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, 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.
The entire pantheon can be divided into two large circles: the elder gods who ruled all three worlds in the primordial stage, and the second circle - the young gods who took the reins of power in the new stage. At the same time, some elder gods are present in the new stage, while others disappear (more precisely, there are no descriptions of their activities or interference in anything, but the memory that they existed remains).
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. 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 of 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.
Rod's companions were Rozhanitsy - female deities of fertility in Slavic mythology, patroness of the clan, family, home.
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 greatest gods 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 widespread and the 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).
Two animals are associated with the image of Veles: a bull and a bear; in the temples dedicated to the deity, the wise men often kept a bear that played key role in the rituals performed.
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, sharp knife and a spear, with which they go to fight 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 - the good goddess, Mokosh’s assistant, weaves good fortune.
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 ones, 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 the 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 Christmas time. 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 the fire to the people, fought on the shore 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 day 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, this is a goddess, in whose retinue the shadows of the departed walk in afterworld. 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 household, sheared sheep, spun, 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.
They didn’t build part of Mary permanent places worship and honor could be given 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. Directly in front of the idol, a larger stone or wooden plank was installed, 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 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.
According to the identification of Death with thunder spirits, ancient belief forced these latter to fulfill her sad duty. But since the thunderer and his companions were also the organizers of the heavenly kingdom, the concept of Death became twofold, 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, wooden idol Perun, installed in Kyiv, had a golden mustache on his silver head. Over time, Perun became the patron saint 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 is how Perun himself means 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 for 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 merchants who came from distant countries 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 cause and tame a storm and can turn into his assistant, mythical bird Stratem. 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. He also placed himself in front of the idol big Stone, 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 - cult character 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 - world of the dead, in which he is at the same time 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 - the 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 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 Svargu, the roots of the tree go underground and connect the World of the Gods and the World of people with 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 World Tree was fundamental in the worldview of the Slavs, its main integral part. 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, which existed in Rus' and tells about the extraction 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, the moon is shining on the tail, the red sun is in the forehead...”. 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. Pagan gods 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 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 the gods human destinies and everyday life of people, at the bottom of the pyramid - 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) in material world their dominant spiritual and material values. 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 interethnic conflicts, weather disasters, fertility and famine, birth rate and death rate.
At the middle level there are deities responsible for local affairs. These are the patrons Agriculture, crafts, fishing and hunting, 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 day winter solstice until 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 completely legal. Kolyada treats with its mercy all benefactors who show mercy and generosity to the poor.
2. God of the Slavs Yarilo
He is Yarovit, Ruevit, Yar - the solar god 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 also Kupala or Kupaila - the solar god with the face of a mature man. Its time is from the summer solstice to 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 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 and lightning arrows in his left. 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 music and songs appeared, 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. They swear by his name honestly and loyalty.
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 to do and what not to 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. Subordinate to him devilry numerous: goblin, confusing forest paths, mermaids, drawing people into whirlpools, 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 - Mokoshi’s concubine, who made Paraskeva a deity ruling over riotous youth, gambling, drinking bouts with vulgar songs and obscene dancing, as well as dishonest trading. 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 a 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.
The list is headed by the supreme god of the Slavs - Rod. He is located at the top of the divine pantheon. Rod is the ancestor, creator and ruler of all living things. He himself does not have physical body and is an incorporeal spirit that exists everywhere, uncreated and without beginning or end. Isn't it very similar to the Christian, Jewish, Muslim and Hindu concept of God? The clan is capable of bursting with thunder, throwing lightning, and pouring rain. In his control there is life and death, abundance of the fruits of the earth and poverty. Everything is subject to him. No one has seen him, but he sees everyone. His name is still present in the words symbolizing our most important values - “homeland”, “relative”, “spring” (in the sense - pure water), "rhodia" ( ball lightning, that is, fire), “birth”, “harvest”, etc.
In terms of power and significance, he is followed by the Sun God. In Ancient Rus' he has four forms: Kolyada, Svarog, Yarilo and Dazhdbog. All incarnations operate according to seasons. In autumn, winter, spring and summer, people expect appropriate help from each of them. Each of them is associated with ritual meetings and farewells, popularly known as big holidays and festivities. Even today we enjoy baking pancakes for Maslenitsa, weaving wreaths and burning bonfires on the night of Ivan Kupala, and telling fortunes for Christmastide.
