The ancient Slavic pantheon is very complex in its structure and numerous in composition. Most gods were identified with various forces of nature, although there were exceptions, the most striking example of which is Rod, the creator god. Due to the similarity of functions and properties of some gods, it is difficult to determine for sure which names are just variations of the names of the same god, and which belong to different gods.
The entire pantheon can be divided into two large circles: the elder gods who ruled all three worlds in the primordial stage, and the second circle - the young gods who took the reins of power in the new stage. At the same time, some elder gods are present in the new stage, while others disappear (more precisely, there are no descriptions of their activities or interference in anything, but the memory that they existed remains).

In the Slavic pantheon there was no clear hierarchy of power, which was replaced by a clan hierarchy, where sons were subordinate to their father, but brothers were equal to each other. The Slavs did not have clearly defined evil gods and good gods. Some deities gave life, others took it, but all were revered equally, since the Slavs believed that the existence of one without the other was impossible. At the same time, gods who were good in their functions could punish and cause harm, while evil ones, on the contrary, could help and save people. Thus, the gods of the ancient Slavs were very similar to people not only in appearance, but also in character, since they simultaneously carried within themselves both good and evil.

Outwardly, the gods looked like people, and most of them could turn into animals, in the form of which they usually appeared to people. The gods were distinguished from ordinary beings by their superpowers, which allowed the deities to change the world. Each of the gods had power over one of the parts of this world. The effects on other parts not subject to the deities were limited and temporary.

Genus

The most ancient supreme male deity among the Slavs was Rod. Already in Christian teachings against paganism in the 12th-13th centuries. they write about Rod as a god who was worshiped by all peoples.
Rod was the god of the sky, thunderstorms, and fertility. They said about him that he rides on a cloud, throws rain on the ground, and from this children are born. He was the ruler of the earth and all living things, and was a pagan creator god.
IN Slavic languages The root "genus" means kinship, birth, water (spring), profit (harvest), concepts such as people and homeland, in addition, it means the color red and lightning, especially ball lightning, called "rhodia". This variety of cognate words undoubtedly proves the greatness of the pagan god.
Rod is a creator god, together with his sons Belbog and Chernobog he created this world. Alone, Rod created Prav, Yav and Nav in the sea of ​​chaos, and together with his sons he created the earth.

The sun then came out from His face. The bright moon is from His chest. The frequent stars are from His eyes. The clear dawns are from His eyebrows. Dark nights - yes from His thoughts. Violent winds - from the breath...
"The Book of Kolyada"
The Slavs had no idea about Rod’s appearance, since he never appeared directly in front of people.
Temples in honor of the deity were built on hills or simply large open areas of land. His idol was phallic in shape or simply shaped like a pillar painted red. Sometimes the role of an idol was played by an ordinary tree growing on a hill, especially if it was quite ancient. In general, the Slavs believed that Rod is in everything and therefore can be worshiped anywhere. There were no sacrifices in honor of Rod. Instead, holidays and feasts are organized, which are held directly near the idol.

Belbog

Son of Rod, god of light, goodness and justice. In Slavic mythology, he is the creator of the world along with Rod and Chernobog. Outwardly, Belbog appeared as a gray-haired old man dressed like a sorcerer.
Belobog in the mythology of our ancestors never acted as an independent individual character. Just as any object in the world of reality has a shadow, so Belobog has its integral antipode - Chernobog. A similar analogy can be found in ancient Chinese philosophy (yin and yang), in the Ynglism of the Icelanders (Yuj rune) and in many other cultural and religious systems. Belobog, thus, becomes the embodiment of bright human ideals: goodness, honor and justice.

A sanctuary in honor of Belbog was built on the hills, with the idol facing east, towards the sunrise. However, Belbog was revered not only in the sanctuary of the deity, but also at feasts, always making a toast in his honor.

Veles

One of the greatest gods ancient world, son of Rod, brother of Svarog. His main act was that Veles set the world created by Rod and Svarog into motion. Veles - “cattle god” - master of the wild, master of Navi, powerful wizard and werewolf, interpreter of laws, teacher of the arts, patron of travelers and merchants, god of luck. True, some sources point to him as the god of death...
At the moment, among various pagan and Rodnoverie movements, a fairly popular text is Veles’s book, which became known to the general public in the 1950s last century thanks to researcher and writer Yuri Mirolyubov. The Veles book is actually 35 birch tablets, dotted with symbols, which linguists (in particular, A. Kur and S. Lesnoy) call Slavic pre-Cyrillic writing. It's interesting that original text Indeed, it does not resemble either the Cyrillic or Glagolitic alphabet, but the features of the Slavic runitsa are presented in it indirectly.
Despite the wide spread and mass veneration of this god, Veles was always separated from the other gods; his idols were never placed in common temples (sacred places in which images of the main gods of this territory were installed).

Dazhdbog

God of the Sun, giver of heat and light, god of fertility and life-giving force. The symbol of Dazhdbog was originally considered to be the solar disk. Its color is gold, speaking of the nobility of this god and his unshakable strength. In general, our ancestors had three main solar deities - Khors, Yarila and Dazhdbog. But Khors was the winter sun, Yarilo was the spring sun, and Dazhdbog was the summer sun. Of course, it was Dazhdbog who deserved special respect, since a lot depended on the summer position of the sun in the firmament for the ancient Slavs, a people of farmers. At the same time, Dazhdbog was never distinguished by a tough disposition, and if a drought suddenly attacked, then our ancestors never blamed this god.
The temples of Dazhdbog were located on the hills. The idol was made of wood and placed facing east or southeast. Feathers from ducks, swans and geese, as well as honey, nuts and apples were brought as gifts to the deity.

Devana

Devana is the goddess of hunting, wife of the forest god Svyatobor and daughter of Perun. The Slavs represented the goddess in the form of a beautiful girl dressed in an elegant marten fur coat trimmed with squirrel. The beauty wore a bear skin over her fur coat, and the head of the animal served as her hat. Perun's daughter carried with her an excellent bow and arrows, a sharp knife and a spear, the kind used to kill a bear.

The beautiful goddess not only hunted forest animals: she herself taught them how to avoid dangers and endure harsh winters.

Dewana was first of all revered by hunters and trappers; they prayed to the goddess to grant good luck in the hunt, and in gratitude they brought part of their prey to her sanctuary. It was believed that it was she who helped to find the secret paths of animals in the dense forest, to avoid clashes with wolves and bears, and, if the meeting did take place, to help the person emerge victorious.

Share and Nedolya

Share is a good goddess, Mokosh’s assistant, weaving a happy destiny.
He appears in the guise of a sweet young man or a red-haired maiden with golden curls and a cheerful smile. He cannot stand still, he walks around the world - there are no barriers: swamp, river, forest, mountains - Fate will instantly overcome.
Doesn't like lazy people, careless people, drunks and all sorts of things bad people. Although at first he makes friends with everyone - then he will sort out the bad things, evil man will leave.
NEDOLYA (Need, Need) - the goddess, Mokosh’s assistant, weaves an unhappy fate.
Dolya and Nedolya are not just personifications of abstract concepts that do not have objective existence, but on the contrary, they are living persons identical to the maidens of fate.
They act according to their own calculations, regardless of the will and intentions of a person: a happy person does not work at all and lives in contentment, because the Share works for him. On the contrary, Nedolya’s activities are constantly aimed at harming people. While she is awake, misfortune follows misfortune, and only then does it become easier for the unfortunate man when Nedolya falls asleep: “If Likho is sleeping, don’t wake him.”

