Illustrated Encyclopedia of Ancient Slavic Deities and Spirits + Cards for Divination. Version With Cards for Coloring

By Elena Kryuchkova and Olga Kryuchkova

This is a new and updated edition of the book with additional cards for fortune telling. Version With Cards for Coloring.
(Version with correction of some images for coloring)
This book contains an encyclopedia of Slavic deities and spirits, and at the end there are cards for divination with images of deities and spirits. Version With Cards for Coloring.
***
In ancient times, human was very dependent on nature and natural phenomena. For example, the success of fishing depended on the number of fish in water bodies, the success of hunting depended on the number of animals in the forests, and the success of gathering depended on the number of plants in the forests.
And the world in the minds of people of that time was divided into three parts - Heaven, Earth and the Underworld. And this image of the world was even presented in the image of the World Tree, which connected these three worlds. Also, the World Tree served as a symbol of the three worlds - its crown personified the Heaven, its trunk was a symbol of the Earth, and the roots were a symbol of the Underworld.
The ancient Slavs did not divide nature into living and inanimate. Everything that surrounded them was endowed with life, be it trees, animals or stones.

At the end of the book there is a section with black and white image of cards for coloring and cutting. The cards depict Slavic deities and spirits. The reader can colorize the cards, give them energy, escape from everyday problems, and engage in creativity. Then, painted cards can be cut out and pasted onto cardboard — and thus get your own unique deck of cards, which you can use as an assistant in everyday life.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Elena Kryuchkova
• Release date: Jan 1, 2022
• ISBN: 9781005287542

Elena Kryuchkova

Elena Kryuchkova started her creative path in 2012. She writes in different genres, such as: esotericism, fantasy, Slavic fantasy, sci-fi, dystopia, post-apocalyptic and others. Has several graphic works. A number of her novels were co-authored with Olga Kryuchkova.She is inspired by various fantasy and science fiction.Loves cats and draws.

Book preview

Introduction

This book contains an encyclopedia of Slavic deities and spirits, and at the end there are cards for divination with images of deities and spirits.

***

In ancient times, human was very dependent on nature and natural phenomena. For example, the success of fishing depended on the number of fish in water bodies, the success of hunting depended on the number of animals in the forests, and the success of gathering depended on the number of plants in the forests.

And the world in the minds of people of that time was divided into three parts — Heaven, Earth and the Underworld. And this image of the world was even presented in the image of the World Tree, which connected these three worlds. Also, the World Tree served as a symbol of the three worlds — its crown personified the Heaven, its trunk was a symbol of the Earth, and the roots were a symbol of the Underworld.

The ancient Slavs did not divide nature into living and inanimate. Everything that surrounded them was endowed with life, be it trees, animals or stones.

Therefore, in those days, people worshiped the forces of nature — they deified the sun, moon and natural phenomena, attributing a divine principle to all of this, and believing that natural phenomena depend on the will of the deities. Therefore, in order to achieve the mercy of the deities, people tried in every possible way to appease them. For this, at certain times of the year, special sacred rituals were carried out, sacrifices were made to the deities, and in prayers people asked the deities for help and thanked for successes. Later, with the advent of Christianity, many pagan rituals gradually merged with the church ones.

Also, it is interesting that ideas about deities that were common for all ancient Slavs did not exist, because the Slavic tribes in the pre-Christian period did not have a single state, and, therefore, they were not united in beliefs. Therefore, each Slavic tribe could have its own separate deities, or the functions of their deities were different from the functions of the deities of another tribe. And the deities, for example, of the Western Slavs, could be very different from the deities of the South Slavs. Moreover, about some deities there may be many different legends, and about other deities, on the contrary, information can be very scarce and if compare different sources, it is also contradictory.

Some of the most ancient deities are Svarog and Damp Mother Earth (Mat Syra Zemlya). But even despite the fact that these deities are very ancient, the ancient Slavs in even more ancient periods before Svarog and the Damp Mother Earth had creatures that protected humans, helped them and protected them from enemies. Animals and plants could serve as these mystical creatures, which also acted as the ancestors of the tribe; stones of unusual shape, water sources, etc.

