Today, many people discover the pagan culture of the ancient Slavs - Scythians, Lutichs, Drevlyans and other nationalities. A genuine interest in the traditions and beliefs of their ancestors is not accidental. The connection of people of that time with nature, the energies of the Earth was too strong, which allowed them to live in harmony with the outside world, which is so lacking for modern man.
Old Slavic runes are part of that culture. At one time they were very revered and were used not only as symbols of the alphabet, but also for protection.
The history of the Old Slavic runes
Historians have not come to a consensus about the time of the appearance of runic writing among the Slavs, but agree that it is as ancient as the Celtic and Etruscan symbols.
For example, the famous German chronicler Titmar of Merseburg, who lived in the late 10th - early 11th centuries, mentions when describing a Slavic temple in the lands of lutic idols with strange signs on them. Surely he would recognize the Germanic or Scandinavian runes.
Similar images were described by Ibn El Nedim, an Arab writer who lived in the same period. He mentions the ancient pre-Cyrillic writing, which he found on the gravestones of Slavic burials.
Thus, we can safely say that the most ancient alphabet of our distant ancestors was the Old Slavic runes. If you turn to archaeological finds, you can find out that the ancient masters put runic signs on household utensils. For example, a clay pot found in the village of Voiskovoye, on the Dnieper, contains an inscription of 12 words, for which 6 characters were used. The fact that 3 of them were similar to the Scandinavian runes suggests that the cultures of these peoples intersected.
The same symbols were found on religious objects from the ancient temple of Radegast destroyed in the 11th century, owned by the Slav (Baltic) Slavs.
Old Slavonic runes (and their significance is a direct confirmation of this) cannot be taken solely as signs of writing. Their influence on the life of the ancient pagans was enormous: these symbols were applied to the body, to runic stones, dishes, livestock, idols and other objects important to life and beliefs.
Runic alphabet
This writing has Etruscan and Celtic roots, since these peoples lived next door to the Slavs. In addition to the fact that the runes were used for writing, there was a cult according to which these signs were considered sacred, since they were given to people by the gods. Plates with runes, for example, were put in burials, and pebbles, with signs printed on them, served as amulets.
They were used not only during pagan times, but also after the adoption of Christianity by the Slavic peoples. For example, the Algiz rune was depicted in the temporal rings , as it was considered a strong defense against someone else's witchcraft and the evil eye. To increase its power, a multiple image of this symbol could be applied.
To date, 18 runes are known: Peace, Chernobog, Rainbow, Alatyr, Krada, Need, Wind, Strength, Yes, Treba, Bereginya, Lelya, Ud, Rock, Reliance, Dazhdbog, Perun and Istok.
Old Slavic runes and charms with symbols printed on them carried a certain meaning and possessed power.
Runes - symbols of good
As is customary in almost all ancient peoples, the Slavs believed that good and evil forces govern the world. Among their gods and goddesses there are those who help people and care for them, and those that inspire horror.
Old Slavic runes did not escape the same fate. Among them there are signs of good and protection, which include:
- Rune Peace symbolizes the Tree of life and the universe. She is also referred to the White God and the person who is his embodiment. The rune resembles a man with his hands up or a tree with two branches. Its center is the trunk of the World Tree or the human spine. Rune Belboga also means gender, world order and harmony. In Scandinavian mythology, the god Heimdall corresponds to him, who protects order and the world from chaos.
- Rainbow means a road that has no beginning and no end. As a guard, she was used in travels for a favorable return, as well as for the positive end of some difficult business. The rune conveys a state in a way that is different from the usual fuss, as if a person is sliding through life between Order and Chaos.
- Among the ancient Slavs, the word "steal" meant fire, and a rune with that name indicated purification, the disclosure of its plans to the world. For magical purposes, it was used to realize intentions, to get rid of masks and superficial desires. She helped make dreams come true. The symbol of the sign was fire and the verb (“word”).
- Treba meant sacrifice, without which it is impossible to realize their desires. It was portrayed in the form of an arrow, which indicates that its main direction is determination, like a warrior's desire for victory. It is impossible to reach new heights without sacrificing your comfort and habits, and this sacrifice should be made by anyone who sets foot on a new Road.
