slavic witchcraft symbolscommon last names for slaves in the 1800s
[381], Ynglism (Russian: ), institutionally known as the Ancient Russian Ynglist Church of the Orthodox Old BelieversYnglings, was established in the early 1990s by the charismatic leader Aleksandr Khinevich from Omsk, in Siberia. It is represented by organisations such as the Centre of EthnocosmologyKriya (Belarusian: "") by Syargei Sanko and the Tver Ethnocultural AssociationTverzha (Russian: "") founded in 2010. [53] Also appropriate chants and gestures are believed to allow the participants to enter in communion with the upper world. Kolovrots turning left are less popular and if they appeared, they referred to darkness, night and magic. On the same occasion, they once again expressed disapproval for some authors and movements, including the large Skhoron ezh Sloven, which is also present in Belarus and Ukraine. Slavic mythology has its roots in the human Neolithic Period, when various tribes of Slavic people, geographically designated as North, South, East, and West, worshiped pagan deities according to . I want to invite you on a small journey into Slavic mythology and Polish witchcraft. The Rarg usually was depicted taking the form of a phoenix, falcon or other bird of prey. [79] Many Rodnovers straightforwardly reject the designator "paganism", whether "neo-", "modern", "contemporary" or without prefixes and further qualificators, asserting that these are "poorly defined" concepts whose use by scholars leads to a situation in which Rodnovery is lumped together with "all kinds of cults and religions" which have nothing to do with it. [263] Therefore, he became a precursor of the return to Slavic religion in Poland and all Slavic countries. [212] He reported that there were under 900 regularly active members of the main four registered Polish Native Faith organisations,[433] and around as many adherents belonging to smaller, unregistered groups. The Slavs believed in three planes of existence: the heavens, governed by Perun, Dazhbog, Mokosh and Lada, symbolized by the sun and the moon; the earthly plane, occupied by humanity; and the underworld, symbolized by snakes and darkness, ruled over by Veles. [240], Rituals and religious meetings are often performed in rural settings, forests and clearings. [50] The contemporary design of the kolovrat as an eight-spoked wheel was already present in woodcuts produced in the 1920s by the Polish artist Stanisaw Jakubowski, under the name soneczko ("little sun"). [146] In this vein, they often oppose what they regard as culturally destructive phenomena such as cosmopolitanism, liberalism and globalisation,[115] as well as Americanisation and consumerism. The Slavic Kremlin Vitaly Sundakov is one of such centres, located in the Podolsky District of Moscow Oblast. [310] In 2002, groups of Rodnovers that did not share the extreme right-wing views dominant within some of the largest organisations at the time, promulgated the "Bittsa Appeal", which among other things condemned extreme nationalism and was the foundation charter of another umbrella organisation, the Circle of Pagan Tradition headquartered in Moscow. Antecedents of Rodnovery existed in late 18th- and 19th-century Slavic Romanticism, which glorified the pre-Christian beliefs of Slavic societies. Aitamurto summarised Rodnover ethics in the concepts of patriarchy, solidarity and homogeneity, with the latter two seen as intrinsically related. [119], Rodnovers express their anti-Christian views in various ways. [380], The Way of Troyan ( , Tropa Troyanova; where "Troyan" is another name of the god Triglav, regarded as the patron god of Russia), incorporated as the Academy of Self-Knowledge ( ) and the All-Russian Association of Russian Folk Culture ( ), is a Rodnover psychological movement founded in 1991 by the historian and psychologist Aleksey Andreev (pseudonym of Aleksandr Shevtsov) relying upon a thorough ethnographic fieldwork, especially focused on the Ofeni tribe of Vladimir Oblast. Yarilo, in the Slavic mythology, is the god of springtime, fertility, sexuality and peace. It is believed that Slavic mythology can trace its roots back to the Proto-Indo European period, and perhaps as far back as the Neolithic era.The early Proto-Slav tribes split into groups, consisting of the East, West Slavs, and South Slavs.Each group created its own distinct set of localized mythologies, deities, and rituals based