Dogoda

Dogoda (Weather) - the god of beautiful weather and a gentle, pleasant breeze. Young, ruddy, fair-haired, wearing a cornflower blue wreath with blue butterfly wings gilded at the edges, in silver-shiny bluish clothes, holding a thorn in his hand and smiling at the flowers.

Kolyada

Kolyada is the baby sun, in Slavic mythology the embodiment of the New Year's cycle, as well as a holiday character similar to Avsen.
Kolyada was celebrated on winter holidays from December 25 (the turn of the sun to spring) to January 6.
“Once upon a time, Kolyada was not perceived as a mummer. Kolyada was a deity, and one of the most influential. They called carols and called. The days before the New Year were dedicated to Kolyada, and games were organized in her honor, which were subsequently held at Christmas time. The last patriarchal ban on the worship of Kolyada was issued on December 24, 1684. It is believed that Kolyada was recognized by the Slavs as the deity of fun, which is why he was called upon and called upon by merry bands of youth during New Year’s festivities” (A. Strizhev. “People's Calendar”).

Kryshen

The son of the Almighty and the goddess Maya, he was the brother of the very first creator of the world, Rod, although he was much younger than him. He returned fire to people, fought on the shores of the Arctic Ocean with Chernobog and defeated him.

KUPALO

Kupala (Kupaila) is the fruitful deity of summer, the summer hypostasis of the Sun god.
“Kupalo, as I remember, was the god of abundance, like the Hellenic Ceres, to whom the madman offered thanks for the abundance to the Shah at that time, when the harvest was about to arrive.”
His holiday is dedicated to the day summer solstice, myself long day per year. The night before this day was also sacred - the Night before Kupalo. Feasting, merrymaking and mass swimming in ponds continued all that night.
They sacrificed to him before collecting bread, on June 23, St. Agrippina, who was popularly nicknamed the Bathing Suit. Young people decorated themselves with wreaths, lit a fire, danced around it and sang Kupala. The games continued all night. In some places, on June 23, they heated bathhouses, laid grass for a bathhouse (buttercup) in them, and then swam in the river.
On the very Nativity of John the Baptist, weaving wreaths, they hung them on the roofs of houses and on barns to remove evil spirits from the home.

Lada

LADA (Freya, Preya, Siv or Zif) - the goddess of youth and spring, beauty and fertility, an all-generous mother, patroness of love and marriages.
In folk songs, “lado” still means a dearly beloved friend, lover, groom, husband.
Freya's outfit shines with dazzling brilliance sun rays, her beauty is charming, and the drops of morning dew are called her tears; on the other hand, she acts as a warlike heroine, rushing through the heavens in storms and thunderstorms and driving away rain clouds. In addition, this is a goddess, in whose retinue the shadows of the dead walk in afterworld. The cloud fabric is precisely the veil on which the soul, after the death of a person, ascends to the kingdom of the blessed.
According to popular poems, angels, appearing for a righteous soul, take it on a shroud and carry it to heaven. The cult of Freya-Siwa explains the superstitious respect that Russian commoners have for Friday, as a day dedicated to this goddess. Anyone who starts a business on Friday will, as the proverb goes, back off.
Among the ancient Slavs, the birch tree, which personified the goddess Lada, was considered a sacred tree.

Ice

Ice - the Slavs prayed to this deity for success in battles; he was revered as the ruler of military actions and bloodshed. This ferocious deity was depicted as a terrible warrior, armed with Slavic armor, or all-weapon. A sword at the hip, a spear and a shield in the hand.
He had his own temples. When preparing to go on a campaign against enemies, the Slavs prayed to him, asking for help and promising abundant sacrifices if they were successful in military operations.

Lel

Lel is the god of love passion in the mythology of the ancient Slavs, the son of the goddess of beauty and love Lada. The word “cherish” still reminds us of Lela, this cheerful, frivolous god of passion, that is, undead, love. He is the son of the goddess of beauty and love Lada, and beauty naturally gives birth to passion. This feeling flared up especially brightly in the spring and on Kupala night. Lel was depicted as a golden-haired, winged baby, like his mother: after all, love is free and elusive. Lel threw sparks from his hands: after all, passion is fiery, hot love! In Slavic mythology, Lel is the same god as the Greek Eros or Roman Cupid. Only the ancient gods hit the hearts of people with arrows, and Lel kindled them with his fierce flame.
The stork (heron) was considered his sacred bird. Another name for this bird in some Slavic languages ​​is leleka. In connection with Lelem, both cranes and larks were revered - symbols of spring.

Makosh

One of the main goddesses Eastern Slavs, wife of the thunderer Perun.
Her name is made up of two parts: “ma” - mother and “kosh” - purse, basket, shed. Makosh is the mother of filled koshes, the mother of a good harvest.
This is not a goddess of fertility, but a goddess of the results of the economic year, a goddess of the harvest, and a giver of blessings. The harvest is determined by lot, fate, every year, so she was also revered as the goddess of fate. A mandatory attribute when depicting her is a cornucopia.
This goddess connected the abstract concept of fate with the concrete concept of abundance, patronized the household, sheared sheep, spun, and punished the careless. The specific concept of “spinner” was associated with the metaphorical one: “spinning of fate.”
Makosh patronized marriage and family happiness. She presented herself as a woman with a large head and long arms, spinning in the hut at night: superstitions forbid leaving the tow, “otherwise Makosha will spin it.”

Moraine

Morena (Marana, Morana, Mara, Maruha, Marmara) - the goddess of death, winter and night.
Mara is the goddess of death, daughter of Lada. Outwardly, Mara looks tall beautiful girl with black hair in red clothes. Mara cannot be called either an evil or a good goddess. On the one hand, it gives death, but at the same time it also gives life.

One of Mara’s favorite pastimes is needlework: she loves to spin and weave. At the same time, like the Greek Moira, he uses the threads of fate of living beings for needlework, leading them to turning points in life, and, ultimately, cutting off the thread of existence.

Mara sends her messengers all over the world, who appear to people in the guise of a woman with long black hair or in the guise of doubles of people who are destined for warning, and foretell imminent death.

No permanent places of worship were erected in the part of Mara; honors could be paid to her anywhere. To do this, an image of the goddess, carved from wood or made from straw, was installed on the ground, and the area was surrounded by stones. Directly in front of the idol, a larger stone or wooden plank was installed, which served as an altar. After the ceremony, all this was dismantled, and the image of Mary was burned or thrown into the river.

Mara was revered on February 15, and flowers, straw and various fruits were brought as gifts to the goddess of death. Sometimes, during years of severe epidemics, animals were sacrificed, bleeding them directly at the altar.
Welcoming spring with a solemn holiday, the Slavs performed a ritual of expelling Death or Winter and threw an effigy of Morana into the water. As a representative of winter, Morana is defeated by the spring Perun, who strikes her with his blacksmith's hammer and at all summer time throws her into an underground dungeon.
According to the identification of Death with thunder spirits, ancient belief forced these latter to fulfill her sad duty. But since the thunderer and his companions were also the organizers heavenly kingdom, then the concept of Death split into two, and fantasy portrayed it either as an evil creature, dragging souls into the underworld, or as a messenger of the supreme deity, accompanying the souls of deceased heroes to his heavenly palace.
Diseases were considered by our ancestors as companions and assistants of Death.

