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PARTI

I. SERBS ARE SVARS ARE SERBS?

F

or more than several centuries questions relating to the origin and meaning of the ethnonymsSlav and Serb (also Sarb/Sarbski, Ser/Serski, Sur/Surski) have at- tracted the attention of outstanding scholars and generated a rich body of literature

on the subject in Continental Europe. In more recent times, the subject has been rather

overwhelmed and somewhat degraded by research relating to Indo-European origins.

Regarding this moment, J.P. Mallory, the author of the best English-language

survey of Indo-European scholarship, writes:

The quest for the origins of the Indo-European has all the fascination of an electric light in the open air on a summer night: it tends to attract every species of scholar or would-

be savant who can take pen to hand. It also shows a remark-

able ability to mesmerize even scholars of outstanding abil-

ity to wander far beyond the realm of reasonable specula-

tion to provide yet another example of academic lunacy. It is sobering to recall that one of the greatest prehistorians of this century, V Gordon Childe, dismissed his own researches

into Indo-European origins as among the most childish

thingshewrote( In Search of'Indo-Europeans,19 8 9 ).

Indeed, Childe's attempt to impose a Pax Nordica of sorts on European prehis- tory by tracing the origin of the Indo-Europeans to a Nordic/North European cradle is certainly one of his more childish moments. Childe writes:Having then agreed that

die original Aryan belonged essentially to the Nordic race ... it remains to localize die cradle land ... At the present moment the Scandinavian theory is the most attractive, having been expounded with a wealth of detail and a complete mastery

of the archaeological data by such profound students as Kossina, Schliz and

Schuchardt( V Gordon Childe, T he Aryans, 1987).

Relatively recent efforts to resolve the issues from a purely linguistic/etymological perspective—in terms of theoretical linguistic constructs (Proto-Slavic, Proto-Indo-Eu- ropean reconstructions) coupled with ethereal theorizing based on guesswork about

die etymologies of miscellaneous place names and allusions in heterogeneous

sources to ethnonyms—have sometimes added new levels of insight and understand-

ing, but almost always new levels of speculation, complexity, and learned eccentricity

(H.G.L unt,T he R us Primary Chronicle, HuS 19,1995). Whileth e linguistic/etymological theories

have a certain contemporary primacy in the entirely theoretical Proto-Indo-European context, in the case of the historical ethnonymSerb, the interdisciplinary method, ana- lytical frameworks with the highest integration of historical, textual, onomastic, and linguistic evidence, is better suited to the problem and provides a relatively firm and suggestive empirical basis for further research.

For such reasons, given the established Indo-Iranian dimensions of Proto-Slavic civilization, the established historical, textual, onomastic, and linguistic facts of the mat- ter, this section focuses on mythological-religiousP roto-Slav/Serb links with Indo-Ira- nian based languages and civilizations. Without guilt or remorse, therefore, we begin with a highly speculative, exploratory review of some of the historical-linguistic evidence that appears to relate the ethnonymsSarb/Surb/Srb toSvar, an ancient, cardinal Indo- Iranian word connoting heaven, sky, sun, light, and fire, to cognates connoting creation, universe, all, everything:

—To Svar as in Isvara, 'supreme lord and originator'; Isvara, 'immanent deity'; Svar, 'heaven'; Svar-gapat, 'lord and creator of heaven and earth'; Svarga, 'lord Indra's Heaven'; Svargadvara, 'gates of heaven'; Svargakama, 'desire for heaven'; Svargaloka, 'world of heaven'; Svarupa, 'nature,' 'essence'; Svarupa-jnana, 'divine knowledge.'

—To Svar as in Sur-ya, the most concrete of the solar deities: from Sur-ya, 'the orb of the sun,' 'the face of the great Agni,' 'the eye of Mitra and Varuna,' 'the lord of eyes', 'the farseeing, all-seeing god who beholds all beings and the good and bad deeds of mortals.'

Also: Ardhanarisvara, 'androgynous godhead'; Atmesvara, 'lord of the soul';

Govsesvara, 'lord of the cows and bulls'; Mahesvara, 'maternal goddess'; Padapesvara, 'lord of trees'; Paramesvara, 'highest lord'; Sarevesvara, 'supreme lordship'; [SjVaruna, 'supreme god of early Vedism, creator of the three worlds, heaven, earth and air'; Vasisvarana, 'sacred fire'; Visvarupadarshana, 'supreme principle'; Visesvara, 'lord of the universe'; Yogisvara, 'supreme saint.'

SURS, SARBS

It should be noted that there is in historical fact a certain precedent for a Sur- basedSarb ethnonym in Indo-Iranian history. Regarding the origin of one of the great tribes of Afghanistan, a leading authority writes: TheVais are the Surs (Surajbansi) or

Sutya (Suryavansi), the 'solar race of Hindustan' and the Sarbs (Sarbanri) or Sarahs

(Sarabani) in the Afghan classification of tribes.Similarly, a major division of the

Ismail Afghan tribal complex is called theSurs and a minor division theSarbs orSarbi s

(H. W. Bellew, An Inquiry into the Ethnography of Afghanistan, 1891).

SARVAS, SARBS

Moreover, from a strictly linguistic/etymological perspective, O.N. Trubacev, one

of the foremost Linguists/Slavists of the modern era, believes it is possible to derive the

Serb ethnonym from Old Indo-European sarva connoting all, everything, everyone.

Since Trubacev's (theoretical) Old Indo-Europeansarva is related to (factual) Indo-Ira-

niansvar, Old Indo-Europeansarva appears to be either a roundabout way of deriving

Serbf r o m Svar or a giant etymological step in that direction

EUROPEAN HISTORY

The notion that the Serb ethnonym is derived fromSvar has deep roots in Euro-

pean historical scholarship. Medieval German documents record that some Serb tribes

settled in Germania were calledS v ars. Naming the ancient Serb tribe that settled along

the Mulde near Leisnig, citing local sources, a 16th century German historian mentions theSv ars: Svarini oder Svardones oder Svordi.' In the same period, another German historian and commentator on Tacitus's Germania, E. Stella, is certain that:Tacitus's

Svars or Svarines are not only Serbs, but Serbs who retained their ancient and

original name.2

SVARTOV, TRAVA RIVERS

More concrete evidence of the ancient and original name in Germania is found in place names, hydronyms, and toponyms derived from Svar. Medieval sources, for ex- ample, locate Lübeck at the confluence of the Svartov and Trava rivers. Also: Svartava, northeast of Sorby and Sorbino, southeast of Perun; Svartebok, near Ratmir, Crnobog, and Drazevo; Svartava River, near Klecov, Goleska, and Penica; Svartav, near Lubici and Radkov; Svartov, northwest of Svetla Strana; Lake Svartica, northeast of Babica, Dobra, Draze, and Rogolin; Zuarina grad, northeast of Zverin, modern Schwerin.3

SVAR.SVAROG

It was well-known to medieval German chroniclers that the Serbs wereSvars in a primal, religious sense—the people of Svar, Svaroh, Svarog, Svarozic, the Supreme God, Lord and Creator, the God of the Shining Sky, who reigns supreme over Heaven and Earth, the Lord and Master of the Universe.4

BOGSVAROG

It is important to note that the letter and spirit of the Serb-Slavic word for god,

bog,as in ^o^Svar or Svarog, as well as i t s m a t e r i a l cognates (bogat,rich; bogatstvo,w ealth)

are also derived from the Indo-Iranian tradition.5

BHAGA, BAGA

The Sanskrit root is bhaj, to share, distribute. Thus bhaga (Iranian baga): 'the celestial dispenser of good fortune and prosperity'; baga, 'he who distributes good things'; bhaga, 'god of good fortune'; bhagesa, 'lord of happiness'; bhagwan, 'supreme god who created other gods and made them bearers of light'; bhagyam, 'fortune'; saubhagy, 'good luck'; subhaga, 'blessed'; bhoga, 'delight'; upabhoga, 'enjoyment'. Also the 'divine one' as in Bhagavad Gita (Song of the Divine One); Bhagavan, 'the noble, holy, exalted, and sublime one'; Savita Bhaga, 'the sun god'.