upon the beliefs and legends of the original Proto . Ynglism meets widespread disapproval within mainstream Rodnovery, and an international veche of important Rodnover organisations has declared it a false religion. She is the Slavic god of female endeavours, such as spinning, weaving, and shearing. [359] Makeyev himself, in a 2007 publication entitled "Assianism and world culture" (Assianstvo i mirovaya kul'tura), presented the religion as a worldwide spiritual heritage. [111] A number of senior followers broke with Sylenko during the 1980s, rejecting the idea that he should be the ultimate authority in the religion; they formed the Association of Sons and Daughters of the Native Ukrainian National Faith (OSID RUNVira) and secured legal control of the temple in Spring Glen. are often symbols used in folklore, and Slavic folklore is no different. [239] Some Rodnover networks have established entire villages all over Russia; this is the case, among other examples, of those Rodnovers who are part of Anastasianism. [266] Another precursor in Poland was Jan Sas Zubrzycki (18601935), who elaborated the doctrine of "God-Knowing" (Bogoznawstwo). The Anastasian movement arose starting in 1997 from the writings of Vladimir Megre (Puzakov; born 1950), codified in a series of ten books entitled The Ringing Cedars of Russia, whose teachings are attributed to a beautiful Siberian woman known as Anastasia, often considered a deity or the incarnation of a deity, whom Megre would have met during one of his trade expeditions. In religious terms, there is a development of a number of movements focused on the "re-creation" of ancient Slavic paganism. [396] Ritual is extremely simplified and the god of warriors, the thunderer, is worshipped through war totems (falcon, kite, bear, wolf and lynx). [6] The scholar of religion Adrian Ivakhiv has defined Rodnovery as a movement which "harkens back to the pre-Christian beliefs and practices of ancient Slavic peoples",[10] while according to the historian and ethnologist Victor A. Schnirelmann, Rodnovers present themselves as "followers of some genuine pre-Christian Slavic, Russian or Slavic-Aryan Paganism". The movement has its headquarters in eastern Ukraine,[377] the region of origin of Ivanov himself, and it is widespread in Russia. [301] Many individuals arrived at Rodnovery after exploring a range of different alternative spiritualities, with Asian religious influences being particularly apparent within Rodnovery at that time. [113] Lesiv reported about a Sylenkoite follower who said that "we cannot believe in various forest, field and water spirits today. Russians in Estonia have established their own religious organisation, the Fellowship of the Russian People's Faith in Estonia registered in Tartu in 2010. [230], Rituals of initiation include a formal renunciation of Christianity (raskrestitsia)[231] which entails the baptism with a Slavic name (imianarechenie), the ritual of entry into a brotherhood (bratanie), and rituals of marriage and death. Dabog was a major deity in Slavic mythology, most likely associated with the sun. He is the guardian and protector of the Isle of Rgen in the Baltic Sea. [445], There are also practising Rodnovers among Lithuania's[446] and Estonia's ethnically Russian minorities. [277] He was nevertheless labelled a neopoganin ("Neopagan") by the Polish popular press, a term that he embraced as a self-descriptor in later life. He represents the changing of the seasons and the Koliada festival is held after the winter solstice. Kupala night is still celebrated in many Northern European countries on the summer solstice, as the Pagan Slavic tradition was assimilated into early Christian rituals. Koliada Viatichey is theologically dualistic, giving prominence to the complementary principles of Belobog and Chernobog, respectively governing spirit and matter, a polar duality which reflects itself in humanity as the soul and the body. [102] The Russian volkhv Velimir (Nikolay Speransky), emphasises a dualistic eternal struggle between white gods and black gods, elder forces of creation and younger forces of destruction; the former collectively represented by Belobog and the latter by Chernobog, also symbolising the spiritual and the material. [327] These groups have strong political motivations, being extremely nationalistic, anti-Western, and anti-Semitic. [350] Yet, they espouse Russian nationalism, ancestrality and