“Don’t look up at the heavens—there is no bread there. As you get closer to Earth, you get closer to bread”
40 posts
Latest Posts by nikolayta - Page 2
Mavka
Day 5 of Annie Week on Twitter: Mythology In Ukrainian mythology, the mavka is a forest spirit, close to a mermaid, in the form of a beautiful naked girl or girls dressed in a long white shirt with green hair and pale skin, plant crown with plants as a fern (also magical plant in Ukr mythology). According to folk beliefs, the souls of drowned women turn into mavka. They also live not only in the forest but close to rivers, lakes, etc. The tales of mavka are popular in the West of Ukraine, Carpathians, Podilla, and Galicia regions. Each region of Ukraine has a unique embroidery style and the embroidery is used in traditional clothes in Ukraine. Patters are used primarily on the shirts and we call it "vyshyvanka"/"vyshyta sorochka" which is literally translated as "embroidery shirt". The pattern I used here is a mix of patterns from Galicia region. Each shirt is like a separate work of art.
“Along with celebration, feasting, and games, people would remember the dead. The dance moved from sacred groves and rivers to graves: there the tryznas* took place, with activities the same as in spring. *Tryzna - the ending part of funerary rites, normally consisting of a sacrifice, military-themed games, a feast to honour the deceased person; turned into a dinner during Christian times. At the same time the term meant the three days the winning army received for plundering and celebration. By some definitions, a fight, a competition, a battle.”
— Mykola Kostomarov on celebration of Yarylo’s holiday, supposedly in late May-early June.
Is Slavic polytheism closed or open to anyone? Does it depend on the branch so to speak? I know Slavic polytheism is a broad term.
Altar placement by Ukrainian tradition
The information I will share in the post is mainly about the Christian home altar, but it may provide some ideas for individuals interested in Slavic paganism, as well.
The altar is called “червоний кут”, which translated to “red corner” (here is another post on red colour in the Slavic tradition that I made). It used to be the most important part of the house that usually contained items valuable from cultural and religious point of view: icons, the Bible, books of prayers, candles, pictures of deceased relatives, all decorated with beautifully embroidered cloths. The table was placed in that corner, too. As a general rule, it was across the room from the oven, well-lit, which would make it South or East.
The person to sit in that corner was the master of the house or the most important guest; in times of death, forty days after, the person who passed away - they also get a plate and a cup of their own, of course. Due to the importance associated with the red corner, it was said that if you hear cracking in the walls on that side, the master may soon die.
Ukrainians say, “у своїй хаті й кути помагають” - “at home even corners help”, which was true in the more literal sense for women giving birth back when doing it at home was the usual practice for most. People believed that, should the process be especially difficult, the woman should be led around that very table every now and then.
Evil Eye
The belief in evil eye, intentional or not, is rather prevalent in Slavic lands in general and in Ukraine in particular. Perhaps the most notable example is the tradition of not showing newborn babies to anyone but the closest relatives - hence why many a young mother can be seen avoiding public spaces and covering the baby carriage so that the child is not visible when it can not be avoided.
Naturally, such a belief produces many a way to protect oneself from ills brought by tempting the fate and glances filled with envy. An obvious example would be a cross, or any other symbol that signifies divine protection. A red string, preferably woolen, tied with seven knots around a person’s left wrist is worn for the same purpose; it is believed that when the string is torn or lost, it has completed its purpose, perhaps due to the number or the strength of the attacks, and is no longer of use - so a new one should be tied. A safety pin can be worn pinned to the wrong side of clothes near chest area - interestingly, knives or needles by doors or windows similarly protect homes and vehicles. A piece of clothing worn inside out protects both from evil eye and from malicious or overly playful spirits. It is believed that when a Lisovyk leads you away from your path in the forest, putting something on inside out, boots on the wrong feet, or looking around upside down between your legs - making something one way or another wrong, not-you or not-human about your appearance or perception, - should help you see through the spirit’s tricks.
Certain protective elements are imbedded in the traditional costume itself - vibrant colours and reflective surfaces distract the malicious eye from the individual, which is considered especially important for young, attractive people. You can have a mirror on your person for that purpose - or, once again, put one in your window, facing the street.
One, of course, could benefit from the knowledge that a person with a strong will and mind is harder to influence, so a positive outlook is a useful and inexpensive tool to have in your kit along with sharp objects and colourful accessories.