For example, the most revered animals among the Eastern Slavs were the bear, wolf, and hare. These animals are often found in folk tales.

At the same time, plants were also revered in those old days. These could be freestanding trees that were somehow different from the rest. For example, such trees could have a curved trunk or a forked trunk. And the oak was considered a sacred tree of the god of thunder Perun.

In addition, the ancient Slavs also had paired deities, along with single deities. For example, Belobog and Chernobog, Dolya and Nedolya, etc.

The existence of paired deities reflected the dualistic perception of the world, which was characteristic of the ancient Slavs. Therefore, people worshiped and made sacrifices not only to good and positive deities, but also to evil deities. In addition, at that time, in the minds of people there was a stable system of oppositions — Heaven and Earth, day and night, right and left, male and female, etc.

This book will focus on the beliefs of the ancient Slavs, their pantheon, Slavic deities, Slavic spirits and heroes of Slavic epics.

At the end of the book there is a section with black and white image of cards for coloring and cutting. The cards depict Slavic deities and spirits. The reader can colorize the cards, give them energy, escape from everyday problems, and engage in creativity. Then, painted cards can be cut out and pasted onto cardboard — and thus get your own unique deck of cards, which you can use as an assistant in everyday life.

List of contents in the book

Introduction

Part 1. Slavic Deities

Agunya, Avsen (Bausen, Ovsen, Tausen, Usen), Badnyak, Barma, Belobog (Belbog), Bor (Svyatobor), Bozhych, Chernobog, Chislobog, Chur (Tsur), Dabog, Damp Mother Earth (Mat Syra Zemlya), Dazhbog (Dazhdbog, Dadzbog), Prayers to Dazhbog, Dana, Prayer to Dana for a Child, Devana, Did, Didilia, Dodola (Diva-Dodola, Paparuda), Dogoda, Dyi (Div), Fire King, Fiery Volh, German (Herman), Hors (Khors), Hvorst, Ipabog, Karna, Kors, Kupalnitsa, Lad, Lada, Prayers to Lada, Lado, Lel, Lelia, Magura, Mara, Martsana, Mokosh (Makosh), Prayers to Mokosh, Molonia-Tsaritsa (Queen Molonia, Queen Melanya), Morena (Morana, Marena, Marzanna), Mother Sva, Prayer to Mother Sva, Nemiza, Ny, Niyan, Pereplut, Pererug, Perun, Prayers to Perun, Podaga (Podag), Pogoda, Pohvist (Posvist), Polel (Polelya), Porevit (Porenut), Pripekala, Priya, Prok, Prov, Radegast, Rod, Prayers to Rod, Rodomysl, Ruevit, Seva, Silnobog, Simargl (Semargl), Prayers to Simargl, Sporysh, Stribog, Prayers to Stribog, Sud (Usud), Svarog, Prayers to Svarog, Svarozhich, Svetovid (Svetovit), Prayers to Svetovid, Tarusa, Thunder Rattling the Great, Triglav, Triglava, Troyan (Trojan), Ud, Uslad (Oslad), Veles (Volos), Prayers to Veles, Yarilo (Yarila, Yar), Prayers to Yarilo, Yarovit, Zarya (Zorya, Diva, Diviya), Zevana, Zhelya (Zlya), Ziva (Zhiva, Zivana, Siva), Prayers to Ziva, Zibog, Zimtserla, Zlebog, Zolotaya Baba

