Principal Deities of the Rus
This article is a brief introduction to the main gods of the ancient Rus. The peoples of what we define ‘eastern Europe’ had a multitude of gods, figures of folklore and superstition; some of these were common to several nations or peoples. I have chosen to focus on the most popular and revered gods of the Rus – there will now be no excuses not to call upon Russian gods when fighting on the battlefields of the east!
PERUN (The ‘striker’)
Chief amongst the Rus deities, Perun was the god of lightning, thunder, storms, war, honour, warriors and those who protect the land. As a warlike deity he was depicted carrying a club, battle-axe, and a bow, from which he would shoot arrows of thunder and lightning.
Perun was often pictured as a young man with a copper-coloured beard, or as an old man with a long beard, halo, and carrying an axe and a hammer. He would travel through the sky in a chariot, throwing his axe at evil spirits or people. Folk believed that people struck by lightning were granted powers of healing (if they survived, presumably!)
Perun was seen as a purifier and overseer of right and order. Oaths were commonly sworn on his name to seal treaties. Sacrifices of cocks and bulls were made to him.
The Russian chronicles tell that Perun, in common with other Rus gods, was worshipped outdoors, represented by a tall wooden post with a gilded face. When Vladimir of Kiev became Christian in 989 AD, he denounced his old gods; he had the wooden figure of Perun pulled down, flogged, and thrown into the River Dniepr in an orgy of ridicule. He even sent a party of men to follow the idol downstream to ensure it was dashed to pieces on the cataracts.
SVAROG (The ‘Heaven-Walker’)
Father of the gods, though not as widely revered as Perun, he was also the oldest among them. A god of the elements and the sky, he was also associated with fire. He was sometimes depicted with three heads and was thought to be able to assume the guise of animals such as the bull, wolf, horse and falcon. He was considered a giver of life and a creator of wealth. His status was eventually downgraded amongst the Rus gods, to that of a fire-demon, for reasons unknown.
STRIBOG
God of the wind, atmosphere, wealth, first love, war, gossip and knowledge. He was the air, and his winds ferried the dead from the lands of the living. He was responsible for the young girl’s transition into womanhood, and he protected the Rus from the excesses of sun and frost.
Legends tell of a peasant who offended both the sun and frost; Stribog protected him, blowing cool air when the sun was hot, and warm air when the frost was present. Stribog had four sons, the north, south, east and west winds, and dozens of daughters, who were the seasonal winds.
DAZHBOG
A sun god particularly revered in southern Russia, he was the son of Svarog and a mermaid called Ros. He was the god of the herd and of precious metals, and subsequently likened to Satan by the Christian Church. The Rus were often called ‘his grandchildren.
ROD and ROZHANISTA
Gods of reproduction and soil fertility, they were considered the spirits of deceased female ancestors, and the goddesses of fate. They were thought to appear at the cradle of each newborn child, and decide its fate. In invisible letters they would write upon the child’s forehead both its lifespan and manner of death. They would also decide whether the child would live to be rich or poor. For reasons unknown, they were particularly loathed by the Church.
YARILO (The ‘Shining One’)
A lesser god, of war and fertility, he was associated with the springtime and the harvest. He was handsome and virile. In fertility festivals a priapic image of him would be symbolically buried. Rus male children could be named ‘Yaroslav’in his honour.
MOTHER EARTH
Though not a god, earth was revered by the Rus. It was forbidden to plough the earth before the 25th of March, as the earth was believed to be pregnant before that date. Kupola, the festival of Mother Earth, took place at the summer solstice; festivities included mass bathing, prayers at springs and bonfires. On the eve of the festival, fires in both homes and temples would be symbolically extinguished, then relit.
There were many other, lesser gods acknowledged by the Rus, as well as numerous spirits and mythical figures such as Baba Yaga, who was basically an extremely nasty witch. Readers wishing to know more about this subject, as well as the history of Rus, should peruse the bibliography below. For those of us wishing to be more authentically ‘Rus” at shows, check out some excellent Rus sayings in the Appendix!
Jones, P and Pennick, N (1995) A History of Pagan Europe Routledge Press
Franklin, S and Shepard, J (1996) The Emergence of Rus 750-1200 Longman
Volkoff, V (1984) Vladimir the Russian Viking Honeyglen Publishing