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 Posted: Wed Nov 21, 2007 2:52 pm
Deciding On A Hearth Culture:
I've been searching and studying to find a "Hearth Culture" that speaks to me, the celts and the norse were nice and all; but they're just not for me. I started thinking about Hellenic, but it just wasn't "clicking" ya know? So I went back to my families geneology and just started going through them one by one. FINALLY! After reading through Slavic Paganism (though not recorded documentation exists) It just felt right! My family is from the Bohemian/Czech region on my Dads side (through my grandfather and great grandmother) My Great GrandMother Francis was "Fresh off the Boat" from Bohemia, "The Murka" family history had always fascinated me; so . . . needless to say, I felt at home.
In This Thread:
I will post articles I have found, conclusions I have come to, and general stuff of interest to people . . . well . . . interested in Slavic/Baltic Paganism.
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Posted: Wed Nov 21, 2007 2:55 pm
 The Slavic peoples are not a "race". Like the Romans and Germanic peoples, they are related by area and culture, not so much by blood. Today there are thirteen different Slavic groups divided into three blocs, Eastern, Southern and Western. These include the Russians, Poles, Czechs, Ukrainians, Byelorussians, Serbians,Croatians, Macedonians, Slovenians, Bulgarians, Kashubians, Albanians and Slovakians. Although the Lithuanians, Estonians and Latvians are of Baltic tribes, we are including some of their customs as they are similar to those of their Slavic neighbors.
Slavic Runes were called "Runitsa", "Cherty y Rezy" ("Strokes and Cuts") and later, "Vlesovitsa". The Cyrillic system ("Cyrillitsa") was created in the 9th century by Sts. Cyril and Methodius based on a combination of the Greek alphabet and the Slavic Runes. Vlesovitsa continued to be used by the Pagans, while Cyrillitsa was used by the Christians. During the "war" against Paganism, the Christians destroyed each document that contained Runic instead of the Cyrillic writing, usually along with its owner. This was done so effectively that according to most sources, the ancient Slavic peoples had no written language at all. Therefore the nearly all records of the rituals, temples and idols/gods of the ancient Slavs come from the very people sent to destroy them. This, along with the fact that very little information on Slavic Mythology and Magick has been translated into English, makes studying the subject extremely difficult.
Research must then be done through the study of folklore and folk customs. Fortunately, the medieval Slavic peasant did not embraced Christianity on any more than a surface level. This gave rise to what the Russians call dvoeverie (dvoh-ev-VAIR-ryeh) or "double-faith". According to one historian, Christianity so shallowly masked the surface of the true Pagan beliefs, many a peasant did not know the name of the man on the cross to whom he prayed.
Dualism & The Origins of Slavic Belief
The origins of Slavic belief, like that of the rest of the world's, reside in animism and ancestral worship. The first two types of spirit were called the beregyni - female spirits that bring life and are the forerunners of the Rusalki, and Upyr - the spirits of death who eventually became our modern Vampire (Wampyr). From this original dualism sprang belief in all of the nature spirits, and eventually in the Rod and Rozhenitsa, the God and Goddess who imbue the newborn child with a soul and his/her fate. Although nearly all deities were originally ancestral, Rod and Rozhenitsa eventually pulled the Slavic mind out of that way of thinking and opened the doorway for the later "Indo-European" structure, although the original "Old European" mindset kept a stronger hold on the average Slav.
Dualism permeates all of Slavic Pagan spirituality and actually seems to be the basis for most of it. This should not be confused with the dualistic good against evil beliefs of the Christian religion which have unfortunately seeped into the Slavic spirituality of today. It is a system of complimenting opposites such as darkness and light, winter and summer, female and male, cold and hot more similar to the yin/yang. The God-brothers Bialybog "white-god" and Czarnebog "black-god" who rule the sky and underworld respectively, are further illustrations of this polarity. Unfortunately, because of the introduction of Christianity, these two gods later became confused with Jehovah and Satan.
Other examples of dualism are - the two Rozhinitsy, the mother and daughter fates, the spirits of midnight, Polunocnitsa and noon, Poludnitsa - both times seen to be equally as frightening, and the Zorya - Goddesses of dusk and dawn.
The Elements
The ancient Slavs had a deep sense of reverence for the four elements. Fire and Water were seen as sacred dualistic symbols on the horizontal or earthly plane. Earth and Sky were seen as a more vertical system of duality. High places such as mountaintops or treetops, especially birch, linden and oak, became sacred as meeting places the Sky father and the Earth mother. Where they met, they would join their procreative forces, usually in a flash of lightening and clap of thunder.
The winds were seen as the grandchildren of the God, Stribog. Water was refered to in mythology as the water of life and death and rivers were treated with respect lest they should drown you on your next visit. There are records of human, as well as other sacrifices being made to rivers such as the Dneiper and the Volga. Although many bodies of water had their own deities, most of them were ruled by spirits known as Rusalki or Vodanoi. Fire was personified by the god, Svarozhich and it was considered nearly criminal to spit into a fire. Mati Syra Zemlja or Mother Moist Earth, however, seems to have been given the greatest amount of respect.
No one was allowed to strike Mati Syra Zemlja with a hoe, until the Spring Equinox, Maslenica, as she was considered pregnant until then. Earth was considered so sacred that oaths were sworn while holding a piece of her, sometimes in the mouth and ancient wedding vows were taken while swallowing a small clump of Earth or holding it on the head. The custom of asking the Earth's forgiveness before death was still being observed far into the 20th century and when a priest could not be found it was considered appropriate to confess sins to the Earth.
Totems
Like the native Americans, it seems that each Slavic tribe had a totem animal that the clan was usually named after. It was considered taboo to kill or eat this animal except for specific religious rituals. Each member of the tribe was thought to have an animal twin, and the death of that twin could cause the death of the tribe member. The World Tree
The Slavs believed that the world tree was divided into three parts; The roots existed in the realm of the underworld, "Nav", and were where the zaltys lived. The main section existed in the mundane world and the uppermost branches reached into the land of the sky Gods. A magical bird was said to live in the branches. Although the Slavs did have Viking influence, the world tree beliefs seem to come more from the native Siberians. These Asian peoples each keep a tree, usually a linden, near their home and see it as a sort of "telephone" to the other realms.
-Info Taken From Here-
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Posted: Wed Nov 21, 2007 3:00 pm
The Creation Myths
(Russian 1071 CE - the transcript of Lavrentij) - A Slavic magi was recorded as saying:
"We know how man was created: God was washing in the bathhouse and, after sweating,
he wiped himself with a towel that he threw onto the ground; then Satan entered into dispute with God as to who should make man out of this towel; and God breathed a soul into him, therefore after death man's body returns to the soil and his spirit to God."
A Christmas Carol from Galica explains:
When there was in the beginning no world,
Then there was neither heaven nor earth.
Everywhere was a blue sea,
And on the midst of the sea, a green plane-trees
On the plane tree three doves,
Three doves take counsel,
Take counsel as how to create the world.