Part 2. Slavic Spirits and Other Mythological Characters

Alatyr (Latyr), Alkonost (Alkonos), Amazons, Anchutka, Asilki (osilki, velets), Aspid, Auka, Baba Yaga, Beda, Baechnik (perebaechnik), Baennaya babushka (banya grandma, sauna grandma), Bagan, Bagnik (bolotnyanik, bolotyanik), Bannik (laznik, baennik), Bannitsa (baennitsa, obderiha), Belun, Bereginias, Bes (bies), Besitsy-tryasavitsy, Bogatyrs, Boginkas, Boli-boshka, Bolotnik, Bolotnitsa, Bolshachok, Borovik, Boyan, Brodnitsas, Buyan, Chud, Chudinko (Puganko), Cow's Death (Black Illness), Dedy (Dziady), Dennitsa, Div, Dikar (Savage), Death, Dolya, Domovoy (bratanushko, bratok, golbeshnik, gospodar, dedushko-bratok, zapechnik, lihodey, lihoy, podpechnik), Domovaya snake (house snake), Domovaya frog (house frog), Domovinka, Domoviha, Dryoma, Dunay (Danube), Dunya-rigachnitsa (Dunya the Rigachnitsa), Dvoedushnik, Dvorovoi, Finist the Falcon (Finest, the brave Falcon), Fiery Serpent (ognennyy zmey, ognyanoy, letun, nalet, naletnik), Gamayun, Gartsuks (gartsuki), Gnetka (gnetko, gnetyanitsa), Gromovnik (thunderman), Gumennik (ogumennik), Eretic (Heretic), Eretnik, Hala, Hapun (Hloptun, Hvatun), Hiccups (ikota, ikotka, klikota, klikushestvo), Hlevnik, Hovala (hovalo), Igosha, Ikotnik, Ikyvka, Indrik the Beast (Indrik, Indrik-beast), Kagan, Karachun (Korochun), Kazenniks, Kikimora (shishmora), Kitezh (Kitezh-grad), Kit-ryba (Whale-fish), Kitovras, Kladenets (kladnik, kladovik), Kletnik, Klikusha, Kolodeznyi, Kolokolnyi man (Bell man), Koliada (koleda), Kopsha, Korgorushi (kolovershi), Kostroma, Kostrub (Kostrubonka), Koschei the Immortal (Koschei the Immortal), Kuker, Kupala, Kurdushi, Kustitsa, Lamya, Laska, Layun, Ledashchiy (lyadashchiy), Lesavki, Leshevik, Leshiha, Leshy (poluverets), Lesoviha (lesovka), Letavnitsa, Liho, Lihoradka, Listin, Lizun, Lobasta (lopasta), Logovoy (lugovik), Lyod, Lyub, Mara (maruha, mora), Marossy (Treskuny), Matohi, Mavka (navka), Melyuziny, Mesyatsy, Mezhevichok, Mezhevik (mezhnik), Mohovoy, Mohovik, Moroz (Morozko), Morovaya Deva (Pestilent Maiden), Moryana, Nav, Navii, Nedolya, Nezhit (evil spirits), Nichki, Nochnitsy (krirsy), Nog (noguy, nagai, igon), Oblakoprogonniki (Cloud Runners), Obmen (obmenysh, changeling), Oboroten (Werewolf), Omutnik, Odnoglazka (One-eyed), Ovinnik (podovinnik, ocetnik), Ovinnitsa, Pasten, Peklo, Pesigolovtsy (Dogheads), Planetniki (pogibaltsy, hmurniki), Pledged deads (Zalozhennyye pokoyniki), Podgribovnik, Podpolnik, Polaznik, Polevoi (dedko polevoy, polevik), Poludnitsa (Lady Midday), Porenuta, Povetrie (Fever), Plakun-trava (Weeping grass), Prisuha, Prisupushi, Puschevik, Radunitsy (Rainbow maidens), Rarog (rarig, rarashek), Prayers to Rarog, Razryv-trava (Rip-grass), Rizhnaya baba (barn woman, rigachnaya), Rizhnik (barnman, rigachnik, podrizhnik), Red hats (kuzutiki), Rozhak, Rozhanitsy (Women in labor), Rusalka (kazytka, kupalka, loskotovka, loskutikha, smolyanka, shutovka), Rzhanitsa, Sarainik, Sava (Savva), Sschekotun (Tickler), Sirin, Sivka-Burka, Sherstnatyy (Woolly), Shish, Shishiga, Skarbnik, Soloveiko, Spryya (Prytka), Strafil-bird, Strah (Fear), Sword Kladenets (Mech-kladenets), Sud, Sudenitsy, Susedko, Tihonya, Tsaritsa Morskaya (The Queen of the Sea), Tsmok, Udelnitsa, Upir (upiór), Vedogon, Veshtitsa (veshchitsa), Vilas, Virnik, Vitrenitsa, Vitryanik (Bosorkun), Viy, Vodyaniha, Vodyanitsa, Vodyanoy (topelnik, vodovik, vodyanik), Volh (Vol’ga), Volhvs, volkhvs, Volosyni, Volots, Volkolak (volkodlak, werewolf), Vostruha, Vstrechnik, Vyraj (Vyriy, Iriy), Witch (ved'ma, bosorka, bosorkanya, vorozhka, vorozheya, koldun'ya, truboletka, charovnitsa), Witcher (ved'mak, bosorkun, koldun, vorozhbit, porchenik, trubolet, charovnik, charodeynik, charodey, vedun, chernoknizhnik, enchanter, sorcerer, warlock), Will-o'-the-wisp (Wandering lights), Wolf Shepherd, Zirka, Zduhach, Zhar-ptitsa (Firebird), Zharenitsa, Zhar-tsvetok (sveti-tsvetok, tsar-svetok, Perunov tsvetok, fire-flower, light-flower, king-flower, Perun's flower), Zhirovik, Zhihar, Zhizh, Zlydni, Zmei Gorynich, Zmei the Fiery Wolf, Zmei-nosak, Zmeya-den'gonositsa (Money Snake, Snake-money-bearer), Zmiulan, Znahar, (witch doctor, znatok, sheptun), znaharka, (female witch doctor, ladilshchitsa, lekarka, lecheyka, sheptuha), Znich, Zybochnik

