Slavic Deities and The Unclean Force
Deities and Divinities
Most Recent Additions & Updates:Added: Triglav 11/30/09Update: Jarilo 11/27/09Update: Mokosh 10/16/09
Most Recent Additions & Updates:
Added: Triglav 11/30/09
Update: Jarilo 11/27/09
Update: Mokosh 10/16/09
Bialybog, Belbog
White God from "bialy" or "Bel" - white. He is not an an actual God. Bialobog is really a title for the reigning sky God. The ancient Slavs believed that to name something was to invoke it, therefore allegories were made up for whatever deity was being spoken of. Later, he became associated with the Christian God. Some historians say that Bialybog did not exist. That his name was made up by Christian Chroniclers to compliment Czernobog, as it does not show up in the chronices. However, the Byelorussians have kept their myths about the Belbog.
In White Russian myth, he was said to appear as an old man with a long white beard, dressed in white and carrying a staff. He appeared only by day and often assisted travellers in finding their way out of dark forests or reapers in the fields.
Baba Jaga, Baba Yaga, Jezy Baba
Fairytales portray her as a terrifying Witch who flew through the air in a mortar using the pestle as a rudder and sweeping away her tracks with a broom. She lived in a revolving house which stood on chicken legs. Her fence was made of human bones and was topped with skulls. The keyhole was a mouth filled with sharp teeth. She would aid those who were strong and pure of heart and eat those who were not. I see her as a Goddess of death and initiation.
Chernobog, Czarnebog
Black God from "czarne" - black. Allegory for any Earth deity, usually Veles. Sometimes used as a nickname for Kolschei. Later, this deity was associated with the Christain Satan, and took on a much more negative aspect.
Dazhdbog, Daboh
Giver God from "dati" - to give. Compared to Helios in the chronicles, many believe Dazhdbog to be the sun personified - possibly the same as Khors. According to popular myth, this son of Svarog emerged from his Eastern palace every morning in a two wheeled, diamond chariot, pulled by twelve fire-breathing horses with manes of gold. He would travel across the heavens each day through his twelve kingdoms (zodiac signs?). Some believed that he emerged each day as a beautiful infant and would age until his death as an old man in the West. Dazhdbóg was also a god of justice who sat seated on a purple throne surrounded by his seven judges (the planets?) The morning and evening stars, seven messengers who fly across the heavens with fiery tails(comets) and sometimes, Mjestjats, his bald uncle - the moon. In some legends, Mjesyats is his wife. He has many children who, according to legend, live among the stars and the Russian people, who call themselves "Dazhdbog's grandchildren."
Interestingly enough, this word may be yet another taboo name. For as the chroniclers of the Eastern Slavs equate Dazhdbog with the sun, in South Slavic folklore, Daibog is the god of the Earth opposite of the god of the sky. He gives from/of the Earth, is equated with the man in black of witch folklore and is believed to have once been Veles. The historian, Boris Rybakov believed him to be a Sky-God, but a God of Rain not a solar deity.
Dodola
from "doit" - to give milk. A South Slavic name for a cloud/rain goddess. Rain was thought to be a form of divine milk, sometimes thought to be from Dodola, sometimes the milk of Mokosh. Often, the clouds were perceived to be heavenly women or even cows. In Serbia, the rites of Dodola were kept up until quite recently:
During a drought a girl, called Dodola, clad only in greenery and flowers was led through the village while her companions sang "Dodola" songs:
We pass through the village, and the clouds across the sky.
We go quicker, and the clouds go quicker
But the clouds have overtaken us and have bedewed the fields
We go through the village, and the clouds across the sky,
and see, a ring drops from the clouds.
- W.R.Ralston p.227-229
Afterwards, the girl dances and spins while the woman douse her with water. This practice is thought to convince the heavenly women, clouds, to rain upon the earth, represented by the greenery. The custom has survived in the Polish Dyngus-smigus Easter custom.
In other parts of the Slavic world, the custom is called "Perperuda", originally, "Perperuna" which is a patronymic name for a female relation of Perun, the thunder God.
Dzarowit, Jarovit
God of war. Same root name as that of Jarilo - meaning "ardent". The historian, Herbord, equated him with Mars. His sacred symbol seems to have been the shield. When his temple at Wolgast was destroyed in 1128, those entering it in search of idols found only a gigantic shield. Afraid of the crowds gathering outside, Bishop Otto's men took the shield to hide behind as they exited. On sight of moving shield the people threw themselves upon the ground thinking that it was the god himself.
Some believe that Dzarowit is one of four seasonal aspects of Swiantowid, the aspect ruling Springtime and looking toward the West. He may be related to Jarilo; In Dzarowit's name his priests proclaimed "I am your god who covers the plains with grass and the forests with leaves. The produce of the fields and woods, the young of the cattle and all things that serve man's needs are in my power."
from Gimbutas - "The Slavs" p160 See Jarilo
Dziewana
This huntress was said to run throughout the Carpathian forests. She could be a version of Diana that is due to Romanian contact and influence with the Slavs.
Jarilo, Yarilo
The Young Lord - from "jaru" - young, ardent, springtime, bright, rash. He is a beautiful, barefoot youth wearing a long white robe. His head is crowned with a wreath of flowers and he rides a white horse. He is seen holding a bunch of wheat ears in his left hand and a skull in his right. He is believed to have been a major God of fertility, war, passion, harvest, and Spring. It is believed he was sacrificed yearly on Kupalo and in Serbia and Croatia, the scarecrow burned at this time is called a Jarilo.