"Let us plunge to the bottom of the sea.
Let us gather fine sand;
Let us scatter fine sand,
That it may become for us black earth.
Let us get golden rocks;
Let us scatter golden rocks.
Let there be for us a bright sky,
A bright sky, a shining sun,
A shining sun and bright moon,
A bright moon, a bright morning star,
A bright morning star and little starlets.
-Drahomaniv p.10
In other recorded versions of this song, there are two doves not three, two oaks instead of a plane tree or blue stones instead of golden ones. Much later versions have God, St. Peter and St. Paul riding the doves as the actual creators.
In the beginning, there were no earth and no people, only the primordial sea. Bielobog flew over the face of the waters in the shape of a swan and was lonely. Longing for someone to keep him company, he noticed his shadow, Chernobog and rejoiced.
"Let us make land" said Bielobog.
"Let us," said Chernobog, but where will we get the dirt?"
"There is dirt under the water, go down and get some," answered Bielobog, but before you can reach it, you must say 'With Bielobog's power and mine'."
The devil dived into the water, but said "With My Power", instead of what he was instructed to say. Twice he dived down and neither time did he reach the bottom. Finally, the third time he said "With Bielobog's Power and Mine" and he reached the dirt. Scraping some up with his nails, he brought it to the surface but hid a grain of dirt in his mouth in order to have his own land.
Bielobog then took the dirt from him and scattered it upon the water. The dirt became dry land and began to grow. Of course, the land in Chernobog's mouth also began to grow and his mouth began to swell. Chernobog was forced to spit and spit to rid himself of all the earth and where he spit, mountains were formed.
Angered that he was cheated out of his own land, he waited for Bielobog to fall asleep. As soon as the god was sleeping peacefully, Czernobog lifted him up to throw him in the water. In each direction he went, but the land had grown so much, he could not reach the ocean. When Bielobog awoke, Czernobog said "Look how much the land has grown, we should bless it."
..And Bielobog said slyly, "I blessed it last night, in all four directions, when you tried to throw me in the water."
This greatly angered Czernobog who stormed off to get away from Bielobog once and for all. In the meantime, the earth would not stop growing. This made Bielobog very nervous as the Heavens could no longer cover it all, so he sent an expedition to ask Czernobog how to make it stop.
Czernobog had since created a goat. When the expedition saw the great god Czernobog riding astride a goat, they couldn't stop laughing. This angered the god and he refused to speak to them. Bielobog then created a bee, and sent the bee to spy on Czernobog.
The bee quietly alit upon Czernobog's shoulder and waited. Soon, she heard him say to the goat "What a stupid god! He doesn't even know that all he has to do is take a stick, make a cross to the four directions and say 'That is enough earth'. Instead he wonders what to do."
Hearing this, the bee buzzed off in excitement. Knowing that he'd been heard, Czernobog yelled after the bee, "Whoever sent you, Let him eat your excrement!".
The bee went directly to Bielobog and said "He said All you need to do is make a cross to the four directions and say 'That is enough earth.' And to me he said 'let whomever sent you eat your excrement'.
So god stopped the earth from growing and than said to the bee "Then forever after, let there be no excrement sweeter than yours."
This myth is a combination of myths from Bulgarian and Ukranian sources. Although the
versions of these myths use God and Satanail as the dual creators, Slavic scholars agree that the myth is a later form of the original dualism of Czernobog and Bielobog.
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Posted: Wed Nov 21, 2007 3:02 pm
The World Tree.
Some Slavs believed that the Earth was an Island floating in water that the sun was immersed in every evening. At the center of this Island stood the world tree or mountain. The roots of this tree extended deep into the underworld and the branches reached high up into the realm of the sky gods, Irij.
Nav was the underworld, realm of the dead from whence it gets its name. Weles/Wolos, the God of cattle and wealth and Lada, Goddess of springtime were also said to reside here. This is not really surprising, considering that most cthonic deities, such as Pluto, Saturn and Ops were also associated with wealth and that the crops are pushed upward from inside the Earth. Also, Lada would return from the underworld in the spring, much like Kore, Persephone and Ostara of the Teutons did.
Origin of Witchcraft - "The First Witch" (story)
Long ago, when the world was still fairly new, a young woman ventured into the woods to pick mushrooms. In no time at all, the skies opened up upon her and narrowly escaping the rain, she ran beneath a tree, removed all of her clothing, and bundled them up in her bag so they would not get wet. After some time, the rain stopped and the woman resumed her mushroom picking. Weles, Horned God of the forest happened upon her, and asked her what great magick she knew in order to have kept dry during the storm.
"If you show me the secret to your magick, I will show you how I kept dry." she said. Being somewhat easily tempted by a pretty face, Weles proceeded to teach her all of his magickal secrets. After he was done, she told him how she had removed her clothing and hid under a tree.
Knowing that he had been tricked, but had no one but himself to blame, Weles ran off in a rage, and thus, the first Witch came into being.
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Posted: Wed Nov 21, 2007 3:25 pm
Holidays
Winter
Koljada (Kohl-YAH-da) - The Winter Solstice.
Most agree that the word comes from the Roman word "calendae" which meant the first 10 days of any month. Some, however, believe the word is derived from the word "Kolo" or wheel - much like the word "Yule" is an Anglo-Saxon word for wheel. The holiday's original name may have been "Ovsen". The holiday was filled with revelry. Processions of people masked like animals and cross-dressers roamed the village. Often they were accompanied by a "goat"- a goat's head, either real or (usually) made and stuffed on a stick. The person holding the "goat" would be covered by a blanket to play the part. Sometimes a child on horseback - symbol of the reborn sun - would accompany them; the horse was often played by two young men in horses costumes. One of the wenders would carry a spinning solar symbol, internally lit by a candle, on a stick. Later, after Christianity entered the scene, the spinning "sun" became a star.
This unusual group would stop and sing Koljada songs from house to house. These songs usually included invocations to "Koljada", the god or goddess of the holiday, praises and good wishes,requests for handouts and threats for refusal. The handouts, also called "koljada", usually took the form of little pastries or "korovki" shaped like cows or goats. The were sometimes just in the shape of the animals head, but often were described as having "horns and tails and everything." The korovki were traditionally baked by the old people in the house, the grandmothers and grandfathers.
The "tricks" played by those who were not rewarded could be brutal: Garbage might be brought from all over the village and piled in front of the offending host's gate, their gate might be torn off and thrown in the nearest water or livestock could be led off.
In Poland one "caroller" would carry a bundle of hazel twigs and after receing koljada, would gently hit his host/ess with a small stick loudly wishing "Na shchestia, na zdravia, na tot Noviy Reek" (happiness, health, in the coming New Year). A small twig was left with the farmer who nailed it above his door for wealth and protection.
Bonfires were sometimes lit and the dead ancestors asked inside to warm themselves. Mock funerals were held where a person pretending to be dead was carried into the house amidst both laughter and wailing. Sometimes even a real corpse was used. One young girl would be chosen and tradition made her kiss the "corpse" on the lips. If a pretend corpse was used, the person would leap up after being kissed - a symbol of rebirth.
