Among the Slavs, the solar god is depicted in the form of. Yarilo - the god of the sun and the holiday dedicated to him, Yarilin Day
to the ultimate truth,
but offers his own vision of the topic.
The word "culture" comes from the word "cult" - the faith, customs and traditions of ancestors.
And anyone who forgets this hardly has the right to be considered a cultured person.
Before Christianity, all peoples were pagans. The culture of earthlings dates back thousands of years.
In our country, the countdown of national culture, at best, dates back to the baptism of Rus', at worst - from 1917.
In both cases ancient history peoples, and, most importantly, their views on space, nature and man, are excluded from the sphere of knowledge of ordinary people.
In particular, practically not a word is said about paganism in schools. Not only students, but also teachers have no idea about paganism. Meanwhile, the school curriculum should begin with fairy tales, songs, and myths of our ancestors.
Pretending that our ancient ancestors did not have any views, ideals and cults, we thereby squeeze the understanding of the history of the people, and especially their spirituality, into the Procrustean bed of a vulgar denial of any spirituality of man (the divine origin of the spirit) and exploring only his physiology.
Paganism is surrounded, on the one hand, by the secrets of oblivion and many losses, like an ancient lost and therefore completely unfamiliar world; on the other hand, there is an unspoken “taboo” imposed on him. This last phenomenon - the phenomenon of trampling, erasing their ancestral culture from the consciousness of people - began with Eastern Slavs, we have to admit, with the introduction of Christianity, and - was never abolished with the advent of atheists to Rus' in 1917. Therefore, if anyone treats paganism and atheism as equally godless phenomena, they are deeply mistaken.
Atheism is opposed to any religion and spirituality. The ancient paganism of our ancestors is a religion, and therefore it is close to any other religion in its own way. main point- faith in God. That is why paganism, while simultaneously becoming closer to the pagan cultures of other peoples in its essence, also became closer to other, later ones that came along an evolutionary path (man became more complex, his ideas about the Cosmos and God became more complex) monotheistic religions. Paganism merged with them and was largely dissolved in them.
Paganism - from “tongues” (peoples, tribes); this word combines the principle of faith different nations. The very faith of these peoples, even within the framework of a tribal union, could be very different among themselves.
Slavic paganism, in a certain respect, developed along different channels: some tribes believed primarily in the forces of the cosmos and nature; others - into Rod and Rozhanits, others - into the souls of deceased ancestors and into spirits (spiritualized forces of nature); fourth - in totem animals, in ancestors, etc. However, one did not negate the other. Some buried (kept) their dead ancestors in the ground, believing that they later helped the living from the Other World and left them something to eat. Others burned those who resisted in the boats, sending their souls on a heavenly voyage, believing that by ordering the body to be burned, the soul would quickly rise to heaven and there each would be assigned to its own star (hence the word “reposed”).
In ancient times, the Slavs had certain places for burning the dead and for sacrificial offerings - open-air altars in the form of a triangle, square or circle, which were called “krada” (compare with Sanskrit “sacred sacrifice in honor of the dead”); A burning sacrificial fire was also called stealing. “Thefts and idolatry”, wrote Nestor the Chronicler. There was also a deity who guarded the altar; it was called Krada (Crodo).
There was a belief that the burnt person is carried away to heaven (Vyriy, Iriy, consonant with “Aryans”; hence, perhaps, the ancient name of the Aryans - a group of Indo-European tribes, the ancestors of the Slavs) comes from immediately, in front of the loved ones who love him. The soul was associated with breath and smoke (the one who stopped breathing was said: “gave his soul to God”). Then the soul was picked up by the larks, the first birds to fly from Vyria-paradise in the spring. The day the larks arrived (around March) was considered the day of remembrance of ancestors and was called Radunitsa.
During the period of struggle with the pagan gods, the worst demonic traits were attributed to them; in modern terms, the image of the enemy was created, therefore the day of remembrance of the dead, according to Slavic customs, at the beginning, in connection with the Easter calendar, was moved a little later, to May 1, and was considered a demonic, unclean day, or rather at night (Walpurgis Night). But later, unnoticed, the Slavic day of remembrance of the dead and Christian Easter became closer.
Christianity, which originated far from the area of residence of the Slavic tribes, perceived Slavic paganism as an alien religion, and therefore it was cruelly destroyed from above. The people resisted this for several centuries, and in different ways introduced paganism into Christianity (through allegory, coding, allusion, non-renaming according to consonance, function performed or internal close essence, etc.).
In the end, the folk (original pagan) worldview and ethics dissolved in Christianity, creating a unique fusion - Russian Orthodoxy.
One way or another, today the ancient faith of our ancestors (various Slavic tribes) is like scraps of ancient lace, the forgotten pattern of which must be restored from scraps. Of course, no one has yet restored a complete and comprehensive picture of Slavic pagan myths, however, there is still a lot of serious research. Today we can only give a general (collected from what has been preserved) idea of the Slavic pagan world. Moreover, if individual gods can be characterized in more or less detail, then only names have been preserved from others.