Part 3. Heroes, bogatyrs, palyanitsas

Introduction, Alyosha Popovich, Churila Plenkovich, Danila Lovchanin, Dobrynya Nikitich, Dyuk Stepanovich, Dunay Ivanovich, Evpaty Kolovrat, Ilya Muromets, Mikhail Potyk (Potok), Mikula Selyaninovich, Nikita Kozhemyaka (Nikita the Tanner), Sadko, Svyatogor, Vasily Buslayev, Vol'ga Vseslavyevich (Volkh Vseslavyevich, Vol'ga Svyatoslavovich), Palyanitsas (polenitsas, palyanitsy, polenitsy). Warrior women, Nastasya Mikulishna, Marya Morevna, Vasilisa Mikulishna

Cards of Slavic Deities and Spirits. Card Descriptions

Avsen, Alatyr (Latyr), Bannik, Belobog (Belbog), Belun, Bereginia, Besitsy-tryasavitsy, Chernobog, Damp Mother Earth, Dazhbog (Dazhdbog, Dadzbog), Devana, Dolya, Domovoy, Dyi (Div), Fiery Serpent, Finist the Falcon, Hors, Karachun, Kikimora, Kostroma and Kupala, Koschei the Immortal, Lada, Lelia, Leshy, Magura, Martsana, Mokosh, Morena, Nav, Nedolya, Polevoi, Polel (Polelya), Poludnitsa (Lady Midday), Perun, Pripekala, Prav, Radegast, Rod, Rusalka, Simargl, Stribog, Svarog, Svarozhich, Sudenitsy, Triglav, Uslad (Oslad), Veles, Viy, Vodyanoy, Vyraj (Vyriy, Iriy), World Tree, Yarilo, Yav, Zhar-ptitsa (Firebird), Zelya and Karna, Ziva (Zhiva, Zivana, Siwa)

Fortune telling on Cards

Fortune telling ‘Star of Lada’, Fortune telling ‘Finist's Flight’, Fortune telling ‘Alatyr’, Fortune telling ‘Eye of Hors’, Fortune telling ‘Question to the Cards’, Fortune telling ‘Mokosh's Spindle’, Fortune telling ‘Prophecy of Veles’, Fortune telling ‘Bird Magura’, Fortune telling ‘Message of Simargl’, Fortune telling ‘Tree of Life’

Divination Cards with Slavic Deities and Spirits. Cards for Coloring and Cutting

Bibliography

Part 1. Slavic Deities

Agunya

Agunya — in Slavic mythology, the god of earthly fire.