Holiday foods included kut'ia, a traditional funeral food consisting of whole grains and pork. The whole grain is a universal symbol - "the seed as the mysterious container of new life" (J A Propp)
On the last day of the koljada season in Poland, all the unmarried men of the village would get together to "wend" for oats. It was impossible to get rid of them with a scoop of oats; it took at least 7 liters. The farmer would keep a sharp eye on his grain that night, because otherwise the carollers would steal it as part of the evening's custom. With the money from the sold oats the men would hire musicians and organize a large dance party in the village during the pre-Spring festival period.
If you don't give us a tart - We'll take your cow by the horns.
If you don't give us a sausage - We'll grab your pig by the head.
If you don't give us a bliny - We'll give the host a kick.
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New Year's Day - originally on the Winter Solstice, New years was considered the most powerful time for divination. A traditional New Year's divination was called podbljunaja (powd-blyew-NIE-ya) or "under the plate".
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Posted: Wed Nov 21, 2007 4:00 pm
Spring
Strinennia - Mar 9th. Clay images of larks were made, their heads smeared with honey and stuck with tinsel. They were carried around the village amidst the singing of vesnjanki, invocations to Spring. Birds were thought to bring the Spring with them upon their return. Children were given pastries shaped like birds to toss into the air while saying "The rooks have come.". Sometimes the pastries were tied to poles in the garden. The baking of these pastries was to ensure that the birds would return.
Oh little bee, Ardent bee!
Fly out beyond the sea.
Get out the keys, the golden keys.
Lock up winter, cold winter
Unlock summer, warm summer.
Warm summer -
A summer fertile in grain.
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Maslenica (Mah-sweh-NEET-sa) "Butter woman" from the word Maslo which means butter. Originally it was practiced at the Vernal Equinox but later was celebrated the week before lent. Maslenica (mah-sweh-NEET-sa), sometimes called Shrovetide, was a celebration of the returning light, a time of games and contests, especially horse racing, fist fights, sliding and mock battles. It was a time for protection and purification rituals and a time of gluttony, obscenity and dissolution.
At the beginning of the festivities a life-sized corn doll would be made as a personification of the holiday. The doll would be invoked and welcomed by the name Maslenica. Sometimes a drunken peasant was chosen, instead, to represent Maslenica. He would either be dressed in woman's clothing or in a costume sewn all over with bells. His face would be smeared with soot and he would be seated on a wheel resting on a pole within a sledge. Wine and pastries would surround him and as many as could would accompany him in other sledges. Crowds would follow on foot, laughing, dancing and singing ritualsongs. Corn "Maslenitsas" were also driven around in barrows, wagons or sleighs accompanied by crowds of celebrants.
Many customs honoring the sun were included in the festivities such as the lighting of bonfires, pushing a wheel whose axel pole was a flaming torch about or circling the village on horseback with torches. Farmsteads were also circled at this time, either with a religious icon or with brooms, sweeping around the entire property three times to create a magickal circle which protected against illness and evil spirits.
Traditionally, the house and barn were cleaned and decorated and holiday foods such as bliny (pancakes), kulich (sweet bread) and paskha (pyramid shaped cottage-cheese bread) were prepared. Special loaves were baked and fed to the cattle to guard them from unclean spirits. Kozuli, pastries shaped like cattle, goats, etc. were prepared and eaten to bring on the multiplication of the herds. Eggs were decorated and rolled along the ground in order to transfer the fertility of the egg to the earth. The customary "swinging" which occured at this time was believed to strengthen the stock and fertility of the villagers as well.
Maslenitsa was considered to be a time for purification. All salt was prepared for the coming year, as salt was used for cleansing and curative purposes. Ritual baths to prepare for the oncoming work in the fields were also taken before sunrise and followed with fumigation in the smoke of the juniper.
Another important part of Slavic ritual is the funeral meal. A huge feast was prepared and brought to the cemetary where it was eaten amidst much wailing and laughter. Food was always left for the dead. In Eastern European ritual, funeral and fertility rites are intertwined. Volos, a god of the herds, is believed by many to be the same god as Veles, an underworld deity.
At the end of the week the Maslenitsa (if a doll was used) was taken to a field outside the village, usually where the winter crops were planted. There it was destroyed, either by being torn apart and thrown into the field or burned. This was the remnant of an earlier cult of a dying and resurected God, Volos perhaps, whose death brought life to the fields. The "God" was always destroyed with laughter as such a "death" was seen to bring life. Smaller dolls were also made for individual households which were also torn apart at the week's end and fed to the livestock. This was believed to ensure their fertility and the customary willow branch they were fed was thought to protect them for the entire year to come.
Our Dear Maslenica, dear, leli, dear
Came for a while, for a while, leli, for a while
We thought for seven weeks, seven weeks, leli, seven weeks
But Maslenica stayed only seven days, seven days, leli, seven days
And Maslenica deceived us, deceived us, leli, deceived us
To lent she offered a seat, offered a seat, leli, offered a seat
Bitter horseradish she put out, put out, leli, put out
And that horseradish is more bitter than xren, more bitter than xren,
leli, more bitter than xren.
(Traditional Maslenica song - Zemcovskij - xren is a form of horseradish also)
It is interesting to note that in this song, the singer laments that he is betrayed by Maslenica because she gives up her seat to Lent and gives him bitter things (to eat). In the Slavic traditions, The periods directly before and after Easter were filled with customs, rituals and celebrations although Easter itself came and went without much ado. This is supposedly due to the Orthodox Priest's successful efforts to keep the day of Easter, itself free of pagan influence.The holiday of Maslenitsa lasted a week and marked the beginning of the Slavic Spring Festivals which continue through to the Summer Solstice, Kupalo.
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Krasnaja Gorka - "beautiful" or "red" hillock - the Sunday after Easter. In Russia, a woman holding a red egg and round loaf of bread would face East and sing a spring song which the chorus then took up. Afterward, a doll representing Marzena, grandmother Winter, was carried to the edge of the village and thrown out or destroyed. Xorovods, Russian circle dances, started on this day as well as were Spring game songs; A female performer would enter the center of a circle and mime the sowing, pulling, spreading, etc..of the flax all the way up to the spinning. She and all those in the circle would sing:
Turn out well, turn out well, my flax.
Turn out well, my white flax.
This is a form of sympathetic magic to ensure a bountiful flax harvest.
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Radunica - (Rah-doo-NEET-sa) The second Tuesday after Easter. This holiday was originally known as Nav Dien (Day of the Dead) and was a bi-annual holiday to celebrate the ancestors. The original dates of these two holidays were probably May eve and November eve - cross-quarter dates. Usually feasting and celebrating occured in the cemetaries among much ritual wailing. Offerings, often of eggs, were left to the dead.
