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There is something primordial about myths and legends. Nowhere are they more rich and illustrious than in Europe, Russia and the Caucasus, comprising a collection of disparate nations that stretch from the North to the Near East, guardians of civilisation, warrior kingdoms and cultural giants. The myths and legends of these nations are a millennia old, born from Pagan mythology – Odinism, Celtic and Slavic Paganism etc, they are bold, vividly drawn tales of heroes, good and evil, adventure and exploration.
Slavic mythology, stories which are known far and wide, from the harsh and unforgiving landscape of Siberia to the rich and verdant fields of central Europe, have become so ingrained in our cultures. Russia is a cauldron of folklore, emerging prior to the country’s Christianisation, as far back as the Mesolithic time, they evolved for a thousand years, laying at the heart of Russian and broader Slavic culture.
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I could fill an entire page listing every single tale, along with every single creature, being etc that make up the vast sea of Slavic mythology. From Drioma, the spirit of the evening and the night, to Sirin, with the head of a beautiful woman and the body of a bird, each character is highly decorative, all having their own origins, special purposes and stories.
It is impossible to find each and every origin for these creatures and stories, some were adapted from Greek mythology, in the case of Sirin, but the majority emerged organically, from whose creative minds envisioned these will forever be a mystery, but they must have possessed a creativity that is unsurpassed, to structure morality in the more digestible system of brilliant stories. Slavic mythology is unique because it was passed down orally and pictorially, rather than written down, with no authoritative system of writing emerging until 862 AD.
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Thanks to their iron like strength, almost all aspects of Slavic mythology remained long after the complete Christianisation of Russia and Eastern Europe, the stories, art, festivals and spiritual significance is present to this day. They are celebrated, talked about and sung about, indeed even extracts of Slavic mythology can be found woven into the Eastern Orthodox Church, due chiefly to Slavic people’s incorporation of Christian saints into pagan worship, much to the chagrin of the clergy. Many festivals such as the Summer Solstice and the Spring Fertility, although now peppered with Christian imagery, are still given the same reverence as they were centuries ago.
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Many of the myths and legends have been collated in some form, such as the Book of Velles, and most famously by the Byzantine historian Procopius, whose colourfully accurate writings on the Slavic traditions offer a light into the mists of history. For example it Procopius who illuminated the tradition of men, in a tribe or village, donning wolf masks for a few days a year, which is where the legends of werewolves originates.
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The importance of us all keeping in touch with our pagan roots will never diminish, it is our myths and legends that help us in understanding who we are and moreover helps us understand and connect with our ancestors.
Images courtesy of Niroot Puttapipat.
