Slavs

The Slavs are the largest ethnolinguistic community in Europe.

Currently, the Slavs are settled over a vast territory of Southern and Eastern Europe and further east - all the way to the Russian Far East. The total number of Slavs is 300-350 million people, of which about half are Russians (137 million). Stand out Western Slavs (Poles, Czechs, Slovaks, Kashubians and Lusatians), South Slavs (Bulgarians, Serbs, Croats, Bosnians, Macedonians, Slovenes, Montenegrins) and East Slavs (Russians, Ukrainians, Belarusians). There are several versions of the origin of the word “Slavs”.

There are four main ones: from word (people who speak “our way”, as opposed to Germans - “mute”, i.e. “those who do not speak our language”, “strangers”); from the Indo-European root *kleu- “rumor, fame” (cf. glory ); from the toponym, apparently the name of the river (cf. the epithet of the Dnieper Slavutich , rivers Sluya, Slava, Slavnitsa in different Slavic lands); from the root *s-lau-os “people‘.

world creation

At the beginning of time the world was in darkness.

In the “Book of Veles” it is written: “God is one and multiple. And let no one divide that multitude and say that we have many gods.” Everything that exists is only a small part of Him. And He has a great many names. The ancient Rus and Slavs knew him as the Most High.

Rod is the Parent of all things.

The Almighty created with his thought the Golden Egg, in which was enclosed the Rod - the Parent of all things. This God began to give birth to everything, to create the visible world. Everything born by Rod still bears his name: nature, homeland, parents, relatives.

Lada - mother

Rod gave birth to Love - Mother Lada. Our ancestors also called the whole system of life by the name of Lada - lad, where everything was supposed to be fine, that is, good. All people should be able to get along with each other. The wife called her beloved Lado, and he called her Ladushka. “Okay,” people say when they have decided on some important matter. And in ancient times, a dowry agreement was called ladnik, lady was an engagement, ladylo was a matchmaker, and ladkanya was a wedding song. And even the pancakes that were baked in the spring in honor of resurgent life are from the same root.

Family pillar

So Rod gave birth to the Universe - countless star worlds, as well as our earthly world.

The sun then came out of 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...

Everything that we see around us, everything that is under the Family, we call Nature. The genus separated the visible, manifest world, that is, Reality, from the invisible, spiritual world - from Navi. Rod separated Truth from Falsehood.

Svarog

By the Spirit of God, the Rod gave birth to Svarog - the Heavenly Father. Svarog finished making peace. He became the master of the earthly World, the ruler of the Kingdom of God. The word "Svarog" is translated as "walking in the sky." In ancient times, it was used to designate the daily path of the sun across the sky, then it began to be used to refer to the sky in general, heavenly light.

God also created Blue Svarga - a country in the heavens where our glorious ancestors live. Bright stars are their shining eyes, with which grandfathers and great-grandfathers look from heaven at our earthly affairs. “Bungle” still means to create in a miraculous way. Cooking and jew's harp can only be done with fire and water. Svarog is the source of fire and its ruler. He took care of people: he gave them the sun and fire, on which they could cook food and with which they could warm themselves in the severe cold. Svarog dropped from the sky a plow and a yoke to cultivate the land, a battle ax to protect this land from enemies, and a bowl to prepare a sacred drink in it. It was Svarog who started the Iron Age and taught people to use iron tools. Requirements are brought to Svarog either with cheese (syrniki) or cottage cheese. The word “cottage cheese” means created, it has the same root as the name Svarog and is a symbol of heavenly bread.

Alatyr - stone

Svarog cooked (cooked, created) the earth. He found the magic stone Alatyr, cast a magic spell - the stone grew and became a huge white-flammable stone. God made the ocean foam for them. The thickened moisture became the first dry land. He also used Alatyr for other important purposes: he hit it with a hammer - from sparks flying in all directions, new Gods and ratichs - heavenly warriors - were born.

Centaur Kitovras

In later times, the great wizard half-horse Kitovras (the Greeks called the centaur Chiron) built a temple in honor of the Almighty around Alatyr. This is how the word altar appeared - the most sacred place in the temple. The Temple of the Most High with the Alatyr altar stood on the slope of the sacred Mount Elbrus, the highest in the Caucasus. In ancient times, this mountain was called by different names: Bel-Alabyr, White Mountain, Belina. The Belaya River flows right here, and the White City used to be where the Belogor people lived. All the names in these places are associated with the color of Alatyr - a white stone, when struck, sparks flew out.

Mother of Cheese Earth

The earth seemed to the ancestors as a living humanoid creature. Herbs, flowers, bushes, trees seemed to him like her lush hair; he recognized stone rocks as bones; tenacious tree roots replaced veins; the blood of the earth was the water oozing from its depths. And, like a living woman, she gave birth to earthly creatures, she moaned in pain in a storm, she was angry, causing earthquakes, she smiled under the sun, giving people unprecedented beauty, she fell asleep in the cold winter and woke up in the spring, she died, burned by drought and was reborn after the rains. And, just like a true mother, a person resorted to her at every time of his life. Whoever does not respect the land-nurse, according to the plowman, it will not give him bread; whoever does not bow to Mother Raw Earth with a filial bow, she will lie on his coffin not as light fluff, but as a heavy stone. Whoever does not take a handful of his native land with him on a long journey will never see his homeland again, our ancestors believed.

Veles

God Veles (also Volos), brother of Svarog, is one of the most ancient Slavic Gods. His main act was that he set the world created by Rod and Svarog into motion. Day began to give way to night; winter was inevitably followed by spring, summer and autumn; after exhalation - inhale, after sadness - joy. And also Veles: 1. “Bestial God” is the master of Wild Nature. 2. Vodchiy on all Roads, Mr. Paths, patron of all travelers. 3. Master of Navi, ruler of the Unknown, Black God. 4. Posthumous judge and lifetime tester. 5. A powerful wizard and lord of magic, a werewolf. 6. Patron of trade, mediator in contracts and interpreter of laws. 7. Giver of wealth. 8. Patron of those who know and seek, teacher of the arts. 9. God of luck.

Veles Day is Wednesday, stone is opal or obsidian, metal is lead or mercury, wood is spruce, pine, walnut or ash; amulets, staves, idols and other items associated with the cult of Veles should be made from them.

Perun

Perun is the most famous of the Svarozhich brothers. He is the ruler of the heavenly forces - thunder and lightning - one of the most important Gods in Rus'.

God Perun. Suspension

He moved across the sky in a chariot, holding a thunder arrow ready in his hand. A very expressive portrait of the Thunderer was given by Konstantin Balmont: Perun's thoughts are quick, Whatever he wants, so now. Throws sparks, throws sparks From the pupils of sparkling eyes. Also Perun, son of Svarog the eldest: - Patron of warriors and princely squads. - God the manager, God who punishes for non-compliance with the laws. - Defender of Reveal.

