Chapter 1: Belief in Soul and Genii
-In Slavic belief, the soul is a being quite distinct from the body, which it is free to leave even during life. So that there are many stories of human souls coming forth from the bodies of sleeping persons and either dwelling in trees or birds only to return to their normal habitations.
-If a man faints, his soul leaves his body and uneasily flutters about the world; but when it returns, consciousness is likewise restored.
-A souls which leaves the body when asleep and flies about the world is called “Spirit” by the Serbs
-Sleeping persons and even animals may be transformed into “Spirits”
-Montenegrins personify the soul as “Shadow”, being a genius in charge of houses, lakes, mountains, and forests
-It is general Slavic belief that souls may pass into a Mora, a living being whose soul goes out of it at nighttime leaving it as if dead
-The Mora, assuming various shapes sends refreshing slumber to men, then when they are asleep she frightens them with terrible dreams, chokes them, and sucks their blood.
-Among the Slavs, there is a belief that certain persons can assume the form of wolves during their lifetime called Vlkodlak
-A child born feet foremost or with teeth will become one
-A man may undergo a transformation by magic power most frequently to bride and groom as they go to church to be married
-The Slavs universally believe that the soul can leave the body in the form of a bird or else a butterfly, snake, fly, etc. For this reason, whenever a man dies, the window or door is left open thus freely enabling the soul to come and go so long as the corpse remains in the house.
-So that the soul might suffer neither from hunger nor thirst, various kinds of food and drink were put into the coffin or grave, as well as small coins to buy a place beyond the tomb.
-For 40 days, the soul dwells on earth, seeking for places which the deceased used to frequent when alive; it enters his own house or those of other persons, causing all sorts of trouble to those who had been enemies to the departed
-The souls of the departed maintained, on the whole, friendly relations with the living, the only exceptions being ghosts of sorcerers, grievous sinners, or who had committed suicide or murder, or who had been denied Christian burial
-The belief in Vampires (deceased people who in their lifetime had been sorcerers, bad characters, or murderers, and whose bodies now occupied an unclean spirit), traced from the eleventh century, is still widely current among the Slav population
-The name, which also appears as Upir, is derived from the Turkish uber (“enchantress”)
-The Southern Slavs believe that any person upon whom an unclean shadow falls, or over whom a dog or cat jumps, may become a Vampire; and the corpse of such a being does not decay when buried, but retains the color of life. A Vampire may suck the flesh of his own breast or gnaw his own body, and he encroaches even upon the vitality of his nearest relations, causing them to waste away and finally die.
-At night the Vampires leave their graves and rock to and fro upon wayside crosses, wailing all the time. They assume every sort of shape and suck the blood of people, whom thus they gradually destroy, or, if they have not time to do that, domestic animals.
-There is ample evidence of exhuming the corpse of a man supposed to be a Vampire, of driving a stake of ashwood (or wood of hawthorn or maple) through it, and of burning it, these acts being believed to put a definite end to his evil doings
Chapter II: Worship of the Dead, Especially Ancestors
-At first the pagan Slavs burned their dead, but later they practiced burial as well as cremation
-If the chieftain of a tribe had died, one of his wives was burned along with him, as is amply attested by the traditions of the Elbe Slavs, the Poles, the Southern Slavs, and the Russians; and in similar fashion animals that had been especial favorites of his were killed and cremated
-The memory of deceased members of the family was held in pious honor everywhere, usually with a number of feasts held on the third, seventh, twentieth, and fortieth day after the funeral, and also half a year and a year later, the finale fete being the most touching of all.
-The festivals held in White Russia stand forth most prominently by reason of their ancient character, and they are called dziady. Dziadys are deceased ancestors, male and female, and their memory is usually commemorated four times a year. (summer, autumnal, winter, and spring)
-In the opinion of the common people a Stopan is a deceased ancestor who guards the house of the family, and the feast in his honor is celebrated.
