All about history book of myths and legends. ( PDFDrive )

KURENT

Kurent was the Slavic god of wine.

A popular myth tells how the first

humans enjoyed an easy life in a valley

irrigated by seven rivers that flowed

from an egg. They became greedy for

more water and broke the egg, causing

a great flood. All the people drowned,

except for Kranyatz, a watchman, who

was saved by Kurent. Later, Kranyatz

argued with the god over who should

rule the Earth, and after various

trials, emerged as the winner. But

he got carried away and climbed the

mountain where the gods lived. He ate

some meat that belonged to them, and

got drunk from the wine given to him

by Kurent. The gods kicked him down

the mountain and he lost his power.

SLAVIC GODS OF POWER

The god of light
The ancient Slavs closely associated the life-giving light
and warmth of the sun with the benevolent god, Byelobog –
especially after enduring a long, cold, dark night.

The god of darkness
As the god of darkness, Chernobog was most powerful
during the “waning” phase of the year, when the
nights are longer and the days become shorter.

Ears of wheat

In addition to

representing the

fertility of the soil,

Mati Syra Zemlya

was also said to be

present in the crops

that grew on the

ground, especially in

the ripe ears of wheat.

The rescue of Kranyatz

When the flood waters

continued to rise, Kurent

offered Kranyatz his walking

stick, actually a vine, and

pulled him out of danger.

BYELOBOG AND CHERNOBOG

A benevolent god, Byelobog, and a wicked god, Chernobog, are two of the

most ancient deities of Slavic mythology, and some creation stories describe

how the pair created the universe together. But the two fell out and were said

to be perpetually at war, appearing at regular intervals to

fight one another. Because this conflict between good

and evil was eternal, they were seen as similar to, and

possibly derived from, the Persian deities Ahura

Mazda and Ahriman. Byelobog was held in special

companions of the sun god Dazhbog.

People said that he was also a god of sunshine

and warmth, and that if worshipped, he would

protect their wheat and ensure a good

harvest. Sometimes he was depicted as a

sometimes as a powerful light.

MATI SYRA ZEMLYA

The Slavic Earth goddess was called Mati Syra

Zemlya (Damp Mother Earth). Normally, she

was not given a specific form, but her spirit

was said to be embodied in the fertile earth

beneath the feet of her devotees. Even though

she usually lacked a shape, she was seen as

vibrantly alive and, therefore, helped everything

in the soil to come to life. On certain occasions

when she did take human form, she was said

to appear as a woman with dark, earth-

coloured skin, wearing traditional clothes, who

would visit people’s houses and bless them. On

the holy days on which she appeared (notably

1 May and 24 June), no one was allowed to

plough the soil. People worshipped her by

digging a hole in the ground and putting in

oferings of bread and wine.

Kurent mask

In Slovenia, sheepskin masks

depicting Kurent are worn at the

Kurentovanje carnival that is held

to celebrate the arrival of spring.

regard because he was one of the most prominent

kindly, white-bearded old man, and

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