Tuesday, August 08, 2006

Slavic Pantheon

Slavic pantheon contains all supernatural powers, that have characteristics of gods in its real sense. It is not proper for the Pantheon to include different spirits or demons, anthropomorphe natural objects, fairy creatures and personifications.
Slavic pantheon also doesn't include archaic Indo - European, Balto - Slavic and proto Slavic cult images, representative of the evolved animistic and totemistic pre-religious beliefs.
In other words, pantheon, the so called by ancient Slavs "svarga" (skies), represents a congregation of philosophically improved, complex, personified, extraordinary forces, typical for the heathen religious concepts of the Slavs till their baptising.




Deities


According to Slavs, deities were superior forces, which know, can and have much more than humans. Because of these qualities they could control and change material world, direct people's existence and shape its circumstances. Thus, if a man respected gods, praising them the proper way, followinf their orders, they would protect and help him. Otherwise they obstructed him in any way, doing him many harms. Because of this belief, Slavs accepted all misfortunes as a warning that deities are angry. On the contrary - if the clan thrives, if harvest was rich and no troubles emerged, people were sure they live in harmony with the divine law and with nature.

Slavic deities appear bellow with a number of names each, since every Slavic nation and language had their local version of divine names. For example goddess Dolya is represented with "DOLYA, SRETYA, SRECHA" which respectively are her Russian, Bulgarian and Serbian names.

For non-Slavic speakers we also included original pronounciation code after each name. Basic rule in reading Slavic names is that sounds do not change according to their possition in words or sentences. For example "g" is always read like in "ghost, gum, go" and never like in "George"; "e" is read like in "red, bet" and never like "Pete", etc.



BELOBOG, BYALBOG, BELUN
(bel-oh-bog | byal-bog | bel-oon ) from "bel/byal" = white; and bog = god; meaning WhiteGod. One of the archaic gods. He is master of light, source of good, happiness and luck; absolute antagonist of dark, evil, of all negative emotions and activities. Probably Belobog was at first god of highest priority, associated to ancient Slavic cosmogony, as one of the universal demiurgs. With the later development of pagan beliefs he gradually lost his importance, although people's respect towards him never died out. In the advanced Slavic cult, Belobog is one of solar god Dazhdbog's companions, personifiing sunshine, warmth and life at all. Peasants believed that Belobog secretly keeps an eye on their wheat and if they praised him, he even helped them in farming, especially in harvest-time.




VELES, VOLOS, VLAS
(vel-es | vol-os | vlas) etymology - uncertain (as in most cases); his name is being related to "vlas" - a hair, fur, i.e. "dressed in furs; stock-breeder". Scholars derive it from "vlast" - authority, power and "vlasti" - to rule, to own.
Vlas is god of whisdom, magic, knowledge, stock - breeding, protector of herds and logycally - of welafair (the bigger your herd - the greater your wealth!).
Vlas inhabits the Underworld and in this connection is also god of deceised, but he symbolises more philosophical aspects of Death - in its property of a reincarnation step, a result of the life cycle's movement. Surely "reincarnation" here means universal transcendental tresspassing from one spiritual condition into another, as a development in linear, not cyclic direction.
Vlas can be in some way associated to the Kemetic god of Death, reincarnation and renovation, Osiris. This association should be limited, ofcourse, as greater part of Osiris characteristics are closer to Slavic solar god of fertility Yarilo, than to Vlas.
Vlas is not winter and death goddess Mora's partner, but more like her alternative or even commander. Probably it is exactly Vlas' domain what Slavs called "Ray" (Eden) - a term known far before baptising, represented by the idea of evergreen, rich, fertile garden of warmth and peace.




