Gods of the Slavs list and their meaning. Pagan gods of ancient Russia

Before the adoption of Christianity, the Slavs, like many other nationalities, believed in the existence of several gods, each of which influenced certain areas of the life of the ancient Slavs or a natural phenomenon. The names of the Slavic gods, called pagan Christians, are given below.

Avsen (or, in other words, Ovsen) is the god of the change of seasons, influencing the beginning of autumn and spring.
Belbog - the embodiment of light, a god who brings good, good luck and happiness
Bereginya is a great, one of the most ancient, goddess. Mother of all things.
Veles (in other words, Volos) - the son of Svarog, the embodiment of master's wisdom,
god of cattle breeding, second in importance after Perun.
Gromislav is a giant god who helped Svarog in the creation of the Earth.
Dazhbog is another son of Svarog, the Slavs considered him the god of the Sun and his personification
Dennitsa is the eldest son of Svarog.
Diverquis is the god of hares.
Did - the god of conjugal love, the third son of the goddess Lada.
Didilia is the patroness of women during pregnancy, the goddess of female fertility.
Dogoda is the god who gives a quiet wind and clear weather.
Dodola is the goddess of youth and summer.
Zevana (in other words, Zevonia) is the goddess of wild animals and hunting.
Zimertsla (in other words, Zarnitsa or Mertsana) is the goddess of the dawn.
Zlebog (in other words, Krovnik, Zlodiy or Khudich) is a god who “provides” villains with torment after their death.
The golden woman is a well-known goddess of domestic well-being, peace and quiet.
Karachun (in other words, Korochun) is the lord of frosts, the underground god.
Kvasura is the god of winemaking.
Kolyada is a god who embodies the repeating annual cycle.
Kors (in other words, Korsha) is the god of feasts, the lord of food and drink.
Kryshen is a god who commands knowledge.
Kupalo - the god of flowers, summer and fruit trees. The third most important after Veles and Perun.
Lad (in other words, Ladnik or Palm) is the god of harmony, friendship and reconciliation.
Lada is the wife of Svarog, the goddess of love, marriage and beauty.
Ice (in other words, Koldnik) is the god of winter.
Lel (in other words, Lelyo or Lelya) is the son of the goddess of love Lada, also the god of love.
Magura (in other words, Perunitsa) is the daughter of Perun, patronizing the soldiers.
Maya is the mother of Kolyada and Kryshenya, a goddess.
Martsana is the goddess who rules over the death of animals.
Mokosh (in other words, Makosh) is the goddess of fertility.
Morena (in other words, Mara, Mora, Marena or Mura) is the goddess of human death.
The sea king is the complete master of any water space.
Niyan (in other words, Niy) is the god of punishment, the judge of the dead.
Ozem is the god who rules in the underworld.
Pererug is the god of strife and quarrels.
Perun is the god who commands lightning and thunder, the son of Svarog.
Podaga is the god who commands good weather.
Pozvizd (in other words, Pohvist, Pokhvist or Whirlwind) is the god of bad weather and storms.
Polaznik is a god who gives happiness in the New Year.
Polelia is the second son of the goddess of beauty Lada, the god of marriage.
Polkan - demigod, centaur.
Porenuta is a god who patronizes sailors.
Rule (in other words, Rights or Prono) - the god of justice, personifying the universal law.
Baked - the god of dissolute life and fornication.
Prok is the patron saint of seafaring merchants, merchants and simply enterprising people.
Friday is the goddess who patronizes the departed souls.
Radegast is the Slavic god of war.
Rod - the first god of the Slavs, the creator of the world, visible and invisible
Rodomysl is the god of wisdom and eloquence.
Women in labor are the daughters of the first god of the Family, people see them in the form of the constellations Ursa Minor and Ursa Major.
Ruewit is the patron god of warriors.

Svarog is the ancestor of all Slavic gods, the supreme ruler of the universe.

Svarozhich - the god of fire, the son of Svarog.
Svarozhichi - the rest of the children of Svarog.
Svyatovid is another name for the Slavic god Svarog.
Svyatobor (in other words, simply Bor) is the patron of hunters and hunting, the god of forests.
Seva is the goddess of orchards.
A strong god is a god who patronizes strength and dexterity.
Simargl (or Semargl) is a god personifying the earthly incarnation of fire.
Stribog - the supreme king of the winds, the son of Svarog.
Sumerala is the goddess who rules in the underworld.
Triglav is a three-headed deity who has power over heaven, earth and the underworld.
Triglav (in other words, trigla) is the goddess of the earth.
Tur is the patron of agriculture, a god in the form of a bull.
Oud is the god who patronizes love affairs.
Delight (in other words, Oslad) is the god of pleasure and fun.
Usud - God is the arbiter of human destinies.
Hvorst is a god who rules over infirmities and diseases.
Khors is the god of light.
Chernbog is a god personifying misfortunes and troubles.
Chur is the god who patronizes underground possessions and protects their borders.
Yarilo (in other words, Yar-Khmel) is the god of fun and love.
Yarovit is the god of spring thunderstorms, whirlwinds and clouds.

According to the publication "The World in Facts"

Paganism is a traditional worldview. It is based on the thousand-year experience of the life of the ancient Slavs. It contributed to the knowledge of oneself, the self-improvement of a person, the development of the world around him. The ancient Slavs considered themselves descendants of the gods. In the monument of Russian culture of the 12th century "The Tale of Igor's Campaign", the prince and his associates are called "Dazhdbozh's grandsons", that is, the descendants of one of the traditional deities. Slavic gods and their significance in the life of the ancient Slavs is the subject of this article.

How many gods did the ancient Slavs have?

The pantheon of Slavic pagan gods is huge. Their exact number is practically indeterminate. This is explained there, that each deity has several names, and they were often distributed equally. The more powerful the god, the more names he has. Gradually the names were mixed up. And today it is impossible to speak with absolute certainty about the number and characteristics of the Slavic gods. Nevertheless, researchers single out the main pantheon.

