1. Forgot mythology - Slavenic mythology

2. Even today there are undiscovered parts of Slavenic mythology, but the archeological findings and writings of old chronicles, tell us the story about Slavenic religion. The question about the whole hierarchy is not still answered; it is not even sure who the chief god, Svarog or Perun was. The most likely story is that the chief god was Perun, but that he was made by Svarog. For every aspect of the Slavenic life there was a definite god, for example, chief god of war and fortunetelling was Svetovid, Volos was probably the one who controlled fields and animals, the change of winter and spring was the job of Stribog and Vesna, and so on. All those gods had their temples and sacred grounds; they were given sacrifices by their worshipers. The ones who brought the gods whishes to the people, were priests. The priests enjoyed great power and admiration, sometimes they were even more powerful then the kings. The Slavs paid their respects to their dead; they believed that the soul of the deceased travel to another world called nav. In short, the Slavs had rich and strong religion which was the major component of their everyday life.

3. BABA YAGA (Baba Jaga, Baba Ruga, Baba Zima) is a traditional crone goddess – portrayed not as wise and gentle, but frightening and terrible (although sometimes wise as well). She is one of the most frequent characters in Russian fairy tales, where she plays the part of a witch. She lives in a peasant hut made of bones which stands on chicken legs and spins, and is lighted by glowing skulls on posts. She travels through the air in a mortar bowl, pushing it along with the pestle or a broom. She is always very hungry. In mythology, she is sometimes Represented as a snake coiled around the Waters of Life and Death.

4. DAZHBOG (Dabog, Dajbog, Dažbog, Daba) is the sun god, and a kind of chief god, somewhat similar to Zeus or the Dagda. He has horns and a canine head. Dazhbog travels in a chariot across the sky every day like Helios, bringing justice, prosperity and sunshine to the world. He is known as the grandfather of the Russian people. His attendants include two maidens (the morning and evening stars), seven judges (the planets), and seven messengers (the comets). In one myth, he is married to Lada, and the two secure abundance for the world.

5. DOMOVOY (Domovoj, Domaći), a household spirit that probably originated in Ancestor worship. The Domovoy lives in each family's home, near the oven, under the doorstep, or in the hearth, and he never leaves the house. He guards the family and its wealth by default, but he likes hard-working people the most. The Domovoy can cause poltergeist-like activity, either when he is displeased, or when he is playing. Some people leave part of each meal for the Domovoy, to placate him. To attract a Domovoy, go outside of your house wearing your best clothing and say aloud "Dedushka Dobrokhot, please come into my house and tend the flocks." To rid yourself of a rival Domovoy, beat your walls with a broom, shouting "Grandfather Domovoy, help me chase away this intruder." When moving, make an offering to the Domovoy and say "Domovoy! Domovoy! Don't stay here but come with our family!" The Domovoy's wife is called a Domawiczka. He is called Stopan in Bulgaria, Dedeks by the Czechs, and Setek by the Bohemians. Sometimes the family house spirit appears in the form of a snake.

6. YARILO (Jarilo) is the god of erotic sexuality, similar to Dionysus. He is young and fair, and wears a white cloak and a wild-flower crown. Yarilo leads a white horse and goes barefoot, carrying a bunch of wheat ears in his left hand, and a human skull in his right. His rites are in the springtime and at harvest, as he is a vegetation deity. His feasts were celebrated in Russia into the nineteenth century. In one story, he is the son of Dazhbog and Lada. At Lada's command, he opens the gates of the sky and descends to earth, bringing spring, then he returns to the heavens at the end of summer. It is said: "Where he treads with his feet, there is an abundance of rye; And where he casts his eyes, ears of wheat will spring."

7. JAROVIT (Jarevid, Gerovit) is the god of war; his name may mean "severe lord." He rules the springtime, looking toward the West. His sacred symbol is his shield, which was kept in his temple and brought out when a victory was needed.

8. VOLOS (Voloh), also called Veles or Walgino, is the god of the underworld, a protector of flocks and cattle and a patron of trade, divination, the arts, and poetry. Oaths were sworn in his name. He is sometimes portrayed as wolf-headed, sometimes as a huge serpent who dwells in water. Cock sacrifices were made to certain waters in which he lived. He is the enemy of Perun. With Christianity, his idol was thrown into the Pocayna River, and he became the Devil, or alternately he became St. Blaise (Vlas), a shepherd. He is mentioned frequently in medieval Bohemian curses. His name is close to words for ghost and devils. He is also associated with St. Nicholas, patron of merchants, fishermen, seafarers, because he lives in water as a snake and is slain by St. George (see Perun).

9. SVAROG (Svarun) is the sky god, as well as a smith and the giver of fire. He is similar to Hephaestus. Svarog hammered the sun into shape and placed it in the sky. He is the founder of monogamous marriage. He has two sons. A short invocation to Svarog reads: "Sky, you see me! Sky, you hear me!"

10. LADA is the goddess of spring, love and beauty. She lives in the Otherworld, called Vyri, until the spring equinox, when she emerges, bringing Spring with her. In one myth, she is married to Dazhbog. Other stories have Lado, a solar god of joy, as her partner and Lel, the god of marriage, as her son.

11. SVANTOVIT (Svetovid, Svantevid, Suvid, Sventovit, Zvantevith) is a horned god connected with the ancestor cult. He is also a god of war, and protector of fields. His idol had four heads, and held a horn filled with wine, from which the priest predicted the harvest. Svantovit also had a sacred white horse which predicted the outcome of war - if it stepped across the palings with its right foot, it was a good omen, but with its left, a bad omen. Svantovit became St. Vitus.

