Slavic Pantheon

[Alkman]

Slavic Pantheon



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




Deities


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

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

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



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




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




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




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


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


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


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


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




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


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


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


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




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




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




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


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




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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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




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


PODAGA
(poh-daa-gah)


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


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


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


ROZHDENITSI, ROZHENITSI


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


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


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




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




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


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


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




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


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


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


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

[Alkman]

Spirits


With the term "Slavic spirits" we conditionally name all supernatural creatures, for which Slavs believed to haunt the surrounding world. Slavs themselves usually called these creatures "bes, pl. besove" (fury), which in pre-Christian period designated absolutelly all spirits, demons etc., disregarding their functions and characters (whether good or evil). In the western literature and Internet the furies are wrongly called "gods", probably because of their non-human character and peculiar abilities. But not all of the miraculous mythological images can be identified with the the gods. The difference between them is simple end explicit - in short, the gods are almighty; they embody the essential characteristics of nature, humans and the social life so they can guide everithing and modify it in accordance with the vertical and the horizontal of the World tree - life, death, love, marriage, birth, illness, fertility, misery, strength, weakness, rains, drought, earthquakes, light, darkness, cold etc. Also thier deeds emanate concern about mankind and nature, regardless of the real concrete display of these deeds - as benefit or harm. Their concern is not necessarily favourable for the human, it is not pointed at his welfare but one way or another it has the purpose to sustain the basic universal principles. Much more elementary, lower and feeble are all the demons, spirits, souls and other supernatural creatures. It is true that they possess some magical abilities, but these abilitieas are limited to a small area and are used to achieve insignificant effect, which is more like a whim of the respective creature than a manifestation of purposefull striving. It must not be disregarded that these creatures themselves are subservient to the gods' will, even if slighter than the humans. They are not so vitally dependent upon the gods' benevolence but are forced to obey it, in order to escape from beeing "punished by the sky", and it is this punishability that draws the line between them and the gods' powers, which we regard as non-punishable. And if the gods are mostly objects of religious worship and believes, the rest of the supernatural creatures are burdened with mythological and supersticious belief. That's why the people are just affraid of them, as they are affraid of beasts and illnesses, while the gods are treated with awe, respect, even love.


BANNIK - a spirit, inhabitant of the bathroom; from Slavic "banya" (a bath).

BREGINI - from "breg" (a bank) - female spirits, dwellers of lake and riverbanks. Slavs believed they kiddnap children.

BLATNIK, BLATNOI - from "blato" (a swamp) - male spirit, inhabitant of swamps. If a man gets too close to a swamp, blatniks can suddenly jump out from the slime, drag him under the water and drown him.

VILLA, SAMOVILLA - beautiful female forest spirits with human outlook and big wings. Villas inhabit hard-to-reach mountain forests, where they take care of wild animals, trees, flowers and springs, guarding them against human damages. These beauties admire deers and are extremely malevolent to people. They try anyways to drive humans away from their forests and would even poison the springs to do this. Villas obtain great knowledge about nature and herbs. If a man succeed eavesdropping on them at their gatherings after sunset, he could learn how to heal with a herb or find out of a hidden treasure or other world secrets.

VODNIK, VODYANOI - from "voda" (water) - male spirit, master of rivers, springs and lakes. The Vodnik is lord of the Russalkas and often harms people.

DIVI LYUDE, GORSKI LYUDE - from "div" (wild) and "lyude" (people) - wild women or wild men; humanoid demons covered with dark fur, inhabiting deep mountain forests. If a man gets too close to the dens, where their children are hidden, Wild people would jump upon him and tear him to pieces.

DOMOVIK, DOMOVOI - home spirit of a deceased ancestor or forefather of the clan. This grandfather was so closely related to his family and house, that even after death his spirit stayed to inhabit the clan's istba (ancient Slavic cottage, half-dug into earth) and guard over the offspring. Domovik's main task is keeping the home-fire, so he was expected to hide around the hearth - in the oven or in the tile stoven. Slavs payed great honour to their domestic spirit - they put aside food from feasts and left it near the hearth, so he can eat too. Before each new initiative, families prepaired special "stopanova gostba" (landlord's dish), invited relatives and all together addressed questions and prayers to the ancestor's spirit. They believed that if Domovik's assistance was properly obtained, things should go well. When Slavs moved to a new house, clan's matron took living coals from the old hearth and put them into the new one, begging the home-spirit to settle there. Domovik either harms or helps people, depending on their attitude to him or to the house. It is very important that the housekeeper does her homework well and feeds the spirit regularly. When he wants food, he would knock around the rooms while people are sleeping. If they don't make light of him, he gives them up so misfortunes and diseases are on their way.