Avsen (Bausen, Ovsen, Tausen, Usen)

Avsen (Bausen, Ovsen, Tausen, Usen) — in Slavic mythology, the name of a character who was often considered a deity of the changing seasons. According to some versions, he also patronized horses and shepherds, and he was also associated with the beginning of the spring solar cycle and the harvest.

As for the origin of his name, there is a version that it goes back to the Old Russian ‘usin’ — ‘bluish’, which was found in the names of the winter months. For example, January was called ‘Prosinets’. According to other versions, it is believed that Avsen comes from the word ‘sen’ — light, because with the arrival of Avsen, the bright part of the year began, and the day became longer.

Badnyak

Badnyak — in the mythology of the South Slavs, is a ritual character, a symbol of the old year. Its symbol was a stump with a beard or a branch, which was customarily burned on Christmas Eve. Also, Badnyak is associated with the image of a snake at the roots of a tree (the snake acted as the embodiment of the Underworld). Therefore, the burning of Badnyak at the end of the old year was a symbol of the defeat of the snake, as well as a commemoration of the beginning of a new cycle.

Contrasted with the symbol of the new year — Bozhych.

Barma

Barma is the god of prayer. Spouse of Tarusa. Barma flew on a swan.

There is one story about Barma and Tarusa. It says that Churila lived in Svarga (the mythological divine kingdom), who was so beautiful that all the goddesses liked him. And then, one day, Churila fell in love with Tarusa, Barma's wife. And Churila began to visit Tarusa secretly from Barma.

Only now did Barma find out about Tarusa's cheating. And Barma got angry. Barma sat on his swan, flew home, and there he found Tarusa with Churila. And without thinking twice, Barma chopped off Churila's head.

Barma wanted to punish Tarusa for cheating, but his children, Man and Manya, dissuaded him from doing so. (In this case, ‘Man’ is the name of a mythological character. It is pronounced like Man [mɑːn]. The pronunciation is different from the word man [mæn].) And thus, Barma spared Tarusa.

But Tarusa, together with her son Man, fled from Barma on a swan to the mountains. And in the mountains, Tarusa and Man found Dyi's terem (ancient Slavic palace). In the terem, Dyi and his servants of divs dwelt. And when they saw Man, they pounced on him. However, Man defeated all the divs, and Dyi himself barely escaped from him.

But when night fell, and Man fell asleep, then Dyi crept to Tarusa. And Dyi appeared before Tarusa, and he was handsome and similar to his son Churila. Therefore, Tarusa fell in love with Dyi, and she even promised him to destroy her son Man.

When Man woke up, Tarusa pretended to be sick, and said that only apples from the Tree of Life that grow in Vyraj (Paradise of the ancient Slavs) can cure her illness. Tarusa thought that the deities would not let Man go to the apples, that the deities would destroy him. But Man flew to Vyraj on the swan, and he asked the goddess Lada for these apples. Lada gave him apples, and he brought them to Tarusa.

And then Tarusa, as if as a joke, tied Man, and then she gave him to Dyi. And Dyi began to torment Man, and then threw him into the cave, which led to the Underworld. But Dyi forgot about the swan. And the swan ascended to Heaven and began to ask the deities for help. And the deities raised Man from Underworld. And after that Man again came to the Dyi's terem, and he saw Dyi and Tarusa together.

And then Dyi began to fight with Man. And Man defeated Dyi, but forgave him, because Dyi, at enmity with Man, took revenge on Barma for the death of Churila. But Man did not forgive Tarusa and brought her to Barma for trial. And Barma punished Tarusa, burned her in the flame of Simargl.