Perun

The Thunder God, a victorious, punishing deity, whose appearance excites fear and awe. Perun, in Slavic mythology, the most famous of the Svarozhich brothers. He is the god of storm clouds, thunder and lightning.
He is presented as stately, tall, with black hair and a long golden beard. Seated on a flaming chariot, he rides across the sky, armed with a bow and arrow, and slays the wicked.
According to Nestor, the wooden idol of Perun, placed in Kyiv, had a golden mustache on its silver head. Over time, Perun became the patron of the prince and his squad.
Temples in honor of Perun were always built on hills, and the highest place in the area was chosen. Idols were made mainly of oak - this mighty tree was a symbol of Perun. Sometimes there were places of worship of Perun, arranged around an oak tree growing on a hill; it was believed that this is how Perun himself means best place. In such places no additional idols were placed, and the oak tree, located on a hill, was revered as an idol.

Radegast

Radegast (Redigost, Radigast) is a lightning god, a killer and eater of clouds, and at the same time a luminous guest who appears with the return of spring. Earthly fire was recognized as the son of Heaven, brought down as a gift to mortals, by fast-flying lightning, and therefore the idea of ​​an honored divine guest, a stranger from heaven to earth, was also connected with it.
Russian villagers honored him with the guest's name. At the same time, he received the character of a guardian god for every foreigner (guest) who came to someone else’s house and surrendered under the protection of local penates (i.e., hearth), the patron god of merchants who came from distant countries and trade in general.
The Slavic Radigost was depicted with the head of a buffalo on his chest.

Svarog

Svarog is the creator god of earth and heaven. Svarog is the source of fire and its ruler. He creates not with words, not with magic, unlike Veles, but with his hands, he creates the material world. He gave people the Sun-Ra and fire. Svarog threw a plow and a yoke from the sky to the ground in order to cultivate the land; a battle ax to protect this land from enemies, and a bowl for preparing a sacred drink in it.
Like Rod, Svarog is a creator god, he continued the formation of this world, changing its original state, improving and expanding. However, Svarog’s favorite pastime is blacksmithing.

Temples in honor of Svarog were built on hills overgrown with trees or shrubs. The center of the hill was cleared to the ground and a fire was lit in this place; no additional idols were installed in the temple.

Svyatobor

Svyatobor is the god of the forest. Outwardly, he looks like an aged hero, representing an old man of strong build, with a thick beard and dressed in animal skins
Svyatobor fiercely guards forests and mercilessly punishes those who harm them; in some cases, the punishment can even be death or eternal imprisonment in the forest in the guise of an animal or tree.

Svyatobor is married to the goddess of hunting Devan.

Temples were not built in honor of Svyatobor; their role was played by groves, forests and forests, which were recognized as sacred and in which neither deforestation nor hunting was carried out.

Semargl

One of the Svarozhichs was the god of fire - Semargl, who is sometimes mistakenly considered only heavenly dog, guardian of seeds for sowing. This (storing seeds) was constantly carried out by a much smaller deity - Pereplut.
The ancient books of the Slavs tell how Semargl was born. Svarog hit the Alatyr stone with a magic hammer, struck divine sparks from it, which flared up, and the fiery god Semargl became visible in their flames. He sat on a golden-maned horse of silver color. Thick smoke became his banner. Where Semargl passed, a scorched trail remained. Such was his strength, but more often than not he looked quiet and peaceful.
Semargl, God of fire and the Moon, fire sacrifices, home and hearth, stores seeds and crops. Can turn sacred winged dog.
The name of the God of Fire is not known for certain; most likely, his name is so sacred. Of course, this God does not live somewhere in seventh heaven, but directly among people! They try to pronounce his name out loud less often, replacing it with allegories. The Slavs associate the emergence of people with Fire. According to some legends, the Gods created a Man and a Woman from two sticks, between which a Fire flared up - the very first flame of love. Semargl does not allow evil into the world. At night he stands guard with a fiery sword and only one day a year does Semargl leave his post, responding to the call of the Bathing Lady, who calls him to love games on the day of the Autumn Equinox. And on the day of the Summer Solstice, 9 months later, children are born to Semargl and Kupalnitsa - Kostroma and Kupalo.

Stribog

In East Slavic mythology, the god of the wind. He can summon and tame a storm and can turn into his assistant, the mythical bird Stratim. In general, the wind was usually represented in the form of a gray-haired old man living at the edge of the world, in a dense forest or on an island in the middle of the ocean.
Stribog's temples were built on the banks of rivers or seas; they are especially often found at river mouths. The temples in his honor were not fenced off from the surrounding area in any way and were designated only by an idol made of wood, which was installed facing north. A large stone was also placed in front of the idol, which served as an altar.

Triglav

In ancient Slavic mythology, this is the unity of the three main essences-hypostases of the gods: Svarog (creation), Perun (law of Rule) and Svyatovit (light)
According to various mythological traditions, Triglav included different gods. In Novgorod of the 9th century, the Great Triglav consisted of Svarog, Perun and Sventovit, and earlier (before the Western Slavs moved to the Novgorod lands) - of Svarog, Perun and Veles. In Kyiv, apparently, from Perun, Dazhbog and Stribog.
The Lesser Triglavs were composed of gods lower on the hierarchical ladder.

Horse

Horse (Korsha, Kore, Korsh) is the ancient Russian deity of the sun and solar disk. It is best known among the southeastern Slavs, where the sun simply reigns over the rest of the world. Horse, in Slavic mythology, the god of the Sun, guardian of the luminary, son of Rod, brother of Veles. Not all gods were common among the Slavs and Rus. For example, before the Russians came to the banks of the Dnieper, Horses were not known here. Only Prince Vladimir installed his image next to Perun. But it was known among other Aryan peoples: among the Iranians, Persians, Zoroastrians, where they worshiped the god of the rising sun - Khorset. This word also had a broader meaning - “radiance”, “brilliance”, as well as “glory”, “greatness”, sometimes “royal dignity” and even “khvarna” - special marking by the gods, chosenness.
Temples in honor of Khors were built on small hills in the middle of meadows or small groves. The idol was made of wood and installed on the eastern slope of the hill. And as an offering, a special pie “horoshul” or “kurnik” was used, which crumbled around the idol. But to a greater extent, dances (round dances) and songs were used to honor the Horse.

Chernobog

God of cold, destruction, death, evil; the god of madness and the embodiment of everything bad and black. It is believed that Chernobog is the prototype of the immortal Kashchei from fairy tales. Kashchei is a cult character in Slavic mythology, whose folklore image is extremely far from the original one. Kashchei Chernobogvich was the youngest son of Chernobog, the great Serpent of Darkness. His older brothers - Goryn and Viy - feared and respected Kashchei for his great wisdom and equally great hatred of his father's enemies - the Irian gods. Kashchei owned the deepest and darkest kingdom of Navi - the Koshcheev kingdom,
Chernobog is the ruler of Navi, the god of time, the son of Rod. In Slavic mythology, he is the creator of the world along with Rod and Belbog. Outwardly, he appeared in two forms: in the first, he looked like a hunched, thin old man with a long beard, a silver mustache and a crooked stick in his hands; in the second he was depicted as a middle-aged man of thin build, dressed in black clothes, but, again, with a silver mustache.