Ancient Slavic pagan gods

Slavic gods by date of birth are divided into the gods of the primordial, ancient and deities of the new formation. The ancient ones are:

1. Genus and women in labor

Rod is the ancestor of all gods and the creator of the surrounding world. He is the originator of life on earth. The area of ​​activity of the Sort is the emergence of a new life, the creation, construction and continuation of the human race. Usually Rod was brought a trebu - an egg. This pagan rite has been preserved today in the form of the tradition of laying an egg on the grave of a loved one.

Women in labor are the maidens of life and fate, the helpers of the Family.

The second name of the Sort is Stribog. It was used when talking about the commemoration of parents, parental Saturday.

2. Belobog

Belobog is the patron of the fertility of the earth and the generosity of the human soul. Defender of goodness and light, blocking the way for darkness. Belobog is a seer and legislator. He created good and wise laws of life for people. This is a four-faced god. Four faces, two of which are female, were carved from wood by the ancient Slavs, depicting him. Belobog is honored in autumn after the harvest on the autumn solstice. The symbols of the bright god are a bow, a horn and a sword, from living beings - a duck and a pike. He accepts requests with high sweet cakes and sweet wine.

Other names of Belobog:

• Belbog,
• Svetovit,
• Svyatovit,
• Sventovit,
• Svetich or Svetovik.

Belbog has a female incarnation - Svetlusha - the patroness of a woman - a mother and mistress, a keeper of home comfort.

3. Chernobog

Chernobog is the antipode of Belobog. Perceived as an evil deity, wild god, patron of wild animals and livestock. He introduces a person into excitement, makes them chase after luck. Chernobog controls the temptations of fate, but he also helps people look inside themselves, develop new qualities. Chernobog is the deity of stubborn people, the day of his highest power is Wednesday. Then a person can contact him by going to the crossroads. This can help:

• stones - opal and obsidian;
• metals - lead and mercury;
• trees - spruce, pine, ash and walnut.

Chernobog looks at people through the eyes of an owl, a raven, a snake, a snake or a cat.

According to some versions, the second name of the evil god is Veles.

4. Pulp

The pulp is the goddess of fate and the giver of fertility, her children are forests and winds. She patronizes sorcerers and escorts a person to another world after death. The pulp is honored on Parskeva Friday as the protector of wives and housewives. To establish a connection with Myakosha, silver, rock crystal and "moonstone" were used in rituals. The goddess is especially favorable to people who keep a cat in the house. The main symbol of Myakoshi is an aspen with horns carved on it. It is likely that the medieval women's festive headdress, the horned kick, originated from here.

Myakosha is the wife of Veles.

5. Crodo

Crodo - the god - the keeper of altars and places of worship to deities. Lord of the Sacrificial Flame. Svarog's father. Crodo is considered one of the incarnations of Frost. He brings death with him. Linguists associate with his name the origin of the word "to ditch" - to freeze, to stiffen.

The second name of this deity is Krt.

6. Svarog

Svarog is the god of crafts and artisans. The blacksmith, therefore, especially patronizes blacksmithing. Embodies light, flame, ether. Constantly shows attention to the material world, creating or changing a lot in it. Hardworking, does not use witchcraft. His strength is in skill. Svarog is the son of Krodo, from him the Svarozhich family originates.

7. Lada

Lada is the goddess of love and a strong, prosperous marriage. It contributes to the fidelity of the spouses, protecting the family hearth. There is also a male incarnation of this deity - Lad - the god of war, unrestrained fun and at the same time the patron of marriage. Recall the expression "to live in harmony" - that is, together, in harmony. Experts disagreed for a long time whether this is one god or two different ones. Today it is believed that Lad and Lada are one deity, which is likely to be related to the goddess of love of the Western Slavs - Priya.

Other names of god - Lado, Ladon.

We have given here only a small part of the huge list of Slavic gods. Quite a lot is known about some, almost the same names have been preserved from some. There were, for example, Diy - the god of rain, the sky and all natural phenomena occurring in the sky. Diya is the goddess of the earth, according to some sources, who was his wife. Dazhdbog is the giver of sunlight. Khors is the keeper of the life-giving disk of the luminary. Kvasur is the god of the national intoxicating drink. The one-legged god of troubles and misfortunes - Likho. Kupala is the deity of summer. Tsetsia is the patroness of marriage. Svoba is the goddess of forests. Karna is the goddess of farewell, funeral. Zhelya is the embodiment of sadness for the departed forever.

Paganism of Ancient Russia- a system of pre-Christian ideas about the world and man among the ancients Eastern Slavs, the official and dominant religion in Old Russian state before the Baptism of Russia in 988. Until the middle of the 13th century, despite the efforts of the ruling elite, it continued to be confessed by a significant part of the population of Russia. After the complete replacement by Christianity pagan traditions and beliefs continued to render significant influence on Russian culture, traditions and way of life, which is preserved to this day.

pantheon of gods

The beliefs of the ancient Slavs were rooted in the religious beliefs of the ancient Indo-Europeans, from among whom the Slavs stood out in the II-I millennium BC. e. Gradually transforming and becoming more complex, adopting the features of other cultures, primarily Iranian-speaking (Scythians, Sarmatians, Alans), the system of pagan beliefs reached the 9th-10th centuries.