C:\Users\Admin\Desktop\slav_bogi_picture\Рис.№19 Барма и Таруса.png

Barma and Tarusa

Belobog (Belbog)

Belobog (Belbog, ‘White God’) — in Slavic mythology, the god who lived in Heaven and ruled over them. Also, he was considered the personification of a bright day, a deity of light, good luck and happiness. It is also often associated with positive things in people's lives. Also, it was believed that Belobog with his staff was able to collect clouds and pierce them to make it rain.

He was opposed to the dark god Chernobog (‘Black God’). In the minds of people of that time, the world was divided into two parts — friendly and hostile, negative and positive, light and dark. And each of them was ruled by its own deity. Belobog controlled the light part, and the dark part opposed to he, accordingly ruled Chernobog.

Belobog was depicted in the image of an old man with a long beard, dressed in white clothes and holding a staff.

His sanctuary stood on a high hill, exposed to the sun. And the idol of Belobog was depicted holding a piece of iron in his right hand.

Bor (Svyatobor)

Bor (Svyatobor) — in Slavic mythology, the name of the god of the forests, the patron of hunting. Sometimes Bor joked at people, but if he suddenly got angry, then he began to torment the person and lead him or her astray in the forest.

Bor was usually portrayed in the form of a tall and powerful man, with long hair and a thick beard.

Bozhych

Bozhych — in the mythology of the South Slavs, he is a ritual character, a symbol of the new year (unlike Badnyak), a solar deity, a harbinger of the spring rebirth of nature.

His symbol was a deer with golden horns, which symbolized the beginning of a new solar cycle. It was believed that on his golden horns, Bozhych brought the renewed sun. Also, fire served as a symbol of Bozhych.

Chernobog

Chernobog (‘Black God’) — in the mythology of the Western Slavs, an evil dark deity, a god who brings misfortune. He was also considered the deity of winter, the deity that controls epidemics and starvation.

He is the eternal enemy of Belobog. It was believed that Chernobog and Belobog always fought with each other, but they could not defeat each other.

Chernobog was usually depicted in the form of a man dressed in strong armor. He had an angry face and held a spear in one hand. His idols were made of iron.

Horses, captives and slaves were sacrificed to him. But people did this not out of love for this god, but out of fear, fearing his anger.

According to some sources, there is a myth about Chernobog. Once upon a time, a long time ago, Chernobog was born — the Black Serpent, the deity of darkness. And Krivda (Krivda is a lie, injustice, the opposite of truth) began to whisper thoughts to Chernobog, to push him to dark deeds. And Chernobog liked Krivda's speech. And he decided to subjugate the entire Universe, take Yav (Earth, World of Humans) and Prav (Heaven, World of Deities) for himself. And then Chernobog turned into a Serpent, and he left the Underworld.

Meanwhile, the god Svarog suspected something was wrong. He forged himself a huge hammer and hit the Alatyr stone with it, so that helpers for Svarog were born in the world. And sparks scattered from the blow of the hammer on the stone in different directions, and from them the deities were born. Dazhbog was born — the giver of benefits. After that, Dazhbog's assistant was born — the sun god Hors. Simargl, Stribog and other deities were also born from sparks.

Then Chernobog in the form of the Serpent crawled to the Alatyr stone, and he hit the stone with his tail. He wounded his tail, but still, there were many sparks from this blow. And the Earthly and Underground evil spirits were born from these sparks.

But Dazhbog noticed what was happening, he noticed the evil spirits that had come into being. Then Dazhbog called Simargl, so that Simargl flew to Svarog and told him that a great battle with dark forces was approaching. And Simargl flew to Svarog, and told him everything.

And Svarog said that he had sensed the Serpent for a long time. And he said that he would make weapons in his forge for the Heavenly army.

And now, the time has come, the light deities met with the dark forces in battle. They fought for a long time. And under the onslaught of dark forces, the light deities had a very hard time. And the dark forces got to Prav. And they almost made their way into the smithy of Svarog. But then Svarog forged a plow in his blacksmith. And when Chernobog in the form of the Black Serpent made his way into the forge of Svarog, Svarog threw the plow directly at the Serpent. And Svarog told other deities to help harness the Black Serpent to this plow. And the deities harnessed the Serpent to the plow.

