Before the adoption of Christianity, our ancestors, the Slavs, worshiped a whole pantheon of gods. In some areas, they differed significantly. History has preserved more than a hundred names, whose functions are quite definite and utilitarian. It is generally accepted that the gods of Ancient Russia were divided into several levels. First - the main god, then - the gods of the Sun, then - the gods of everyday life, the last - the forces of darkness.
The Supreme God and his pantheon
Let's take a closer look at how the pagan gods of Ancient Russia differed.
The list is headed by the supreme god of the Slavs - Rod. It is located at the top of the divine pantheon. The genus is the ancestor, creator and ruler of all living things. He himself does not have a physical body and is an incorporeal spirit that exists everywhere, uncreated and having no beginning and no end. Isn't it very similar to the Christian, Jewish, Muslim and Hindu concept of God? The genus is capable of bursting with thunder, throwing lightning, spillingrain. In his management is life and death, the abundance of the fruits of the earth and poverty. Everything is under his control. No one has seen him, but he sees everyone. His name is still present in words that symbolize our most important values - "homeland", "relative", "spring" (in the sense of pure water), "rhodium" (ball lightning, that is, fire), "birth", "harvest", etc.
The sun god follows him in power and importance. In Ancient Russia, he has four forms: Kolyada, Svarog, Yarilo and Dazhdbog. All incarnations operate seasonally. In autumn, winter, spring and summer, people expect appropriate help from each of them. Ritual meetings and farewells are associated with each of them, known among the people as big holidays-festivities. Even now, we are happy to bake pancakes for Maslenitsa, weave wreaths and burn bonfires on the night of Ivan Kupala, we tell fortunes about Christmas time.
Participation of divine beings in daily life
The gods of Ancient Russia, the list of which is very long, 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 worldly affairs. The upper one is the gods responsible for global, national issues: wars, weather, fertility. The middle one is the deity of more local control - the patrons of crafts, women's cares, hunting and fishing, and agriculture. They are all human in appearance.
The lowest rung is reserved for spiritual beings whose appearance is significantly differentfrom gods and people. These are all kinds of forest and house creatures - mermaids, goblin, brownies, kikimors, ghouls, banniki, etc.
Kolyada
Without Kolyada, Yarila, Kupala and Svetovid it is impossible to imagine the paganism of Ancient Russia. The gods responsible for the seasons begin their cycle with Kolyada.
Kolyada, or Khors, reigns on earth from December 22 to March 21 - from the winter solstice to the spring equinox. This is a baby sun. Welcome his arrival in December. The celebration lasts for two weeks, until January 7, at the very peak of winter, when agricultural work is not carried out, and the short daylight hours do not encourage needlework. These days are well known as Yuletide.
Cattle were specially fattened and slaughtered for the holidays, barrels with pickles and pickles were opened. Thrifty owners carried the surplus to the fairs. Most of the cattle just at this time was relieved from the burden by calves, kids, lambs. Adult animals were allowed to eat and sold, and dairy queens with newborn cubs were content with one serving. 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, plentiful feasts and completely legal idleness. Kolyada was praised with special songs - they thanked for the preservation of stocks, asked for a warm, snowy winter, he alth for themselves, their loved ones and livestock. It was customary to show generosity and mercy to the poor so that Kolyada would not bypass the benefactors with his mercy.
Yarilo
Nextmore adult solar gods of Ancient Russia follow. The list continues Yarilo (Ruevit, Yar, Yarovit) - the Sun God of a young age. Wherever he looks, there the field will grow, where it passes, there useful plants will sprout. Yarilo is also responsible for the fertility of animals. He is described as a young man riding a white horse across the sky. In the hands - a bow and arrows, bare feet, on the head - a crown of rye ears with wild flowers. Its time is from March 21, when nature is actively awakening from its winter sleep, and until June 22. Food stocks by this time are completely running out, and there is a lot of work. In spring, the day feeds the year. The peasants plow and sow the land, plant chickens on the nests, check pastures, put their houses and outbuildings in order. Rituals pleasing Yarila are held immediately after the day of the spring equinox. Intensive work ends on the day of the summer solstice, when the sun turns back.