DAZHDBOG, DAZHBOG, DAYBOG
(dash-tbog | dash-bog | die-bog) the splendid god of sun, which gives celestial light and warmth and donates life and fertility. In this logics his name is derived - from Old-Bulgarian "dati" - to give, to donate, to give birth and its imperative form "dazhd!" - give! donate! and "bog" - god; i.e. "Giving/Donating god" or "Give god!". According to some authors his name can be related to ancient Iranic "dagi" - burn, scorch.
Dazhdbog is represented as a beautiful young gold-headed man with short beard, who rides his heavenly 12-horse chariot every day and shines above the world with his golden round shield (symbol of the solar disc).
In later Slavic mythology, when Belobog and Chernobog had lost their religious significance, Belobog - embodiment of solar benifaction = good = joy - is considered to be follower of Dazhdbog. Probably Dazhdbog, Belobog and Hors formed a solar trinity.
Dazhdbog is son of the ancient universal master - fiery Svarog, which is the reason to be often called in legends Dazhdbog Svarozhich = Dazhdbog, Svarog's son. In this logic, Dazhdbog should be a brother of the terrestrial fire - god Svarozhich and to the thunder - god Perun.
Ancient Russians were devoted worshippers of Dazhdbog, calling themselves "Dazhdbog's grandsons".
Dazhdbog's important place in Russian tradition is confirmed by the fact that he is one of 6 supreme deities, announced by Kievan Rus' knyaz Vladimir.




DANYA, DANA
(daa-nya | daa-na) goddess of water and by association - patron of life, fertility and plenty. Especially worshipped inside the cult towards summer god Kupalo - they praised her mainly during the summer solstice's Kupalo - festivals.


DID, DIT, DET
(deed | deet | dyet) son of Lada; her constant companion; wearing a wreath of spring flowers. He is a summer god - source of joy, happiness, shared love, light, warmth; protector of mariage. People pray to him for keeping their marriages, for reinforcing family understanding, for blessing the family with many children.


DOGODA
(doh-go-daa) the winged young god of Western, autumnal winter. Son of the winds and air god Stribog.


DODOLA, DUDULYA, DIDILYA
(doh-doh-la | do-do-lya | dee-dee-lya) goddess of rain, wife of the supreme god - thunderbolt Perun. Slavs believed that when Dodola milks her heavenly cows, the clouds, it rains on earth. This is why in times of droughts Bulgarian Slavs organised the Dodo-le (or Peperuna) festival, where they worshipped the goddess and prayed to her for rain. Each spring Dodola flies over woods and fields, and spreads vernal greenery, decorating the trees with blossom. Probably Dododla is just the other name of Peperuna.


DOLYA, SRETYA, SRECHA
(doh-lya | sret-yah | srech-ah) goddess of good fortune and luck, bringer of joy and happyness, assistant of the household and welfare goddess Makosh. Sryashta is represented as a gold-curled maiden, who, just like Makosh, often spins golden yarn. Inside it she weaves people's fate or better - the good parts of their fate. Often Sryashta travells around the world and can appear before everybody - once as a girl, once as a boy. She would request a small favour, ask this or that and, if the man is good, helpful and respectful, she gives him good luck. If the man is peppery, unobliging or say bad words for gods, Sryashta turns her face off him and happiness hever comes to such person. Dolya is the East-Slavic variant of South-Slavic Sryashta.




ZHAROVIT, YAROVIT
(zhar-o-veet | yar-o-veet) in Veda Slovena - "Zharno/Zharnu"; god of wars, battles, weapons, bravery, anger and revenge. He brings lethal summer heat, droughts, field and wood fires, as he is subordinated to his fiery character, represented by his very name - zhar= fire, glowing embers. Zharovit was especially worshipped among the West-Slavs who built for him a great temple in the medieval Slavic city of Volgast. There Slavs kept a huge relique shield of the god, which was decorated with pure gold and was considered sacred. When people engaged into battle, they brought the sacred shield, believing that thus no enemy can cruch them, as Zharovit protects them.


ZHIVA, DIVA, SIVA
(zhee-vah | dee-vah | see-vah) from Slavic "zhiv" = alive; "zhivot" = life. Goddess of life, birth, spring, fertility and love. She embodies the universal vital powers, brings live-giving forces. Thus Zhiva appears to be the absolute antagonist of death - goddess Mora. Zhiva is wife of the universal demiurg, the creation - god Rod.


