History Characters / SlavicMythology

* ADateWithRosiePalms: According to folk beliefs, she disapproves. With [[GroinAttack scissors]].

The goddess of life, beauty, and love. Apparently.[[note]]Etymologically, her name seem to be related to the Slavic word ''*živa'', related to the semantic field of 'life, living'.[[/note]]

The goddess of life, beauty, and love. Apparently.

* AnAxeToGrind: The axe was the weapon commonly attributed to him.

The thunder god ([[AwesomeMcCoolname his name literally means "lightning"]]), locked in constant fight with his nemesis (and antithesis), Veles. He was associated with sky, fire, wind, and lightning, and his attributes included axes (preferably stone), carts, and oak tree. He has also been depicted as a man with gold hair and/or copper beard, riding a cart, and carrying an axe, a hammer or a bow. Perun is considered to have been the chief god of the Slavic pantheon, as traces of him are quite common in Slavic folklore, and he fits well the pattern of dominant sky deities. In Slavic {{creation myth}}s, creation of the world is usually attributed to him.\\\

[[foldercontrol]]

[[folder:'''Perun''']]
The thunder god ([[AwesomeMcCoolname his name literally means "lightning"]]), locked in constant fight with his nemesis (and antithesis), Veles. He was associated with sky, fire, wind, and lightning, and his attributes included axes (preferably stone), carts, and oak tree. He has also been depicted as a man with gold hair and/or copper beard, riding a cart, and carrying an axe, a hammer or a bow. Perun is considered to have been the chief god of the Slavic pantheon, as traces of him are quite common in Slavic folklore, and he fits well the pattern of dominant sky deities. In Slavic {{creation myth}}s, creation of the world is usually attributed to him.

* ElementalPowers: He's got several under his belt;
%%** BlowYouAway
** MakingASplash: In the form of rain.
** PlayingWithFire: Possibly because lightning can start fires.
** ShockAndAwe: His powers of thunder and lightning are his most famous.

[[folder:'''Veles''']]
Perun was a "dry" sky god, Veles was a serpentine, cthonic, "wet" ruler of earth and water, slithering around to hide from Perun's thunderbolts. The patron of cattle -- his name is related to the Slavic words for oxen or hair, which is [[ItMakesSenseInContext not as ridiculous as it sounds]], as ancient breeds of cattle were pretty woolly. Thus, he is thought to have been depicted as hairy and horned, and possibly partially serpentine. He rules over the underworld, is a patron of magic and music, and as a lord of cattle he is also the giver of wealth. Perhaps because of this, he is considered a common man's god.

* ElementalPowers
** DishingOutDirt: As a good of the earth, it only follows.
** MakingASplash: ... But he was also seen as being associated with water, particularly underground sources of water.
* EverybodyHatesHades: Once averted (the nobles swore by Perun, common folk by him), but then he got [[HijackedByJesus Satanified]].

[[folder:'''Svarog, Svarozic & Dazbog''']]
A trio of gods who clearly were important deities, as they crop up in various parts of Slavdom. However, their relation to each other is difficult to pin down: does "Svarozic" mean "[[{{UsefulNotes/Patronymic}} son of Svarog]]", or is it merely a diminutive, alternate version of the name?

To solve this conundrum, several theories have been proposed. One of them posits that Svarog is the fire god, and the father to both [[TheBlacksmith Svarozic]] and [[ThePowerOfTheSun Dazbog]]. Another, that there are only two gods, Svarog the sky god, and his son Dazbog the god of fire, Svarozic being an alternate name for one or another.

Svarog himself is mentioned in only one source, where he is the equivalent of Hephaestus. But he is also a contender for the title of the top Slavic god. Dazbog is generally considered a sun god, although according to some, Dazbog had a dual nature as both the diurnal god of the sun and nocturnal protector of the underworld. Svarozic, interestingly enough, is sometimes considered to have been identified with Perun. It seems that regional preferences might have been of matter.