He is probably the same God as Dzarowit/Gerovit.
In Byelorus, on the 24th of June, the young girls of a village choose one of their own to represent Jarilo; they dress her as a boy with a white cloak, crown of flowers, barefoot with a bunch of wheat in her left hand. They then place "him" on a white horse, and if it is good weather they lead him out into the fields, across the plowed land. Then, in the presence of the elders, his companions stand around him, also wearing flowery crowns, singing a song in his honor:
"He goes everywhere, Jarilo,
All over the world,
Making the wheat to sprout in the fields,
Multiplying the children of men,
And wherever he places his feet,
There is wheat by the stack,
And wherever his eye rests,
The shoots grow strong and green."
Georges Dumezil, "From Myth to Ritual: The Saga of Hadingus"
Jurata
A Baltic Sea Goddess who took the form of a mermaid. She was said to live in an underwater palace made of amber polished to look like gold. The mighty Perun fell in love with her beauty, but Jurata had eyes only for a human fisherman. The jealous God of Thunder send down a bolt of lightning which killed both Jurata and her fisherman. When pieces of amber wash ashore, they are said to be pieces of Jurata's ruined palace.
Another version of this myth has her palace and lover destroyed by her own sea father who disapproved of her romance with a mere mortal. Durning storms it is said one may still here her lamenting over the loss of her lover.(Poland)
Khors
Possibly a Sun God, from the Iranian word "khursid". May be the same as Dazhdbog, as there are some references to "Khors Dazhdbog". Others believe him to be a God of the Moon. The root of the word "xorovod", a circle dance, comes from his name. Khors was mentioned as one of the idols in Vladimir's Kievan Pantheon.
Koliada
A personification of the holiday (see holidays) which historians of old have mistakenly called a Goddess or God. Nowadays, Koliada survives as a beautiful woman in white who delivers gifts to children on Christmas. She is most likely a version of the Sun Maiden, Solntse, the Snow Maiden, Snegurchka or the Dawn Maiden, Zorya Utrennaya.
Kupalo
Also a personification of the holiday. An image of Kupalo was usually honored and then sacrificed at the time of the Summer Solstice or St. John's Day. Kupalo was also mistakenly called a God and is probably either an effigy created as a stand in for a human sacrifice, or a representation of Jarilo who is often believed to be sacrificed at this time of the year to be reborn in the seasonal cycle.
Lada
Lada is the Slavic goddess of love and beauty. In Russia, when a couple is happily married, it is said they "live in lada", in love. Lad is also a word meaning "peace, union, harmony" as in the proverb "When a husband and wife have lad, they don't require klad (Treasure)" - Ralston, p.105.
She is said to reside in the underworld, vrij, until the Vernal Equinox, Maslenica, when she returns, bringing the lark and springtime with her. Her sacred tree is the lime/linden, supposedly because its leaves are shaped like hearts. As a Slavonian love song goes:
"As the bee is drawn by the linden-bloom (or lime-perfume),
My heart is drawn by thee." - Leland, p.138
In Poland it was believed that lightning would never strike a Linden tree as the Mother of God could be seen amongst its branches. According to many different Slavic traditions, Lada is Mother of the Gods, so it only makes sense that her worship would have been transfered to that of Mary in some ways.
One story has Lada married to Swarog who without her could not have created the world. Other sources give her a brother/lover named Lado which would make them divine twins such as Freya and Frey. Some say Lado is more like a son/consort. There is also some mention of her two sons, Lel & Polel, (Lel and "after" Lel) but it seems more likely that Lel' is actually her daughter Lel'a, Lielia or Liulia, goddess of new love and new shoots. Many mother/daughter customs are said to be patterned after Lada and Lielia, and that Lada, is usually represented by a mother past the age of childbearing.
Several folklorists have now decided that Lada never existed but is just a refrain in a song that had been misinterpreted. Apparently these "scholars" are unaware of the Bulgarian ritual called "Laduvane" similar to the Russian "podbludnaia", but only used to predict marriage for girls. The special love songs used for this occasion are called "Ladanki" and the person drawing the jewelry from the water is a young girl with living parents who is dressed as a bride. The most popular refrain for this type of song is "Lado, Lado, Momichke Mlado." or Lado, Lado, Young Girl. Lada's brother or son/lover, Lado, is credited with being a god of Marriage and merriment.
15th to 18th century Russian monastic texts mention girls invoking a phallic god named Lado or Dido and a Goddes named Lada. One eighteenth-century English traveler penned that Lada and Dido were not twins but a goddess and son/consort. "On the Thursday before Whitsuntide," the peasant girls around Moscow "Celebrate the festival of the Slavonian Goddess, Lada and her son Dida by singing, dancing and decorating a birch tree with garland and ribbons which afterward they throw with great solemnity into the river and learn, from the figures the ribbons assume in the current, who they will wed and what their fates will be concerning marriage.
Lada is also a Goddess of Springtime and may be the same Goddess as Vesna, spring personified.
Mat' Syria Ziemlia, Matka Zemlia
"...Matushka Zemlia, Mother Earth, giving suck from bountiful breasts to countless children. When the peasants spoke of Matushka Zemlia, their eyes, usually dull and expressionless, were flooded with love, like the eyes of children who see their mother at a distance."