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Ascension - 40 days after Easter. This holiday may have originally fallen on May eve and been tied in with the holiday of Nav Dien. On this day, lark pastries were again baked. After supper, all would rest a while and then take their lark pastries into the rye fields. A prayer would be offered at each side of the field while the larks were tossed into the air and people cried "So that my rye may grow as high". The larks were then eaten.
Village girls customarily imitated the spring bird's song. Songs were sung on opposite ends of the village with one chorus answering the other. When finished, another song would begin in the distance and in this fashion the songs would travel from village to village.
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St. Egorij (George) Day - April 23 - George is Greek for "farmer". The first day the flocks are taken to the fields. They were driven out using p***y willows that had been blessed on Palm Sunday. The energy of the willow was thought to be transferred to the animal, or person, being whipped by it. According to an old song;
The p***y willow has brought health
The p***y willow whip beats you to tears
The p***y willow does not beat in vain.
People walk around the fields singing invocations to Egorij begging him to protect the flock from wild animals in the fields and beyond them. These invocations probably originated as prayers to the god Weles, ruler of horned animals, wealth and the underworld. After the flocks left, the entire village would gather together for one solemn moment. Some of the p***y willows were then stuck in the rye fields to give them strength, others were brought home to ensure the flock's return.
St. Egorij is a holiday predominated by men. One ritual for this day consisted of the old village men going down to the river and gathering a stone for every animal in their family's flock. They would then put them in a bag and hang the bag in the courtyard saying
Tsar of the fields, Tsarina of the fields,
Tsar of the forest, Tsarina of the forest,
Tsar of the water, Tsarina of the water,
Protect my flocks, from the evil eye,
From wicked people, from wild beasts,
And from all others.
On the eve of this holiday, young boys and men do a form of trick-or-treating by singing from house to house for food and bestowing blessings upon those who are generous and curses upon those who are not. This door-to-door singing was called "The Labor of St. George."
Cows, give birth to calves. Pigs, give birth to sucklings.
Roosters, stamp your feet. Hens, hatch chickens.
Hostes be good to us. Host, don't be stingy.
If the host and hostess were generous, the singers would usually wish for the hosts and for themselves 200 cows and 150 bulls each. If the host was stingy, he might hear:
Neither a farm, nor a courtyard
Not any chicken feathers
May God grant you cockroaches and bedbugs
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Rusal'naia Week - (Roo-sahl-NIE-ya) originally just after May eve, this holiday was later celebrated on the 7th or 8th week after Easter. The holiday was possibly named after the Roman holiday Rosalia. During this week the Rusalki, female water spirits, were said to leave the rivers and go to the forests and fields. Birches were considered a source of vegetative power and homes were decorated with birch branches, both inside and out.
On the Wednesday of this week, girls would go into the forests and choose and mark the birches. The following day, Semik, bringing fried eggs (omelettes) & beer, they would decorate the chosen trees with flowers. One special birch would be chosed and "curled". That is, the ends of the twigs would be knotted and twisted to form wreaths. The fried eggs would be placed around it while Semickajas (songs sung only at Semik) were sung. Then the kumit'sja ceremony would be held: The girls would kiss each other through wreaths on the birch tree and swear an oath of friendship. This spell was believed to ensure that they would be friends for life or, "kumas".
This tree was sometimes left in the forest, and sometimes cut down and brought into the village. No males were allowed to touch the tree. The tree might be dressed in woman's clothing and/or stripped of its lower branches. Sometimes this tree was set up in a home as a guest. If left in the forest, its tip might be bent down and tied to the grass, ensuring that its sacred energy would return to the earth. Girls would sing and dance the xorovod around the tree.
Banishings of the Rusalki were performed during Rusal'naia. Dolls of them were made and ritually torn apart in the grain fields.
On the Sunday of this week, girls would perform memorial rites on the graves of their parents and afterward divide eggs among their family members. Then the sacred birch tree was removed from the village and tossed into a local river or stream. Girls would take wreaths from their heads and toss them in after the birch. If their wreath floated off, love was to come from the direction the wreath floated toward. If the wreath sunk, the girl was supposed to die within the following year. If it circled, misfortune would come.
I, a young girl, am going to the quiet meadow, the quiet meadow.
To the quiet meadow, to a little birch.
I, a young girl, will pick a blue cornflower,
A little blue cornflower, a cornflower.
I, a young girl, will weave a wreath.
I, a young girl, will go to the river.
I will throw the wreath down the river.
I will think about my sweetheart
My wreath is drowning, drowning.
My heart is aching, aching.
My wreath will drown.
My sweetheart will abandon me.
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Semik - (Seh-MEEK) the Thursday of Rusal'naia Week. This was the day to perform funerals for all those who had not yet been properly buried.
Semik songs (Semikjas):
While selecting the birch:
Don't rejoice oak trees. Don't rejoice green ones.
Not to you are the girls coming. Not to you, the pretty ones.
Not to you are they bringing pies, pastries, omelettes.
Yo, Yo Semik and Trinity!
Rejoice birches! Rejoice green ones!
To you the girls are coming!
To you they are bringing pies, pastries, omelettes.
Yo, yo Semik and Trininty.
While curling the birch:
Oh birch, so curly, curly and young,
Under you, little birch, no poppy is blooming.
Under you, little birch, no fire is burning -
No poppy is blooming -
Pretty maids are dancing a xorovod,
about you little birch, they are singing songs.
_____________________________________________________________
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Posted: Wed Nov 21, 2007 4:04 pm
Summer
Kupalo - (Coo-PAH-loh) - the Celebration of the summer solstice. Kupalo comes from the verb kupati which means "to bathe" and mass baths were taken on the morning of this holiday. On this holiday, the sun supposedly bathed by dipping into the waters at the horizon. This imbued all water with his power and therefore, those who bathed on this day would absorb some of that power.
Fire was sacred to the ancient Slavs and fires were never allowed to go out. In the sanctuaries, fires were tended by the priests and in the home, guarded by the mother. On the eve of Kupalo, however, all fires were extinquished and rekindled with "new fire". New fire was created by friction. A peg was rotated within a hole in a block of wood made especially for this purpose. In some areas, animals were sacrificed on Kupalo's eve and a feast prepared of them entirely by men was shared as a communal meal. Bonfires were lit and couples jumped over them. It was considered a good omen and prediction of marriage if a young couple could jump the flame without letting go of each other's hand. Cattle was chased through the fires in order to ensure their fertility.
At the beginning of the celebration, a straw image of "Kupalo" was made of straw, dressed like a woman and placed under a sacred tree. At the end of the festival, the effigy was ritually destroyed by burning, "drowning" or being ripped apart. Afterward, elaborate mock funerals were held. Two people pretending to be a priest and deacon would cense the figure, with a mixture of dung and old shoes burning over coals in a clay pot. The funeral was carried out among much wailing and laughter.
Kupalo was considered the most powerful time to gather both magical and medicinal plants. It was considered the only time to gather the magical fire-fern. On Kupalo's eve, the flower of the fern was said to climb up the plant and burst into bloom. Anyone who obtained it would gain magical powers including the ability to find treasures. To gather the herb, one must draw a magic circle around the plant and ignore the taunts of the demons who would try to frighten them off. Kupalo marked the end of the "Spring festival" period which started in the beginning of March.