A Welcomed Place
As our Lord entered the holy city, the Hebrew children professed the resurrection of life. Holding palm branches, they cried out, “Hosanna in the highest!” – Antiphon 1: Procession for Palm Sunday
My ancestors’ holy days are my holy days. I reinterpret and redefine to create personal meaning, so my connection to them is genuine yet reflective of my own beliefs. Even though Jesus Christ isn’t my savior, he has a welcome place at the table of resurrective gods I waitress.
see also: #altar, #palm sunday
Are there are Slavic runes or symbols I can/should familiarize myself with? If so, do you have any sources you can point me towards? Very much appreciated.
This is not the subject I am particularly well versed in but no, to the best of my knowledge Slavs did not have any runic alphabet of their own, Glagolitic script being the oldest known Slavic writing system. Now there is one mention, by a 9th century bulgarian writer, that Slavs of the past did not write books but for the purposes of counting and divination they used a system of strokes and incisions. Following an old post Lamus Dworski made in Polish ages ago I believe the aforementioned signs might be something similar to tamgas.
Unfortunately it also came to my attention that there are some problematic modern groups of conspiracy theories-loving pagans and self-appointed history specialists who believe Slavs did have their own alphabet it was just destroyed by evil Westerners or Jews and all traces of it have been hidden. Just like all traces of Great Lechia, Slavs defeating Julius Cesear and other proofs of Slavic racial and cultural supremacy. If you catch a scent of those people best stay far away from them.
Is there a creation story in Slavic mythology ? Or multiple versions of a creation story ? I’m quite curious about it
Oh yes, multiple creation stories can be found in Slavic folklore. Although they were significantly transformed by centuries of co-existing with Christian belief and theological teachings, they contain elements that betray them as blatantly un-Christian in origin. They have quite a lot of regional variety but also many common themes.
The concept of primordial waters is almost universal and it frequently appears in conjunction with the story of an animal or a person diving and bringing a grain of sand from the bottom of the waters to it’s surface to create the earth. This is sometimes referred to as “the motif of fished out world” (”świat wyłowiony”, it sounds much cooler in Polish and other Slavic languages).
In one of the stories the God (unnamed, or more likely rendered nameless by Christianity) dives into the primordial waters and a grain of sand gets stuck under his fingernail. Where it falls out the earth is formed. The God is frequently accompanied by another character, in later folk tales rendered as the Devil. Here we have our un-Christian element. The two supernatural characters are of equal or nearly equal standing and have to co-operate to create the world. According to the tale found on the territories of Poland and Bulgaria, God orders the Devil to dive to the bottom of the primordial waters and bring back a small lump of soil. In Bulgarian version the Devil fails to achieve this feat by calling solely on his own power but succeeds when calling upon the joint powers of himself and God. In other tellings the Devil has to turn into a bird to complete his mission. In certain regions, especially in Russia the devil has clearly ornitomorphic qualities, an idea borrowed from neighboring Finno-Ugric and Mongolian peoples. In a Carpathian folk songs we can find the world created by a pair of pigeons diving for the dirt, a trace of two divine powers, both with ornitomorphic form.
From this scrap of soil brought to the suface by the Devil God shapes the world, like an island on the endless waters. The Devil becomes jealous of his cration and wishes to rule the newly formed land alone so when the God falls asleep the Devil attempts to push him off the island into the water. To his suprise no matter how much he pushes, drags and rolls the God around, the earth seems to stretch below them, like dough under a rolling pin. In the end they do so much pushing, dragging and rolling that the great wide world we know is created. In a different telling (known in Russia and Ukraine) the Devil hides some of the fished out soil under his tongue hoping to create a land of his own, but the lump of dirt starts miraculously growing, bursting out of his mouth and forming mountains. In other versions of the story God accidentally creates too much dry land and there is no longer space for water - so God either eavesdrops on the Devil or asks his advice in order to solve the issue (Balkans).
And they said: “We know how man was created”. And he asked: “How?” The two of them said: “God was washing in a bathhouse, and he began to sweat, and he wiped himself with a cloth of herbs, and he threw it from heaven down to earth. And Satan began to argue with God about who would create man from it (the cloth). And the devil created man, but God put the soul in him. That is why, when a man dies, his body goes to earth and his soul to God”.
- Tale of Bygone Years
This leads as to another common motif, the stories in which the earth is a rocky, barren place and God either sacrifices his own body to make it habitable or sends a magical prophetic rooster to provide people with water (Slovenia).
The heathen also recounted that the world was totally barren, nothing but rocks. It bore no fruit, but there was no need for food anyway. Among the people lived God himself, with spirit and body, and he fed people with manna from heavens. Yet people were unhappy, for they feared God’s greatness and splendour. Constantly trembling, they could neither enjoy their food and drink nor make merry. God felt pity for them. He separated from his body and moved to heaven. His body decomposed and turned into fertile soil. In God’s soil, people cultivated their own food and no longer needed the manna from heaven. It was only then that they started to enjoy their life and were happy.
