Ancient Russian gods list. Pagan gods of the Slavs

All Slavic gods that were part of the ancient pagan pantheon were divided into solar gods and functional gods. The supreme deity of the Slavs was Svarog (aka Rod). There were four solar gods: Khors, Yarilo, Dazhbog and Svarog. Functional gods of the Slavs: Perun - the patron of lightning and warriors, Semargl - the god of death, the image of the sacred heavenly fire, Veles - the black god, lord of the dead, wisdom and magic, Stribog - the god of the wind.

Since ancient times, the Lavians celebrated the change of seasons and the changing phases of the sun. Thus, each season (spring, summer, autumn and winter) had its own god (Hors, Yarilo, Dazhbog and Svarog), who was especially revered throughout the season. So the god Khors was revered during the period between the winter and spring solstice (from December 22 to March 21). Yarilo was revered between the spring and summer solstice (from March 21 to June 22). Dazhbog was revered during the period between the summer and autumn solstice (from June 22 to September 23). God Svarog was revered between the autumn and winter solstice (from September 23 to December 22).

Svarog

Svarog is the god of fire. One of the main gods in the Slavic pantheon. “Svarga” in Sanskrit means sky, firmament, “var” means fire, heat. This is where all the Slavic derivatives come from - boil, svarganit, top, etc. Svarog was considered the god of Heaven, the mother of life (“Sva” is the ancestral mother of the Indo-Europeans). At a later time, Svarog changed his gender. By analogy with the Greek Zeus, he became the parent of many gods-sons, Svarozhich, having a fiery nature: Perun (?), Dazhdbog-Radegast, Fire-Rarog-Semargl.

Among the Slavs, almost all heavenly gods are based on fire. Thanks to the works of Svarog, people learned to master fire, process metal, created in the “image and likeness” of the heavenly ones - a plow, tongs and a chariot, and it was Svarog who gave them laws and knowledge. Then he retired and handed over the reins to his sons. The young gods Khors, Dazhdbog, Yarilo are also fiery or solar.

According to Dietmar (died 1018), the pagan Slavs revered Svarog more than other gods; some recognized him as one being with Redigast and represented him as the director of wars. In the myths of the white peoples, God forges with a hammer - he creates the world, striking lightning and sparks, for all of them he has one relationship or another with fire.

The cult of Svarog was most actively used in the pagan practice of corpse burning. Among the Baltic Slavs, Svarozhich (otherwise called Radgost) was revered in the cult center of the Redarians Retre-Radgoste as one of the main gods, whose attributes were a horse and spears, as well as a huge boar, according to legend, emerging from the sea. Among the Czechs, Slovaks and Ukrainians, the fiery spirit Rarog can be associated with Svarog.

Svarog is the old sun riding in a chariot, cold and dark. Nature is silent like an old man, dressing in white snow clothes. People in their houses insulate the windows, burn splinters and eat what they grew in the summer, sing songs, tell fairy tales, sew clothes, repair shoes, make toys, heat stoves. And they wait for the birth of Khors, preparing outfits for caroling.

Horse

Khors is the sun god. Horse, horost, brushwood, khrest, cross, armchair, spark, round dance, horo, kolo, wheel, bracelet, stake, carols, circle, blood, red - all these words are related to each other and denote concepts associated with fire, circle, in red. If we merge them into one, an image of the sun will appear before us, described allegorically.

The Slavs celebrated the beginning of the new year on December 22 - the 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.

Our ancestors celebrated the solstice with carols, wore a Kolovrat (eight-pointed star) - the sun - on a pole, put on the masks of totem animals, which were associated in the minds of people with the images of ancient gods: the bear - Veles, the cow - Makosh, the goat - the cheerful and at the same time evil hypostasis of Veles , the horse is the sun, the swan is Lada, the duck is Rozhanitsa (progenitor of the world), the rooster is a symbol of time, sunrise and sunset, and so on.

On the mountain they burned a wheel tied with straw, as if helping the sun to shine, then sledding, skating, skiing, snowball fights, fist fights and wall-to-wall fights, songs, dances, competitions, and games began. People went to visit each other, everyone tried to better treat those who came, so that in the new year there would be abundance in the house.

The harsh northern Rus' loved valiant fun. Forced to live and work in difficult conditions, our ancestors, until the twentieth century, were known as cheerful and hospitable people who knew how to relax. Horse is a male deity who embodies the desire of boys and adult husbands for knowledge, spiritual growth, self-improvement, to overcome difficulties encountered in life and find the right solutions.

Yarilo

Yarilo is the god of conception, the ardent god of awakening nature and external light. Yarila marked the triumph of fruitful love; some researchers refer to it as the descendants of Svarog, and by others - to the descendants of Veles. It is likely that there is no inconsistency in this. If we consider that Svarog was once a goddess (Veles never changed gender), then Yarilo is the child of both parents. In the minds of villagers, even in the 19th century, Yarila was seen as a young, handsome groom taking part in all kinds of spring festivals and looking for a beautiful bride. Yarila gave a good harvest, healthy offspring, he drove out winter and cold. The name Yarila itself comes from the word “ardent” - strong, powerful. It is not for nothing that in the western lands he had a different name - Yarovit.

Meanwhile, the root “yar” is present in such purely feminine combinations: spring cow - yarka, yoke, spring wheat, spring bread. But in the purely feminine gender: rage, milkmaid, yar, yarina (sheep's wool), yara (spring). Yarilo is the son or reality of Veles, who appears as Frost in winter, and in spring as Yarila.

Yarilo, rage, spring, Yar (among the northerners in ancient times it meant “village”), because they used to live in huts with a fireplace; brightness - these words are united by the concept of increasing brightness, light. Indeed, after the arrival of spring there is a rapid increase in days and increased heat. Everything comes to life, grows, reaches for the sun. Nature is resurrected in the form of the beautiful Lada. Yarilo, melting the snow, lives mother earth with melt water. Yarilo - the sun in the form of a young, full of strength groom rides on a horse to his Lada. He is in a hurry to start a family and give birth to children (harvest, baby animals, birds, fish, etc.).

By the summer solstice, Yarilo is gaining full strength. He lives in truth and love with the earth, giving birth to new lives in the summer. By June 22, Yarilo turns into Belbog, the day is the longest, nature is kind to him and loves him. Yarila's condition is the condition of all young guys. In the fourth month of the year (now April), the Russians began the most important agricultural work for the entire Slavic family.

Dazhdbog

Dazhdbog - the god of fertility, personified the strength and brightness of the luminary, its thermal characteristics, life-giving warmth and even the rules of the universe. Dazhdbog (the giving god) was expected to fulfill desires, health and other benefits. The symbols of Dazhdbog were silver and gold - light, flaming metals.

Dazhdbog, give, rain are words with the same root meaning “to share, to distribute.” Dazhdbog sent people not only rain, but also the sun, saturating the earth with light and warmth. Dazhdbog is the autumn sky with clouds, rain, thunderstorms, and sometimes hail. September 22 is the autumn equinox, the holiday of Rodion and Rozhanitsa, the day of Dazhdbog and Mokosh.