BOGISLAV

In medieval Germaniab og/b oz h is a common element of Slavic personal (Bogislav, Bogolub), family (Bogovici, Bozkovici, Bozov), and Germania place names (Bogumil, later Bomsdrof; Bozetin, later Bozetindorf; Bozici, later Positz). Also Bogumysl, now Bademeusel, and Myslbog, now Meuselwitz.

REGEM EORUM BOZ NOMINE

It is a matter of record that Bog as Bozh is a favored name of early Slavic rulers. In

the early 4th century, for example, Bozh is recorded as the ruler of the mighty Antes

(regem eorum Boz nomine}. Several centuries later, a tsar Bozh is said to rule over the

Antes lands.

THE ALL POWERFUL ONE

Helmold of Bosau, a Saxon cleric who lived in the region of Lübeck around

1170, was an especially keen if not impartial observer of the pagan Slavs. Helmold's

Chronica Slavorum offers a rather clear and precise statement of Svarog's supremacy and

relation to other gods in the Slavic pantheon: Svarog was the one god in the heavens

ruling over all others. They hold that the all powerful one looks after heavenly matters only; that the others, discharging the duties assigned to them in obedi- ence to him, proceeded from his blood; and that one excels the other in the mea- sure that he is nearer to the god of gods.

THE SLAV DELPHI

InB ishopT h ietm ar'sc h ro n ic le( Chronic on)there is a firsth a n da c c o u n tofS v a ro g ' s

temple aturbs Radogost in pago Riedierun, the great sanctuary of the Slavs, the Slav

Delphi: The triangular, three-gated citadel of Radegast is situated in the Redarii

district. The fortress stands in the middle of a great forest regarded by the natives as sacrosanct. Two of the gates are open to all. The third and smallest, to the east, faces a path leading to a neighboring lake of most gloomy aspect. The citadel contains but a single shrine, a wooden structure built upon a foundation of the horns of various animals. Its walls are decorated on the outside, so far as can be seen, with a number of finely carved images of gods and goddesses. Inside the shrine stands a number of man-made idols, each with its incised name, in full armour, terrifying to view. The tallest is called Svarozich and is much feared and revered by the heathens. Their standards are also kept there, only to be removed in case of war and then by foot-soldiers exclusively. Every district in the country has a temple of its own, worshiped by the infidels, but the citadel just mentioned is the most important. The tribesmen take leave of it when they march to war and offer it suitable gifts ... if they return victorious.6

An eminent modern authority on the period, J.W. Thompson, writes of the

temple's immense authority throughout Germania:Upon its wall hung the colored

banners of every Slavonic tribe between the Erzgebirge and the Baltic, and the trophies of victorious wars. The priests of Retra cast omens before every cam- paign. With them lay the final determination of war and peace( F eudalGerm any ,19 2 8 ).1

2. JAROVID, SVETIVID, TRIGLAV

S

vttr, the supreme god, was known by other names. Some of these names were

related to an essential activity or function. Thus the wargod J ar or J arovid, cog-

nates ofS v a r , recorded by German chroniclers in the 12th century: Deum suum

Gerovitum; Cuisudam idoli Geroviti nomine celebritatem agebat; Gerovito, qui deus

milicie eorumfiiit; In Hologosta civitate... deo suo Gerovito dtcitur.1

VOLIGOST

Soon after entering the town of Voligost, Otto, the Apostle of Pomerania, en-

tered a great temple dedicatedto J a ro vid , where, Herbord writes:There was hanging

on the wall a shield of great size and of marvelous workmanship, covered with

sheets of gold, which no human might touch, because in it was something sacro-

sanct and which betokened their pagan religion, so that it -would never be moved

out of its place save only in time of war. For, as we afterwards found, it was dedi-

cated to their god Gerovit, who in Latin is called Mars, and the people were confi-

dent of success in every battle in which it went before them.

HAVELBERG

There is good evidence thatJ a r o v id was alive and well in the early 12thcentury and that there were temples dedicated toJ a ro v id throughout the lands of the Slavs, including Havelburg on the Havel River. To Otto's great distress, Havelburg had been

so completely ruined by the incursions of the heathen that there remained in it

hardly anyone who bore the Christian name. On the very day of his [Otto's] arrival

flags were placed around the town, which was engaged in celebrating a festival in

honour of an idol called Gerovit. When the man of God perceived this, he was

pricked to the heart on account of the great delusion of its people and refused to

enter the walls of the town.

CHRISTIAN SYMPATHY

It is interesting that Thietmar of Merseburg's account of a pagan Slav assault on Christian missionary stations at Havelberg and Brandenburg in the very late 10th cen- tury suggests a noticeable degree of Christian sympathy for such attacks on Christian sanctuaries and images.The revolt started with the murder of garrison troops at

Havelberg and the destruction of the episcopal see. The days after the attack a

group of Slavic rebels assaulted Brandenburg's diocese ... The priests were taken prisoners... All of the church treasures were stolen, and blood covered the grounds. Where Christ and his disciple, Saint Peter, once stood, cults of diabolical supersti- tions were established; a sad change, which not only pagans but also some Chris-

tians welcomed.

JAROMIR, JARINA GRAD

Medieval sources reveal numerous personal and family names derivedf rom J ar in Germania (e.g. Jarobud, Jarognev, Jarosin, Jaromir, Jaroslav). Medieval sources also reveal numerous place names, including fortified settlements, derived fromJ ar in Germania east and west of the Elbe: Jargolin; Jarichovo grad; Jarina grad; Jarisin; Jarkovici; Jarkovo; Jarkun grad; Jarognev; Jarochol grad; Jarochov; Jarom; Jaromir; Jaromirici;

Jaronici; Jaroslav; Jarosin; Jarosov; Jarovec; Jarovici.2

SVAR, JAR, ZAR

FromSvar/Jar the Serb wordsjar, as injarko sunce or radiant sun,andjarost,

connoting intense, scorching, torrid heat, fire. Also the words zar, zarenje, zariti, zarki,

zarkost, connoting heat, warmth, brightness, glowing, red-hot fire. Like jar, zar is also

the root of numerous place names recorded in medieval Germania (e.g. Zar, Zargom,

Zarchom, Zarice, Zarkim, Zarnovica, Zarov, Zary, Zarno).

SVAR, SVETI VID

Other names relate toS v a r ' s supreme attributes. Thus Svaris Sveti Via,the

lord of eyes, the far-seeing, all-seeing god, who beholds all beings and the good

and bad deeds of mortals.Saxo Grammaticus'Gesta Danorum is an important source

of detailed information on the legendaryS vetiVi d ( Z vantevit) cult centre at Arkona

on the Baltic island of Rügen.3 A Danish monk, Saxo, took part in a crusading expedi-

tion against the pagan Slavs of Rügen in 1168 and witnessed the destructionof Sveti

Vid'ste m p le .In the temple stood an enormous statue, taller than any human f or m,

with four heads and necks, which lent it a somewhat terrifying appearance. Two looked ahead, and two behind, one faced the right, and another the left. The mous- tache was shaven, and the hair cut in deliberate imitation of the style usually af- fected by the Rani [Rugenites]. In its right hand it held a horn, fashioned in a variety of precious metals ... The left hand was supported against its side as if the arm were bent. The robe fell to the calves, which were of a different wood, and at the knee was a joint that you would fail to see unless you looked very closely. The feet were at ground level, for the pedestal was buried in the earth. To one side you could see the bit, saddle, and various insignia; a sword of extraordinary size in- creased the wonder of it all, and the admirable work on sheath and hilt enhanced the intrinsic value of the silver.

