping in, roasted and ate it, and drank mead and kvass. They initiated initiations of young guys who had to undergo serious tests to become warriors and girdle themselves with the weapons of the Family.
Our ancestors always had many external enemies, and constant wars were fought. The shield and sword were revered as a symbol of Perun, his gift to a man. Weapons were worshiped and idolized.
But not only men went into mortal combat. Often, among the killed Russians on the battlefield, enemies were surprised to find women fighting shoulder to shoulder with their husbands. They were also patronized by the golden-moustached Perun...
Svarog, bungle, cook, light, holiness, reduce, color. These words are united by the idea of the creation of life (horn, fate, birth, speech, name). Svarog is the greatest of the Russian gods. This is the ancestor, the ancestor, who set the course of life, who gave people knowledge and speech. He created the entire cosmos, the universe of Svarga. Svarog in everything. Everything in the world is Svarog, a part of it. Among the Balts he bears the name Sotvaras, among the Iranians Tvashtar, among the Romans Saturn, among the Germans Vodan, among the Etruscans Satre, and so on, they all have consonant names and similar features. In the myths of the white peoples, God forges the world with a hammer, striking out lightning and sparks; for all of them, he has one relationship or another with the sun.
Svarog is wise, he sits surrounded by our deceased ancestors, smart birds and animals. Like an acorn that gave birth to a huge oak tree, this god gave birth to the Tree of Life. Gods and people, animals and birds, all living things, originate from grandfather Svarog. Svarog resides in every object, in every person, he is obvious, he can be seen, touched, heard.
Svarog in Navi is in the past, but he (the old days) is remembered. Svarog is in charge, in the future, which we know and for which we live. He is in us, we are part of him, just like our descendants.
Svarog is the old sun, riding in a chariot, cold and dark.
Chernobog rules in last days the year when the night is the longest and the coldest is severe. Russians bathe in an ice hole, getting used to winter. Nature is silent like an old man, dressing in white snow clothes. People in their houses insulate the windows, burn splinters and eat what they grew in the summer, sing songs, tell fairy tales, sew clothes, repair shoes, make toys, heat stoves. And they wait for the birth of Khors, preparing outfits for caroling.
Semargl, stench, flickering, Cerberus, Smargl's dog, death, these concepts in their essence mean the otherworldly deity of a fiery wolf or a dog. Among the ancient Slavs, this is a fiery wolf with falcon wings, a very common image. The Rus saw Semargl as a winged wolf or a wolf with the wings and head of a falcon, and sometimes his paws were like those of a falcon. If we recall mythology, we will see that not only the horse was dedicated to the sun, but also the wolf and the falcon. It is worth looking at the chronicle letters, frames, ancient embroideries and decorations of houses, household utensils, armor and we will see that the wolf-falcon Semargl is found on them very often. For the Rus, Semargl was as important as the dragon for the Chinese, and the unicorn for the Celts.
The wolf and the falcon are swift, fearless (they attack an enemy with superior strength), loyal (a wolf, even when hungry, will not devour a relative like a dog). Warriors often identified themselves with wolves (war wolf).
Do not forget that the wolf and falcon clear the forest of weak animals, healing nature and making natural selection. Images gray wolf and falcons are often found in fairy tales, epics, songs, and ancient written monuments, such as “The Tale of Igor’s Campaign.” In every Slav lives Semargl, who fights disease and evil in the human body. A drinking, smoking, lazy, degenerating person kills his Semargl, gets sick and dies.
Stribog swift, impetuous, fast, nimble, aspiration, stream, and even, if you want, a line. All these concepts mean flow, speed, spread, spreading. If we combine all this into one, we have before us the image of the wind and everything connected with it. This is either a warm breath of summer, or a violent gust of rain and thunderstorm, or a hurricane, a tornado, or a cold breath of the north, snowfalls and freezing temperatures.
Rus' is a northern land, and the icy midnight wind lives in it. Cold and hungry February is just the time; it is during this month that the howl of hungry wolves, which Stribog drives to hunt with his icy breath, is especially long and frightening. Only crows bathe in the currents of the north wind. And at night, the fast shadows of predatory lynxes glide through the snowstorm, flashing their yellow eyes and emitting a chilling meow.
In April, Stribog will arrive from the east with a young, warm daytime breeze. At night he will breathe cold dampness.
In summer, Stribog blows from midday (south), scorching with heat during the day and caressing with warmth at night. And in the fall, flying in from sunset (west), just like in the spring, it will warm during the day and cool at night.
In autumn and spring, Stribog disperses the clouds, revealing the warm, bright sun. In the summer, he brings rain during the drought so that the harvest does not perish; in the winter, he rotates the wings of the mills, grinding the grain into flour, from which bread is then kneaded.
The Rus considered themselves the grandchildren of Strigozh. Stribog is our breath, it is the air in which words sound, smells spread and light scatters, allowing us to see our surroundings. Stribog is vital to all living things. He is the lord of birds and is often depicted as a blowing head or horseman.
Horse, horost, brushwood, khrest, cross, armchair, spark, round dance, horo, kolo, wheel, bracelet, stake, carols, circle, blood, red - all these words are related to each other and denote concepts associated with fire, circle, red color. If we merge them into one, an image of the sun will appear before us, described allegorically.
The Slavs celebrated the beginning of the new year on December 22, the winter solstice. It was believed that on this day a small, fierce sun was born in the form of the boy Khors. The new sun completed the course of the old sun (old year) and opened the course next year. While the sun is still weak, night and cold prevail on the earth, inherited from the old year, but every day the Great Horse (as mentioned in “The Tale of Igor’s Campaign”) grows, and the sun grows stronger.
Our ancestors celebrated the solstice with carols and carried Kolovrat on a pole
