Legends, myths and religious beliefs always attracted people’s attention. But nothing is as interesting as discovering the world of mythology and the pantheon of Slavic pagan gods that is exciting, interesting and somewhat mysterious. If you want to know more about the gods of Slavic mythology, their meaning and legends that relate to them, you better read this text till the end. There were major, medium and secondary groups of gods.
As any other religion in the world, Slavic mythology is a diverse system of beliefs and practices that include numerous old Slavic gods. One of the most powerful gods is Stribog who is considered to be the god of the winds and sometimes the night sky. Stribog is mentioned in the “Primary Chronicle” and “The Tale of Igor's Campaign”. You can also find in the Slavic pantheon Perun who could create thunder and throw lightning at his enemies), Veles who controlled all the things of the underworld). In the pictures and tales, Perun is shown as a warrior that hold a hammer in his hands or an axe and he is associated with the sky and the sun. In his turn, Veles is associated with the soil, water, animals and he is often pictured as a serpent or dragon. Other popular deities are Dazhbog whom people worshipped as a god of the sun and Mokosh, she was responsible for fertility and weaving. Perin is perceived by sensitivity, they hear him in thunder, trembling of the stones, roaring of the bull, or feel him in the touch of blade. Westerns Slavs worshiped this god in oak groves calling him Pran. Perun was the only god whom people made sacrifices to. In most cases those were bulls but as some sources say human sacrifices were made as well. Veles is sometimes named Volos, he is the main god of soil, cattle and underworld in the Slavic pagan culture. Sounds similar to the Baltic god Vyalnas, a demom-like figure. He was the rival of the Baltic thunder creator god Perkunas. Veles is one of a few gods whom people made sacrifices and that fact is mentioned in many sources of all Slavic groups of people. Certain scientists think that Veles is the same deity as Vala, the enemy of Indra who is the deity from the Veda manuscripts. Veles was the king of the dead souls and was naturally associated with dark abilities, magic and communication with spirits. Witches, magicians, shamans often asked him for help. Also, he was worshiped as a protector of domestic animals.
Stribog is mostly praised in the culture of the Eastern Slavic people. His cult may have been present in Poland too. The known sources do not tell us about his role in the pantheon but in our times people often perceive him as a deity of the wind that spreads well-being. Stribog was a close friend and right hand of Perun. His powerful winds could cause destruction and storms. His power was always noticeable when thunder started and he is known for his ability to create strong winds. In their turn, they carried rains in the times when thunder strikes. Those winds were very important for agricultural cultivation as they brought rains. Interesting to know that children of Stribog are not mentioned among old Slavic gods but his grandchildren are all winds from weak to powerful.
Dazhbog had a special place in the pantheon as he was the god of the sun in the Eastern and Southern Slavic countries. His name is mentioned for the firs time in the book called “Primary Chronicle”. Dazhbog is associated with wealth, well being and justice. Being a symbol of victory of light in the war against darkness, his power and reputation are similar to those of the Scandinavian god Baldr. Knyaz Volodymyr the Great installed seven statues of the pagan gods in the year 980 when he became the ruler of the country. Dazhbog was one among them.
Mokosh is a Slavic goddess of Mother Earth, fertility, fate, good crop. She is a protector of women and children. Mokosh helped and protected women during childbirth. She was the only women mentioned among many Slavic god names of the pantheon in 980. Most probably, her name means “moisture”, in Slavic languages those words sound similar.
Medium gods play a significant role Slavic mythology. They are in the middle between primordial deities who control natural phenomenons and secondary gods who influence the life of people and their culture. Medium gods were intermediary between the sky and Earth, between the divine world and the world of humans.
Chornobog (literal translation is Black God) was a dark devil-like deity, opposite to the kind and friendly deity Bilobog (White God). Not much sources with information about him remained till our days. Christian books depict him as a cursed deity. But it is unknown how much evil he was in the eyes of old Slavic people. Chornobog was the one who perverted human souls and was the source of evil on Earth.
Simargl was associated with fire and sun. Physical fire was under his control, unlike Svarog, who was the god of divine fire. Simargl is often depicted as a dog with wings. According to the legends this dog will bring the end of the world. There is a thought this this deity’s name was taken from the Iranian Simurg. But there are still many discussions about that.
Secondary gods play an important role too. These deities are related to the life of humans, their culture and everyday rituals. They controlled such aspects of our life as farming, profession, our health. Some of these deities are: Mara, Kupalo, Poludytsya, Beregynya.
Ancient Gods shop offers a wide variety of statues of the mentioned deities and much more for your choice. You can by single items or whole sets with a discount. If you or some of your friends are interested in the old pre-Christian religion and culture of our ancestors, then you should definitely pay attention to our products that are professionally made by our craftsmen. They will become a part of your collection or become a part of your house’s interior to emphasize your passion for mythology and our history.
Photo: Andrey Shishkin, CC BY 3.0
