List of Slavic pseudo-deities

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Chislobog - the god of numbers, one of the most popular pseudo-gods today. Andrey Shishkin, 2015 Chislobog by Andrey Shishkin.jpg
Chislobog – the god of numbers, one of the most popular pseudo-gods today. Andrey Shishkin, 2015

Slavic pseudo-deities (pseudo-gods, pseudo-goddesses) are Slavic deities described in popular and sometimes even scientific literature, whose historicity is not recognized by the vast majority of scholars, i.e. the deities in question are not deemed actually to have been objects of worship among pagan Slavs. The pseudo-deities of the Slavs, like those of other ethnic groups, were created as a result of mistakes (e.g., by understanding the given name as a theonym, unfamiliarity with the Slavic languages, misunderstanding of pagan ritual, or uncritical use of sources), as a result of the creation and falsification of Slavic Romantics, or even as a result of falsification for political motives. The reason for the last two may be that, unlike, for example, those of Greek mythology, the sources on Slavic mythology are severely limited.

Contents

The first Slavic pseudo-deities began to appear as early as the Middle Ages, mainly in Latin Christian texts, as a result of mistakes. Slavic pseudo-deities on a large scale began to appear from the 18th and especially the 19th century. In 1768, a popular forgery of the time appeared, the so-called Prillwitz idols, depicting alleged Slavic deities decorated with alleged Slavic runes. [1] [2] [3] Based on this forgery, many deities were created by Andreas Masch and later by Martin Arendt  [ de ]. In the 19th century, the Czech Ignác Jan Hanuš was a popular fantasist, particularly his two works: Die Wissenschaft des slavischen Mythus, and Bájeslovný kalendář slovanský, and Russian Aleksandr Famintsyn  [ ru ], who was rather uncritical in treating sources in his Bozhestva drevnikh slavyan ("Deities of the Ancient Slavs"). In addition to the above-mentioned authors, every Slavic country had its more or less popular forgers. [4] Contemporary falsification of the Slavic pantheon is continued by Czesław Białczyński  [ pl ] in Poland (e.g. Stworze i zdusze, czyli starosłowiańskie boginki i demony. Leksykon, or Mitologia słowiańska: Księga tura), [5] [6] and in Russia by Alexander Asov (Kniga Kolyady). [7]

Flins Flins.png
Flins

West Slavs

Polabian Slavs

Pusterich Sondershauser Pustrich.jpg
Püsterich

Prillwitz idols

Many of the deities were created by Andreas Gottlieb Masch (1771), [20] a German theologian who studied the so-called Prillwitz idols, taking them to be authentic Slavic statues, but which are now recognized as 17th century forgeries. [1] [2] [3] The drawings for his book were made by Daniel Woge, a German painter and illustrator. [20] Masch's information was further repeated by Martin Friedrich Arendt (1820), [21] a German botanist and antiquarian, and Bernhard Severin Ingemann (1824), [22] a Danish writer.

Percunust - one of the Prillwitz idols Piekosinski - Kamienie mikorzynskie - Tabl. IV A. Perkunust.jpg
Percunust - one of the Prillwitz idols

Andreas Gottlieb Masch: [20]

  • Sieba
  • Zibog, Siebog
  • Nemisa
  • Podba
  • Percunust
  • Schwaixtix
  • Zislbog, Zislbocg
  • Zirnitra, Zir
  • Wodan
  • Balduri
  • Ipabog, Ipabocg
  • Misizla
  • Plusso
  • Zois

Martin Friedrich Arendt: [21]

  • Tara(n)
  • Othin
  • Gestrab
  • Raziva
  • Tsibaz
  • Hela
  • Kricco
  • Opora
  • Karevit
  • Hirovit
  • Marovit
  • Gilbog
  • Juthrbog
  • Urii
  • Pya
  • Mita
  • Sicksa
  • Berstuk
  • Gudii

Czechs

Václav Hájek, a Czech chronicler who is accused of making up many events in his work, lists the deities in his Chronicle: Klimba, Krasatina, Krosina.

Hájek gained imitators after his death: Pavel Stránský, Jan Jiří Středovský, Juraj Papánek, who added the following deities by themselves: Chasoň, Ladoň, Zeloň, Živěna, Nočena, Krasopaní, Hladolet. [23]

Priest Antonín Liška, one of the translators of Homer into Czech, also made up deities. He replaced Greek theonyms with similar Czech ones or just transferred them into Czech. He gave up to three versions of the same invented Czech name, writing them in brackets or footnotes: [24]

Another forgery is the glosses added to Mater Verborum , a Czech-Latin dictionary, added by Václav Hanka, containing deities invented by him: [25]

Hanka also mentions gods from other sources, e.g. Belebog, Perun, Živa, Svetovit, Triglav, Veles, Lada, Devana, and Morana. In addition, he mentions many demons, including vesna.