- Shmarya Levin
Moist Mother Earth, seems to have never been personified as other Earth Goddesses were (given human form), but worshipped in her natural form. Along with the ancestral worship shown in the belief in household spirits, Earth worship was most adamantly clung to despite the Christianizing of the Slavic world. She had absolute sanctity and no one was allowed to strike her or begin farming until her birthgiving time at Maslenica. Memorial day and Assumption day were her name days so no plowing or digging could be done then. Anyone spitting on the Earth had to beg her forgiveness.
Property disputes were settled by calling her to witness the justice of the claims. Oaths and marriages were confirmed by swallowing a clump of earth or holding it on the head. Boundaries were measured while walking them with a clump of earth on the head. Villages were protected from cattle plague & epidemic by plowing a furrow around them to release Mother Earth's power. If no priest was present, sins were confessed to the earth and into the 20th century survived the custom of begging the Earth's forgiveness prior to death.
Earth worship was transferred to the cult of Mary and is why she is such a central part of Slavic Christianity. This, in my opinion, is the strongest theory as to why the Madonnas in Eastern Europe are usually black. Black Earth is fertile Earth.
In the early 1900's to save their village from plague of cholera the older women circled the village at midnight quietly getting the younger women to come out. Without the men's knowledge, they chose nine maidens and three widows who were led out of the village and undressed down to their shifts. The maidens let their hair down, white shawls covered the heads of the widows. They armed themselves with ploughs and items of frightening appearance such as animal skulls.The maidens took up scythes and the entire procession marched around the village, howling and shrieking, while ploughing a deep furrow to release the spirits of the Earth. Any man who came upon the procession was felled by the maidens "without mercy".
Mokosh, Makosh
Mokosh is one of the most mysterious figures in the Slavic Pantheon. She is a Goddess seemingly specific to the Eastern Slavs, the Russians and Ukrainians. However, many believe that Morena and/or Zhiva are her Western Counterparts. Also, the rituals to St. Paraskeva/Piatnitsa/Petka - to whom Mokosh's worship is believed to have been transfered, are common throughout all Slavic countries, so her worship must have been much more widespread than we know.
Mokosh is mentioned in the Primary Russian Chronicle as the only Goddess in Prince Vladimir's Kievan Pantheon. One chronicle calls her "Vladimir's God" suggesting that she was the diety he put above the others, regardless of the status of Perun. She is mentioned in later times when the church fathers ask the women "Have you gone to Mokosh?"
Her name is believed to have come from the word for "wet", "mokru" and there is support for this theory in that the ritual of "mokrida" or sacrifices to wells are done to appease Paraskeva. Wells, however, are almost universally seen as pathways to the underworld, and this, instead, may be a testament to her Cthonic nature rather than a watery one.
Some believe that Mokosh is another name for Mat Syria Ziemlia, but their primary reason for this association seems to be that Mokr means wet or damp and Syria, in ancient times, meant moist. Another reason is that she is usually seen in black, however, the worship of the black earth was more likely transfered to Mary, mother of god, than to a stark character like Paraskeva, Mother "Friday".
Other theories are that her name originally mean't Mother Cat or Mother Fate from Ma Kosh. I have not, at this time been able to find any definitions for the word "Kosh" in Proto-Slavic other than "woven basket or woven containment area for sheep". This in itself is perfectly logical as Mokosh is the Goddess of weaving, spinning and magic and is known to shear sheep at night. She is also considered to be the Goddess of fate or destiny, so if the term "kosh" does mean fate in some ancient tongue, then we could finally tie most of these pieces together.
Incidentally, the Slavs were not Fatalists. The historian Procopius wrote that the Slavs knew nothing of fate or destiny. This does not mean they did not believe in fate, only that they believed the future could be changed and was not written in stone.
Mokosh is strongly related to eyesight, and is known to not only heal, but also to blind those who weave or sew on Friday, her sacred day - as she rules all fabrics. We know these things about her through mention in the chronicles of Mokosh helping women with their laundry, and the surviving myths about the evil fairies known as mokshi (moksha - singular) who blind those who spin on Friday. Because of these attributes, folklorist BorisRybakov was the first to have deduced that her worship must have been transfered to that of Paraskeva. Because of this association with Paraskeva, he also set her holy day to October 28 - St. Paraskeva's day.
What Rybakov didn't know was that there are several St. Paraskevas, or Lady Fridays, and that they all have different holy days, October 28th being only one of several. Some stories speak of nine lady Fridays, and perhaps Mokosha was honoured many times during the year.
Some scholars believe that Mokosh/Paraskeva is the original form of Baba Jaga. Part of this is due to Mokosh's Cthonic nature and part of this is that Baba Jaga controls the waters of life and waters of death. If this were the case, Mokosh may be the mother of the Sun Maiden. In Slavic symbolism, the spinning wheel is often seen as a symbol of the year wheel and the sun, so this may be a valid connection. In Ukrainian myth the spider is also seen as a solar symbol and golden spiders are the most traditional Yule tree decorations.
Curiously, in Hindu belief, Moksha is the word used for the "union with the divine" and Svarga is "heaven, " or "summerland" where one rests up before one is reincarnated. It is said that one cannot get past svarga without moksha. There has been proof of Hindu influence on and contact with the Slavs. It makes you wonder if there was once a very strongly spiritual mystery school amongst the cults of Mokosh.