The entire harvest has been harvested and the final harvests are underway in the orchards and orchards. All residents of a village or city go out into nature, light a fire, roll a burning wheel - the sun - up the mountain, dance in circles with songs, play pre-wedding and ritual games. Then they bring tables to the main street, put the best food on them and begin a general family feast. Neighbors and relatives try the food prepared by others, praise them, and all together glorify the Sun, the earth and Mother Rus'.

Dazhdbozhy (solar) grandchildren - that’s what the Rusichi called themselves. Symbolic signs of the sun (solar rosettes, solstice) were present everywhere among our ancestors - on clothes, dishes, and in the decoration of houses. Every Russian man is obliged to create a large family - a family, feed, raise, educate children and become Dazhdbog. This is his duty, glory, really. Behind each of us there are countless ancestors - our roots, and each must give life to branches - descendants.

Veles

Veles is the master of Wild Nature. Vodchiy on all roads. Mr. Ways, patron of all travelers. Master of Navi, ruler of the unknown, black god. Posthumous judge and lifetime tester, powerful wizard and lord of magic, werewolf. Patron of trade, mediator of contracts and interpreter of laws. Giver of wealth. Patron of those who know and seek, teacher of the arts. God of luck.

Patron of livestock and wealth, the embodiment of gold, guardian of traders, cattle breeders, hunters and cultivators, master of magic and the hidden, ruler of crossroads, navy god. All lower spirits obeyed him. Buyan Island became the magical abode of Veles. Veles was mainly concerned with earthly affairs, because he was revered as the lord of forests, animals, the god of poetry and prosperity.

Veles was the lunar god, brother of the Sun and the Great Guardian of the Rule. According to Vedic teachings, after death, human souls rose along the moonbeam to the Navi gates. Here Veles meets souls. The pure souls of the righteous are reflected from the Moon and follow the sun's ray to the Sun - the abode of the Almighty. Other souls either remain with Veles on the Moon and are purified, or are reincarnated on Earth as people or lower spirits.

Veles is the keeper of hoary antiquity and the silent bones of ancestors. The last night of October is the day of remembrance of grandfathers (in the West - Halloween). On this day, the Rus saw off the spirits of nature and their relatives who had died during the year under the snow with bonfires and the music of bagpipes and pipes.

Semargl

Semargl is the god of death. Semargl, stench, flickering, Cerberus, Smargl's dog, death - these concepts in their essence mean an otherworldly deity - a fiery wolf or a dog. Among the ancient Slavs this is a fiery wolf with falcon wings, a very common image. The Rus saw Semargl as a winged wolf, or a wolf with the wings and head of a falcon, and sometimes his paws were like those of a falcon.

If we recall mythology, we will see that not only the horse was dedicated to the sun, but also the wolf and the falcon. It is worth looking at the chronicle letters, frames, ancient embroideries and decorations of houses, household utensils, armor, and we will see that the wolf-falcon Semargl is found on them very often. For the Rus, Semargl was as important as the dragon for the Chinese, and the unicorn for the Celts. The wolf and the falcon are swift, fearless (they attack an enemy with superior strength), loyal (a wolf, even when hungry, will not devour a relative like a dog). Warriors often identified themselves with wolves (a warrior is a howling wolf).

Do not forget that the wolf and falcon clear the forest of weak animals, healing nature and making natural selection. The image of a gray wolf and a falcon is often found in fairy tales, epics, songs, and ancient written monuments, such as “The Tale of Igor’s Campaign.” In every Slav lives Semargl, who fights disease and evil in the human body. A drinking, smoking, lazy, degenerating person kills his Semargl, gets sick and dies.

Perun

Perun is the god of thunder and lightning, the patron saint of warriors. According to the Slavs, Perun appeared with his lightning on the warm days of spring, fertilized the earth with rain and brought out the clear sun from behind the scattered clouds. With his creative power nature awakened to life, and he seemed to be creating the World again. Hence Perun is a producer, a creator. At the same time, Perun is a formidable and punishing deity; his appearance excites fear and trembling. Perun was the supreme deity of Prince Vladimir's pantheon as the patron of the ruling military elite, prince and squad, punishing for non-compliance with the laws.

Animals, children, and prisoners were sacrificed to Perun; an oak tree was dedicated to him, from which, according to legend, living fire was produced; solemn oaths were pronounced in his name, for example when concluding treaties. The ancient worship of Perun was transferred to the Christian era to the prophet Elijah.

Perun was represented as a middle-aged husband: according to the ancient Russian chronicle description, the head of his wooden idol was silver and his mustache was gold. According to other Indo-European traditions, the beard of the Thunderer had a special mythological significance, which was indirectly reflected in Russian folklore formulas relating to the “beard of Ilya,” whose image replaced Perun in the era of dual faith. Perun's main weapons were stones, arrows, and axes, which were objects of pagan cult.

Although Perun was related to the cold (he was born in the first month of winter), the Days of Perun - his time - began on June 20 and ended in early August. At this time, the Russians celebrated funeral feasts for the soldiers who had fallen in battle - they gathered on mounds and red mountains, held feasts, military fun, and measured their strength among themselves in running, throwing weapons, swimming, and horse racing. They killed a bull bought by chipping in, roasted and ate it, and drank mead and kvass. They initiated initiations of young guys who had to undergo serious tests into warriors and girdle themselves with the weapons of the Family.

Our ancestors always had many external enemies, and constant wars were fought. The shield and sword were revered as a symbol of Perun, his gift to a man. Weapons were worshiped and idolized. But not only men went into mortal combat. Often, among the killed Russians on the battlefield, enemies were surprised to find women fighting shoulder to shoulder with their husbands. They were also patronized by the golden-moustached Perun.

Stribog

Stribog is the god of the wind, the leader of air currents. It was Stribog, without mentioning his name, who was turned to in later times to perform conspiracies and spells against clouds or drought. Stribog had various kinds of Winds (names lost) under his command. It is believed that one of these Stribozhich winds was Weather, carrying warm and soft western air masses. To others - Pozvizd or Whistling, the evil north wind.

There are several interpretations of the name Stribog itself: Stroy - that is, the old, elder god or strga - a verb denoting duration in space, the extent of something. Swift, impetuous, fast, nimble, aspiration, jet - all these concepts mean flow, speed, spread, spreading. If we combine all this into one, we have before us the image of the wind and everything connected with it. According to one version, Stribog sends his wind-arrows into the world of Reveal and helps the sun's rays-arrows to fertilize the earth. This god always in fairy tales under the name of Wind acts as a destroyer of intrigues and Death itself. The essence of Stribog is ambiguous: he, as the master of the elements, sends life-giving moisture and life-bearing clouds, but at the same time, he sends hurricanes and drought to the earth, and with them death.