ecology, and oppose Christianity (but not folk Orthodoxy, which is regarded as a continuation of Russian indigenous religion) and the Western "technocratic civilisation". [222], Rodnovery generally emphasises a healthy lifestyle of the individual, to be extended as a healthy lifestyle of the nation; restriction of food intake, avoidance of certain foods, and sport activities, timed to significant events or holidays, have acquired a ritual character for many Rodnover groups. [276] He did not develop his ideas into a religion, and those who shared his views remained "a very loose and diverse intellectual clique". [378], Bazhovism () originated as a branch of the Roerichian movement and is centred in the Ural region of Russia, where Arkaim, in Chelyabinsk Oblast, is regarded by the Bazhovites as the world's spiritual centre. [328], The 1990s and 2000s also witnessed the development of international contacts between Rodnover groups from all Slavic countries, with the organisation of various All-Slavic Rodnover Councils. [23] Both in Russia and in Ukraine, modern Rodnovers are divided among those who are monotheists and those who are polytheists. Polish demonology Water nymphs source: liveinternet.ru. [437] In Poland, the Slavic Native Faith outnumbers other Pagan religions, although both are represented in the Pagan Federation International's Polish branch. [274] In 1954, a student group known as Klan Ausran was established at the University of d; officially dedicated to a study of Indo-European society, its members provided hymns and prayers. [358], There are various Watsdin organisations in North OssetiaAlania affiliated with Scythian Assianism, including the Atst organisation led by Daurbek Makeyev. [290] From 1985 onwards, Pamyat became affiliated with Orthodox Christianity and the Rodnover component eventually left the movement. [9], The earliest known usage of this term was by the Ukrainian emigree Lev Sylenko, who in 1964 established a mimeographed publication in Canada that was titled Ridna Vira ("Native Faith"). [28] According to the folklorist Mariya Lesiv, through this syncretic process, "a new religion is being created on the basis of the synthesis of elements from various traditions". They may even view their upholding of social traditionalism as a counterculture in itself, standing in the face of modernism and globalism. [399] He borrows from various Eastern traditions, including Hinduism (Tantrism), Buddhism and Taoism,[400] but also Western Neoplatonism, Hermeticism and alchemy, as well as the medieval German mysticism of the Friends of God (Meister Eckhart and Johannes Tauler). [69] Another term employed by Rodnovers, but historically associated to the Russian Orthodox Christian movement of the Old Believers, is "Starovery" (Russian: Starovry, "Old Faith"). In the mid 2000s Rodn Vra was legally registered by the Czech government, but internal disagreements culminated with its unregistration in 2010 and transformation into an informal association. Air is associated with communication, wisdom or the power of the mind. "" - slavic sun wheel - "kolovrat" means "spinning wheel" in a number of slavic languages. Animals always played a important role among Slavic people. The Pagan ritual of Dodola is still practiced in parts of Northern Europe and the Baltic States, in which a young boy or girl sings and dances through the village, collecting money that will be spent on a feast in honor of Perun (the god of thunder), for whom Dodola is a wife. The name Radegast translates approximately to dear guest or welcomed guest. He is associated with many animals, particularly birds and snakes. Ancient Slavs lived in tribal societies, presided over by tribal chieftains, and practiced a multi-theistic form of Paganism. [175] Western liberal ideas of freedom and democracy are traditionally perceived by Russian eyes as "outer" freedom, contrasting with Slavic "inner" freedom of the mind; in Rodnovers' view, Western liberal democracy is "destined to execute the primitive desires of the masses or to work as a tool in the hands of a ruthless elite", being therefore a mean-spirited "rule of demons". Most Slavic people worshipped in natural circles and groves; and it plays a large part in all kinds of magic. [118] According to Rodnovers, justice and truth have to be realised in this life, so that "turning the other cheek", waiving agency and intervention in the things of this world, is