Yarilo

In Rus', at least four sun gods existed simultaneously: Yarilo, Dazhdbog, Svetovit and Khors. What was their difference? The first sun is Yarilo, morning dawn. It is associated with the beginning of creation, the beginning of a new day. Svarog created it first. This is where the year begins in the spring, when the snow melts and greenery blooms. Our life, our youth begins with him.

Dazhdbog

Dazhdbog is the summer Sun that gives fruit. That’s why it’s called Dazhdbog, the giving God. It illuminates the earth and sky. It is associated with a day in our life. This is her zenith, this is maturity. Dazhdbog's day is Sunday, his metal is gold, his stone is yakhont. The celebration may occur on the day of Rodion the Icebreaker. The lion was considered the sacred animal of Dazhdbog. Svarozhich was also depicted either with a lion's head or riding a chariot drawn by lions.

Svetovit

The Third Sun is shining, setting. Associated with autumn, evening, old age in our lives, and reaping fruits. From the name of this Slavic God comes the very name of holiness, all that is holy, holy righteous people and divine light spilling onto the earth. In addition, any holiday in many Slavic languages ​​is called holy. In a word, Svetovit represents the very essence of the spiritual life of the Slavs. The statue of Svetovit was a powerful figure with four heads. In his right hand, the god held a cult horn with honey, bound in metal. His clothes reached his knees, and his feet stood level with people - on the ground. This image was covered with a crimson veil. On the walls of the temple, among the antlers of deer, elk and aurochs, hung a saddle decorated with gems, a bridle and a sword with a silver engraved hilt.

Horse

The Fourth Sun is Horse. The night, winter Sun, illuminating the world of the dead, located underground, the world in which our ancestors live. At night, this sun appears in the form of a month, a moon, to illuminate the earth with its dim light. Therefore, night is the time of the dark forces of the underworld, since when we have night, day begins there. At the same time, Horse never appeared alone, but always in company with other Gods. For example, the sun cannot exist without daylight, so Dazhdbog and Khors are always nearby. But light and solar heat alone are not enough for a good harvest; rain is also needed, and this is the direct work of other Gods. Stribog will blow, catch up with Perun's clouds, they will rumble, lightning will flash and heavenly moisture will spill onto the field. And then there will be a good harvest.

Khorsa Holidays

The main part of the festivities dedicated to Khorsu are mass dances, after which sacrifices are made to him - specially prepared foods. By the way, this is where the word “round dance” apparently appeared, as well as “khoroshul” - a round ritual pie - kurnik. Khorsa's day is a resurrection, like Dazhdbog's, the metal is red gold. The days of Khors coincide with any solstice, for example, summer - June 21 to 25 (Kupala), autumn - September 21 - 23 (Ovsen Maly, Tausen, Autumn Khoros). An indispensable attribute of the veneration of Khors is round dances.

Triglav

Foreign chroniclers considered Triglav one of the many Slavic Gods, not realizing that this most important symbol expressed the very essence of our ancient faith: God is one, but he has many manifestations. Most often, these are three main entities: Svarog, Perun and Svetovit. Triglav was revered by all Slavs, but some peoples worshiped him especially. Near the city of Stetin, next to a healing spring, on the main of the three sacred hills, the magnificent Triglav Temple stood on high pillars covered with black cloth. At the foot of the only statue lay piles of treasure - a tenth of the spoils of war. The statue of the triune God was covered with a veil, and he had gold bandages on his mouth and eyes. It was believed that Triglav vigilantly monitors all kingdoms. God's gaze and his word had such power that they could easily break down the thin barriers between worlds. And then the worlds, mixed, would change places, and this would mean the end of the world. Therefore, Triglav was served by many priests, who made sure that his statue was always tightly covered with cloth, and they expressed the will of God themselves.

Belobog and Chernobog

Below Triglav were Belobog and Chernobog, who were in constant struggle with each other: the daylight was dimming in the approaching twilight, and the darkness of the night was dispelled by the morning dawn; Sadness was quickly replaced by joy: after cruelty and envy came the time of selfless and good deeds. The first God was depicted as a wise, gray-bearded and gray-haired old man, the second - as an ugly, skeletal “koschey.” However, Belobog and Chernobog were revered equally. The brothers Belobog and Chernobog follow a person everywhere and write down all his deeds, good and evil, in the books of fate. Later they were replaced by a guardian angel standing behind the right shoulder, and a devil behind the left.

Kryshen

Kryshen is the son of the Almighty, that is, he was the brother of the very first creator of the world, Rod, although he was much younger than him. He was not born by chance, but to fulfill a great mission. At that time, great cold fell on the world of Yavi. People lost the gift of the gods, fire, and died out, freezing. The cause of these great disasters was Chernobog. Kryshen flew from heaven, gave people fire, and then fought on the shores of the Arctic Ocean with Chernobog and defeated him. This act of Kryshny is sung in the sacred “Book of Kolyada”: Light the Sacred Fire! Let the flammable fires burn - high up to the sky! Read and remember Kryshnya, Son of Golden Maya and Vyshny!

Stribog

Stribog is the God of the wind in East Slavic mythology. The name Stribog goes back to the ancient root “strega”, which means “elder”, “paternal uncle”. A similar meaning is found in the “Tale of Igor’s Campaign,” where the winds are called “Stribozh’s grandchildren.” Stribog was born from the breath of Rod. He can summon and tame a storm and can turn into his assistant, the mythical bird Stratim. In general, the wind was usually represented in the form of a gray-haired old man living at the edge of the world, in a dense forest or on an island in the middle of the ocean.

Servants of Stribog

Stribog has many grandchildren and sons, servants: Whistling is the elder wind, considered the God of the storm; Podaga is a hot, drying wind, lives in the desert in the south; Weather - warm, light breeze, God of pleasant weather; South wind - has a hot, southern disposition, carries with it the warmth and smell of the south; The west wind is a little dry, sometimes angry, but mostly kind; Siverko (North wind) - carries cold from the Arctic Ocean, is very harsh and only gets a little kinder in summer; The East Wind - like an Asian, has an unexpected, mysterious and insidious character; Midday and Midnighter frolic day and night.

Veneration of Stribog

The idol of Stribog was installed in Kyiv among the seven most important Slavic deities. It is not known whether there was a permanent holiday in honor of Stribog, but he was mentioned and revered along with Dazhbog. Wind, rain and sun were considered the most important for the farmer. The sailors also prayed to Stribog to give “wind to the sail.” The Rus in ancient times conquered the sea elements. They came up with a boat, a rudder, an anchor and a sail. The main temples of Stribog were located on sea islands, near the mouths of rivers, where merchant ships often stopped (for example, on the island of Berezan near the mouth of the Dnieper). Before heading out to the open sea, ships approached him, and merchants brought rich gifts to Stribog. According to legend, Stribog, together with Perun, commanded thunder and lightning. On the Don, millers called upon Stribog, whom they called Stryb. The children helped the old people with the following prayer song: Blow, Stryba, to us from the sky, We need bread for tomorrow! Very little time passed - the wind blew, the wings of the windmill began to rotate, and after them the millstones, grinding the grains into flour.