Dazhdbog
Dazhdbog, or Kupail, 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 Russia, according to legend, love noisy holidays. When seeing Yarila off and meeting Kupala, they arrange games, burn Yarila's effigy, jump over bonfires, throw wreaths on the water, look for a fern flower and make wishes. The gods of Ancient Russia and the Slavs react to them with a good disposition.
As you know, our ancestors lived well and freely. They knew how to work well and have fun from the heart. In the season of Dazhdbog, the earth gives all the juices to the fruits planted in it. Longdaylight hours and a large amount of work - harvesting hay, harvesting the first crop, harvesting fruits for the winter, repairing and building housing - required selfless labor from our ancestors. There is a lot of work in summer, but it is not hard when Dazhdbog helps with rain and sunny days. September 23, on the day of the autumn equinox, the power of Dazhdbog ends.
Svarog
The fourth age of the Sun God begins with the day of the autumn equinox on September 23 and ends on December 22, on the day of the winter solstice. The God of Ancient Russia Svarog, or Svetovid, is an old god, the husband of the Earth, the father of the Sun, Dazhdbog and the gods of the most significant natural phenomena. Dazhdbog he gave fire and gave 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, arrange fairs and do not grieve about anything. According to the annals, the god of Ancient Russia Svarog is a tall man with four heads on four necks. He faces north, south, west and east. In his hand is a sword with which God strikes the forces of darkness.
Perun
Perun is the son of Svarog. In his hands are arrows-lightning and a bow-rainbow. Clouds are his face, beard and hair, thunder is the verb of God, wind is breath, and rain is fertilizing seed. The Vikings and Varangians believed that the best god in the pantheon is, of course, Perun. God of what in Ancient Russia is the son of Svarog and the Earth? Endowed with a cool and changeable disposition, the formidable and powerful Svarozhich is considered the patron saint of brave warriors. It gives them good luck in military affairs and strength in confrontation with any opponent.
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 investing physical strength in their work.
Perun - the god of war in Ancient Russia. Going on 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 largest tree. A fire was kindled in front of her, on which a sacrificial animal was burned. Dancing with pipes and rattles accompanied the songs containing the words of the request for victory over the enemy.
Veles
Veles is the favorite god of farmers and cattle breeders. He is also called the animal god. The Slavs did not share these areas of peasant life - everyone had cattle, and everyone plowed the land. Veles (Volos, Month) - the god of we alth. Initially, Veles was identified with Perun. He also commanded the clouds and was the shepherd of the heavenly sheep, but later he was appointed to look after the earthly flock. Veles sends rain to the fields and meadows. After the harvest, he was always left with one sheaf uncut. This tradition is also still preserved. It was the gods of Ancient Russia Veles and Perun who have always been the most revered people. Our ancestors swore by them in fidelity and in an honest word. This is mentioned in the "History of the Russian State" by N. M. Karamzin.
Stribog
If we analyze which gods were worshiped in Ancient Russia 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, Pogoda and other lords of wind and rain?
Stribog is the lord of the wind, clouds, storms and snowstorms. He is both evil and good. God holds a horn in his hands. He blows into it and calls the elements. From his wind came music, songs and musical instruments. Understanding the magical effect of music on the human psyche was born from the sounds of nature - the sound of water, foliage, 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 its cessation, as well as for the strong wind to subside. Hunters ask for his help before going after a shy and sensitive animal.
Lada
Most information has been preserved about this goddess. Lada is the female incarnation of the supreme god Rod. Her clothes are clouds, and her dew are tears. In the morning haze - the veil of the goddess - the shadows of the dead 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 chosen. First, the magi singled out women who were most suitable for the role of the 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 forholding the competition. Several winners became the disciples of the Magi. For eight years they comprehended the intricacies of various fields of knowledge, sciences and crafts. At thirteen they were tested again. The most worthy 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 fritters. They were burned at a ritual fire. It happened on the feast of Ladodania. The best young men and women lit torches from the sacrificial fire and, passing the baton, carried them all over Russia. On the morning of the feast, the priestess gave a speech. She went out to people dressed up, in a wreath of the most beautiful flowers. It was believed that at that moment the goddess Lada herself entered her body and mouth. She talked about what awaits her fellow tribesmen, how they should live, what can and should be done, and what cannot. If she called the name of a person, then woe to him, if it was a reprimand. The whole family turned against the rejected goddess. She could justify the innocent accused. At the end of her speech, the woman fell to her knees. This was a sign that the heavenly Lada had left the body of the priestess. The Magi put on her a beautiful dress, and the fun began.