DOMNITSA, DOMOVITSA - from "dom" (a house) - female domestic spirit; partner of the Domovik. Other name - Kikimora.

DVORNIK, DVORNIY - from "dvor" (yard) - a spirit dwelling house's back-yard. He guards gardens, granaries, hen-coops, barns, lofts and all other farm buildings around the house.

ERETIK

ZHAR-PTITSA from "zhar" (glowing embers, living coals) and "ptitsa" (a bird); Slavic equivalent of the Phoenix bird - a fiery bird, nesting in the World Tree's crown; messanger of the gods.

ZHIVA-YUDA - yuda, samodiva, serving the goddess of creation and life, Zhiva, from where her name is derived. (in Veda Slovena)

ZMEY

KARAKONJUL - night spirit-creatures, typical for Bulgarian folklore, that ramble along the roads at night. They appear as short, bow-legged, big-nosed humanoids, with bulging eyes and fur all over their bodies. Karakonjuls often stand near crossroads and engage belated strangers in conversation, propounding them riddles or asking a favour. If a man applies with attention and well-meaning to them, these spirits might help him, or otherwise they would do harms. According to some beliefs, they stay at crossroads, as this is where gallows are usually erected, and karakonjuls have a task to guard the hanged-men's spirits from going out of the dead bodies.

KIKIMORA a domestic female spirit, often identified with Domovitsa - partner of the Domovik. Typically for the Slavic dualistic ideas, Kikimora helps and harms at the same time, but her behaviour depends mainly on people. If a housekeeper keeps her house in good condition, Kikimora would help in homework all night long and would inspire the children with contentment and sound sleep. And if a housekeeper is negligent and lazy, Kikimora would groan from dusk till dawn, would pull children's hair, wakening them at midnight and scaring them, would mess up, dirty around and do mischief, so even the little work done goes in vain.
Probably Kikimora's image had firstly appeared as an embodyment of a deceased foremother of the clan. Up to the IX-X cent. Slavs lived in strict patryarchal order, where smallest social cell is not the family, but the whole clan, which dwelled and worked alltogether. The clan was a kin union, in which all members had common blood relations and common grandfather and grandmother. And when the grandmother, the oldest housekeeper died, her heirs presumed that her spirit stayed at home. She was so devoted to the house and so closely related to the kin, that even after death she kept cariing her domestic obligations. Becoming a Kikimora, her spirit contunued watching over house order, and with moans and mischiefs forced the younger living housekeepers to do their work eagerly.
A good proof of this suggestion is the root "-mora" in the name, which refers to the Slavic word for a soul of deceased (mora).

KRAVESMURT - from "krava" (a cow) and "smurt" (death); another name is Cherna Nemosht (Black Infirmity). This is an evil spirit, which spreads murrain and other deadly diseases among the cattle. It often appears as a black cow and mingles with the herds to accomplish its infernal task. At night Kravesmurts ramble along the roads, turned into black cats or lame dogs, or even cow's skeleton. Slavs chased those malevolent spirits with a number of rituals, slaughtering the "suspicious" animals in the herds or burning them to death. To indicate a "suspicious" animal, Slavs had a special practice - at nightfall people penned up all their cattle in a single cowshed, guarded it there overnight and led it out at dawn. Then each villager picked up his own animals and those which stayed unpicked were recognised as Kravesmurts and were burnt.

KRUCHINA - from Old-Bulgarian "kronchina" - plague. Evil spirits, bearers of plague and other fatal illnesses. They appear as ordinary people, but their breath spreads infections and they spit into rivers, lakes and wells, infecting waters and causing mass epidemical outbreaks. As a result whole villages could perish.

KURDUSH - small demons - familiars, servents of sorcerers and witches. When such people were initiated, their initiators attached to them a kurdush - specially evoked spirits, subjugated to human will, which would assist magicians in their magical deeds. It is usually the kurdushes who collect bat wings, frog eyes, hanged-men's fingers, virgin's hair-tufts and all other types of components and ingredients, needed by their masters for doing magic.