- Supernatural beings from Slovenian myth and folklore by Monika Kropej
Then we have some tales in which the world drifts on top of the primordial waters, possibly supported on the back of a giant fish or a sea snake. On the territories of Slovenia and Serbia we find mentions of the world being supported by a bull or a fiery dragon. Some slavists also speculate on the existence of “Cosmic Egg” creation story based on the common bird motifs and certain themes that can be found in traditional fairy tales.
Sources: Álvarez-Pedrosa, J. A., Sources on Pre-Christian Slavic religion (p. 287) Gieysztor, A., Mitologia Słowian (p. 156-159); Kropej, M., Supernatural beings from Slovenian myth and folklore (p. 17-29); Szyjewski, A., Religia Słowian (p. 27-38).
My Western, mostly American and Anglo-Saxon friends: Halloween
My Celtic friends: Samhain
Me, a Slav: DZIADY
But seriously, I really recommend you to read about Dziady (or the Forefathers’ Eve, as that’s how it is sometimes translated into English). It is traditionally celebrated in Belarus, Ukraine, Baltic countries, and some parts of Poland as well. Similarly to Celtic Samhain, it is also believed that during Dziady our ancestors come back to the world of the living. As the descendants, we are obligated to welcome them properly, commemorate them, and learn from whatever advice they may have for us. It's really cool, Adam Mickiewicz, the national poet of Poland, Lithuania and Belarus, even wrote a drama inspired by this feast!
(“Dziady, pradziady, przyjdzcie do nas!” Depiction of dziady ritual in Belarus, Stanisław Bagieński. Source: Wikipedia)
More under this link:
Vinok wreath
The Ukrainian wreath (Ukrainian: вінок, vinók) is a type of wreath which, in traditional Ukrainian culture, is worn by girls and young unmarried women. The wreath may be part of a tradition dating back to the old East Slavic customs that predate the Christianization of Rus. The flower wreath remains a part of the Ukrainian national attire, and is worn on festive occasions and on holy days and since the 2014 Ukrainian revolution increasingly in daily life.
On the day of Ivan Kupala, young women placed their wreaths in the water with a lighted candle, foretelling their romantic future by how the wreath flowed down the river or lake. From the wreath’s direction, the girl could tell whom she would marry: if the wreath stayed in one spot and did not float down the water, she would not marry; if it went under, she would die; if the candle went out, misfortune would follow. The young men would dive into the water, trying to retrieve the vinok of the girl each loved. One of the ritual Kupala songs says, “Who will catch the wreath will catch the girl, who will get the wreath will become mine.“ It dates back to pre-Christian times when it was thought that the headdress would protect girls from evil spirits. The ceremonial, religious value diminished, and was later replaced as a national character of girlhood: to lose a wreath in folk songs and traditions means for a maiden to transition into womanhood.
Like most Ukrainian folk dress, the vinok had significant symbolic value and only specific flowers were used. It was traditionally worn by girls who were eligible for marriage. The wreath’s name, vinok, is related to the Ukrainian word for a wedding ceremony vinchannya.
The flowers used to make the wreath were generally fresh, paper or waxen and were attached onto a band of stiff paper backing covered with a ribbon.
The wreath varied in many of the regions of Ukraine; young women throughout the country wore various headdresses of yarn, ribbon, coins, feathers and grasses, but these all had the same symbolic meaning. In parts of central and eastern Ukraine the flowers were raised in the center front. Usually multicolored, embroidered ribbons were attached to the back.
During the Ukrainian wedding ceremony, the vinok was replaced by the ochipok, a cap that she would wear for the rest of her life.
Slavic resources in english: my collection of academic resources for beginners on the subject of slavic folklore, paganism and folk magic
Is Slavic paganism closed? - my thoughts
Slavic offerings
Slavic creation myths
My translation: Veles
My translation: Yarilo
My translation: Mokosh
Mokosh: offerings and devotions
Quotes: Perun and Veles as Saints
Quotes: Prophet Elijah and Saint Nicholas, a folktale
Quotes: Sources for Rod and Rozhanitsy
Quotes: Kupala, Kostroma, Yarilo and Mara - seasonal rituals of the Slavs
Quotes: Russian domovoi lore
What’s a zagovor and how it’s built.