- The rune of Force meant the ability to change two worlds - the inner human and the outer through it. The symbol is a warrior, and the magical meaning is unity. A man who lost his integrity and connection with nature, with the help of this rune, restored balance in consciousness and refined it. Warriors took her with them to return home with victory.
- Bereginya is a symbol of the Mother Goddess, who knows all the living things on Earth and protects her children. On the one hand, it gives souls coming to the world a new body, but on the other hand it takes life, so it can be called a symbol of both life and death.
Old Slavonic charms, runes, and their significance in the life of ancient pagans are an extremely interesting topic. These characters played a very large role. Belief in the external control of the gods by the destinies of people gave these signs magical powers that helped our ancestors withstand the threat of evil and chaos.
Runes - symbols of death
Regardless of the level of development of civilization and people's beliefs, they were always afraid of death. The obscurity that lies behind her terrifies a person. The ancient Slavs had their own myths about the afterlife, and part of the runes is associated with death or fate, from which even the gods cannot hide.
Old Slavic runes and their significance associated with evil or death:
- Rune of Chernobog is the antipode of the peace sign and means chaos and everything connected with it. Chernobog sought to break the border of order, so he was constantly in a confrontation with Belbog. His prototype could be a god from the Scandinavian epic Loki. In magic terms, the rune means a shadow that seeks to cover the whole world with itself.
- Need represents the god of the world, Navi Wii. It means the inevitability of death, and magically closes the true world, covering the human mind with a veil. In ancient Slavic legends, Viy had a terrible look, turning all life into ashes. If during fortune-telling a person fell out of the rune of Wii, then he was waiting for big problems or death.
- The source means a stop of development, and its symbol is ice - a state of immobility. Among the people, she was associated with stagnation in affairs, problems and troubles.
The ancient Slavs conditionally divided the runes into strong and weak and, depending on the situation, could enhance their effect by repeated repetition.
The most powerful amulets
Modern connoisseurs of runes do not fully understand all the nuances of their meanings, as was characteristic of the Old Slavic shamans and sorcerers. In those days, faith in their strength was very high among the people, therefore amulets with runic signs were especially popular.
They were made of stones, silver, wood or gold, runic symbols were embroidered on shirts, women woven ribbons with them in braids. The most popular were charms, which depicted Old Slavic runes (photos of some of them are presented in the article) associated with wealth, well-being, health and keeping the family hearth.
Among them, the strongest were:
- The rune Dazhdbog - symbolized among the ancient Slavs the good that they represented in the form of a cornucopia in the hands of Dazhdbog, which generously endows people with wealth, health, happiness, success and luck.
- Reliance meant the help of the Gods, the axis of the universe. Its symbol was a stake and a stake (circle) encircling the Tree of Life. One of the most powerful runes, since she had a connection with all the gods at once.
- Lelia was associated with the elements of water and meant a life that wakes up again and again. The goddess Lelya in the beliefs of the ancient Slavs was the daughter of Beregini and a symbol of spring. The symbol was used by those who wanted to reveal their intuition and possess knowledge that is higher than understanding.
To some extent, the modern descendants of the ancient Slavs adopted the traditions of their ancestors to use runes to protect themselves from problems or to attract wealth, love or success into their lives. Some of them use amulets, and someone makes tattoos. Old Slavic runes are not a tribute to fashion, but a deep connection with Rod among those who could reveal it in themselves.
Home, Family, and Property Protection
Knowing a kind, honoring the memory of ancestors and family were very important in the life of the ancient Slavs. They well knew where their clan came from and from whom, and passed this knowledge on to subsequent generations. The rituals associated with burial, the birth of a person, were largely associated with natural energies that people used to calm the dead or protect newborns.
The ancient Slavs in this matter are very similar to the Chinese, who understood the importance of the correct flow and distribution of qi energy. The Old Slavonic runes, correctly charged, had a magical property to harmonize the external and internal space. Some of them were used to protect the hearth, to protect family well-being, the birth of beautiful and healthy children, the possibility of procreation. These include:
- Rune Oud, which meant masculinity, fire and strength. She was associated with the god Yarovit (Yar, Yarilo). Harmonized male energy, which is important when a young man becomes a warrior, husband, father and breadwinner. If a woman wore the amulet with the image of this sign, it attracted suitors into her life and helped get rid of infertility.