In April, Stribog will arrive from the east with a young, warm daytime breeze. At night he will breathe cold dampness. In summer, Stribog blows from midday (south), scorching with heat during the day and caressing with warmth at night. And in the fall, flying in from sunset (west), just like in the spring, it will warm during the day and cool at night. In autumn and spring, Stribog disperses the clouds, revealing the warm, bright sun. In the summer, he brings rain during the drought so that the harvest does not perish; in the winter, he rotates the wings of the mills, grinding the grain into flour, from which they will then knead bread. The Rus considered themselves the grandchildren of Strigozh. Stribog is our breath, it is the air in which words sound, smells spread and light dissipates, allowing us to see our surroundings.

All Slavic gods that were part of the ancient pagan pantheon were divided into solar gods and functional gods. The supreme deity of the Slavs was Svarog (aka Rod). There were four solar gods: Khors, Yarilo, Dazhbog and Svarog. Functional gods of the Slavs: Perun - the patron of lightning and warriors, Semargl - the god of death, the image of the sacred heavenly fire, Veles - the black god, lord of the dead, patron of trade, books, wisdom and magic, Stribog - the god of the wind.

Since ancient times, the Slavs have celebrated the change of seasons and the changing phases of the sun. Thus, each season (spring, summer, autumn and winter) had its own god (Hors, Yarilo, Dazhbog and Svarog), who was especially revered throughout the season. So the god Khors was revered during the period between the winter and spring solstice (from December 22 to March 21). Yarilo was revered between the spring and summer solstice (from March 21 to June 22). Dazhbog was revered during the period between the summer and autumn solstice (from June 22 to September 23). God Svarog was revered between the autumn and winter solstice (from September 23 to December 22).

The tradition of worshiping Slavic gods in Rus' had deep roots and was very tenacious. Even after the adoption of Orthodoxy and the Baptism of Rus', the most powerful Slavic deities continued to be revered under the guise of Orthodox saints.

Svarog
Svarog is the god of fire. One of the main gods in the Slavic pantheon. “Svarga” in Sanskrit means sky, firmament, “var” means fire, heat. This is where all the Slavic derivatives come from - boil, svarganit, top, etc. Svarog was considered the god of Heaven, the mother of life (“Sva” is the ancestral mother of the Indo-Europeans). At a later time, Svarog changed his gender. By analogy with the Greek Zeus, he became the parent of many gods-sons, Svarozhich, having a fiery nature: Perun (?), Dazhdbog-Radegast, Fire-Rarog-Semargl. Among the Slavs, almost all heavenly gods are based on fire. Thanks to the works of Svarog, people learned to master fire, process metal, created in the “image and likeness” of the heavenly ones - a plow, tongs and a chariot, and it was Svarog who gave them laws and knowledge. Then he retired and handed over the reins to his sons. The young gods Khors, Dazhdbog, Yarilo are also fiery or solar. According to Dietmar (died 1018), the pagan Slavs revered Svarog more than other gods; some recognized him as one being with Redigast and represented him as the director of wars. In the myths of the white peoples, God forges with a hammer - he creates the world, striking lightning and sparks, for all of them he has one relationship or another with fire. The cult of Svarog was most actively used in the pagan practice of corpse burning. Among the Baltic Slavs, Svarozhich (otherwise called Radgost) was revered in the cult center of the Redarians Retre-Radgoste as one of the main gods, whose attributes were a horse and spears, as well as a huge boar, according to legend, emerging from the sea. Among the Czechs, Slovaks and Ukrainians, the fiery spirit Rarog can be associated with Svarog. Svarog is the old sun riding in a chariot, cold and dark. Nature is silent like an old man, dressing in white snow clothes. People in their houses insulate the windows, burn splinters and eat what they grew in the summer, sing songs, tell fairy tales, sew clothes, repair shoes, make toys, heat stoves. And they wait for the birth of Khors, preparing outfits for caroling.

Horse
Khors is the sun god. Horse, horost, brushwood, khrest, cross, armchair, spark, round dance, horo, kolo, wheel, bracelet, stake, carols, circle, blood, red - all these words are related to each other and denote concepts associated with fire, circle, in red. If we merge them into one, an image of the sun will appear before us, described allegorically. The Slavs celebrated the beginning of the new year on December 22 - the 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. Our ancestors celebrated the solstice with carols, wore a Kolovrat (eight-pointed star) - the sun - on a pole, put on the masks of totem animals, which were associated in the minds of people with the images of ancient gods: the bear - Veles, the cow - Makosh, the goat - the cheerful and at the same time evil hypostasis of Veles , the horse is the sun, the swan is Lada, the duck is Rozhanitsa (progenitor of the world), the rooster is a symbol of time, sunrise and sunset, and so on. On the mountain they burned a wheel tied with straw, as if helping the sun to shine, then sledding, skating, skiing, snowball fights, fist fights and wall-to-wall fights, songs, dances, competitions, and games began. People went to visit each other, everyone tried to better treat those who came, so that in the new year there would be abundance in the house. The harsh northern Rus' loved valiant fun. Forced to live and work in difficult conditions, our ancestors, until the twentieth century, were known as cheerful and hospitable people who knew how to relax. Horse is a male deity who embodies the desire of boys and adult husbands for knowledge, spiritual growth, self-improvement, to overcome difficulties encountered in life and find the right solutions.

Yarilo
Yarilo is the god of conception, the ardent god of awakening nature and external light. Yarila marked the triumph of fruitful love; some researchers refer to it as the descendants of Svarog, and by others - to the descendants of Veles. It is likely that there is no inconsistency in this. If we consider that Svarog was once a goddess (Veles never changed gender), then Yarilo is the child of both parents. In the minds of villagers, even in the 19th century, Yarila was seen as a young, handsome groom taking part in all kinds of spring festivals and looking for a beautiful bride. Yarila gave a good harvest, healthy offspring, he drove out winter and cold. The name Yarila itself comes from the word “ardent” - strong, powerful. It is not for nothing that in the western lands he had a different name - Yarovit. Meanwhile, the root “yar” is present in such purely feminine combinations: spring cow - yarka, yoke, spring wheat, spring bread. But in the purely feminine gender: rage, milkmaid, yar, yarina (sheep's wool), yara (spring). Yarilo is the son or reality of Veles, who appears as Frost in winter, and in spring as Yarila. Yarilo, rage, spring, Yar (among the northerners in ancient times it meant “village”), because they used to live in huts with a fireplace; brightness - these words are united by the concept of increasing brightness, light. Indeed, after the arrival of spring there is a rapid increase in days and increased heat. Everything comes to life, grows, reaches for the sun. Nature is resurrected in the form of the beautiful Lada. Yarilo, melting the snow, lives mother earth with melt water. Yarilo - the sun in the form of a young, full of strength groom rides on a horse to his Lada. He is in a hurry to start a family and give birth to children (harvest, baby animals, birds, fish, etc.). By the summer solstice, Yarilo is gaining full strength. He lives in truth and love with the earth, giving birth to new lives in the summer. By June 22, Yarilo turns into Belbog, the day is the longest, nature is kind to him and loves him. Yarila's condition is the condition of all young guys. In the fourth month of the year (now April), the Russians began the most important agricultural work for the entire Slavic family.