The Laurentian Chronicle mentions that in the Kiev pagan pantheon, set up by Prince Vladimir in 980 "on a hill behind the Terem courtyard", there were idols of the gods Perun, Khors, Dazhbog, Stribog, Simargl (Semargl) and Mokosh. Perun was the supreme god of thunder, the Slavic analogue of Zeus and Thor. He was considered the patron of the princely family, he was worshiped primarily in the princely retinue environment. Khors played the role of the sun god. Researchers argue about the origin of his name, perhaps it came to the Slavs from the Khazars or the Scythians and Sarmatians. Dazhbog, who also personified the sun, is identified by some experts with Khors, believing that these are two names of the same god. Stribog was the god of the wind, Semargl, as some scientists believe, the god of vegetation, earth and the underworld. The only goddess in the pantheon of Vladimir was Mokosh, the patroness of crafts and fertility. A huge array of controversial scientific literature is devoted to the “Gods of Vladimir”: experts offer many options for interpreting the names of pagan deities, talk about their tribal connection and look for analogues in Germanic, Baltic, Iranian, Finno-Ugric, Turkic cults. There is an opinion that the legend about the “gods of Vladimir” is a late insert with the names of pagan idols known from various references. Anyway, archaeological excavations showed - in front of the princely court on the Starokievskaya mountain there really was a Slavic temple.

Of those Slavic gods that are not mentioned in the Laurentian Chronicle, researchers single out the fire god Svarog, who was especially revered by the peasants, the goddess of spring and marriage, Lada, and Volos (Veles), the patron god of cattle breeding. These three gods, as well as Mokosh, Perun and Dazhbog-Khors, were "identified" by the eminent scientist B. A. Rybakov in images from a stone idol of the 10th century, discovered in 1848 in the Zbruch River ( modern Ukraine) and therefore went down in history as the "Zbruch idol". It is noteworthy that the cults of different deities prevailed among different Slavic tribes.

Inferior deities

With a rather poor pantheon of gods, the pagans of Ancient Russia had a multifaceted lower sphere of mythology, which is not typical for most pagan religions. Some lower beings personified nature and natural phenomena(goblin, water, field), others were associated with the house and household (brownie, bannik), others were endowed with demonic properties (witches, veshtitsy, pestilence, sorcerers, warlocks, as well as devils and demons). The main witch in the pagan mythology of the Slavs was Baba Yaga, whose invariable attributes were a hut on chicken legs, a bone leg, a mortar and a pomelo. Baba Yaga personified the restless soul, they made bloody sacrifices to her in order to appease the sorceress. Likho One-Eyed was a kind of "double" of Baba Yaga. Mermaids also played a significant role in Slavic mythology. It was believed that these were drowned women, capable of luring a person into a swamp and tickling to death. The female characters also included goddesses - women who died during childbirth, hunting women in childbirth and kidnapping or replacing babies - and kikimors living behind a stove or barn and harming households. After the adoption of Christianity and its assimilation by the broad sections of the population of Russia, previously harmless creatures that identified natural phenomena, such as the goblin and the water, acquired a demonic essence.

Entourage and attributes of a pagan cult. Magi

Folklore data allow us to say that the main objects of the cult of the ancient Slavs-pagans were the pillar, which the worshipers hugged, and the stove, which they kissed. A characteristic ancient Slavic rite was Shrovetide, accompanied by rolling a fiery wheel, burning an effigy of winter, fisticuffs and mummers. They tried to choose places for prayers on hills and mountains. In the same place, effigies of winter were burned and rites of a spell of spring were performed. In flat areas, ceremonies were held in the meadows. Sacred groves (“groves”) and sacred trees("wood"). Particularly revered trees were birch and oak, the symbol of the god Perun, as well as trees located near springs and springs.

The calendar holidays and rituals of the ancient pagan Slavs had an agricultural background, many of them were also associated with the cult of ancestors. It was believed that it was the ancestors resting in the ground who bless the future harvest, therefore, to ensure fertility, the ancient Slavs sought to appease their deceased relatives: they were commemorated with pancakes on Maslenitsa, various competitions were dedicated to them.

Places of worship of the ancient Slavs to idols were open sanctuaries - temples. In the center of the temple stood an idol. These sculptural images of deities, rather primitive in execution, could be either wooden or stone. A striking example of the idol of the ancient Slavs is the aforementioned "Zbruch idol". The temples were fenced, a fire was built inside. There is an opinion that in North-Western Russia the role of sanctuaries could be played by hills - embankments over burials.

Ancient Russian pagan priests - a special category of persons serving the religious sphere - were called Magi. In the 9th-10th centuries, an influential stratum of the Magi formed in Russia. Under their leadership, rituals were carried out, mythology was preserved and symbolism was developed by them. Even a simple sorcerer had to know and remember all the rituals, ritual songs, incantations, be able to calculate the calendar dates of magical actions, and know the healing properties of herbs. After the baptism of Russia, the Magi began to gradually lose influence, but this process was not fast: on the one hand, the annals recorded cases of the "beating" of the Magi, on the other hand, even a hundred years after the baptism of Russia, there were situations when, in confrontation with a prince or bishop, the Magi were supported entire cities. So it was, for example, in 1071 in Novgorod.

The displacement of paganism in Russia by Christianity

A kind of religious dualism was established in Russia long before Vladimir. Byzantium was interested in the Christianization of Russia, where it was believed that any nation that accepted the Christian faith from the hands of the emperor and the Patriarch of Constantinople automatically becomes a vassal of the empire. The contacts of Russia with Byzantium contributed to the penetration of Christianity into the Russian environment. Metropolitan Michael was sent to Russia, who, according to legend, baptized the Kyiv prince Askold. Christianity was popular among combatants and the merchant class under Igor and Oleg, and Princess Olga herself became a Christian during a visit to Constantinople in the 950s. During the independent reign of Prince Svyatoslav, from the first half of the 960s to 972, Christianity became a persecuted religion, since Svyatoslav was a staunch pagan.

According to the chronicle legend, the baptism of Vladimir was preceded by a conscious choice of faith. The prince and his entourage allegedly listened to missionaries representing different faiths: Muslim Bulgars, "Germans from Rome", Khazar Jews and a "Greek philosopher from Byzantium." Then Vladimir sent to different countries his companions, so that they could look and find out which faith is better, and they, returning, said - there is no faith better than the Greek. In fact, as the researchers believe, the adoption of Christianity was largely dictated by pragmatic considerations: new faith was supposed to provide religious and ideological reinforcement of the statehood and power of the Kyiv princes.