East Slavs

Book of Veles

The Book of Veles is a 20th century forgery that has gained particular popularity among Ukrainians. It lists, in addition to authentic gods, the following pseudo-gods: [26]

  • Vyšenʹ (Russian: Вышень)
  • Lelja (Леля)
  • Letnica (Летница)
  • Kolendo (Колендо)
  • Krʹšenʹ (Крьшень)
  • Deržatelʹ (Держатель)
  • Snvʹіj (Снвьій)
  • Belojare (Белояре)
  • Lado (Ладо)
  • Kupalo (Купало)
  • Senic (Сениц)
  • Žitnec (Житнец)
  • Veniŝč (Венищ)
  • Zernic (Зерниц)
  • Ovsenic (Овсениц)
  • Prosicʹ (Просиць)
  • Studecʹ (Студець)
  • Ledic (Ледиц)
  • Ljutecʹ (Лютець)
  • Ptiščec (Птищец)
  • Zverenc (Зверенц)
  • Milic (Милиц)
  • Dozdec (Доздец)
  • Plodec (Плодец)
  • Jagodnec (Ягоднец)
  • Pščelic (Пщелиц)
  • Rostic (Ростиц)
  • Klenčič (Кленчич)
  • Zzerenč (Ззеренч)
  • Vetricʹ (Ветриць)
  • Slomicʹ (Сломиць)
  • Gribicʹ (Грибиць)
  • Loviščʹ (Ловищь)
  • Besedicʹ (Беседиць)
  • Snezicʹ (Снезиць)
  • Stranicʹ (Страниць)
  • Sventicʹ (Свентиць)
  • Radnicʹ (Радниць)
  • Sveticʹ (Светиць)
  • Korovicʹ (Коровиць)
  • Krasicʹ (Красиць)
  • Travicʹ (Травиць)
  • Steblicʹ (Стеблиць)
  • Rodicʹ (Родиць)
  • Maslecʹ (Маслець)
  • Živicʹ (Живиць)
  • Vedicʹ (Ведиць)
  • Listvicʹ (Листвиць)
  • Kveticʹ (Кветиць)
  • Vodišč (Водищ)
  • Zvezdicʹ (Звездиць)
  • Gromič (Громич)
  • Semišč (Семищ)
  • Lipecʹ (Липець)
  • Rembicʹ (Рембиць)
  • Brezičʹ (Брезичь)
  • Zelenicʹ (Зелениць)
  • Goricʹ (Гориць)
  • Stradicʹ (Страдиць)
  • Spasicʹ (Спасиць)
  • Listeverzicʹ (Листеверзиць)
  • Mʹjuslicʹ (Мьюслиць)
  • Gosticʹ (Гостиць)
  • Raticʹ (Ратиць)
  • Stranicʹ (Страниць)
  • Čurncʹ (Чурнць)
  • Rodicʹ (Родиць)
  • Ognebog Semerogelʹ (Огнебог Семерогель)
  • Čislobog (Числобог)
  • Kvasur (Квасур)

Others

South Slavs

One of the major forgeries from the South Slavs is the Serbian Песме и обичаи укупног народа српског (1869; "Songs and customs of the all Serbian peoples") by Miloš Milojević: [30]

The second important forgery is Veda Slovena (1874) by Stefan Verković: [31]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chernobog and Belobog</span> Alleged Slavic deities

Chernobog and Belobog are an alleged pair of Polabian deities. Chernobog appears in Helmold's Chronicle as a god of misfortune worshipped by the Wagri and Obodrites, while Belobog is not mentioned – he was reconstructed in opposition to Chernobog. Both gods also appear in later sources, but they are not considered reliable. Researchers do not agree on the status of Chernobog and Belobog: many scholars recognize the authenticity of these theonyms and explain them, for example, as gods of good and evil; on the other hand, many scholars believe that they are pseudo-deities, and Chernobog may have originally meant "bad fate", and later associated with the Christian devil.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Devana</span>

Devana, Zevana, less often Zievonya is the goddess of wild nature, forests, hunting and the moon worshiped by the Western Slavs. In the sources, she was first mentioned in the 15th century by Jan Długosz, who compared her to the Roman goddess Diana. Dziewanna is also a Polish name for Verbascum, and the etymology of the word is unclear. After strong criticism from Aleksander Brückner, researchers rejected her authenticity, but nowadays it is accepted by an increasing number of researchers. Sometimes, in folk rituals, she performs together with Morana.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lada (mythology)</span> Alleged goddess in Slavic and Baltic mythology