Dazhdbog
Dazhdbog - the god of fertility, personified the strength and brightness of the luminary, its thermal characteristics, life-giving warmth and even the rules of the universe. Dazhdbog (the giving god) was expected to fulfill desires, health and other benefits. The symbols of Dazhdbog were silver and gold - light, flaming metals. Dazhdbog, give, rain are words with the same root meaning “to share, to distribute.” Dazhdbog sent people not only rain, but also the sun, saturating the earth with light and warmth. Dazhdbog is the autumn sky with clouds, rain, thunderstorms, and sometimes hail. September 22 is the autumn equinox, the holiday of Rodion and Rozhanitsa, the day of Dazhdbog and Mokosh. The entire harvest has been harvested and the final harvests are underway in the orchards and orchards. All residents of a village or city go out into nature, light a fire, roll a burning wheel - the sun - up the mountain, dance in circles with songs, play pre-wedding and ritual games. Then they bring tables to the main street, put the best food on them and begin a general family feast. Neighbors and relatives try the food prepared by others, praise them, and all together glorify the Sun, the earth and Mother Rus'. Dazhdbozhy (solar) grandchildren - that’s what the Rusichi called themselves. Symbolic signs of the sun (solar rosettes, solstice) were present everywhere among our ancestors - on clothes, dishes, and in the decoration of houses. Every Russian man is obliged to create a large family - a family, feed, raise, educate children and become Dazhdbog. This is his duty, glory, really. Behind each of us there are countless ancestors - our roots, and each must give life to branches - descendants.

Veles
Veles is the master of Wild Nature. Vodchiy on all roads. Mr. Ways, patron of all travelers. Master of Navi, ruler of the unknown, black god. Posthumous judge and lifetime tester, powerful wizard and lord of magic, werewolf. Patron of trade, mediator of contracts and interpreter of laws. Giver of wealth. Patron of those who know and seek, teacher of the arts. God of luck. Patron of livestock and wealth, the embodiment of gold, guardian of traders, cattle breeders, hunters and cultivators, master of magic and the hidden, ruler of crossroads, navy god. All lower spirits obeyed him. Buyan Island became the magical abode of Veles. Veles was mainly concerned with earthly affairs, because he was revered as the lord of forests, animals, the god of poetry and prosperity. Veles was the lunar god, brother of the Sun and the Great Guardian of the Rule. According to Vedic teachings, after death, human souls rose along the moonbeam to the Navi gates. Here Veles meets souls. The pure souls of the righteous are reflected from the Moon and follow the sun's ray to the Sun - the abode of the Almighty. Other souls either remain with Veles on the Moon and are purified, or are reincarnated on Earth as people or lower spirits. Veles is the keeper of hoary antiquity and the silent bones of ancestors. The last night of October is the day of remembrance of grandfathers (in the West - Halloween). On this day, the Rus saw off the spirits of nature and their relatives who had died during the year under the snow with bonfires and the music of bagpipes and pipes.

Semargl
Semargl is the god of death. Semargl, stench, flickering, Cerberus, Smargl's dog, death - these concepts in their essence mean an otherworldly deity - a fiery wolf or a dog. Among the ancient Slavs this is a fiery wolf with falcon wings, a very common image. The Rus saw Semargl as a winged wolf, or a wolf with the wings and head of a falcon, and sometimes his paws were like those of a falcon. If we recall mythology, we will see that not only the horse was dedicated to the sun, but also the wolf and the falcon. It is worth looking at the chronicle letters, frames, ancient embroideries and decorations of houses, household utensils, armor, and we will see that the wolf-falcon Semargl is found on them very often. For the Rus, Semargl was as important as the dragon for the Chinese, and the unicorn for the Celts. The wolf and the falcon are swift, fearless (they attack an enemy with superior strength), loyal (a wolf, even when hungry, will not devour a relative like a dog). Warriors often identified themselves with wolves (a warrior is a howling wolf). Do not forget that the wolf and falcon clear the forest of weak animals, healing nature and making natural selection. The image of a gray wolf and a falcon is often found in fairy tales, epics, songs, and ancient written monuments, such as “The Tale of Igor’s Campaign.” In every Slav lives Semargl, who fights disease and evil in the human body. A drinking, smoking, lazy, degenerating person kills his Semargl, gets sick and dies.

Perun
Perun is the god of thunder and lightning, the patron saint of warriors. According to the Slavs, Perun appeared with his lightning on the warm days of spring, fertilized the earth with rain and brought out the clear sun from behind the scattered clouds. With his creative power nature awakened to life, and he seemed to be creating the World again. Hence Perun is a producer, a creator. At the same time, Perun is a formidable and punishing deity; his appearance excites fear and trembling. Perun was the supreme deity of Prince Vladimir's pantheon as the patron of the ruling military elite, prince and squad, punishing for non-compliance with the laws. Animals, children, and prisoners were sacrificed to Perun; an oak tree was dedicated to him, from which, according to legend, living fire was produced; solemn oaths were pronounced in his name, for example when concluding treaties. The ancient worship of Perun was transferred to the Christian era to the prophet Elijah. Perun was represented as a middle-aged husband: according to the ancient Russian chronicle description, the head of his wooden idol was silver and his mustache was gold. According to other Indo-European traditions, the beard of the Thunderer had a special mythological significance, which was indirectly reflected in Russian folklore formulas relating to the “beard of Ilya,” whose image replaced Perun in the era of dual faith. Perun's main weapons were stones, arrows, and axes, which were objects of pagan cult. Although Perun was related to the cold (he was born in the first month of winter), the Days of Perun - his time - began on June 20 and ended in early August. At this time, the Russians celebrated funeral feasts for the soldiers who had fallen in battle - they gathered on mounds and red mountains, held feasts, military fun, and measured their strength among themselves in running, throwing weapons, swimming, and horse racing. They killed a bull bought by chipping in, roasted and ate it, and drank mead and kvass. They initiated initiations of young guys who had to undergo serious tests into warriors and girdle themselves with the weapons of the Family. Our ancestors always had many external enemies, and constant wars were fought. The shield and sword were revered as a symbol of Perun, his gift to a man. Weapons were worshiped and idolized. But not only men went into mortal combat. Often, among the killed Russians on the battlefield, enemies were surprised to find women fighting shoulder to shoulder with their husbands. They were also patronized by the golden-moustached Perun.