Chernobog is armed with a sword, which he wields masterfully. Although he is able to instantly appear at any point in Navi, he prefers to move astride a fiery stallion.
After the creation of the world, Chernobog received Nav - world of the dead, in which he is at the same time a ruler and a prisoner, since, despite all his strength, he is not able to leave its boundaries. The deity does not release from Navi the souls of people who ended up there for their sins, but the sphere of its influence is not limited to Navi alone. Chernobog managed to bypass the restrictions imposed on him and created Koshchei, who is the incarnation of the ruler of Navi in ​​Reality, while the power of God in another world is significantly less than the real one, but still allowed him to spread his influence to Reality, and only in Rule does Chernobog never appear.

Temples in honor of Chernobog were made of dark stones, the wooden idol was completely covered with iron, except for the head, on which only the mustache was trimmed with metal.

Yarilo

Yarilo is the god of spring and sunlight. Outwardly, Yarilo looks like a young man with red hair, dressed in white clothes with a flower wreath on his head. This god moves around the world riding a white horse.

Temples in honor of Yarila were built on the top of hills covered with trees. The tops of the hills were cleared of vegetation and an idol was erected in this place, in front of which a large white stone was placed, which could sometimes be located at the foot of the hill. Unlike most other gods, there were no sacrifices in honor of the god of spring. Usually the deity was worshiped with songs and dances at the temple. At the same time, one of the participants in the action was certainly dressed up as Yarila, after which he became the center of the entire celebration. Sometimes special figurines in the image of people were made, they were brought to the temple, and then smashed against a white stone installed there; it is believed that this brings the blessing of Yarila, from which the harvest will be larger and sexual energy will be higher.

A little about the world order of the Slavs

The center of the world for the ancient Slavs was the World Tree (World Tree, Tree of the World). It is central axis of the entire universe, including the Earth, and connects the World of people with the World of the Gods and the Underworld. Accordingly, the crown of the tree reaches the World of the Gods in heaven - Iriy or Svarga, the roots of the tree go underground and connect the World of the Gods and the World of people with the underground World or the world of the Dead, ruled by Chernobog, Madder and other “dark” Gods. Somewhere in the heights, behind the clouds (heavenly abysses; above the seventh heaven), the crown of a spreading tree forms an island, and here is Iriy (Slavic paradise), where not only the Gods and ancestors of people live, but also the ancestors of all birds and animals. Thus, the Tree of the World was fundamental in the worldview of the Slavs, its main component. At the same time, it is also a staircase, a road along which you can get to any of the worlds. In Slavic folklore, the Tree of the World is called differently. It can be oak, sycamore, willow, linden, viburnum, cherry, apple or pine.

In the ideas of the ancient Slavs, the World Tree is located on the Buyan island on the Alatyr-stone, which is also the center of the universe (the center of the Earth). Judging by some legends, light Gods live on its branches, and dark Gods live in its roots. The image of this tree has come down to us, both in the form of various fairy tales, legends, epics, conspiracies, songs, riddles, and in the form of ritual embroidery on clothes, patterns, ceramic decorations, painting of dishes, chests, etc. Here is an example of how the Tree of the World is described in one of the Slavic folk tales, which existed in Rus' and tells about the extraction of a horse by a hero-hero: “... there is a copper pillar, and a horse is tied to it, there are pure stars on the sides, the moon is shining on the tail, the red sun is in the forehead...”. This horse is a mythological symbol of the entire universe

Of course, one post cannot cover all the gods that our ancestors worshiped. Different branches of the Slavs called the same gods differently, and they also had their own “local” deities.

Religious ideas of people originate in the Early Paleolithic era, approximately 400 thousand years ago, and are associated with the fact that man could not explain some natural phenomena and processes, giving it all magical properties, and recognizing their powerlessness in the face of natural elements. All pagan beliefs have common features and are somewhat similar to each other, but there are also differences. A special religion, which has its own unique pantheon of deities, developed among the Slavic tribes, so let's look back into the centuries, and in our small review the most famous and revered Slavic Gods are presented.

Genus

In the Slavic religion, as in the beliefs of other peoples of the world, there was a world tree. For our ancestors it was an Oak tree, on the top of which sat Rod, often depicted as a Falcon.

It was this deity who personified the unity of the clan and watched everything that happened from above. The cult of the Family is associated with many rituals and traditions, including abundant sacrifices.

Over time, the cult of the Family becomes traditionally feminine, but an echo of its masculine origin can be the fact that falconry was a purely male activity and was a princely privilege.

Man divides the world into two components - one that is friendly to people and one that is hostile, which is why many religions, including the Slavic, depict the eternal struggle between Good and Evil.

Among the Slavs, Belobog, who was considered the god of happiness and good luck, personified the bright, human-friendly side. But the dark side was the domain of Chernobog. There was a constant struggle between these deities, which was reflected in legends and tales.

Society developed, and over time, faith in Belobog and Chernobog was lost, although their traces were preserved in Russian fairy tales in the images of Fate and Share.

This female deity personified earthly and female fertility, and was especially revered in Slavic society, because according to legend, Kolyada gave people the Sun.

Kolyada was the wife of Belobog, and every spring she gave birth to a new Sun. Chernobog in every possible way prevented the revival of light, and constantly harmed Kolyada. He ordered his wife Mara to kill Kolyada, but she turned into a goat and was able to escape.

Echoes of the cult of Kolyada and the birth of the Sun God can be observed in Christians’ celebration of Christmas, where among the characters there is a goat who saved Kolyada, and carolers carry with them a star that more closely resembles the Sun.

After sunset comes the time of Chernobog and his wife Mary. Mara walks between people's houses, pronouncing their names out loud, and whoever responds to her voice dies immediately.

She is the ruler of the kingdom of the dead, the goddess of Evil, Diseases, Scary Dreams and Night. Mara had thirteen daughters, whom people personified with the most terrible vices and misfortunes.

As in the confrontation between Belbog and Chernobog, the confrontation between Mary and Kolyada reflects the struggle between Life and Death, Good and Evil principles existing on Earth.

The Slavs usually depicted Bozhich as a heavenly deer with golden antlers that shone dazzlingly, giving people light and joy.

Naturally, it personified the cycle of day and night, the change of seasons, and was closely associated with the agricultural cult. Every spring, having been reborn, Bozhich gave people joy, hope for a rich harvest, and, consequently, for a happy life.

With the development of the Slavs and complications social relations Bozhich loses its original meaning and is replaced by more influential deities personifying the Sun.

With the emergence of inequality in Slavic society and strengthening, a formidable and strong God, personifying power and statehood.

This is precisely the kind of God that Perun became, who eventually became the main Slavic deity of the pre-Christian period of history. The Thunder God was a reflection of the agricultural cult and was responsible for the appearance of rains.

Over time, he becomes a princely god, and Vladimir makes him the main god of Rus', whose idol was installed on the temple in Kyiv. With the adoption of Christianity, he transformed into Elijah the Prophet, especially revered in Orthodoxy.

Particularly revered by the Slavs, the god patronized fire and blacksmithing. It was Svarog who contributed to the development of technology and scientific knowledge.

The worship of fire was one of the very first religious cults, which later became entrenched in all world religions, including Christianity.

The image of the blacksmith god harmoniously entered into the legend of the fight against the snake, which sought to destroy the harvest. Blacksmiths were especially revered in Rus', which may be why the most common surname among the Slavs is Kuznetsov, and all derivatives from blacksmith are Koval, Kovalev, Kovalenko.

The Slavs have long worshiped the Sun, and we already know that there was Bozhich, personifying the Sun, as well as the process of the revival of nature.