The baptism of Vladimir became only the starting point for the Christianization of all of Russia: the thousand-year-old paganism slowly retreated under the onslaught of the clergy, and the process itself dragged on for many decades. Under Vladimir, only the princely family and retinue were baptized, in whose ranks and until 988 there were many adherents of Christianity. The bulk of the population remained pagan in the 11th century, and even at the beginning of the 12th century, as one of the archers wrote, the Vyatichi still “performed” pagan rites. Archaeological finds show that pagan rituals and festivities and applied arts with pagan symbols were more or less quoted among the inhabitants of ancient Russian cities until the middle of the 13th century, not to mention the villages, where Christianization proceeded much more slowly. Only representatives of the third generation after the baptism of Russia, who lived in the era of Yaroslav the Wise, fully identified themselves with Christianity.

Despite numerous prohibitions, pagan features penetrated into Orthodox tradition and rooted in the system of Russian traditions and customs. To the most famous examples include Maslenitsa, Ivan Kupala, Svyatki, which are still celebrated today, Clean Thursday, seeing off winter. Huge bonfires over the graves - remnants of pagan cremations - were recorded in some areas up to late XIX century. Many calendar rituals and agricultural signs, a huge layer of folklore, migrated from pagan times to modern times.

paganism is common name all original beliefs different peoples originating from ancient times. Slavic paganism is our faith, the faith of everything Slavic people.

One of ancient peoples, which includes today: Russians and Ukrainians, Belarusians and Poles, Czechs and Slovaks, Bulgarians and Macedonians, Serbs and Montenegrins, Slovenes and Croats. We bake pancakes, seeing off Shrovetide - Morena and telling ancient tales about Baba - Yaga. Bread is still the head of everything, and hospitality is in honor.

On Kupala we jump over fires and look for a flowering fern. Brownies live with us in our houses, and mermaids bathe in rivers and lakes. We guess at Kolyada, and sometimes we just flip a coin. We honor our ancestors and leave offerings to them on the day of remembrance. We treat ailments and diseases with herbs, and from ghouls - vampires we use garlic and aspen stake. We make a wish while sitting between the tesks and spit over our left shoulder when we meet a black cat.

Groves and oak forests are sacred to us, and we drink healing water from springs. We speak, fishing tackle and read amulets from the evil eye. Valiant courage finds itself in fisticuffs, and in case of trouble, our brave warriors will take her away from the Slavic land.

Pantheon of Slavic gods looks like family tree princely family: the most ancient supreme male deity among the Slavs was Rod. Already in Christian teachings against paganism of the XII-XIII centuries. they write about Rod as a god worshiped by all peoples. Rod - God Progenitor. Svarog, Semargl, Makosh, Lada - the gods Fathers; Perun, Veles - the second generation (sons), Dazhbog, Yarilo, Khors - the third generation (grandchildren).

The ancient pagan pantheon was divided into solar gods and functional gods. There were four hypostases of the Sun God, according to the number of seasons: Khors (Kolyada), Yarilo, Dazhdbog (Kupaila) and Svarog (Svetovit). All mythological creatures responsible for one side or the other human life can be divided into three main levels: higher, middle and lower.

So, at the highest level are the gods, whose "functions" are most important for the Slavs and who participated in the most common legends and myths. These include such deities as Svarog (Stribog, Sky), Semargl - the god of death, Veles - the black god, the lord of the dead, wisdom and magic, Earth, Svarozhichi (children of Svarog and the Earth - Perun, Dazhdbog and Fire).

At the middle level there were deities associated with economic cycles and seasonal rituals, as well as gods who embodied the integrity of closed small groups, such as Rod, for example, Chur among the Eastern Slavs. This level, perhaps, also included most of the female deities, somewhat less likened to a person than the gods. top level.

On the lowest level housed beings that were less human-like than the gods of the highest and middle levels. These included brownies, goblin, mermaids, ghouls, banniks (banniks).

When worshiping, the Slavs tried to observe certain rituals, which, as they believed, made it possible not only to receive what they asked for, but also not to offend the spirits they turned to, or even protect themselves from them, if necessary.

Svarog

The supreme deity of the Slavs was Svarog (aka Rod). Svarog is a god - a blacksmith, the God of fire and the family hearth, the father of Dazhdbog. According to researchers - the supreme god of the Eastern Slavs, heavenly fire. Svarog greatly contributed to the development of knowledge. It was Svarog who gave people ticks and taught them how to smelt copper and iron. In addition, Svarog established the very first laws according to which each man was supposed to have only one woman, and a woman one man.

Yarilo was imagined as a young man: an ardent, loving groom dressed in white clothes, barefoot, riding a white horse. Yarilo belongs to the annually dying and resurrecting gods of fertility. He appeared at the proper time of the year, spread the spring solar heat, brought youthful freshness, ardor of feelings into the life of nature and the life of people, filled people with courage. Yarilo obeys wild animals, spirits of nature and lower deities. In winter, Yarila turns into Frost and destroys what he gave birth to in the spring. On Kupala, the ceremony of Seeing Yarila is held - since Yarilo, the God of the spring Sun, "dies" to be reborn next Spring. In its place comes the adult Sun, the Sun-husband Dazhdbog.

Dazhdbog is the god of fertility and sunlight. Dazhdbog rides across the sky in a wonderful chariot harnessed by four white fire-maned horses with golden wings. BUT sunlight comes from the fire shield that Dazhdbog carries with him. Twice a day - in the morning and in the evening - he crosses the Ocean-Sea on a boat pulled by geese, ducks and swans. Dazhdbog had a majestic tread and a direct look, not who knows lies. And also marvelous hair, sunny-gold, easily flying in the wind.