considered immoral and equivalent to welcoming wrongness. Truth is sometimes personified as a god, Prov, who is the guardian of the law, lawfulness and righteousness. It is protective and some use it as a symbol of the goddess. Rodnovery has developed distinctive strains of political and identitary philosophy. [186] Another supporter of the book was the Ukrainian entomologist Sergey Paramonov (also known as Sergey Lesnoy; 18981968);[9] he was the one who in 1957 coined the name Book of Veles for the Isenbek text and also named velesovitsa the writing system in which it was allegedly written. [57], Sometimes the term "Rodnovery" has also been interpreted as meaning "faith of Rod", a reference to an eponymous concept of supreme God, Rod, found in ancient Russian and Ukrainian sources. The symbol of Rod is identical to the swastika symbol with four points and rounded edges. In 2012, in Russia, representatives of the Union of Slavic Native Belief Communities, the Circle of Pagan Tradition and the Circle of Veles, signed an "Agreement on Mutual Recognition of Priests" that defined the criteria for the ordination of those wishing to become Slavic priests. His unit had a shrine to the god Svetovid in their secret forest base and held group rites in which they toasted a wooden image of the deity with mead. [75] Yazychnik has been adopted especially among Rodnovers speaking West Slavic languages, where it has not any connotations related to "paganism". He does represent both Nordic gods Thor and Odin although a direct connection hasn't been drawn yet. [269] He claimed that in 1934 he underwent a spiritual revelation atop Mount Grekhit in the Carpathian Mountains. Slavic Pagan Design. [222] Some Sylenkoite organisations commemorate Ukrainian national heroes such as Taras Shevchenko, Ivan Franko, Bohdan Khmelnytsky, and Hryhory Skovoroda. [266] This organisation was a government-recognised entity until 2010, when it was unregistered and became an informal association due to disagreements between the Castists and other subgroups about whether Slavic religion was Indo-European hierarchic worship (supported by the Castists), Neolithic mother goddess worship, or neither. [81], Prior to their Christianisation, the Slavic peoples were polytheists, worshipping multiple deities who were regarded as the emanations of a supreme God. In Christianity wolf was associated with evil spirits but still most of these . In 1999, the communities of Moscow and Obninsk left it as they refuted nationalism, and established another umbrella organisation, the Circle of Veles led by Ilya Cherkasov (volkhv Veleslav), which is one of the largest and administers communities also located in the territory of Ukraine. Aitmurto notes that festivals are usually set in the evenings, the weekends and on public holidays, in order to allow everyone's participation. [420] Established Ukrainian Orthodox and Roman Catholic groups have viewed it with alarm and hostility,[418] while the country's educated and intellectual classes tend to view it as a fringe part of the ultra-conservative movement which was tinged with anti-Semitism and xenophobia. Air is the element of the East, connected to the soul and the breath of life. [147], The political philosophy of Rodnovery can be defined as "nativism", "nationalism" and "populism", all of which render the Russian word narodnichestvo. [171] Also popular with Russian Rodnovers has been the martial arts movement of Slavyano-goritskaya bor'ba. [54] It means "Native Faith" and it is the name used by the majority of the movement's adherents. [18], Schnirelmann has stated that Rodnovery does not actually constitute the "restoration of any pre-Christian religion as such". "shaman", or "mage") and zhrets ("sacrificers"). [100], In Ukraine, there has been a debate as to whether the religion should be monotheistic or polytheistic. He wrote that the Yarilo-Sun would soon burn the most sensitive to increased ultraviolet radiation, to which he attributed primarily the Jews. [406] In 2019, Anna A. Konopleva and Igor O. Kakhuta stated that "the popularity of Neopaganism in Russia is obvious". They are those responsible for holding rites for worshipping the gods and leading communities and religious festivals. [22] During the war, Stefan Potrzuski led a unit in the Peasant Battalion which battled the Nazi occupation of Poland. [428] There are groups which focus on the traditions of the Kriviches, an