Slavic Folklore - Gods and Spirits

Rod

Head god, allfather figure, lifegiver

Perun

God of thunderstorms, protector of military men

Makosh

Goddess of fertility and midwifery, earth

Dolya

Good luck, right wife of Rod

Nedolya

Bad luck, left wife of Rod

Svarog

Creator who forged the earth, god of fire

Svatogor

Guardian of the Smorodina river, the way from Nav to Yav and Prav, titan warrior

Hors

God of sun, starlight, yellow, goodness

Lada

Goddess of spring, love, beauty

Veles

god of the underworld, protector of flocks and cattle, patron of trade, divination, arts, and poetry

Dazhbog

god of sun, celestial light

Semargl

Messenger, godfire

Jarilo

God of erotic sexuality, heat, vegetation, red light

Ovsen

god of new year and new day

kolyada

god of calendar

Stribog

god of wind, storms, frost, cold, wealth

Kastrama

Goddess of fertility, personification of spring

Kupalo

God of summer solstice

Rod’s name means…

family

Prav

Celestial world; branches

Yav

Earthly world; trunk

Nav

Underworld; roots

Rod’s origin

Thought → Golden Egg → Rod

Makosh name means…

Moist mother earth

Makosh’s actions

Shearing sheep, spinning flax, wool, web of life and death

Makosh’s origin

House spirit associated with women’s work

Makosh’s fate

Christian saint Paraskeva

Makosh appearance

dark skin, long hair, uplifted hands

Alatir

Healing stone at the center of the world

Cult of Svarog focus

Monogamy

Lada name means…

Nice/kind

Oaths are sworn by

Veles of the Underworld

Perun’s enemy

Veles

Veles’ enemy

Perun

Veles appearance

Hairy, wolf headed or large water serpent

Veles’ fate

St Blaise, statue tossed in the river, merged with idea of devil

First law of life

Life is endless - Rod

Second law of life

The rotation of dark to light comes from the rotation of the sun - Veles

Veles’ name meaning

Hair

Khors/Hors adapted from which culture

Iranian

Hors name meaning

good

Svyatogor lives

in the holy mountain

Perun’s appearance

Silver or golden hair, golden mustache, rugged man, copper beard, carries an ax, rides in chariot pulled by goats

Perun symbolism

Wheel with six spokes = thunder mark

Perun’s holy day

Thursday

Semargl name meaning

birds, seven

Semargl appearance

dog, gold and silver colored man on fire

Dazhdbog name meaning

God giver

Grandfather of Russian people

Dazhdbog

Dazhdbog attendants

Two maidens - morning star and evening star

Seven judges - planets

Seven messengers - comets

Jarilo appearance

Young man, white cloak, wildflower crown, barefoot, carrying a bunch of wheat ears (left hand) and a human skull (right hand),

Jarilo’s parents

Son of Perun, stolen by Veles

Jarilo’s role

Opening the gates to let spring and Lada free

Kalinov bridge

Site of fight between Perun and Veles

Smorodina river

Between Nav and Yav

Iriy

Paradise

Juriy

Hell

Svarga

Land of ancestors

Semargl’s role

Could appear on the battlefield and amplify the gods’ power

Kinds of light

Celestial

Yellow

Red

Kupalo name means

Bathe

Third law of life

Yesterday is history, tomorrow is mystery, today is a gift - Kolyada

Kastrama and Kupalo

Sister and brother who got married thinking they were unrelated, committed suicide upon finding out the truth, immortalized in a flower

Ivan and Maria

flower symbolizing fire and water, Kupalo and Kastrama

Belobog

White god of good

Chernobog

Black god of evil

Domovoy

House spirit

Where is Domovoy?

Near stove, under threshold, in attic

What does Domovoy look like?

long gray beard and old lapti, can also take the form of a family cat/dog

What to offer Domovoy?

porridge, tabacco, bread, salt

What does Domovoy do?

overseer of domestic activities, oracle

Bannik

Bathhouse spirit

What does Bannik look like?

old man with hat, big head, green beard, carrying birch branches

Where is Bannik?

Under the bench, under the steaming shelf, behind the stove

What to offer Bannik?

salted bread, a black chicken

What does Bannik do?

Oracle, enforces rules of the bathhouse, protects people from other spirits, steals children

Kikimora

house or swamp spirit

What does Kikimora look like?

Ugly woman with chicken legs, wearing a traditional costume but no head covering and long flowing hair

What does Kikimora do?

Spinning, oracle, judges housework and acts accordingly

What to offer Kikimora?

fern

Leshiy

forest spirit, guardian of beasts

What does Leshiy do?

Carries off young women, children.

What does Leshiy look like?

wears no belt, coat on wrong, shoes on wrong feet, has glowing eyes

What to offer Leshiy?

bread, salt, kasha, bliny

Leave things at a crossroads wrapped in cloth and tied with red ribbon

Polevoy

Field spirit

What does polevoy look like?

color of soil, old man, shaggy fur or grass for hair, nude

What to offer Polevoy?

Egg

What does Polevoy do?

lures peasants astray, makes himself visible before misfortune, goes after people at the edge of the field (his kids are playing there)

Poludnitsa

Field spirit (female)

What does poludnitsa look like?

beautiful girl dressed in white or nude. widow at morning, crone at dusk

What does Poludnitsa do?

Spin people around til they’re dizzy, lure children into the fields

Vodianoi

Water spirit

What does Vodianoi look like?

nude man covered in mire, bloated and bluish, long beard and hair, half fish,

What does vodianoi do?

Drowns people, works with fishermen, millers, and sorcerers

Rusalka

Water spirit, mermaid, souls of stillborn babies and drowned virgins

What do Rusalka do?

dance under the moon, live underwater, drown passerby especially handsome men, steal kids, tickle people to death

How to ward off Rusalka?

garlic, magic circle, sign of cross, certain verbal charms

What is Firebird’s role?

gives hero a quest

Where is firebird?

golden cage in the garden of Iriy

What does firebird look like?

gold and silver feathers, wings like flames, size of a peacock