The most ancient non-personified gods of the Slavs are Rod and Rozhanitsy. Genus sometimes it was identified with a symbol of masculinity, sometimes with grain (including solar and rain grains that fertilize the earth). Women in labor- the female giving birth principle, giving life to all living things: humans, plants and animals. Later, the Rod in Rozhanitsy began to perform more functions and were unified into the names of gods, and in different Slavic tribes they were also personified, receiving proper names: Yarovit, Svetovit, Rugevit, Makosh, Golden Baba, Didiliya, Zizya etc.
Here it can be noted that the ancient Slavic deities also include the worship of ghouls and beregins, as well as non-personified deities personifying the souls of once dead people, good and evil, helping and harming (the so-called “lower mythology”). The souls of those who died in a foreign land, were innocently killed or were not buried according to the customs of their ancestors were considered especially restless and restless. Only under the shadow of the customs of their ancestors could a person feel calm even after death. Such souls were also called “Navi” (from the word Nav - non-existence) and they tried to appease them, always offering them food as a sacrifice.
Beregini (similar to the Greek penates) protected the well-being of different places and types of nature, as well as the house. There were many house spirits: the brownie, the Kutny god, the grandfather (ancestor), ergot and speka (spirits that contributed to human affairs), drowsiness (the peaceful home deity of sleep), bayunok (night storyteller, lullaby songwriter), laziness and oteti (extreme laziness ), okoyems, prokurats, prokudy (rogues, unhearing, pranksters), bannik (spirit of the bathhouse), evil spirits (Ukrainian “butt you evil spirits!”), demons, devils, shishigi (devils with hair sticking out like a shish), kikimora or shishimora ( a creature with spiky hair, the deity of restless dreams and night phenomena). The Proto-Slavic “devil” means “crossed the line”, the border (and that is why, according to Slavic ideas) “cursed”.
There were many beregins - they protected people everywhere: at home, in the forest, in the field, on the water; they protected crops, farmyards, and children, sang lullabies to them, told them fairy tales (tales), and brought them dreams. Later they received - some their own names, some - their own group names (for example, their own Grandfather, Baba - ancestors; group ones - mermaids, goblins, etc.).
Grandfather (did)- ancestor, ancestor. For example, for those who believed that they descended from Perun (Olgovichi and others), this is also a synonym for Perun. Grandfather- the guardian of the clan and, above all, of the children, of course. The eldest man, a representative of the clan eldership, who pacifies passions within the clan, preserves the basic principles of the morality of the clan, strictly monitoring their implementation. Belarusians and Ukrainians also called grandfather (did) the house deity who guards the hearth (way of life), the stove fire, like the small fire of Perun, in contrast to the big one in the sky. The forest deity - the keeper of Perunov's treasure (gold, silver - that is, lightning, thunderstorms, silver rain) was also called grandfather. They prayed to the grandfather for instructions, for the discovery of the treasure. According to legend, where the light flashes, there is this treasure (rain with a thunderstorm), which is vital and important for people (for the family, the home of Perun’s descendants).
Woman. The oldest of them is Baba Yaga. Everyone has questions: what does Yaga mean? Why is she so scary? And especially no one believes that scary Baba Yaga is initially a caring caretaker. The word "Yaga" - coarsened from "Yasha" - is how the foot-and-mouth disease was called in Slavic songs, who once lived on earth and the disappeared progenitor of all living things; hence our more understandable one - ancestor. Baba Yaga was initially a progenitor, a very ancient positive deity of the Slavic pantheon, a guardian (warlike if necessary) of the clan and traditions, children and the surrounding (often forest) space. During the period of the introduction of Christianity, all pagan gods and deities, spirits, including those who protected people (beregins), were given evil, demonic features, ugliness in appearance and character, and evil intentions. So the pagan strict ancestor was turned into an evil demon, which is used to scare small children. In different Slavic tribes there were later other ancestors who received proper names: Golden Baba, Golden Mother, Makosh etc.
There are especially many beregins (they were also later given evil traits) among the goblin: forester, lesuvok, leshak, wild man, Mikola (Nikola) Duplyansky, companion, boletus, crafty (bent and twisted like a bow, and the same internally), grandfather, grandfather ; as well as demons (the Slavic “demon” means literally “without”, and then any positive concept could follow, for example, a person without... conscience, honor, intelligence, goodness, etc.); devils; shishigi; forest mavkas; ghouls; anchutki (a cross between a devil and a duck); werewolf; wolfhounds (dlaka - skin); bats; miracle-yudo; forest king; sudichki and hartsuki (small spirits, assistants of Perun); dashingly one-eyed; the Fear-Pax bird is an incomplete list of forest inhabitants who were the embodiment of the forest as a space hostile to humans.
Sometimes the goblin was almost indistinguishable from people, but more often the owner of the forest appeared dressed in animal skin (dlaka); sometimes depicted in the popular consciousness with animal attributes: horns, hooves, etc. In later times, it was endowed with negative signs, “left”: the left side is draped over the right, the left bast shoe is put on the right foot; the goblin could be one-eyed or crooked in the left eye, lame in left leg etc.