early East Slavic tribe, and mix Slavic and Baltic practices. It is also a popular feminist symbol. [74] Indeed, many Slavic languages have two terms that are conventionally rendered as "pagan" in Western languages: the aforementioned pogan and yazychnik. [335][336], Donbas has been documented as being a stronghold of Russian Rodnover groups that are reorganising local villages and society according to traditional Indo-European trifunctionalism (according to which males are born to play one out of three roles in society, whether priests, warriors or farmers). [180] Many Rodnovers magnify the ancient Slavs by according to them great cultural achievements. [233] The structure of these Syenkoite rites is modelled on those of the Eastern Orthodox Church. [128] Laruelle similarly found an emphasis on patriarchy, heterosexuality, traditional family, fidelity and procreation. Long before Russia adopted Christianity in the 10th century, folk tales, songs and rituals existed as an established art form. Also worshipped were primary gods, associated with the sun, moon, skies, heaven and the underworld. [110] Sylenko characterised Dazhbog as "light, endlessness, gravitation, eternity, movement, action, the energy of unconscious and conscious being". According to him, the "races" should be ready for this, so they need to study "the heroism of Emperor Titus, who destroyed Jerusalem." He is associated with herders and cattle farmers. Today, the swastika is officially used by Baltic neo-pagan organizations such as Romuva and Dievturiba. [302], After the fall of the Soviet Union, Ukraine became an independent republic, with many Ukrainians turning to strongly nationalistic agendas; among those to have done so are pseudo-archaeologists like Yury Shylov, who posits Ukraine as the "cradle of civilisation". "[199], Victor Bezverkhy (Ostromysl) in 1998 predicted the death of the "civilization of loan interest and slavery" in 2003. [55] The term derives from the Proto-Slavic roots *rod, which means anything "indigenous", "ancestral" and "native", also "genus", "generation", "kin", "race" (e.g. [98] Already the pioneering Ukrainian leader Shaian argued that God manifests as a variety of different deities. [59] It has deep senses related to its Slavic etymology, that would be lost through translation, which express the central concepts of the Slavic Native Faith. [46], The most commonly used religious symbol within Rodnovery is the kolovrat ("spinning wheel", e.g. Later, Avdeyev abandoned Eurasian ideas and came to racial doctrine. Besides varieties of "traditional" clothing and the tambourine, the most distinctive element accompanying the Rodnover volkhv is their staff, conferred at the moment of their initiation, an "invariable attribute of religious and secular power (the sceptre, the wand) in the traditions of the peoples of the world". In Yakutovsky's Rodnovery, male gods are secondary in importance compared to goddesses, and he claims that this was typical of ancient Slavic religion, which according to him was matriarchal. [382] According to the movement, which presents itself as the true, orthodox, olden religion of the Russians, the Slavs and the white Europeans,[382] Yngly is the fiery order of reality through which the supreme Godcalled by the name "Ramha" in Ynglist theologyongoingly generates the universe. [139] Rodnovers started to establish numerous organised groups by the mid of the decade; in 1994 the Moscow Slavic Community was the first Rodnover group to be registered by the government. In 2012 they presented their official flag. The symbols in this category predominantly originate from the pre-Christian period and are related to the gods (bogs) of the Pagan Slavic mythology. [441] While the contemporary association is completely adogmatic and apolitical,[442] and refuses to "introduce a solid religious or organisational order" because of the past internal conflicts,[443] between 2000 and 2010 it had a complex structure,[442] and redacted a Code of Native Faith defining a precise doctrine for Czech Rodnovery (which firmly rejected the Book of Veles). Ruling over the Slavic pantheon was Perun, the god of thunder and lightning, associated with fire and mountains and more. Her voice is incredibly beautiful and alluring, causing people to forget everything and never be able to experience happiness like hearing the voice again.
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