LESNIK, LESIY - forest spirits, lords of woods. He is usually benevolent to people, if only they don't provoke him, braking the forest's peace or doing mischiefs. Most times Lesnik appears as an oldman with a long green beard. He would start a common conversation to verify if a stranger is kind enough and well behaved, if he has good intentions and praise the gods and spirits. While chatting Lesnik would uncover his nature, turning into a slim little old man with strange appearance and sly voice. At the end he would either give an advice for safe crossing the forest, or direct the stranger if he is lost, or mislead him if not doing greater harm to him, depending on the conversation. Sometimes Lesnik might show the wrong way and when he sees the traveller fully trusts him, following the wrong direction, the spirit would "correct" wood paths, so they all lead to the right location.

LESNITSA, LESOVITSA - the female partner of Lesnik. She is mentioned very rearly and probably had local character, being known to only few Slavic tribes.

LUGOVIK - from Old-Bulgarian "long" (meadow, glade) forest spirits, rambling around savage glades and clearings.

MORA-YUDA - yuda, samodiva, serving the goddess of destruction and death, Mora, from where her name is derived. (in Veda Slovena)

MORI - plural from Slavic "mor" (death, disease, mass perishing) - unholy, evil deadmen; undead. Generally all the malevolent deadmen's spirits. When people die of unnatural death, of murder, suicide, accident, or if they have commited crimes during lifetime and bare heavy sins, their souls are not allowed into the underworld Nav and are left in Yav (our world). Here the souls suffer constantly and turn into evil spirits - vampires, werewolves, etc. - which walk out at night and worry, harass and kill people. Some mori carry their heads under their arms, stay at houses' windows and call the occupants' names. If somebody in his sleep answers such a call, then he will die soon.

MUSAIL - the supreme forest spirit - chief of Lesniks and master of all forest creatures and spirits.

OVINNIK

OPOITSA - from "opoiti" (drink up, drain off) - an evil bloodsucking spirit, appearing as a leech and sucking man's blood. Opoitsas bare rabies and can possess people, whos blood they have sucked up.

POLEVIK, POLEVOI - field spirits, sometimes disturbing field work, sometimes helping harvesters. Slavs respected them, because poleviks would scream, whistle and hiss when they feel the deadly female spirit Poludnitsa passing around. Thus people working on the field get warned and more cautious.

POLUDNITSA - a mean field spirit appearing as a beautiful young black-haired woman, dressed in pure white linen riza (a common Slavic chemise). A pure white dress among Slavs was symbol of mourning and death. The name Poludnitsa comes from Slavic "polu" (half, middle) and "den" (day), as this spirit appears only at midday, which time was as misfortunate as midnight. Those two moments were called "razputno vreme" (evil hours when roads mess up and lead to nowhere). At this hours people stood at home, to not be befelled by black spells, evil eyes or unholy forces, because exactly at the razputno vreme all demons and curses got active. Such a powerful demon was the Poludnitsa together with her sister - Polunoshtnitsa.

POLUNOSHTNITSA, PALNOCHNITSA - a mean female spirit appearing as a fierce old lady in a pure white dress; sister of the Poludnitsa. Polunoshtnitsa rambles at the "razputno vreme" (from midnight till dawn), when all evil forces walks out and roads spin and change their usual direction, leading nowhere. This spirit often stays at crossroads together with karakonjuls and if a man goes by, it harms him anyway.

POLUVERITSA

RAROG - an evil invisible spirit, fliing together with wings. When a whirl comes up, rarogs disperse with the wind evil spells, diseases, quarrels, hatred and suffering.

RUSSALKI (pl. from rusalka) - female river spirits, standing at riverbanks. Breaking their hairs causes floods. If a russalka gets her skin dry, she would die forever. The russalki are spirits of girls that drowned themselves, were killed and thrown into a river or dragged under water by the spirit Vodnik. He is russalki's lord but they secretly hate him and sometimes help people to mess up his malevolent plans.