OMNI NATIONE SCLAVORUM

The Sveti Vid cult's pan-Slav character is noted by Helmold in the following

words:Zv an t ev i t deus t erre Rug i an o rum i n t er o m n i a n um i n a Sclav o rum pri m at aum

obtinuerit; et fecit prudci simuachrum illud antiquissimum Zvantevith, quod

colebaturt ab omni natione Sclavorum.

SVETOVID, SVETOVIT

In his excellent survey of the abundant empirical evidence relating to the scope

and depthof S vetiVi d's influence on South Slavic religious civilization (e.g.Sv eto v i d,

Svetovit), P. Simunovic also finds evidence of a significant medieval political moment—

the names of medieval Slavic rulers.4lako se pri manjem krscanstva kult slavenskog

bozanstva Svetovit upleo u kult sv. Vida, ostavivsi name pokoje onomasticke i folklorne preztike, ne moze se zanijekati i ne uzeti i obzir u tvorbi nekih od navedenih imena slavenski imenski korijen vit-/-vit. kojji je u imenu bozanstva Svetovit(b), u imenu kneza posavske Hrvatske Ljudevita (817-825), u davno potvrdenim imenima: Dragovit, Trebevit, Dobrovit (11. st.), Vitotnir (9 st.), Vitogoj (10. st.), Vitina (10. st.), ukojimavit- /-vitznaci "dominus", "potens", "mogucnik", kako su to vec davno istrazili istaknuti slavenski onomasticari. Sventovit je, dakle,

"gospodar svjetla", Ljudevit je "vladar ljudi". Korijen viWvit- u takvim dvodjelnim imenima pretezito sadrzava prvotno slavensko, a ne kasnije, latinsko leksicko znacenje koje ju u imenu sv. Vita/Vida. Ko kao sto se u puckim predodzbama slavenski poganski, sventovitski kult nerazmrsivo spleo s krscanskiin, vidovskim kultoni, tako se to zbilo i s oblicima imena Vit/Vid u koje se neprepoznatljivo stopili leksicki i onomasticki sadrzaj.

SVAR, TRIGLAV

The same essential attributes are found inSv aras T ri g lav , the three-headed all-

seeing and all-knowing god of the past, present, and future:Triglav, deus summo

paganorum, Trigelaus dicatus,the s u p r e m e lo r d and o r i g i n a t o r of all o n , below, and

above thee a r th( K A J enc ,Prib ohT riglav, L uz ic an 1,18 5 4). Aslate as the mid-12th century great

temples dedicated toT ri g lav were active in the Havelburg-Berlin-Brandenburg region

and the Stettin-Volin region in western Pomerania:T ri g la Slav i s tri ceps est Steti n en si um

olim ac Brandenburgensium aliorumque locorum idolum.

IN CIVITAS ANTIQUISSIMA ET NOBILISSIMA

German chroniclers, namely Ebbo and Herbord, give the following facts and

details aboutT riglav' s temple in ancient and noble Stetin, inc ivitas antiq uissim a e t

nobilissima in terra Pomeranorum: Stetin, vero amplissima civitas et maiorjulin [Volin] tres mantes ambitu suo conclusos habebat, quorum medius, qui et alcior, summo paganorum deo Trigelawo dicatus, tricapitum habebat simulacrum, quod aurea cidari oculos et labia contegebat, asserentibus idolorum sacerdotibus idea summum deum tria habere capita, quoniam triaprocuraret regna, idestcoeli, ter- rae et inferni, etfaciem cidari operiri pro eo quod peccata hominum, quasi non vidense tta c e n s , dissimularet( E b b o); Eratautem[i n civitateS te tin e n s i]ib i simulacrum triceps, quod in uno corpore tria capite habens Triglaus vocabatur; quod solum accipiens, ipsa capitella sibi cohaerentia, corpore comminuto, secum inde quasi pro trophaeo asportavit, etpostea Romampro agrumentoc o n v e rsio n is transimit( H erb ord).

PERSONIFICATION OF THE SKY

The noted Russian scholar A. N. Afanasiev sums upS va ro g in the following

terms: Svarog, as a personification of the sky, sometimes lighted by the sun's rays,

sometimes covered with clouds, and brilliant with lightning, was considered to be

the father of the sun and of fire. In the shadows of the clouds he would kindle the

lightning's flame and thus he appeared as the creator of celestial fire. As for terres-

trial fire, it was a divine gift brought to Earth in the form of lightning. Hence it

will be understood why the Slavs worshiped Fire as a son of Svarog.5

IMPARTING LIFE TO THE SUN

RegardingS varog' s relation to the Slav solar cult, Afanasiev writes: Afterwards,

splitting the clouds with flashing arrows, Svarog would cause the sun to appear, or

in the metaphorical language of antiquity, he would light the torch of the sun

which had been extinguished by demons of the shadows. This poetic conception

was also applied to the morning sun emerging from the veils of night. With the

sunrise and the renewal of its flame the idea of its rebirth was connected

HIGHER TRUTH

Even today, it should be noted, some would go so far as to say that then and now

a solar cult represents a higher truth. On this point, Lloyd M. Graham writes: A sunis

a cosmic crucible in which that cross called matter is made, in other words, a transmuter of cosmic energy—a fact known thousands of years ago and reduced to myth: 'Prometheus was the first to transmute atoms fit for human clay.' Prometheus, who stole fire from heaven and brought it down to Earth, is but a solar fire per-

sonified. Here the fire is imprisoned in matter. This is 'Prometheus Bound.'When

released by radiation it is 'Prometheus Unbound'... All this the ancients knew and

left to thewor ld inwha t wecall the'AncientW i sdom'(L M.Graham, DeceptionsandM y ths

of the Bible, 1975).

NOT THE WORD OF GOD

According to this view, the Judaeo-Christian theology is nothing more than a

garbled perversion of ancient wisdom and cosmic truths:The Bible is not 'the word of

God,' but stolen from pagan sources. Its Eden, Adam, and Eve were taken from the

Babylonian accounts; its Flood or Deluge is but an epitome of some four hundred

flood accounts; its Ark and Ararat have their equivalents in a a score of Deluge

myths; even the names of Noah's sons are copies; so also Isaac's sacrifice, Solomon's

judgment, and Samson's pillar act; Moses is fashioned after the Syrian Mises; its

laws after Hammurabi's code. Its Messiah is derived from the Egyptian Mahdi,

Savior, certain verses are verbatim copies of Egyptian scriptures. Between Jesus

and the Egyptian Horus, Gerald Massey found 137 similarities, and those between

Ghrist and Krishna run into the hundreds.

By confusing the laws of nature, the Creation process, with the will of God,

Graham believes, the Judaeo-Christian theology confuses Hell with Heaven. Thus he

writes:God wills it! God wills it! is the cry of every mass murderer on record.

ENDNOTES

PS. Efimenko, O larile, iazycheskom bozhevstve russkikh slavian, 1969. M. Rudnicki, Bostwa lechickie: Jarovit,

Nyja, Swietowit, Trzglow, JeZ 50, 1970.