And then the Serpent asked Svarog what he wants in exchange for the life of evil spirits, the children of Chernobog. And Svarog asked how many children the Serpent has? And the Serpent answered him that it was enough, and the people of Nav (Underworld) multiply very quickly. And then Svarog replied to the Serpent that the time had come to resolve their dispute. And he said that the Serpent will not get the Universe completely, as well as Svarog will not get it completely. And that it is necessary to plow the great Mezha (boundary; border of land plots; the trail left by the plow in the ground) between their kingdoms. And Mezha will be on the damp earth in Yav. And that on the right there will be a Light Kingdom, which belongs to Svarog, and on the left there will be a Dark Kingdom, which belongs to the Serpent. The Serpent agreed with him. So they came to an agreement.

Chislobog

Chislobog is a god of time.

Chislobog was depicted with two faces. One of his faces was like the sun, because the sun measured the time of the day, and his other face was like the moon, because the moon measured the time of night.

According to other sources, Chislobog was the deity of the moon and was portrayed in the form of a woman who held the moon in her hand, by which time was counted in antiquity.

Chur (Tsur)

Chur (Tsur) — in myths, the name of the ancient deity of the hearth, who guarded the boundaries of land holdings, also, he was the guardian of everything from everyone. Chur lived in a hearth and a warm izba (the dwelling of the ancient Slavs).

Also, people often called out to him during fortune-telling and games.

Chur was personified in the form of a wooden image, which had the shape of a round, a short stump about the thickness of a hand. On this stump, symbols were cut out, which indicated the owner of a particular piece of land.

Also, according to legends, Chur protected from evil spirits. There is even an old saying ‘Chur me!’. It means an appeal to the god Chur with a request for protection.

Dabog

Dabog — in the mythology of the South Slavs, is a mythologized image of the ‘King on Earth’. Dabog was a deity giving good things, just like Dazhbog among the Eastern Slavs.

Damp Mother Earth (Mat Syra Zemlya)

Damp Mother Earth (Mat Syra Zemlya) — in myths, the goddess of the Earth. When spring comes, thunder wakes her up. When Damp Mother Earth wakes up, she becomes younger, decorates herself with flowers, spreads strength and youth everywhere. Also, Damp Mother Earth is considered the mother of all living things, including people.

Since ancient times, Damp Mother Earth was considered a very important character in Slavic mythology, because at that time people's lives were very dependent on nature and natural phenomena, they deified natural forces. Therefore, the people of that time compared Damp Mother Earth with a human being. For example, her appearance was often compared with that of a human — grass, shrubs, trees were hair, rocks were bones, roots were veins, and rivers of water were blood. Also, Damp Mother Earth gave birth to living beings, she could get angry, which manifested itself in earthquakes, and she moaned in pain during a storm.

For every human, Damp Mother Earth is extremely important, as she fed and watered people.

Damp Mother Earth rejoiced in the sun, giving people harvests. And she fell asleep in the winter and woke up in the spring.

Also, Damp Mother Earth is sometimes mentioned in fairy tales. For example, in a fairy tale, when the hero got tired of the battle with the enemy, he fell to the chest of Damp Mother Earth and she gave the hero new strength.

People also took oaths in the name of Damp Mother Earth, and such oaths could not be broken, because Damp Mother Earth could not stand oath breakers.

Also, there is a legend about how once the god Yarilo loved Damp Mother Earth, after which she gave birth to all living things.

The legend tells that Damp Mother Earth lay in darkness and cold. She was dead, there was nothing — no light, no sounds and no movements.

And then Yarilo said that he need to look through the darkness at Damp Mother Earth, and see: is she good? And Yarilo's fiery gaze pierced the darkness that lay over the sleeping Earth. And where his gaze pierced the darkness, there the sun shone. And through the sun hot rays of Yarilo's light appeared.