In winter, the “habitual” goblin in the forest were supplanted by Perun’s assistants, who were even more strict towards people - the Kalinniki (from the word “kalit”): Morozko, Treskunets, Karachun. Thus, a person, leaving home for the forest and field, prepared himself for a constant struggle with unforeseen circumstances and merciless elements; and on the other hand, he could always count on the unexpected help of the forest deity, the forest owner, so I tried to please him: not to harm the forest, not to beat animals unnecessarily, not to break trees and bushes in vain, not to litter the forest, not even to shout loudly, not disturb the peace and quiet of nature.
The fact that they also tried to make an evil spirit out of the Slavic kikimora (shishimora) - the deity of sleep and night ghosts - is evidenced by the second part of the word - “mora”. Mara Marena(from the root “mor”) - the goddess of death (many universal gods had female and male hypostases - this speaks of their antiquity: they went through the stages of matriarchy and patriarchy). But still, kikimora is not death. If she gets angry and plays pranks, for example, bothers the kids at night, confuses the yarn left out at night, etc., it does not mean that someone will die as a result of her evil tricks (as we understand the word “hilarious”). Kikimora is a weak, like a crooked mirror reflection of only the fear of death, or even just fear.
Christianity also managed to turn into its opposite the mermaid - the oldest species of bereginya that lived in the waters. She was always depicted with a woman's face and breasts, a fish body and a tail. The very word “bereginya” has surpassed the concept of “protect”; in this case, to help a wandering, sailing, or distressed person get to the shore. The Slavs did this with mermaids. However, during the period of criticism and denial of paganism and the demonization of pagan gods, the idea was gradually introduced that mermaids were drowned women and dead unbaptized children. They began to be afraid. It was believed that they were most dangerous for people during Rusal Week (June 19-24) before Ivan Kupala, especially on Thursday (Perunov's Day). During the mermaid week, they sang mermaid songs, hung yarn, threads, and towels on trees and bushes - symbolic clothing for mermaids in order to appease them or pity them.
In part, the ancient went back to the shores Semargl- a sacred winged dog that protects seeds in crops. Semargl is, as it were, the personification of armed (militant) good. Later, Semargl began to be called Pereplut, perhaps because he was more associated with the protection of plant roots (Pluto is the Greek god underground kingdom). The cult of Pereplut celebrated its mermaid week. And seeds and crops began to be protected by Yadrey and Obivukha. Mermaids were also involved in this, they brought news of rain. Beregins also included birds with a female face: the sweet-sounding Sirin, the Phoenix bird reborn from the ashes, Stratim - the mother of all birds, the oldest and largest, the Firebird, swan girls (swans), Nail-bird, etc.
The mythical half-animals, half-humans were also called chimeras. The purpose of many beregins has now been lost. There is especially a lot of confusion with chimerical creatures. For example, the dog name Polkan was common; many people think that in ancient times there was such a winged dog (confusing it with Semargl), while Polkan is literally “half-horse” (half-horse). He guarded the solar horses of Svetovid, the horses or herds of the sun gods or thunder gods. Among the half-horses are the Russian Little Humpbacked Horse, Sivka-Burka and other characters familiar to us from fairy tales. In appearance, they are half or much smaller than the heroic horses of God, they are inconspicuous, sometimes even ugly (hump, long ears, etc.). In a metaphorical sense, they are precisely half-horses, half-people: they understand the affairs of people (gods and demons), speak human language, distinguish between good and evil, and are active in affirming good (this remains from the beregins).
There is another extraordinary deity: Chur- the deity of borders, one of the most ancient deities-beregins. Derived from "shchur". The land in which the ancestors (ancestors) of any clan rested, and which was passed on by inheritance from generation to generation, was considered inviolable. According to the beliefs of many tribes, the souls of those who do not respect the sanctity of borders, move boundary stones (pillars), manage the land of other people's ancestors, are cursed and after death wander without refuge. Or such people are forever forced to carry stones and rush through the fields, finding peace nowhere; or rush through the fields like a will-o'-the-wisp.
Chur connected to the world. He sanctifies and protects the right of property (remember, for example, “keep away, mine!”), human settlement on earth, moral principles, divides everything fairly: “keep away, in half!”, “keep away, together!” The word “chur” is also associated with “devil”, “outline”, “outline”. So, “the devil” is also, perhaps, one who has violated boundaries, boundary, geographical, and then, inevitably, moral; replacing good with evil.
Many references to solar pagan gods have reached us. These are the later gods, they already had their own personal names and, as a rule, their retinues or entourage of deities and spirits promoting their affairs and destiny (like earthly kings; truly man, becoming more complex from century to century, created gods in his image in his own likeness ).