Perun, Piorun, Perkons
God of thunder from "per, perk or perg" - to strike. He is described as a rugged man with a copper beard. He rides in a chariot pulled by a he-goat and carries a mighty axe, or strely, sometimes a hammer. This axe is hurled at evil people and spirits and will always return to his hand., and of oak. The word strela can mean either axe or arrow, i.e. bolt and strela are hung on hourses to protect them from storms, restore milk to cows, ease labor and grant good luck to newborns and newlyweds.
His lighting bolts are believed to pass through the earth to a certain depth and return gradually to the surface in a specific period of time - usually 7 yrs 40days. People, rocks and trees struck by lightening are considered to be sacred for the heavenly fire remains inside them. In 1652 a Lithuanian man was recorded to have eaten the ashes of a leather saddle burned by lightening. He believed his action would save him from illness and give him both oracular powers and the ability to conjure fire.
All big trees were sacred to Perun, but he especially loved the oak. There are records of oaks being fenced in as sacred to him. Sacrifices to him usually consisted of a rooster, but on special occasions, bear, bull or he-goat might be killed. The sacrificed animal was then communally eaten as it was seen to be imbued with the power of its patron God. Eating the god's animal to absorb the god's essence is similar to and predates the ritual of Holy Communion.
Perun's arch enemy was the zaltys, a great serpent curled at the base of the world tree. Somehow, this also put him on Veles' blacklist and worship of these two gods had to be kept separate.
Temples to Perun tended to be octagonal and on high ground. An idol of him set outside the castle of Vladmir was said to have a silver head and gold moustache - in some accounts, gold mouth. When Vladmir tore down the idol, it was tied to a horses tail and dragged to the Dnieper. Amid much weeping it was then tossed in as men with poles made sure that he was not washed ashore or pulled out. It eventually floated down river and was blown onto a sandbank still known as Perun's bank. Perun's holy day is Thursday, his feast day is the 20th of July or 2nd of August. He was Christianized as St. Ilya.
Svarog
"Among the multiform Divine Powers to whom they ascribe fields, forests, sorrows and joys, they do not deny that one God rules over the others in heaven and that he, pre-eminent in might, cares only for things celestia; whereas the rest, obeying the duties assigned them, have sprung from his blood and enjoy distinction in proportion to their nearness to that God of Gods."
- Helmold
Although this God is not named, it is assumed by most that this God is Svarog.
In the old chronicles, Svarog is identified with Hephaestos, as he was also a Smith God and is credited with creating the law that marriage is between one man and one woman. In the "Book of Veles" Svarog strikes the alatir with his hammer and the sparks create the spirits of light.
Sviantevit, Swiantowid
High on a clifftop on the Isle of Rugen stood the famous Temple of Arkona. Although they were Christianized by the Danes in 1147, the people of Rugen immediately went back to their Pagan ways, rejecting any edicts to force their conversion. This enraged the Danish king and according to the laws of that time, allowed for the Danes to attack with no mercy in the name of Christ, by order of the Pope himself.
Saxo Grammaticus in his 12th Century History, The Gesta Danorum, describes the temple and it's destruction in 1168:
"There stood in the temple a huge image bigger than any man, atonishing for its four heads and four necks, two facing the front, and two the back. And one gazed to the right, and one to the left, both before and behind. He was made to be clean-shaven and crop-headed, so you would think the ingenious craftsman had imitated the Rugian art of hair-dressing. In his right hand he bore a horn decorated with various sorts of metal, which the priest skilled in his worship used to fill every year with drink, in order to foresee the next year's crops from the state of the liquor.
Towards evening, all those in charge of cooking assailed the image with axes and reduced it to little splinters and fire-wood. I should think the Rugians were ashamed of their former religion, when they saw the divinity of their fathers and grandfathers, which they had been accustomed to worship with the greatest ceremony, pushed into the fire by camp-followers to cook the enemy's food. After this, our people undertook both the burning of the temple and the construction of a church out of the wood from the siege machines, transforming instruments of war into an habitation of peace."
Grammaticus calls this idol "Sviantevit"
Triglav, Triglaw
Triglav - "Three Head", is most definitely a "taboo" name used to describe either a specific god, or more likely, an amalgamation of three separate deities. Although the existence of several Triglav temples are chronicled, mostly in the area of Poland, one is described in the most detail.
This temple in Szczecin was destroyed in 1127 by the Bishop Otto of Bamberg who had his idol chopped up and one of it's heads sent to the pope.
In his "Life of Otto, Biship of Bamberg," Monacus Prieflingensis (1160), mentions that in Szczecin there were found four Pagan temples, the most important of which was dedicated to the God, Triglav. The walls of his hilltop temple were adorned inside and out with human and animal shapes, painted with colors that did not fade. Inside the temple was kept a treasure of gold and silver cups, musical instruments, and decorated horns used for libations.
"The God Triglav simulacrum had three golden heads. A veil covered his eyes and mouth. The priests said that if he did not see and speak, he nearly would simulate to ignore the human sins. The three heads represented his three dominations: heaven, earth, and underworld. His temple was encircled by a sacred hurst and grassland, in which a black horse pastured. The horse was used for presages. This happened in such a manner: the horse was led through nine lances, fixed in the soil; if he did not touch one, the presage was favourable, and vices versa."