K. Jene, Priboh Swjatowit a jeho rozimanje w lece 1168, Lucizcan 3, 1860. T. Reyman, Posag Swiatowida, ZoW 8, 1933. G. Vernadsky, Svantevit, dieu les slaves Baltiques, Annuaire 7, 1933-34. P. Kurinnyi, Sviatovit, Vyzolnyi shliakh 6, 1954. E. Dyggve, Der slawische Viermastenbau auf Ruegen, beobachtungen aus dem Swantewittempel desSaxo-Grammaticus, Germania37, 1959. H. Berelkamp, BadaniagroduSwiatowita, ZoW37, 1971. J. Rosen- Przeworska, Sur la genese de "Swiatowid" deite slave a quater visages, ArP 13, 1972. S. Bukowski, Swiatynia- Swiatowida-jak mogla wygladac, ZoW 40, 1974. H. Mueller, Vor 1000 Jahren: Tieropfer fuer den Slawengott Swantewit, Urania 9, 1975. J. Filipowiak, Swiatowit z Wolina, ZoW 4l, 1975.

A. Haas, Slawische Kultstaeten aud der Inseln Ruegen, Pommersche Jb 19; Arkona in Jahre 1146, 1925. W Krabe, Arkona-Rehtra-Vineta, ZtS 2, 1925. K. Schuchhardt, Arkona, Rethra, Vineta, 1926. A.G. Krueger, Rethra und Arkona, die slawistischen Heiligtuemer in Deutschland, Germanien 9, 1936. J. Knebel, Arkona. Poslednja pohanska swatnica zapadnych Slowjanow znici so pred 800 letiami, PrA 1970. J. Osieglowski, Wyspa slowianskich bogov, 1971. J. Herrmann, Arkona auf Ruegen, ZtA 8, 1974. L. Ellis, Reinterpretations of the West Slavic cult site in Arkona, InD 6, 1978.

I

3. CELE NASE POHANSKE

BAGESLOVI INDICKE GEST: PURAN/PERUN

Access to ancient Sanskrit texts in early 19th century Eu- rope shed new light on the origin and character of an- cient Slavic mythology. Successive studies appeared to reveal deeper and broader connections with ancient India and Iran, so much so that it was hard to escape the idea that ancient Slavic civilization shared a common ances- try with ancient Indo-Iranian civilization. Thus the dra- matic conclusion reached by J. Kollar (1798-1852), the great Slovak poet, scholar, and Slavist, in an essay on commonalities and parallels in Indian and Slavic mythol-

ogy(Srovnalost Indice a Slavske Mythologie): Gele nase

pohanske bageslovi indice gest (Our entire pagan reli-

gious mythology is Indie in origin and character).1

n the Vedic system, the various gods are not separate entities, but merely

aspects of the supreme lord and creator, manifestations of the immanent

deity.

INDRA

Lord Indra, a name perhaps related to proto-Slavjenttru oijedru (strong), was an immensely popular manifestation. Some scholars find traceso f Perun in Indra's prede- cessor, Varun, an earlier Indo-Iranian sky-god of rain and storm and protector of oaths.2 From his role as God of war and storms, the cognomens Puran-dara (destroyer of

cities); Paran-ya (thunderbolt), and mighty Indra (thousand-testicled Indra or

sahasramuska), the main subject of early Vedic hymns.3

ASPECTS OF THE SUPREME LORD AND CREATOR

The same is true of the pagan Slav system. Here, too, the gods are aspects of the Supreme Lord and Creator; they are manifestations of the universal causality. Here, too, lordPerun , the god of war and storms, is a popular and powerful manifestation of the Slav god of gods,Sv aro g .4 Thus it is not surprising that in a mid-6th century work, commenting on the religion of the Slavs, Procopius identifiesSv aro g i n termso fPerun 's

attributes: They in fact regard one god, the creator of lightning, as the lord and

masterof theuniverse;they sacrificeoxenandother animals to him( De Bellis Gothico)?

PRIMARY CHRONICLE

Later sources affirmPerun s central position in the pagan Slav hierarchy.Perun is

a prominent figure in the most ancient Russian chronicle, best known as theNac alnaja

Letopiso r Primary Chronicle.A ccording to the Chronicle,P erunis the p r i m a r y g u a r a n t o r

of treaties between Kievan Russia and Byzantium in the 10th century.

GRAND PRINCE OLEG

Following the religion of Grand Prince Oleg (879-912) and the Russes,Perun is

the guarantor of a 907 peace treaty with Byzantium: Thus the Emperors Leo and

Alexander made peace with Oleg and agreed to pay tribute, and they took the

oath among themselves by kissing the cross, but let Oleg and his men-at-arms

take the oath, according to the Rus law: they swore by their arms, and by Perun,

their God and Volos, the cattle god and established peace. Furthermore they swore

by their arms not in the German manner, but taking their weaponso ff and put-

ting them at the feet of the idol, in accordance with their own custom.

VOLOSIn order to understand whyVo lo s, the god of cattle (the Serbianv o andvol are

ancient and modern Slavic words for cattle), is mentioned as a guarantor of oaths in this and other treaties, once again one must turn to Indo-Iranian mythology.6 It is only natural that cowherds and cattle orgo play an important role in the Vedic order, in a community of herders and stockbreeders. Thus Govrsesvara, lord of cattle; Mount Govardhana, where cattle graze and multiply; Goloka, above the world of gods and Brahmans, the world of cattle, the highest region, beyond which there is no region. In Zoroastrian mythology, Vohu Manu is the good spirit's first born. Vohu is the god of cattle, the sacrificial animals. His world equivalent is the cow, bull, ox. What is more important, Vohu is the shepherd of mankind. In opposition to Ako Manu, the evil spirit, Vohu guides the people to good thinking and righteous behavior and keeps the records of men's deeds, words, and thoughts.

GRAND PRINCE IGOR, GRAND PRINCESS OLGA

Following a 945 peace treaty with Byzantium, Grand Prince Igor (913-945) and

his men went to a hill in Kiev: Where there was a statue of Perun. There they laid

down their arms and swore to keep the treaty.7It is said that Grand Princess Olga's

(945-964) warriors swore by their arms and invoked the nameo f Perun .

GRAND PRINCE SVYATOSLAV

In a 972 treaty with Byzantium, Grand Prince Svyatoslav (964-972) bound him-

self and his subjects to uphold the conditions of the treaty in the following words:I,

Svyatoslav, Russian Prince ... wish to have peace and abiding friendship with all the great Greek emperors inspired by God, and with all your people; and so do all the Rus subject to me ...N ever will I attack your land, or gather an army, or guide a foreign people against those subject to the Greek Government. If we do not observe this ... may we be accursed by the god in whom we believe, by Perun, and Volos the god of flocks, may we become yellow as gold, and perish by our own

weapons.

VLADIMIR VELIKI

Vladimir Veliki (980-1015), later,S vy atoy V ladim ir, Apostle of Russia, lived most

of his life as a pagan, and ruled in the nameo f Perun until his baptism in 988:Vladimir

then began to reign alone in Kiev. And he set up idols on the hill outside the

castle courtyard. A wooden Perun with a head of silver and whiskers of gold ... The people sacrificed to them calling them gods ... They desecrated the earth with their offerings, and the land of Rus and that hill were defiled with blood.

NOVGOROD

Perun was also supreme in the great city of Novgorod: Vladimir then put his

uncle Dobrynia in Novgorod. And when Dobrynia arrived at Novgorod he raised

an idol to Perun on the banks of the river Volkhov; and the people of Novgorod

offered sacrifices to it as if to God himself.

