The Slavic pagan religion refers to the ancient indigenous beliefs and practices of the Slavic peoples, who inhabited regions of Eastern Europe, such as present-day Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Poland, and the Czech Republic. Slavic paganism was a polytheistic religion, which means that its followers believed in multiple gods and goddesses. The pantheon of Slavic deities was extensive and included gods and goddesses of various aspects of life, such as Perun, the god of thunder and lightning, and Svarog, the god of fire and the forge. Worship in Slavic paganism was often conducted in sacred groves or natural formations, such as rivers and mountains. These natural sites were believed to be imbued with spiritual energy and served as places of contact between the human and divine realms. The practice of Slavic paganism also involved rituals and ceremonies, performed by priests known as volkhvs or zhrets.

Slavic religion

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• McClintock and Strong Biblical Cyclopedia - Slavic Mythology
• Christianity Today - The Rich Heritage of Eastern Slavic Spirituality
• Academia - Slavic Religions
• Culture.pl - Roots Revival: How Slavic Faith Returned to Poland

While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.

Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

• McClintock and Strong Biblical Cyclopedia - Slavic Mythology
• Christianity Today - The Rich Heritage of Eastern Slavic Spirituality
• Academia - Slavic Religions
• Culture.pl - Roots Revival: How Slavic Faith Returned to Poland

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Slavic religion, beliefs and practices of the ancient Slavic peoples of eastern Europe. Slavs are usually subdivided into East Slavs (Russians, Ukrainians, and Belorussians), West Slavs (Poles, Czechs, Slovaks, and Lusatians [Sorbs]), and South Slavs (Bosnians, Serbs, Croats, Slovenes, Macedonians, and Bulgars).

In antiquity the Slavs were perhaps the largest branch of the Indo-European family of peoples. The very late date at which they came into the light of recorded history (even their name does not appear before the 6th century ce ) and the scarcity of relics of their culture make serious study of the Slavs a difficult task. Sources of information about their religious beliefs are all late and by Christian hands.

The practice of Slavic paganism also involved rituals and ceremonies, performed by priests known as volkhvs or zhrets. These rituals often included sacrifices of animals or offerings of food and drink to the gods. The purpose of these rituals was to gain the favor of the deities and ensure the well-being and prosperity of the community.

Slavic worldview

Socially the Slavs were organized as exogamous clans (based on marriages outside blood relationship) or, more properly, as sibs (groups of lineages with common ancestry) since marriage did not cancel membership in the clan of one’s birth—a type of organization unique among Indo-European peoples. The elected chief did not have executive powers. The world had been created, in the Slavic view, once and for all, and no new law ought to modify the way of life transmitted by their ancestors. Since the social group was not homogeneous, validity and executive power were attributed only to decisions taken unanimously in an assembly, and the deliberations in each instance concerned only the question of conformity to tradition. Ancient Slavic civilization was one of the most conservative known on earth.

According to a primitive Slavic belief, a forest spirit, leshy, regulates and assigns prey to hunters. Its food-distributing function may be related to an archaic divinity. Though in early times the leshy was the protector of wild animals, in later ages it became the protector of flocks and herds. In early 20th-century Russia, if a cow or a herdsman did not come back from pasture, the spirit was offered bran and eggs to obtain a safe return.

Equally ancient is the belief in a tree spirit that enters buildings through the trunks of trees used in their construction. Every structure is thus inhabited by its particular spirit: the domovoy in the house, the ovinnik in the drying-house, the gumenik in the storehouse, and so on. The belief that either harmful or beneficial spirits dwell in the posts and beams of houses is still alive in the historic regions of Bosnia and Slovenia and the Poznań area of west central Poland. Old trees with fences around them are objects of veneration in Serbia and Russia and among the Slavs on the Elbe River. In 19th-century Russia a chicken was slaughtered in the drying house as a sacrifice to the ovinnik. This vegetal spirit is also present in the sheaf of grain kept in the “ sacred corner” of the dwelling under the icon and venerated along with it, and also in noncultivated plant species that are kept in the house for propitiation or protection, such as branches of the birch tree and bunches of thistle. Such practices evidence the preagrarian origin of these beliefs. Similar to the leshy are the field spirit ( polevoy), and, perhaps, the water spirit ( vodyanoy). Akin to the domovoy are the spirits of the auxiliary buildings of the homestead.

Another important aspect of Slavic paganism was the belief in supernatural beings, such as domovoi (household spirits) and rusalka (water spirits). These beings were considered to be part of the natural world and were believed to have the ability to influence the lives of humans. With the arrival of Christianity in Eastern Europe, Slavic paganism gradually declined and was eventually replaced by the new religion. However, some aspects of Slavic paganism survived in the folklore and traditions of the region. In modern times, there has been a revival of interest in Slavic paganism, with some individuals and groups practicing reconstructed versions of the ancient religion..

Reviews for "Slavic Paganism and Sacred Symbols: Exploring the Meaning and Power of Ancient Icons"

1. John - 2 stars - Slavic pagan didn't live up to my expectations. I found the concept interesting, but the execution was lacking. The plot felt disjointed and the characters were underdeveloped. I also found the pacing to be uneven, with some parts dragging on while others felt rushed. Overall, I was disappointed with this book and wouldn't recommend it to others.

2. Sarah - 1 star - Slavic pagan was a complete letdown for me. The writing style was overly verbose and convoluted, making it difficult to follow the story. I also found the religious elements to be heavy-handed and forced, which took away from the overall enjoyment of the book. The lack of character depth was another major issue, as I couldn't connect with any of them. Unfortunately, this book just didn't resonate with me at all.

3. Michael - 2.5 stars - While Slavic pagan had an interesting premise, it fell short in its execution. The writing was unnecessarily complex and filled with excessive descriptions that added little to the story. The plot meandered and lacked a clear direction, making it difficult to stay engaged. I was also disappointed by the lack of character development, as the protagonist felt one-dimensional and lacked depth. Overall, Slavic pagan had potential, but it failed to deliver a satisfying reading experience for me.

Slavic Paganism and Ancestor Worship: Honoring the Roots of Slavic Culture and Heritage