The Chronicles of Ebbo, 1155
Another statue of Triglav at Brandenburg was destroyed by order of Prince Pribyslav in 1154 upon his own conversion.
According to legend, one statue was saved. This marvelous golden idol was rescued by the Pagan priests of Wollin and hidden in a hollow tree in a very remote area. A Pagan woman was given custody of the idol. Upon hearing of this golden statue, a thief meaning to steal it went to the woman asking to be able to thank Triglav for rescuing him at sea. She obliged him by showing him the hollow tree, but upon seeing the idol, the thief was unable to move it.
Some believe that Triglav is the same as Sviantevit due to the similarities in the temple and oracular horse descriptions. It may be more likely that Triglav represents the more earthly Gods- represented by the color black, and that Sviantevit represents the sky dieties, as indicated by the color, white.
Veles, Volos
Some people try to describe Veles as a dragon or great serpent. However, there is no historical basis for this at all. Actually, historical evidence is completely to the contrary. The name Veles or Volos means "hairy" and Veles is the horned god of livestock and other animals. He is often referred to as the "Skotniy Bog" or Cattle God
Veles was mentioned often in the histories. In 971, the Russians swore an oath to their gods Perun and Veles. Most likely Perun was the god of the warrior class but Veles was the god of the people. He was lord of the marketplace and wealth and also the ruler of music and poetry. Those bards who were significantly gifted were referred to as "Veles' Grandsons". Veles was also a God of the underworld, and the spirits of the dead in Baltic countries were often known as veles. He seems to have some connection or jurisdiction over the Vily, the woodland fairies as well as the leshy, forest spirits.
Some of Veles qualities are seen in St. Yuri or George. Most specifically the farming and woodland nature of this saint.
Most of Veles' attributes were given over to the St. Vles or Blaise. Throats are blessed on this saint's holiday reminiscent of the time when Veles ruled the voices of those who raised them in poetry and song.
Zorya, Zaria
Some call them the daughters of Dazhdbog. They are the Auroras of dawn and dusk, and sometimes have a third sister, midnight (perhaps, Polunocnica) however, this makes little sense as the name, "Zorya" literally means "daybreak." It is more probably that modern artists and neo-Pagans have added the third Zorya in order to "create" a triple Goddess as most in the Slavic system is dual. Polunocnica has a sister/counterpart, Poludnica - Lady Noon. In some myths, the Zorya are the Guardians of the God or hound, which is chained to the constellation, Ursa Major. Like the Fenris wolf of the Norse mythos , this creature will destroy the world if it ever breaks free. The custom of making the colourful eggs, pysanky, is somehow supposed to strengthen the links in his chain and is, according to myth, the only thing that can prevent this destruction.
in Some stories, each morning, Zorya Utrenyaya (morning) opens the gates of Dazhdbog's Eastern palace so he may ride across the sky with the sun. In the evening, Zorya Vechernyaya (evening) closes the gates after her father's daily ride is finished. Their other two sisters, Zezhda Dennitsa and Vechernyaya Zezhda, the morning star and evening star are the caretakers of their father's horses and are sometimes considered to be the same two goddesses. These Goddesses, associated with Venus, are sometimes merged into one warrior Goddess, Zorya, who hides and protects warriors with her veil
In the Russian day cult, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday are Goddess days. Friday is sacred to Mokosh, Wednesday, many believe is sacred to Lielia, and Sunday is sacred to a Goddess who's worship has transferred to St. Anastasia. St. Anastasia's features are very solar, in fact her mass is done at noon (the hour of the sun's greatest power) on Christmas (originally the Winter Solstice.) I believe that Sunday was once sacred either to the Zorya, or to a Goddess of the Sun.
The Illustration on the Left is Alphonse Mucha's Painting of the Dawn Goddess, Zorya Utrenyaya, herself.
World of the Spirits or
The Unclean Force
Magic permeated every aspect of our ancestor's lives. The fields, forests, barn, bath and hearth were all ruled by spectral beings, sometimes good, sometimes horrible. Each flame and river was a goddess or god, each flower and stone a sentient being. The spirits of the dead too, filled the Slavic world. Life-draining wampyr, trees housing the souls of the departed, fairy-folk and ancestral spirits were an integral part of life, demanding respect and often, sacrifice. The Pagan Slav spent his entire existence tightly wrapped in a dark cloak of magic, mystery, and sometimes, terror. The spirits, after all, are always watching.
This page is a doorway to those ancient times. Do you really wish to pass through?:
Added Poludnica 9/12/09
Updated Vodonoi and Leshiy 9/6/09
Updated Bannik 9/5/09
The Bannik
The bannik was a bath house spirit. Slavic bathhouses were like saunas with an inner steaming room and an outer room for changing. They were dark and frightening and like many scary places, were considered perfect for divination, fortunetelling. They were also the place most often used for child-bearing. No newborn was left there long, though, lest the fairies should steal him. No Christian icons were allowed in the bathhouse neither, as they might offend it's true occupant - the bannik. It was customary in some places to offer every third firing of the sauna, or sometimes the fourth, to the bannik. One did not want to disturb him while bathing, though, or he might just throw hot water on them. Other times he would use his sharp claws to flay his victim alive. Besides a firing of the sauna, he liked offerings of soap, fir branches, and a pail of water. The bannik usually takes on the appearance of a member or friend of the family, so if you ever see someone you know in the bathroom, and find out later that they weren't there...