-That the worship of ancestors was widely spread among the Slavs may be considered an established fact: the Slavs looked upon their forefathers as guardian penates who were deeply concerned about the happiness both of the family and of their dwelling; and the origin of many mythological beings, especially the penates, may be traced back to this kind of ancestor-cult.
Chapter III: The Household Gods
-Deduska Domovoy (“Grandfather House-Lord”) is well known in Russia and often appears in the shape of a well-known person belonging to the people in whose home he lives, most usually in that of the master of the house or that of an older member of the family, whether dead or alive.
-The household spirit has the power of appearing in the shape of animals and is invisible.
Normally the Domovoy lives in the room behind the oven, or under it, or near the threshold of the house, closet, courtyard, etc.
-Every house has its own Domovoy that cares for the herds and protects the whole home and its inmates against misfortune and promotes their well-being
-It is only rarely that the Domovoy shows the evil and demoniac side and the fault usually lies with the people themselves, who fail to render him due honor or who give offense by cursing or bad language. The infuriated spirit leaves the family unprotected and prone to sickness and death
-Another designation of the family genius was “Hobgoblin”, a goblin who appeared in the shape of a small boy, usually lived behind the oven or in the stable, favoring the household and sharing the joys and sorrows of the family
-The Bulgarians believe that every house has its own Stopan, who is descended from an ancestor distinguished for valor and bravery. The Stopan guards the family, securing them health, long life, and numerous progeny
Chapter IV: Genii of Fate
-The Greek historian Procopius asserted that Slaves knew nothing about fate and denied that it had any sort of influence on man.
-This evidence may be considered as proof that the Slavs were not blind fatalists, but believed in a higher being who dealt out life and death, and whose favor might be won by sacrifices
-Russian tradition personifies the fate bestowed upon a man at his birth as a supernatural being called Dolya, who is described as a poorly dressed woman capable of transforming herself into various shapes. She usually lives behind the oven and is either good or evil.
-The Russian Dolya has a Serbian counterpart in the Sreca.
Chapter V: Navky and Rusalky
-The souls of children that have died unbaptized, or are born of mothers who have met a violent death, are personified as Navky
-Very similar to the Navky are the Rusalky (“Water Nymphs”) who have died unbaptized, or who have drowned or suffocated, or else they are girls and young wives who have met an unnatural death, or who have been cursed by their parents
Chapter VI: Vily
-Procopius testifies to the ancient Slavic worship of beings similar to the Greek nymphs, and he also tells us that the Slavs offered sacrifices to them. The most common designation of these being is “Fairy” (Vila)
-A close relationship is held to exist between the fairies and the souls of the deceased
-The festivals of the Rusalky, which are meant to recall the memory of the deceased, are at the same time, festivals of the Vily
-Though the fairies are, on the whole, good-natured and charitable beings, they may also do evil to people; and accordingly they may be classed as white (beneficient) or black (maleficient) fairies, the latter sending cruel maladies upon people, or wounding their feet, hands, or hearts with arrows
Chapter VII: Silvan Spirits
-The Russians call a silvan spirit Lesiy (“forest, wood”), and such a being shows himself either in human or in animal guise
-The principal business of the silvan spirits is to guard the forest. They do not allow people to whistle or to shout there; they drive away thieves, frightening them by their cries and playing pranks upon them.
-Nymphs and dryads likewise show themselves in the woods.