PERIN HILL

Twentieth century excavations have uncovered a number of pagan sanctuaries in the lands of the Western and Eastern Slavs. One of the more interesting and revealing sites is the sanctuary dedicated toPerun near Novgorod Veliki. V.V. Sedov writes:The

Perin hill magnificently dominates the northern low-lying and woodless banks of

the Ihnen lake. The principle sanctuary was raised above the surrounding area...

in die form of a regular circle ... Here [in the center of the circle] stood a wooden

statue of Perun ... In front of the idol there was an altar, a circle made of cobble

stones. The ditch surrounding the cult was not a simple ring, but a thin rim in

die form of a huge flower with eight petals ... During pagan festivals a ritual

bonfire was lit on the bottom of each ditch projection ... and an eternal flame

burnt in the eastern projection facing the Volkhov river. The layout of the sanctu-

ary is likely to be a geometric representation of one of the flowers devoted to

Perun. The pagan Slavs are known to be fond of devoting flowering plants to

Perun. The ditch, which surrounded the site with the idol, was of a ritual signifi-

cance likethoseof barrowditches (V.V. Sedov, Pagan sanctuariesandidolsof the Eastern Slavs,SlG 7-8,

1980-81).

IN GERMANIA

In medieval German sources there are numerous, albeit rather muddled, refer-

ences toPerun . Helmold, for example, refers to:

• Pro v e (Prove deus Aldenburg; Prove deus Aldenburgensis terre)

• Puruvit(in Garz, tria idola ... et Puruvit nominabantur)

• Po ren ut i( Quo suc c iso, P orenuti tem plum appetitur)

PERUNMore certain and concrete references toPerun in Germania are found in language

and place names. As late as the 17th century the native Slavs of Hanover called Thursday

Perundan. In northeastern Germania, on the coast, near Stralsund, one finds Perun,

north of Zalikov,Mo ko sa,and Dev i n , place names that resonate with strong and vivid

pagan sounds and rhythms. Further west, anotherPerun is recorded near Dargun Grad,

southeastof Svetina Grad and Slavomir Grad(H . Skalova, MistopisnaMapauz em iO b odric uaL utic u,

VpS3,1960).

T. Witkowski notes thatPerun is the original name of Prohn (Perun, 1240), a

small village near Stralsund, and Pronstorf (Perun/Perone (1199), near Segeberg, and

perhaps Pirna (Perne, 1233; Pyrne,1239), near Dresden( T . Witkowski, Mythologisch motivierte

altpolabische Ortsnamen, ZtS 15, 1970).

ENDNOTES

J. Kollar, Slawa bohyne, 1839. For an early and excellent introduction to such 'commonalities' and 'parallels' read: I. J. Hanusch, Die Wissenschaft des Slawischen Mythus, 1842; Bajesloveny kalendar slovansky, cili pozustatky pohansko-svatecnych obraduv slovanskych, 1860. J. Rozwadowski, Stosunkileksykalne miedzy jezykami slowianskiemi i iranskiemi, Rocznik Orientalistyczny l, 1914-1915. A.A. Zalizniak, Problemy slaviano-iranskikh iazykovykh otnoshenii drevneishego perioda, VoP 6, 1962. U. Dukova, Zur Frage des iranischen Einflusses auf die slawische mythologische Lexik, ZtS 24, 1979.

For a recent discussion of ways in which Perun and other members of the pagan Slav pantheon are traced to [SJVarun: O.N. Trubacev, Überlegungen zu vorchristlichen Religion der Slaven im Lichte der slavischen Sprachwissenschaft, ZtS 54, 1994.

Muski is the Serb word for masculine, manly; muzf o r h u s b a n d ; muzevan, for brave, manly. In medieval Russia the

muzhi were local notables who were active in matters of war and peace (B. Grekov, Kiev Rus, 1959). In 911 Grand Prince Oleg sent his muzhi to conlude peace and draw up a treaty between Rus and the Greeks. Decades later, in 944,Igor sent his muzhi to Roman, and Roman called together his boyars and dignitaries. Evidence of the deep roots of this institution is found in the fact that them uz hi played a similar role in Russian entities organized on a tribal basis. In one embassy, for example, it is recorded that the Drevlyane sent to Olga their best muzhi,

numbering twenty, in a boat;in another embassy, the Drevlyane chose their best muzhi who ruled the land of

the Drevlyane and sent them after her.In turn, Olga tells the Drevlyane, send me noble muzhi.

N.S. Derzhavin, Perun v iazykovych i folklornykh perzhivaniiakh u slavian, lazyk i Literatura 3, 1929. J. Machnik, Na sladach kultur Peruna, DaW 2, 1955. I. Ivanov, K etimologii baltiiskogo i slavianskogo nazvami boga groma, VoP 3, 1958. V.P. Darkevich, Topor kak simvol Peruna v drevnerusskom iazykchestve, Sovetskaia arkheologiia 5, 1961. T. Witkowski, Perun und Mokos in altpolabischen Ortsnamen, OnO 16, 1971. H. Schuster-Sewc, Zur Frage der sudeslawischen perunika-Namen, FiL 30, 1973. M. Gimbutas, Perkunas/Perun, the thunder god of the Baits and the Slavs, InD 1, 1973. A. Gieysztor, Sprawca piorunow w mitologii slowianskiej (Ars Historica Poznan, 1976). G.I. Ivakin, Sviaschennyi dub Peruna (Drevnosti srednego Podneprov'ia, 1981). V.V. Martinov, Svyatogor Bilinaya ipostac Peruna, Philologia slavica, 1993.

Archaeological and linguistic evidence suggest that in the religion of the ancient Indo-Europeans, the Shining God

of the Sky was closely followed by the Thunder God, the hunter and warrior... The axe is connected with the

Thunder God; the club, bow, quiver, and arrows are also his... This god is best preserved in all Indo-European

mythologies (M. Gimbutas, The Civilization of the Goddess, 1991).

J. Jirecek, O slovanskem bohu Velesu, Casopis, 49, 1875. A. Fischer, Kult Welesa u Slowian in Narodopisna spolecnost ceskoslovanska, 1927. W. Szafranski, Slady kultu bozka Welesa u plemion wczesno-polskich, PoL 3, 1959. V. Zivancevic, Volos, Veles slavianskoe bozhevsto teriomorfnogo proikhozhdeniia, 7th International Con- gress of Anthropological and Ethnographical Sciences, 1964. R. Jakobson, The Slavic God Veles and his Indo- European cognates, Studi linguistic! V. Pisani, 1969. N.A. Baskakov, Mifologischeskie i epicheskie imena sobstvennye v "Slove o polku igoreve" (I etimologii Veles i Boian), Vostochnaia filologia 3, 1972.

B.A. Rybakov, Paganism in Medieval Rus, Social Science 6, 1975.

4. PURAN, RERUN, SVETI ILIA

I

n one way or anotherP erun—P erun asP erunor P erun in the guise of St. Elia or St.

Ilia the Thunderer, who roared through the skies in a fiery war chariot—survived the

Christiane ra(LP. Leger,Perounet lesS aintE lie,E tudes dem y thologieslave,18 95- 97 ;S lovenska Mitologijct,

1904).

ThatP erunas P erun was alive and well in the first centuries of the Christian era is a matter of well-documented record. When Grand Prince Igor and his men laid down their weapons, shields, and gold ornaments and took oath beforePerun , native and foreign Christians took an oath inPerun s Christian sanctuary, the Church of St. Ilia (St. Elias). A 12th century Christian source reports that the Slavs:Forgot God and believed

in that which God created for our use; and they called all this by the names of

gods: die sun, moon, earth and water ... the gods Veles [Volos], Perun ... and even

to this day remain in a guilty state of dark unenlightenment.