Dogoda

Dogoda - God of quiet, pleasant winds and clear weather. A ruddy, fair-haired young man in a cornflower wreath, in silver-blue clothes, with semi-precious wings on his back, Dogoda slowly flies over the earth, overshadowing it with his smile, affectionate gaze, welcomingly waving an ever-blooming branch of pink rosehip. Submissive to his will, flocks of light-winged clouds float in the heights. Our ancestors saw in their bizarre outlines heavenly mountains, palaces of giants, flying carpets, and chariots of deities. They also saw, of course, boats in which long-dead ancestors sat, occasionally visiting their native land. They certify that descendants honor the ancestral memory, respect ancient customs, and honor their Gods.

Semargl

One of the Svarozhichi was the God of Fire - Semargl. 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 flame. 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, fire sacrifices, home and hearth, stores seeds and crops. Can turn into a sacred winged dog.

Svyatobor

Svyatobor - among the Western and Eastern Slavs - the God of forests and woodlands. He predetermines the fate, life and destiny of all inhabitants of the forest, ensuring harmony and agreement in nature. The belief that irreparable damage should not be caused to nature through stupidity or greed arose in ancient times. Svyatobor is the personification of ever-living nature. It is not for nothing that in the ancient poetic language grass, flowers, shrubs and trees were called the hair of the Mother of the Damp Earth, the wide expanses of land were compared to a gigantic body, her bones were seen in solid rocks and stones, blood in the waters, veins in tree roots, and plants - hair. It is not for nothing that the legends about the origin of man say that our body was taken from the earth and will be turned into it after death; bones - from stone, blood - from sea water, sweat - from dew, veins - from roots, hair - from grass.

Devana

Devana (Zevana, Dzevana) - daughter of Perun, Goddess-hunter, wife of the God of the forests Svyatobor. She learned magical skills from her parents: she could turn into any animal, into a sea fish and into a mighty bird. That's why she became a great hunter. She galloped through the forests, accompanied by two dire wolves, who obeyed her like ordinary dogs. She caught any game and had no equal in her fun. The ancient Slavs represented Devan in the guise of a beauty, dressed in a rich marten fur coat, trimmed with squirrel; with a bow and arrows drawn. Instead of an epancha (outer clothing), a bear skin was thrown on, and the head of the animal served as a hat. She looked after forest animals, taught them to avoid danger and endure harsh winters.

Lelya

Lelya (Lalya) - Goddess of spring, daughter of the Goddess of beauty, love and fertility Lada. According to myths, it was inextricably linked with the spring revival of nature and the beginning of field work. The goddess was imagined as a young, beautiful, slender and tall girl. In the spring spell song there are the following words dedicated to Lela-Spring:

Eat Spring, eat. On a golden horse In the green sayan Gray hair on the plow Soak the earth with aruchi Right hand soyuchi.

Lel

Lel (Lelya, Lelyo, Lyubich) - in the mythology of the ancient Slavs, the God of love passion. The word “cherish” still reminds me of Lela, that is, undead, to love. He is the son of the Goddess of beauty and love Lada. Lel threw sparks from his hands: after all, passion is fiery, hot love! The stork 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.

Alive

Alive, Zhivana is the personification of fruitful strength, youth, beauty of all nature and man - that is, spring. Alive reigns when fields and forests, gardens and orchards turn green and bloom, when people, waking up from a dull winter sleep, seem to see for the first time the beauty of spring nature, the beauty of blossoming youth, and for the first time experience the charm of love and tenderness. It is in the spring that you can see Zhiva or Zhivits, her young servants: in the form of beautiful maidens they soar over the earth, casting such affectionate glances at her that she blooms and turns green even more. The cuckoo was accepted by our ancestors as the embodiment of Zhiva. Flying from the transcendental land, where the souls of newborns come from, where the dead retire and where the maidens of fate reside, the cuckoo counts the hours of birth, life and death. The Goddess Alive was life-giving, that is, resurrecting not only nature that died in the winter, but also the feelings of people. The word “life” used to sound like “stomach” and meant: 1) body; 2) existence; 3) property. From it came the names: the main food of the Slavs - zhit, wheat; houses - housing; rich life - life; livestock - animals, livestock, healing, healing, medicines and much more. Of course, life is fleeting, but to what extent, only the prophetic bird of the goddess Zhiva, the cuckoo, could tell. Our ancestors believed that the bird knew the secrets of the future life.

Makosh

Makosh (Mokosh) - the Goddess of all Fate (kosh, kosht - fate, the syllable "ma" can be abbreviated as the word "mother"), the eldest of the Goddesses, the spinner of fate, as well as the patroness of women's handicrafts on Earth; guards women's fertility and productivity, thriftiness and prosperity in the home. Makosh - Goddess of fertility, mother of harvests, sometimes depicted with horns. A characteristic female horned headdress was worn at folk festivals. Perhaps Makosh is the image of the ancient Mother Goddess. She was the giver of both life and death, the image of her face was considered taboo, and she had a large head.

Mokosh Day is Friday. One of the days on which Makosh is especially honored is the Friday closest to April 8 - the Prophecy of Mokosh. And also on October 27, Paraskeva Friday itself. Its metal is silver, its stone is rock crystal and the so-called “moonstone”. Mokosh's beast is a cat. The symbol of this goddess is yarn, a ball of wool, a spindle.

Share and Nedolya

Due to the fact that the Goddesses - the spinners of fate in beliefs appear in threes, the Goddesses Dolya and Nedolya help to weave the Yarn of Mokosh’s Fates, connecting with the threads of a person with the fruits of his labors - good or evil. Fate is blind, they said: “The lazy man lies, and God holds a share for him,” that is, it is received not for merit, but by random choice. It was believed that you could not escape fate, but it could still be improved or worsened with the help of certain rituals. For example, you should not pass under a fallen tree - “you will reduce your share.” There was a daily custom when the head of the family confirmed the share of the household members: he cut a loaf and handed everyone a part of it, more or less. Often the heroes of legends set off on the road to find their lot, that is, to change it for a better one. But the Share can be different, depending on which one falls when a person is born: in a hard time or in a happy hour. Later, Dolya and Nedolya, Happiness and Misfortune began to be perceived as two forces influencing a person: the light one - the angel standing behind the right shoulder, and the dark one - the devil looking out from behind the left shoulder. That’s why, when something bad happens, they see it as the devil’s tricks and spit on him three times over his left shoulder.

Kolyada

Kolyada is the son of Dazhdbog. The birth of Kolyada was welcomed by all the heavenly Gods and all the inhabitants of the Earth. Svarog himself heard about this. He sent the Fire God Semargl from heaven to bow to Kolyada. Kolyada came into the world to give people the Vedic knowledge that Kryshen had already given, but which they did not save. Therefore, when the evening of Svarog Day arrived, the Almighty was incarnated on Earth as God Kolyada. And the era of Kolyada came. Kolyada appeared as the punishing face of the Almighty. He appeared to punish the demons and bring the Light of Vedic Knowledge. And the Book of the Vedas began to teach kings and wise men: Believe in the young God! To Kolyada - the Almighty Roof! He came down from heaven. He will walk across the earth And he will teach the Faith of the Vedas! And then the kings and wise men brought gifts to Kolyada - gold and silver. They lit candles, drank honey Surya and praised Kolyada: “Kolyada is our Kolyada! Kolyada Holy! Holy Greatest! Great - Most Pure! Most Pure and Godly! And God's Parent!