Key tags: #slavic paganism #slavic folklore #slavic art #magia Slavorum #asks
Other recommended tags: #slavic folk - traditional clothing and folk art, #ancestral veneration #wooden architecture #embroidery #folk magic #maskers
My asks are open but please keep in mind that I did not receive academic education in the field of Slavic studies. Any answers I might provide will be based on my experiences as a Polish person and Slavic pagan as well as my own unsystematized research.
Slavic paganism is an open path, however please approach it respectfully by educating yourself on Slavic culture and making an effort to not propagate already rampant misinformation any further.
Lastly I’d like to disclaim that as helpful as the words “Slavs” and “Slavic” can be at the beginning of your research it is of paramount importance to remember that the “Slavs” were never a unified ethnocultural group or civilization.
The Six-Petal Rosette
The six-petal rosette, the flower-like symbol created by overlapping seven circles, as well as the expanded variants with 7 interlocking rosettes and 19 interlocking rosettes (the latter is called the “Flower of Life” in the New Age movement), is an ancient symbol that has been used across cultures and religions for millennia.
The rosette is a solar symbol in many cultures and many peoples believed it to be magical. It was commonly used as a decorative motif to adorn doors, ceiling beams, crosses, cornices, coats of arms, everyday objects, furniture, musical instruments, ritual items, graves.
In ancient Slavic tradition, the rosette was associated with the chief pagan god Perun, the god of thunder and lightning, and was supposed to protect against lightning and generally ensure the favor of the Thunderer. Appropriately, the symbol is also called the “symbol of Perun” and a “thunder mark” in Ukrainian.
The Rosette on Crossbeams
Supporting a ceiling with large wooden crossbeams (“svolok” in Ukrainian and “sosręb” in Polish) was once a common construction practice, found in noble residences as well as in burgher homes, and through the early twentieth century in regional construction, especially in the Carpathians.
The crossbeam was not only an important structural element of the home, but also a symbolic and decorative one: it was in the center of this beam that the rosette was engraved to protect the house against misfortune and especially against fire. Additionally, the date of construction, decorative motifs, the name of the owner, the name of the carpenter, mottos, or religious symbols could be engraved on the beam, turning the crossbeam into a vital record of the house.
Detailed information about the use of crossbeams and the rosette in the architecture of the peoples of Galicia can be found in excellent works of research from the end of the nineteenth and beginning of the twentieth centuries by Władysław Matlakowski and Kazimierz Mokłowski. Władysław Matlakowski, a surgeon, ethnographer, and researcher of Podhale architecture and folk art, published Budownictwo ludowe na podhalu (Folk Buildings in Podhale) in 1892 and Zdobienie i sprzęt ludu polskiego na Podhalu (Decoration and Domestic Utensils of the Polish People in Podhale) in 1901, while Kazimierz Mokłowski, a Polish architect and art historian, who later lived and worked in Lviv, published Sztuka Ludowa w Polsce (Folk Art in Poland) in 1903. These three works include thorough descriptions as well as a plenty of illustrations of various elements of the architecture and applied art of the region.
Crossbeams in the Folk Architecture of Galician Highlanders
Though historically used across much of Ukraine and Poland, today the rosette is most associated with and best preserved in the culture of the Carpathian highlanders of Galicia, in particular in Hutsul, Boyko, Lemko, and Goral folk architecture, woodwork, and household objects. Accordingly, in Ukrainian it also has such names as “hutsulska rozetka” (Hutsul rosette), “boykivska rozetka” (Boyko rosette) and in Polish “rozeta karpacka” (Carpathian rosette), “rozeta podhalańska” (Podhale rosette), “rozeta góralska” (Goral rosette).
Goral Cottages
Podhale is a region in the Polish Tatra Mountains inhabited by highlanders known as Gorals. Władysław Matlakowski writes in his book Zdobienie i sprzęt ludu polskiego na Podhalu that the “gwiazda” (meaning “star”—another name for the rosette in Polish) is “the most common and the most characteristic ornament in Podhale: it is found everywhere, but mostly on every crossbeam.” Indeed, throughout this book as well as his other book Budownictwo Ludowe na Podhalu, the gwiazda appears in illustrations of such items as spoon racks, chairs, distaffs, and lintels, but most notably on crossbeams.
Examples of old crossbeams with rosettes from the Podhale region can still be found in Poland, especially in open air museums which have preserved the local folk architecture.
Hutsul, Boyko & Lemko Cottages
The Hutsuls, Boykos and Lemkos inhabit what is today the Ukrainian and eastern Polish Carpathian Mountains. Just as among the Gorals, the rosette is found in the architecture and folk crafts of these highlanders.