-The dryads punish children who shout in the woods while gathering mushrooms
-Woods and mountains are the home of “Wild Women”, good-looking beings that know the secret forces of nature and were light and invisible
-They were dangerous to any person whom they might meet alone in the forest, turning him round and round until he lost his way
-They lay in wait especially for women who had just become mothers and substituted their own offspring for human children
Chapter VIII: Field-Spirits
-There usually appears at the time of harvest in the fields the Poludnica (“Midday Spirit”)
-Whomever she touches will die, and strikes whomever crosses her path with her whip (doomed to an early death)
-She is peculiarly fond of ambushing women who have recently borne children and who go out into the street at midday
Chapter IX: Water-Spirits
-A spirit living in the water is called Vodyanik (“Water-Grandfather”)
-He can transform himself in many ways, and when in a village, he assumes the form of a human being, though his true nature is revealed by the water which oozes from his coat
-The Vodyanik is the master of the waters; but although he is endowed with great strength and power in the waters, he is weak when on dry land
-The Vodyanik is married and is the father of a family, being said to have 111 dasughters who torture and torment the drowned
Chapter X: Sun, Moon, and Stars
-We have no detailed accounts to tell us whether the ancient Slavs possessed real solar gods which were represented by idols; and it is only among the pagan Russians that the existence of a god of the sun may be regarded as proved
-This adoration of the sun implies that the moon likewise received worship from the Slavs. Popular belief still ascribes to the moon great influence upon the growth and development of both the vegetable and the animal worlds
-All Slavs maintain that there is a close relationship between stars and men. There are as many men on earth as there are stars in the sky. At his birth each man receives a star of his own; and when his end is drawing near, that star falls to the earth, the man dies, and his soul floats upwards to the clouds
PART II
Chapter I: Svantovit
-Among the numerous deities of the Elbe Slavs, the most prominent place was occupied by Svantovit. The center of his worship was in Arkona, on the island of Rugen
-He is depicted on a gigantic statue with four neck and four heads, two of them facing in the front and two in the back
-Since Svantovit was more famous for his victories and more renowned because of his prophecies than any other divinity, he was held in high honor by all neighboring Slavs, being regarded as the god of the gods
-A great festival, similar to a dziady, is held in his honor
Chapter II: Triglav
-The chief local deity of the town Stetting.
-An idol of gold with three heads, Triglav (“Three-Heads”) was tricephalous because he wished to make it known that he ruled over three realms (i.e., heaven, earth, and the underworld)
-Triglav’s statue in Stettin was broken by Bishop Otto himself, and its head was sent to the Pope. The pagan temples were burned to the ground, and churches were built in honor of saints on the hill that had once been sacred to Triglav
*Thanks Ted Casey*
-In Slavic belief, the soul is a being quite distinct from the body, which it is free to leave even during life. So that there are many stories of human souls coming forth from the bodies of sleeping persons and either dwelling in trees or birds only to return to their normal habitations.
-If a man faints, his soul leaves his body and uneasily flutters about the world; but when it returns, consciousness is likewise restored.
-A souls which leaves the body when asleep and flies about the world is called “Spirit” by the Serbs
-Sleeping persons and even animals may be transformed into “Spirits”
-Montenegrins personify the soul as “Shadow”, being a genius in charge of houses, lakes, mountains, and forests
-It is general Slavic belief that souls may pass into a Mora, a living being whose soul goes out of it at nighttime leaving it as if dead
-The Mora, assuming various shapes sends refreshing slumber to men, then when they are asleep she frightens them with terrible dreams, chokes them, and sucks their blood.
-Among the Slavs, there is a belief that certain persons can assume the form of wolves during their lifetime called Vlkodlak
-A child born feet foremost or with teeth will become one
-A man may undergo a transformation by magic power most frequently to bride and groom as they go to church to be married
-The Slavs universally believe that the soul can leave the body in the form of a bird or else a butterfly, snake, fly, etc. For this reason, whenever a man dies, the window or door is left open thus freely enabling the soul to come and go so long as the corpse remains in the house.
-So that the soul might suffer neither from hunger nor thirst, various kinds of food and drink were put into the coffin or grave, as well as small coins to buy a place beyond the tomb.