ISTRIA, MONTENEGRO

Throughout the Dinaric highlands, from Istria in the northwest to Montenegro in the southeast, one findsP erun in settings that sometimes vibrate with ancient Slavic cults: in toponyms, especially prominent heights (e.g. Mt. Perun, in eastern Istria; Mt. Perun, in Poljica, east of Split in central Dalmatia; Mts. Perun in central and eastern Bosnia); hydronyms (e.g. Perunisaspring, near Smiljan in Lika); flora (e.g. the iris Perunika, also called Bogisa); place names (e.g. Perun, near Ston, Peljesac peninsula; Perunica, near Kotor in Montenegro). In one recorded instance, a toponym refers toPerun s former fortress or stronghold: In the year 1405, Bosnia's Ban Tvrtko II Tvrtkovic's (1404-1409) grant to a deserving subject includes the village of Drevnik, with Perun, also known

as Perun Gradina (ruins of Perun's fortress). Also the personal and family names

Perun, Perunovic, Perunicic in Montenegro: e.g. the Perunovic brastvo/brotherhood of

Perunovic in Raicevici, Katun County, Old Montenegro; the Perunovic brastvo/brother-

hoodofD re n o v is tic a ,P jesivac C o u n t y , Ol dMo n t g e n e g r o .(M .F ilipovic ,T ragovi P erunova kulta

kodJuznih Slovene, Glasnik 3, 1948; Jos tragovima Perunova kulta kodjuznih Slovena, Glasnik 9, 1954).1

IN THE SERB LANDS

Of course, the Perun/Sv. Iliac ult had its deepest roots, strength, and vitality in the core Serb lands. Along the ancient religious frontier, the pagan highlands above early Christian enclaves inP rim orska Serbia on the Adriatic coast, one finds great evidence of pagan adaptation and Christian accomodation.

ILINOBRDO

Here one finds numerous heights with such names as Ilino Brdo, Ilina Glavica, Ilina Gora, Ilin Vrh and others, including, Mount Sv. Ilija towering above the village of Bogdasic on the rugged Vrmac peninsula in the Bay of Kotor. Ilina Voda, Ilina Glavica, Ilina Gora, Ilina Dubrava, Ilina Kamenica, Ilin Vrh, Ilino Brdo are some of the Ilin toponyms and hydronyms recorded in the province of Boka in the early 20th century( S .

Nakicenovic, Boka,A ntropogeograf ika Studija, 1913).Thesam e or similar toponyms andh y d r o n y m s

are found in relative abundance throughout Montenegro: Ilina Brdo, near Gradac, Ljesan

County; Ilinsko Zdrijelo and Ilinsko Strana, near Kosijeri, Katun County; Ilino Brdo, 4. PURAN, RERUN, SVETI ILIA

I

n one way or anotherP erun—P erun asP erunor P erun in the guise of St. Elia or St.

Ilia the Thunderer, who roared through the skies in a fiery war chariot—survived the

Christiane ra(LP. Leger,Perounet lesS aintE lie,E tudes dem y thologieslave,18 95- 97 ;S lovenska Mitologijct,

1904).

ThatP erunas P erun was alive and well in the first centuries of the Christian era is a matter of well-documented record. When Grand Prince Igor and his men laid down their weapons, shields, and gold ornaments and took oath beforePerun , native and foreign Christians took an oath inPerun s Christian sanctuary, the Church of St. Ilia (St. Elias). A 12th century Christian source reports that the Slavs:Forgot God and believed

in that which God created for our use; and they called all this by the names of

gods: die sun, moon, earth and water ... the gods Veles [Volos], Perun ... and even

to this day remain in a guilty state of dark unenlightenment.

ISTRIA, MONTENEGRO

Throughout the Dinaric highlands, from Istria in the northwest to Montenegro in the southeast, one findsP erun in settings that sometimes vibrate with ancient Slavic cults: in toponyms, especially prominent heights (e.g. Mt. Perun, in eastern Istria; Mt. Perun, in Poljica, east of Split in central Dalmatia; Mts. Perun in central and eastern Bosnia); hydronyms (e.g. Perunisaspring, near Smiljan in Lika); flora (e.g. the iris Perunika, also called Bogisa); place names (e.g. Perun, near Ston, Peljesac peninsula; Perunica, near Kotor in Montenegro). In one recorded instance, a toponym refers toPerun s former fortress or stronghold: In the year 1405, Bosnia's Ban Tvrtko II Tvrtkovic's (1404-1409) grant to a deserving subject includes the village of Drevnik, with Perun, also known

as Perun Gradina (ruins of Perun's fortress). Also the personal and family names

Perun, Perunovic, Perunicic in Montenegro: e.g. the Perunovic brastvo/brotherhood of

Perunovic in Raicevici, Katun County, Old Montenegro; the Perunovic brastvo/brother-

hoodofD re n o v is tic a ,P jesivac C o u n t y , Ol dMo n t g e n e g r o .(M .F ilipovic ,T ragovi P erunova kulta

kodJuznih Slovene, Glasnik 3, 1948; Jos tragovima Perunova kulta kodjuznih Slovena, Glasnik 9, 1954).1

IN THE SERB LANDS

Of course, the Perun/Sv. Iliac ult had its deepest roots, strength, and vitality in the core Serb lands. Along the ancient religious frontier, the pagan highlands above early Christian enclaves inP rim orska Serbia on the Adriatic coast, one finds great evidence of pagan adaptation and Christian accomodation.

ILINOBRDO

Here one finds numerous heights with such names as Ilino Brdo, Ilina Glavica, Ilina Gora, Ilin Vrh and others, including, Mount Sv. Ilija towering above the village of Bogdasic on the rugged Vrmac peninsula in the Bay of Kotor. Ilina Voda, Ilina Glavica, Ilina Gora, Ilina Dubrava, Ilina Kamenica, Ilin Vrh, Ilino Brdo are some of the Ilin toponyms and hydronyms recorded in the province of Boka in the early 20th century( S .

Nakicenovic, Boka,A ntropogeograf ika Studija, 1913).Thesam e or similar toponyms andh y d r o n y m s

are found in relative abundance throughout Montenegro: Ilina Brdo, near Gradac, Ljesan

County; Ilinsko Zdrijelo and Ilinsko Strana, near Kosijeri, Katun County; Ilino Brdo,

near Bukovac, Piva County.

MRKOJEVICI

There are fewer more dramatic and telling examples of adaptation and accomodation than those found in the immediate path of Christian expansion radiating from the coastal city of Bar. In the foothills and rugged highlands above Bar, one finds theMrko jev i d, an ancient fraternal communityorplem ew itii the deepest roots in the Serb past, in the first Serb state, medieval Duklja.2 The following profile is from a stan- dard reference work:M, pleme u crnogorskom primorju, izmedju planine Rumike,

Mozure i rnora. Broji oko pet stotina domova. Zemljiste je nagnuto öd Rutnije k

tnora, klima je primorska, radja razno voce. Öd maslina cijede ulje na domacim nilinovima. Od gornjih sela ispod Rumije znatniji su Mali i Velji Mikulici. Ostala se spustaju s jedne i druge strane planinskog vijenca Lisinja do Mozure i tnora. Od donjih sela glavno je Velje Selo. M. se kao pleme izmedju Bara i Ulcinja spominju 1409. Staro sjediste plemena bill su Mikulici, odakle se ovo pleme razvilo i spustilo k moru. Kasnjije je sjediste i zborno m j es to postalo Velje Selo, najvece u

M. Od starine su M imali kao glavnog starjesinu plemena barjaktara. Bili su nekada

pravoslavni Srbi, pa su od prije dvjesta godina poceli mijenjati vjeru, a od prije sto

godina svi su primili Islam. Cestu su na njihovom zemljistu tragovi starih crkava.