Khors is a male deity, embodying the desire of boys and adult husbands for knowledge, spiritual growth, self-improvement, to overcome the difficulties encountered in life and find the right solutions. During the day, this horseman slowly moves across the sky, and at night he returns back along the underground "Sea of ​​​​Gloom" to reappear in the sky in the morning. The Patron God of good weather and giving rich Harvest to grain growers. He also patronized trade and exchange. Earth Protector God.

God Perun is the God of thunder and lightning, like heavenly fire, the patron of warriors and the princely squad, the God-governor, the god punishing for non-compliance with laws. It happened that God's punishment overtook the wicked, burning his dwelling with fire, or killed himself with lightning. And, besides, there was great faith among the people that Perunov's lightning was capable of expelling evil spirits, as well as a devilish obsession, and also protecting from sorcery and sending illnesses and disasters. Perun is the lord of heaven, but the earth is also under his rule. Dedicated to this formidable god of the forest and grove. Due to the fact that the oak was considered the main tree of Perun, oak groves were considered sacred forests.

Semargl was represented in the form of a bird (usually a predatory - "falcon") or a dragon with a sparkling body, flaming hair and radiance escaping from the mouth, as well as a fiery whirlwind.
He sat on a golden-maned horse of a silver suit. Thick smoke became his banner. Where Semargl passed, there was a scorched trail. Such was his strength, but more often he looked quiet and peaceful. Semargl, God of fire and moon, fire sacrifices, home and hearth, keeps seeds and crops. Can turn sacred winged dog. The name of the God of Fire is not known for certain, most likely, his name is so holy. Still, because this God does not live somewhere in the seventh heaven, but directly among people!

Kostroma

Kupalo

Semarg does not let 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 Bather, who calls him to love games on the day of the Autumn Equinox. And on the day Summer Solstice, after 9 months, the children of Kostroma and Kupala are born at Semargl and Kupala.

Veles

According to Slavic ideas, after the world was created by Rod, the god Veles set this world in motion. Day began to give way to night, the seasons began to change, winter was followed by spring, spring was followed by summer, then autumn and again winter. Very few knew that law - only sorcerers and magicians who served Veles. Veles could take on any guise. Most often he was portrayed as a wise old man, a protector of plants and animals. In the ancient Russian chronicles, Veles is considered the patron and protector of all domestic tamed animals and the god of material well-being. He was a werewolf god, the god of hunting and prey, the owner of the waters and the patron of warriors. The gray prophetic Wolf from Russian fairy tales was considered a distant ancestor of Veles. Veles also acts as a god Underworld. the god of the kingdom of Navi, where the souls of the dead go after death.

Stribog - In East Slavic mythology, the god of the wind. He can summon and tame a storm and can transform into his assistant, the mythical bird Stratim. In general, the wind was usually represented as a gray-haired old man living at the end of the world, in a dense forest or on an island in the middle of the sea - ocean. He was mentioned and revered along with Dazhbog. Probably, the wind, like rain and sun, were considered the most important for the farmer. Stribog was also prayed by seafarers to give "wind to sail".

Stribog

Stribog - in East Slavic mythology, the god of the wind. The name Stribog goes back to the ancient root "streg", which means "senior", "paternal uncle". He can summon and tame a storm and can transform into his assistant, the mythical bird Stratim. In general, the wind was usually represented as a gray-haired old man living at the end of the world, in a dense forest or on an island in the middle of the sea-ocean.

Whistle

The wind has many grandchildren and sons, small breezes:
Whistle - the elder wind, is considered the god of the storm;
Podaga - hot, withering wind, lives in the desert in the South;
Weather - warm, light breeze, God of pleasant weather;
Siverko (North wind) - brings cold from Arctic Ocean, very severe.
Poludenik together with Midnighter frolic day and night.

Makosh. Goddess of lucky lot. Together with her daughters Doley and Nedolya determines the Fates of people and Gods, weaving the Threads of Fate. Goddess Makosh at all times was a very attentive and caring Patron of weaving and all kinds of needlework, and also made sure that a good harvest grew in the fields where the peasants put their Soul into their hard work.

To those who were not lazy, but worked in the fields, in gardens and orchards in the sweat of their brow, putting their Soul into their hard work, the Goddess Makosh sent her youngest Daughter - the blond Goddess Dole. The same people who worked poorly and negligently in their fields (no matter what kind he was), got a bad harvest. Therefore, the people said that "from Makosh Dolya came to measure the harvest" or "Makosh Nedolya sent the harvest to measure."

Lada is the patroness of family happiness, mothers, children, widows and orphans. Her golden hair is adorned with pearls, and her dress is adorned with rich embroidery and jewels. In the name of Lada, the ancient Slavs called not only the original goddess of love, but also the whole system of life - a way where everything should have been fine, that is, good. Lada is the goddess of youth and spring, beauty and fertility, a generous mother, the patroness of love and marriages. Her dress 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 militant heroine, rushing through the heavenly spaces in storms and thunderstorms and driving rain clouds. In addition, she is a goddess, in whose retinue the shadows of the dead march into the afterlife. The cloudy fabric is precisely that veil on which the soul, after the death of a person, ascends to the kingdom of the blessed. Among the ancient Slavs, the birch, personifying the goddess Lada, was considered a sacred tree. The white swan is the sacred animal of Lada, whose name meant, among other things, "swan". Lada gave birth to twins - Lel and Polel.

Goddess Marena (Mara) - Great Goddess of Winter, Night and Eternal Sleep and Eternal Life. Goddess Marena, or Marena Svarogovna, one of the three named sisters of the Much Wise God Perun. Very often she is called the Goddess of Death, terminating the earthly life of a person in the Explicit World, but this is not entirely true. But the Goddess Marena, in addition to observing the rest of Nature on Midgard-Earth, when Mother Nature is gaining life-giving forces for spring awakening and the life of plants and animals, and also observes the life of people. And when the time comes for people to go on a long journey along the Golden Path, the Goddess Marena gives instructions to each deceased person in accordance with the creative experience gained.

