What Are the Major Elements of Slavic Mythology?

Slavic mythology originally seems to have featured a mixture of gods, spirits, and magical beings and powers. The arrival of Christianity eventually displaced most active belief in the old Slavic gods, although elements of pagan religious mythology survived through a process of syncretism. Belief in spirits and magical beings, however, faded much more slowly, and these beliefs have tended to survive in the form of folklore and stories.

The old Slavic gods formed a pantheon roughly similar to those found in ancient Greece or Scandinavia. Perun, the god of thunder, was the chief of the gods, as Zeus was chief of the Greek gods. Slavs venerated a number of different sun gods, as well, including Svarog and his son Dazhbog, who also brought blessings to humankind. Some Slavs also acknowledged the dark god Chernobog, lord of darkness, evil, and misfortune.

Other gods existed in Slavic mythology with portfolios covering areas that were important in the lives of the ancient Slavs. A goddess embodied the mother earth, which was crucial for agriculture, and has survived as the personification of the motherland that is common in many modern Slavic cultures. The god Volos was the patron of cattle, which were also important to the ancient Slavs.

Many entities in Slavic mythology are best thought of as spirits rather than gods. Like Roman mythology, Slavic mythology includes many lesser spirits. A domovoi, or household spirit, was felt to inhabit most homes and structures and could be persuaded to help with various tasks or problems. Similar spirits were believed to aid or hinder the growth of crops or herding of livestock.

Slavs also saw spirits at work in the natural environment around them. Water spirits, the vodyanoi, inhabited and ruled over lakes and streams and could be quite capricious, sometimes causing misfortune for humans who troubled them. Leshiye had power over animals and wild places. All spirits in Slavic mythology had the potential to be dangerous if not treated with care and caution.

A third major element of Slavic mythology is provided by several figures from folklore, who are more than mortal but might once have been human. The witch, Baba Yaga, is the most famous of these. She appears in many stories and could be a force for either good or for evil. She was apt to play tricks on the unwary but could sometimes be persuaded or coerced into providing information. Baba Yaga was also sometimes a defender of the Slavs against those who would harm them.

Slavic folklore and literature is also filled with magical entities of one sort or another. Prince Ivan is aided by a gray wolf. Ivan the little fool catches a fish that grants wishes. Slavic folklore often imbues the natural world or animals with magical powers for narrative purposes or to explain fortune and misfortune.