In comparative mythology, analogies are drawn to the proto-Indo-European sky god Dyaeus Pater, a predecessor of figures such as Zeus and Jove; as well as to Hephaestus and other mythical smiths. In the Dvoyeveriye cults, Svarog and Svarogic turned into St.Cosmas and St.Damian (Kuzma i Demyan).

* TheBlacksmith: It's usually accepted that he was a god of smithing.

* LightEmUp: Svarog literally means "shining god"/"light god". A massive debate about whereas these are solar, lunar or day deities is fueled by their unambiguous connections with light.

[[folder:'''Yarilo''']]
The Slavic patron of the harvest, vegetation, and fertility. The name, in the form of Yarovit, appears only in one written source, but is much more common in folklore. It has been reconstructed that he is one of the life-death-rebirth gods, whose life and death symbolise changing seasons. In this version, he's the son of Perun, abducted by Veles, where he herded his stepfather's cattle. He returned in the spring, bringing new life with him, married his sister Morana on the day of summer solstice, and restored peace between Veles' and Perun's domains, but in the autumn he died together with the reaped wheat -- by hand of his wife, whom he wronged, and who in rage and despair brought in the winter. He was probably depicted as riding a horse.

* BrotherSisterIncest / {{Twincest}}: If the reconstruction is correct, of course.

[[folder:'''Morana''']]
The goddess of death and winter, and also nightmares, although some researchers hold her to have been on a sub-deity level, as some kind of demonic being. Reconstructions, whether the one described above or others, generally consider her a part of a duo, the other being a deity of life and/or spring.

[[folder:'''Mother Earth (Mat Zemlya)''']]

* MotherNature:

[[folder:'''Dodola''']]

[[folder:'''Mokosh''']]

[[folder:'''Hors''']]

[[folder:'''Simargl''']]

[[folder:'''Stribog''']]

The Polabian Slavs[[note]]"Polabian" means "along the Elbe [River]", ie. in what is now eastern Germany. You may also encounter the name "Lusatian", which is a subgroup of them, unless you define Polabians as specifically excluding the Lusatians (there are linguistic differences to consider), or "Wends", which is an old, well-established German exonym for the whole lot. Don't confuse with a specific Polabian Slavic tribe also known as the Polabians. Yeah, it's a bit messy.[[/note]] had a multitude of bigger and lesser gods, of which we know comparatively much due to these peoples' constant fighting with the Germans, and with it, consequent interest of German chroniclers (Danish sources occasionally throw in their two cents as well). The Polabian Slavs were unique in Slavdom for the highly organised nature of their cult; they had a priestly class and erected opulent temples. The Lutici, and later, the Rani tribe hosted sanctuaries of trans-regional influence (offerings came from as far as Denmark), whose priests often had the final word in their politics.

[[folder:'''Svarozic''']]

[[folder:'''Svantevith''']]

[[folder:'''Triglav''']]

* DarkIsNotEvil[=/=]TheSacredDarkness: Was often represented by a black horse.

[[folder:'''Chernobog''']]

* SadlyMythtaken: The depictions of him as Satan.

[[folder:'''Ziva''']]

[[folder:'''Zaria''']]

[[folder:'''The Zoryas''']]

* {{Barrier Maiden}}s: Though it has to be noted, concerning maidenhood, there is no consensus on their marital status.
* TheHecateSisters: Averted. We mention it here to [[SadlyMythtaken avoid confusion]]: the third one is an invention of Creator/NeilGaiman.

[[folder:'''Berstuk''']]

%%* NatureIsNotNice

[[folder:'''Lada''']]

[[folder:'''Rod''']]

* AnIcePerson / IceQueen: As the goddess of winter, natch.

* ZeroPercentApprovalRating: There is a tradition -- notice the ''present'' tense -- of burning or drowning ([[ThereIsNoKillLikeOverkill or both]]) her effigy on the first day of spring. In many countries, however, the ancient pagan connection is not well known, and the burned figure is referred to just as "[[AnthropomorphicPersonification the winter]]".