In the "Tale of Igor's Campaign" it is mentioned Svarog- the god of the sky (Indo-European "svarga" - "sky"), hence, by the way, our expressions "svara", "boil" - to swear, scold, to be like heaven in bad weather. Dazhdbog in “The Tale of Igor’s Campaign” is called “fire Svarozhich”. Associated with Svarog Stribog- god of air currents in the elements. It was to him that the winds obeyed; the proper names of some of them are lost; perhaps one of them was called Wind, the other Hurricane. But the names of the two winds have reached us. This is Pogoda (Dogoda) - a light, pleasant westerly breeze. It is no coincidence that all other states of the atmosphere, except for the one named, are called bad weather. Posvist (Pozvizd or Pokhvist) is the elder (go master) wind living in the north. He was depicted wearing a huge flowing cloak. In fairy tales, Pozvizd is sometimes replaced by the Nightingale the Robber, who figuratively embodied all the evil and destructive force wind.
Some believe that the sun god of the ancient Slavs was Yarilo, other - Dazhdbog, still others call Svetovita- this is both true and not true. In part, each of the main tribal pagan gods, such as Dazhdbog and Svetovid, had the characteristics of a sun god; on the other hand, both these gods and the sun were given masculine properties, the properties of Yarila.
However, the Slavs actually had a sun god, his name was Horse. It is known most of all among the southeastern Slavs, where there is, of course, a lot of sun, the sun there simply reigns over the rest of the world. It is no coincidence that in “The Tale of Igor’s Campaign” Horse is mentioned precisely in connection with the south, with Tmutarakan. Prince Vseslav, making his way to Tmutarakan at night, “crossed the path of the great Khorsa with a wolf,” that is, he made it before sunrise. It is believed that the southern city of Korsun also received its name from this word (originally Khorsun).
From the ancient roots "horo" and "kolo", meaning "circle", solar sign sun, the words “round dance”, “mansions” (circular building of the yard), “wheel” are formed. The Scythian plowmen (proto-Slavs, who lived precisely in the south) called themselves the descendants of the sun (the sun god) - “chipped”. The most famous king of Skolot bore the name Koloksai, that is, the king of the solar people, or the people descended from the sun. Khorsu two very large Slavic pagan holidays of the year are dedicated (also associated with Svetotid, Yarila-Yarovit, etc.) - the days of the summer and winter solstice in June (when a cart wheel was rolled down from the mountain to the river - the solar sign of the sun, symbolizing the sun's retreat to winter) and December (when Kolyada was celebrated).
Many, even those who have heard carols, do not know what the word “Kolyada” means.
Kolyada- a diminutive of “colo”, the sun-baby (represented as a boy or a girl, because for a small child, gender does not yet play a significant role; the sun itself is neuter). This deity arose from the holiday of the winter solstice, from the poetic idea of the birth of the young sun, that is, the sun of the next year. This ancient idea of the annual baby has not died to this day - it has been transferred to the concept of " New Year"(On postcards and in New Year's decorations for festivities, it is no coincidence that artists depict the New Year in the form of a boy flying in space). At the end of December (the month of jelly) the sun begins to turn to spring. Kolyada ("kolo" - wheel, circle - solar sign of the sun ) was represented as a beautiful baby captured by the witch Winter, who turns him into a wolf cub (by the way, the synonym for wolf is fierce; also the harshest month of winter is February - fierce). Only when the wolf skin is removed from him and burned in the fire ( spring warmth), then Kolyada will appear in all the splendor of its beauty.
Kolyada was celebrated for about two weeks, during the winter holidays: from December 25 (Nomad, later “Christmas Eve”) to January 6 (Veles Day). This time coincides with severe frosts (the root “mor” is associated with death), blizzards (compare: Viy) and the most violent dens of unclean (in the Christian view) spirits and evil witches who steal the month and stars. Everything is covered with a frosty veil and seems dead. However, winter Christmastide is the most joyful revelry of Slavic festivities. The sun dresses up in a sundress and a kokoshnik and goes “in a painted cart on a black horse” to warm countries (for spring and summer). On these days, young men and girls “dressed up in hari” or “larva and scarecrow”, mummers walked around the courtyards, sang carols - songs glorifying Kolyada, who gives blessings to everyone.
They also glorified the well-being of home and family (they wished for everything “that the owner likes”), where carolers cheerfully demanded gifts and gifts (or rather, gifts for caroling), jokingly predicting ruin for the stingy. The gifts themselves are ritual cookies: bagels, cows, kozulki, pies and loaves - symbols of fertility. The loaf, for example, symbolizes the fatness of the cow (Old Slavic “kravy”).
The veneration of the sun among the ancient Slavs is not in doubt. Without heat and light, life cannot exist; at the same time, the sun also has destructive power in the absence of basic safety rules.
The sun is the source of vital energy
The veneration of the heavenly sanctuary is reflected in ancient myths, tales, legends, fairy tales, prayers and conspiracies.
There are also solar (solar) symbols endowed with protective power.
Four faces of the sun god among the Slavs
The image of the sun can be found everywhere. On children's drawings, household items, bedding, clothing, amulets.
The Slavic sun god has 4 faces or hypostases corresponding to the seasons. Each season the sun represents a different god.
Each has its own character and specific image:
autumn - .