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Perun's Day - July 20th. On this day a human sacrifice was chosen by ballot. There is record of a viking's son being chosen and the viking refusing to give him up. Both father and son were killed as a result. This day was considered a "Terrible" holiday. The sacrifice was seen as necessary to placate the God and keep him from destroying the crops with late summer storms. According to Dr. Buhler in De Diis Samogitarum, the prayer uttered by the officiating priest went as follows:
Perkons! Father! Thy children lead this faultless victim to thy altar. Bestow, O Father, they blessing on the plough and on the corn. May golden straw with great well-filled ears rise abundantly as rushes. Drive away all black haily clouds to the great moors, forests, and large deserts, where they will not frighten mankind; and give sunshine and rain, gentle falling rain, in order that the crops may thrive!"
A bull was also sacrificed and it was eaten as a communal meal.
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Posted: Wed Nov 21, 2007 4:08 pm
Autumn
St. Ilia's Day - August 2nd. In the Ukraine, this day marked the beginning of autumn. It was said "Until dinner, it's summer. After dinner, it's autumn." Ilia is closely related to Perun and this was most probably one of Perun's holy days. After this day, no swimming was allowed as Ilia will curse anyone he finds swimming after his feast day.
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Harvest - Harvest Holidays occured anywhere from Aug 2 to the autumn equinox and lasted from 4 days to a week. Various rituals center around the reaping and threshing of the sheaths.The Harvest Holidays of the Slavs were far more practical than ritual. The songs sung at this time are almost completely concerned with the work at hand or praises for the host and hostess or the one who brought the cup. Work parties called tolo'ka or pomoi' were formed and these travelled from farm to farm until all the work was done. The host was obligated to provide the day's food and entertainment.
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Yablochnyi/Medovoy Spas - or "Apple/Honey Saviour. This is a crossquarter holiday between the summer solstice and the fall equinox. It celebrates the wealth of the
harvest when fruit and honey are ready to be gathered. The first fruits and honey picked on this day and the bee hives were blessed.
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Zaziuki - on or around Aug 7, might be the same holiday as Spas. Particular attention was paid to the first sheaf (zazhinochnyi or zazhinnyi) which was usually brought into the house and threshed separately. Sometimes it was blessed and then mixed back in with the seed. The end of the harvest celebration was called Dozinki. The last sheaf (the dozhinochnyi orotzhinnyi) was also brought in the house where it was either decorated with flowers and ribbons or dressed in woman's clothing. It was then placed in the entrance corner of the home or near any religious icons until Oct 1, when it was fed to the cattle. Sometimes the last sheaf ceremony was merged with the ritual surrounding a small patch of field that was left uncut. The spirit of the harvest was said to precede the reapers and hide in the uncut grain. This small patch was referred to as the "beard" of Volos, the God of animals and wealth. The uncut sheaves of wheat in "Volos' beard" were decorated with ribbons and the heads were bent toward the ground in a ritual called "The curling ofthe beard". This was believed to send the spirit of the harvest back to the Earth. Salt and bread, traditional symbols of hospitality were left as offerings to Volos' beard.
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Mokosh Day - Mokosh was honored on the Friday between Oct 25 and Nov 1. She was given offerings of vegetables. One reference fixes this date on Oct 28.
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Posted: Wed Nov 21, 2007 4:17 pm
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Posted: Wed Nov 21, 2007 4:29 pm
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Posted: Sat Nov 24, 2007 3:35 am
The picture of the lady near the top unnerves me for some reason...
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Posted: Thu Dec 27, 2007 5:33 pm
callmebutterfingers The picture of the lady near the top unnerves me for some reason...
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Posted: Thu Dec 27, 2007 6:01 pm
Domovoy
by Katherine Milechkine
Although the name Slavs appears to be all encompassing, it does little to give a person the full understanding of the vast area these people inhabit. Around 600 C.E., the slavs had divided into three distinguishable linguistic regions: East Slavs (who settled in present day Ukraine, Russia and Belarus), the West Slavs (who now occupy Poland, the Czech Republic and the Slovak Republic) and the South Slavs (who lends its ancestry to the Serbs, Bulgarians, Croatians and Macedonians).
The languages, although similar, have two different alphabets. Depending upon influences from outside sources, either the Cyrillic or the Latin alphabet was incorporated. The Latin, or Roman, alphabet was introduced to the western Slavs whereas the eastern and most of the southern Slavs use the Cyrillic alphabet.
Religiously, Christianity was accepted by the south Slavs first. This is mostly due to their having been influenced by the Mediterranean. The western and eastern Slavs retained their older pagan traditions longer.
By the 10th century C.E., Christianity had openly replaced the older religions. But, the pagan ways continued on as folklore and in fairytales (although it is difficult to differentiate the actual tale from Christian influence in the latter).
While I was perusing the history of Catherine the Great, I had come across an interesting account of one of the troubles she faced. According to this tale, Orthodoxy was the accepted religion, but the people were still practicing their "old ways" too. The people (especially the peasants) were still "superstitious" and afraid to let go of their pagan beliefs. This means the older religion was still openly being practiced in Russia late into the 18th century C.E. Great effort was made to erase the remaining elements of the old religion after that assessment. She felt that it was holding Russia back from being seen as a civilized place and a world power.
It is unfortunate that most of the representations and icons of the older gods have been destroyed either by crusading religions or by nature. However, like most other pagan religions, you can still see traces and influences of them in the churches and records.
One such practice, that is still practiced today, is the calling of your homes' Domovoy (Domovoi). A Domovoy is a household spirit. According to the Encyclopedia of Russian and Slavic Myth and Legend, "At the creation of the universe the Domovoy rebelled against Svarog. He drove them from his realm and they fell to earth, some to the land and some down stovepipes.". A Domovoy is seen neither as good or bad and can be mischievous or benevolent, depending upon its mood and the time of the year.
It is said that on March 30th, the Domovoy becomes unsettled and malicious. It remains in this state from dawn until midnight. The exact reasons are unknown, but some surmise it is due to the fact he is shedding and "changing his coat" or, possibly, that he feels the urge to escape and marry a witch.
It was not until the introduction of Christianity that a demonic nature was attached to the Domovoy's character. The features given to the Domovoy were less than attractive as the being was becoming demonized.
The creature was described as short, all covered with hair (the exception being around his eyes and nose) and having hair even on the palms of his hands and soles of his feet. If he drug his hand across your face while you slept, a bristly and cold touch foretold of impending woes ahead. A warm and fuzzy touch meant good fortune would befall.
Although mostly seen as a male figure, there are references to female Domovoys as well. The male would live in the stove of the house, while the female (wife) lived "...in the henhouse or the outbuildings".