Goddess Zhelya - the goddess of mortal sorrow, pity and funeral lamentation, the messenger of the dead, escorting to the funeral pyre. Even the mere mention of her name relieves the soul. From here and words: To wish, Pity. It symbolizes grief, Zhelya was revered as a memory of the ancestors. Karina's sister. Daughter of Mary and Koshchei. Unearthly beauty and sad, with a pale face and long black hair, that's how she was represented.

Jelly and Karna

Zhelya and Karna fly over the battlefield and notify who will be killed. When the battle ends, Zhelya sits with his head bowed and his arms around his knees, mourning the dead. According to those customs, fallen soldiers were burned on funeral pyres, and Zhelya carried their ashes in a horn.

Nearby were always Belobog and Chernobog, who were in constant struggle with each other: daylight dimmed in the approaching twilight, and the darkness of the night was dispelled by the morning dawn; Joy hurried to replace sadness: after cruelty and envy, the time for selfless and good deeds came. Belobog was portrayed as a wise, gray-bearded and gray-haired old man, Chernobog as an ugly skeletal "koshchei". However, Belobog and Chernobog were equally revered.

Chernobog (black Serpent, Kashchey) Lord of Navi, Darkness and Pekelny kingdom. God of cold, destruction, death, evil; God of madness and the embodiment of everything bad and black. Sacrifices were made to him before the start of important matters, for example, before going on a military campaign. The victims were often bloody and human, they killed captives, slaves and horses.

They portrayed Radegast armed from head to toe, with a battle ax, in a helmet on which an eagle spread its wings, a symbol of glory, and with a bull's head, a sign of courage, on a round shield.
Radegast is a god of lightning, a killer and devourer of clouds, and at the same time a luminous guest, who appears with the return of spring. The idea of ​​an honorary divine guest, a visitor from heaven to earth, was also connected with him. The Russian settlers honored him with the name of a guest. Along with this, he received the character of a saving god of any foreigner (guest), who appeared in a strange house and surrendered himself under the protection of a local hearth, a patron god of merchants who came from distant countries and trade in general.

Among our pagan ancestors, he was not a deity of the highest rank, but his name is still known and honored everywhere. He was revered as the patron and guardian of the borders of land holdings. On the boundaries of their plots, the farmers poured hillocks, enclosing them with a palisade, and no one dared to tear such a hillock for fear of angering the deity. The frontier strip was considered inviolable, no one could cross it arbitrarily. Chur also protected a person and all his goodness from evil spirits: as a resident of passers-by roads, he had the most power over the devils. Therefore, in case of danger, it is still advised to remember this god and shy away, saying: "Chur me!", That is, to ask: "Chur, take care of me!" Even the secrets of a person's thoughts he guards

Syra Mother Earth

Syra - Earth Mother - the goddess of the earth, a fertile mother, the wife of Heaven. The earth was presented to the imagination of the pagan, who deified nature, as a living human-like creature. Herbs, flowers, shrubs, trees seemed to him her magnificent hair; he recognized the stone rocks as bones, the tenacious roots of trees replaced the veins, the blood of the earth was the water oozing from its depths. And, like a living woman, she gave birth to earthly creatures, she groaned in pain in a storm, she became angry, causing earthquakes, she smiled under the sun, giving people unprecedented beauty, she fell asleep in a cold winter and woke up in the spring, she died, burned by a drought and was reborn after the rains. And, as if to a true mother, a person resorted to her at any time of his life. Remember fairy tales? The hero will fall to the damp earth - and will be filled with new strengths.

Bereginya

The ancient Slavs believed that Bereginya is a great goddess who gave birth to all things. She is accompanied everywhere by radiant riders, personifying the sun. She was especially often addressed during the ripening of bread - this indicates that the goddess belongs to the supreme patrons human race. After all, the great goddess was supposed to protect the people she created! Gradually, our ancestors came to believe that there are many coastlines in the world, they live in forests. According to popular beliefs, betrothed brides who died before the wedding turned to the coast. For example, those girls who committed suicide because of the betrayal of the insidious groom. In this they differed from the water mermaids, who always live in the water, and are born there.

Karachun

Karachun is a dark god. His servants were rod bears, in which snowstorms turned around, and packs of blizzard wolves. Karachun's day coincided with one of the coldest days of winter, December 12/25, when the nights cease to shorten, and the sun no longer looks at frost, but at warmth. The ancient Slavs considered Karachun an underground god, commanding frost. For Belarusians, "karachui" is a sudden death at a young age; evil spirit shortening life. In Russian, this is death, death. The leap year is especially terrible, it is considered the time of Karachun, His element. Therefore, it is popularly believed that on a leap year more people perishes.

Lelya is the goddess of fertility according to the second Rozhanitsa, the daughter of Lada, the goddess of childbearing. She is the patroness of women and young maidens. She is asked for a betrothed.

Lel is Lely's brother. He is a fiery God, scattering or throwing sparks from his hand. His strength was in the kindling of love. He is the son of beauty, because beauty gives birth to love. He was depicted as a golden-haired youth.

The Goddess of Life in the broadest sense of the word, Life itself. Alive - the goddess of well-being, the deity of beauty and spring, as the flowering of all living things, the beginning of life. According to legends preserved in Poland, in the spring it turns into a cuckoo to “inform” people about the time of year and determine who will live for how long.

Perunica

This goddess is the wife of the god Perun (she is one of the incarnations of the Goddess Lada). She is sometimes called the thunder maiden, as if emphasizing that she shares power over thunderstorms with her husband. She is a cloud maiden - beautiful, winged, warlike.

Kolyada

Kolyada - God of feasts, food, fun. Seasonal god, holiday god. Kolyada marked the Slavic New Year. God-Kolyada comes into the world with light and goodness, having defeated evil and darkness. Kolyada is the Patron God of military people and Priests. Kolyada was often depicted with a sword in his hand, and the blade of the sword was pointed down.