The ancient Slavs respected the commandments of each sun god and in honor of each of them there was a day of honor (celebration).
God of the cold winter sun
God Horse personifies the winter sun.
Image of Khors: a middle-aged man dressed in a sky (azure) colored cloak. He wore a shirt and trousers made of coarse woven fabric.
Time of the winter sun god: the time of Khors's influence is considered to be the period between the winter and spring solstice. The winter solstice occurs at the end of January, which is reflected in the celebration of the modern new year.
According to some sources, the sun god of winter is Kolyada.
And spring is observed in the twentieth of March. The modern holiday of Maslenitsa is a farewell to winter. On this day, the god of the winter sun transfers rule to the young and hot Yarila.
Lord of the spring sun and fertility
Yarilo is the sun god among the Slavs, personifying the revival of nature after winter. Patron spring sun is rightfully considered the god of love and fertility.
Yarilo, the god of the spring sun among the Slavs
Image of Yarilo: A young fair-haired youth with blue eyes riding a fiery horse. The attribute of the windy god of the spring sun is a bow and arrows, with which he protects the earth from the cold.
The power of Yarilo: the power of the Slavic god of the spring sun extends to the awakening of nature and passionate wild love. The time of influence is from the spring equinox (March 22) to the summer solstice (June 20).
The honoring and celebration of Yarilo in modern times correlates with Maslenitsa. On the day of the summer solstice, games and dances were also held in honor of the god of the spring sun and fertility.
Yarovik - Symbol of the god Yarilo.
The symbol is vernal. The power of the Yaril sign lies in:
protection from evil
increase masculine strength,
restoration of harmony and expended energy
as a symbol of wealth and fertility (healthy and strong offspring).
Afterwards Dazhdbog comes into power.
Lord of the Summer Shrine
God of the summer sun Dazhdbog occupied an important place in the pantheon Slavic gods. The time of influence is from the summer solstice to the autumn solstice. During this period it is associated with suffering (work in the fields).
Dazhdbog time is midsummer.
Image of Dazhdbog. This pagan sun god was depicted in golden armor with a fiery shield in his hands. Among other gods he stands out for his greatness and directness. The ancient Slavs believed that Dazhdbog moved across the sky on a magic chariot drawn by 4 winged golden-maned horses.
Strength: Dazhdbog’s strength extended to the people under his protection. They turned to him at dawn with a request for a successful resolution of any matter.
The symbol of the pagan sun god, the solar square, helps to achieve success.
Slavic god of the autumn sun
Svarog as the lord of the autumn sun.
Svarog is considered the patron saint of the autumn sun. The time of the first night frosts, the time of harvesting and preparing for winter. Svarog was the progenitor of the first gods, he created the firmament of the earth and taught people to plow the field, and gave a plow. Considered the patron saint of blacksmiths.
Image of Svarog. IN Slavic mythology Svarog is presented in the image of a blacksmith. During war, he is depicted as a warrior with a sword in his hands.
The time of the Svarog sun from the autumn to the winter solstice.
Slavic sun gods replace each other from one solstice to another and correspond to a specific season.
The sign of the sun in ancient times
At any ancient religion the sun occupied an important place in human life. It symbolizes the future and the present, life and warmth are associated with it, it is an inexhaustible source of strength and goodness.
Thanks to observing the sun, people learned to predict the future, compiled a calendar, learned to predict the weather and the rampant elements.
Amulets with sun symbols are endowed with colossal protective energy and are available for everyone to wear.
AND The image of the sun is present in rock paintings, applied to tools, weapons, clothing, and jewelry. Images have varietyin the outline, however, the sacred meaning is always the same.
The symbol of the sun represents the naturalness and continuity of the flow of time in all cultures of the world. In addition to the general meaning, each culture has its own sacred meaning solar signs.
What do the rays of the sun symbolize?
IN amulets often use the image of the rays of the sun, what do they mean:
the closedness of the rays into a single circle personifies the continuity and cyclicity of life and existence.
4 rays symbolize fire as the source of life.
6 rays - the sign of the thunderer Perun.
8 - powerful energy of the sun.
When the rays are twisted clockwise or counterclockwise, it also has its own sacred interpretation in various amulets.
Ladinets
Feminine refers to solar symbols. It has powerful energy of protection from the evil eye and damage, helps women succeed in motherhood. A sign was given to protect women from illness, sadness, powerlessness and evil word. It is also a symbol of fertility.
Solar cross
The solar cross amulet can be made of wood or metal.
The Slavic amulet solar cross, personifying spiritual harmony and connection with ancestors, is a solar symbol. Also, the power of the amulet is aimed at transmitting the wisdom of ancestors to the future generation.
In ancient times, the “solar cross” sign was applied to the clothes and weapons of warriors; priests, wise men, and mentors in various sciences wore them as amulets. Wearing a talisman helps to reveal talent, impart knowledge, and find harmony with the world around us.
You can make a talisman from ash or maple wood. More durable amulets can be created from silver or copper.