ZORI
(zoh-ree) from Slavic "zora" = dawn, plural - "zori". These are the two female personifications of the planet Venera, called Vechernitsa (from "vecher" = evening; i.e. Evening star) and Zornica (Dawn star; also called Dnevnitsa - Day star). They are daughters of the sun-god Dazhdbog and patrons of morn and eve. Thus Zornitsa is goddess of day-break, of overcoming and superior light, so she brings extremely positive forces and features. But Vechernitsa is goddess of dusk, of declining, diing light, so she has negative character. Yet both of the Zori were equally feared by Slavs, as both of them are involved in some way with the Razputno vreme - the hours between midnight and day-break, when evil forces wander around the earth.


KOLEDA, KOLYADA, BOZHIK
(call-led-ah | call-yad-ah | bo-zheek) the infant-sun, the winter sun, god of winter solstice. Slavs prayed to him to grow faster and turn again into the splendid spring sun Yarilo, so it can bring new life after the devastating winter. God Koleda is praised in the period 25 studen (december) - 06 prosinets (january). People worship him as bringer of hope, joy and feasts. In his honour they sing conjuring christmas carols, boding welfare and fortune of the clan (Slavic "rod") and the house.




KAPALO, KUPALO
(cup-al-o | coo-pal-o) god of the summer solstice. Kupalo is the mature, the aging Yarilo. Yarilo comes into human world Yav every spring to bring new life, fertility and rich harvest. In the summer he turns into Kupalo. His life on the world gradually moves to its end. He has accomplished his mission in our world and sets off for the Underworld, so he can return again next summer. This is why the Kupalo festival (summer solstice) is actually bidding farewell to the old-aged Yarilo - a preparation for his later ritual burial. During the celebrations, for the last time people express their joy of god Yarilo's visit in their world, the happiness he had brought; they sing incantations and prayers to the fertile god to come again next year. Right after the Kupalo festival starts mourning over god Kupalo. The year is half-way through, last fruitful months are elapsing and then winter will come - the time of death goddess Mora, time of darkness, cold, misery, illness and death.




LADA
(laa-daa) goddess of beauty, love, marriage, family life;protector of people and especialy women. She is the one to whom people should address prayers for personal protection, for maternal protection over her children. Being extremely praised by old Slavs, Lada combines Hellenic Hera and Aphrodita or Germanic Freya and Frigg. Such combination between sexual attraction, lust, sex and marital virtue is comparatively rare in other pagan mythologies. It witnesses the certain patriarchal society's attitude to love and marriage.
In every patriarchal society, it is parents (fathers) who have the last word about marriage. They judge and define whom will their heirs commit to. In most nations' traditions, in taking that serious decisions, they didn't need bridegrooms' consent, but it is not like that among Slavs. Naturally, it is again fathers, clan's elders who choose the proper partner, but it is not so unscrupulous, tyranical decision and is more like a compromise. Young people gave a sign for their love and elders had it on mind and tried to grant their desire. Thus attraction, true love evolved trough wedding ceremony into a higher-grade engagement, into life-long mutual respect. Thisway there is no need one goddess to patronise love and other to protect marriage, as two separated social phenomena.
Only in this context we can understand Byzantine hostorian Pseudomauricius' report: "Their (Slavs') women are virtuous more than human nature assumes; thus most of them consider husband's death to be their own death and choke themselves voluntarily, not taking widowhood for a way of living". Such custom would have hardly been possible if Slavic women were forced to marry men they didn't love.




LADO, LADUNO
(laa-doh | laa-doon-o) partner of the love goddess Lada. According to some authors Lado is equal to the god of sexuality and fertility Yarilo, as they both have similar characteristics in different Slavic beliefs. It is more probably, though, that these two are separate gods, regarding the substantial differences in their attitude to war and peace. If there was a certain Slavic god of peace this should have been Lado, who guards human life and happiness, in whom creative essence is clearly represented, contradicting Yarilo's military aspects. Lado evokes the loving principle in male character, the family devotion, the selflessness, the protective feelings, the responsibility for bringing up children and clan's welfare.