SAMODIVI - beautiful female spirits with pure human appearance, relative to villas. Every night they gather at the same glade (called horishte) deep in the forest, where they barefoot dance fortnight a magical horo (ritual Slavic rounded chain dance). They are dressed in long white linen riza (Slavic female chemise). During their dance the samodivi tenderly touch the ground with their feet and the herbs they stamp spread healing fragrance. This is why ill people, being bold enough, went to sleep near a forest horishte and samodivi looked unusually favourably on them. In most other cases these spirits are malevolent to people and do them any harm. Bare to the skin samodivi often ride huge deers with golden horns, which are their favourit pets. If a hunting man kills such a deer, its mistress would take cruel vengeance on him - blinds him or brings him terrible illness, followed by sure death. Nobody could help such an ill person and if he dares to appear on a horishte, the samodivi would recognise him and murder him with deadly screams. Samodivi can hardly resist beautiful young men and help them any way they can - turning into white horses and carriing them everywhere they want or even giving them three white horse hairs. After time, if the man falls in trouble, he can burn the hairs and the samodiva would appear to help him. Sun light is what samodivi mostly fear and this is why they all flee the horishte at dawn, hiding in deepest forest shades. Thus there is no risk of unpleasant meetings with samodivi in the day.

SIMARGAL - a griffin-like dog with big golden wings. In Russian knyaz Vladimir's pantheon from 980, Simargal is represented as one of the six superior deities. He is connected to the solar cult, to soil, farming and fertility - guards the farms and watches over wheats. In his protective role, Simargal is also accepted to be a warden of law, barer of nemesis and punishment. It is very possible that Slavs percepted Simargal from outside, as a replacement of another older Slavic god. This, however, is one of the most uncertain Slavic mythological images and was probably taken from the North-Iranic Sarmatian tribes, which praised a powerful spirit Simurgh - assistent of Sun and guardian of harvest.

TALASUM - evil spirit typical for Bulgarian folklore, dweller of houses and deserted buildings. During the day talasum hides in lofts, cellars or farm buildings. In many regions it is considered to be a spirit of an "undead" (a deadman, risen from the grave). Wandering spirits seek peace, shelter and when they find comfortable home it is hard for anybody to drive them away. Even the oposite, talasums make "their best" to chase away the occupants in whos house they have settled. According to Bulgarian superstition, to get a talasum away, the landlord should invite him on a banquet and lie that they celebrate a wedding. After some time standing at the table, the man should say it is time for them to go to the big celebrations and then lead the spirit to a distant hut in woods. When they get to the hut, the man opens the door, invites the talasum inside, leaves some food and entangled yarn and says: "Now, wait for me here, I will go find the wedding-guests and bring them", then bolt the door from outside. It is believed that talasums are good housekeepers and can't stand incomplete handiwork around them - anything scattered or tangled they try to fix it, so a knotty ball would take lots of their attention. It is dangerous, though, if a man wanders in the woods to enter unknown huts, as there could be left a talasum.

UPIR

YUDA, YUDA-SAMOVILA - mean female spirit with a human appearance, relative to the villas and samodivas. They were very popular among Bulgarian Slavs and inhabited forests and mountains. Yudas have great witchcraft abilities, and are skilled herbalists and poisoners. Sometimes they would emerge before young men, charming them with beauty and persuading them to marry. If a man marry a yuda, she adopts his soul into the Underworld and his body decomposes.

YURATA - a female water spirit, inhabiting sea coast and shallow.

YAVINA - an evil spirit, relative vampire. It rises from the blood of a murdered man, forty days after the murder; rambles around at night for all the years that the victim should have normally lived. Wandering, the Yavina shouts, rattles, crashes, causing great cacophony, in which it calls the names of relatives, acquaintants or even his murderers. If somebody hears his name and answer it, the Yavina kills him at once or destines him evil faith and forthcoming death. A man can safeguard himslef from the spirit with fire and water.





Witch People


We use here the term "witch people" to point to certain types of humanoid creatures with extraordinary abilities. They accuired such abilities through their close contact with unmaterial forces, i.e. "witch people" are usually persons who are obsessed by spirits.




BABA YAGA (Grandma Yaga) - a cumulative image of The Witch in general. This is one of the many overexployted characters, burdened with many untrue characteristics. They speak about Baba Yaga as for goddess Mora; as if she is a certain divine force with the typical for deities pantehism, i.e. as if she sees everything and obsesses everywhere. But actually Yaga is just a mythological, a fairy-tale name, just like Spot or Tom who are not deffinite dog or cat, but every dog and cat. The same way Yaga is each misanthropic sorcerer, inhabiting each isolated hut standing on a hen's leg, situated in each dark forest. Because of this and because of her basic everyday humanoid features it is stupid that she be "deified" and even worshipped.
Otherwise, as we already said, Baba Yaga is an old woman involved in suspicious activities with unholy forces. If a man, lost deep in forests, accidentally falls in with her, Yaga would ask him pointless riddles and would demand reasonable answers. Depending on the way the man replies, the witch would either misguide him or kill, roast and eat him. She would sometimes even help the man in his journey if this is in her direct interest. Surely Baba Yaga relinquishes harming and eating people guarded by a deity or another powerful force, which is a good reason for people to beg championship from a god or a spirit, before taking the road. It is especially adequate for woodland transitions to ask the Lesnik spirits for help and protection.