Autumn

Kolyada had a twin brother, Ovsen (Avsen), who was born a little later and therefore was considered the second, youngest. He carried out the divine knowledge that Kolyada taught people. The Book of Kolyada says: How two falcons flew - Ovsen and Kolyada! It's summer there - it's winter here! All the people watched as they flew. As they sat down, all the people were amazed. As they fluttered up, all the people sighed... The honoring of the two brothers took place in the winter. First, Kolyada was celebrated, then “Osen farmers” walked around the villages, praising Ovsenya. Ovsen is a bridge to the future, along which Kolyada’s brother is the first to cross into the coming new year. He is the first to go into the unknown future, meet evil spirits there, dispel them and thereby clear the way for people. After this, people began to bake special cookies - in the form of larks, which should be treated not only to loved ones and neighbors, children and wanderers, but also to the elements - fire and water, so that they would be obedient in the new year and would not cause trouble for people.

Mara

Mara (Morana) - Goddess of the underworld, who in her time took the creations of the Family to her underworld. At the end of life, the creature is met by God Judgment. And he decides where this creature will go after death - to the underground kingdom of Mary or the heavenly kingdom of Rod. It depends on what he was friends with in life, with Pravda - the daughter of the Court and Dolya, or with Krivda - the daughter of the Court and Nedolya. If a person is truthful with himself, he finds happiness in life - Share and after death goes to heaven - Iriy, to heaven to Belobog. And if he lied, deceived himself, was friends with Krivda, then he becomes unhappy, destitute on earth, and after death ends up in the underworld with the Goddess Mara.

Sources

• http://rus-ved-rus.narod.ru/bogi.html

2. Kaisarov A.S., Glinka G.A., Rybakov B.A. Myths of the ancient Slavs. Saratov, “Nadezhda”, 1993.

3. Kubeev M.N. 100 great legends and myths of the world. M., “Veche”, 2010.

4. http://godsbay.ru

Thank you for your attention!

Prepared the presentation

teacher of Russian language and literature MOU "Moshonskaya basic secondary school"

Kryuchkova

Galina

Anatolievna

Gods of the ancient Slavs

Romanova Svetlana Evgenievna,

teacher of history and social studies MBOU secondary school No. 1. Chernogorsk

Bykova Evgenia Alexandrovna,

Teacher of Russian language and literature MBOU Secondary School No. 1 of Chernogorsk

The embodiment of bright human ideals: goodness, honor and justice.

Belobog was also revered as the embodiment of the spring sky and the god of daylight.

It was believed that this wise and fair god always helps those who are not lazy and do everything for the prosperity of their family.

Slavic werewolf god, sage god, patron of the arts, lord of sorcery

Veles is the god of fertility, wealth and family farming.

Veles was considered the god of luck and travelers. Sometimes he was poetically called the Lord of the Roads or the Guide of all Paths.

Dazhdbog

Patron of the summer sun and fertility.

Dazhdbog, whose favorite weapon was a spear (and occasionally a bow), was one of the greatest warriors of Iria, and not a single war was complete without his participation. Our ancestors depicted Dazhdbog in crimson-golden armor with a spear and shield in his hands. This was a mighty heavenly hero, which, by the way, even the mighty Perun could not cope with.

Dazhdbog's wife.

Lelya, Lada and Makosh are the incarnations of Zhiva, which characterize the three stages of a woman’s development. Lelya is a young, playful and carefree girl. Lada is a young woman, measured and open. Makosh is a married woman who gave life to the successors of her family. And all of them are aspects of Alive, that is, life itself.

Goddess of the harvest, fertility and death, patroness of witchcraft and justice

Winter is the physical manifestation of Mara

The goddess repeatedly saved the world, but also repeatedly practically destroyed it.

God of thunder and military valor

The name Perun comes from the Proto-Slavic “perunъ”, which means “to strike, to strike.”

The distinctive features of the god Perun have always been a spacious red cloak (which among the Slavs later became a characteristic sign of princes-warlords), a powerful heroic horse and a hundred-foot club

The creator of the world and the father of the first generation of light gods (gods-fathers), the Cause of all Causes, the founder and essence of the universe.

The one god Rod created the world as we know it.

all the most important words in the Russian language (Motherland, native, nature) come from the name of this god.

The god of primordial fire and fertility, a messenger god capable of uniting and multiplying the powers of all Svarozhichi.

Semargl the Fire God, together with Svarog, participated in the Primordial Battle of Light and Darkness, which once and for all delineated the boundaries of the Slavic world, clearly separating Prav, Yav and Nav from each other.

Gods of the Ancient Slavs

Elective course. Literature. 6th grade.

Teacher: Gaponova E.A.

The myths of Ancient Greece, Ancient Rome, Ancient Egypt have reached us already in writing. In these ancient states, writing has a very ancient history. Writing came to Rus' from Byzantium only in the 10th century, along with a new faith - Christianity.

The old, pagan faith was eradicated, and with it oral traditions went away - myths that were not written down. Traces of Slavic mythology have been preserved in individual legends and rituals.

People's memory has brought down to this day the names of the ancient gods.

Some ancient rituals are still alive.

Gods of the Slavs.

The ancient Slavs were people of Vedic culture, therefore it would be more correct to call the ancient Slavic religion not paganism, but Vedism.

The word “Vedas” is consonant with the modern Russian “to know”, “to know”.

It is a peaceful religion of a highly cultured people, related to other religions of Vedic roots, such as: Ancient India, Iran and Ancient Greece.

• - the embodiment of light, the god of goodness, luck, happiness, goodness, the personification of the daytime and spring sky. His sanctuary was on a hill open to the sun, and Belbog’s numerous gold and silver decorations reflected the play of rays and even at night illuminated the temple, where there was not a single shadow, not a single dark corner.

• Belbog or Belobog, Belun is the embodiment of light, the god of goodness, luck, happiness, goodness, the personification of the daytime and spring sky. His sanctuary was on a hill open to the sun, and Belbog’s numerous gold and silver decorations reflected the play of rays and even at night illuminated the temple, where there was not a single shadow, not a single dark corner.
• “White Rus' is not without good people,” people have said since ancient times, calling their Fatherland, the Tsar, and their faith white. And white light has always been the embodiment of the world, earth and heaven, the entire vast Universe. The living memory of the ancient Belbog is preserved to this day in the legends about Belun.

This god was especially revered in Belarus. Here they believed that a gray-bearded old man who looked like a sorcerer would definitely bring home a person lost in the forest. In a happy moment, Belarusians said: “It’s like I made friends with Belun.” Or: “It’s dark in the forest without Belun.” It is not for nothing that in ancient times, boys and girls, gathering at gatherings with the arrival of autumn, sang: Even though the moon is shining in the sky - Oh, it’s dark in the forest without Belun!