The gods of Ancient Rus', the list of which is very large, are mysterious entities that influence the entire cycle of life. They are divided into three levels according to their authority among other deities and according to their importance in everyday affairs. The top one is the gods responsible for global, national issues: wars, weather, fertility. Middle - deities of more local governance - patrons of crafts, women's concerns, hunting and fishing, agriculture. All of them are similar in appearance to people.
The lowest level is reserved for spiritual entities whose appearance is significantly different from gods and people. These are all kinds of forest and house creatures - mermaids, goblins, brownies, kikimoras, ghouls, banniki, etc.
Without Kolyada, Yarila, Kupala and Svetovid it is impossible to imagine the paganism of Ancient Rus'. The gods responsible for the seasons begin their cycle with Kolyada.
Kolyada, or Horse, reigns on earth from December 22 to March 21 - from the winter solstice to the spring equinox. This is the Baby Sun. They welcome his arrival in December. The celebration lasts two weeks, until January 7, at the very peak of winter, when agricultural work is not carried out and the short daylight hours are not conducive to handicrafts. These days are well known as Christmastide.
For the holidays, cattle were specially fattened and slaughtered, and barrels of pickles and fermentations were opened. Thrifty owners took the surplus to fairs. Most of Just at this time, the cattle were freed from the burden of calves, kids, and lambs. Adult animals were used for food and sold, while mothers with newborn babies were content with one portion. Everything was very reasonable and expedient.
Christmas time is the most fun time with songs, games, fortune telling, matchmaking and weddings. These are days and nights of unbridled fun, friendly gatherings, abundant feasts and completely legal idleness. Kolyada was praised with special songs - they thanked for preserving supplies, asked for a warm, snowy winter, health for themselves, their loved ones and livestock. It was customary to show generosity and mercy to the poor so that Kolyada would not bypass his benefactors with his mercy.
Next come the more mature solar gods of Ancient Rus'. The list continues with Yarilo (Ruevit, Yar, Yarovit) - the Sun god of youth. Wherever he looks, there will be a cornfield, where he passes, there useful plants will rise. Yarilo is also responsible for the fertility of animals. He is described as a young guy riding across the sky on a white horse. In his hands is a bow and arrows, his feet are bare, and on his head is a crown of rye ears with wildflowers. Its time is from March 21, when nature is actively awakening from winter sleep, until June 22. By this time, food supplies are completely running out, and there is a lot of work. In spring the day feeds the year. Peasants plow and sow the land, place chickens on nests, check pastures, and tidy up houses and outbuildings. Rituals pleasing Yarila are carried out immediately after the spring equinox. Intensive work ends on the day of the summer solstice, when the sun turns back.
Dazhdbog, or Kupaila, Kupala, is a god in his prime, a mature man. His arrival is celebrated on the longest night of the year - June 22. The gods of Ancient Rus', according to legend, love noisy holidays. When seeing off Yarila and welcoming Kupala, they organize games, burn an effigy of Yarila, jump over fires, float wreaths on the water, look for a fern flower and make wishes. The gods of Ancient Rus' and the Slavs react to them with goodwill.
As you know, our ancestors lived well and comfortably. They knew how to work well and have fun from the heart. During the Dazhbog season, the earth gives up all its juices to the fruits planted in it. Long daylight hours and a large amount of work - making hay, harvesting the first harvest, storing fruit for the winter, repairing and building housing - required dedicated labor from our ancestors. In summer there is a lot of work, but it is not hard when Dazhdbog helps with rain and sunny days. On September 23, on the day of the autumn equinox, the power of Dazhdbog ends.
The fourth age of the Sun God begins with the autumn equinox on September 23 and ends on December 22, the winter solstice. The God of Ancient Rus' Svarog, or Svetovid, is an old god, the husband of the Earth, the father of the Sun, Dazhdbog and the gods of the most significant natural phenomena. He gave fire to Dazhdbog and gave him the power to throw thunder and lightning. In legends he is represented as a gray-haired old man. His time is a period of prosperity, satiety and peace. The people enjoy the stored fruits of the earth for three months, play weddings, organize fairs and do not grieve about anything. According to the chronicles, the god of Ancient Rus' Svarog is a tall man with four heads on four necks. It faces north, south, west and east. In his hand is a sword with which God defeats the forces of darkness.
Perun is the son of Svarog. In his hands are lightning arrows and a rainbow bow. The clouds are his face, beard and hair, thunder is the word of God, the wind is his breath, and the rain is the fertilizing seed. The Vikings and Varangians believed that the best god in the pantheon was, of course, Perun. Why is God the son of Svarog and the Earth in Ancient Rus'? Endowed with a cool and changeable disposition, the formidable and powerful Svarozhich is considered the patron saint of brave warriors. It gives them luck in military affairs and strength in confrontation with any enemy.