Lada and Lado are alleged Slavic deities. Lada was first mentioned around 1405-1412 in the sermons of Lucas of Wielki Koźmin, which warned against worshipping Lada and other gods during spring ceremonies and folk performances. They owe their popularity to Długosz, who in one of his sources recognized Lada as a goddess and in another as a god of war, the Polish equivalent of the Roman god Mars, to Aleksandr Faminstyn, who recognized the word Lada in Russian songs as the goddess of marriage, and to scholar Boris Rybakov, who insisted on recognizing her historicity. However, the vast majority of religious scholars and Slavists reject the historicity of these deities, believing that they owe their divine status to a misunderstanding of the song refrains by medieval scribes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Svarog</span> Slavic blacksmith deity

Svarog is a Slavic god of fire and blacksmithing, who was once interpreted as a sky god on the basis of an etymology rejected by modern scholarship. He is mentioned in only one source, the Primary Chronicle, which is problematic in interpretation. He is presented there as the Slavic equivalent of the Greek god Hephaestus. The meaning of his name is associated with fire. He is the father of Dazhbog and Svarozhits.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Svetovit</span> Slavic deity

Svetovit, Sventovit, Svantovit is the god of abundance and war, and the chief god of the Slavic tribe of the Rani, and later of all the Polabian Slavs. His organized cult was located on the island of Rügen, at Cape Arkona, where his main temple was also located. According to the descriptions of medieval chroniclers, the statue representing this god had four heads, a horn and a sword, and to the deity himself were dedicated a white horse, a saddle, a bit, a flag, and eagles. Once a year, after the harvest, a large festival was held in his honor. With the help of a horn and a horse belonging to the god, the priests carried out divinations, and at night the god himself rode a horse to fight his enemies. His name can be translated as "Strong Lord" or "Holy Lord". In the past it was often mistakenly believed that the cult of Svetovit originated from St. Vitus. Among scholars of Slavic mythology, Svetovit is often regarded as a Polabian hypostasis of Pan-Slavic god Perun. His cult collapsed in 1168.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rod (Slavic religion)</span> Slavic deity of family, ancestors and fate, perhaps as the supreme god

In the pre-Christian religion of Eastern and Southern Slavs, Rod is the god of the family, ancestors and fate, perhaps as the supreme god. Among Southern Slavs, he is also known as Sud. He is usually mentioned together with Rozhanitsy deities. One's first haircut (postriziny) was dedicated to him, in a celebration in which he and the rozhanitsy were given a meal and the cut hair. His cult lost its importance through time, and in the ninth or tenth century he was replaced by Perun, Svarog and/or Svetevid, which explains his absence in the pantheon of Vladimir the Great.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Khors</span> Slavic god

Khors is a Slavic god of uncertain functions mentioned since the 12th century. Generally interpreted as a sun god, sometimes as a moon god. The meaning of the theonym is also unknown: most often his name has been combined with the Iranian word for sun, such as the Persian xoršid, or the Ossetian xor, but modern linguists strongly criticize such an etymology, and other native etymologies are proposed instead.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Radogost (mythology)</span> Slavic god

Radogost is, according to medieval chroniclers, the god of the Polabian Slavs, whose temple was located in Rethra. In modern scientific literature, however, the dominant view is that Radogost is a local nickname or a local alternative name of the solar god Svarozhits, who, according to earlier sources, was the chief god of Rethra. Some researchers also believe that the name of the town, where Svarozhits was the main deity, was mistakenly taken for a theonym. A popular local legend in the Czech Republic is related to Radogost.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nav (Slavic folklore)</span> Concept in Slavic folklore

Nav is a phrase used to denote the souls of the dead in Slavic mythology. The singular form is also used as a name for an underworld, over which Veles exercises custody—it is often interpreted as another name for the underground variant of the Vyraj.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yarovit</span>

Yarovit, Iarovit is a Polabian god of war, worshipped in Vologošč (Circipanians) and Hobolin. Sources give only a brief description of his cult, his main temple was located in Vologošč, where there was a golden shield belonging to Yarovit. By one Christian monk he was identified with the Roman Mars.