Stribog
Stribog is the god of the wind, the leader of air currents. It was Stribog, without mentioning his name, who was turned to in later times to perform conspiracies and spells against clouds or drought. Stribog had various kinds of Winds (names lost) under his command. It is believed that one of these Stribozhich winds was Weather, carrying warm and soft western air masses. To others - Pozvizd or Whistling, the evil north wind. There are several interpretations of the name Stribog itself: Stroy - that is, the old, elder god or strga - a verb denoting duration in space, the extent of something. Swift, impetuous, fast, nimble, aspiration, jet - all these concepts mean flow, speed, spread, spreading. If we combine all this into one, we have before us the image of the wind and everything connected with it. According to one version, Stribog sends his wind-arrows into the world of Reveal and helps the sun's rays-arrows to fertilize the earth. This god always in fairy tales under the name of Wind acts as a destroyer of intrigues and Death itself. The essence of Stribog is ambiguous: he, as the master of the elements, sends life-giving moisture and life-bearing clouds, but at the same time, he sends hurricanes and drought to the earth, and with them death. In April, Stribog will arrive from the east with a young, warm daytime breeze. At night he will breathe cold dampness. In summer, Stribog blows from midday (south), scorching with heat during the day and caressing with warmth at night. And in the fall, flying in from sunset (west), just like in the spring, it will warm during the day and cool at night. In autumn and spring, Stribog disperses the clouds, revealing the warm, bright sun. In the summer, he brings rain during the drought so that the harvest does not perish; in the winter, he rotates the wings of the mills, grinding the grain into flour, from which they will then knead bread. The Rus considered themselves the grandchildren of Strigozh. Stribog is our breath, it is the air in which words sound, smells spread and light dissipates, allowing us to see our surroundings.

The ancient Slavic pantheon is very complex in its structure and numerous in composition. Most gods were identified with various forces of nature, although there were exceptions, the most 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.

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 Rod’s appearance, since he never appeared directly in front of people.

Temples in honor of the deity were built on hills or simply large open areas of land. His idol was phallic in shape or simply shaped like a pillar painted red. Sometimes the role of an idol was played by an ordinary tree growing on a hill, especially if it was quite ancient. In general, the Slavs believed that Rod is in everything and therefore can be worshiped anywhere. There were no sacrifices in honor of Rod. Instead, holidays and feasts are organized, which are held directly near the idol.

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.

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

God of the Sun, giver of heat and light, god of fertility and life-giving force. The symbol of Dazhdbog was originally considered to be the solar disk. Its color is gold, speaking of the nobility of this god and his unshakable strength. In general, our ancestors had three main solar deities - Khors, Yarila and Dazhdbog. But Khors was the winter sun, Yarilo was the spring sun, and Dazhdbog was the summer sun. Of course, it was Dazhdbog who deserved special respect, since a lot depended on the summer position of the sun in the firmament for the ancient Slavs, a people of farmers. At the same time, Dazhdbog was never distinguished by a tough disposition, and if a drought suddenly attacked, then our ancestors never blamed this god.

The temples of Dazhdbog were located on the hills. The idol was made of wood and placed facing east or southeast. Feathers from ducks, swans and geese, as well as honey, nuts and apples were brought as gifts to the deity.

Devana

Devana is the goddess of hunting, wife of the forest god Svyatobor and daughter of Perun. The Slavs represented the goddess in the form of a beautiful girl dressed in an elegant marten fur coat trimmed with squirrel. The beauty wore a bear skin over her fur coat, and the head of the animal served as her hat. Perun's daughter carried with her an excellent bow and arrows, a sharp knife and a spear, the kind used to kill a bear.

The beautiful goddess not only hunted forest animals: she herself taught them how to avoid dangers and endure harsh winters.

Dewana was first of all revered by hunters and trappers; they prayed to the goddess to grant good luck in the hunt, and in gratitude they brought part of their prey to her sanctuary. It was believed that it was she who helped to find the secret paths of animals in the dense forest, to avoid clashes with wolves and bears, and, if the meeting did take place, to help the person emerge victorious.

Share and Nedolya

Share is a good goddess, Mokosh’s assistant, weaving a happy destiny.

He appears in the guise of a sweet young man or a red-haired maiden with golden curls and a cheerful smile. He cannot stand still, he walks around the world - there are no barriers: swamp, river, forest, mountains - Fate will instantly overcome.

Doesn't like lazy people, careless people, drunks and all sorts of bad people. Although at first he makes friends with everyone, then he will figure it out and leave the bad, evil person.

NEDOLYA (Need, Need) - the goddess, Mokosh’s assistant, weaves an unhappy fate.

Dolya and Nedolya are not just personifications of abstract concepts that do not have objective existence, but on the contrary, they are living persons identical to the maidens of fate.

They act according to their own calculations, regardless of the will and intentions of a person: a happy person does not work at all and lives in contentment, because the Share works for him. On the contrary, Nedolya’s activities are constantly aimed at harming people. While she is awake, misfortune follows misfortune, and only then does it become easier for the unfortunate man when Nedolya falls asleep: “If Likho is sleeping, don’t wake him.”

Dogoda

Dogoda (Weather) - the god of beautiful weather and a gentle, pleasant breeze. Young, ruddy, fair-haired, wearing a cornflower blue wreath with blue butterfly wings gilded at the edges, in silver-shiny bluish clothes, holding a thorn in his hand and smiling at the flowers.

Kolyada

Kolyada is the baby sun, in Slavic mythology the embodiment of the New Year's cycle, as well as a holiday character similar to Avsen.

“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 build, with a thick beard and dressed in animal skins

Svyatobor fiercely guards forests and mercilessly punishes those who harm them; in some cases, the punishment can even be death or eternal imprisonment in the forest in the guise of an animal or tree.

Svyatobor is married to the goddess of hunting Devan.

Temples were not built in honor of Svyatobor; their role was played by groves, forests and forests, which were recognized as sacred and in which neither deforestation nor hunting was carried out.

Semargl

One of the Svarozhichs was the god of fire - Semargl, who is sometimes mistakenly considered only a heavenly dog, the guardian of seeds for sowing. This (storing seeds) was constantly carried out by a much smaller deity - Pereplut.

The ancient books of the Slavs tell how Semargl was born. Svarog hit the Alatyr stone with a magic hammer, struck divine sparks from it, which flared up, and the fiery god Semargl became visible in their flames. He sat on a golden-maned horse of silver color. Thick smoke became his banner. Where Semargl passed, a scorched trail remained. Such was his strength, but more often than not he looked quiet and peaceful.

Semargl, God of fire and the Moon, fire sacrifices, home and hearth, stores seeds and crops. Can turn into a sacred winged dog.

The name of the God of Fire is not known for certain; most likely, his name is so sacred. Of course, this God does not live somewhere in seventh heaven, but directly among people! They try to pronounce his name out loud less often, replacing it with allegories. The Slavs associate the emergence of people with Fire. According to some legends, the Gods created a Man and a Woman from two sticks, between which a Fire flared up - the very first flame of love. Semargl does not allow evil into the world. At night he stands guard with a fiery sword and only one day a year does Semargl leave his post, responding to the call of the Bathing Lady, who calls him to love games on the day of the Autumn Equinox. And on the day of the Summer Solstice, 9 months later, children are born to Semargl and Kupalnitsa - Kostroma and Kupalo.