Dobrogost

Dobrogost - among the Western Slavs, the patron of good news, the messenger of the gods - something like the ancient Hermes. Descending from heaven, he put on winged boots, reminiscent of boots-walkers of Russian fairy tales.

sea ​​king

The sea king (Water) is the lord of all waters on earth. The sea king, according to popular belief, rules over all the fish and animals that are only found in the seas. AT folk tales The Sea King is also called the Water King.

Mother of God Rozhana - Goddess of prosperity, spiritual wealth and comfort. Goddess-Patron of pregnant women. This is the most ancient image in Slavic mythology. This goddess is a woman. She personifies feminine in the Universe. Women in labor - collective female image. To this day, we call women in the maternity hospital Rozhanitsy, as they are likened to Mother Goddesses, giving new life.

Baba Yoga is the Patron Goddess of orphans. She collected them from cities and villages, and delivered them to her Skete. She did this in order to save from death.

Treebog is a forest deity, thanks to which everything in Nature blooms and turns green.

Magura - Daughter of the Thunderer Perun, cloud maiden. The beautiful, winged, warlike Magura is akin to the Scandinavian Valkyrie. Her heart is forever given to warriors, heroes. On the battlefield, Magura cheers the fighters with warlike cliques, her golden helmet sparkles in the sun, instilling joy and hope in the hearts. Well, if a warrior fell from the blow of an enemy sword or pierced by an arrow, Magura will overshadow him with his wings, touch his cold lips - and give him water to drink from a golden cup. Having tasted the living water of Magura, he will go to heavenly palaces - for eternal life, where, in the midst of unearthly bliss, he always remembers the last kiss of Magura.

Svyatobor - God of the forests, lord of the goblin. Brother of the Danube and Svyatogor.

Didilia is also from the Lada family. goddess of matrimony, childbearing, growth, vegetation, personification of the moon. She is present at the resolution of wives from the burden, and therefore barren wives made sacrifices to her and prayed for her to give them children. She appeared as a young beautiful woman, having on her head, like a crown, a bandage adorned with pearls and stones; one hand was unclenched, and the other was clenched into a fist.

Polelia is the second son of the goddess of love, the god of matrimony, marriage bonds. It is no coincidence that he was depicted in a simple white everyday shirt and a wreath of thorns, he gave the same wreath to his wife. He blessed people for everyday life, a family path full of thorns.

Numerogog - God of time and astrologers.

Triglav

Triglav - Triune god. Unites Nav, Yav and Rule. Represents space. Follows human karma. Big Triglav - Svaro Mr. Perun - Svyatovit or Perun - Dazhdbog - Fire, small - Horse - Veles - Stribog. He also patronizes the three families of Rurik, Sineus and Truvor.

Volkh - God of sorcery, hunting, war, daring, master of beasts. The mother of Volkh was the earthly woman Martha, and the real father was the god Veles. When Volkh was born, he wore wolf skin. And although after he was washed in water, the skin fell off, Volkh, like his father Veles, was a werewolf. He hunted, turning into various animals.

baked

Baked - the god of lust. His appearance is changeable. Protects men. married women this god was not painfully revered, for he forced men to suddenly forget their family responsibilities, his duty to his wife and children. There were many admirers of Prypekala, however, they preferred to keep it a secret, for there were frequent cases when deceived wives, having gathered together, set fire to the sanctuary of this patron of troubles and even stoned his priests.

Siwa is the goddess of autumn and garden fruits. Depicted as a naked woman long hair holding in right hand an apple, and in the left - a bunch. And sometimes in the form of a gray-haired old man. Siva is a deity not only of garden fruits, but also of the very time of their ripening, autumn. After Siva drove Kashchei from Mount Khvangur, he himself began to rule there. There was a well with living water nearby, and from this well fire beat up to the sky.

There are many more mid-level gods, here are some interesting ones:
Zibog is the god of the earth, its creator and keeper. It was he who created mountains and seas, hills and rivers, crevices and lakes. He watches over and tills the land. When he gets angry, volcanoes erupt, a storm rises on the sea, the earth shakes.

Zirka is the goddess of happiness. Every person has his own Zirka, who, like a guardian spirit, is constantly with her chosen one. There is a saying: “What will become of him if he is not in Zirka’s favor!”

Hall of Iria, where fallen warriors feast and hone their skills.

Niy (Viy) - the deity of the underworld, one of the main servants of Chernobog. He was also a judge over the dead. Viy is also associated with the seasonal death of nature during winter. This god was also considered the sender of nightmares, visions and ghosts. A huge humpbacked old man with long hairy arms and paws. Eternally angry, because you have to work without rest day and night - to receive the souls of the dead. Whoever fell into the clutches of the ugly Niy, there is no turning back. In later times, this is the leader of the evil spirit Viy.

Nemiza is the god of air, the lord of the winds. Nemiza was depicted with a head crowned with rays and wings. Nemiza is called upon to restore order and pacify violent winds.

Dana is the goddess of water. She was revered as a bright and kind goddess, giving life to all living things. According to the ancient idea, the thunder god boils rainwater in a thunderstorm flame, bathes heaven and earth in its downpours, and thereby bestows the power of fertility on the earth.

The Goddess Vesta - the Goddess-Keeper of Wisdom, controls the coming of Spring and the Awakening of Nature. In sculptural images, very rare, however, this goddess is represented as a richly dressed girl with a veil thrown over her head.

Karna is the Patron Goddess of reincarnations, giving the right to a person to get rid of the mistakes made and fulfill his destiny.
Dzevana - Goddess-Keeper of small children. Patroness of breastfeeding mothers.
Mor - God of death, cold, disease. Son of Mary.
Frost - God of winter, snow, cold. Son of Veles and Mary.

Shchur is the god of the boundary, on the other side of which there is death.
Sandman - Goddess of drowsiness, sleepy dreams, drowsiness, laziness. Wife of Sleep.
Bayan - God of songs, music and musical instruments. Grandson of Veles, son of Tur.
Krivda - Goddess of lies, deceit, untruth. Daughter of the Court and Nedoli.