The Slavs attribute to him love and patronage of blacksmiths and plowmen. Both of them performed the most hard work, and Perun patronizes everyone who does not shy away from putting physical strength into their work.
Perun is the god of war in Ancient Rus'. When preparing for military campaigns or expecting an enemy attack, the Slavs made sacrifices to him. Altars dedicated to Perun were decorated with military trophies, armor and weapons. The statue of the god was carved from the trunk of the largest tree. A fire was lit in front of her, on which the sacrificial animal was burned. Dances with pipes and rattles were accompanied by songs containing words of request for victory over the enemy.
Veles is the favorite god of farmers and cattle breeders. He is also called the bestial god. The Slavs did not separate these areas of peasant life - everyone had cattle, and everyone plowed the land. Veles (Hair, Month) – god of wealth. Veles was initially identified with Perun. He also commanded the clouds and was a shepherd of the heavenly sheep, but later he was ordered to care for the earthly flock. Veles sends rain to the fields and meadows. After harvesting, he was always left with one sheaf unmown. This tradition is also still preserved. It was the gods of Ancient Rus' Veles and Perun who were always the most revered by the people. Our ancestors swore allegiance and word of honor with them. This is mentioned in the “History of the Russian State” by N. M. Karamzin.
If we analyze which gods were worshiped in Ancient Rus' with the greatest zeal, then these are mostly the gods of the elemental forces of nature. For modern Russians, it is very difficult not to confuse them with each other. Take the same Stribog. How to distinguish him from Perun, Veles, Posvist, Weather and other lords of wind and rain?
Stribog is the ruler of the wind, clouds, storms and blizzards. He can be both evil and good. The god holds a horn in his hands. He blows into it and summons the elements. From his wind arose music, songs and musical instruments. Understanding the magical effect of music on the human psyche was born from the sounds of nature - the sound of water, leaves, the whistling and howling of the wind in pipes, crevices and among trees. All this is Stribog’s orchestra. They pray to Stribog for rain and for it to stop, as well as for the strong wind to subside. Hunters ask for his help before going after a timid and sensitive animal.
The most information has been preserved about this goddess. Lada is the female embodiment of the supreme god Rod. Her clothes are clouds, and her dew is tears. In the morning haze - the goddess's veil - the shadows of the departed move, whom she leads to the afterlife.
The main temple of the goddess stood on Lake Ladoga. The High Priestess was chosen very carefully. This can be compared to how the Dalai Lama is elected. At first, the Magi identified the women most suitable for the role of mother goddess. They had to be distinguished by intelligence, beauty, dexterity, strength and courage. Then their daughters, who had reached the age of five, were collected for the competition. Several winners became students of the Magi. For eight years they learned the intricacies various areas knowledge, sciences and crafts. At thirteen they were tested again. The most worthy became high priestess- the embodiment of Lada, and the rest served as her retinue.
Sacrifices to Lada consisted of flowers woven into wreaths and pancakes or pancakes. They were burned in a ritual fire. This happened on the feast of Ladodaniya. The best young men and women lit torches from the sacrificial fire and, passing the baton, carried them throughout Rus'. On the morning of the holiday, the priestess gave a speech. She came out to people dressed up, wearing a wreath of the most beautiful flowers. It was believed that at this moment the goddess Lada herself entered her body and mouth. She talked about what awaited her fellow tribesmen, how they should live, what they could and should do, and what they couldn’t. If she named a person, then woe to him if it was a reproach. The whole clan turned against the one rejected by the goddess. She could have acquitted the innocently accused. Having finished her speech, the woman dropped to her knees. This was a sign that the heavenly Lada had left the priestess’s body. The Magi put it on her Nice dress, and the fun began.
Lada is primarily the patroness of women. Under her protection - home, childbirth and love. Some sources draw a parallel between the Slavic Lada and the Roman Venus.
Friday is a day dedicated to Lada. The women rested on Friday. It was believed that any business started by a woman on this day of the week would back up, that is, slow down all other work.
Mokosh, or Makesha, is another goddess who guards the family hearth. Translated from Old Church Slavonic, her name means “full wallet.” Mokosh is the deity of trade, the final harvest, existing fruits, their sale and most correct use. The statue of the goddess is made holding a large horn in her hands. Her arms and head are larger than those of the average person and are disproportionate to the rest of her body. She is credited with managing the fruits of the earth. Therefore, another purpose of Mokoshi is to control fate.
