Slavic mythology refers to ancient paganism and polytheism. It is characterized by pantheism - the philosophy of considering nature and the cosmos in an inseparable unity. According to the Slavs, the whole world around is animated. Each stream and flower, tree and mountain has its own guardian spirit. And the Slavs prayed to them to enlist protection, patronage and support.
Slavic pantheon
Ancient deities were divided into higher and lower. The higher ones ruled the destinies of people and the world, while the lower ones had their own small estates in various corners of nature and personified its elements. The appearance of these entities in mythology is explained by the way of life of the Slavs, their daily activities, work and life. Who are they, the lower deities who inhabited forests, rivers and mountains? We list the main ones: field workers, water and goblin, kvetuni, mermaids and kikimors, the notorious Baba Yaga and others. Each creature had its own habit, whimsical enough. And in order for the benefits from the invisible inhabitants of our world to be more than evil, people had to study them, build relationships, behave in a special way.way. That is, to accept the “rules of the game” that were offered to them by lower deities who inhabited forests, rivers and mountains, in order to cultivate the land and hunt without fear, breed bees and livestock, engage in fishing and other crafts, and simply - in order to live - do not grieve, raise children, strengthen your kind.
The old man is small in stature, but great in strength…
The lower deities who inhabited forests, rivers and mountains, fields and meadows, had, according to our ancestors, different appearances. For example, the guardians of crops and harvests - field workers - seemed to be good-natured old men of short stature, mischievous and mischievous. They were good helpers of farmers, but they often liked to play tricks on people.
It was possible to notice the field worker during mowing - he ran away from the sickle to that part of the field where there is still not harvested live. Or suddenly an grandfather who came from nowhere came up to the peasant and asked - neither more nor less - to wipe his nose. If a person had the intelligence to fulfill a request, he received a good reward. So, already the ancient Slavs understood and emphasized: the earth will generously share its goodness with everyone, but only if people are not afraid of hard work, they are not afraid to get their hands dirty. Thus, the lower deities who inhabited forests, rivers and mountains perform not only protective, but also educational functions.
Yes, it was believed that the field worker had a son, a meadow worker. He monitors the mowing and punishes negligent peasants who missed the time of the best collection of grass. Meadow can turn all mowing into deadwood or so grassintertwined that it is no longer possible to remove them. This is how, through myths, the people cultivated industriousness and respect for the gifts of nature.
Under the sky of Hellas and Rome
Paganism as a type of thinking and a means of knowing the world in general is characteristic of ancient cultures and civilizations. This is easy to prove by comparing, for example, Slavic mythology and lower deities - satyrs and nymphs - from ancient Greek and Roman mythology. The first lived in forests and mountains, wore beards and horns, had tails and cloven hooves. They personified the inexhaustible fertility of nature and the earth, played flutes, loved wine and often harvested fruits and grapes for people, or poured it all out of their cornucopias. The lower deities (satires and nymphs, naiads) are also the spirits of the forest and water, trees and reservoirs. The legends associated with them have a pronounced erotic coloring and sexual overtones. This is connected not only with the life and customs of that time, but also with the veneration of the very cult of birth, fertilization, the birth of all living things. By the way, the Slavic mythical creature close to them was Lel - a young man of wonderful beauty playing the magic flute in the spring in the fields, meadows, groves, when everything is blooming, fragrant and filled with a thirst for love and birth-creativity.
Visiting the goblin
The important and strict god of forest land is Svyatobor. He monitors the order in his possessions, makes sure that hunters and hackers do not harm nature, are respectful and careful with it. The ancient peoples knew for sure that if you fishduring spawning or shoot at a female animal with a cub, troubles cannot be avoided. Svyatobor and the lower deities of the Slavs subordinate to him will deal with the offenders of nature, so much so that others will be repulsed. Among his assistants were goblin, turosiki, informers, svids, kikimors, shishigs, mavkas and others. So, the goblin took the form of either a gnarled stump overgrown with moss, or an old man with a gray beard, wrapped in an animal skin. He could imitate the sounds of the forest, luring hunters into the impenetrable wilderness, confusing them, or he could lead them to the edges, where close to human habitation. Knowing this, people, going to the forest, tried to please its owners. Without need, they did not cut down trees, did not break branches, did not kill more living creatures than was required for food. They didn't even make too much noise so as not to disturb the mysterious entities.
Getting on the water
The main deity of the river is the water one. It also lives in lakes, swamps, streams. He was often represented as a fat old man with a scaly torso and a fish tail. To put any buildings on the shore of the reservoir, it was necessary to ask the water permission. He preserved the purity of the springs, their healing power. The creature's girlfriends were mermaids who guarded the fields, waters and forests. According to some myths, they were the souls of drowned women, according to others - the spirits of natural elements and fertility.