-For 40 days, the soul dwells on earth, seeking for places which the deceased used to frequent when alive; it enters his own house or those of other persons, causing all sorts of trouble to those who had been enemies to the departed
-The souls of the departed maintained, on the whole, friendly relations with the living, the only exceptions being ghosts of sorcerers, grievous sinners, or who had committed suicide or murder, or who had been denied Christian burial
-The belief in Vampires (deceased people who in their lifetime had been sorcerers, bad characters, or murderers, and whose bodies now occupied an unclean spirit), traced from the eleventh century, is still widely current among the Slav population
-The name, which also appears as Upir, is derived from the Turkish uber (“enchantress”)
-The Southern Slavs believe that any person upon whom an unclean shadow falls, or over whom a dog or cat jumps, may become a Vampire; and the corpse of such a being does not decay when buried, but retains the color of life. A Vampire may suck the flesh of his own breast or gnaw his own body, and he encroaches even upon the vitality of his nearest relations, causing them to waste away and finally die.
-At night the Vampires leave their graves and rock to and fro upon wayside crosses, wailing all the time. They assume every sort of shape and suck the blood of people, whom thus they gradually destroy, or, if they have not time to do that, domestic animals.
-There is ample evidence of exhuming the corpse of a man supposed to be a Vampire, of driving a stake of ashwood (or wood of hawthorn or maple) through it, and of burning it, these acts being believed to put a definite end to his evil doings
Chapter II: Worship of the Dead, Especially Ancestors
-At first the pagan Slavs burned their dead, but later they practiced burial as well as cremation
-If the chieftain of a tribe had died, one of his wives was burned along with him, as is amply attested by the traditions of the Elbe Slavs, the Poles, the Southern Slavs, and the Russians; and in similar fashion animals that had been especial favorites of his were killed and cremated
-The memory of deceased members of the family was held in pious honor everywhere, usually with a number of feasts held on the third, seventh, twentieth, and fortieth day after the funeral, and also half a year and a year later, the finale fete being the most touching of all.
-The festivals held in White Russia stand forth most prominently by reason of their ancient character, and they are called dziady. Dziadys are deceased ancestors, male and female, and their memory is usually commemorated four times a year. (summer, autumnal, winter, and spring)
-In the opinion of the common people a Stopan is a deceased ancestor who guards the house of the family, and the feast in his honor is celebrated.
-That the worship of ancestors was widely spread among the Slavs may be considered an established fact: the Slavs looked upon their forefathers as guardian penates who were deeply concerned about the happiness both of the family and of their dwelling; and the origin of many mythological beings, especially the penates, may be traced back to this kind of ancestor-cult.
Chapter III: The Household Gods
-Deduska Domovoy (“Grandfather House-Lord”) is well known in Russia and often appears in the shape of a well-known person belonging to the people in whose home he lives, most usually in that of the master of the house or that of an older member of the family, whether dead or alive.
-The household spirit has the power of appearing in the shape of animals and is invisible.
Normally the Domovoy lives in the room behind the oven, or under it, or near the threshold of the house, closet, courtyard, etc.
-Every house has its own Domovoy that cares for the herds and protects the whole home and its inmates against misfortune and promotes their well-being
-It is only rarely that the Domovoy shows the evil and demoniac side and the fault usually lies with the people themselves, who fail to render him due honor or who give offense by cursing or bad language. The infuriated spirit leaves the family unprotected and prone to sickness and death
-Another designation of the family genius was “Hobgoblin”, a goblin who appeared in the shape of a small boy, usually lived behind the oven or in the stable, favoring the household and sharing the joys and sorrows of the family
-The Bulgarians believe that every house has its own Stopan, who is descended from an ancestor distinguished for valor and bravery. The Stopan guards the family, securing them health, long life, and numerous progeny
Chapter IV: Genii of Fate
-The Greek historian Procopius asserted that Slaves knew nothing about fate and denied that it had any sort of influence on man.
-This evidence may be considered as proof that the Slavs were not blind fatalists, but believed in a higher being who dealt out life and death, and whose favor might be won by sacrifices
-Russian tradition personifies the fate bestowed upon a man at his birth as a supernatural being called Dolya, who is described as a poorly dressed woman capable of transforming herself into various shapes. She usually lives behind the oven and is either good or evil.
-The Russian Dolya has a Serbian counterpart in the Sreca.