- The amulet with the image of the Dazhdbog rune protected the family hearth and family, and gave women health and guaranteed easy resolution from the burden.
- The Beregini symbol helped pregnant women. Women embroidered it on their shirts and sundresses to protect themselves and the fetus from the evil eye.
- Charms with the sign of Alatyr were made to protect children from outside influence.
Here they are such interesting and multifaceted - Old Slavonic charms, runes and their significance. Tattoo with them is one of the most popular among modern people, since the well-being of the family is important for them as well as for their ancient ancestors.
Runes from evil eye and damage
Ancient Slavic magicians were able not only to use runes to create protective amulets, but also to make spells from them. Superstitious people at all times are afraid of someone else's envy, corruption and evil eye. A correctly made amulet can have not only protective functions, but also neutralize the negative sent to a person.
For example, to protect the witches, they used:
- The rune of Perun, with powerful power that can withstand chaos. This is a sign that can “localize” the mental impact on a person and eliminate its consequences. This rune was used only during real danger, since for the ancient Slavs it meant uncontrollable natural energy, powerful force without submission to the mind.
- The rune of Strength was used to return a person to a harmonious integral state, if he was jinxed. The victim received strength from her in order to defeat evil.
- Rune Mir gave protection to Rod and the patronage of higher powers.
The ancient Slavs sincerely believed that their deceased ancestors could protect them and help at a difficult time. The combination of powerful symbols in one picture repeatedly increased its charge. The same thing can be done in our time, having studied the Old Slavonic runes and their significance. A tattoo of several characters will not only create a powerful defense, but also attract luck or wealth.
Fortune telling
Today there are few people who could interpret the runes as well as the witches and ancient magicians did. One of the ways to find out your fate or just to get advice on what to do in a given situation was fortune telling on Old Slavic runes.
Depending on how they fell out, which side the sign fell on, its meaning changed, and a good rune could be bad. The knowledgeable sorcerers of those times helped people avoid problems or warned them of a possible danger. Modern magicians know only the basic meanings of runes in fortune telling, for example:
- Runa Alatyr could mean the beginning of a new business or the upcoming road.
- The symbol Rainbow meant a successful outcome of something.
- If during fortune-telling there was a Need, then a person was faced with obstacles in business, ruin, or even death.
- Runa Krada foreshadowed that a person has to realize something, but for this he needs to clear his consciousness.
- When the Force fell out, it meant that a person would find the right solution for his situation.
- Runa Wind personified the creative essence of man and indicated that time should be devoted to unlocking one’s potential.
This is not all interpretations of the Old Slavonic runes, since even the sequence of their loss could give new options for the development of events in the fate of man. Sometimes Old Slavonic (runes) were used to search for treasures. Since the ancient pagans believed that the hidden treasures were protected by spells, they were conspiracies and special combinations of runes that were supposed to not only bring the treasure hunter to the right place, but also save his life.
Runes in tattoo
Today it becomes fashionable to use Old Slavonic runes and their significance in tattoos. Those who decide to use their defensive power should be very careful, because without knowledge and faith in their power, this - at best - will just be a pattern on the skin, and in the worst, it will be possible to get the opposite effect to what was expected.
It was people's faith that endowed the runes with strength, because each of them was associated with a particular god, for example:
- The rune Wind symbolized Veles, who transferred the souls of the dead to the kingdom of Marena.
- The sign of Beregini was associated with Makosha - the goddess of land and harvest.
- Rune Oud is Yarilo.
It was faith in these gods and goddesses that endowed the runes with powerful energy. The ancient Slavs painted them on the body as a defense against dark forces or to attract good luck. So today, people should use the Old Slavic runes. A tattoo, backed by knowledge of their meaning and faith in the ancient gods, will be a real talisman for its carrier.
How to make a rune-charm
It makes no sense to buy a ready-made amulet, but if there is no way to make it yourself, then you should at least properly charge the purchase. To do this, it must be washed in running clean water, then hold candles over the fire, put in salt for a day, and then fumigate with incense. So all 4 elements will give the amulet their strength.
The next stage is the transfer of the amulet of their energy with a prayer to a god or goddess, which is symbolized by the rune. A request for help or protection gives him powerful power.