• - god of cold, destruction, death, evil; the god of madness and the embodiment of everything bad and black.
• Chernobog is the ruler of Navi, Darkness and the Pekel kingdom.

• Chernobog, aka the Black Snake, Koschey, aka the Lord of Navi, Darkness and the ruler of the Pekel kingdom. God of cold, destruction, death, evil; the god of madness and the embodiment of everything bad and black. The Slavs divide the whole world into two halves: good and evil, or friendly and hostile to humans. Each of them is personified by its own god. The hostile one is personified by Chernobog. He is depicted as a humanoid idol, painted black with a silvered mustache. Sacrifices are made to him before the start of important tasks, for example, before going on a military campaign. The sacrifices are often bloody and human, they kill prisoners, slaves and horses.
• Peter Albin in the “Misney Chronicle” says: “The Slavs revered Chernobog as an evil deity for this reason, because they imagined that all evil was in his power, and therefore asked him for mercy, they reconciled him, so that in this or the afterlife they would not he harmed them." Helmold describes that when the evil god Chernobog was honored at a feast among the Slavs, then when carrying a cup to the guests, everyone uttered curses, and not words of blessing.

• - one of the greatest gods of the ancient world, son of Rod, brother of Svarog. His main act was that Veles set the world created by Rod and Svarog into motion.
• Veles - “cattle god” - master of the wild, master of Navi, powerful wizard and werewolf, interpreter of laws, teacher of the arts, patron of travelers and merchants, god of luck.

• - god of the Sun, giver of heat and light, god of fertility and life-giving force. His name is heard in a short prayer that has survived to this day - “Grant, God!”

• The Slavs believed that Dazhdbog rode across the sky in a wonderful chariot drawn by four white, golden-maned horses with golden wings.
• And sunlight comes from the fiery shield that Dazhdbog carries with him.
• Dazhdbog's day is Sunday, his metal is gold, his stone is yakhont.

• - in Slavic mythology, the god of quiet, pleasant winds and clear weather, the complete opposite of his fierce brother, the patron saint of the winds, Pozvizd. A ruddy, fair-haired young man in a cornflower wreath, in silver-blue clothes, with semi-precious wings on his back, Dogoda slowly flies over the earth, overshadowing it with his smile, affectionate gaze, welcomingly waving an ever-blooming branch of pink rosehip. Submissive to his will, flocks of light-winged clouds float in the heights. Our ancestors saw in their bizarre outlines heavenly mountains, palaces of giants, flying carpets, and chariots of deities.

• - in the mythology of the ancient Slavs, the god of love passion. 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 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.

Perun

God of thunderclouds, thunder and lightning, the most famous of the Svarozhich brothers. Perun is the patron saint of warriors and the princely squad, the ruler god, the punishing god for non-compliance with laws, the protector of Reveal, the giver of male strength.

• He was presented as a middle-aged, angry husband with a red beard and black and silver hair. His hand controlled thunder and lightning.
• The Slavs saw their God racing among the clouds in a carriage. The wheels rattle desperately over the uneven clouds - that's where the thunder comes from.

Perun - “he who hits hard”

His name also means "first" and "right".

• - God the creator of the earth and heavens. 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.

• Legend says that Svarog gave people the first plow and blacksmith's tongs, and taught them how to smelt copper and iron.
• In addition, Svarog established the first laws, ordering a man to have one wife, and a woman one husband.

• - among the Western and Eastern Slavs (Belarusians) - the god of forests and woodlands. He predetermines the fate, life and destiny of all inhabitants of the forest, ensuring harmony and agreement in nature.
• Svyatobor is the personification of ever-living nature. It is not for nothing that in the ancient poetic language grass, flowers, shrubs and trees were called the hair of the mother-damp earth, the wide expanses of land were compared to a gigantic body, her bones were seen in solid rocks and stones, blood was seen in the waters, veins were seen in tree roots, and veins were seen in the grasses. and plants - hair.

• 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.

• - in East Slavic mythology, the god of the wind. He can summon and tame a storm and can turn into his assistant, the mythical bird Stratim. In general, the wind was usually represented in the form of a gray-haired old man living at the edge of the world, in a dense forest or on an island in the middle of the ocean.

• The Slavs celebrated the beginning of the new year on December 22 - the day of the winter solstice. It was believed that on this day a small, fierce sun was born in the form of a boy, Khors. The new sun completed the course of the old sun (old year) and opened the course of the next year. While the sun is still weak, night and cold prevail on the earth, inherited from the old year, but every day the Great Horse (as mentioned in “The Tale of Igor’s Host”) grows, and the sun grows stronger.

Yarilo - god of spring, love and renewal

• Every year, April among the Slavs began with the spring holidays of the rebirth of life. A young red-haired horseman on a white horse appeared in Slavic villages. He was dressed in a white robe, with a wreath of spring flowers on his head, in his left hand he held ears of rye, and urged his horse with his bare feet. This is the Slavic god of joyful light, spring and warmth, Yarilo.
• His name, derived from the word “yar”, has several meanings: 1) piercing spring light and warmth; 2) young, impetuous and uncontrollable force; 3) passion and fertility.

God is the creator of the visible world. Everything born by Rod still bears his name: nature, homeland, parents, relatives.

The clan gave birth to Svarog, the great god who completed the creation of the world.

• - the god of summer, had to preserve field fruits and summer flowers from bad weather and strong winds during the daytime. He patronized farmers harvesting their crops.

• The ancient Slavs believed that Bereginya was the great goddess who gave birth to all things. She is accompanied everywhere by luminous horsemen, personifying the sun. She was especially often addressed during the period of ripening of bread - this indicates that the goddess belonged to the supreme patrons of the human race. According to popular beliefs, betrothed brides who died before the wedding turned to beregins. For example, those girls who committed suicide because of the betrayal of a treacherous groom. In this they differed from the water mermaids, who always live in the water and are born there.

• --- in Slavic mythology, the goddess of hunting, wife of the forest god Svyatobor. The ancient Slavs represented Devan in the guise of a beauty, dressed in a rich marten fur coat, trimmed with squirrel; with a bow and arrows drawn. Instead of an epancha (outer clothing), a bear skin was thrown on, and the head of the animal served as a hat. At the feet of the beautiful goddess Devana lay a spear, the kind used to kill a bear and a knife. She looked after forest animals, taught them to avoid danger and endure harsh winters. Hunters and trappers revered Devan, praying to her for good luck, and in gratitude they brought part of their prey to her sanctuary. It was she who sent luck to hunters, helping them win fights with bears or wolves. With her predilection for hunting on moonlit nights, Dewana is partly reminiscent of the Greek Artemis, the goddess of the hunt.