Stribog

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

Stribog's temples were built on the banks of rivers or seas; they are especially often found at river mouths. The temples in his honor were not fenced off from the surrounding area in any way and were designated only by an idol made of wood, which was installed facing north. A large stone was also placed in front of the idol, which served as an altar.

Triglav

In ancient Slavic mythology, this is the unity of the three main essences-hypostases of the gods: Svarog (creation), Perun (law of Rule) and Svyatovit (light)

According to different mythological traditions, Triglav included different gods. In Novgorod of the 9th century, the Great Triglav consisted of Svarog, Perun and Sventovit, and earlier (before the Western Slavs moved to the Novgorod lands) - of Svarog, Perun and Veles. In Kyiv, apparently, from Perun, Dazhbog and Stribog.

The Lesser Triglavs were composed of gods lower on the hierarchical ladder.

Horse

Horse (Korsha, Kore, Korsh) is the ancient Russian deity of the sun and solar disk. It is best known among the southeastern Slavs, where the sun simply reigns over the rest of the world. Horse, in Slavic mythology, the god of the Sun, guardian of the luminary, son of Rod, brother of Veles. Not all gods were common among the Slavs and Rus. For example, before the Russians came to the banks of the Dnieper, Horses were not known here. Only Prince Vladimir installed his image next to Perun. But it was known among other Aryan peoples: among the Iranians, Persians, Zoroastrians, where they worshiped the god of the rising sun - Khorset. This word also had a broader meaning - “radiance”, “brilliance”, as well as “glory”, “greatness”, sometimes “royal dignity” and even “khvarna” - special marking by the gods, chosenness.

Temples in honor of Khors were built on small hills in the middle of meadows or small groves. The idol was made of wood and installed on the eastern slope of the hill. And as an offering, a special pie “horoshul” or “kurnik” was used, which crumbled around the idol. But to a greater extent, dances (round dances) and songs were used to honor the Horse.

Chernobog

God of cold, destruction, death, evil; the god of madness and the embodiment of everything bad and black. It is believed that Chernobog is the prototype of the immortal Kashchei from fairy tales. Kashchei is a cult character in Slavic mythology, whose folklore image is extremely far from the original one. Kashchei Chernobogvich was the youngest son of Chernobog, the great Serpent of Darkness. His older brothers - Goryn and Viy - feared and respected Kashchei for his great wisdom and equally great hatred of his father's enemies - the Irian gods. Kashchei owned the deepest and darkest kingdom of Navi - the Koshcheev kingdom,

Chernobog is the ruler of Navi, the god of time, the son of Rod. In Slavic mythology, he is the creator of the world along with Rod and Belbog. Outwardly, he appeared in two forms: in the first, he looked like a hunched, thin old man with a long beard, a silver mustache and a crooked stick in his hands; in the second he was depicted as a middle-aged man of thin build, dressed in black clothes, but, again, with a silver mustache.

Chernobog is armed with a sword, which he wields masterfully. Although he is able to instantly appear at any point in Navi, he prefers to move astride a fiery stallion.

After the creation of the world, Chernobog received Nav, the world of the dead, under his protection, in which he is both a ruler and a prisoner, since, despite all his strength, he is not able to leave its borders. The deity does not release from Navi the souls of people who ended up there for their sins, but the sphere of its influence is not limited to Navi alone. Chernobog managed to bypass the restrictions imposed on him and created Koshchei, who is the incarnation of the ruler of Navi in ​​Reality, while the power of God in another world is significantly less than the real one, but still allowed him to spread his influence to Reality, and only in Rule does Chernobog never appear.

Temples in honor of Chernobog were made of dark stones, the wooden idol was completely covered with iron, except for the head, on which only the mustache was trimmed with metal.

Yarilo

Yarilo 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 extraction of a horse by a hero-hero: “... there is a copper pillar, and a horse is tied to it, there are clear stars on the sides, a moon is shining on the tail, red sun on my forehead..." This horse is a mythological symbol of the entire universe

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

Paganism is a traditional worldview, based on the vast life experience of the ancient Slavs. With its help, people mastered the world around them and got to know themselves. The pantheon of Slavic gods is huge and many of them were forgotten over time.

Pagan gods of the ancient Slavs

The exact number of Slavic deities cannot be determined. This is due to the fact that one god had several names that were equally common. We can identify the main pantheon of pagan gods, who occupied an important part of people's lives. Each representative had powers that allowed him to control the impulses of natural phenomena, but only in his element. The Slavs used various totems and idols, which were a kind of transmitting link that allowed them to communicate with Higher powers.

The main pagan god of the Slavs

The deity who is identified with Zeus and Jupiter and occupies a leading position in the pantheon of the Eastern Slavs is Perun. He was also the patron of thunder, lightning and military valor. This is the youngest son of Lada and Svarog. Perun was considered the patron saint of the prince and the princely squad and was associated with the indestructible power of Light. The day when the Slavs held a huge celebration was considered June 20th.

Outwardly, he was presented as a tall, stately warrior who had blond hair and blue eyes. He wore golden armor and a loose red cloak. He appeared on a powerful horse, holding in his hands a hundred-foot club, which was given to him by Svarog. The symbol of this pagan god is the ax, which is called the Ax of Perun, and also the rune Strength. The idol is a powerful oak pillar on which a conventional face and a divine symbol were carved.

Pagan god of love

Lel, who is the son of Lada, was responsible for the warm love feelings of the ancient Slavs. It symbolizes beauty and love. They imagined him as a baby with wings and golden hair, which is similar to the appearance of the Cupid familiar to many. The Slavic god Lel symbolizes passion, hot and ardent love, so he was often represented armed with sparks, which he threw from his hands, kindling fiery love feelings in people.

The bird that symbolized Lelya was the stork, as a result of which another name appeared - “Leleka.” The celebration of this god took place on the night of Ivan Kupala. In some legends, the pagan god of love was represented as a shepherdess with brown hair. Lelya's patronage brings people good luck in love, helping them find a soul mate in order to become happier.

Pagan sun god

The ancient Slavs considered the sun to be the main force that gives life on earth, so there were three main patrons of it: Yarilo, Dazhdbog and Khors. The first pagan gods are responsible for the spring and summer sun, and the last one is responsible for the winter sun. They imagined him as a middle-aged man with rosy cheeks. Although he was often portrayed as smiling, he was sad because he could not protect people from the winter frosts.

The god of the Slavs, Horse, had powers that allowed him to control nature, so he could calm blizzards and snowstorms. It is capable of raising and lowering the temperature. This deity was also considered the patron of winter crops, so he was held in special esteem by people whose activities are connected with the earth. This deity has a dark incarnation - Black Horse, who was created by Navi and was responsible for severe frosts and snowstorms. The god of the winter sun was worshiped on September 22.