A testament to the ubiquity of the rosette in the folk architecture of the Carpathian highlanders is Lviv’s Museum of Folk Architecture and Rural Life, which features examples of the architecture of the Hutsuls, Boykos, and Lemkos. The rosette can be seen all over the open air museum, including on several crossbeams inside the homes. It is no wonder the museum uses the rosette as its logo.
Crossbeams in Renaissance Buildings in Lviv
In addition to examples from the Carpathian Mountains, Kazimierz Mokłowski’s book Sztuka Ludowa w Polsce includes illustrations of crossbeams from buildings in Lviv which include the rosette, as well as other solar symbols, often along with the year of construction and religious symbols.
Fortunately, not only do these original engraved Renaissance-era crossbeams, as documented by Kazimierz Mokłowski, still support the ceilings of the buildings in Lviv’s historic center, but many of them are open to public viewing as they are generally located in shops, restaurants, and museums.
Crossbeams in Zakopane Style Villas
A widespread symbol among the Gorals, the rosette was a popular symbol in the architecture and interior decor of Zakopane Style villas. Zakopane Style architecture emerged at the end of the nineteenth century when architect Stanislaw Witkiewicz, rejecting foreign building styles that had started to appear in the booming ski resort of Zakopane, chose to embrace traditional Podhale-style architecture, enriching it with elements of Art Nouveau. The new Zakopane Style villas included large intricately engraved crossbeams prominently featuring the rosette, such as can be found in Villa Oksza (built in 1894 by Witkiewicz, today an art gallery) and in the guest house Villa Orla (built 1901). Though by this time the symbol likely lost its meaning as a “thunder mark” and was used purely as a decorative element cherishing the local culture.
A Sign from the Past
Today, the rosette has found new places to thrive across Galicia—for example, it is used as logos for museums and a microbrewery, and found on folk-inspired accessories. Although its history, meaning, and usage may have been forgotten, the “Carpathian” rosette is in fact still alive and well today.
So don’t forget—next time you enter a Carpathian highlander’s cottage, a Renaissance building in Lviv, or a Zakopane Style villa, look up! If you are lucky, you will find an authentic example of this ancient and mystic symbol.
Written by Areta Kovalska
(Wonderful photos on the page)
Hello I was wondering about popular or common Slavic embroidery patterns ? I unfortunately don’t know how to embroider myself, but I would like to incorporate it into my drawings and paintings as art is a big way for me to connect spiritually. Thanks so much !
First of all ”Slavic embroidery patterns” are a huge subject. There are many Slavic states and countless smaller regions within those states that have their own unique and characteristic patterns.
Having said that here are some sources for you to check out:
Polish folk embroidery by Jadwiga Turska
Ukrainian folk embroidery by K. R Susak and N. A. Stefyuk
Some Balkan Folk Embroidery Patterns by Edith Durham
Ukrainian Rushnyky: Binding Amulets and Magical Talismans in the Modern Period by Frank Sciaccia
And make sure to check out the great blogs we have here: Polish Costumes, Zvetenze, Me-Sharing-With-The-World, Eastern European Crafts and Pagan Stiches.
Best of luck!
The Yaga journal: Witches and demons of Eastern Europe
The next article I’ll translate from the issue (I won’t translate all of them since some are not very relevant for this blog) is “Baba Yaga, witches, and the ambiguous demons of oriental Europe” by Stamatis Zochios.
The article opens by praising the 1863′s “Reasoned dictionary of the living russian language”. by scholar, lexicograph and folklorist Vladimir Dahl, which is one of the first “systematic essays” that collects the linguistic treasures of Russia. By collecting more than thirty thousand proverbs and sayings, insisting on the popular and oral language, the Dictionary notably talked about various terms of Russian folklore; domovoi, rusalka, leshii… And when it reaches Baba Yaga, the Dictionary calls her : сказочное страшилищ (skazochnoe strashilishh) , that is to say “monster of fairytales”.But the article wonders about this denomination… Indeed, for many people (such as Bogatyrev) Baba Yaga, like other characters of Russian fairytales (Kochtcheï or Zmey Gorynych) do not exist in popular demonology, and is thus exclusively a character of fairy tales, in which she fulfills very specific functions (aggressor, donator if we take back Propp’s system). But the author of this article wonder if Baba Yaga can’t actually be found in “other folkloric genres” - maybe she is present in legends, in popular beliefs, in superstitions and incantations.
Baba Yaga, as depicted in the roleplaying game “Vampire: The Masquerade”
Keep reading