As they developed, the Slavs began to come into close contact with tribes that came from the East, and many historians believe that the Slavic Horse is a direct continuation of the ancient Iranian Khurset.

Whatever it was, Horse personified the solar disk, the circle among the Slavs. Many words in the Russian language have the basis “choir” - “good”, “chorus”, that is, the whole world, the whole community, and the round dance, as everyone knows, is an educated circle of people holding hands.

The basis of the Slavic economy, along with agriculture, was cattle breeding, which is why Veles appears in the pantheon of deities, responsible for the livestock of the Slavic community.

Its traces remained not only in legends, but also in historical documents. This is what the Russians swear, including by Veles, when signing the treaty with the Greeks in 907. It also appears in ancient Russian literary works, including “The Tale of Igor’s Campaign.”

In Christianity, Veles was transformed into Saint Blaise, who was responsible for caring for livestock, and his day was often called “cow holiday” in Rus'.

It is believed that this deity was also formed under the influence eastern religions, because the ancient Iranians had a deity called Simurgh, depicted in the form of a dog.

Historians cannot clearly determine the functions of the Slavic Semargl, but perhaps he was a messenger between the earthly and heavenly worlds, which is why he was depicted with wings, as well as a guardian of crops.

In Rus', the veneration of Semargl is associated with the fact that Russian society was heterogeneous in national law, and in addition to the Slavs, in Kyiv and other cities, lived big number immigrants from the east.

Dadbog, or Dazhdbog, like Khors, was the god of the Sun, but had more ancient roots in Slavic society. In legends and literary works often mentioned together with Stribog, and together they personify a clear, cloudless sky.

One of the most revered deities among the Slavs, since the name itself reflects the process of turning to God - “God willing.” As we can see, this idiom has taken hold in Christian prayers, and the expression “As God willing” is a clear reflection of the image of the Slavic Dazhbog.

Traces of belief in Dazhbog survived in Rus' until the 18th century. It is often mentioned in folk songs and tales.

In the pantheon of Slavic Gods there was also a female deity Mokosh, or Makosh, personifying earthly and female fertility. In addition, Mokosh acted as the patroness household and women's handicrafts and weaving.

One of Mokoshi’s important functions was also the protection of water sources and springs. She patronizes pregnant women, helps them bear fruit and successfully give birth, and women, in turn, offered prayers to their beloved goddess at wells, rivers and lakes. The etymology of the name of the goddess is closely related to the expression “Mother is the damp earth,” literally Mokosh.

The Slavs revered Mokosh as the mother of the harvest, life's blessings and domestic abundance. From time immemorial, Friday was considered the day of Mokoshi, and according to legend, on this day, in order not to anger the goddess, it was impossible to start new things.

As we see, the Slavic gods are unique and original, and each has its own special status and purpose. Under the influence of other cultures, the religious ideas of the Slavs changed, new deities and new mythical subjects appeared. But this was not blind borrowing; new beliefs fit harmoniously into already established traditions and fell on the fertile soil of a peculiar and unique Slavic culture.

Much of the pagan faith was later entrenched in Christianity, and many Orthodox church holidays have deep pagan roots. Slavic culture is rich and diverse, and it is it that serves as the foundation for the development of society, the basis of life.

The theme of Russian paganism in last years incredibly popular. The ranks of “Rodnovers”, “Slavic-Aryans”, “relatives” and other neo-pagan movements are expanding. Meanwhile, even before the middle of the last century, the debate about Russian paganism was conducted only in scientific circles.

What is paganism

The word “paganism” comes from the Slavic word “pagans,” that is, “peoples” who did not accept Christianity. In historical chronicles it also means “worshipper of many gods (idols)”, “idol worshiper”.

The word “paganism” itself is a translation from the Greek “ethnikos” (“pagan”), from “ethnos” (“people”).

From the same Greek root, a people is called an “ethnos,” and the name of the science of “ethnography” is derived from “the study of the material and spiritual culture of peoples.”

When translating the Bible, translators translated the word “Gentile” from the Hebrew terms “goy” (non-Jew) and similar ones. Then the first Christians began to use the word “pagan” to designate representatives of all non-Abramic religions.

The fact that these religions were, as a rule, polytheistic influenced the fact that “paganism” in the broad sense began to be called “polytheism” as such.

Difficulties

There was very little scientific research on Russian paganism until the last third of the 20th century.

In 1902-1934, the Czech philologist Lubor Niederle published his famous work “Slavic Antiquities”. In 1914, the book of the Masonic historian Evgeniy Anichkov “Paganism and Ancient Rus'” was published. At the beginning of the 20th century, Finnish-born philologist Viljo Petrovich Mansikka (“Religion of the Eastern Slavs”) studied Russian paganism.

After the First World War, interest in Slavic paganism subsided and awoke again in the second half of the 20th century.

In 1974, the work of Vladimir Toporov and Vyacheslav Ivanov “Research in the Field of Slavic Antiquities” was published. In 1981 - the book of archaeologist Boris Rybakov “The Paganism of the Ancient Slavs”. In 1982 - the sensational work of philologist Boris Uspensky about the ancient cult of Nicholas of Myra.

If we go to any bookstore now, we will see hundreds of books on Russian paganism on the shelves. Everyone writes about it (even satirists) - the topic is very popular, but today it is extremely difficult to “catch” anything scientific in this ocean of waste paper.

Ideas about Russian paganism are still fragmentary. What do we know about him?

Gods

Russian paganism was a polytheistic religion. This has been proven. The supreme god was Perun, which immediately puts the paganism of the Slavs in a row of religions with the Thunder God at the head of the pantheon (remember Ancient Greece, Ancient Rome, Hinduism).

The so-called “Vladimir Pantheon”, compiled in 980, gives us an idea of ​​the main pagan gods.

In the Laurentian Chronicle we read: “And Volodya began to reign as one in Kyiv and placed idols on a hill outside the dark courtyard. Perun is wooden and his head is silver and otss is gold and Khursa Dazhba and Striba and Simargla and Mokosh [and] I ryakhu in the name of the honorable god... and I eat the demon."...

There is a direct listing of the gods: Perun, Khors, Dazhdbog, Stribog, Simargl and Mokosh.

Horse

Khors and Dazhdbog were considered sun gods. If Dazhdbog was recognized as the Slavic sun god, then Khorsa was considered the sun god of the southern tribes, in particular the Torci, where the Scythian-Alan influence was strong even in the 10th century.

The name Khorsa is derived from the Persian language, where korsh (korshid) means “sun”.

However, the personification of Khors with the sun has been disputed by some scholars. Thus, Evgeny Anichkov wrote that Khors is not the god of the sun, but the god of the month, the moon.

He made this conclusion on the basis of the text “The Tale of Igor’s Campaign,” which mentions the majestic pagan deity to whom Vseslav of Polotsk crossed the path: “Vseslav the Prince ruled over the people, ruled over the princes of the city, and at night he prowled like a wolf: from Kiev he hunted to the roosters of Tmutarakan , the great Horse scoured the path like a wolf.”

It is clear that Vseslav crossed the path of Khorsu at night. The Great Horse, according to Anichkov, was not the sun, but the month, which was also worshiped by the Eastern Slavs.

Dazhdbog

There is no dispute regarding the solar nature of Dazhdbog. His name comes from “dazhd” - to give, that is, God willing, giving god, literally: giving life.