Pagan god of fertility

The deity of spring fertility among the ancient Slavs is Yarilo, who is the patron of the sun. He is the younger brother of Khors and Dazhdbog. Yarilo was considered the god of passion, childbirth and the flowering of human strength and nature. He stands out among others for his sincerity, purity and brightness of character. was presented as a young and handsome guy with beautiful blue eyes. In many paintings, the deity was depicted waist-deep without clothes and with blond hair.

Like many other pagan gods, Yarilo had his own attributes, so in his right hand he has a stuffed human head, and in the other - ears of rye. The head of this deity was decorated with a wreath of spring wildflowers. The symbol of Yaril is a five-pointed star with equal sides and the Ud rune. The ancient Slavs celebrated the day of this god on March 21, when the first month of the pagan year began.

Pagan god of fire

Svarog had several sons, and one of them was Svarozhich, who was considered a more down-to-earth deity, that is, the material embodiment of his father. The ancient Slavs worshiped him as the personification of earthly fire. The god Svarozhich was also considered an idol that helps to secure success in war. Some sources contain information according to which this deity was also called Radogost. Research has shown that Svarozhich is not an important member of the pagan pantheon.

Pagan god of the sky

The main one among the revered deities is Svarog, who has many deeds, for which the Slavs loved and respected him. He was the patron of the sky and also the creator of the earth. Some scientists believe that the first statement is incorrect, since Svarog’s main strength is fire and a blacksmith’s hammer. The most important act is the creation of other gods. The Slavs perceived Svarog as the personification of a wise warrior-father who protects his family.

God worked with his hands, and not with the help of magic or thought, so he was often considered the personification of work. The symbol of this deity is Svarogov Square with eight rays. The Slavic god Svarog was portrayed as an old man with a gray head, but at the same time he was a strong and invincible hero who defended his family. In his hands he holds a huge hammer. According to one legend, this deity had four faces that looked in all directions of the horizon, which only emphasized his importance.

Pagan god of death

In paganism, one deity had several abilities at once, which may not even be related to each other. Semargl is the god of death, primordial fire and fertility. According to one legend, he is the eldest son of Svarog, who appeared after the blow of the heavenly hammer. It was believed that the god of the Slavs, Semargl, helped his brothers many times in the fight against dark forces. He was the messenger of the gods and had the ability to concentrate the powers of other inhabitants of the pantheon.

It is believed that Semargl has the ability to change his appearance, so he appeared before people in the form of a warrior who was surrounded by tongues of Irian flame, but more often he chose for himself the appearance of a large dog with wings that left a fiery trail behind him. Some researchers believe that Semargl embodies seven supreme gods at once, therefore the idols dedicated to him have seven conventional “faces”. The day of this deity was considered April 14th.

Pagan god of wind

Among the ancient Slavs, each element had its own patron, and the wind, which was controlled by Stribog, was no exception. It was believed that he had power over everything connected with the air, for example, birds, arrows, and so on. Stribog was revered not only by farmers who expected rain clouds from him, but also by sailors who counted on a successful voyage. People thought he had a tough temper. The Slavic god Stribog was depicted as a grandfather with a large beard, but he was not decrepit. In his hands he had a golden bow, and his clothes were as azure as the sky. Its symbol is the Stribog rune.

Pagan god of wealth

The deity who was responsible for fertility and wealth is Veles. He was considered a sage, a patron of the arts, and a werewolf god. He was the only representative of the Slavic pantheon who knew both light and dark forces equally. The Slavic god Veles possessed secret knowledge, which gave him the ability to control the elements and change the laws of the universe. He helped people for a long time, teaching them various crafts.

Veles was also considered the patron of good luck and travel. They imagined him as a strong man with a long beard, and he was dressed in a traveling cloak. In his hands he had a magical staff that looked like a tree branch. As a werewolf, Veles could turn into a bear, so the imprint of this animal was for a long time considered the seal of the deity. The symbol of this deity is a star with six ends and the Wind rune.

Pagan goddess of love

The main goddess of family relationships, fertility and love is Lada. She was considered the mother of all months of the year. Lada is the wife of Svarog. They imagined her as a young and beautiful woman with blond hair. Her head was decorated with a wreath of roses. The Slavic goddess Lada has the power that can give the most important thing - life. People approached her with various requests. This goddess was designated by a circle, inside of which there is a triangle. I celebrate Lada Day on September 22.

Pagan goddess of fertility

Makosh is considered the patroness of the family hearth and good harvest. She was most popular among women, who considered her the main goddess of family happiness and motherhood. As a protector of housewives, she was the patroness of traditional women's activities. The ancient Slavs believed that Makosh held in her hands the threads of life of all people on earth, so she could make any changes in the world at any moment. People turned to her to improve their own lives.

The Slavic goddess Makosh was depicted as a beautiful aged woman and sometimes had horns on her head. She often held a cornucopia in her hands or was spinning. Makosh was considered the patroness of springs, so gifts were brought to her at water sources. Her idols were placed near every well. Many pagan gods had their messengers, and Mokosh had them too: spiders, bees and ants, hence the belief that one should not kill insects, as this would lead to failure.

Painting by Boris Olshansky.

A long time ago, in Soviet times, I somehow thought about this. I know Greek myths well, Hindu, Arab, Chinese and Scandinavian myths are a little worse, and I have an idea about some others. I asked myself the question: do I know Russian mythology? At first I even doubted: does it exist? I thought there should be one, but I didn’t know it at all. Almost nothing.

Then I could name several dozen heroes of Greek myths, and tried to remember the names of Russian gods. I strained my memory and realized that I only remember two or three. Even I felt ashamed myself.

They say that every cultured person should know Greek myths for general development. I won’t argue, this is probably true, but every person first of all needs to know HIS OWN, native, primordial. And you need to know your mythology at least twice as well as any other.

But in those days it was almost impossible to find out anything about Russian mythology. We had to wait for better times.

About seven years ago, I finally discovered the wondrous world of Russian myths, and was simply stunned by the enchanting picture that opened up to me - as if the indescribable beauty of the City of Kitezh had emerged from unknown waters in front of me. There was a truly Russian spirit here, there was a smell of Russia.

Almost immediately I found paintings by magnificent artists who painted on these themes: Boris Olshansky, Viktor Korolkov, Vsevolod Ivanov, Andrey Klimenko, Vladimir Suvorov, Nonna Kukel, Viktor Krizhanivsky. The genius Konstantin Vasiliev has become clearer to me, he also has images of mythical Rus'...

Below is a very brief description of the main gods and goddesses of Russian mythology:

"Heavenly Family" - artist Nonna Kukel.

GENUS. Born from the Golden Egg, created by the thought of the Almighty. He in turn created the entire visible world. Divided the world into three parts: upper, middle and lower. The top one is in the heavens. The gods live there and rule over people. They do what is right, and therefore the inhabited heavens are called Rule. Below is the human world, which we clearly see - that’s why its name is Reality. Nizhny is the world of the past, Nav. The ancestors went there.