Domovoi, Domowije, Stopan
Male house spirits from "domu" -home. The Domovik usually lives in the attic, behind the stove, under the threshhold or in the stables or cattle barn. He is thought to be responsible for all domestic prosperity and tranquility and finish chores when family members forget. He will howl and moan to warn of approaching trouble, and pull hair to warn a woman in danger of abuse from a man. He can be heard laughing if good times are ahead, and if you hear him strumming a comb, there is a wedding in the future. The Domovoi should be fed nightly or he may cause trouble, much like a poltiergeist. Usually, if neglected, he will simply leave. To attract a domovoi, put on your finest clothing, go outside and say "Dedushka Dobrokhot (grandfather well-wisher), come live with us and tend the flocks."
Special care was taken to only obtain pets and farm animals in the Domovoi's favorite color. Each new horse was introduced formally to the Domovoi for the spirit took especially good care of the animals he liked but tormented the ones he didn't.
When a new house was built, the owner would put a piece of bread down before the stove went in, to attract the domovoi. When a person moved, the coals from the stove were taken with them and the formal invitation "Domovoi, Domovoi, don't stay here. Come with our family" was recited to ensure that the Domovoi came along to the new home. Salted bread, wrapped in a white cloth will appease the domovoi as will putting clean white linen in his favorite room - an invitation to eat with the family. You can also hang your old shoes in the yard to brighten the Domovik's mood. The domovik usually resembles a male head of household, living or dead. This supports the belief that the Domovik is a remnant from the times of ancestral worship. He can be seen if you view him through a harrow or horse collar. Otherwise, if he shows himself, it is usually to warn of death. He, like the Banshee, can be heard weeping when death approaches a member of the household.
Stopanova gozba - Bulgarian - ("the householder's festival"). In the opinion of the common people a Stopan (Stopanin) is a deceased ancestor who guards the house of the family, and the feast in his honour is celebrated in the following way. The whole house, especially the common living-room, is carefully scrubbed and cleaned, after which the members of the family put on their Sunday clothes and adorn themselves with flowers, while candles are lit on either side of the hearth (where a fire is kept burning) and near the door. The oldest woman brings a black hen, kills it, and lets the blood flow into the hollow on the hearth, which is then smeared over with clay; and next she roasts the flesh of the hen, while two others bake cakes of flour prepared especially for this purpose. When everything has thus been made ready, the head of the family, taking a cup of wine, pours half of it into the fire; and then, putting a cake upon his head, he cuts it into four parts, springing about the room all the time. Butter and honey being spread upon one quarter, the left leg of the hen and three small cups of wine are added, whereupon all these presents for the Stopan are placed in three corners of the loft. Then all sit down to table, but before beginning to eat, the old woman, with all others present, pours some wine into the fire. The next rite is prayer to the Stopan to bestow health and long life upon the family, to protect and guard the flocks, and to take care of the meadows, the vineyards, etc.; after dinner songs are sung, and the benefit that the Stopan bestows upon the household is extolled. Two weeks later the crone looks after the dishes destined for the Stopan, and great is the joy of the family if any of the viands on them have been eaten. "
Jan Machal - Slavic Mythology in The Mythology of All Races
Domawiczka
female Domovoi or wife of the Domovoi. May be the same as the Kikimora. There are very few reports on this spirit, but they usually involve her rewarding anyone who bathes or finds her baby.
Leshiy, Leszi, Leshii, Lesovikha
"Forest lord". From "les" - forest. He often appeared as a peasant, either without a belt or with shoes on the wrong feet. Sometimes he was said to have wings and a tail and be covered in black hair. Many assigned him goat's hooves and horns like Pan. He is usually attributed with green eyes. He could change his size from that of a blade of grass to that of the highest tree. Usually he carried a club to show his rulership over the forest creatures. The Leszi could take the shape of a familiar person and lead you astray with the sound of their voice. Once in his domain, he might tickle his victim to death. He could also become a hare, wolf, bear, raven, pig, horse, rooster, flaming fir tree or even a mushroom. The Leshi is fond of trees and is said to be heard weeping when one is cut down. He is the protector of the forest and all it's creatures. His favorite animal is the wolf - the king of the beasts in Slavic folklore. He is also said to be often seen in the company of bears.
Upon entering a forest, one always uttered a protective spell or prayer lest they run into him. If he got hold of a child, he might replace it with one of his own - who would grow up stupid, with a voracious appetite. If the child returned it would ever afterward be a useless tramp. When the Leshii got his hands on an adult, the adult would return sometimes mute and covered with moss, othertimes unable to concentrate and would act oddly for the rest of their lives.
The Leshii likes offerings of kasha, suet, blini, bread & salt. He is also perfectly happy with a cookie or candy left on a stump or log. To protect yourself against the leshii, you can: turn all your clothing backward and also the collar on your horse, chant "Sheep's mug, sheep's wool" or if you encounter him, get him to laugh. When the leshy could be coaxed to befriend a human, the human often had to make a pact, never again wear a cross or take the eucharist. In return, the Leshy would teach the human the secrets of magic. He is, after all, the Green Man.
In myth and art, the Leshy is often associated with the psychotropic mushroom Amanita Muscaria. This may connect him in some way to Shamanic mind-altering techniques.
Lesovikha
Female Leszi. Sometimes an ugly woman with large breasts, sometimes a naked young girl - or a woman in white as tall as the trees.
