The sun is the source of life and fertility. Mankind has long revered the luminary that warms the Earth, giving light and joy to the creatures inhabiting the planet. Therefore, almost every nation had its own authentic symbol of the sun, which they worshiped and brought gifts.
Kolovrat
In Russia, the so-called cross with bends. Kolovrat is a symbol of the sun among the Slavs, which our ancestors interpreted as "solstice", or simply "rotation". His image in the form of an ornament was often applied to the iconostasis and altars of temples, chasubles and national costumes, military weapons and squad banners, roofs of houses and household utensils. Even to this day, fragments of these paintings have survived: they can be seen in the ancient churches of Novgorod, Kyiv and Chernigov. And the excavations of Slavic settlements and burial mounds indicate that many cities had a clear form of Kolovrat, the rays of which pointed to the four cardinal directions.
The symbol represented the Yarilo-Sun, the change of seasons and eternal light. He was a protective force for people, protection from the demons of hell and human aggression. No wonder the sign was painted on red shieldscourageous warriors who went to the mortal battle. Kolovrat caused panic among the opponents of the Russians, so for many centuries our valiant ancestors successfully resisted the invasions of other peoples and tribes.
Pagan God of the Sun
He had four forms depending on the season:
- Sun-baby Kolyada. Winter luminary, weak and defenseless. Born in the early morning after the December night solstice.
- The sun is a young man Yarilo. A strengthened star that appears on the day of the vernal equinox.
- The sun is Kupailo's husband. A mighty luminary that rolled out into the sky on the day of the summer solstice.
- Sun-old man Svetovit. An aging and wise luminary that marks the day of the autumnal equinox.
As you can see, the symbol of the sun constantly appeared in the calendar of our ancestors, indicating not only the change of seasons, but also astronomical phenomena. These four days were important pagan holidays, during which the Slavs held dances and feasts, made sacrifices to the gods and praised them with ceremonial songs. In addition, the luminary constantly figured in other rituals. For example, it is a symbol of Maslenitsa. The sun during the farewell to winter was embodied in the form of pancakes: in this way, our ancestors called on the star to wake up and warm the Earth.
Eagle
If among the ancient Slavs the main amulet of a person, the Kolovrat, and the symbol of Maslenitsa, the sun were present during numerous ceremonies, then among other peoples of the world, solar signs were not so widespread. Of course the lightrevered all over the world, but only Russians painted his image everywhere: from houses to small household items. They also believed that the eagle was the symbol of the sun. But even more the cult of this proud bird was worshiped in Greece and China.
These peoples chose the eagle not by chance: its flight, life under the clouds have always been illuminated by the rays of the luminary. People believed that the bird was the messenger of the gods, so it can fly to the star and even merge with it. The eagle symbolized the height and strength of the spirit that can soar into the sky. If he was drawn among lightning and thunder, he indicated courage and the ability to overcome any difficulties. In addition, Homer argued that a bird holding a snake in its claws is a symbol of victory.
Symbols of the sun in other nations
The luminary was especially revered by the Indians who lived in Peru and Mexico. Like the Slavs, Greeks and Chinese, they worshiped the eagle: its feathers often adorned their headdresses, giving a person a certain status and giving him protection. In addition, the Incas depicted a star in the form of a man with a golden disc-shaped face, while the Aztecs associated it with the god of war - Huitzilopochtli. Another Indian symbol of the sun is the same Kolovrat, which has several differences from the Slavic one: it was drawn in the form of a wheel, a swastika, a circle surrounded by rays, or a simple disk.
Inhabitants of Indonesia considered the cat's face as a symbol of the luminary. In the USA, the sun was depicted with a cunning in the eyes, and in Mallorca - sad. In Spainthey believed that the moon was the progenitor of the star, among the Malays these two luminaries were spouses, and in Russian folklore they were sisters. In Japan, the ancient symbol of the sun is the chrysanthemum. And among the Egyptians, the luminary was associated with a scarab. The ancient sun god Khepri was depicted here as a beetle rolling a heavenly body through the clouds.
"Solar" deities
In Greece, Helios was considered such, in whose very name one could already feel the radiance of rays and the blaze of fire. Often he was depicted as a powerful handsome young man: his eyes sparkled, his hair fluttered in the wind, covered with a golden helmet or crown. Every morning he appeared in the sky in a solar chariot drawn by four winged horses.
The Roman symbol of the sun is the god Apollo, the patron of light, art, science and agriculture. His weapons - arrows - were depicted in the form of sunbeams.
As for the ancient Persians, Mithra was the embodiment of the luminary. It was drawn as a stream of light that connects people with darkness.
In ancient Egyptian mythology, the god of the sun was Ra, represented as a man, a huge cat or an eagle, whose head was crowned with a star. The summer drought and heat were considered his wrath sent against people for their sins.
As you can see, the Sun has been revered since time immemorial. Nowadays, he is also worshiped: museums dedicated to this luminary are even opened in different countries of the world.