LEL, LYAL son of goddess Lada; god of marriage and domestic happiness. Probably this is another name of Did.




LELYA, LYALYA
(lel-yah | lyal-yah) daughter of goddes Lada; twin-sister of god Lel; goddess of marriage and domestic happiness.


MATI ZEMLYA
(maa-tee zem-lya) Mother Earth; everywhere she is mentioned together with deities, but she is more likely to be one of the essential elements - earth. Different deities are personifications of its states and functions - like goddess Makosh is mistress of moist soil and respectively of agricultural abundace. People payed great honour to Mati Zemlya, because of her vital significance for the ancient agriculturing Slavic communities. Harvest was up to her, so food and survival denepended on her too. Earth also provides eternal asylum for the mortal remains of people. I.e. man was directly dependent on Mati Zemlya through all his life and beyond the death, as the material state of the dead body affects the state of the deceased soul.
There are obvious paralles between Slavic Mother-Earth and the Hellenic Geya or Nordic Jord (read Yiord), both whos names mean "Earth".
Mati Zemlya is wife of the progenitor god, Svarog. This is Slavic equivalent of the wide spread in many mythologies heathen idea for sacral divine marriage between Earth and Sky. We find the very same idea among ancient Greeks - between Geya (Earth) and Uranos (Sky); in Kemetic (ancient Egyptian) mythology - between the earth Gheb (male personification) and the sky Nut (female personification); and even among the native tribes of the far East, of Middle and Eastern Siberia.


MESECHINA, MESETS, MESYATS
(mess-eh-cheena | mess-ets | mess-yats) Goddess of the moon. Sister of the splendid solar god Dazhdbog.


MOKOSH, MAKOSH
(mo-kosh | maa-kosh) goddess of plenty, fertility and domestic wealth. She guards barns, cowsheds, sheeppens and stables, and gives the food and the clothes of family; takes care for the family's welfare, provides for the house and its occupants. Makosh has been represented as long-haired young woman with a horn in her right hand, which is an obvious parallel of the pan-Aryan idea about "the Horn of plenty". This goddess' name is of extremely disputable etymology and scholars give essentially different meanings. Because Makosh's name is so close to Slavic "mekost" (softness) or "mokrost" (dampness), many authors consider her a goddess of earth moisture or even water (which is hardly the situation). It is true, though, that Makosh's name is mentioned in combination with "Mati Sira Zemlya" (Mother Moist-Earth). I.e. exists a relation to the moist earth which is connected to soil's fertility; moist earth = fertile soil = plentiful harvest and the opposite - dry earth = sterile soil = poor harvest.


MORA, MARA, MORENA, MARZENA goddess of harsh winters, cold, suffering, death and all corresponding emotions. Her name is obviously derived from common Slavic root "mor" (death, deadly illness) or from verb "moriti" (to murder, to kill). Another relation can be made to pan-Slavic word "morz" (frost, cold). Mora inhabits the Underworld and controls the souls of deceased which are also called "mora".
Mora can easily be identified with ancient Germanic Hell, whos name in Germanic languages later started meaning Christian "Underworld". Just like Nordic deadmen's mistress, Mora can bring death, rule the deceased and decide who shall enter the Nav and who shall not.
Such relation doesn't exist between Slavic Mora and Hellenic Persepho, who was kidnapped by Hades into the Underworld but never really belonged there. Certain parallels, though, can be made with ancient Greek Hecate who also inhabits hell and sometimes brings death, leading the deceased souls in Hades' estates.


NEDOLYA, NESRETYA, NESRECHA
(ned-o-lyah | ness-ret-yah | nes-rech-ah) goddess of misfortune, miscarriage, evil spells and bad luck; antagonist of the goddess of happiness and good luck Dolya. Just like her, Nedolya spins and weaves misfortunes into peoples fate. Serbs say "Nesrecha tanko prede" (Nesrecha spins thinly).