Mokosh with special interest Refers to weaving and spinning. In many beliefs, spinning thread is associated with weaving destiny. They say that an unfinished tow should not be left overnight, otherwise Mokosha will ruin the yarn, and therefore his fate. In some northern regions she was considered an evil goddess.
Goddess Paraskeva-Friday is the successor of Mokosha. She wears a white dress. Patronizes trade and youth celebrations with games, songs and dances. For this reason, Friday has long been a market day in Rus', when women are not allowed to work. For disobedience, she can turn the disobedient girl into a frog.
The goddess is responsible for the purity of water in wells and helps to find underground springs. To ensure that Paraskeva-Pyatnitsa always helps, women sew pieces of woolen tow into their aprons.
One of the most ancient and, if I may say so, stable gods is Semargl. This god is one of the seven most revered. The origin of the name is shrouded in mystery. Another name, Pereplut, seems more Russian, but its meaning has been lost over the years. Smargle is the only god who has the appearance of an animal - a winged dog. He serves as an intermediary between people and gods. Semargl transmits sacrifices. He is the god of fire.
Semargl once brought a branch of the tree of life to earth. Since then, he has taken seeds and crops under his protection. He is the god of plant roots and knows how to heal diseases.
Forest thickets, swamps, whirlpools and ponds with stagnant water are terrible. Ancient Rus' preserved many legends about various evil spirits living in them.
Slavic gods are not all kind and pleasant for Russian people. This is Chernobog - the ruler of the forces of evil, the god of darkness, disease and misfortune. In his hands is a spear, and his face is full of anger. He rules the night. And although Belobog opposes him, the evil spirits subordinate to Chernobog are very numerous and insatiable. These are mermaids, sucking into pools of water, goblins, confusing forest paths, capricious brownies, cunning banniki.
Morena, or Maruja, is the goddess of evil and death. She rules cold winter, on a stormy night, during wars and disease epidemics. She is represented in the form scary woman with a black face, a bony body, a sunken snub nose and long curved claws. Her servants are diseases. During battle, she attaches herself to the wounded and drinks their blood. Morena never leaves on her own. Perun drives her away. During the festival of the meeting of the god Perun, the Slavs mercilessly destroy the idol of Morena.
There is an opinion that Christianity is less close to Russians than paganism. It is no coincidence, they say, that for more than a thousand years we have not outlived many ancient customs, such as: the celebration of Maslenitsa, wedding rituals, pleasing the brownie, belief in black cat, a woman with an empty bucket, etc. Nevertheless, the feasibility of introducing new religion no doubt. During the time of Prince Vladimir, who baptized Rus', there was great disunity between individual principalities and tribes. Only a common ideology could reconcile everyone. Christianity became such a binding force. His rituals, the times of holidays and fasts are organically included in the annual cycle of everyday affairs and everyday life, and Christian saints no less effectively help believers who have been baptized in the name of Jesus Christ in urgent matters. The word “Orthodoxy” itself came from Ancient Rus'. The gods of the Slavs helped our ancestors no worse than the Christian saints. The appeal to them was the right word, that is, Orthodoxy.
The rejection by many of us of the current form of Orthodoxy is the rejection of church officials who make money in unjust ways. In pre-Christian times, there were also priests who weaved intrigues and grew rich on offerings obtained by cunning.
The gods of Ancient Rus' and the Slavs changed their functions from time to time and turned from good to evil, moving from one hypostasis to another. Their ancestry differed in many areas. This created conflict situations. The great gods of Ancient Rus' did not disappear anywhere, just as the one God, the creator of the whole world, did not disappear. They simply began to be called by other names - the names of Christian saints, and at the head of the divine pantheon is the son of the Creator, Jesus Christ, who died as a martyr on the cross in order to atone for our sins. He brought New Testament- the law of people’s love for each other. This didn't happen before. In former times, disputes were resolved only by physical strength. Correctly understanding and accepting this law is what we must learn and teach our children. If the pagan gods of Ancient Rus', the list of which with various incarnations and transformations, as well as by location exceeds hundreds, often served as the cause of strife between separate births, then Christian saints have never been the cause of disunity between Christians of different denominations.
The sun for our ancestors always occupied vital role with nature. After all, only thanks to him was their life on earth possible. Without sunlight and energy it was impossible to grow good harvest. The ancients noticed long ago that the seasons change depending on the position of the sun in the sky.