According to ancient Russian monuments, the sun and Dazhdbog are synonyms. The Ipatiev Chronicle calls Dazhdbog the sun in 1114: “The sun is the king, the son of Svarog, aka Dazhdbog.” In the already mentioned “Tale of Igor’s Campaign,” the Russian people are called Dazhdboz’s grandchildren.

Stribog

Another god from the Vladimir pantheon is Stribog. He is usually considered the god of the winds, but in the “Tale of Igor’s Campaign” we read: “Behold the winds, Stribozh’s grandchildren, blow arrows from the sea onto Igor’s brave regiments.”

This allows us to talk about Stribog as the god of war. The first part of the name of this deity “stri” comes from the ancient “street” - to destroy. Hence Stribog is the destroyer of good, the destroying god, or the god of war. Thus, Stribog is a destructive principle as opposed to the good Dazhdbog. Another name for Stribog among the Slavs is Pozvizd.

Simargl

Among the gods listed in the chronicle, whose idols stood on Starokievskaya Mountain, the essence of Simargl is not entirely clear.

Some researchers compare Simargl with the Iranian deity Simurgh (Senmurv), a sacred winged dog, guardian of plants. According to Boris Rybakov, Simargl in Rus' in the 12th–13th centuries was replaced by the god Pereplut, who had the same meaning as Simargl. Obviously, Simargl was the deity of some tribe, subject to the great to the prince of Kyiv Vladimir.

Mokosh

The only woman in the Vladimir pantheon is Mokosh. According to various sources, she was revered as the goddess of water (the name “Mokosh” is associated with the common Slavic word “get wet”), as the goddess of fertility and birth.

In a more everyday sense, Mokosh was also the goddess of sheep breeding, weaving and women's husbandry.

Mokosh was revered for a long time after 988. This is indicated by at least one of the 16th century questionnaires; During confession, the clergyman was obliged to ask the woman: “Didn’t you go to Mokosha?” Sheaves of flax and embroidered towels were sacrificed to the goddess Mokosha (later Paraskeva Pyatnitsa).

Veles

In the book by Ivanov and Toporov, the relationship between Perun and Veles goes back to the ancient Indo-European myth about the duel between the God of Thunder and the Serpent; in the East Slavic implementation of this myth, “the duel between the Thunder God and his opponent occurs due to the possession of a lamb.”

Volos, or Veles, usually appears in Russian chronicles as a “cattle god”, as a god of wealth and trade. “Cattle” - money, tax; "cowwoman" - treasury, "cowman" - tribute collector.

IN Ancient Rus', especially in the North, the cult of Volos was very significant. In Novgorod, the memory of pagan Volos was preserved in the stable name of Volosovaya Street.

The cult of Hair was also in Vladimir on the Klyazma. The suburban Nikolsky-Volosov monastery, built according to legend on the site of the temple of Volos, is famous here. There was also a temple of Volos in Kyiv, down on Podol near the trading piers of Pochayna.

Scientists Anichkov and Lavrov believed that the temple of Volos in Kyiv was located where the boats of the Novgorodians and Krivichi stopped. Therefore, Veles can be considered either the god of the “wider part of the population,” or the “god of the Novgorod Slovenes.”

Veles's book

When talking about Russian paganism, one must always understand that this system of ideas is reconstructed according to the language, folklore, rituals and customs of the ancient Slavs. Keyword here - “reconstructed”.

Unfortunately, since the middle of the last century, increased interest in the topic of Slavic paganism began to give rise to both poorly proven pseudo-scientific research and outright fakes.

The most famous hoax is the so-called “Veles Book”.

According to the recollections of the scientist’s son, in his last speech at the department’s bureau, Academician Boris Rybakov said: “Historical science faces two dangers. Veles's book. And - Fomenko." And he sat down in his place.

Many people still believe in the authenticity of the Book of Veles. This is not surprising: according to it, the history of the Russians begins in the 9th century. BC e. from forefather Bogumir. In Ukraine, the study of “The Book of Veles” is even included in the school curriculum. This is, to put it mildly, astonishing, since the authenticity of this text is not even fully recognized by the academic community.

Firstly, there are many errors and inaccuracies in the chronology, and secondly, the language and graphics do not correspond to the stated era. Finally, the primary source (wooden tablets) is simply missing.

According to serious scientists, the “Veles Book” is a hoax, allegedly created by the Russian emigrant Yuri Mirolyubov, who in 1950 in San Francisco published its text from the tablets that he never demonstrated.

The famous philologist Anatoly Alekseev expressed common point from the point of view of science, when he wrote: “The question of the authenticity of the “Book of Veles” is resolved simply and unambiguously: it is a primitive fake. There is not a single argument in defense of its authenticity; many arguments have been given against its authenticity.”

Although, of course, it would be nice to have “Slavic Vedas”, but only genuine ones, and not written by falsifiers.

The list is headed by the supreme god of the Slavs - Rod. He is located at the top of the divine pantheon. Rod is the ancestor, creator and ruler of all living things. He himself does not have a physical body and is a disembodied spirit that exists everywhere, uncreated and without beginning and end. Isn't it very similar to the Christian, Jewish, Muslim and Hindu concept of God? The clan is capable of bursting with thunder, throwing lightning, and pouring rain. In his control there is life and death, abundance of the fruits of the earth and poverty. Everything is subject to him. No one has seen him, but he sees everyone. His name is still present in the words symbolizing our most important values ​​- “homeland”, “relative”, “spring” (in the sense - pure water), "rhodia" (ball lightning, that is, fire), "birth", "harvest", etc.

In terms of power and significance, he is followed by the Sun God. In Ancient Rus' he has four forms: Kolyada, Svarog, Yarilo and Dazhdbog. All incarnations operate according to seasons. In autumn, winter, spring and summer, people expect appropriate help from each of them. Each of them is associated with ritual meetings and farewells, popularly known as big holidays and festivities. Even today we enjoy baking pancakes for Maslenitsa, weaving wreaths and burning bonfires on the night of Ivan Kupala, and telling fortunes for Christmastide.

The gods of Ancient Rus', the list of which is very large, are mysterious entities that influence the entire cycle of life. They are divided into three levels according to their authority among other deities and according to their importance in everyday affairs. The top one is the gods responsible for global, national issues: wars, weather, fertility. Middle - deities of more local governance - patrons of crafts, women's concerns, hunting and fishing, Agriculture. All of them are similar in appearance to people.

The lowest level is reserved for spiritual entities, appearance significantly different from gods and people. These are all kinds of forest and house creatures - mermaids, goblins, brownies, kikimoras, ghouls, banniki, etc.

Without Kolyada, Yarila, Kupala and Svetovid it is impossible to imagine the paganism of Ancient Rus'. The gods responsible for the seasons begin their cycle with Kolyada.

Kolyada, or Horse, reigns on earth from December 22 to March 21 - from winter solstice before spring equinox. This is the Baby Sun. They welcome his arrival in December. The celebration lasts two weeks, until January 7, at the very peak of winter, when agricultural work is not carried out and the short daylight hours are not conducive to handicrafts. These days are well known as Christmastide.

For the holidays, cattle were specially fattened and slaughtered, and barrels of pickles and fermentations were opened. Thrifty owners took the surplus to fairs. Most of the livestock were given birth to calves, kids, and lambs just at this time. Adult animals were used for food and sold, while mothers with newborn babies were content with one portion. Everything was very reasonable and expedient.