VAMPIR, KRUVNIK - (from ancient Slavic term "onpir" - the universal evil spirit; in its later forms - "vonpir", "vompir", "vampir"; "kruvnik" is from "kruv" - blood, i.e. "blood-sucker") an evil resurected bloodsucking deadman. If the deceased were not properly lamented and buried, or if they died in a disgraceful, unnatural way, or if they have done too many evil things lifetime, gods do not let them pass in the Underworld to find peace. Thus deadmen's souls are left in the world of living, where they roam and suffer until they turn into evil spirits. Those spirits might move back in their dead bodies or obsess others' corpses and raise from the grave, becoming Vampir (a vampire). They would go out in the night to torture people, to plait their hair, to drink their blood, to suffocate them in their sleep, to knead their food with faeces, to bring them nightmares and harm them any other way, even causing death. Ancient Slavs had great fear from vampires and we can tell this by the cruel methods they invented to disable vampirised bodies: they cut their head and put it between their legs, so they cant find it; cut their feet or their hands, so they can not walk or do harms; tied up the dead bodies all around or pressed them down under a huge millstone; drove in their heart a stick of aspen or of cornell-tree, or a glowing spit, or a nail, or a raven's claw behind their right ear. Some vampires were believed to divert rivers or cause draught and spread epidemics - people splashed their graves with water or directly urinated on them; they also exhumed the suspected body and threw it in a swamp. For protection against vampires Slavs also pronounced a prayer towards god Troyan: "Sohrani nam ot ruki, ot moru, i ot veshtitsu, i vapiru, i ot pleadnitsu..." or a prayer to goddess Lada: "Da zaklopit vilam chelyust; zaklopi i vampiram chelyusti, verzi i v more klokoteshte i kipeshte tamo da prebivayut do skonchanie veka". Other vampires turned back to their families and tried to continue their previous way of life, as if they never died. One of those vampires once left the grave and came back to his wife to copulate with her. As a result she gave birth to a child that could turn in a vampire and could see, find and identify other vampires, chasing and killing them. Another type of vampires would spend daytime transformed in animals - dogs, wolves, cats, owlets and black cocks. It was believed that if a vampire marries a living woman and if she loves him for three years, he would become a living man again.



VEDMAK - a bloodsucking witch-man that turns into a vampire after his death and tortures people. In accordance with the controversial Slavic dualism, the vedmak feeds on human blood but does many good deeds. If a man treats him well, the vedmak seeks ways to be helpful. Also the vedmak is in enmity with female witches and prevents their charms; keeps the "evil deadmen" off rising from their graves and drifts away storm clouds and heils.



VEDUN - (from Old-Bulgarian "ved" - knowledge, wisdom) a wiseman, familiar with witchcraft.



VEYNITSA - (from Old-Bulgarian "veya" - a twig, a bush) a medicine-woman, a sorceress who is familiar to herbs and knows the magical days for gathering, i.e. the days when herbs have greatest healing power. The veynitsas prepare special infusions and heal with them. (from Veda Slovena)



VESHTER - (from Old-Bulgarian "vesht" - wise, proficient, skillful) a sorcerer, a witch-man; this man masters low-level magic (witchcraft), charming, herbalism and shamanism.



VESHTITSA - (from Old-Bulgarian "vesht" - wise, proficient, skillful) a witch, a sorceress; a woman who gathers herbs, produces infusions, elixirs and makes charms.



VLUHVA - (from Old-Bulgarian "vluhv" - a priest, a wizard) Slavic priest, a good wizard, a diviner, a medicine-man. Vluhvas were ancient Slavic priests, who not only served gods, but also practiced witchcraft in tribe's favour and for supporting natural balance. In general they were instrument of the gods and assisted in observing the divine law.



