God Dazhdbog is one of the most prominent figures of the Slavic pagan pantheon. The mention of it was preserved not only in folklore sources - myths, songs, rites, sayings - but also in many well-known chronicles, for example, such as the Ipatiev Chronicle and The Word about Igor's Campaign. The veneration of this god was associated with the cult of the summer sun, he was considered the ancestor of the Slavs. So who is the Slavic god Dazhdbog?
Sun god
The idea of the ancient Slavs about the divine powers was characterized by a clear hierarchical order. Each phenomenon, whether social or natural, was “under the control” of some deity or spirit.
At the same time, there was certainly a division into two warring parties - dark and light. In Slavic mythology, two dynasties are described - the solar (Yasuni - light, heavenly gods) and the moon (Dasuni - night, underground, dark gods).
One of the bright gods was Dazhdbog - the god of the sun and at the same time his personification. It should be noted that the Slavs had three main solar deities. This three included: Horse, Yarilo, Dazhdbog. How did they differ from each other?
Horse was the winter sun, Yarilo symbolized the spring sun, and Dazhdbog - the summer sun. At the same time, the latter enjoyed special respect. This was due to the fact that the position of the sun in the sky in the summer was of great importance to the farmer nation.
Dazhdbog is a good god, a god of fertility, he was never attributed to a sharp temper. And if there was a prolonged drought, they did not blame him, but looked for the reason in the machinations of evil dasuns. The symbol of Dazhdbog was the disk of the sun, and the color was golden, indicating nobility and strength.
Etymology
At first glance it seems that the name of this god comes from the word "rain", but this is a misinterpretation. There are several versions regarding the origin of the name Dazhdbog. Here are the most famous of them.
- M. Fasmer believes that “give” is “give”, and “God” is “good, happiness”. From the meaning of combining these roots, it turns out that Dazhdbog is a deity who gives wealth. Based on the fact that the prosperity and well-being of the Slavs was largely dependent on a good harvest, which was impossible without the heat and light given by the sun, it can be assumed that this version is quite likely.
- According to V. Yagich, the name of this god was formed from the phrase “God sell”, that is, “God forbid!”
- L. Klein is inclined to believe that “dazh” comes from the Sanskrit dagh, Gothic dags and German Tag, which designate the day.
- V. Kalygin sees the connection between the ancient Russian Dazhdbog and the ancient Irish god Dagda, since these two characters are very similar to each other in both names and functions. The name of the latter goes back to the Prakeltic dago-dēvo, meaning "good god", that is, perfect.
Other names and associations
Another name of the god of the Slavs Dazhdbog is Svarozhich, as some sources indicate that he was the son of Svarog. This, in particular, is mentioned in the "Chronography" of the Byzantine author John Malala (V-VI century), as well as in the "Tale of Bygone Years".
Svarog is a blacksmith god, who, according to some researchers, was among the Eastern Slavs the supreme deity symbolizing heavenly fire. He was also called the Savior (Savior), so he was honored in the days of apple and honey saving.
There are versions according to which Dazhdbog as a deity of sunlight was correlated with the Greek Apollo (in teachings directed against paganism, he was mentioned among others along with the moon goddess Artemis), as well as with the Indo-Iranian Mithra associated with the rays of the daylight.
One of the main gods
Since the life of the Slavs was closely connected with agriculture, harvest, and therefore with the movement of the heavenly body, the god Dazhdbog was a very significant figure. As stated in The Tale of Bygone Years, the idol of Dazhdbog (most likely a wooden one) towered on one of the Kiev hills during the reign of Vladimir Krasno Solnyshko. He stood next to the idols of such Slavic gods as Perun (thunderer), Horse (winter sun), Stribog (wind), Simargl (messenger of the worlds), Mokosh (fate, crafts). In the list of gods, Dazhdbog is mentioned third after Perun and Horse.
In addition to the fact that Dazhdbog was a god of fertility, personified the luminary, giving the basis of all life, the whole universe, he was considered the ancestor of the Slavic people. This is stated in the "Word on Igor's Regiment", where the Slavs are called "dazhdzhi grandchildren." This metaphor was used by the author in relation to Rusichs in order to distinguish them from a related community, to point out the need to end the feud, to rally in front of an external threat.
It should be noted that it was typical for medieval Christian tradition to designate the origin of peoples from gods and heroes, which today is called euhemerism. This word refers to the theory of interpretation of myths, which is based on the idea that religion and mythology arose as a result of the sacralization of history, that deities, other heroes of myths are transformations of real persons. And myths are distorted historical narratives.
Warrior god
Slavic myths also reflect another Dazhdbog hypostasis - the military one. Together with the already mentioned Simargl and Stribog, he took part in the war, which resulted in a redivision of the entire universe. God Dazhdbog was considered one of the greatest warriors of Iria (Paradise), not one of the wars could do without his participation. His favorite weapons were spear and bow.
Often Dazhdbog was portrayed as a mighty hero in armor of a crimson-golden color with a spear and shield. He was a symbol of the unity of the people in the fight against enemies, a symbol of military valor, courage and victory.
According to the Slavs, Dazhdbog ran through the sky in a chariot, which was carried away by four white horses with a fiery mane and golden wings, and the sunlight that poured out onto the earth emanated from his fire shield.
Other information about Dazhdbog
Here are some interesting information about Dazhdbog contained in Slavic myths.
- The sun god twice a day (morning and evening) crosses the sea-ocean on a gilded boat in which ducks, geese and swans are harnessed. In connection with this view, the ancient Slavs had amulets in the form of ducks with a horse's head.
- The look of the god Dazhdbog was direct and honest, and the tread was majestic. His hair was marvelous sunny golden tint, they fluttered easily and beautifully in the wind, and bright blue eyes were like a clear sky on a sunny day.
- Among our ancestors, the son of Svarog was considered the patron of wedding celebrations, at dawn he greeted the groom on the day of marriage. He also “hung the castle” for the winter and “unlocked” it with the onset of summer.
- The sacred animal of this god is the lion (as well as the god Mithra). Sometimes Dazhdbog was portrayed with the head of a lion, sometimes lions were harnessed to his chariot.
- In addition to lions, the symbols of Svarozhich were also a boar (wild boar) and a rooster, with their cry anticipating the sunrise. In addition to a spear and a bow, from weapons he had a sword and an ax.
- Day of Dazhdbog is Sunday, metal is gold, stone is yachting. The idol who portrayed him was put on his face at sunrise or southeast, so that he could watch the sun.