Pored nesto doseljenika iz raznih strana, glavna masa stanovike je stara. To su

stari M koje je prijelaz u Islam ocuvao. U pravoslavnom brastvu Androvica u Veljim

Mikulicima cuva se krst, za koji vjeruju da je bio u rukama zetskog kneza Jovana

Vladimira, lead je poginuo u Prespi. O Trojcinu dana iznose M. i Krajinjani sve

trivjere tajkrst naRumi ju uzveli ku ipobozn usvecanost( S. Stanojevic, Entiklopedija Srba,

Hrvata i Slovenaca)?

RADOMIR

In its center, Velje Selu, on a commanding height, Radomir, one finds the Cathe- dral Church of Sv. Ilia, where, from the most ancient times, theMrko jev i c gathered each year on St. Ilia's Day or Ilindan to discuss and resolve community affairs.

VOJNADRUZHINA

In the mid-15th century theMrko jev i cvojna druz hina (military fraternity) enters into an alliance with Venice and thereafter plays an important role in Venice's defense of Bar and Ulcinj on land and Venice's maritime dominance in the eastern Adriatic. Vene- tian registers offer important documentary evidence relating to the number and vitality of theMrko jev i c contribution to the anti-Ottoman wars in the 17th century. With sev- eral exceptions all theMrko jev i cs, generally recorded asMarko v i ci in Latin/Venetian sources(n o bi li ssi m uset frequen t i ssi m usest pag usMarco v i chi o rum ) have typical Serb names( G.S tanojevic , J edanplatnispisakm om ara iof irira mletackih naoruzanih barke iz16 2 6 godine,Isto rijski Z apisi

XX, 1976).

ANDRIJAIVOV, VUKO NIKOV

The several exceptions to the rule appear to be early converts to Islam, namely Osman Ivanov, Deli Murat and Zafir Hin, who served together with their Chrstian brothers- in-blood if not in faith.

Andrija Ivov

Ostoja Ratkov

Djuro Perov

Pero Boskov

[Sargente] Ivo

Pero Djurov

Ivo Dabov

Pero Marov

Ivo Markov

Pero Milov

Ivo Perov

Pero Nikov

Ivo Vulev

Petar Markov

Luka Nikov

Rado Ilin

Markisha Perov

Stefan Ivov

Milo Mladenov

Stijepo

Milosh Milankov

Vuko Ivov

Nikisha Djurov

Vuko Nikov

Nikola Vukov

DEMOCRACY

As is always the case in western alliances with Montenegrin communities, the

Venetians are stunned by their thoroughly democratic character. In the case of the

Mrkojevic,f o r example, t h e V e n e t i a n s soon learn t h a t every a d u l t male appears to have a

title and function meriting recognition and payment. Ultimately, nearly one-third of the

Mrkojevicdem and and receive certain privileges a n d ex em p tio n s f r o m V enetian a u t h o r i -

ties.

ISLAM

When Christianity vanished, after theMrko jev i c adopted Islam, Sv. Ilia remained

thepleme'sv ita l center, t h e i n d o m i t a b l e g u a r d i a n of a n c i e n t t r a d i t i o n s a n d values.4 Like-

wise, Ilindan assemblies remained real and symbolic guarantors of communal unity and solidarity. In a true and authentic expression of ancient values and loyalties, soon after the Cathedral's severe damage by an earthquake in 1979, the MoslemMrko jev i c at home and abroad began raising funds for its restoration.

NEWORDER

TheMrko jev i c are proud of the fact that during World War II, though the New Order's occupying forces, following standard imperial policies, did everything in their power and more to incite a confessional war in the region, to place Orthodox, Moslem, and Catholic Serbs at each other's throats, there was not a single instance of religous conflict. Ramo Dapcevic captures thisMrko jev i c moment in the following words:Ovdje

se nije desilo da je brat brata ubio, musliman pravoslavnoga, ill pravloslavni

musliman, izmedju vjera da je nesto bilo. Nikako. Nego, kao jedna dusa. Ne mozes

razlikovati nista. Naroda je povezan, vrlo dobar. lako su tri vjerispovijesti, nidje

se nije pojavilo da prezire pravoslavni muslimana, ill musliman pravoslavnog ili

katolika, no ka'da su od jedne majke. I u ratu se pomagalo, ne samo u ovome

kraju, nego sve do Boke Kotorske. Dolazili su odjen da uzimaju hljeba i zita. Ovi

narod,ko go je ima,da' je.Neko je proda.Aliodavdeni konijei zasagladan( S usreti,

January-Feburary, 1990).

ILINOBRDO, ILINDAN

Several miles north of Bar, in the rugged heights along the coast, one finds Mount Ilia or Ilino Brdo. On its summit, there is a small chapel dedicated to Sv. Ilia. It is here, on this vigilant height, from times immemorial, on Ilindan, Serbs from the core lands of medieval Duklja, from Crmnica, Papratna, and Krajina, Serbs of all confessions and faiths, Orthodox, Roman Catholic, and Moslem, gathered to honor and celebrateSv .

Ilia the Thunderer.'

6. DAZHBOG, KHORS,

STRIBOG, SIMAR'GL AND MOKOS

A

ccording to Procopius, the pagan Slavs worshiped many spirits and made offerings to all, and they made vows and predictions at their sacrifices. A number of recorded primary spirits appear to have Indo-Iranian roots.

Namely, Dazhbog, Khors, Stribog, Sintarg'l and Mokos.

PRIMARY CHRONICLE

In addition toPerun , the highest god, andVo lo s, god of animals, theR us P rim ary

Chronicle( h e r e a ft e r Primary Chronicle)f o r 980 re fe rs to t h e godsDaz hbo g , K ho rs, S t ri bo g ,

Simar'gl, zndMokosh.The g r e a t 1 2th c e n t u r y R u s s ia n e p i c ,S lo vo O P o lku Ig o revy e, Ig o ry a ,

SinaS vy atoslavy a,V nukaO legova( T heT ale of the H ost ofIgor,Igor, the Sonof S vy atoslav, Grandsonof O leg)

in addition toVo lo slVeles (veshei Bojane, Velesove vnuche), also mentions Dazhbog

(pogibaset zhizn Dazhd-Bozha vnuka), Stribog (Se vjetri, Stribozi vnuci, vyut sa

moryastrelaminahrabriyapulklgorevi), Great [K]Hhors (velikornu Hrsovi vlkom

put prerikase)and Troyan (risca ve troup Troyaniu cres polya na gori; na zemlyiu

Troyaniu).1 A 12th century apocrypha detailing the activities and miracles of the blessed

virginalsom e n t i o n sPerun ,Vel es, K ho rs,and T ro y an( H oz hednie B ogoroditsiP o M ukam ).

DAZHBOG

An early Slavic translation of the first universal Byzantine chronicle, an eighteen-

book world history( Chnnographia)b yJ o h n Malalas(4 9 0-5 78 ), identifiesD az hbo gusth e

son ofSv aro g : Below Svarog, his son, the Sun, called Dazhbog ruled.