Rozhanitsy, narecnitsy, and sudzhenitsy are invisible spirits or deities of fate in the pre-Christian religion of the Slavs. They are related to pregnancy, motherhood, marriage and female ancestors, and are often referenced together with Rod. They are usually mentioned as three together, but sometimes up to 9 together, of whom one was a "queen" or singular. They are related to Dola, but it is not known on what terms. In Poland they were worshipped as zorze (auroras).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lel and Polel</span> Polish pagan deities

Lel and Polel are Polish divine twins, first mentioned by Maciej Miechowita in the 16th century where he presents them as equivalents of Castor and Pollux and the sons of the goddess Łada, the equivalent of Leda. There is no complete agreement about the authenticity of the cult of Lel and Polel.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Niya (mythology)</span> Slavic god or death god

Niya is a Lechitic god of the underworld of unknown sex, whose exact functions are unknown. Niya is mentioned together with other gods worshipped by Poles, such as Yesha, Łada, or Devana. Niya's cult may be demonstrated by the sayings "Go to Niye" and "Dwell in Nya" collected by Polish ethnographer Aleksander Brückner. In recent years, the confidence in the authenticity of Niya has increased in the scientific community.

Jesza or Jasza is an alleged Polish god. He was first mentioned around 1405-1412 in the sermons of Lucas of Wielki Koźmin, which warned against the worship of Jesza and other gods during spring rituals and folk performances. His popularity is partly owed Jan Długosz's comparison of him to the Roman god Jupiter. However, contemporary researchers largely reject the authenticity of the deity.

Chernoglav or Chernoglov is the god of victory and war worshipped in Rügen, probably in the town of Jasmund, mentioned together with Svetovit, Rugievit, Turupid, Puruvit and Pizamar in the Knýtlinga saga.

The fifth god was called Pizamar from a place called Jasmund, and was destroyed by fire, There was also Tjarnaglófi, their god of victory who went with them on military campaigns. He had a moustache of silver and resisted longer than the others but they managed to get him there years later. Altogether, they christened five thousand on this expedition.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Svarozhits</span> Slavic god of fire

Svarozhits, Svarozhich is a Slavic god of fire, son of Svarog. One of the few Pan-Slavic gods. He is most likely identical with Radegast, less often identified with Dazhbog.

Porevit, Porovit or Borovit is a Slavic god with unknown functions mentioned in only two sources: Gesta Danorum and in Knýtlinga saga. The only historical information about this god is a description of a statue depicting him that had five faces and no weapons.

Dzidzilela, Dzidzileyla, Dzidzilelya is an alleged Polish goddess. First mentioned by Jan Długosz as the Polish equivalent of the Roman goddess Venus, goddess of marriage. Nowadays, the authenticity of the goddess is rejected by most researchers, and it is believed that the theonym was created by recognizing a fragment of folk songs as a proper name.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hennil</span>

Hennil or Bendil is an alleged agrarian Slavic god worshipped by the Polabian Slavs. He was mentioned by Bishop Thietmar in his Chronicle as a god who was represented by a staff crowned by a hand holding a ring, which is interpreted as a symbol of fertility. However, there is no general consensus on the authenticity of the deity.

References

  1. 1 2 Szyjewski 2003, p. 9.
  2. 1 2 Gieysztor 2006, p. 38.
  3. 1 2 Strzelczyk 1998, p. 161-162.
  4. Brückner 1985, p. 6.
  5. Strzelczyk 1998, p. 5.
  6. Szyjewski 2003, p. 10.
  7. Klejn 2004.
  8. Gieysztor 2006, p. 105.
  9. Кутарев 2017.
  10. Strzelczyk 1998, p. 87.
  11. Witkowski 1970, p. 377.
  12. Kolankiewicz 1999, p. 444-445.
  13. Gieysztor 2006, p. 199.
  14. 1 2 Strzelczyk 1998, p. 220.
  15. Strzelczyk 1998, p. 76.
  16. Strzelczyk 1998, p. 86-87.
  17. 1 2 3 Strzelczyk 1998, p. 194.
  18. 1 2 Strzelczyk 1998, p. 169.
  19. Strzelczyk 1998, p. 57.
  20. 1 2 3 Masch 1771.
  21. 1 2 Arendt 1820.
  22. Ingemann 1824.
  23. Kalandra 2002, p. 37.
  24. Bartocha 1881.
  25. Enders 1993, p. 348-358.
  26. Dudko 2002, p. [11-А], [11-Б].
  27. "Кто и зачем придумывал древних славянских богов?". Arzamas (in Russian). Retrieved 2021-05-22.
  28. Montalba 1850, p. 181 (footnote 3).
  29. 1 2 "Simzerla". Pierer's Universal-Lexikon. Vol. 16. Altenburg. 1863. p. 121 via Zeno.org.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  30. Milojević 1869.
  31. Moroz-Grzelak 2004, p. 91-98.

Bibliography