Christmas time is the most fun time with songs, games, fortune telling, matchmaking and weddings. These are days and nights of unbridled fun, friendly gatherings, abundant feasts and completely legal idleness. Kolyada was praised with special songs - they thanked for preserving supplies, asked for warm, snowy winter, health for yourself, your loved ones and livestock. It was customary to show generosity and mercy to the poor so that Kolyada would not bypass his benefactors with his mercy.

Next come the more mature solar gods of Ancient Rus'. The list continues with Yarilo (Ruevit, Yar, Yarovit) - the Sun god young age. Wherever he looks, there will be a cornfield, where he passes, there useful plants will rise. Yarilo is also responsible for the fertility of animals. He is described as young guy riding across the sky on a white horse. In his hands is a bow and arrows, his feet are bare, and on his head is a crown of rye ears with wildflowers. Its time is from March 21, when nature is actively awakening from winter sleep, until June 22. By this time, food supplies are completely running out, and there is a lot of work. In spring the day feeds the year. Peasants plow and sow the land, place chickens on nests, check pastures, and tidy up houses and outbuildings. Rituals pleasing Yarila are carried out immediately after the spring equinox. Intensive work ends on the day of the summer solstice, when the sun turns back.

Dazhdbog, or Kupaila, Kupala, is a god in his prime, a mature man. His arrival is celebrated on the longest night of the year - June 22. The gods of Ancient Rus', according to legend, love noisy holidays. When seeing off Yarila and welcoming Kupala, they organize games, burn an effigy of Yarila, jump over fires, float wreaths on the water, look for a fern flower and make wishes. The gods of Ancient Rus' and the Slavs react to them with goodwill.

As you know, our ancestors lived well and comfortably. They knew how to work well and have fun from the heart. During the season of Dazhdbog, the earth gives up all its juices to the fruits planted in it. Long daylight hours and a large number of work - making hay, harvesting the first harvest, storing fruit for the winter, repairing and building housing - required dedicated labor from our ancestors. There is a lot of work in the summer, but it is not hard when Dazhdbog helps with rain and on sunny days. September 23, on the day autumn equinox, Dazhdbog's power ends.

The fourth age of the Sun God begins with the autumn equinox on September 23 and ends on December 22, the winter solstice. The God of Ancient Rus' Svarog, or Svetovid, is an old god, the husband of the Earth, the father of the Sun, Dazhdbog and the most significant gods natural phenomena. He gave fire to Dazhdbog and gave him the power to throw thunder and lightning. In legends he is represented as a gray-haired old man. His time is a period of prosperity, satiety and peace. The people enjoy the stored fruits of the earth for three months, play weddings, organize fairs and do not grieve about anything. According to the chronicles, the god of Ancient Rus' Svarog is a tall man with four heads on four necks. It faces north, south, west and east. In his hand is a sword with which God defeats the forces of darkness.

Perun is the son of Svarog. In his hands are lightning arrows and a rainbow bow. The clouds are his face, beard and hair, thunder is the word of God, the wind is his breath, and the rain is the fertilizing seed. The Vikings and Varangians believed that the best god in the pantheon was, of course, Perun. Why is God the son of Svarog and the Earth in Ancient Rus'? Endowed with a cool and changeable disposition, the formidable and powerful Svarozhich is considered the patron saint of brave warriors. It gives them luck in military affairs and strength in confrontation with any enemy.

The Slavs attribute to him love and patronage of blacksmiths and plowmen. Both of them did the hardest work, and Perun patronizes everyone who does not shy away from putting physical strength into their work.

Perun is the god of war in Ancient Rus'. When preparing for military campaigns or expecting an enemy attack, the Slavs made sacrifices to him. Altars dedicated to Perun were decorated with military trophies, armor and weapons. The statue of the god was carved from the trunk of the big tree. A fire was lit in front of her, on which the sacrificial animal was burned. Dances with pipes and rattles were accompanied by songs containing words of request for victory over the enemy.

Veles is the favorite god of farmers and cattle breeders. He is also called the bestial god. The Slavs did not separate these areas of peasant life - everyone had cattle, and everyone plowed the land. Veles (Hair, Month) – god of wealth. Veles was initially identified with Perun. He also commanded the clouds and was a shepherd of the heavenly sheep, but later he was ordered to care for the earthly flock. Veles sends rain to the fields and meadows. After harvesting, he was always left with one sheaf unmown. This tradition is also still preserved. It was the gods of Ancient Rus' Veles and Perun who were always the most revered by the people. Our ancestors swore allegiance and word of honor with them. This is mentioned in the “History of the Russian State” by N. M. Karamzin.

If we analyze which gods were worshiped in Ancient Rus' with the greatest zeal, then these are mostly the gods of the elemental forces of nature. For modern Russians, it is very difficult not to confuse them with each other. Take the same Stribog. How to distinguish him from Perun, Veles, Posvist, Weather and other lords of wind and rain?

Stribog is the ruler of the wind, clouds, storms and blizzards. He can be both evil and good. The god holds a horn in his hands. He blows into it and summons the elements. From his wind arose music, songs and musical instruments. Understanding magical influence music on the human psyche was born from the sounds of nature - the noise of water, leaves, whistling and howling of the wind in pipes, crevices and among trees. All this is Stribog’s orchestra. They pray to Stribog for rain and for it to stop, as well as for the strong wind to subside. Hunters ask for his help before going after a timid and sensitive animal.

The most information has been preserved about this goddess. Lada is the female embodiment of the supreme god Rod. Her clothes are clouds, and her dew is tears. In the morning haze - the goddess's veil - the shadows of the departed move, whom she leads to the afterlife.

The main temple of the goddess stood on Lake Ladoga. The High Priestess was chosen very carefully. This can be compared to how the Dalai Lama is elected. At first, the Magi identified the women most suitable for the role of mother goddess. They had to be distinguished by intelligence, beauty, dexterity, strength and courage. Then their daughters, who had reached the age of five, were collected for the competition. Several winners became students of the Magi. For eight years they learned the intricacies of various fields of knowledge, sciences and crafts. At thirteen they were tested again. The most worthy one became the high priestess - the embodiment of Lada, and the rest served as her retinue.

Sacrifices to Lada consisted of flowers woven into wreaths and pancakes or pancakes. They were burned in a ritual fire. This happened on the feast of Ladodaniya. The best young men and women lit torches from the sacrificial fire and, passing the baton, carried them throughout Rus'. On the morning of the holiday, the priestess gave a speech. She came out to people dressed up, wearing a wreath of the most beautiful flowers. It was believed that at this moment the goddess Lada herself entered her body and mouth. She talked about what awaited her fellow tribesmen, how they should live, what they could and should do, and what they couldn’t. If she named a person, then woe to him if it was a reproach. The whole clan turned against the one rejected by the goddess. She could have acquitted the innocently accused. Having finished her speech, the woman dropped to her knees. This was a sign that the heavenly Lada had left the priestess’s body. The Magi put a beautiful dress on her, and the fun began.

Lada is primarily the patroness of women. Under her protection - home, childbirth and love. Some sources draw a parallel between the Slavic Lada and the Roman Venus.

Friday is a day dedicated to Lada. The women rested on Friday. It was believed that any business started by a woman on this day of the week would back up, that is, slow down all other work.

Mokosh, or Makesha, is another goddess who guards the family hearth. Translated from Old Church Slavonic, her name means “full wallet.” Mokosh is the deity of trade, the final harvest, existing fruits, their sale and the most correct use. The statue of the goddess is made holding a large horn in her hands. Her arms and head are larger than those of the average person and are disproportionate to the rest of her body. She is credited with managing the fruits of the earth. Therefore, another purpose of Mokoshi is to control fate.