These spirits were thought to be ancestors of your paternal line. The Domovoy did not like to be seen so he was invisible. Reportedly, when you did sight a Domovoy, it took on the form of an ancestor or the past owner of your home. Sometimes, when the male of the household was away, a Domovoy would be seen in his form plowing the fields at night. If he were to be seen, it was usually to signify a malady was about to occur. Often times it meant the death of the head of the house would happen shortly thereafter or your house was in danger.
In more modern times, the only time a Domovy can be seen is on the Thursday preceding Easter and on Easter Sunday itself. He is usually spotted sitting in a corner of his stall.
Domovoys were treated with great respect. He is considered (and considers himself) the master of the house. Keeping the house clean for him, referring to him in a respectful manner and by not sleeping in what might be considered a path of the Domovoy (ie.: in front of the stove, near the threshold of your home or in the center of the floor) were all ways to show respect.
When a family moved from one house to another, they invited their Domovoy to go with them (or showed respect to the new one). To transfer a Domovoy to a new home, coals from the old stove were taken to light the fire in the new stove. The husband and wife of the house would stand outside of the new home and call to the Domovoy or the words "Welcome, Grandfather, to the new home!" were spoken.
An offering was then made to the Domovoy of bread and salt set on a plate. The bread and salt were then left for the Domovoy in its new home (the stove) and the offering plate broken and buried outside the front door. This practice is supposed to relate to an earlier form of fire worship. The people of Galicia actually believe their hearths to be haunted by the spirits of the dead.
If a new house was to be built, several assurances were incorporated to bring good luck to the home and to appease the Domovy. Apparently, a new home was a big deal for the Slavic people. Unlike today, we just buy a home and basically move in, the Slavs were much more concerned with who/what they were disturbing by building the home and then relocating the family.
Russians believed that by building a new home, the head of the household was soon to die. Or, that the first person to enter the home would shortly die. In order to prevent this, a sacrifice (most commonly of a c**k) would be offered up by cutting off the creature's head and burying it in the uppermost corner of the house or where the first stone or log was to be laid. There have been times when even human sacrifices were performed for this occasion. If no human could be found, an unsuspecting person's shadow would be measured and the string would then be buried in his/her stead. This is on the assumption that once the string was buried, the person would then fade to a shadow. These offerings are believed to be tied to an older form of Earth Goddess worship.
Aside from simply being a spirit that followed a family from house to house, the Domovoy took on certain responsibilities for the family. It's duties include managing the house, protecting the family's livestock and grain and warning the family of trouble. The Domovoy is seen as a spirit that generally protects the family outside sources and from other spirits that may bring harm to them.
Slavs (Russians especially) differentiate between Domovoys. Your neighbors Domovoy is seen as malevolent and your household Domovoy must protect you and yours from him. It was believed that your neighbor's Domovoy would try to steal your oats and livestock. Transversely, yours would try and steal your neighbor's possessions (that would be part of his mischievous behavior or a convenient excuse as to why you had your neighbors oats). He would not allow other spirits to play or enter your property.
Household noises could been seen as indications of the Domovoy trying tell the family something. Creaks, groans, wailing and clattering of pans about the house were often seen as bad omens. While singing, dancing and laughing were all indicators of good omens.
A Domovoy will also warn the family of upcoming misfortunes by riding your horses in the field until they are exhausted or by knocking on the walls. Collectively they will appear in the meadows surrounding a town and begin moaning and wailing if there is pestilence and war or fire on the way.
Domovoys are very possessive and do not like other spirits. If another spirit is to be appeased the Domovy must be tricked into not knowing such an event took place.
An example would be if a goose had been sacrificed as an offering to a water-spirit, the head would be hung in the poultry pen so when the Domovoy counted the flock that night, he would not notice one missing.
If another Domovoy existed in the same house as yours, fights might ensue between the two of them. The spirits would go so far as to throw things around the house, bang pots and pans at each other and cause a general ruckus. When the owners had enough of this behavior, they would bang a broom against the walls and demand one of the spirits to leave. Quite often this would give the desire results and one of the Domovoys would depart.
The Domovoy is a form ancestral worship and a form of early fire worship. The relationship held with the Domovoy can be likened to man's relationship with fire. Fire can be both constructive and destructive. As can a Domovoy.
A Domovoy that has not been treated with the respect he feels he deserves can bring much misery and destruction into a household. Anything as simple as forgetting to keep his path clear to not putting out food can be reason for the Domovoy to misbehave.
However, having a Domovoy as part of your home can also be rewarding and give a sense of security. It can easily be adapted to fit into today's lifestyle.
Calling to your family's Domovoy to enter into your home is not only a way to reconnect with your ancestors, but will also ensure you try to keep your house a little tidier. Just remember to be respectful, leave bread, cookies or porridge by the stove and do not block his path. Go ahead and call to your family's Domovoy. It's a wonderful hearth practice and way to reconnect with your past.
Finally, just some basic notes to remember. If you do decide to call on your family's Domovoy, always treat him with the greatest respect. Remember he probably is connected to your ancestors and cares just as much for you as you should for him. If you do your job he will do his and help to keep your house and family safe.
Don't forget to leave him offerings of bread and salt and to thank him for his help (if you are celebrating a holiday, he should get to celebrate, too). Heed the warnings and omens given, they are for your benefit.
Do not forget him if you move. This could prove to be disastrous for the new inhabitants of your home (chances are the new owners have never even heard of a Domovoy).
Don't be afraid to call on him, but be certain you are ready for the responsibility of caring for this entity and never abandon him. He would never willingly abandon you.
Good luck to you and your Domovoy.
Other names by which Domovoys are known:
Domovoi (Russia)
Domowije (Poland)
Stopan (Bulgaria)
Dedek or Djadek (Czech)
Tomte (Scandinavia)
Haltari (Finland)
Brownie (Great Britain)
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Posted: Thu Dec 27, 2007 6:04 pm
Old Eastern Religions
by Anthony R. Thompson
(The following is a short paper I wrote as an undergraduate on the topic of the Slavic Paganism. Specifically, it focuses on one author and his application of linguistics and comparative mythology to the question of an "Old East Slavic Pantheon". There are therefore many references to the specific author, Roman Jakobson, which might be distracting to some readers. Howver, on the whole I thought the article might be useful for the sake of both Jakobson's end analyses of Old East Slavic Paganism and his use of a comparative methodology.)
The bulk of the work of Roman Jakobson seems to be of a linguistic nature. However, he has written a small number of pieces concerning comparative mythology, specifically on Slavic pagan mythology. His research seems to be extremely extensive, drawing upon a variety of historical documents as well as nearly exhaustive linguistic analyses. Some of the historical documents include the Primary Russian Chronicle, the First Novgorod Chronicle, the Igor Tale, and a number of documents relating to German crusades.
The linguistic comparisons with various Slavic languages include Iranian, Indian, Lithuanian, Norse, Albanian, Czechoslovakian, Gaulic, Anatolian, Latvian, and Celtic. Roman Jakobson's work in this area uses these sources as tools in reconstructing the Old Slavic pantheon, by which is meant the religion(s) of the Slavic peoples before, and to a certain extent during, the adoption of Christianity as the official religion of parts of the Slavic world. His theories on this topic will be collated and presented here to as great a degree as possible, beginning first with his comparative analyses and continuing onto the conclusions he drew from them.
