Slav mythology 1.
Svarog is considered as personification of the Sky of East Slavs, (comparing with Indian 'Svarga' - 'the sky'. Studying medieval chronicles and East Slav fairy tales. And. Rybacov connects with Svarog the following plots: Svarog has established monogamous family (Rybacov, 1994, 530), (that, in common, characterised Indo-European God of the Clear Sky as the legislator and the patron of human collective; he has dumped iron pincers from heavens, having granted to people an opportunity to forge instruments of work. Forge function is a little bit unusual to the given image. However, mythological character with a role of the patron of a marriage and simultaneously the first smith is kept in East Slavic folklore under name Kuzmodemyan. In wedding plot there are such words:
"Saint Kosmademyan!
Come on wedding to us
Also hold down you to us marriage".
The name of this folklore character is connected to names Christian sacred Kosma and Damian which in Russia counted patrons of smiths. Smiths have won the Ukrainian fairy tale great the snake and ploughed by means it furrow to Black Sea.
Son Svarog was Svarojiz - an embodiment of fire. The western Slavs named him Radegast. Russian annals name Dazhbog Svarog's son as well.
Extremely important character of East Slav pantheon was goddess Mokos (Makosh). Her name connect with a verb 'to become wet'; and with 'mokos' - spinning; treat as 'mother of a happy lot, a crop'. All these values do not contradict each other, and show various sides of a uniform image - "goddesses of fertility, water, the patroness of female works and the maiden destiny" (Rybakov, 1994, 392) and going back to an image of the Great Goddess. Mokos was the unique female character among idols of the pagan gods put by prince Vladimir in Kiev. Rybakov believes, that she is represented on one of four sides Zbruch idol with a drinking horn in a hand. In many medieval sources she is mentioned together with Russian mermaids. Probably, Mokos mean in Russian folklore as 'Mother the Crude earth'.
Long Mokos's character lived in Russian North. In Rybakov's opinion she is shown on embroideries (a high figure in the centre, two horsemen on each side). The composition corresponds to the typical image of the Great Goddess in the Ancient East. Gradually role of Mokos is reduced. Northern legends tells about her as the invisible spinner interfering in female works, secretly cutting sheeps, forbidding spinning in holidays. (Rybakov, 1994, 387).
Many Mokos's features after acceptance of orthodoxy are transferred on Saint Paraskeva, that is expressed in cult Paraskeva-Friday, the patroness of earth and cattle. Per day sacred Paraskeva - November, 10 in church fruits of a crop were born for consecration. (Rybakov, 1994, 388 - 389). Friday in general for the Indo-European mythology is connected to reverence of a female deity of fertility (at German peoples - Freyja, at Romance - Venus.
Â. Ivanov and I. Toporov compare Makos with Greek Moirae, Germanic-Scandinavian Nornir spin strings of destiny, Hittite goddesses of the Underworld-spinners, Iranian Ardvisura Anachita (also granting good luck). Scientists believe that she continues the image of female deity - the thunder god's wives in Slavic mythology. (Myths of nations of the world, 1998, v. 2, 169).
Speaking it is necessary to mention deities of fertility and often images in ancient Russian jeweller art of the winged dog connected to runaways and roots of plants. Rybakov has identified it with. Slav mythology knows it as Semargl , mentioned among sculptures of the pagan gods put by prince Vladimir in Kiev. The scientist, like K.V. Trever compares this name with Persian Simurg - a king of birds and it prototype: ancient Iranian Senmurv . (Trever, 1933). Persians represented Senmurv as winged dog covered with the fish scales, living on Tree All Seeds. It revives in memory Kreta-Minoan and Mikenean the geniuses of fertility (like wolves) serving the Great Goddess. There is a question, in what attitude these images are men-wolves Vendel period of Scandinavia, already considered by us. (above mentioned man-wolf not only carry the weapon and attack 'dancing warriors', but also eat a certain ear, holding it in hands-paws). Whether it is possible to connect peace and friendly Senmurv with Fenrir who murd Odin ? It is known in Zoroastrian representations there was a sharp division between a good dog and the demonic wolf. But whether it is a consequence of splitting there is no time a uniform image? What mythological tragedy stood up for similar division? The question remains open.
"Hors and Svarog". (A. Fantalov, 1991).
This picture shows the circulation of nature (according to idea of Slav mythology). Svarog (the Sky god) is shown as cosmos. ('Svarga' is the sky of Indian mythology). The red bird is Hors (the Slav god of sun).
"Mokosh". (A. Fantalov, 1991).
Mokosh was a Slav goddess of earth, fertility, fatum and women houseworks. Her daies selebrated in Automn. The winged dog is Semargl, the defender of crops (like Senmurv of Persian mythology).
"Dazhbog". (A. Fantalov, 1991).
Dazhbog, the god of good and light, was considered as an ancestor of the ancient Russian.
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