...From Olonetz Province
"We were gathering berries on Ian'ostrov. The girls had moved away from me. Suddenly there was a noise in the swamp: It was as if Mother Malan'aia was crying, 'Get up and let's go.' I was startled, but there was no one there; and I didn't dare to cry out. So again I set about gathering berries. Suddenly, again, 'Let's go!' I saw that he was like a woman with a birchbark basket in his hand. Oh! Shishko (the leszi) frightened me so much that even my heart was trembling and the blood rushed to my face."
- N.E.Onchukov, "Severnye skaski" p. 443
"We were walking in the forest. The weather was very bad. We shot a deer and I went up to it. I saw my father was standing, leaning on his rifle. I went up, had a look: neither my father nor the deer was there. Evidently, I had been seeing things. It became dark and I could barely figure out which way to go. I walked and cried out, 'Father, Father.' And terribly bad weather set in. I seemed to see my father walking with a dog, and I cried out thinking it was my father. Then I saw my father come up from a dry spot, and I cried out. It was just as if the other one melted away, disappeared."
- Ibid, p 464
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Savikha and the Leszi
In Nenosky, an old woman named Savikha went into the forest to pick berries and lost her way. She wandered and wandered, but nothing looked familiar and it began to get dark. Eventually a young man happened upon her and asked, "Grandmother, why are you crying?"
"Oh dear child, I'm lost and don't know in which direction my house is."
"Oh, come with me," the young man answered. "I'll lead you out to the road."
They walked and walked and Savikha soon noticed that they were going farther into the woods. They eventually came upon a house in the middle of the forest. "Why have you led my here?" Savikha cried.
"Oh, don't worry, grandmother. Come in and we'll have a rest." Upon entering the house he yelled out, "Come out wife. I've brought a nanny for you."...and then Savikha knew she was in the home of the leszi.
The leszi's wife was also a Russian woman that had been led astray. Savikha settled in with them and lived in the forest house for 3 years. However, she soon became homesick. The leszi's wife took pity upon her and said. "If you want to get home, do not eat any of our food." so first for one day, then a second, then a third, the old woman ate nothing.
After the three days the wife said to the leszi, "What kind of nanny did you bring me, she will not eat, and she's a lousy nanny to boot! Take her home." The leszi but Savikha on his shoulders and took her home.
When she arrived at her own izba, her sarafan (clothing) was shredded and even her own husband did not recognize her. Later she told everyone that life with the leszi was good, but just too boring.
The Leszi Cowherd
A stranger came to a farmers door and asked for a place to stay the night. The farmer invited him in gave him a large supper and a bed to sleep in. The next day, the stranger went to give the farmer some money for his trouble, but the farmer would not hear of it and said it was his pleasure.
"I know", said the stranger, "Exactly how to repay you. Last night you complained that you could find no competent help to herd your cattle. I will give you a herdsman in payment for your kindness. Every morning, let the cattle out by the gate and every evening they will be returned, well tended. But don't EVER go look at the herd after they've been put out."
The farmer did as he was told and every day the cattle came back well fed and full of milk. It continued this way for three years and then the farmer's curiousity got the best of him.
Following the cattle out one morning, he hid behind a tree and watched. A lone old woman stood leaning on a stick, rocking as if she were constantly dozing. She looked so decrepit that the farmer had to take pity upon her. "Grandmother," he said stepping out from behind the tree, "why don't you sit down and take a rest."
"Oh, thank you. I will." she said and disappeared.
From then on, the cows were no longer tended by the leszi and the farmer was forced to hire a hand.
Poludnica, Psezpolnica
Lady Midday, from "Poluden" - noon. She may appear as a 12-year old girl, a beautiful woman or an old hag, but is only seen at the hottest part of a summer's day. She is known to steal children or lead them astray in the fields and Russian mothers threaten their children with "Be good or the Poludnica will get you." She sometimes pulls the hair of farm workers or attacks women who have just gieven birth and wander out at noontime. She carries a scythe and will stop people in the field to either ask difficult quesions or engage them in conversation. If the person fails to answer a question or tries to change the subject of the conversation, the Poludnica will strike them with illness or cut of their head (Poland).
The Wends, German Slavs, called her Pscipolnitsa and pictured her as carrying shears, a symbol of death. When not in the fields or the streets, the Poludnica was said to float on the winds. Marija Gimbutas called her "Sunstroke personified". It is thought that the Poludnica was the explanation for the dangers of working in the noon heat and remained a part of more recent legend supposedly because of her usefulness in scaring children away from harming valuable crops.
In Russia, weak and sketchy memories of poludnicas have been preserved. In southern Siberia, under this name is known a mythical old woman, with thick, dishevelled hair, and clad in rags; she lives in a bath-house or nettle bushes and guards the kitchen gardens from mischievious children. In Arxangelsk province, poludnica is the protector of rye fields... The parents scare the children by saying "Don't go to the rye, poludnica will burn you!" or: "Poludnica will eat you up!"
A.Afans'ev 1896
Rusalka
The rusalki, plural, are probably one of the most frightening, most beautiful and most tragic figures in all of human folklore.
They are female water spirits, the spirits of unbabtized babies or drowned maidens, or those dying of an unclean death. As they are denied eternal life in heaven they become beautiful pale girls with long flowing hair. They wear white or are sometimes naked, usually with poppies in their hair. They lived in the waters during the winter, but moved to the forests and fields during Rusal'naia week (hence the name) where they could often be seen perched in trees.