Chapter V: Navky and Rusalky
-The souls of children that have died unbaptized, or are born of mothers who have met a violent death, are personified as Navky
-Very similar to the Navky are the Rusalky (“Water Nymphs”) who have died unbaptized, or who have drowned or suffocated, or else they are girls and young wives who have met an unnatural death, or who have been cursed by their parents
Chapter VI: Vily
-Procopius testifies to the ancient Slavic worship of beings similar to the Greek nymphs, and he also tells us that the Slavs offered sacrifices to them. The most common designation of these being is “Fairy” (Vila)
-A close relationship is held to exist between the fairies and the souls of the deceased
-The festivals of the Rusalky, which are meant to recall the memory of the deceased, are at the same time, festivals of the Vily
-Though the fairies are, on the whole, good-natured and charitable beings, they may also do evil to people; and accordingly they may be classed as white (beneficient) or black (maleficient) fairies, the latter sending cruel maladies upon people, or wounding their feet, hands, or hearts with arrows
Chapter VII: Silvan Spirits
-The Russians call a silvan spirit Lesiy (“forest, wood”), and such a being shows himself either in human or in animal guise
-The principal business of the silvan spirits is to guard the forest. They do not allow people to whistle or to shout there; they drive away thieves, frightening them by their cries and playing pranks upon them.
-Nymphs and dryads likewise show themselves in the woods.
-The dryads punish children who shout in the woods while gathering mushrooms
-Woods and mountains are the home of “Wild Women”, good-looking beings that know the secret forces of nature and were light and invisible
-They were dangerous to any person whom they might meet alone in the forest, turning him round and round until he lost his way
-They lay in wait especially for women who had just become mothers and substituted their own offspring for human children
Chapter VIII: Field-Spirits
-There usually appears at the time of harvest in the fields the Poludnica (“Midday Spirit”)
-Whomever she touches will die, and strikes whomever crosses her path with her whip (doomed to an early death)
-She is peculiarly fond of ambushing women who have recently borne children and who go out into the street at midday
Chapter IX: Water-Spirits
-A spirit living in the water is called Vodyanik (“Water-Grandfather”)
-He can transform himself in many ways, and when in a village, he assumes the form of a human being, though his true nature is revealed by the water which oozes from his coat
-The Vodyanik is the master of the waters; but although he is endowed with great strength and power in the waters, he is weak when on dry land
-The Vodyanik is married and is the father of a family, being said to have 111 dasughters who torture and torment the drowned
Chapter X: Sun, Moon, and Stars
-We have no detailed accounts to tell us whether the ancient Slavs possessed real solar gods which were represented by idols; and it is only among the pagan Russians that the existence of a god of the sun may be regarded as proved
-This adoration of the sun implies that the moon likewise received worship from the Slavs. Popular belief still ascribes to the moon great influence upon the growth and development of both the vegetable and the animal worlds
-All Slavs maintain that there is a close relationship between stars and men. There are as many men on earth as there are stars in the sky. At his birth each man receives a star of his own; and when his end is drawing near, that star falls to the earth, the man dies, and his soul floats upwards to the clouds
PART II
Chapter I: Svantovit
-Among the numerous deities of the Elbe Slavs, the most prominent place was occupied by Svantovit. The center of his worship was in Arkona, on the island of Rugen
-He is depicted on a gigantic statue with four neck and four heads, two of them facing in the front and two in the back
-Since Svantovit was more famous for his victories and more renowned because of his prophecies than any other divinity, he was held in high honor by all neighboring Slavs, being regarded as the god of the gods
-A great festival, similar to a dziady, is held in his honor
Chapter II: Triglav
-The chief local deity of the town Stetting.
-An idol of gold with three heads, Triglav (“Three-Heads”) was tricephalous because he wished to make it known that he ruled over three realms (i.e., heaven, earth, and the underworld)
-Triglav’s statue in Stettin was broken by Bishop Otto himself, and its head was sent to the Pope. The pagan temples were burned to the ground, and churches were built in honor of saints on the hill that had once been sacred to Triglav
*Thanks Ted Casey*