Truth - Goddess of truth, truth, honesty, loyalty to the oath. Older sister of Krivda.
Resentment - Goddess of resentment, trouble. Daughter of Mary
Zorya - Goddess of dawn, dawn, purification, health, children, love, vision, singing. Daughter of Dazhbog.
Troyan - God of health, healing herbs, medicine. Associated with fire and water. The patron of time and space.

Prince Kyiv Vladimir (978-1015)

Having reigned in Kyiv in 980, Grand Duke Vladimir I made a kind of pagan reform, apparently trying to raise the ancient folk beliefs to the level of state religion - next to his towers, on a hill, the prince ordered to put wooden idols of six gods: Perun with a silver head and golden mustache, Fire-Svarozhich, Dazhdbog, Stribog, Semargl and Mokosh.

temple

Around 988, Vladimir himself was baptized, baptized his boyars and, under pain of punishment, forced everyone to be baptized. Formally, Russia became Christian. The funeral fires went out, but for a long time pagan burial mounds were poured over the villages, secretly praying to Perun and Svarozhich, and celebrating the violent holidays of their native antiquity. Paganism merged with Christianity.

Sudarushka's blog

Share Goddess happy fate, happiness and good luck in creative deeds. Nedolya Goddess, which endows people and their children with an unfortunate fate, for violating the Laws of RITA (Heavenly Laws on the Purity of the Family and Blood) and the Blood Commandments.

- Tarkh Perunovich, God-Keeper of Great Wisdom. Named Dazhdbog (giving God - giving prosperity).

Perun(other Russian Perun, Ukrainian Perun, Belorussian Pyarun, Polish Piorun) - God of Thunder, patron of the prince and squad. After the spread of Christianity in Russia, many elements of the image of Perun were transferred to the image of Elijah the Prophet (Ilya Gromovnik). The name of Perun tops the list of gods of the pantheon of Prince Vladimir in The Tale of Bygone Years.

Personification of many Gods and Ancestors, One and Many at the same time. When we talk about all our Ancestors: Fathers, Grandfathers, Great-Grandfathers and Ancestors, we say - this is my ROD. We turn to him when we need the support of the Gods and Ancestors, for our Gods are our Fathers, and we are their children.

The God of Fire and Fiery Cleansings and Fiery Sacrifices on holidays, especially on the Day of God Kupala and the Day of Perun. Mediator between people and Heavenly Gods.

The Patron God of pastoralists and livestock breeders, as well as the Family Patron of the Western Slavs - the Scotts (Scots), therefore they said that "Veles the cattle God." Having moved to the British Isles, the Scotts named the province of Scotland (Scotland) in honor of their Ancestral Patron God, his name Wales (Wales, i.e. Veles). Veles God-Patron of the Hall of the Wolf in the Svarog Circle. The Keeper of the Gates leading to Vyriy, escorts the dead to Svarga.

Goddess-Keeper of the family hearth. Our ancestors called Vesta an adult woman who already has a family and children. She had sufficient knowledge and skills to look after her loved ones.

Alive, Zhivana, Seva - the personification of the fruitful power, youth, beauty of all nature and man - that is, spring. Alive reigns when fields and forests, gardens and kitchen gardens turn green, when people wake up from a dull winter sleep, as if for the first time they see the beauty of spring nature, the beauty of blossoming youth, for the first time they know the charm of love and tenderness. It is in spring that you can see Zhiva or Zhivits, her young servants: in the form of beautiful maidens they soar above the earth, casting such affectionate glances at her that she blooms and grows greener even more.

Goddess Lelya (Lalya)- the goddess of spring, the daughter of the goddess of beauty, love and fertility Lada. According to myths, it was inextricably linked with the spring revival of nature, the beginning of field work. The goddess was imagined as a young, beautiful, slender and tall girl.

- According to popular belief, one of the main constituent parts universe (together with water, air and fire).

Stribog- in East Slavic mythology, the god of the wind. The name Stribog goes back to the ancient root "streg", which means "senior", "paternal uncle". A similar meaning is found in the Tale of Igor's Campaign, where the winds are called "Stribog's grandchildren."

- The name of this God, perhaps, is known to everyone on the holiday which is celebrated immediately after Winter Solstice. Carols - songs performed in honor of Kolyada. Many, even those who have heard carols, do not know what the word "Kolyada" means. Kolyada - a diminutive of "kolo", the sun-baby (it seemed like a boy or a girl, because for a small child, gender does not yet play a significant role; the sun itself is neuter). This deity arose from the holiday winter solstice, from the poetic idea of ​​the birth of the young sun, that is, the sun of the next year. This ancient concept of the annual baby has not died to this day - it is transferred to the concept of " New Year»

Svetovid- God of Light, God of Life, "vita" - life, God of the Sun. Svetovid is another name for God Svetovit. The most ancient non-personalized Gods of the Slavs are Rod and Rozhanitsy. The genus is identified with the masculine principle, sometimes with grain (including solar and rain grains that fertilize the earth).

Goddess Makosh Heavenly Mother of God, Goddess of a happy lot. Together with her daughters Doley and Nedolya determines the Fates of people and Gods, weaving the Threads of Fate. Goddess-Patron of weaving and needlework. The Slavic name for the constellation Ursa Major is Makosh i.e. Bucket mother.

(Marena; Martsana, Marzhana, Marzhena (Polish), Muriena / Marmuriena (Slovak), Mary (Latvian), Smrtonoska (Czech), Marysia (Belarusian)) - Goddess of Death, disease, cold, winter, evil , night, darkness, black witchcraft, anger. By name and meaning in myths, they resemble the Celtic goddess of death, Morrigan (Marganna).

Yarilo (Yarila)- one of the attributive names of the God of the ancient Rus (from "bright", "hot", "furious"). In Slavic mythology, it was associated with the sun, spring, fertility and love.

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