VULKOLAK, VURKOLAK - (from Bulgarian "vulk" - a wolf) a werewolf; an evil resurected deadman or a human obsessed by evil spirits, who turns into a wolf and eats corpses at full moon. If a man infuriates a lesnik, the litter might transform him in a werewolf. Vulkolaks live in deserted watermills, inns, barns and around crossroads, away from villages and towns. When somebody passes near such a dwelling, the vulkolak would attack him, strangle him and drink his blood or eat him up. Werewolves can also tempt and seduce women. After having sex with vulkolak the woman would give birth to a child with no nasal cartilage, who can see evil spirits and have supernatural abilities. Bulgarians and Serbs believed that werewolves cause solar and lunar eclipses, biting off parts of the heavenly body.



DRUDA - women, fated not to mary, but to serve gods - a kind of Slavic priestesses, soothsayers. They lived deep in oak forests, where they probably maintained pagan sanctuaries, oracles and fetishes. (from Veda Slovena)



ZHABALAKA - (from "zhaba" - a frog) a human obsessed by evil spirits, who can transform into a frog.



ZHITOMAMNITSA - (from "zhito" - wheat; and "mamiti" - to allure, to entice) - a sorceress who casts spells over people's cornfields, so the harvest dissapears and reapears in her own field. A typical character for the mythology of Bulgarian Slavs.



KLIKUSHES, sg. Klikush - wretches, that are obsessed by evil spirits and as a result suffer from hydrophobia or expirience epileptic fits. The unholy forces eat into their internal organs and this is the cause of their collapses and disease outbursts. During the fits, the klikushes produce terrible screams and bestial roar, and shout obscene words, i.e. they are "klikush"-ing. To klikushes normal people are extremely careful and polite, treating them like ill persons - keep them away of hard work and give them the best food.



KOLDUN - a wizard, a sorcerer, a witch-man.



KOTOLIK - (from "kot" - a cat; and "lik" - face, image); an evil deadman, an undead who appears as a cat and harms the living.



NAV - a man after his death (from Old-Bulgarian "nav" - a deadman, a corpse). According to Slavs the spirits of the dead continue existing in the underworld - the so called "Dolna zemya" (Under-land) or "Krayna zemya" (Edge-land). Through death human spirits free from the material, from the corporal and can develop their supernatural abilities, but afterlife also gives them additional magical powers and knowledge. Thus navs can help or harm the living people, sometimes succeeding to pass from the Underworld in the Upperworld. A passage between the two realms opens at certain holidays - for example on the so called "Mrusni dni" (Dirty days): 25 studen (december) - 06 prosinets (january), or on 01 treven (march).



NARECHNITSA - (from "rechti", "narechti" - to tell, to foretell, to set aside) a fate; a sorceress who appears around newly born children and foretells their fate. An often met character in Bulgarian (South-Slavic) folklore, especially in the Bulgarian "Yunashki epos" (Heroic epos) - the legends about Krali Marko, despot Vulkashin, Momchil Yunak, etc.)



NAUZNIK - a medicine-man, a healer, a sorcerer who creates magic amulet for protection against evil forces and wild beasts. The same as "Obavnik".



OBAVNIK - a sorcerer, a wizard who casts spells through loud shouts and cries (from Old-Bulgarian "obava" - a chant, an incantation; and "obavati" - to pronounce, to shout an incantation). The obavniks were similar to what shamans is in other pagan religions. They also manufactured magic amulets for protection against evil forces and wild beasts.



PORTEZHNIK - a herbalist - poisoner.



PREVITA - supreme wisemen and wizards, keeping the knowledge about each single thing around the three worlds - Prav, Yav and Nav. (from Veda Slovena)



SDUHACH - (from "duhati" - to blow) a sleep-walker, a somnambulist; a man whos spirit slips out of his body while sleeping, and roams around the village. It blows, whines, brings winds, disperses and drives clouds and fog, chases or invites hails, fights other sduhaches. Every sduhach guards his village from natural disasters, keeping its luck and harvest. After their death sduhaches often turn into werewolves.



TREVNITSA - (from "treva" - grass) similar to Veynitsa - a female herbalist, a sorceress; woman who knows herbs, their qualities and ways of usage whether for healing or poisoning. "Trevnitsa" brings negative meaning, equivalent to "poisoner", unlike "veynitsa" who is a healer.



TREVOVED - (from "treva" - grass, herbs; and "vedati" - to know) - similar to "trevnitsa" but male - herbalist, medicine-man, poisoner.