• In decorative decorations, even in Orthodox churches, two women in labor were depicted - the happy Share and the dashing Nedolya (Church of the Savior on Ilyin, Veliky Novgorod, etc.) Fate is blind, they said: “The lazy man lies, and God holds his share for him,” - that is, they receive it not for merit, but by random choice. In Rome, the Share was called Fortuna and had the same meaning. Later, in Christian times, Dolya and Nedolya, Happiness and Misfortune began to be perceived as two forces influencing a person: the light one - the angel standing behind the right shoulder, and the dark one - the devil looking out from behind the left shoulder. That’s why, when something bad happens, they see it as the devil’s tricks and spit on him three times over his left shoulder.

• --- in Slavic mythology, the goddess of love and beauty. By the name of Lada, the ancient Slavs called not only the original goddess of love, but also the entire system of life - Lada, where everything was supposed to be okay, that is, good. All people should be able to get along with each other. The wife called her beloved Lado, and he called her Ladushka.
• “Lada,” people say when they have decided on some important matter, and in ancient times a dowry agreement was called ladnik: lady - engagement, ladylo - matchmaker,
• Ladkanya - wedding song. And even the pancakes that were baked in the spring in honor of resurgent life are from the same root.

• ---in Slavic mythology, the goddess of fertility and fate, the eldest of the goddesses, the spinner of fate, as well as the patroness of women's handicrafts - on Earth; guards women's fertility and productivity, thriftiness and prosperity in the home. Can be correlated with the beliefs of the ancient Greeks in spinners of fate - Moira.
• Makosh is connected with the Earth (in this her cult is close to the cult of the Mother of the Raw Earth) and Water (which here also acts as a maternal, life-generating environment).

• --- in Slavic mythology, a powerful and formidable deity, the goddess of Winter and Death, the wife of Koshchei and the daughter of Lada, the sister of Zhiva and Lelya. Marana among the Slavs in ancient times was considered the embodiment of evil spirits. She had no family and wandered in the snow, visiting people from time to time to do her dirty deed. The name Morana (Morena) is indeed related to such words as “pestilence”, “haze”, “darkness”, “haze”, “fool”, “death”. Legends tell how Morana, with her evil minions, tries to watch and destroy the Sun every morning, but every time she retreats in horror before its radiant power and beauty. Her symbols are the Black Moon, piles of broken skulls and a sickle with which she cuts the Threads of Life. Morena's domain, according to Ancient Tales, lies beyond the black Currant River, separating Reality and Nav, across which the Kalinov Bridge, guarded by the Three-Headed Serpent, is thrown.

Evil spirits

Anchutka- one of the most ancient names for the devil, demon. Anchutkas come in bathhouses and field ones. Like any evil spirits, they instantly respond to the mention of their name.

1.What was the name of the Slavic god of the “White Light”?

a) Dazhdbog b) Svarog c) Veles

2. Relate God and what he commanded:

A) Svarog 1. Patron

B) Veles cattle breeding.

B) Stribog 2. Patroness

abundance.

D) Makosha 3. God of the wind.

D) Dazhdbog 4. God of fire

5. Sun God.

3.What is the name of the holiday of seeing off winter and welcoming Vienna?

a) Maslenitsa b) Trinity Day c) Ivan Kupala

4. Match the name of the spirit and its habitat.

a) Leshy 1. Human dwelling

b) Mermaids 2. Forest

c) Brownie 3. Pond

2. a-4; b-1; at 3; g-2; d-5.

4. a-2; b-3; in 1; g-1; d-3.

• Draw illustrations for Slavic myths (optional).

PRESENTATION ON THE TOPIC: "SLAVIC GODS »

Melnikova Tamara Sergeevna

Ancient Slavic pantheon

very complex in its structure and numerous in composition. Most gods were identified with various forces of nature, although there were exceptions, the most striking example of which is Rod, 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 around them. Each of the gods had power over one of the parts of this world. The effects on other parts not subject to the deities were limited and temporary.

Genus

The most ancient supreme male deity among the Slavs was Rod. Already in Christian teachings against paganism in the 12th-13th centuries. they write about Rod as a god who was worshiped by all peoples. Rod was the god of the sky, thunderstorms, and fertility. They said about him that he rides on a cloud, throws rain on the ground, and from this children are born. He was the ruler of the earth and all living things, and was a pagan creator god. In Slavic languages, the root “rod” 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 the appearance of the Family, 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. The companions of the Family were Rozhanitsy - female deities of fertility in Slavic mythology, the patroness of the family, family, and 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.

Belbog

Veles

One of the greatest gods of the ancient world, son of Rod, brother of Svarog. His main act was that Veles set the world created by Rod and Svarog into motion. Veles - “cattle god” - master of the wild, master of Navi, powerful wizard and werewolf, interpreter of laws, teacher of the arts, patron of travelers and merchants, god of luck. True, some sources point to him as the god of death... At the moment, among various pagan and Rodnoverie movements, a fairly popular text is Veles’s book, which became known to the general public in the 1950s of the last century thanks to the researcher and writer Yuri Mirolyubov. The Veles book is actually 35 birch tablets, dotted with symbols, which linguists (in particular, A. Kur and S. Lesnoy) call Slavic pre-Cyrillic writing. It is curious that the original text really does not resemble either the Cyrillic or Glagolitic alphabet, but the features of the Slavic runitsa are presented in it indirectly. Despite the wide spread and mass veneration of this god, Veles was always separated from the other gods; his idols were never placed in common temples (sacred places in which images of the main gods of this territory were installed). 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, which played a key role in the rituals.

Dazhdbog

Sun God Giver of warmth and light, god of fertility and life-giving force. The symbol of Dazhdbog was originally considered to be the solar disk. Its color is gold, speaking of the nobility of this god and his unshakable strength. In general, our ancestors had three main solar deities - Khors, Yarila and Dazhdbog. But Khors was the winter sun, Yarilo was the spring sun, and Dazhdbog was the summer sun. Of course, it was Dazhdbog who deserved special respect, since a lot depended on the summer position of the sun in the firmament for the ancient Slavs, a people of farmers. At the same time, Dazhdbog was never distinguished by a tough disposition, and if a drought suddenly attacked, then our ancestors never blamed this god. The temples of Dazhdbog were located on the hills. The idol was made of wood and placed facing east or southeast. Feathers from ducks, swans and geese, as well as honey, nuts and apples were brought as gifts to the deity.

Devana

Devana is the goddess of hunting, wife of the forest god Svyatobor and daughter of Perun. The Slavs represented the goddess in the form of a beautiful girl dressed in an elegant marten fur coat trimmed with squirrel. The beauty wore a bear skin over her fur coat, and the head of the animal served as her hat. Perun's daughter carried with her an excellent bow and arrows, a sharp knife and a spear, the kind used to kill a bear. The beautiful goddess not only hunted forest animals: she herself taught them how to avoid dangers and endure harsh winters. Dewana was first of all revered by hunters and trappers; they prayed to the goddess to grant good luck in the hunt, and in gratitude they brought part of their prey to her sanctuary. It was believed that it was she who helped to find the secret paths of animals in the dense forest, to avoid clashes with wolves and bears, and, if the meeting did take place, to help the person emerge victorious.