Suitable for people following the path of self-development and self-knowledge, as well as for everyone who, to one degree or another, teaches the younger generation (teachers).
The power of the amulet is important for those who want to restore the ancestral connection. Helps in finding ancestors and studying their way of life. Suitable for art historians, archaeologists, historians.
Kolovrat
The Kolovrat amulet belongs to the solar symbol and is a male talisman.
The Kolovrat amulet has significant power and has become widespread among men of our time. Appearance of the amulet: 8 rays closed in a circle. The symbol represents continuity of movement. Has great strength.
A talisman with the image of the Kolovrat sign attracts good luck, helps maintain health (mental and physical), promotes good luck in business and love, and is also a sign of fertility.
The solstice is a symbol of 3 gods at once Slavic sun: Yarilo, Dazhdbog and Khors.
If the rays are directed clockwise, the amulet is called a thunderstorm, and if the rays are directed clockwise, it is called a thunderstorm.
The thunderstorm personifies the summer solstice, and the winter solstice.
Solstice is one of the protective signs of warriors. Applied to weapons and clothing. Helped me survive in battle.
Currently, the symbols are also masculine and help achieve success in your goal. Suitable for men who defend the state and land (military, police, emergency services, firefighters) or businessmen.
Black Sun
The black sun amulet is a connection with the otherworldly.
The black sun amulet is a strong symbol that is a conductor between the waking world and the other world.
In ancient times, the sign of the black sun was used only strong magicians, priests and magicians. Wearing this sign thoughtlessly is not acceptable.
Yarilo(Yarovit, Ardent Whirlwind, Ardent God, Wolf Shepherd) - Slavic God of the Spring Sun, revered by the Slavs as the God of Fertility and passion, a skilled warrior and the first farmer. Yarilo is revered as the Wolf Shepherd. Shepherds turn to God Yarilo with requests to protect livestock from wild animals. Farmers turn to Yarilo during the festival of the first furrow. Warriors also honor him. We can say that the Slavic God of the Spring Sun is revered by everyone.
Along with Yarilo comes the revival of earthly life, the awakening of feelings, and an influx of strength. It is Yarilo who brings Lelya, the Goddess of Spring, to the people on the day of the vernal equinox.
Yarilo is the God of the Spring Sun, the son of Veles, the God of the Three Worlds, and Diva-Dodola, the Goddess of Heavenly Moisture. Slavic myths say that the God of young passion was born precisely from unexpected strong feelings. Veles once liked the beautiful Diva Dodola, but the wayward Goddess preferred Perun the Thunderer to him. Then Veles turned into a magic lily of the valley, which the Goddess Diva Dodola saw and could not resist smelling the magic flower. This is how the young God of the Spring Sun appeared.
From his father Veles, Yarilo adopted masculine strength and werewolf abilities. Therefore, Yarilo became the patron saint of wolves, the Wolf Shepherd. From his mother Diva Dodola, he adopted his attractiveness and lively character, which is why Yarilo is revered as the God of Passion.
Legends and myths about the Slavic God Yarilo
Many myths and legends have been preserved about the Slavic God of the Spring Sun, Yarilo. In many tales, Yarilo is described as an assistant to lovers or as the patron of Wolves and other wild animals. The most famous myth about Yarilo is associated with him as the God of Fertility.
According to this myth, the Slavs did not always cultivate the land and grow bread. For a long time, the ability to grow rye, make flour and bake bread from it. For the first time, God Yarilo tried wonderful cakes in an overseas country, and later he learned to make them himself. The people with whom Yarilo was visiting taught him how to make bread, and the God of the Spring Sun brought this knowledge to the Slavs. First, Yarilo gave the Gods a taste of the bread, and then everyone decided together how to teach people to sow grain. The Slavs considered the body of the Mother of the Raw Earth inviolable and would not agree to cause her pain. But the Earth Goddess herself agreed that her son Mikula Selyanovich make the first furrow, and Yarilo sow the first grains. Since then, Yarilo has been revered as the God of Fertility.
Zelen Yarilo came to us -
Ardent God on a green horse,
Green like grass
Dewy like dew.
Brought grain of grain
And good news from the Sun!
Amulet - symbol of God Yarilo
The amulet of the Slavic God Yarilo is called Yarovik. This is a swastastic, solar, four-ray symbol. The sign looks like an oblique cross ending in four crescent-shaped rays. The Yarovik symbol used to be not only worn as a personal amulet, but was drawn on barns with grain and on the gates of the yard where there were livestock. So Yarilo was asked to protect grain and livestock from wild animals that obey this Slavic God.
As a personal amulet, the symbol of God Yarilo worn for confidence, courage, vitality, vigor, for joy and happiness, for the birth of new love.
Attributes of God Yarilo
Animal- wolf, hare.
Heraldry, objects- ear, wreath, branch with young leaves.
Treba (offering)- pancakes, grain, porridge, pies, eggs, honey.