Damp Mother Earth began to awaken from sleep and ‘drink’ the rays of light. And from this light, life began to spread over the Earth. Damp Mother Earth fell in love with Yarilo and from his kisses gradually the Earth was covered with forests, fields, rivers, lakes, flowers and cereals. Animals and birds appeared on Earth, fish appeared in her seas and rivers. Everything on Earth came to life.

And Damp Mother Earth continued to ‘drink’ the sun's rays and she gave birth to human. And when the human came out of the bowels of the earth, Yarilo hit the human on the head with the golden reins — a fierce lightning. And from this blow, a mind arose in human, and human began to differ from animals.

Damp Mother Earth was glad that there was no end to Yarilo's love. But after a while it began to get colder, the days became shorter. Damp Mother Earth clouded over with grief and began to cry, it began to rain on Earth.

And then Yarilo told Damp Mother Earth not to grieve, because he would leave her for a short while, otherwise she would burn out under his kisses. And while Yarilo is gone, the Earth will sleep under the snow cover until his arrival. And when the time comes, Yarilo would send a messenger to the Earth, Vesna Krasna (Red Spring, Beautiful Spring), and then he would come himself. After that, Yarilo left, and Damp Mother Earth was covered with snow and fell asleep until the arrival of Vesna (Spring).

Sometimes among the ancient Slavs the word ‘red’ (krasnyy) meant ‘beautiful’.

Dazhbog (Dazhdbog, Dadzbog)

Dazhbog (Dazhdbog, Dadzbog) — ‘the Giving God’, ‘Wealth Giver’ in the mythology of the ancient Slavs was considered a solar deity who ‘closed’ the winter and ‘opened’ the spring, the god of harvest, endowed a person with skill, health, wisdom, physical strength. He was the keeper of the keys of the Earth.

The ancient Slavs believed that the dwelling of the Sun was in the east, in the land of eternal summer. There was his golden palace, from where he rode out in the morning in a golden chariot. Four white horses with golden manes were harnessed to the chariot, which were taken to heaven by Dazhbog's sister, Morning Light. And Dazhbog circled the sky. After that, another sister of Dazhbog, Evening Light, met his chariot in the evening, unharnessed the horses and took them to the stable.

(Morning Light and Evening Light are also known as the two ‘Zorya’ (Morning Light — Zorya Utrennyaya; Evening Light — Zorya Vechernyaya). Sometimes they are called the daughters of Dazhbog. Also, in some sources, a third goddess still appears — Midnight Light (Zorya Polunochnaya). In addition, in other sources, Zorya (‘Light’ or ‘Aurora’) appears as an independent goddess of beauty and / or war.)

C:\Users\Admin\Desktop\slav_bogi_picture\Рис.№12 Утренняя Заря и Вечерняя Заря.png

Morning Light and Evening Light

And when Dazhbog rode across the sky on his chariot, a bright light emanated from his fiery shield. But in the evening, from the dust, Dazhbog's shield grew dull and became a dull red color.

It was also believed that Dazhbog was dying in the autumn, but after the winter solstice, when the days became longer again, a new young Dazhbog was born.

Also, it was believed that Dazhbog was a deity that closed the winter and opened the summer. For the winter, he closed the Earth and gave the keys to the birds, who carried the keys to Vyraj. In the spring, the birds again brought the keys from Vyraj to Dazhbog, and he opened the Earth with them.

He was also considered the patron and ancestor of the Russian tribes.

Gradually, the power of Dazhbog increased, and he became a deity who bestows all the blessings, ‘the Giving God’. And the widely known expression in Russia ‘God will give’ (Dai Bozhe) is a distorted Old Slavic ‘Dazhbog’.

Dazhbog was the son of Svarog.

There is also one legend. At that time, the time of the Kupala Night was approaching on Earth. That is, it was the very height of summer, and people believed that during this period the water received magical properties, and all sorts of miracles happened at night.

(Kupala Night (Ivana-Kupala) is a folk holiday of the Eastern Slavs, dedicated to the summer solstice. On this holiday, the Slavs celebrate the shortest night of the year.)

And