Share and Nedolya

Share - the good goddess, Mokosh’s assistant, weaves a happy destiny. He appears in the guise of a sweet young man or a red-haired maiden with golden curls and a cheerful smile. He cannot stand still, he walks around the world - there are no barriers: swamp, river, forest, mountains - Fate will instantly overcome. Doesn't like lazy people, careless people, drunks and all sorts of bad people. Although at first he makes friends with everyone, then he will figure it out and leave the bad, evil person.

Nedolya (Nuzha, 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 fire to people, fought on the shores of the Arctic Ocean with Chernobog and defeated him.

KUPALO

Kupala (Kupaila) is the fruitful deity of summer, the summer hypostasis of the Sun god. “Kupalo, as I remember, was the god of abundance, like the Hellenic Ceres, to whom the madman offered thanks for the abundance to the Shah at that time, when the harvest was about to arrive.” His holiday is dedicated to the summer solstice, the longest day of the year. The night before this day was also sacred - the Night before Kupalo. Feasting, merrymaking and mass swimming in ponds continued all that night. They sacrificed to him before collecting bread, on June 23, St. Agrippina, who was popularly nicknamed the Bathing Suit. Young people decorated themselves with wreaths, lit a fire, danced around it and sang Kupala. The games continued all night. In some places, on June 23, they heated bathhouses, laid grass for a bathhouse (buttercup) in them, and then swam in the river. On the very Nativity of John the Baptist, weaving wreaths, they hung them on the roofs of houses and on barns to remove evil spirits from the home.

Lada

LADA (Freya, Preya, Siv or Zif) - the goddess of youth and spring, beauty and fertility, an all-generous mother, patroness of love and marriages. In folk songs, “lado” still means a dearly beloved friend, lover, groom, husband. Freya's outfit shines with the dazzling brilliance of the sun's rays, her beauty is charming, and the drops of morning dew are called her tears; on the other hand, she acts as a warlike heroine, rushing through the heavens in storms and thunderstorms and driving away rain clouds. In addition, she is a goddess, in whose retinue the shadows of the deceased march into the afterlife. The cloud fabric is precisely the veil on which the soul, after the death of a person, ascends to the kingdom of the blessed. According to popular poems, angels, appearing for a righteous soul, take it on a shroud and carry it to heaven. The cult of Freya-Siwa explains the superstitious respect that Russian commoners have for Friday, as a day dedicated to this goddess. Anyone who starts a business on Friday will, as the proverb goes, back off. Among the ancient Slavs, the birch tree, which personified the goddess Lada, was considered a sacred tree.

Ice

Ice - the Slavs prayed to this deity for success in battles; he was revered as the ruler of military actions and bloodshed. This ferocious deity was depicted as a terrible warrior, armed with Slavic armor, or all-weapon. A sword at the hip, a spear and a shield in the hand. He had his own temples. When preparing to go on a campaign against enemies, the Slavs prayed to him, asking for help and promising abundant sacrifices if they were successful in military operations.

Lel

Lel is the god of love passion in the mythology of the ancient Slavs, the son of the goddess of beauty and love Lada. The word “cherish” still reminds us of Lela, this cheerful, frivolous god of passion, that is, undead, love. He is the son of the goddess of beauty and love Lada, and beauty naturally gives birth to passion. This feeling flared up especially brightly in the spring and on Kupala night. Lel was depicted as a golden-haired, winged baby, like his mother: after all, love is free and elusive. Lel threw sparks from his hands: after all, passion is fiery, hot love! In Slavic mythology, Lel is the same god as the Greek Eros or Roman Cupid. Only the ancient gods hit the hearts of people with arrows, and Lel kindled them with his fierce flame. The stork (heron) was considered his sacred bird. Another name for this bird in some Slavic languages ​​is leleka. In connection with Lelem, both cranes and larks were revered - symbols of spring.

Makosh

One of the main goddesses of the Eastern Slavs, the wife of the thunderer Perun. Her name is made up of two parts: “ma” - mother and “kosh” - purse, basket, shed. Makosh is the mother of filled koshes, the mother of a good harvest. This is not a goddess of fertility, but a goddess of the results of the economic year, a goddess of the harvest, and a giver of blessings. The harvest is determined by lot, fate, every year, so she was also revered as the goddess of fate. A mandatory attribute when depicting her is a cornucopia. This goddess connected the abstract concept of fate with the concrete concept of abundance, patronized the household, sheared sheep, spun, and punished the careless. The specific concept of “spinner” was associated with the metaphorical one: “spinning of fate.” Makosh patronized marriage and family happiness. She was represented as a woman with a large head and long arms, spinning at night in a hut: 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 like a tall, beautiful girl with black hair in red clothes. Mara cannot be called either an evil or a good goddess. On the one hand, it gives death, but at the same time it also gives life. One of Mara’s favorite pastimes is needlework: she loves to spin and weave. At the same time, like the Greek Moira, he uses the threads of fate of living beings for needlework, leading them to turning points in life, and, ultimately, cutting off the thread of existence. Mara sends her messengers all over the world, who appear to people in the guise of a woman with long black hair or in the guise of doubles of people who are destined for warning, and foretell imminent death. No permanent places of worship were erected in the part of Mara; honors could be paid to her anywhere. To do this, an image of the goddess, carved from wood or made from straw, was installed on the ground, and the area was surrounded by stones. 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 with a solemn holiday, the Slavs performed a ritual of expelling Death or Winter and threw an effigy of Morana into the water. As a representative of winter, Morana is defeated by the spring Perun, who strikes her with his blacksmith's hammer and casts her into an underground dungeon for the entire summer. In accordance with the identification of Death with thunder spirits, ancient belief forced these latter to fulfill its sad duty. But since the thunderer and his companions were also the organizers 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, the wooden idol of Perun, placed in Kyiv, had a golden mustache on its silver head. Over time, Perun became the patron of the prince and his squad. Temples in honor of Perun were always built on hills, and the highest place in the area was chosen. Idols were made mainly of oak - this mighty tree was a symbol of Perun. Sometimes there were places of worship of Perun, arranged around an oak tree growing on a hill; it was believed that this was how Perun himself designated the best place. In such places no additional idols were placed, and the oak tree, located on a hill, was revered as an idol.

Radegast

Radegast (Redigost, Radigast) is a lightning god, a killer and eater of clouds, and at the same time a luminous guest who appears with the return of spring. Earthly fire was recognized as the son of Heaven, brought down as a gift to mortals, by fast-flying lightning, and therefore the idea of ​​an honored divine guest, a stranger from heaven to earth, was also connected with it. Russian villagers honored him with the guest's name. At the same time, he received the character of a guardian god 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 physique, with a thick beard and dressed in animal skins. Svyatobor fiercely guards the 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 wood. Svyatobor is married to the goddess of hunting Devan. Temples were not built in honor of Svyatobor; their role was played by groves, forests and forests, which were recognized as sacred and in which neither deforestation nor hunting was carried out.