Yarilo - Patron God
Yarilo can become a patron god for those who are similar in character to him. These are people sociable, emotional, charming. They love to say kind, pleasant things to others, they know how to lift their spirits and cheer them up. Those who are close to God Yarilo are always ready to help those who are in trouble: they can give good advice or find a way out of a difficult situation. People similar in character to Yarilo are bright, creative, but quickly cool down, begin to get bored and are looking for a new business or a new lover.
In the character of those for whom Yarilo can become a patron, there are such quality:
- optimism;
- goodwill;
- sociability;
- emotionality;
- mood addiction;
- dislike of order and schedule.
Yarilo in the northern tradition of fortune telling and magic
The Slavic Rez of God Yarilo depicts a sign Yarovik.
Reza number – 25.
Reza Yarilo falls out, when “spring” comes in a person’s life - a time of bright feelings, emotions, enjoyment of life in its earthly, obvious manifestation. This is the time when you should put aside calculations and trust your feelings, not be afraid to live boldly and open up to people. However, at the same time, sometimes unpleasant things are revealed that a person had not noticed before and did not find the strength to face.
Read more about the meaning of Reza God Yarilo in fortune telling in the article Reza Rod Yarilo
Holidays where Yarilo, God of the Slavs, is honored
Several holidays are dedicated to the Slavic God Yarilo:
March 20-21 (date varies from year to year)– Spring Solstice, Yarilo brings Lelya-Spring into the world of Reveal.
The Slavic sun god Yarilo is known to many. This is the god of the spring sun, a young god who appears before people in the guise of a young man with beautiful golden hair and deep blue eyes. A red fiery cloak develops behind his shoulders, and under it is a fiery red horse. His name is a derivative of words such as bright and ardent. They are the epithets of Yarila.
Yarilo is, along with three other sun gods, the guise of the god of the spring sun. The Slavs had beliefs and legends that every calendar cycle four solar gods come to earth, are born again, and then die. They personified the winter sun - Khors, the spring sun - Yarilo, the summer sun - Dazhdbog and the autumn sun - Svetovit or Svarog. Each of these gods is an embodiment and facet of one solar deity, but this separation was due to their different characteristics. Thus, the god of the winter sun is reserved, cold and even cruel. This cannot be said about Yaril - the spring deity, zealous and ardent, bringing light and warmth to people, plants and animals. Yarilo is unrestrained and unbridled; fiery arrows often appear in his hands, with which he pierces cold winter skies, sending heat to the ground. Under this warmth, everything comes to life and blossoms, which is why Yarila is associated with fertility, including human carnal love.
There is a legend according to which Yarila was asked if he could fall in love. And the young sun god answered that he always loves, because all mortal earthly women and all Slavic goddesses are dear to him. It was thanks to the love of Yarila and Mother Earth that so many living things were born. As soon as Yarilo was born, he saw the darkness and cold in which the Cheese Earth slept. And Yarilo fell in love with the Earth, and made a hole in the sky to send her his kisses in the form of sun rays. The earth, under such hot kisses, woke up and woke up from a long, cold oblivion. In those places where Yarila’s rays touched the Earth, grass and flowers, forests and rivers appeared. But Yarilo did not let up, continued to love and kiss the Earth, so fish appeared in the water, birds appeared in the sky, and animals and insects appeared on the surface. And from the most passionate kiss, the Earth gave birth to a man, into whom Yarilo instilled reason, since he considered him his beloved child.
There is such a scientific view on the appearance of the image of Yarila in Slavic mythology. At first, he acted exclusively as a ritual character, which reminded him of Kolyada and others. Yarilo symbolized the same spring sun, but in the guise of a stuffed animal or a small doll. The doll was revered during the period of its dominance - from the winter equinox to the spring equinox. When her period ended, Yarila was carried throughout the village in a coffin and sad songs were sung about the end of fertility both in nature and among rural men. After this, the doll was taken to the field, the coffin was nailed up and buried according to all customs. So the Slavs accompanied Yarila to sleep so that he could be reborn and wake up next spring and revive nature and everything around him. After a long transformation of the image, Yarila began to be deified along with other symbols of the calendar sun, adding to the pantheon of Slavic gods.
Yarilo is the god of the sun, warmth, spring and carnal love, distinguished by his bright temperament. According to legends, people originated from the union of this deity with Mother Raw Earth, which until then had been lifeless. Learn about the legends about Yaril, as well as the holiday dedicated to him.
In the article:
Yarilo - sun god among the Slavs
Yarilo is the sun god of the ancient Slavs, the youngest among the solar gods. He is considered to be the younger brother Khorsa and Dazhdbog, illegitimate son Dodoli and Veles. However, the genealogies of the Slavic gods are so complicated that it is now extremely difficult to understand them - too little information has survived to this day. It is known that the god of the Slavs, Yarilo, belonged to the generation of sons or grandsons of gods.
Yarilo-Sun was also the deity of violent passion, childbirth, the flowering of man and nature, youth and carnal love. He was also called the god of spring or the embodiment of the spring sun. If the god Kolyada was identified with a young luminary, just born again after a cold winter, then Yarilo was presented to the Slavs as the sun that had already gained strength.