12. MOKOSH (Mokoš) is an earth goddess. She rules over fertility and midwifery. She is commonly called Mati-Syra-Zemlya, or "Moist Mother Earth." Mokosh spins flax and wool at night and shears sheep. She also spins the web of life and death. She wanders during Lent disguised as a woman, visiting houses and doing housework; at night strands of fleece are laid beside the stoves for her. She may have originally been a house spirit concerned with women's work. Evenrually, her worship was transmuted to the modern widespread reverence for Mother Russia. Mokosh is dark, like good, black soil.She is portrayed with uplifted hands, flanked by two horsemen. Mokosh became St. Paraskeva, whose hair hangs long, loosely, and whose icon is decorated with flax and birch. Paraskeva is also known as Mother Friday. One prayer to Mokosh involves going to the fields at dawn in August with jars filled with hemp oil. Turn East and say: "Moist Mother Earth, subdue every evil and unclean being so that he may not cast a spell on us nor do us any harm." Turn West and say: "Moist Mother Earth, engulf the unclean power in your boiling pits, in your burning fires." Turn South and say: "Moist Mother Earth, calm the winds coming from the south and all bad weather. Calm the moving sands and whirlwinds." Turn North and say: "Moist Mother Earth, calm the north winds and the clouds, subdue the snowstorms and the cold." Oil is poured out after each invocation, and finally, the jar is thrown to the ground.

14. PERUN is the god of thunder and lightning, very similar to Thor. His name comes from the root "to strike." He carries an ax or mace, his sacred animal is the bull, his sacred tree is the oak. He has dark hair with a long, golden beard, and is sometimes portrayed with three heads with fiery-red faces surrounded by flames. A perpetual fire was maintained in his honor; if it went out, it was rekindled by the use of a stone. Worshippers laid arms at his idol's feet, and stuck arrows around oak trees in his honor. His idol was thrown into the Volkhv River when Christianity came to Russia. A six-petalled rose within a circle was carved on roofs to protect houses from thunder and lightning, and the symbol may have been associated with Perun. Perun became Ilya of Murom in epic tales, and St. Elijah in the church, because the saint's chariot rolled like thunder and his arrow was lightning. Perun was also associated with St. George, since he slays a dragon (Volos). St. George is the patron of wild and domestic animals.

15. ROD is the god of fertility and light. His name means "kin," and he is linked with ancestor worship. Rod originally created the world and life itself. He is represented as being "seated in the air." He has a wife called Rozanica (or perhaps plural wives), though this seems to be confused with the Rozhanitsy.

16. RUSALKA , the spirit of a child who died unbaptized or of a virgin who drowned. Rusalki live in lakes and have long, wavy green hair. Some have fish tails like mermaids, and some can turn into fish. They manifest either as beautiful girls, dressed in robes of mist, who sing sweet songs to bewitch passersby, or as ugly and wicked women who attack humans, especially men. During Rusalki week, around Midsummer, they emerge from the water and climb into weeping willow and birch trees until night, when they dance in rings in the moonlight. Any person who dances with them must do so until he dies. After that week, the grass grows thicker wherever they walk. In the 19th century, the Rusalki were connected with the cult of the dead.

17. STRIBOG (Stribor) is the god of wind, storms and dissension. He brings the frost and cold. He is called the grandfather of the winds, and sometimes the distributor of wealth.

18. SVAROZHICH (Svarožić) is the personification of fire, and a son of Svarog. He gives life to the newborn winter sun. He is often seen as warrior, clad in armor on a horse, with a bird-shaped helmet, a bison on his breastplate, and holding a shield and a double-axe. At harvest time, he kindles a fire to dry the corn and wheat before threshing.

19. TRIGLAV , or Tribog, is a god with three faces, representing the sky, earth, and underworld. His head is covered with a golden veil. A black horse was consecrated to him and used for divination. He eventually became a deity of pestilence. His worship was strongest in Pomerania.

20. VESNA is a goddess of spring.

21. Vesna, Živa and Morana

22. ZIVENA (Živa, Živjena) is the goddess of life.

23. DODOLA (Perunika, Perperuna, Dolija) is the goddess of clouds and rain. At times of drought, villagers would perform rituals to propitiate her, whcih included pouring water over a flower-bedecked girl.

24. VAMPIRE , this word comes from South Slav "vampir." The modern word is "vukodlak," meaning wolf's hair, though this creature is like a cross between a vampire and a werewolf. The Istrian Slavs believed that every family has a vukodlak, which battles with their kresnik (a good spirit). At midnight, vampires visit houses, and suck the blood of or have sex with sleeping people, often their relatives, who then waste away and die. If a vampire has no relatives, it pulls on the church bell, symbolizing death. A vampire can also be found at crossroads or in cemeteries seeking victims. In some areas, vampires are thought to be the souls of the dead; their physical body does not actually leave the grave. To still a vampire, place a cross of poplar wood in the grave, scatter millet grains to keep them busy counting, or maim their ankles so they can't stand or walk. To kill a vampire, drive a hawthorn or aspen stake into its body, put a nail in its head, decapitate it, dismember it, and/or burn the body. The belief in vampires still exists in some remote areas, and among the Kashub communities in Canada.

25. Created by Željko Čidić Music: Enya: “Lothlorien”