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God Veles: History and Modernity

Veles is an ancient Russian god of animals, livestock and wealth. He was second only to Perun. This deity was worshiped not only in antiquity, the modern Orthodox pagans and native believers continued his veneration.

God Veles in antiquity

Since Veles was the god of cattle breeding, he was asked to guard for livestock. In this regard, some Slavic tribes began to call the shepherds "Veles". According to ancient beliefs, the Slavic god Velez could turn into a bear, so he was considered the patron of the hunt. Veles called the spirit of the beast that was killed during the hunt. This Slavic deity had one more important purpose. In particular, Veles "pass" in the afterlife of the souls of the dead. Therefore Lithuanians named the day of commemoration of the deceased "the time of Veles". According to legend, on this day, a ceremony of burning the bones of animals was conducted. In addition, Veles was the embodiment of gold.

In the 10th century, the cult of this deity was spread in Novgorod, Kiev, and also in Rostov land. In the annals it is mentioned that the idol of the god Veles once stood in Kiev on Podol. In 907, signing an agreement with Byzantium, the Russians vowed not only Perun, but also Veles. The ancient Slavs cattle was a measure of wealth, so it is not surprising that the god Veles was highly esteemed.

The Slavs celebrated the so-called Velesov days, which coincide with the modern Saints and Pancake week. These days it was customary to get dressed in sheepskin coats and animal masks. Particularly important was March 24, when the Komodetsi celebrated. It is interesting that due to this holiday a famous expression arose: "The first pancake is lumpy." Initially, this saying was pronounced differently: "The first pancake komAm." It was believed that on this day the bears (coma) woke up and left the den. To appease the bears, they had to give the first baked pancake.

God Veles in the modern world

With the advent of Christianity in Russia, veneration of Veles was supplanted by the cult of St. Vlasius. He also patronizes livestock. The traces of the pagan cult were preserved in the veneration of St. Vlasy in the north of Russia. Such a combination is nothing more than Orthodox paganism. As early as the beginning of the 20th century, the Russian peasants adhered to the ancient custom, according to which a few ears of wheat should be left to the Veles to be unsorted. These ears were called "voloti" or "waved beard". Such a gift was to appease not only Veles, but also the souls of ancestors. It was the latter who could ask for the deity about the future harvest. On the other hand, the pagan god Veles eventually began to correlate with an unclean spirit or a leshch.

But the cult of Veles has survived not only in some "Christian" traditions, but also in Rodnoveria. The latter is a neo-pagan religious movement, whose goal is to revive the ancient Slavic beliefs and rituals. According to the relatives, the knowledge and rites of the ancient Slavs are sacred, so they try to observe and reconstruct them. Among the relatives, the god Veles is a black deity, the lord of the dead, besides, he is responsible for wisdom and helps the magi. Veles Neopaganism is given far from the last significance, in particular, there is an association of communities, which is called the Veles Circle.

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