Comparative Mythological Analyses
Roman Jakobson was quite adamant about the usefulness and necessity of the comparative method, especially in a linguistic sense, as demonstrated in the following excerpt from the beginning of an article entitled Linguistic Evidence in Comparative Mythology:
"... there continue to appear influential works on the mythology of diverse Indo-European peoples that deliberately reject the comparative method and the use of linguistic comparison and reconstruction in the study of ancient religions. As a result, the facts under study are forcibly taken out of context and thus become meaningless. The historical perspective disappears, and the image of the whole is lost behind the scattered and isolated fragments" (Rudy 12).
He reasons that the use of linguistic analysis, in particular "the etymological method", is essential to the study of mythology, pointing out a number of examples in which the names associated with particular deities are integrally related to both other religious and even geographic terminology, and similar but importantly different "tabooed" forms. An example of the former is given as the pre-Christian Church Slavonic term for priest, which literally meant "sacrificer" (13). Some examples of the latter are referenced from H.L. Mencken's The American Language and E.C. Hills' Exclamations in American English, including "gosh" from "god" and "golly" from "holy" (13). Jakobson's point about context appears substantial also, for no deity exists in a religious vacuum and by studying any as such, important information concerning those deities and their relations with other elements of their pantheon and culture may not be revealed.
Slavic and Indo-Iranian Religious Links
Throughout Jakobson's mythological analyses, it appears that one oft-appearing thread is that of a link between Slavic and Iranian pantheons and practices. According to Jakobson, "[t]he proximity in the religious pattern and terminology finds its expression both in the features which they preserved jointly from the Indo-European heritage or which they modified in one and the same way. In some cases where we are authorized to presume a direct borrowing, the direction is from Iranian to Slavic" (4).
In both Iranian and Slavic religious terminology, the Indo-European name for the worshipped sky is substituted with the name of the cloud, the derivative used to signify gods is converted to the term for "hostile demonic being", a word formerly denoting wealth and its giver is converted to the general usage as "god", and the Indo-European term for "human being" (associated with the term for earth) was removed from both (4-5, 15).
Words that are identical or similar in both religious systems include the words for holy, divination, proclamation, drawing, chastising, fearing, protecting, "word" and deed, fire, chalice, burial mound, cure, healthy, sick, evil, shame, guilt, sinister, and paradise (5). The words "consist partly of direct borrowings and partly of primordial Indo-European words that underwent an Iranian modification in their meanings" (14). Jakobson summarizes by saying that, "[t]he closeness of the religious vocabulary to the Iranian, exposing the communality of both faith and ritual, also finds a striking parallel in the names and functions of individual gods" (15). It is to these individual gods that our focus now shifts, where linguistic analyses indicate links with Iranian and many other religions.
Perun: The Thunderer
Perun is one of the deities in the Slavic pantheon to whom Jakobson devotes considerable analysis. This is most likely for two reasons. The first is that Perun is frequently mentioned in the historical documents in which the Slavic pantheon makes an appearance. A well-known example is found in the first Novgorod Chronicle in which Vladimir, formerly of pagan religion, converts to Greek Orthodox Christianity and casts down idols overlooking a river in the capital Kiev, and chief among those idols is Perusice (17). Secondly, there are a large number of linguistic variants for Perun, found throughout the Indo-European world.
Jakobson notes similar deities and words related to Perun in the Slavic Perperuna, Preperuna, and pergynja, the Russian Pereplut, the Lithuanian and Common Baltic
Perkúnas, the Norse Fjorgynn, the Albanian Perëndi and Perudi, the Slovak Peron, the Albanian Perperona, the Arumanian Pirpirúna, the Dalmatian Prporusa, the Greek Keraunós, the Celtic-Latin Hercynia, the Hittite Peruna, the Old Church Slavonic prêgynja, the Old Russian peregynja, the Polabian peründan, the Polish przeginia and piorun, the Bulgarian perusan, the Serbo-Croatian prpor, and the Vedic Parjánya (6-7, 16-24).
Other aspects associated with the worship of Perun or one of his variants that seem to be common in the Indo-European world are those of the oak tree and the rain dance. Jakobson refers to linguistic similarities between Perun and his variants, and "the splintering thunder and the splintered oak... The names of wooded hills, especially heights, covered with forests of oak, are associated with the name of the thunder-god and with the oak as an inseparable part of his worship" (20-21).
This may be due to the fact that oak trees are not infrequent targets of lightning strikes during storms. Regarding rituals devoted to the thunder god in supplication for rain, especially those rituals involving dance, Roman Jakobson cites a number of Indo-European examples. These include South Slavic, Balkan, Bulgarian, Serbian, Indian, Macedonian, Greek, Armenian, and Rumanian rituals (21-24). Common elements of these rituals include a central role enacted by a young child, a pre-pubescent girl or boy, who invokes Perun or takes his place respectively, and whirling dancing by everyone (6).
Veles: God of Cattle
At the commencement of an article entitled "The Slavic God Veles", Roman Jakobson cites as one piece of evidence concerning the nature of the god in question the fact that in Old Russian texts,
"[t]he expression skotii bog with the unambiguously possessive form of its adjective can mean nothing else than 'the cattle god'. According to the treaty of 907, as cited by the Primary Chronicle, the representatives of Rus' who took their oath po ruskomu zakonu swore 'both by Perun, their own god (Perun'm' bog'm' svoim'), and by Volos, the god of cattle (Volos'm', skot'em' bog'm')'" (34-35).
This excerpt reveals a few attributes of Volos, but the most apparent is simply that he is a god of animals, specifically of cattle.
Jakobson points out that a similar form of Volos, namely Veles, is found also in Czech curses, wherein Veles is used as a demonic name (25). A quotation from the fifteenth-century Czech novel Tkadlecek reads as the following in translation: "What devil or what veles or what dragon incited you against me?" (37). Jakobson interprets this quite logically by commenting that the "text indicates that together with the devil and the fabulous dragon of Czech folklore, Veles also belongs to the gang of traditional evil spirits", and he refers to several similar uses (i.e., referencing demons or spirits) of Veles or its variants in Hussite, Lithuanian, Latvian, Russian, and Slovakian (36-3 cool .
Similar to the linguistic analysis of Perun, the thunderer, so too is that of Veles as extensive. Jakobson finds a great number of linguistic parallels by decomposing "Veles" into two parts, namely "vel-" (or "wel-") and "-es" (or "-esu") and citing examples of each throughout the Indo-European world (25). Examples of the former include the Norse Ullr (god of well-being), the Czech Velesu, the Hussite Velesa, the Lithuanian Velinas, the Latvian Veli, the Vedic Varuna, the Celtic Veleda, the Old Irish fili, the Gaulish , and the Anatolian Walis- (25, 36-40, 43-44). Examples of the latter include the Celtic Esus, the Latin erus, the Iranian ahu-, the Avestan ahura-, the Old Indic asura-, the Greek εν&sigmaf, and the Hittite assus (25, 42).