The distinctive features of this deity are sincerity, purity and fury, brightness of temperament. All “spring” character traits were traditionally considered inherent in him. The association of this god with spring is noticeable in the name of spring grain crops, which are planted closer to spring. Yarilo was depicted as a young and handsome guy with blue eyes. In most images he was naked to the waist.
Some believe that Yarilo is the god of love and the patron saint of lovers. This is not entirely correct, he is only responsible for the carnal component of the relationship. According to one of the ancient Slavic legends, the goddess Lelya fell in love with Yarilo and confessed it to him. He replied that he also loved her. And also Mara, Lada and all the other divine and earthly women. Yarilo acted as the patron of uncontrollable passion, but not of love or marriage.
Yarilin's Day - a sunny holiday
In the old days, Yarilin's Day was celebrated in early June; if we keep in mind the modern calendar, the holiday fell on one of the days in the period from June 1 to June 5. However, the sun god was also honored on other holidays, for example, the vernal equinox, Magpies in early March, on Maslenitsa and. Worship of the sun was an invariable attribute of Slavic culture, so they tried to honor Yarila at every suitable occasion.
The Day of Yarila the Sun was a celebration of the end of spring and the beginning of summer. By folk beliefs, on this day the evil spirit hides away - it is afraid of the sun even on ordinary days, not like on a holiday dedicated to the daylight. It was celebrated until the 18th century, at least in Voronezh and some other provinces.
In the old days, festive fairs with songs and dances were held on this day. There is such a stable expression - on this holiday all the saints fight with Yarila, but cannot overcome. Therefore, fist fights were also organized - Yarilo is not distinguished by a soft and flexible character, such activities are quite in the spirit of this deity. Often they held feasts in the fields with obligatory dishes - scrambled eggs, pies and sweets. There was never a holiday without a request for the idols of Yarila. Usually the victim was beer.
In the evenings, young people lit fires, around which they danced, sang songs and had fun. Girls and boys dressed in the best and brightest clothes, treated each other to sweets, and organized processions with drumbeats. Men dressed up in colorful dresses for fun, put on jester's caps, and decorated their outfits with ribbons and bells. Passers-by treated the mummers with pastries and sweets - meeting them promised good luck, harvest and happiness in their personal lives. Girls, as a rule, decorated themselves with flowers and wove wreaths.
Since Yarilo is the god not only of the sun, but also of carnal love, marriage games were encouraged. On this day, as on, relations between boys and girls were free, but everything remained within the bounds of decency. Marriages concluded on Yarila were recognized as legal, and children born after the holiday were considered born in wedlock. If the love was not reciprocal, they turned to, which on that day were more effective than usual.
Knowledgeable people tried not to miss Yarilin's day. It is believed that on this holiday, Mother Earth of Cheese is less careful about her secrets, so they can be unraveled. Before sunrise, sorcerers and healers went to remote places to “listen to treasures.” If the treasure wants to reveal itself, you can easily and quickly get rich. In the old days it was the most reliable means, because there were no special devices then.
Simple people They also believed that on a solar holiday you could see other worlds. To do this, at noon they took strong birch branches and wove them into a braid. With this scythe they walked to the steep river bank and looked through them. Legends have been preserved that in this way you can see the spirits of deceased relatives and living loved ones who are located in a completely different place.
There was another tradition - which also celebrates Yarilin's Day. There is such a sign - if by the evening the treats disappear, happiness and prosperity will reign in the house, the brownie will be satisfied and happy to live with the owners of the house. They also left treats on the graves of relatives, visiting them and congratulating them on the sunny holiday.
Morning dew on the Yarilin holiday is considered healing, bestowing youth and beauty. They tried to collect dew for almost any holiday. They washed it, put it in small containers to give to seriously ill people, moistened the sheets and wrapped themselves in them. They did the same with medicinal herbs - as on most Slavic holidays, they gain strength. Medicinal teas are brewed from the herbs collected on this day, but to do this you need to know the properties of plants and understand traditional medicine.
Slavic myth about Yaril the Sun
The Slavic myth about Yaril the Sun tells about the love between the deity and Mother Earth. This is a legend about the origin of life on Earth, as well as the return of warmth after a long winter - every year Yarilo returns to his beloved, and spring comes, awakening the Earth from winter sleep.
Originally, Mother Cheese Earth was cold and empty. There was no movement, no sounds, no heat, no light - this is how Yarilo-Sun saw her. He wished to revive the Earth, but the other gods did not share his desire. Then he pierced her with his gaze, and where he fell, the sun appeared. The life-giving light of the daylight fell on the lifeless earth, filling it with warmth.
Under the light of the sun, Mother Cheese Earth began to wake up, like a bride on her wedding bed, she began to bloom. For reciprocity, Yarilo promised her to create seas, mountains, plants and, of course, animals and people. Cheese's mother Earth also fell in love with the sun god. From their union came all life on earth. And when the first man appeared, Yarilo hit him in the very crown with solar arrows-lightning. This is how people gained wisdom.