The Polabian[[note]]"Along the Elbe [River]", ie. in what is now eastern Germany. You may also encounter the name "Lusatian", which is a subgroup of them, unless you define Polabians as specifically excluding the Lusatians (there are linguistic differences to consider). Don't confuse with a Polabian Slavic tribe also known as the Polabians. Yeah, it's a bit messy.[[/note]] Slavs had a multitude of bigger and lesser gods, of which we know comparatively much due to these peoples' constant fighting with the Germans, and with it, consequent interest of German chroniclers (Danish sources occasionally throw in their two cents as well). The Polabian Slavs were unique in Slavdom for the highly organised nature of their cult; they had a priestly class and erected opulent temples. The Lutici, and later, the Rani tribe hosted sanctuaries of trans-regional influence (offerings came from as far as Denmark), whose priests often had the final word in their politics.

* TheTrickster: As an archetype. The tales don't say much about him tricking people, but he fits into the mold of "mighty warrior god vs. sly trickster god" archetypes.

* YourCheatingHeart: Reconstructions speculate that he betrayed his sister-wife Morana by cheating on her.

The Slavic patron of the harvest, vegetation, and fertility. The name, in the form of Yarovit, appears only in one written source, but is much more common in folklore. It has been reconstructed that he is one of the life-death-rebirth gods, whose life and death symbolise changing seasons. In this version, he's the son of Perun, abducted by Veles, where he herded his stepfather's cattle. He returned in the spring, bringing new life with him, married his sister Morana on the day of summer solstice, and restored peace between Veles' and Perun's domains, but in the autumn he died together with the reaped wheat -- by hand of his wife, whom he wronged, and who in rage and despair brought in the winter. He was probably depicted as riding a horse. As some sources compare him to Mars, his patronage of farming might have gone hand in hand with patronage over warring. In comparative mythology, he's also rather similar to Dionysus, particularly the older, chthonic Dionysus of Mycenaean Greece, and the Mesopotamian Dumuzi/Tammuz, who was also a god agriculture and fertility and died for betraying his wife.

Perun was a "dry" sky god, Veles was a serpentine, cthonic, "wet" ruler of earth and water, slithering around to hide from Perun's thunderbolts. The patron of cattle -- his name is related to the Slavic words for oxen or hair, which is [[ItMakesSenseInContext not as ridiculous as it sounds]], as ancient breeds of cattle were pretty wooly. Thus, he is thought to have been depicted as hairy and horned, and possibly partially serpentine. He rules over the underworld, is a patron of magic and music, and as a lord of cattle he is also the giver of wealth. Perhaps because of this, he is considered a common man's god.

Thought to be a descendant of PIE snake deity Welnos, and may be likened to Germanic Loki, the Vanir or even Jörmungandr and the Greek Typhon. In the syncretic Dvoyeveriye cults of Old Russia, he was worshipped as Saint Blaise.

* OurDragonsAreDifferent: He was often depicted as a snake with the head of a bear and the horns of a cow, which fits the modern conceptions of dragons quite well.

The Slavic patron of the harvest, vegetation, and fertility. The name, in the form of Yarovit, appears only in one written source, but is much more common in folklore. It has been reconstructed that he is one of the life-death-rebirth gods, whose life and death symbolise changing seasons. In this version, he's the son of Perun, abducted by Veles, where he herded his stepfather's cattle. He returned in the spring, bringing new life with him, married his sister Morana on the day of summer solstice, and restored peace between Veles' and Perun's domains, but in the autumn he died together with the reaped wheat -- by hand of his wife, whom he wronged, and who in rage and despair brought in the winter. He was probably depicted as riding a horse. As some sources compare him to Mars, his patronage of farming might have gone hand in hand with patronage over warring.

%%* GreenThumb

%%* SadlyMythtaken

%%* LoveGoddess

* {{Barrier Maiden}}s: though it has to be noted, concerning maidenhood, there is no consensus on their marital status.
* TheHecateSisters: averted. We mention it here to [[SadlyMythtaken avoid confusion]]: the third one is an invention of Creator/NeilGaiman.