PEPERUNA, PERUNITSA
(peh-peh-roon-ah | peh-roon-it-sah) wife of Perun the Thunderer. She is often mentioned in Slavic pagan conjuring songs and prayers for rain, mainly at the Bulgarian rain-begging ritual "peperuna". Peperuna is goddess of rain, rainclouds and storms. Probably another name for Dodola.


PERUN
(peh-roon) one of the mightiest Slavic gods, creator of thunder and lightning, bringer of storms and rains, protector of warriors and leader of military detachments. Almost everywhere Perun is considered the supreme god. His name is derived from Indo - European root "perk", "parg" (hit, strike) which developed into pan-Slavic "pierun", "perun" - a thunder, a lightning.
In ancient times universal master and supreme god was Svarog - god of skyes and archetypal fire. He was a peaceful god - father and creator - and had 3 sons: 1) Dazhdbog, the good golden-faced god of sun, warmth, light and life, protector and donator to people; 2)Svarozhich - the furious god of terrestrial fire, whos name should never be pronounced; 3)Perun - fearful and cruel god of thunderbolts, storms, hurricanes, hails and wars, requitor and punisher of people, guardian of world order. When Slavs started their migrations in IV-V cent., they confronted with many foreign tribes and their life turned into a sturggle for survival, because of which they started paying greater honour to warlike Perun, than to peaceful Svarog. Thus Perun became a supreme overlord, displacing his father Svarog.
Besides being thunderer and punisher, Perun is also a benefactor - rain, caused by him, bring life and fertility to earth; to encourage pious people, Perun assists them and rewards them for their good deeds, but His cruelty and stringency enforce and strengthen order among people. If there was nobody to control them, they would have exterminated each other and obliterated the whole mankind.




POGODA
(poh-go-daa) god of the tender southern wind; son of air and wind god Stribog. Pogoda brings good weather. His idol represented a young man with a pointed helmet with bull horns. In his left hand he holds the horn of plenty. Pogoda is also connected to the Fire-cult and hence - to god Dazhdbog.


PODAGA
(poh-daa-gah)


POREVIT, PORVAT
(poh-rev-it | por-vat) god of fertility, male fecundative power and sexual potential; symbol of the male element in conceiving new life; protector of male semen and by analogy - of plant seeds. His name might be translated as "Prolific", "Rich in semen". Porevit had five faces, representing the five winter months when he guards the earth and seeds developing inside it. In antiquity Slavic solar calendar splited into five winter (non-farming, non-working) months and seven summer (farming, working) months.


RADIGOST, RADEGAST
(ra-dig-ost | ra-deg-ast) god - protector of travellers, traders, foreigners; patron of hospitality. If a householder does not take good care of his guests, if he drives off people seeking shelter or harms peacefully passing foreigners and salesmen, then god Radigost punishes him. To good hosts Radigost gives a bless and as they are compassionate to strangers, thus they always find hospitality and accomodation when travelling. Radigost's name can be derived from Old-Bulgarian raditi - take care, look after, consider; and gost - a guest, a stranger, a foreigner.


ROD, DIV, DIY in Veda Slovena - "Diy/Dia". The initial original god - progenitor of deities, creator of the Universe and its manager. Rod is the supreme universal principle, which established the divine law Pravda. He is a protector of blood-ties and clan relations, a patron of kinship and clan unions. At the beginning of Time, at the very beginning of Cosmos, only god Rod existed and there was nothing around him. Later he created the Universe and the three worlds Prav (heavens), Yav (earth) and Nav (underworld) and arranged everything inside them. Rod also introduced the superior principle of balance between elements and enforced the highest law Pravda, which every creature and power (physical or metaphysical, material or energy) should obay.


ROZHDENITSI, ROZHENITSI


(rozh-den-it-see | rozh-en-it-see) (sg. Rozhdenitsa) daughters of god Rod and goddess Zhiva; goddesses of creation and procreation. During the spring the Rozhdenitsi escort their mother Zhiva and help her in awakening the nature for new life, spreading greenery, flowers and blossom around the world. The Rozhdenitsi watch over birth and delivery among humans and animals.


