Paganism is a traditional world view, based on the vast life experience of the ancient Slavs. With its help people mastered the surrounding world and cognized themselves. The pantheon of the Slavic gods is huge and many of them were eventually forgotten.
Pagan gods of the ancient Slavs
The exact number of Slavic deities can not be determined. This is due to the fact that one god had several names that were equally distributed. You can identify the main pantheon of pagan gods, who occupied an important part of people's lives. Each representative had forces to control the impulses of natural phenomena, but only in his element. The Slavs used different totems and idols, which were some kind of transmitting link, allowing them to communicate with the Higher Powers.
The main pagan god of the Slavs
Deity, which is identified with Zeus and Jupiter, and occupying a leading position in the pantheon of the Eastern Slavs - Perun. He was also the patron of thunder, lightning and military valor. This is the youngest son of Lada and Svarog. Perun was considered the patron of the prince and princely squad and was associated with the invincible power of Light. In the afternoon, when the Slavs held a huge celebration, it was considered on June 20.
God of the Slavs Perun was outwardly represented by a tall, stately soldier, who had blond hair and blue eyes. He wore gold armor and a large red cloak. He appeared on a powerful horse, holding in his hands stopudovuyu club, which was presented to him by Svarog. The symbol of this pagan god is the ax, which is called the Sekira Peruna, and the rune Sila. Idol - a powerful oak pillar, on which the conditioned face and divine symbol were carved.
The pagan god of love
For warm love feelings among the ancient Slavs answered Lel, who is the son of Lada. It symbolizes beauty and love. Represented him as a baby with wings and golden hair, which is similar to the appearance of the familiar Cupid. Slavic god Lel symbolizes passion, ardent and passionate love, so he was often represented by armed sparks, which he metal from the hands, fomenting in people fervent love feelings.
The bird that symbolized Lelya is the stork, which resulted in the appearance of another name - "leleka". The celebration of this god was at night of Ivan Kupala. In some legends of the pagan god, love was represented by a shepherdess with blond hair. Lel's patronage brings people luck in love, helping to find a soul mate in order to become happier.
The pagan sun god
The ancient Slavs considered the sun to be the main force that gives life on earth, therefore there were three of its main patrons: Yarilo, Dazhdbog and Khors. The first pagan gods are responsible for the spring and summer sun, and the last - for the winter. Represented him as a middle-aged man who had ruddy cheeks. Although he was often portrayed as smiling, he was sad because he could not protect people from winter frosts.
God of the Slavs Horse possessed the forces that allow him to control nature, so he can calm down the snowstorm and snow storm. He is able to raise and lower the temperature. Yet this deity was considered the patron of winter crops, so it was in special honor among people whose activities are connected with the land. This deity has a dark incarnation - the Black Horse, which was created by Navi and he answered for the fierce frosts and snow blizzards. Honored god of the winter sun on September 22.
The pagan god of fertility
The deity of spring fertility among the ancient Slavs is Yarilo, who is the patron saint of the sun. He is the younger brother of Hors and Dazhbog. They considered Yarilo a god of passion, childbirth and the flowering of human strength and nature. Among others, he stands out for his sincerity, purity and brightness of character. The Slavic god Yarilo was represented by a young and handsome guy with beautiful blue eyes. In many pictures, the deity was depicted to the waist with no clothes and with blond hair.
Like many other pagan gods, Yarilo had his own attributes, so in his right hand he had an effigy of a man's head, and in another, a rye ears. The head of this deity was decorated with a wreath of spring wildflowers. The symbol of Yaril is a five-pointed star with equal sides and the rune Ud. The ancient Slavs celebrated the day of this god on March 21, when the first month of the pagan year began.
Pagan Fire God
Svarog had several sons, and one of them was Svarojić, who was considered a more mundane deity, that is, the material embodiment of his father. The ancient Slavs worshiped him as the personification of earthly fire. Even the god Svarojić was considered an idol, which helps to win luck in the war. In some sources there is information that this deity was still called Radogost. Studies have shown that Svarogic is not an important member of the pagan pantheon.