And it is not surprising that the sun god was of great importance. What did the Slavs call the sun god? It turns out that the Slavs had more than one sun god. Each of them corresponded to the sun in certain period of the year.
Some sources present other sun gods:
- Winter – Kolyada.
- Spring - Yarilo.
- Summer – Kupailo.
- Autumn – Sventovit.
Moreover, the first is a child, the second is a young man, the third is a man, the fourth is an old man.
But highest value still had Yarilo. After all, if you remember what the Slavs called the sun, then it was precisely his name - Yarilo. His name literally translates as “fast, swift, rising.” Agree that all these words can be attributed to the sun itself. And even more so for spring, the symbol of which was Yarilo. And therefore God was also “responsible” for fertility and a good harvest. Yarila is also credited with patronage in love and the conception of children.
The sun god had arrows, a spear, and a golden shield. Amber was rightfully recognized as its stone, and gold as its metal. There were many holidays in honor of God, the main participants of which were young people.
Sun God. Christ and other religions.
ROD - Slavic God. The Supreme Almighty, the All-God is the beginning and cause of everything living and inanimate in this world, he is in everyone, hence such native and important words for every Slav as HOMELAND, NATURE, SPRING, etc. Identifies many Gods and Ancestors, he one and multiple at the same time, when we remember all our ancestors: Fathers, Grandfathers, Great-Grandfathers and Great-Great-Grandfathers, we say - this is our KIND.
Rod is the most revered of the Slavic gods, and his image is the strongest amulet.
BelBog - light hypostasis supreme god Slavs Roda, the embodiment of light. God of luck and happiness, embodying the universal forces of conservation and creation. He is the God of light and spring day, Happy life. Previously, our Slavic ancestors did not begin any serious business without glorifying Belobog. He is also considered the giver of wealth and fertility.
Svarog is the God of Heaven, the ruler and father of the other light Gods.
Svarog is the patron and creator of heavenly and earthly fire, the patron and progenitor of the entire Slavic Family.
Svarog is God the blacksmith who created the manifest world, the visible universe (hence the word: “bungle”, i.e. create, create something). Svarog sends the sun's rays to the earth, making it fertile, nourishes and warms the flora and fauna.
Lada - Female hypostasis of the Rod. Goddess of love, beauty, marriage, abundance. By the name of Lada, the ancient Slavs called not only the original goddess of love, but also the entire structure of life - Lad, where everything should be harmonious and harmonious.
The wife called her beloved Lado, and he called her his Ladushka.
Svyatovid - many Slavic tribes revered Svyatovid as the god of victories and war. A special festival was dedicated to Svyatovid - the name day of the sheep - and they were celebrated only in the fall. Therefore, at the same time he was recognized as the god of fertility; prayers were sent to him for an abundance of earthly fruits and prosperity in the house and in the Family!
Perun God - the Thunderer, the Slavic warrior, with his will prevents the forces of Darkness from destroying the Light, which keeps the Forces of Reveal and Navi in balance. This is God who connects Earth and Heaven with his Fire Arrows, who drives away evil spirits with strong lightning, and the golden one who fertilizes the fields. Perun is the god of thunder and fair power, protector of the Slavic lands and patron of fearless warriors, son of the God Svarog and the Goddess Lada. His path is the path of truth, alien to all wickedness and lies. Anyone who follows him will certainly receive immortal glory and great power.
Makosh (Mokosh) - Great Goddess. She possesses the secret of Rule, the secret of the Fate of all living on this earth. Both people and Gods obey her commands. She patronizes women in their household chores. Also, all kinds of sorcery and fortune telling cannot do without Mokosha, here she is revealed as the “Mother of the Lot” and the “Goddess of Fate”; fortune telling, magic, is under the auspices of this Goddess.
Makosh is a spinner, she spins the threads of fate into a ball, and depending on our actions weaves a Share ( good deeds) and not a lot (bad deeds and actions) into our tangle of fate.
Makosh is also the patroness of marriage and family happiness, for one of the special secrets trusted only to Mokosh was dreams of a betrothed.
Veles is one of the greatest gods of the ancient world, God of wisdom and wealth, prophetic and Great.
Veles is the giver of earthly goods and wealth, the trustee of farmers and merchants.
He is the spiritual mentor of wise magicians and storytellers, the patron of travelers, shamans and magicians. Veles is also the owner of Navi, guide human souls to another other world, the keeper of the ancient knowledge of the Vedas and paths to three worlds: Reality, Nav, Rule - Earthly, Underground, Heavenly. Depicted in a hat with horns or a horned helmet with a staff and a cornucopia in his hands.