RUEVIT, RUJEVIT, RUGYEVIT
(roo-eh-veet | roo-jeh-veet | roog-yeh-veet) in Veda Slovena - "Rue/Ruyu"; god of sun, light and warmth, protector of farming, guardian of abundance and harvest. Having a gurading role, he also wares millitary characterostics. West - Slavic idols represent him with seven heads, seven swards stuck on his belt and eighth sward - in his hand. It is considered that Ruevit's seven faces are personifications of the seven summer months and watch over land - cultivating and growing harvest in this period. This idea is inherited from ancient annual calendar division into five winter and seven summer months. Among Southern Slavs Rue also shares features with Thracian god Dyonis (known with his Latin name Bacchus) - protector of vine, vineyards and wine; master and patron of wine-producing art.


SVAROG
(svar-rogue) supreme heavenly god, master of divine kingdom Prav; lord and parent of deities; creator and bringer of fire. Svarog is one of the first deities, created by the great progentior god Rod. Svarog's wife is the earth and life goddess Mati Zemlya (Mother Earth) and their marriage brought to life younger gods Dazhdbog, Perun, Svarozhich, Lada, etc.
In antiquity Svarog was the superior lord, but after a time his son Perun the Thunderer displaced him and occupied the power over people and earth. Since then Svarog looks after observing the universal law Pravda on heaven, among gods, and cares only about celestial deeds.




SVAROZHICH, SVAROZHITS
(svar-rozh-itch | svar-rozh-eats) son of the heavenly lord and guardian of cosmic fire, Svarog. Svarozhich is master of terrestrial fire, flames, fireside. He has a highly contrasting, contradictive nature - he protects life, provides warmth and light and dirves away wild animals, but can also turn into a disaster, into destroyer, exterminator and murderer. He is represented as a warlike god, which is typical for all Aryan nations - solar (resp. fiery) deities always have expressive military features, as they are considered to be fighters against darkness, evil and dark powers. Svarozhich is a major object of the wide spread fire-cult. His idol made of gold was kept in the Rhetra temple. This god also entered the Fiery Tetrinity, together with his father Svarog and his brothers Dazhdbog and Perun.




SVANTOVIT, SVETOVIT, SVYATOVID
(svant-o-veet | svet-o-veet | svyat-o-veed) fourfold male deity - world arbiter, master of world directions, bringer of warmth, light and fertility. His name probably means "holy, sacred, filled with sanctity" (from Old-Slavic "sventu") and not "light, bright" (from "sveatu"). Svetovit is a supreme god. Among Western Slavs he was probably worshipped on equal terms with Perun and Svarog, but his warlike solar features bring him closer to Dazhdbog. Svetovit was surely considered a master of justice and fertility. In his left hand he holds a huge bull's horn, filled up with wine, and in his right hand - a sward. I.e. with one hand he endows abundance and with the other he punishes and defends - typical superior gods' characteristics. Svetovid had four separate - necked heads, looking towards the four world directions, i.e. he sees everything, so he can bring justice to everybody and guard against evil forces. In medieval Slavic town of Arcona, on the Baltic island Ruegen, there was a splendid temple of Svetovit, where Slavs kept sacred white horses. People believed that Svetovit rode a horse at night and fought enemy tribes.


SNIGNA, KRACHUN
(snig-nah | krach-oon) winter god, master of snow and cold. Snigna's name is derived from "sniag" (snow). The other name - Krachun - is related to the root "kratuk" (short, biref), as in wintertime (when Krachun rules over the world) days are too short. Some Slavs used "Krachun" as a name of the winter solstice which is exactly the shortest day of the whole year.