In the article "Linguistic Evidence in Comparative Mythology", Jakobson's brief mention of Veles contains the mention that, "n referring to the seer Bojan, who combines the features of poet and guslar-player with those of magician and predictor of the future, the Igor Tale calls him Velesov' vnuce 'grandson of Veles'" (24). It is interesting that in Old Russian, the term for cattle (skot) denoted wealth in general as well, and that cattle were "under the protection of the clairvoyant Volos" (25).
Furthermore, in another article there are mentioned "the 'huge eyes' (dideles akys) and the piercing look of the hunter Velinas, who beholds all flesh as well as the netherworld behind 'the little gate of Veles' (Veliu varteliai)" and finally the Vedic Varuna who "is depicted repeatedly as farsighted, all-seeing, clairvoyant, thousand-eyed, he never closes his eyes and watchfully surveys the realms of life and death which he governs with the assistance of undeceived thousand-eyed spies-messengers who look across the whole world so that nothing in the universe, no action, no thought, and no device, remains invisible to the omniscient deity; no sin can be kept hidden from him" (39-40).
It thus seems that Veles is not only a cattle god, but also has magical attributes, particularly those concerned with magical sight. Additionally, the fact that where both deities are referenced, Perun and Veles/Volos are always found adjacent to one another leads Jakobson to hypothesize that the former is distinctly associated with the human world and the latter with the animal world (34-35).
Svarog: God of Fire
The Slavic god Svarog has a number of attributes, many of which appear to be related to creation in some form or another, though others are associated with destruction. For instance, Kievan bookmen identified him with the fire god Hephaestus and name him as the "first to forge weapons... and [call] the kingly sun 'Svarog's son'" (26).
Jakobson cites Czech and Slovak beliefs concerning a related demonic being, saying that "it is at once generous and vindictive, an unusually mobile spirit who assumes the shape of birds, animals, and dragons, and who is closely linked to the fire on the hearth; its body sparkles, its hair blazes, a radiance emerges from its mouth. It flies through the chimney and is carried off by the night in a fiery swirl or is transformed into a whirlwind" (27). He also draws strong parallels with the Iranian Varagna and its variants, listing further associations with the "wind, gold-horned aurochs, horse, boar-as well as his close ties with fire and smithery... [and] virility." (7).
As with Perun and Veles, Jakobson lists many Indo-European linguistic relatives of Svarog. These include the Rumanian sfaróg, Czech and Slovak Rarog, Rarach, and Jarog, the Indic Vrtrahan, the Armenian Vahagn, the Croatian rarov, the Lithuanian ràragas or vanagas. In particular, he notes that, "[t]o all appearances svarog' originates from the same Middle Iranian form varhagn. It is significant that precisely the seventh of the nine metamorphoses of the god-like Vereθraγna was his transformation into the mighty, fast-flying falcon vareγna... In all likelihood, besides the direct name of the Iranian hero (varhaγn), his similar-sounding, figurative appellation (varhaγn) in turn influenced the Slavic transmission" (2 cool . Thus, whereas Perun and Veles seemed to reflect a more common Indo-European linguistic root, Svarog seems to be from a more clearly Iranian source.
Other Deities: Dazbog and Stribog, Rod/Rozanica, Mokos
Jakobson mentions a few other Slavic deities as well, though because he spends considerably less time discussing them, their analysis will be summarized here. The god Dazbog (fully, Daz'bog' X'rs') appears to be the son of Svarog, and is additionally associated with the sun, fire, and wealth (8, 29). Often coupled with Dazbog is the god Stribog, and where the former was called the "giver of riches" the latter was called the "disperser, apportioner of riches" and was associated with the winds (8, 30).
Linguistic variants of the Slavic Dazbog include the Polish Dadzbog, the Serbian Hrs, the Iranian Xursid, and variants of Stribog include the Czech strieti and the Russan sterlisja (8, 30). Another deity Jakobson refers to is Rod', a god of cultivation (literally, "kin") having linguistic relations with the Celtic Teutates, the Latin Quirinus, the Umbrian Vofionus, feminine forms in the Serbocroatian Rodjenica and Slovenian Rojenica (8, 31).
Finally, "[t]he only goddess of the Kievan official pantheon, Mokos', literally "moist", and represented by some vestiges in Russian folklore and in Slavic toponymy, is probably nothing but another name for the slightly personified 'Mother moist earth' (Mati syra zemlja), still adored in female deities in Baltic, Phyrgian, and Indo-European mythology. The Iranian Ardvi ("moist") Sura Anahita is particularly close to Mokos': both of them protect semen, child-bearing, and sheep-breeding" (8-9). It thus seems that like Perun and Veles, Mokos' may have similarities with other Indo-European gods and hence a common Indo-European root, but the most definite evidence indicates that like Svarog, there is a definite relationship with Iranian variants in some fashion.
Conclusions
Roman Jakobson concludes that, "[t]he relative linguistic unity and negligible dialectal differentiation of the Slavic world until the end of the first millennium A.D., and particularly the considerable lexical uniformity of Slavic pre-Christian beliefs, corroborate the supposition of a substantial unity for the cult of the Primitive Slavs" (4). One attribute of this cult is that of sacrifice, evinced by the pre-Christian Church Slavonic term for priest (literally "sacrificer") as well as a "series of [other] terms relating to a highly developed sacrificial worship" and even geographic survivals such as a natural boundary name related to that of sacrifice near the mountain Perun in Istria (13, 16).
Jakobson refutes theories set forth by German writers during the second World War that proposed a "civilizing" influence of German religious beliefs and practices upon an existing Slavic "primitive demonology" by pointing out that, "[w]ere the beliefs of the Slavs to have undergone a Germanic influence this would naturally be reflected in the religious vocabulary of Slavic paganism as well. Yet, whereas the material culture of the Slavs absorbed numerous lexical Germanisms, such phenomena are totally absent from the language of the primitive Slavs' spiritual culture" (14). In refuting those German theories, Jakobson also makes reference to the evidence already reviewed here concerning a number of Slavic deities and their attributes, indicating quite strongly that there was certainly not a mere "primitive demonology" in the Slavic paganism.
The overall conclusion one might draw from Roman Jakobson's extensive analyses showing a great amount of linguistic relations between Slavic religious terminology and that of other Indo-European cultures is that the pagan religion of the Slavs was not isolated from the rest of the Indo-European world (especially Iran). In fact, it was quite related to the rest of the Indo-European world, and even appears to share common Indo-European roots, particularly in the cases of Perun and Veles.
Works Cited
Stephen Rudy, Ed. Roman Jakobson Selected Writings. Volume VII. Mouton Publishers: New York, 1985.
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Posted: Tue Jan 01, 2008 9:30 am
Woah. Lot's of research! I'm impressed.
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