After death they often try to return home, naked and with soulless eyes. They are too dangerous to let back in and when this happens the family will shut up its doors and windows in terror. In stories, the rusalki are most often girls who had killed themselves due to unrequited love.
A danger to humans, the Rusalki may lead cattle astray, steal children, fall upon people from the treetops and tickle them to death or kidnap young lads to take as lovers. They love to come out in the moonlight to sing and dance the khorovod (circle dance). If they find someone bathing near where they dance, often, they will drown them. Tying ribbons to trees in which they were known to perch is one way to appease them. Linens and scarves, as well as eggs were also left as offerings.
Before these nature spirits were associated with the souls of the "unclean" dead, it is believed they were the spirits who brought moisture to forest and field. Documented sacrifices of young girls to rivers may have been purposely done to create more rusalki during times of famine or drought.
Tarator
"...Tarator, the water spirit, who they (Serbian Witches) call the Old Man. According to folktales from eastern Serbia, he is the master of all waters and he lives in a palace made of glass on the river bed. His appearance is like a dwarf. The only difference is that he has pointed ears and a large beard. He has legs like a goat with one or two horns on his forehad. An appearance like this is not surprising at all, if we bear in mind the fact that 'dwarves' belong to the underworld and the water is the symbol of that world. It is said that he has 99 servants and that his main attributes are the whip and drum. He is supposed to be very powerful and communicative. He accepts invitiations and if he gets angry, the only one who could induce mercy in him is the Mountain Mother."
- Radomir Ristic, Balkan Traditional Witchcraft
Vodonoi, Vodonik
Wódjanoj in Polish - Male water spirits from "Woda" - water. Master shape-shifters, they sometimes appear as old men with long green or white beards, sometimes as creatures with huge toes, claws, horns, a tail and burning eyes in a human face. At times they look like fat old bald men and other times like mossy looking fish or flying tree trunks. If he takes on human form, you will know him by the water oozing from the left side of his coat. Vodonoi are said to live in underwater palaces made from the treasures from sunken ships and often marry Rusalki.
They are usually malicious and are believed to lie in wait for human victims and drag them under the water to their death. Dark marks on the bodies' of drowning victims were thought to be bruises from their struggle with the Vodonoi. Retrieving a drowned body was thought to anger the Vodonoi who wanted to keep their spoils. A Vodonik may be appeased by pouring butter into the water or offering him your first fish. To employ the Vodonoi's aid in fishing, throw a pinch of tobacco into the water and say loudly "Here's your tobacco, Lord Vodonik, now give me a fish".
They live underwater - any who still live. They have never shown themselves in large numbers to humans, but beneath the apparantly still surface of some pool, it is at least possible that the Vodonoi will reach up to drag you down. Anyone who gazes into water and sees a water person staring back up at them, one who looks them in the eye or beckons to them, seldom ever again may break the spell.
Whirlpools, deep water holes and places where the riverbank slopes suddenly and falls away are favorite haunts, but streams and shallow rivers wells, springs and ponds may also house them. Marshes and quagmires are also not safe, as they are the homes of the bagnica. Places overhung with alder are especially loved, and therefore, especially dangerous. Sometimes the water people will come ashore to dance, play in the fields, hang in the trees or warm themselves in the moonlight, which only seems cold to us.
When they do appear it is sometimes in the daytime, laughing and splashing each other in the water. Usually, though, they appear late at night to some lone traveller, looking so much like a human that they may only be told apart by the water which pours off their clothing.
To protect yourself from the Vodonoi, or "drowners" as they are sometimes called in Poland, never look them in the eye. Once you do, you may be lost to them forever. Also, carry a knitting needle, scissors or an unsharpened blade. Once stabbed by unground steel, the Vodonoi's wound will never heal. This is fatal to him, for the water will not accept him back as long as blood flows from his body.
The Diver and the Vodonoi
Long ago, by a pool near a mill, lived a Vodonoi. The carp there were very numerous and the Vodonoi kept them in pools like pigs in sties. No one had the courage to fish in these pools, or even walk by them at night. Even the local Priest was terrified of this water spirit and had 2 cartloads of bread (too moldy for any other use) dumped into the pool each year as an offering. No matter what the gift though, for it pleased the Vodonoi that the father was respectful enough to send one.
One day, a man named Pakhom, known for his diving skills decided to try his luck in the pool. The carp were so numerous he just tossed them up onto the land with his bare hands. The local peasantry was amazed at his luck. Feeling very cocky after his tremendous catch he announced "Now I will snatch the cap off the water devil himself...and maybe give him a good punch in the face to boot!"
...But he never surfaced. Later his drowned body was found but the locals could never agree upon what angered the Domovoi more, the threats or the loss of his fish.
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Two Fishermen & The Vodanoi
Two fishermen went out one night to drag their nets by the light of the full moon. After an hour, they realized that the fishing wasn't going to be very good that evening and set to go home. Suddenly, an enormous fish jumped and splashed right near them. So they quickly threw their nets out and pulled in...nothing. This happened a couple of more times when one of the fishermen finally said "To heck with it, let our fish go to the devil!"
Immediately, a voice behind them laughed "Well, alright, what did you catch then?"
The two grabbed the net and ran all the way home.
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