God Dazhdbog is one of the most prominent figures of the Slavic pagan pantheon. The mention of him was preserved not only in folklore sources - myths, songs, rituals, sayings - but also in many well-known chronicles, for example, such as the Ipatiev Chronicle and The Tale of Igor's Campaign. The veneration of this god was associated with the cult of the summer sun, he was considered the progenitor of the Slavs. So who is the Slavic god Dazhdbog?
Sun god
The idea of the ancient Slavs about divine powers was characterized by a clear hierarchical order. Every phenomenon, whether social or natural, was "under the control" of some deity or spirit.
At the same time, there was certainly a division into two opposing sides - dark and light. Slavic mythology describes two dynasties - solar (Yasuni - gods of light, heavenly) and lunar (Dasuni - night, underground, dark gods).
One of the bright gods was Dazhdbog - the god of the sun and at the same time his personification. It should be noted that the Slavs had three main solar deities. This trio included: Khors, Yarilo, Dazhdbog. How did they differ from each other?
Horse was winterthe sun, Yarilo symbolized the spring sun, and Dazhdbog - the summer luminary. At the same time, the latter enjoyed special reverence. This was explained by the fact that the position of the sun in the sky in the summer period was of great importance for the plowman people.
Dazhdbog is a good god, the god of fertility, he was never credited with a strong temper. And if there was a prolonged drought, they did not blame him, but looked for the reason in the machinations of evil dasuns. The symbol of Dazhdbog was the disk of the sun, and the color was golden, indicating nobility and strength.
Etymology
At first glance it seems that the name of this god comes from the word "rain", but this is a misinterpretation. There are several versions about the origin of the name Dazhdbog. Here are the most famous ones.
- M. Vasmer believes that “give” is “give”, and “god” is “good, happiness”. From the meaning of the connection of these roots, it turns out that Dazhdbog is a deity that gives prosperity. Based on the fact that the prosperity and well-being of the Slavs largely depended on a good harvest, which was impossible without heat and light given by the sun, we can assume that this version is quite likely.
- According to V. Yagich, the name of this god was formed from the phrase "God forbid", that is, "God forbid!"
- L. Klein is inclined to believe that "dazhd" comes from the Sanskrit dagh, the Gothic dags and the German Tag, denoting the day.
- B. Kalygin sees a connection between the ancient Russian Dazhdbog and the ancient Irish god Dagda, since these two characters are very similar to each other both in name andby functions. The name of the latter goes back to the Pro-Celtic dago-dēvo, meaning "good god", that is, perfect.
Other names and associations
Another name of the god of the Slavs Dazhdbog is Svarozhich, as some sources indicate that he was the son of Svarog. This, in particular, is mentioned in the "Chronography" by the Byzantine author John Malala (V-VI century), as well as in the "Tale of Bygone Years".
Svarog is a blacksmith god, who, according to some researchers, was the supreme deity among the Eastern Slavs, symbolizing heavenly fire. He was also called the Savior (Savior), so he was honored on the days of the apple and honey Savior.
There are versions according to which Dazhdbog as a deity of sunlight was correlated with the Greek Apollo (in teachings directed against paganism, he was mentioned among others next to the moon goddess Artemis), as well as with the Indo-Iranian Mitra, associated with the rays of the daylight.
One of the main gods
Since the life of the Slavs was closely connected with agriculture, harvest, and hence with the movement of the heavenly body, the god Dazhdbog was a very significant figure. As stated in The Tale of Bygone Years, the idol of Dazhdbog (most likely, wooden) towered on one of the Kyiv hills during the reign of Vladimir Krasno Solnyshko. He stood next to the idols of such Slavic gods as Perun (thunderer), Khors (winter sun), Stribog (wind), Simargl (messenger of the worlds), Mokosh (fate, crafts). In the list of gods, Dazhdbog is mentioned third after Perun andHorsa.
Besides the fact that Dazhdbog was the god of fertility, personified the luminary that gives the basis of all life, the entire universe, he was considered the progenitor of the Slavic people. This is stated in the "Word of Igor's Campaign", where the Slavs are called "God's grandchildren". This metaphor was used by the author in relation to the Russians in order to distinguish them from a kindred community, to point out the need to end strife, to unite in front of an external threat.
It should be noted that it was typical for the medieval Christian tradition to designate the origin of peoples from gods and heroes, which today is called euhemerism. This word refers to the theory of interpretation of myths, which is based on the idea that religion and mythology arose as a result of the sacralization of history, that deities, other heroes of myths are transformations of real-life personalities. And myths are distorted historical narratives.
God Warrior
In the Slavic myths, another hypostasis of Dazhdbog is also reflected - a military one. Together with the already mentioned Simargl and Stribog, he took part in the war, as a result of which the entire universe was redistributed. God Dazhdbog was considered one of the greatest warriors of Iriy (Paradise), none of the wars could do without his participation. His favorite weapons were the spear and the bow.
Often Dazhdbog was depicted as a mighty hero in crimson-golden armor with a spear and shield. It was a symbol of the unity of the people in the fight against enemies, a symbol of military prowess, courage and victory.
BIn the view of the Slavs, Dazhdbog rushed across the sky in a chariot, which was dragged along by four white horses with a fiery mane and golden wings, and the sunlight pouring onto the earth emanated from his fiery shield.
Other information about Dazhdbog
Let's give some interesting information about Dazhdbog contained in Slavic myths.
- The solar god twice a day (morning and evening) crosses the Sea-ocean on a gilded boat, which is harnessed by ducks, geese and swans. In connection with this idea, the ancient Slavs had amulets in the form of a duck with a horse's head.
- God Dazhdbog's gaze was direct and honest, and his step was majestic. His hair was a wonderful sunny golden tint, it fluttered easily and beautifully in the wind, and his bright blue eyes were like a clear sky on a sunny day.
- Among our ancestors, the son of Svarog was considered the patron saint of wedding celebrations, at dawn he greeted the groom on the wedding day. He also “hung a lock” for the winter and “unlocked” it with the onset of summer.
- The sacred animal of this god is the lion (just like the god Mithra). Sometimes Dazhdbog was depicted with a lion's head, sometimes lions were harnessed to his chariot.
- Besides lions, the symbols of Svarozhich were also a boar (wild boar) and a rooster, with its cry anticipating the sunrise. In addition to the spear and bow, he also had a sword and an axe.
- Dazhdbog's Day is Sunday, metal - gold, stone - yahont. The idol depicting him was placed facing the sunrise or the southeast so that he could observebehind the sun.
