Gods of the ancient Slavs. What our ancestors believed

Gods of the ancient Slavs ... What were they like? What did our ancestors believe and respect?

I want to tell about all this in my article.

Beliefs and mythology of the ancient Slavs

The gods of the ancient Slavs, who were part of the so-called pagan pantheon, usually belonged to one of two types: some of them were considered solar, others are now called functional. The supreme was considered Svarog, often also called the god Rod.

To the solar gods include four ancient deities: Horse, Yaril, Dazhbog and Svarog. And the functional pantheon included Perun, Semargl, Velez and Stribog.

The Slavs had their own holidays. For example, they marked a change in the seasons and solar phases. Old Slavic gods were responsible for these changes. Everyone - for his: Horse - for the spring, Yarilo - for the summer, Dazhbog - for the autumn, and, finally, Svarog - for the winter. It was in their "own" seasons that they were revered especially. Such a tradition in Russia was deeply rooted. By the way, one can not but note the fact that after the Baptism of Rus the gods of the ancient Slavs were not completely forgotten, but continued to be revered in mass, but under the guise of the Orthodox saints that we are accustomed to.

Solar gods of the ancient Slavs.

• The God of Fire Svarog was considered the supreme in the entire Slavic pantheon. In addition, he was also revered as the god of Heaven and the progenitor of life in general. According to legend, he once changed his gender and became the parent for a whole cohort of deities: Perun, Dazhbog and Semargla, giving them their fiery nature. According to the belief, the possession of fire, the processing of metal and the creation of chariots, mites and plows by people are all the merits of Svarog's God. The ancient Slavs believed that he rewarded them with knowledge and presented laws that must be followed. A little later Svarog passes the reins of government to his sons - the young Khorsa, Yarilu and Dazhbogu, so they also began to be called sunny or fiery.
• The sun god Horsa was often identified with a circle, fire, flame or red color in general. December 22, the winter solstice, the Slavs celebrated the birthday of the god Hors. In general, he was a male deity capable of inspiring both boys and grown men to spiritual growth, gaining knowledge and overcoming difficulties.
• Yarilo was considered the god of conception, the eternal light and awakening in the spring of nature. He was often identified with love and the birth of offspring. The ancient Slavs saw Yarilo in the image of a young guy, cheerful, pompous with health, taking part in all folk festivals and seeking to find a wife. Yarilo expelled from the cold and winter.
• God of fertility named Dazhbog personified the power of light and any warmth. From it, the ancient Slavs expected fulfillment of desires, recovery, strength and other blessings. The symbols of Dazhbog were considered to be two blazing and bright metals: silver and gold. He rejoiced in the rain, frightened me with thunder and hail, and rewarded me with an abundant autumn harvest.

Functional gods of the ancient Slavs

• Veles is the master and ruler of the wild nature, considered the patron of all travelers and the ruler of everything unknown. Also, farmers and herders attributed to him the care of livestock, and traders asked to bring wealth. Velez lived on the island of Buyan, wrote poetry and controlled the souls of the deceased, either sending them to the Sun, or leaving on the Moon.
• But Semargle was considered the god of death. The ancient Slavs often depicted him as a winged wolf. He traveled to the dog company Cerberus.
• Now known to any schoolboy, the god Perun was not only a patron of warriors, but also a god of such natural elements as thunder and lightning. In the very first spring days it was Perun who came to the earth, watering it with abundant rains and removing the long-awaited sun from the winter clouds. Woke up and nature came to life again. By the way, the gods of the ancient Slavs could also be bloodthirsty. For example, Perun was made to sacrifice animals, prisoners and even children. This oath was dedicated to the oak, from which, according to legend, he extracted fire. The very image of Perun was quite impressive: a middle-aged man with silver hair strands and a golden mustache and beard. The main weapons of Perun are stones, various kinds of axes and arrows. A warrior god, is not it? It was he, according to legend, who gave our ancestors a shield.
• Stribog has always been considered a god of wind and air currents. The very essence of Stribog is very ambiguous: being the master of the elements, he is able to bring moisture, but at the same time it is through his fault that floods, hurricanes and droughts occur, and as a result of all this, death.