"Svarog" - artist Viktor Korolkov.

SVAROG. Creator of earth and heaven. Svarog is the source of fire and its ruler. He creates not with words, not with magic, unlike Veles, but with his hands, he creates the material world.

TRIGLAV. This is a threefold god. This main symbol expressed the very essence of our ancient faith: God is one, but he has many manifestations. Most often, it combined three main hypostases - Svarog, Perun and Svyatovit (Sventovit). It was believed that Triglav vigilantly monitors all the kingdoms: Rule, Reality and Navy.

Great Horse" - artist Viktor Korolkov.

HORSE. Ancient Slavic god of the Sun, son of Rod, brother of Veles. Khors is the god of solar, yellow, light. In Rus' there were at least three sun gods at the same time: Dazhdbog, Khors and Yarilo. Their difference was as follows: Dazhdbog personified the heavenly light spilling onto the earth, into the world of Reveal. Khors is the god of solar, yellow, light. Yarilo was the god of spring light, sometimes personifying the sun.

"Veles" - artist Andrey Klimenko.

VELES (Volos). One of the greatest gods of the ancient world, son of Rod, brother of Svarog. He set the world created by Rod and Svarog in motion. He was called the god of material wealth, wealth, well-being, the patron of domestic animals, fertility, and was considered an underground god, the Serpent, the ruler of the Underworld. Veles is the master of wild nature, master of Navi, a powerful wizard and werewolf, interpreter of laws, teacher of the arts, patron of travelers and traders, god of luck.

"Dazhdbog" - artist Nonna Kukel.

DAZHDBOG. Giver of heat and light, god of fertility and life-giving force, the time of harvest ripening.

"Perun" - artist Nonna Kukel.

PERUN. Perun - god of thunderclouds, thunder and lightning; the manager god, the god who punishes for non-compliance with laws, can cause rain. The most famous of the Svarozhich brothers. The thunder god Perun was represented as a middle-aged, strong man with a gray, silver-plated head, and a golden mustache and beard. He rode across the sky on a horse or on a flaming chariot, armed with lightning, axes or arrows. He commanded the clouds and heavenly waters.

YARILO. God of spring, spring light, warmth, fun; young, impetuous and uncontrollable force; deity of passion and fertility.

"Stribog" - artist Viktor Korolkov.

STRIBOG. The lord of the air elements, the lord of the winds, shoots them with arrows from the sea. He can summon and tame a storm and can turn into his assistant, the mythical bird Stratim. The air in Rus' was considered as a container of seven winds, seventy vortices and seven hundred winds.

"Sventovit" - artist Konstantin Vasiliev.

SVYATOVIT (Sventovit). The four-headed god of prosperity and war. Its symbol is the cornucopia. And although Dazhdbog commands the sun, he is not as influential as Svetovit. Svetovit's four heads observe the universe in all directions. Svetovit was counting on supreme power, but Perun was thinking the same thing: they are eternal rivals.

ROOF. Among the ancient Russian gods, Rod, Svarog, Perun and others, Kryshny is usually missed, but meanwhile, he is one of the main ones. The son of the Almighty and the goddess Maya, he is the brother of the very first creator of the world, Rod, although he was much younger than him.

"Semargl" - artist Anna Zinkovskaya.

SEMARGL (Simargl). Son of Svarog, god of fire and the moon, fire sacrifices, home and hearth, keeper of seeds and crops. Could turn into a sacred winged dog. Satellite of the sun Dazhdbog.

"Belobog" - artist Nonna Kukel.

BELBOG (Belobog, Belun). The embodiment of light, the personification of the daytime and spring sky. The God of luck, happiness, goodness, goodness, He is also considered the giver of wealth and fertility.

CHERNOBOG (black Serpent, Koschey). God is the destroyer. God of cold, destruction, death, evil; the god of madness and the embodiment of everything bad and black. Chernobog is the ruler of Navi, Darkness and the Pekel Kingdom. The Slavs believed that the brothers Belobog and Chernobog were eternal rivals - like good and evil, light and darkness, life and death. They follow a person everywhere and write down all his deeds, good and evil, in the books of fate.

KITOVRAS (Polkan). Half-horse - centaur. This is the builder god, wizard, scientist and inventor. Has supernatural power. The legends about Kitovras date back to the most ancient times of pan-Aryan unity and are therefore known to many peoples. The Slavs believe that Kitovras guards the solar horses of Sventovit.

KOLYADA. The ancient god of merry feasts. Teacher of the Third Law of Life. He told people about the Great Kolo of Svarog, about the Day and Night of Svarog, and also established the first calendar.

OWL. Kolyada's younger twin brother. He got the role of putting into practice the divine knowledge that Kolyada taught people.

"Chislobog" - artist Viktor Korolkov.

NUMBERGOD is the ruler of the current time.

“Lel” - (there are doubts about the artist’s name, sorry, that’s why I’m not writing (.

LEL (Lel, Lelya, Lelyo, Lyubich). In the mythology of the ancient Slavs, the god of love, the son of the goddess of beauty and love Lada. He was depicted as a golden-haired, winged baby, like his mother: after all, love is free and elusive.

"Makosh" - artist Nonna Kukel.

MAKOSH (Mokosh). Goddess of the earth, fertility, mother of harvests, Fate, as well as the patroness of sheep breeding, women's handicrafts and prosperity in the home. Mother of the gods, possibly the wife or incarnation of Veles-Mokos-Mokosh.

"Bereginya" - artist Boris Olshansky.

BEREGINYA. The great ancient Slavic goddess who gave birth to all things. She is accompanied everywhere by luminous horsemen, personifying the sun.

"Lada" - (the artist is unknown to me, alas).

LADA. Goddess of love and beauty. By the name of Lada, the ancient Slavs called not only the original goddess of love, but also the entire system of life - Lad, where everything was supposed to be okay, that is, good. Perunitsa is one of the incarnations of the goddess Lada, the wife of the thunderer Perun. She is sometimes called the thunder maiden, as if emphasizing that she shares power over thunderstorms with her husband. Lada is the goddess of marriage and love, abundance, and the time of harvest ripening.

"Madder - Winter Mother" - artist Nonna Kukel.

MARENA (Mara, Morena, Marana). Goddess of winter and death, the world of the dead. Daughter of Lada, sister of Zhiva and Lelya. She is Koshchei's wife.

"Devana" - artist Pyotr Orlovsky.

DEVANA (Zevana, Dzevana). Goddess of the hunt, wife of the forest god Svyatobor. The ancient Slavs represented Devan in the guise of a beauty, dressed in a rich marten fur coat, trimmed with squirrel; with a bow and arrows drawn. Instead of an epancha (outerwear), a bear skin was worn, and the head of the animal served as a hat.

"Rusalia" - artist Boris Olshansky.

Collected by A.Ziborov

(Based on materials from Russian media)