Pripegala

Last updated

Pripegala is a god of the Polabian Slavs, mentioned in a 1108 letter by the Magdeburg Bishop Adelgot, calling for a battle against the pagan Veleti. Among the images of Slavic crimes and atrocities contained in the document was a description of the worship of a god named Pripegala, juxtaposed with the Greek Priapus:

Contents

The most fanatical of them say, whenever they wish to divert themselves at feasts, "our Pripegala—they yell ferociously—wants heads, therefore must we perform sacrifices". Pripegala, as they call him, is a lewd Priapus and Belphegor. Thus, after slaughtering the Christians before the alters of their idolatry, they fill the basins with human blood and, howling with terrifying shrieks, say: "Let us make this a day of joy, Christ has been vanquished, the victorious Pripegala has triumphed". [1]

Latin original text
Phanatici autem illorum, quotiens commessationibus uacare libet, ferus in dictis capita, inquiunt, uult noster Pripegala, huiusmodi fieri oportet sacrificia. Pripegala, ut aiunt, Priapus est Beelphegor impudicus. Tunc decollatis ante prophanationis sue aras Christianis crateras tenent humano sanguine plenas et horrendis uocibus ululantes, agamus, inquiunt, diem leticie, uictus est Christus, uicit Pripegala uictoriosissimus.

There is general agreement that the notation Pripegala is distorted and many scholars have proposed their own reading. The contemporary transcript is read as Pribyglav/Pribyglov. The analysis shows that the Slavic cluster *Prib- in medieval German Latin is rendered as by Prib, cf. Pribe, Pribizlav, or by Prip, cf. Pripslaff "Polish given name Przybysław", Pripgnewe, Pripignewen "Przybygniew". The Slavic vowel ⟨y⟩, on the other hand, was written as the letter e, as it was often done when writing Polish names. The last element of the theonym, -gala, should be read as an element -glov or -glav, which was reduced to -gla as a result of the adaptation of this element to the phonetics of the Low German language, and then expanded with the vowel ⟨a⟩ to avoid a consonant cluster that would be difficult to pronounce for foreigners. Thus, the theonym would consist of the Proto-Slavic stem *priby- [lower-alpha 1] "to increase, to arrive" and *golva "head" and literally meant "let there be more heads", "gainer of heads", "one to whom heads arrive", etc. [2] [3] Michał Łuczyński reconstructs Proto-Slavic form as *Pribyglovъ. [2]

Aleksander Brückner also originally read the first stem as Prib-, and reconstructed the whole theonym as Przybychwał (second stem from chwała "praise, glory"). He eventually abandoned this reading, however, and decided that Pripegala was a corrupted notation of the theonym Triglav . [4] However, this interpretation is incorrect, as there is no evidence that the Slavic ⟨p⟩ is written with a t in German records. [5] Some researchers have tried to read the transcript as Przypiekało, Připekal, Prepiekal, Przypiekała, Pripekało, etc. "scorching sun" from the verb *pripěkati "to scorch". [6]

According to Michał Łuczyński, Pribyglav was an epithet or synonym of Svarozhits. This is supported by the fact that in the temple of Svarozhits-Radogost in Rethra, which was the main sanctuary of the Veleti, sacrifices of human heads were accepted, e.g. in 1066 the bishop of Mecklenburg John was sacrificed to him in this way. An additional argument may be that Svarozhits is often interpreted as a sun god, and beheadings in India and among the Celts were associated with sun worship. [7]

According to Serbian philologist Aleksandar Loma, the only attestation of this theonym from outside the Polabian area would be the Serbian village of Privina Glava . According to legend, the monastery there was founded in the 12th century by a lord named Prib or Priv, however, the oldest reference to the village, from the Turkish census of 1566/1567, records the name Pribiglava. The modern name Privina Glava is therefore probably a distortion, split into two parts, cf. 16th-18th century records with the toponym Gologlava, and the modern name Gola Glava . [3]

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">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 Jan 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.

Stribog is a god in Slavic mythology found in three East Slavic sources, whose cult may also have existed in Poland. The sources do not inform about the functions of the god, but nowadays he is most often interpreted as a wind deity who distributes wealth.

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, also known as Sventovit and Svantovit amongst other variants, 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 was destroyed in 1168.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Triglav (mythology)</span> Deity from Pomeranian myth

Triglav was the chief god of the Pomeranian and probably some of the Polabian Slavs, worshipped in Szczecin, Wolin and probably Brenna. His cult is attested in several biographies of the bishop St. Otto of Bamberg in the years immediately preceding his suppression of it in 1127.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Živa (mythology)</span>

Živa, Zhiva is a mother goddess of one of the tribes belonging to the Obodritic confederation of the Polabian Slavs. The goddess so appears only in the Chronicle of Helmold of Bozov. He described the strengthening of the pagan cult during the reign of Niklot:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Simargl</span> Deity in East Slavic mythology

Simargl or Sěm and Rgel is an East Slavic god or gods often depicted as a winged dog, mentioned in two sources. The origin and etymology of this/these figure(s) is the subject of considerable debate. The dominant view is to interpret Simargl as a single deity who was borrowed from the Iranian Simurgh. However, this view is criticized, and some researchers propose that the existence of two deities, Sěm and Rgel, should be recognized.

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">Porenut</span>

Porenut is a god with unknown functions mentioned in only two sources: Gesta Danorum and in Knýtlinga saga. The only historical information about this god is the description of a statue depicting him with four faces on his head and a fifth face on his chest, which was held by his chin with his right hand and his forehead with his left hand.

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

Radegast or Radogost is, according to medieval chroniclers, the god of the Polabian Slavs, whose temple was located in Rethra. In modern academic literature, however, the dominant view is that Radegast 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 Radegast.

Podaga is a Polabian deity who had his statue in a temple in Plön. Mentioned only in Helmold's Chronicle, which does not give a depiction or function of the deity.

Among the Slavs there are many modes of idolatry and not all of them coincide with the same kind of superstition. Some create in their temples statues of fantastic forms, such as the idol of Plön, who is called Podaga, others live in forests and groves, as is the case of the god Prone of Oldenburg, of whom no image exists.

<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.

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, the opinions of the 20th century and later researchers are divided with respect to the authenticity of the deity.

<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.

Svarog is a Slavic god of fire and smithing mentioned in the Slavic translation of the Chronicle of John Malalas found in the Primary Chronicle as the Slavic equivalent of the Greek god Hephaestus.

Pizamar is a Slavic deity worshipped on Rügen. His statue was overthrown by the Danes in 1168 together with statues of other gods on Rügen. He is mentioned only in Knýtlinga saga, which, however, does not give the functions of the god or his image. Nowadays his name may be transcribed into English as Pachomir, Pachemir.

References

Notes
  1. ↑ From Proto-Slavic *pribyti "to arrive", "to increase (about the amount of something)", from *pri and -by- from *byti "to be".
References
  1. ↑ Alvarez-Pedroza 2021, p. 88-91.
  2. 1 2 Łuczyński 2020, p. 209-211.
  3. 1 2 Loma 2002, p. 197-199.
  4. ↑ Brückner 1985, p. 11.
  5. ↑ Łuczyński 2020, p. 210.
  6. ↑ Łuczyński 2020, p. 208, 212.
  7. ↑ Łuczyński 2020, p. 212-213.

Bibliography

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.