The goddess Morena in Slavic mythology personified eternal cold, impenetrable darkness and death. Her anger was feared by both ordinary people and famous celestials. Even today, after a thousand years, her memory lives in such unpleasant words as “hassle”, “pestilence”, “gloom” and “haze”. However, despite all this, Morena was held in high esteem by the Slavs, as she not only took her life, but also gave it a start.
Morena - the goddess of death
This goddess had many names. Someone called her Morena, someone Mara, and someone even preferred a louder Kashcheevna. No less confusing is the history of its appearance. According to the first version, the lady of death was born from a spark that fell from the sacred stone Alatyr. Thus, her father was Svarog himself - the lord of the great hammer and all living things.
The second version says that Morenu was brought into the world by Chernobog. True, today this story has acquired a new color. Having carefully studied ancient texts and songs, scientists came to the conclusion that Chernobog was not her creator - he was her legal husband. Just in time, the myths about their marriage gave way to a new generation of stories. In them, the union of these two gods was less and less mentioned, and later Morena became the wife of a completely different celestial.
Beauty or old woman?
Very exciting is how Morena looks. The goddess appears before mortals in completely different guises, depending on the time of year. So, at the end of autumn, she comes to the world of Yavi as a beautiful young girl. Her face is white as snow, her eyes are cleaner than a mountain river, and her hair is black, like a winter sky. Also at this time Morena wears only exquisite outfits decorated with gold, silver and precious stones.
But as the days draw near spring, the appearance of the goddess also changes. For three months, she turns from a young girl into a gray-haired old woman who can not take a step without her cane. Together with beauty, Mary's dresses also become unusable. To Shrovetide, from the magnificent lush outfits, there are only rags that finally complete the image of the tired goddess.
Imprisoned in his fortress
Morena reigns in the human world for only four months. At the end of autumn, the powers of the lady of winter are too great, and none of the gods can prevent her from freely walking in Java. Only in the spring, Yarilo and Zhiva enter the battle with her in order to revive the warmth and life on earth again. And every year they win, forcing Mara to return to her dark palace in Navi.
They say that the house of this goddess can be found if you go far north. Here she lives most of the year, captivated by the forces of the bright gods. The legend also says that Morena’s fortress consists of countless mirrors. The only way into it is through the Kalinov Bridge, thrown over the Currant River. And her peace is guarded by a terrible monster - the many-headed dragon serpent.
Power of the goddess
The goddess Morena among the Slavs first of all personified death. She was a prototype of the same old woman with a scythe that comes for the souls of the dead after their death. Also, this goddess could send sickness, adversity and curses to people. And precisely because of this, many classify her as a pantheon of uniquely evil gods.
However, the truth is that Mara did not kill people for her own ambitions. She was just doing her job in cold blood. She transferred all the collected souls to Nav, after which they could be reborn in new bodies. Therefore, at the funeral, the Slavs tried to appease Morena so that she led the deceased to a better life.
People did not curse Maru for striving to bring eternal winter to the world. They understood that in the spring, Yarilo would defeat her anyway. And three months of cold will only give the earth the peace that it needs so much after harvesting. They only prayed that Morena would not send too much frost. And if such came, then they tried with all their might to persuade the ruler of winter to take pity on them.
Minions of mara
Morena is a Slavic goddess who gave birth to many dark spirits. It was them who were most feared by people when night fell on the ground. So, the most terrible among them were mars - creatures holding their own heads under their armpits. According to legend, they wandered from court to court, whispering to themselves the names of people. If someone responded to their call, then he was immediately overcome by illness or unhappiness.
Kikimore also spawned the darkness of Morena. The goddess often used them for her selfish purposes. Especially when she needed to resort to some trick. For example, there is an ancient legend about how kikimora tried to reduce one hero from the white light. For a long time she drove him by the nose, until the brave warrior revealed her deception and chopped off the dark spirit into small pieces.
Rites associated with the worship of Mare
Morena is the goddess of death and dark magic. Therefore, most of her cults, one way or another, are associated with these gloomy spheres. In addition to the funeral, Mary resorted to help in the event of an epidemic and pestilence. In these difficult days, people asked for the favor and grace of the goddess, appeasing her with offerings.
On the eve of the great battle, the magi also cried out to Morena. They believed that she could endow their warriors with the power of their ancestors and they would certainly win the coming battle.
Maslenitsa
Few people know, but that straw doll that is burned annually at Shrovetide is Morena. The goddess became a type for her back in those days when Russia lived according to the canons of paganism. The Slavs believed that the sun god Yarilo annually fought with Mara in order to return heat to the earth.
Shrovetide itself was a celebration in honor of his victory over winter. On this day, people baked pancakes that were shaped like the sun. And they also burned a scarecrow - a metaphorical symbol that personifies the goddess of eternal cold and darkness. And although the times of pagan idols have long passed, people still use this ancient tradition in their rites.