Slavic mythology featured gods, spirits, and magical beings, with Christianity replacing the belief in ancient Slavic gods. The pantheon included Perun, Svarog, Dazhbog, and Chernobog. Spirits like domovoi and vodyanoi inhabited homes and natural environments. Baba Yaga was a famous folklore figure, and Slavic literature often imbued animals with magical powers.
Originally Slavic mythology appears to have featured a blend of gods, spirits and magical beings and powers. The arrival of Christianity eventually supplanted the more active belief in ancient 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 ancient Slavic gods formed a pantheon roughly similar to those found in Ancient Greece or Scandinavia. Perun, the god of thunder, was the leader of the gods, as Zeus was the leader of the Greek gods. The Slavs also revered several sun gods, including Svarog and his son Dazhbog, who also brought blessings to mankind. Some Slavs also recognized the dark god Chernobog, lord of darkness, evil and misfortune.
Other gods existed in Slavic mythology with portfolios covering important areas in the life of the ancient Slavs. One goddess embodied mother earth, which was crucial to agriculture, and has survived as a personification of the motherland common to many modern Slavic cultures. The god Volos was the patron of cattle, which was also important for the ancient Slavs.
Many entities in Slavic mythology are thought of as spirits rather than deities. 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 the raising of livestock.
The 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 bringing misfortune to 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 important element of Slavic mythology is provided by several folklore figures, who are more than mortal but may 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 good or evil. She was prone to play tricks on the unwary, but at times she could 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 are also replete with magical entities of one kind or another. Prince Ivan is helped by a gray wolf. Ivan the Little Fool catches a wish-granting fish. Slavic folklore often imbues the natural world or animals with magical powers for storytelling purposes or to explain good and bad luck.
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