Pagan Sky God
Chief among the revered deities is Svarog on the account, which many acts, for which the Slavs loved and respected him. He was the patron of the sky, and also the creator of the earth. Some scientists believe that the first statement is wrong, since Svarog's main strength is fire and blacksmith's hammer. The most important thing is the creation of other gods. The Slavs perceived Svarog as the personification of a wise warrior-father who defends his family.
God worked with his hands, and not with the help of magic or thought, so he was often considered the personification of labor. The symbol of this deity is Svarogov Square with eight rays. The Slavic god Svarog was depicted as an old man with a gray head, but at the same time he was a strong and invincible hero who defended his family. In his hands he holds a huge hammer. According to one of the legends, this deity had four faces that looked all over the horizon, which only emphasized its importance.
The pagan god of death
In paganism, one deity had several abilities at once, which might not even be related to each other. Semargle is the god of death, of primordial fire and fertility. According to one of the legends, he is the eldest son of Svarog, who appeared after the impact of the heavenly hammer. It was believed that the god of the Slavs Semargl many times helped his brethren in the fight against the dark forces. He was a messenger of the gods and had the ability to concentrate the forces of other inhabitants of the pantheon.
It is believed that Semargle has the ability to change his appearance, so he appeared before the people in the form of a warrior who was surrounded by the languages of the Irian flame, but more often he chose for himself the shape of a large dog with wings that left a fiery trail behind. Some researchers believe that Semargle embodies the seven supreme gods, so the idols dedicated to him have seven arbitrary "faces." The day of this deity was considered on April 14.
Pagan god of the wind
In the ancient Slavs, each element had its own patron, and the wind governed by Stribog was no exception. They believed that he has power over everything connected with the air, for example, birds, arrows and so on. Striboga was honored not only by farmers who expected rain clouds from him, but also sailors who counted on a successful voyage. People believed that he has a cool temper. The Slavic god Stribog was depicted as a grandfather with a big beard, but he was not decrepit. In his hands he had a golden bow, and clothes of azure color as the sky. Its symbol is the Stribog rune.
The pagan god of wealth
The deity who was responsible for fertility, and wealth - Veles. He was considered a sage, patron of the arts and a werewolf god. He was the only representative of the Slavic pantheon, who knew equally light and dark forces. The Slavic god Veles possessed secret knowledge, which enabled him to control the elements and change the laws of the universe. He helped people for a long time, teaching them various crafts.
Even Veles was considered the patron of luck and travel. Represented him as a strong man with a long beard, and he was dressed in a traveling cloak. In his hands he had a magic staff that looked like a tree branch. As a werewolf Veles could turn into a bear, so the imprint of this animal for a long time was considered the seal of the deity. The symbol of this deity is the star with six ends and the rune Wind.
Pagan goddess of love
The main goddess of family relations, fertility and love Lada. She was considered the mother of all months of the year. Lada is the wife of Svarog. Represented her as a young and beautiful woman with blond hair. Her head was decorated with a wreath of roses. Slavic goddess Lada has a power that can give the most important thing - life. People addressed her with different requests. Denoted this goddess around, inside of which is a triangle. Celebrating Lada Day on September 22.
The pagan goddess of fertility
The patroness of the family hearth and good harvest is Makosh. She was most popular among women who considered her to be the main goddess of family happiness and motherhood. Being the patroness of housewives, she was the patroness of traditional women's occupations. The ancient Slavs believed that in the hands of Makosh were the threads of life of all people on earth, therefore at any moment it can make any changes in the world. People addressed her to establish their own lives.
The Slavic goddess Makosh was portrayed as a beautiful woman of an age, and sometimes her horns were on her head. In her hands she often held a cornucopia or spun. They considered Makosh to be the patroness of springs, therefore gifts were brought to the sources of water. Her idols were placed near each well. Many pagan gods had their messengers, so they were with Makosh: spiders, bees and ants, hence the belief that it's impossible to kill insects, as it is to failure.