DATBHAGA

In all ways, in name and role, the SlavicDaz hbo g , the giving god (the Sanskrit equivalent is Datbhaga) is consistent with the Indo-Iranian tradition, withS va ra s Dhata or Dhatabhaga, the creator of all things, with Svarog us Dazhbog, the solar source and

distributoro f wealth, health, a n d good fortune( V .J agic ,Z um Daz db og,A rC8 ,18 9 5 ; E .D ic kenm ann,

Serbokroatische Dabog, ZsP 20, 1950).

SUNWORSHIPERS

It is not surprising therefore that numerous authoritative sources identify the an- cient Slavs as Sun worshipers. The great 10th century Muslim historian, geographer, and cartographer, al-Mas'udi (896-956), theH erodotus o f the A rab s, for example, records that the Slavs had temples with special architectural arrangements, with an opening in the

domeforo b s e r v i n g t he sunrise( M urujadh- dhab abwa m a' adinal- jawahir).1 Certain that t hec o u rse

of the Sun determined human affairs, the high priests prophesied future events by coor- dinating its course with precious stones and magic signs carved in stone inside the temple. It is a matter of record that solar reverence did not end with death. Wanting the dead to

face thes u n r i s e , the pagan Slavs buried their dead with theh e a d in thew e s t,fe e t in the

east.

SORABOS, CULTUM SOUS

A number of German historians are certain that the place name Juterbog is de-

rivedf r o mt h e Serb wordsj u t r o o rm o r n i n g a n db ogotg o d ,f r o m p a g a nr i t u a l s c e l e b r a t -

ing the morning sun:Sorabos advenas ei tam cultum Soi ls . . . quern sua li ngua Jutre

vocant, addito nomine Bog seu Boch, quod apud omnes Slavos Deum significant.

SOLOTABAB

In some instances onomastic links with a pagan past have been obscured by

time and change. Who would suspect, for example, that the nameA usc hw itz is derived

fromWosz wiec z ic h, a name denoting a place of solar celebrations:derivator Auscheweitus

a Sorabica voca Woszwieczicz = illuminate, de quyo sibie persuadebant vitam ab

eo servari.Some speculate that Bamberg( B am b erga—primum vocatafiiitBambergh.e.

mons Babae), mons Babae, as well as many other Germania place names with the prefix

bab- (e.g. Babin/1585, near Finsterwalde; Babizna/1378, near Dresden; Babic/1392, near Grimma; Babo/1458, near Cottbus;m ons B ab el12 2 3 , later Papenberge, near Spandau), were sites of pagan rituals relating toS olotaB ab .

JUTROBOGIAPPELLATUR

In an early and outstanding study of the Serbs, A. Frencel writes: Slavi Sorabique

fulgidam auroram sic interpretati sunt, quai esset numen praestantissimum, quod mortalibus in dies bene vellet, cupererque, quodque tenebras discuteret et diem largiertur, aptum tempus operibus agendis conficiendisque. Visa itaque Dea, a qua temperies et su dum coelum discussis fulminibus, tonitruis, fulguribus, ventorumque turbidinibus: ilium idolum, quod Soraborum persuasione primam diei facem accendret Jutrebobusseu Jutrobogi appellatur(A .F renc el,Com m entarius

Philologico-Historicus de Diis Soraborum Aliorumque Slavorum, 1719).

SOLAR IMPULSE

That the solar impulse continued well into the Christian era is confirmed by

many sources. The Grand Duke of Kiev, Vladimir Monomakh (1052-1125), in his

testament, instructs his sons to praise the Lord first, and then the rising sun in the morn-

ing. Another sign of past times is found inThe Book of Deep Wisdom orGlub innaia

Kniga,a work popular in the late medieval period. In it Prince Vladimir has two basic

questions to King David:How did the White Light originate? How did the Sun

originate?King David answers: The White Light springs from God's heart; the

Sun, from God's face.

SUNS ARE THE CREATORS

Parenthetically, L.M. Graham writes: Suns are the creators of the worlds, not gods. This the Ancients knew and it became the basis of their sun worship. Today we think of this as pagan ignorance of "the one true God," but alas, the ignorance is ours, not theirs. The story is told of a Christian bishop who said to a Parsee: "So you are one of those peculiar fellows who worship the sun." "Yes," said the Parsee, "and so would you if you had ever seen it." No, the bishop had never seen it mentally and so he worshiped a mythical Creator instead of the real one. And I'm sure he thought his form of worship vastly superior to the peculiar fellow's( Dec eptionsa n d M y ths of the Bible, 1975).

AND THE BRIGHT SUN

When the daughter of a Balkan Serb was getting married, writes F. Kmietowicz,

it was customary for her father to instruct her in the same way as the Grand Duke of Kiev

did his son:To Pray to the righteous God and the bright sun in the east every

morning(F .K m ietowic z , S lavic M y thic al B eließ ,19 8 2 ).The same author writes that it waslo n g the

custom in Slavic lands:That when travellers and people in the field saw the rising

sun, they stopped traveling or working, and standing upright they tooko ff their

hats, bowing to the sun, they made crosses.Solar reverence was especially strong and

enduring among the Christian Serbs of Germania, where it was the custom, upon

entering a church, to turn around and greet the rising sun; it was forbidden to

point out the sun with the finger because, it was said, it could prick God's eye.

HORS

The pagan Slav Sun godH o rs is a cognate of Vedics v a r , Old Persian,h va r as in

hvar khsaeta( g l o r i o u s s u n god w i t h c h a r i o t a n d s w i ft s te e d s ), l a t e r Persian horsid( u n d y -

ing, shining sun). It it interesting and perhaps coincidental that in ancient Egyptian reli- gion, the sky godH or or H ar, in the form of a falcon, whose outstretched wings filled the heavens, whose eyes were the sun and the moon, was the god of gods. The First Dynasty, the unifiers of Egypt, wereH or worshipers. From that time, with occasional interrup- tions, every pharaoh was believed to be a human manifestation of Hor, and every pharaoh's first name wasH or. Coincidentally,o ra o is the Serbo-Croat word for eagle. Some schol- ars believe that the Croat ethnikon,Horvator Hrvat, like that of the kindred Serbs, is

also derived froms v a r fromh v a r fromh o r.

HORS, HRSOJEVIC

One finds the given name ofH ors orH rs recorded in registers of late medieval Balkan Serb communities (e.g. the Hrs-Hrsojevic lineage of Zalaza-Njeguse, Katun county, in mid-16th century Old Montenegro).

SIMURGH.ZAL

The Primary Chronicle'sSt m arg 'li s Si m urg h, the radiant bird-god of good omen, a creature of the Indo-Iranic pantheon where he is found with the very same name. While theS hah- Nam eh depictsSi m urg h as a noble vulture, the 'radiant bird' is generally de- picted as a composite creature made up of elements borrowed from the peacock, the lion, the griffin, and the dog. Under the influence of Indo-Iranian dynasts, the Hurrians gave the nameS im igi to a sun god who appears in various mythological compositions( V .

Pisani, Smarigla, Chorsa-Dazboga, For Roman Jakobson, 1956. B^A. Rybakov, Rusali andthe godSimargl-Pereplut, AnT

6, 1968).

SHAH-NAMEH

Zal is the sad, touching subject of a Persian epic poem Shah-Nameh (Book of the

Kings). Zal was born with pure white hair, and his frightened father, the noble Sam,

governor of Hindustan, left the infant to his fate on a distant mountain. Hearing the infant's cries, the noble vultureSi m urg h takes Zal to his nest and raises him. Remorseful and heartbroken, Sam searches for Zal, finds him in early manhood, confesses his crime, and is forgiven by Zal, who begets the glorious and invincible Rustem.

ZAL, ZALITI, ZALOST

In Serb,z alas in zaliti, zalost, andz a ljen je is the root of words connoting regret,