STRIBOG
(stree-bog) god of air, weather, climate; master of winds and their grandfather. In the Old-Russian chronicle "Slovo o polku Igoreve" (Saga about Igor's regiment) is written: "Vot vetri, Stribozhi vnuki veyut s morya..." (There - the winds, Stribog's grandsons, blow from the sea..." Stribog is a mature man, blowing his battle horn, which summons the winds. In association with this, Stribog is compared to a military commander, to a knyaz (Slavic chief; later - a duke), so Slavic rulers worshipped him as a patron of the supreme authority. This is why Stribog was represented even in the "Greater pantheon", established by Kievan knyaz Vladimir in 980 AD, together with gods Perun, Hors, Dazhdbog, Simargal and Makosh. Old-Russian chronicle "Povest vremennih let" (History of the times) says: "knyazha v Kieve i postavi kumir na holme vne dvora teremnogo Peruna derevenna, a glava emu srebrena, a us zlat, i Horsa boga, i Dazhdbu boga, Striba boga, i Simargla, i Makosh" (the knyaz in Kiev put idols on the hill out of the palace's yard: Perun - wooden, and his head - of silver, and his mouth - of gold, and Hors god, and Dazhdbog god, Stribog god, and Simargal, and Makosh".




TROYAN, TRIGLAV, TRZIGLOV
(tro-yan | trig-lav | tzhig-lov) Troyan means "Triple", i.e. somebody with three parts or three heads as his other name confirms - Triglav from "tri" (three) and "glava" (head). Troyan is a trinity - god; observer of world order and guardian of the divine law Pravda. With his three heads this god looks toward each of the three worlds of the World Tree - Prav (heaven), Yav (earth) and Nav (underworld). He watches at gods, humans and navs (souls), so he knows everything they do and is their judge. If somebody brakes the Order, the Justice, Troyan is resolute to bring punishment to everybody. He was especially worshipped by Western Slavs in medieval town of Stetin (today's Polish Shchechin), where they had built his temple. Troyan's idol had three heads, but his eyes and mouth were tied up in golden veil. Hoping to propitiate him, Slavs symbolically hid his eyeside, so he can not see their sinns and tied his mouth, so he can not pronounce too cruel sentences.


HURS, KHORS Hors is god of the winter sun - the old sun, which goes smaller (days get shorter) and on 22 studen (december) dies, defeated by the dark and evil powers of Chernobog. But on 23 studen (december) Hors resurects, regenerated into the new sun Koleda. In association to this, Slavs worshipped Hors as god of healing, of recovering, of survival, of triumph of health over illness; as master of herbs, medicine-man and man of knowledge. In this role Hors is associated to ancient Hellenic Esculap, Roman Asclaepius, Egyptian Apis, Scandinavian Balder.


CHERNOBOG, CHRNBOG
(cher-no-bog | chrn-bog) in Veda Slovena - "Zlita Boga" (Evil God); god of darkness, master of evil and death, bringer of suffering, pain and grief, ruler over the dead in the Underworld. His name is derived from "cherno" (black) and "bog" (god), i.e. "BlackGod" - absolute antagonist of bright Belobog (WhiteGod). Chernobog is represented as a brutal young warrior with horrifiing appearance. He always wares a black armour and carries a magical spear in his hand, ready to strike. Where he strikes, fear and sorrow appear there. In Chernobog's footprints creep all kinds of evil creatures and powers. He always fight for dominance with luminous Belobog - god of good, bringer of light, joy and happiness. To get into Chernobog's mercy, Slavs sacrificed horses and captive people to him.


YARILO, YARILO
(yar-ill-o | yar-ill-ah) in Veda Slovena - "Yara"; god of spring, youth, fertility, lust and sexual love. Partner of goddess Lada. Slavs often attributed adulterial features to him. Associated to this, Old-Russian tales describe him as anual inseminator of Mati Zemlya - wife of Svarog. Yarilo is represented as a young beardless gold-haired man, dressed in unusual for male dressing long (female?) shirt. He wares a green wreath on his head and bunch of wheat ears in his left hand. In his right hand he carries a horn or budding tree-wand (symbol of male sexual power) or even a sward (associated to the male sexual organ).

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