Semargl

One of the Svarozhichs was the god of fire - Semargl, who is sometimes mistakenly considered only a heavenly dog, the guardian of seeds for sowing. This (storing seeds) was constantly carried out by a much smaller deity - Pereplut. The ancient books of the Slavs tell how Semargl was born. Svarog hit the Alatyr stone with a magic hammer, struck divine sparks from it, which flared up, and the fiery god Semargl became visible in their flames. He sat on a golden-maned horse of silver color. Thick smoke became his banner. Where Semargl passed, a scorched trail remained. Such was his strength, but more often than not he looked quiet and peaceful. Semargl, God of fire and the Moon, fire sacrifices, home and hearth, stores seeds and crops. Can turn into a sacred winged dog. The name of the God of Fire is not known for certain; most likely, his name is so sacred. Of course, this God does not live somewhere in seventh heaven, but directly among people! They try to pronounce his name out loud less often, replacing it with allegories. The Slavs associate the emergence of people with Fire. According to some legends, the Gods created a Man and a Woman from two sticks, between which a Fire flared up - the very first flame of love. Semargl does not allow evil into the world. At night he stands guard with a fiery sword and only one day a year does Semargl leave his post, responding to the call of the Bathing Lady, who calls him to love games on the day of the Autumn Equinox. And on the day of the Summer Solstice, 9 months later, children are born to Semargl and Kupalnitsa - Kostroma and Kupalo.

Stribog

In East Slavic mythology, the god of the wind. He can summon and tame a storm and can turn into his assistant, the mythical bird Stratim. In general, the wind was usually represented in the form of a gray-haired old man living at the edge of the world, in a dense forest or on an island in the middle of the ocean. Stribog's temples were built on the banks of rivers or seas; they are especially often found at river mouths. The temples in his honor were not fenced off from the surrounding area in any way and were designated only by an idol made of wood, which was installed facing north. A large stone was also placed in front of the idol, which served as an altar.

Triglav

In ancient Slavic mythology, this is the unity of the three main essences-hypostases of the gods: Svarog (creation), Perun (law of Rule) and Svyatovit (light). According to various mythological traditions, different gods were included in Triglav. In Novgorod of the 9th century, the Great Triglav consisted of Svarog, Perun and Sventovit, and earlier (before the Western Slavs moved to the Novgorod lands) - of Svarog, Perun and Veles. In Kyiv, apparently, from Perun, Dazhbog and Stribog. The Lesser Triglavs were composed of gods lower on the hierarchical ladder.

Horse

Horse (Korsha, Kore, Korsh) is the ancient Russian deity of the sun and solar disk. It is best known among the southeastern Slavs, where the sun simply reigns over the rest of the world. Horse, in Slavic mythology, the god of the Sun, guardian of the luminary, son of Rod, brother of Veles. Not all gods were common among the Slavs and Rus. For example, before the Russians came to the banks of the Dnieper, Horses were not known here. Only Prince Vladimir installed his image next to Perun. But it was known among other Aryan peoples: among the Iranians, Persians, Zoroastrians, where they worshiped the god of the rising sun - Khorset. This word also had a broader meaning - “radiance”, “brilliance”, as well as “glory”, “greatness”, sometimes “royal dignity” and even “khvarna” - special marking by the gods, chosenness. Temples in honor of Khors were built on small hills in the middle of meadows or small groves. The idol was made of wood and installed on the eastern slope of the hill. And as an offering, a special pie “horoshul” or “kurnik” was used, which crumbled around the idol. But to a greater extent, dances (round dances) and songs were used to honor the Horse.

Chernobog

God of cold, destruction, death, evil; the god of madness and the embodiment of everything bad and black. It is believed that Chernobog is the prototype of the immortal Kashchei from fairy tales. Kashchei is a cult character in Slavic mythology, whose folklore image is extremely far from the original one. Kashchei Chernobogvich was the youngest son of Chernobog, the great Serpent of Darkness. His older brothers - Goryn and Viy - feared and respected Kashchei for his great wisdom and equally great hatred of his father's enemies - the Irian gods. Kashchei owned the deepest and darkest kingdom of Navi - the Koshcheev kingdom, Chernobog - the ruler of Navi, the god of time, the son of Rod. In Slavic mythology, he is the creator of the world along with Rod and Belbog. Outwardly, he appeared in two forms: in the first, he looked like a hunched, thin old man with a long beard, a silver mustache and a crooked stick in his hands; in the second he was depicted as a middle-aged man of thin build, dressed in black clothes, but, again, with a silver mustache. Chernobog is armed with a sword, which he wields masterfully. Although he is able to instantly appear at any point in Navi, he prefers to move astride a fiery stallion. After the creation of the world, Chernobog received Nav, the world of the dead, under his protection, in which he is both a ruler and a prisoner, since, despite all his strength, he is not able to leave its borders. The deity does not release from Navi the souls of people who ended up there for their sins, but the sphere of its influence is not limited to Navi alone. Chernobog managed to bypass the restrictions imposed on him and created Koshchei, who is the incarnation of the ruler of Navi in ​​Reality, while the power of God in another world is significantly less than the real one, but still allowed him to spread his influence to Reality, and only in Rule does Chernobog never appear. Temples in honor of Chernobog were made of dark stones, the wooden idol was completely upholstered with iron, except for the head, on which only the mustache was trimmed with metal

Yarilo

Yarilo is 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 will be higher.

A little about the world order of the Slavs

The center of the world for the ancient Slavs was the World Tree (World Tree, Tree of the World). It is the central axis of the entire universe, including the Earth, and connects the World of People with the World of the Gods and the Underworld. Accordingly, the crown of the tree reaches the World of the Gods in heaven - Iriy or Svarga, the roots of the tree go underground and connect the World of the Gods and the World of people with the underground World or the world of the Dead, ruled by Chernobog, Madder and other “dark” Gods. Somewhere in the heights, behind the clouds (heavenly abysses; above the seventh heaven), the crown of a spreading tree forms an island, and here is Iriy (Slavic paradise), where not only the Gods and ancestors of people live, but also the ancestors of all birds and animals. Thus, the Tree of the World was fundamental in the worldview of the Slavs, its main component. At the same time, it is also a staircase, a road along which you can get to any of the worlds. In Slavic folklore, the Tree of the World is called differently. It can be oak, sycamore, willow, linden, viburnum, cherry, apple or pine. In the ideas of the ancient Slavs, the World Tree is located on the Buyan island on the Alatyr-stone, which is also the center of the universe (the center of the Earth). Judging by some legends, light Gods live on its branches, and dark Gods live in its roots. The image of this tree has come down to us, both in the form of various fairy tales, legends, epics, conspiracies, songs, riddles, and in the form of ritual embroidery on clothes, patterns, ceramic decorations, painting of dishes, chests, etc. Here is an example of how the Tree of the World is described in one of the Slavic folk tales that existed in Rus' and tells about the capture of a horse by a hero-hero: “... there is a copper pillar, and a horse is tied to it, there are pure stars on the sides, a moon is shining on the tail , in the forehead there is a red sun...". This horse is a mythological symbol of the entire universe

Of course, one post cannot cover all the gods that our ancestors worshiped. Different branches of the Slavs called the same gods differently, and they also had their own “local” deities.