Mokosh is particularly interested in weaving and spinning. In many beliefs, spinning thread is associated with weaving destiny. They say that an unfinished tow should not be left overnight, otherwise Mokosha will ruin the yarn, and therefore his fate. In some northern regions she was considered an evil goddess.

Goddess Paraskeva-Friday is the successor of Mokosha. She wears a white dress. Patronizes trade and youth celebrations with games, songs and dances. For this reason it's Friday for a long time It was a market day in Rus', when women were not allowed to work. For disobedience, she can turn the disobedient girl into a frog.

The goddess is responsible for the purity of water in wells and helps to find underground springs. To ensure that Paraskeva-Pyatnitsa always helps, women sew pieces of woolen tow into their aprons.

One of the most ancient and, if I may say so, stable gods is Semargl. This god is one of the seven most revered. The origin of the name is shrouded in mystery. Another name, Pereplut, seems more Russian, but its meaning has been lost over the years. Smargle is the only god who has the appearance of an animal - a winged dog. He serves as an intermediary between people and gods. Semargl transmits sacrifices. He is the god of fire.

Semargl once brought a branch of the tree of life to earth. Since then, he has taken seeds and crops under his protection. He is the god of plant roots and knows how to heal diseases.

Forest thickets, swamps, whirlpools and ponds with stagnant water are terrible. Ancient Rus' preserved many legends about various evil spirits living in them.

Slavic gods are not all kind and pleasant for Russian people. This is Chernobog - the ruler of the forces of evil, the god of darkness, disease and misfortune. In his hands is a spear, and his face is full of anger. He rules the night. And although Belobog opposes him, the evil spirits subordinate to Chernobog are very numerous and insatiable. These are mermaids, sucking into pools of water, goblins, confusing forest paths, capricious brownies, cunning banniki.

Morena, or Maruja, is the goddess of evil and death. She rules cold winter, on a stormy night, during wars and disease epidemics. She is represented as a scary woman with a black face, a bony body, a sunken snub nose and long curved claws. Her servants are diseases. During battle, she attaches herself to the wounded and drinks their blood. Morena never leaves on her own. Perun drives her away. During the festival of the meeting of the god Perun, the Slavs mercilessly destroy the idol of Morena.

There is an opinion that Christianity is less close to Russians than paganism. It is no coincidence, they say, that for more than a thousand years we have not outlived many ancient customs, such as: the celebration of Maslenitsa, wedding rituals, pleasing the brownie, belief in black cat, a woman with an empty bucket, etc. Nevertheless, the advisability of introducing a new religion is beyond doubt. During the time of Prince Vladimir, who baptized Rus', there was great disunity between individual principalities and tribes. Only a common ideology could reconcile everyone. Christianity became such a binding force. His rituals, the times of holidays and fasts are organically included in the annual cycle of everyday affairs and everyday life, and Christian saints no less effectively help believers who have been baptized in the name of Jesus Christ in urgent matters. The word “Orthodoxy” itself came from Ancient Rus'. The gods of the Slavs helped our ancestors no worse than the Christian saints. The appeal to them was the right word, that is, Orthodoxy.

The rejection by many of us of the current form of Orthodoxy is the rejection of church officials who make money in unjust ways. In pre-Christian times, there were also priests who weaved intrigues and grew rich on offerings obtained by cunning.

The gods of Ancient Rus' and the Slavs changed their functions from time to time and turned from good to evil, moving from one hypostasis to another. Their ancestry differed in many areas. This created conflict situations. The great gods of Ancient Rus' did not disappear anywhere, just as the one God, the creator of the whole world, did not disappear. They simply began to be called by other names - the names of Christian saints, and at the head of the divine pantheon is the son of the Creator, Jesus Christ, who died as a martyr on the cross in order to atone for our sins. He brought New Testament- the law of people’s love for each other. This didn't happen before. IN old times disputes were resolved only by physical force. Correctly understanding and accepting this law is what we must learn and teach our children. If the pagan gods of Ancient Rus', the list of which with various incarnations and transformations, as well as by location exceeds hundreds, often caused strife between individual clans, then Christian saints were never the cause of disunity between Christians of different denominations.

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

How many gods did the ancient Slavs have?

The pantheon of Slavic pagan gods is huge. Their exact number is almost indeterminable. This is explained there that each deity has several names, and they were often equally widespread. The more powerful a god is, the more names he has. Gradually the names got mixed up. And today it is impossible to speak with absolute confidence about the number and characteristics of the Slavic gods. Nevertheless, researchers identify the main pantheon.

Ancient Slavic pagan gods

Slavic gods according to date of birth are divided into primordial gods, ancient gods and deities new formation. The ancients include the following:

1. Childbirth and women in labor

Rod is the ancestor of all gods and the creator of the surrounding world. He is the originator of life on Earth. The area of ​​activity of the Family is the emergence of new life, creation, construction and continuation of the human race. Usually Rod was brought the required egg. This pagan rite survived today in the form of the tradition of placing an egg on the grave of a loved one.

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

Rod's middle name is Stribog. It was used when talking about the commemoration of parents, parental Saturday.

2. Belobog

Belobog is the patron of the fertility of the earth and the generosity of the human soul. Defender of goodness and light, blocking the way to darkness. Belobog is a seer and legislator. He created good and wise laws of life for people. This is a four-faced god. Four faces, two of which were female, were carved out of wood by the ancient Slavs, depicting him. Belobog is celebrated in the fall after the harvest on the day of the autumn solstice. The symbols of the light god are a bow, a horn and a sword, and living creatures are a duck and a pike. He accepts his demands with tall sweet pies and sweet wine.

Other names of Belobog:

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

Belbog has a female incarnation - Svetlusha - the patroness of women - mothers and housewives, guardians of home comfort.

3. Chernobog

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

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

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

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

4. Pulp

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

Myakosha is the wife of Veles.

5. Crodo

Krodo - god - guardian of altars and places of worship of deities. Lord of the sacrificial flame. Svarog's father. Krodo is considered one of the incarnations of Frost. He brings death with him. Linguists associate with his name the origin of the word “numb” - to freeze, become numb.

The second name of this deity is Krat.

6. Svarog

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

7. Lada

Lada is the goddess of love and a strong, prosperous marriage. It promotes the fidelity of spouses, protecting the family hearth. There is also a male incarnation of this deity - Lad - the god of war, unbridled fun and at the same time the patron of marriage. Let us remember the expression “live in harmony” - that is, amicably, in harmony. Experts have long disagreed about whether this is one god or two different ones. Today it is believed that Lad and Lada are one deity, which is quite likely related to the goddess of love of the Western Slavs - Priya.

Other names of God are Lado, Ladon.

We have given here only a small part of the huge list of Slavic gods. Quite a lot is known about some of them, and almost only their names have been preserved from some. There was, for example, Diy - the god of rain, sky and all natural phenomena occurring in the sky. Diya is the goddess of the earth, according to some sources, who was his wife. Dazhdbog is the giver of sunlight. Horse is the guardian of the life-giving disk of the luminary. Kvasur is the god of the national intoxicating drink. The one-legged god of troubles and misfortunes is Dashing. Kupala is the deity of summer. Tsetsya is the patroness of marriage. Svoboda is the goddess of forests. Karna is the goddess of farewells and funerals. Zhelya is the embodiment of sadness for those who are gone forever.