CHARODEY - a wizard, a male sorcerer (from Old-Bulgarian "char" - charm, magic; and "deati" - to do, to make); female - charodeytsa. Charodey is the most common Slavic word for "wizard", widely spread among all Slavs. "Charodeys" were all people who used unusual, extraordinary magical abilities and were involved in paranormal activities - fortune-telling, charming, prophesy, evil eye, bewitching, cursing, poisoning, chasing and evoking spirits, etc, etc. Those sorcerers were not certainly good or evil - they helped their clans and friends, and harmed their foes. In general they had good reputation, unlike the veshtitsa and vedmak.



SHEPTUN - a male sorcerer; a wizard who whispers his spells (from Old-Bulgarian "shepteti" - to whisper); everybody who pronounced magical formulas in a silent, unclear voice.



YUNAK - (from "yunii" - young; i.e. "big youngman") a legendary character, typical for the Bulgarian (Southern) Slavs. In common the Yunak was a burly and stout young man, with unhuman strength and extraordinary abilities. Bulgarian heroic epos names some of the most famous among the mythological yunaks: Krali Marko, Vulkashin, Momchil, Dete Dukadinche. Specific for yunaks is that they don't love each other and are always at enmity, fighting for superiority. Right after their birth, Yunaks are visited by the three fortellers and never escape from the fortold fate: they fight against evil and iniquity, against tyrants and oppressors; they oppose with charodeys, samodivas and zmeys, always defeating and bringing them under their sway.





World Tree


Slavs imagined that Universe is a huge oak tree, we call today "World tree". In its crown was layed the nest of magic phenix-bird Zhar-ptitsa, which was the mediator between divine and human worlds and messenger of gods. At the roots of the tree lived the universal serpentine, which travelled between the worlds of living and dead people.
On the vertical line of the World tree are situated the three universal realities - Prav, Yav and Nav.
Prav (rightous, justful) is in the tree crown; it is the upper world, the cellestial plains, inhabited by gods. Its name is associated to "pravda" (truth, justice), "pravo" (right, just, law), "pravilno" (right, true, proper), i.e. this is the world of supreme Truth and absolute justice. Prav is inhabited by Gods, who obey the essential cosmic principles, the universal order and divine hierarchy - all set by the universal ancestor - god Rod (rod = kin; roditi = to give birth). Among the deities in the skies, first is god Svarog - the celestial master, father of gods. He rules over Prav, keeps up the Universal fire - one of the 4 basic ellements - and never cares of the terrestrial people's world Yav.
The visible world of people is called Yav (yave = visible; yavlyati = to appear, to show up) and is the trunk of the World Tree. Yav is everything around us, the material reality in which we live. Here the typical for Slavic way of thinking opposing dualism is clearly seen; here chalange each other life and death, good and evil, happiness and suffering, day and night, light and dark, health and illness, warm and cold. This chalenging characterises Yav as a transitional world, mediator between extreme realities Prav and Nav. Over people's world rules god Perun - master of thunder and nemesis; the one we call The Almighty. He controls the implementation of divine law among humans and if somebody violates it, Perun brings him punishment. And to those who obey the Law, who worship their gods, respect them and follow their wisdom, Perun brings welfare.
At the roots of World Tree is Nav - the underworld of death and evil. There live spirits of the deceased (navi), zmey-s and other malefactious monsters, and above all rules the god of evil and darkness - Chernobog (Black-god), accompanied by his overaged companion - goddess of winter and death Mora. Nav is the absolute opposition of Prav, but in the typical dualistic sense, in Nav is situated the evergreen, warm and shiny garden Ray, where rightous people find last peace after their death. In Ray lives Veles - the god of knowledge, magic, welth and stock. Around him pious souls are sitted and have long conversations. Those souls obtain great magical abbilities and can help their living relatives in hard times.
Over the three universal worlds keeps and eye god Troyan. We call him The All-seeing. With his three heads he sees and knows everything in Prav, Yav and Nav; he watches for observing the Universal Law Pravda and if it gets violated, he restores the cosmic order immediately. Precisely the absolute balance is of basic concern for Troyan; not beneficence, not imposing light and good over dark and evil, but harmony, equilibrium between energies and powers.




http://free.bol.bg/slavpagan/home.html

[Polak]

Good stuff.

[Seaxiscmann]

Very interesting!! Although, the ancient religion looks so complicated. I respect it, but I am Christian.. Slava Yarile