Dazhdbog (Dazhbog) - Slavic God white light, sun and warmth. The giver of all kinds of blessings and the guardian of life on earth (hence his name Dazhdbog - the Giving God). Dazhdbog is the deliverer of people from the forces of the dark world of all wickedness. During the day he rides across the sky in a golden chariot, holding a shield in his right hand - the Sun, and at night he sails on a silver boat in the underworld.
The Slavic Goddess is alive, the personification of all earthly life, as well as fruitful strength, youth, beauty, fertility and birth!
The Goddess is Alive, bestows kindness, tenderness, cordiality and attentiveness on pregnant women and nursing mothers, so she protects all the girls who have yet to give birth to Slavic children.
Horse - God of the Sun among the Slavs, God of the solar disk, was widely revered by all Slavic lands. The ancestral memory transferred this god to such good words, like a good round dance - an ancient sacred dance, holding hands and leading it, our ancestors thereby welcomed Horse, merging with him with common energy and becoming a particle of God.
Many people still have Slavic peoples The solar disk is designated by the word “horo”.
And the ancient sanctuaries of Khors and other Gods were called mansions, hence the word Temple.
Yarilo - Slavic god of fertility, spring, ardent god of awakening nature and the spring Sun, inspiration and youth, natural strength, love delight and combat rage. He is the very embodiment of solar fury - violence vitality, which lifts the arable ears filled with strength to the sky. It is embodied in a person as a strong will to continue his Family and the will to live in general.
Lel - love passion, god of love and marriages. He was portrayed as a handsome and cheerful fair-haired shepherdess. Who, playing the tender melody of love on his magic pipe, awakens passion in the hearts of Slavic boys and girls!
We still have the Ancestral memory of this beautiful and cheerful god of innocent love passion, this is the word that we use to this day - “cherish”, that is, love, undead...
In some Slavic languages the Stork, which was considered sacred bird Lelya, her name is Lelka!
StriBog - old God, grandfather of the winds, deity of the air, sky. This is an old and powerful God, whose domain extends into the space between Heaven and Earth. Stribog controls elemental forces: lightning, winds, storms, whirlwinds and hurricanes. People turned to him when they wanted to influence the weather. Stribog was revered by the ancients as the destroyer of all evil intentions and atrocities. Mentioned in the "Tale of Igor's Campaign" "Behold the winds, Stribozhi vnutsi, blow arrows from the sea on Igor's brave regiments"
Chur is a patron God, protector of native lands, borders, protects the home hearth. He protects the Ancestral domain from evil spirits. Since ancient times, a conspiracy against evil spirits and all sorts of troubles has been preserved, which we still use, saying “Church, me” or “Church, on your tongue” to protect yourself from an unkind word.
His name goes back to ancient times, when the Great Deified Ancestor was called under the name Chura, Ancestor.
Chernobog is the dark hypostasis of the supreme Slavic Deity of the Family, Chernobog is the ruler of Navi, Darkness and the Pekel kingdom.
Embodies the universal forces of destruction and change for subsequent rebirth at a new level.
Madder is the goddess of death in Slavic mythology, responsible for the seasonal rituals of dying and resurrecting nature, as well as the rituals of causing rain. In the spring rituals of the Slavs, Madder was the name of a straw effigy - the embodiment of death (mora) and winter, which was drowned and burned during the celebration of the ancient holiday of Maslenitsa at the time of the Spring Equinox, which was intended to ensure the harvest. You can ask Marena to destroy all the bad and bad things that have accumulated in you.
Triglav is the unity of the three main essences-hypostases of the gods and the embodiment of the ancient Slavic vision of the universal world - these three worlds are Reality, Nav, Rule. - Svarog (Rule), Perun (Reality) and Veles (Nav). This is the deity of the trinity of the world order, which reflects the very essence of our world order.
Well, and finally, a little about Domovoy:
In Rus', a brownie is directly called master, hostess. In fact, the brownie is the ideal of the owner, as the Russian understands him: he sees every little thing, tirelessly fusses and makes sure that everything is in order and ready - here he will help a worker, there he will correct his mistake.
If he likes the housing, then he serves the household and their elders, looks after the entire house and yard “more than the master’s eye,” looks after family interests and takes care of the property “more than a caring man.”
The brownie cares only about his relatives, his home, his yard, and that is why he is called the brownie, this name indicates the space within which his power is honored and gifts are brought to him.