Lada is primarily the patroness of women. Under her protection is the hearth, childbearing and love. Some sources draw a parallel between the Slavic Lada and the Roman Venus.
Friday is the day dedicated to Lada. Women rested on Friday. It was believed that any business started by a woman on this day of the week would back away, that is, slow down all other work.
Mokosh
Mokosh, or Makesha, is another goddess guarding the family hearth. Translated from Old Slavonic, her name means "full purse". Mokosh is the deity of trade, the final harvest, already existing fruits, their sale and the most correct use. The statue of the goddess is made holding a large horn in his 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 Mokosh is to control fate.
Mokosh is especially interested in weaving and spinning. Spinning thread in many beliefs is associated with the weaving of fate. They say that an unfinished tow cannot be left overnight, otherwise Mokosha will ruin the yarn, and hence fate. In some northern regions, she was considered an unkind goddess.
Paraskeva Friday
Goddess Paraskeva-Friday is Mokosh's successor. She walks in a white dress. He patronizes trade and youth festivities with games, songs and dances. For this reason, Friday was a market day in Russia for a long time, when women were not allowed to work. For disobedience, she can turn a disobedient into a frog.
The goddess is responsible for the purity of water in wells, helps to find underground springs. So that Paraskeva-Friday always helps, women sew pieces of woolen tow into their aprons.
Semargl
One of the most ancient and, if I may say so, stable gods is Semargl. This god is one of the seven mostrevered. 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 performs the function of an intermediary between people and gods. Semargl passes the sacrifices. He is the god of fire.
Once Semargl brought to earth a branch of the tree of life. Since then, he has taken seeds and crops under his patronage. He is the god of plant roots and knows how to heal diseases.
Chernobog
Terrible forest thickets, swamps, whirlpools and ponds with stagnant water. Many legends about the various evil spirits living in them were preserved by Ancient Russia.
Slavic gods are not all kind and pleasant for Russian people. Such is Chernobog - the lord of the forces of evil, the god of darkness, illness and misfortune. In his hands is a spear, and his face is full of malice. He rules at night. And although Belobog opposes him, the evil spirit subordinate to Chernobog is very numerous and insatiable. These are mermaids, dragging into the pools of water, goblin, confusing forest paths, capricious brownies, cunning banniki.
Morena
Morena, or Maruha, is the goddess of evil and death. She dominates the cold winter, rainy night, during wars and epidemics of disease. She is represented as a terrible woman with a black face, a bony body, a sunken snub nose and long curved claws. Her servants are diseases. During the battle, she clings to the wounded and drinks their blood. Morena never leaves on her own. Perun drives her away. During the feast of the meeting of the god Perun, the Slavsruthlessly destroy the idol of Morena.
Penetration of Christianity into pagan rituals
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 a black cat, a woman with an empty bucket, etc. Nevertheless, the expediency of introducing a new religion is beyond doubt. During the time of Prince Vladimir, who christened Russia, there was great disunity between the individual principalities and tribes. Only a common ideology could reconcile everyone. Christianity became such a binding force. Its rituals, the time of holidays and fasts organically fit into 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 pressing matters. The very word "Orthodoxy" came from Ancient Russia. The gods of the Slavs helped our ancestors no worse than Christian saints. Addressing 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 profit in an unrighteous way. In pre-Christian times, there were also priests who weaved intrigues and grew rich on offerings obtained by cunning.
The gods of Ancient Russia and the Slavs changed their functions from time to time and turned from good into evil, passed from one hypostasis to another. Their lineage invaried in many areas. This created conflict situations. The great gods of Ancient Russia have not disappeared anywhere, just as the one God, the creator of the whole world, has not disappeared. 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 the New Testament - the law of people's love for each other. This was not before him. In the old days, disputes were resolved only by physical strength. To correctly understand and accept this law is what we must learn and teach our children. If the pagan gods of Ancient Russia, the list of which, with various incarnations and transformations, as well as broken down on the ground, exceeds hundreds, often caused strife between individual clans, then Christian saints have never been the cause of disunity between Christians of different denominations.
