It guards the living from destruction, and from the degradation of the soul and spirit. [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". [170] Some of them merge Rodnover themes with others adopted from Germanic Heathenry and from Russian Orthodox Christianity. It originated in the early twentieth century and experienced a revival after the collapse of the Soviet Union, relying upon the Russian philosophical tradition, especially that represented by Vladimir Vernadsky and Pavel Florensky. [410] A high proportion were also involved in specialist professions such as engineering, academia, or information technology, and the majority lived in cities. [334], The early 2010s saw a strengthening of relations between Rodnover groups. The Svarozhich (or Svarojich) is the symbol of Svarog. The Slavic Native Faith, commonly known as Rodnoverie and sometimes as Slavic Neopaganism, is a modern Pagan religion.Classified as a new religious movement, its practitioners hearken back to the historical belief systems of the Slavic peoples of Central and Eastern Europe, though the movement is inclusive of external influences and hosts a variety of currents. [70] In adopting such a conservative stance to sexual ethics, practitioners of Rodnovery can adopt misogynistic and homophobic attitudes. They may even view their upholding of social traditionalism as a counterculture in itself, standing in the face of modernism and globalism. [30] Other Rodnovers are conscious that the movement represents a synthesis of different sources, that what is known about ancient Slavic religion is very fragmented, and therefore the reconstruction requires innovation. The word Koliada is derived from the Slavic word for wheel or cycle. [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). Sylenkoism is the branch of Rodnovery represented by the churches of the Native Ukrainian National Faith (Ukrainian: ) founded by Lev Sylenko in 1966 among the Ukrainian diaspora in the United States, and introduced in Ukraine only in 1991 after the fall of the Soviet Union. Air is the element of the East, connected to the soul and the breath of life. Rodnover theology and cosmology may be described as pantheism and polytheismworship of the supreme God of the universe and worship of the multiple gods, the ancestors and the spirits of nature who are identified in Slavic culture. [205] As an alternative to the "mono-ideologies" and the world of "unipolarity" that they created, Rodnovers suggest their idea of "multipolarism". [401] Veleslav's left-hand path has been criticised by other Rodnover groups and leaders including Speransky and Irina Volkova (Krada Veles). [258] Some Rodnovers espouse linguistic purism, proposing the replacement of foreign words with Slavic equivalents (such as svetopisi instead of fotografii, or izvedy instead of interv'iu). [23], In developing Slavic Native Faith, practitioners draw upon the primary sources about the historical religion of Slavic peoples, as well as elements drawn from later Slavic folklore, official and popular Christian belief and from non-Slavic societies. In 2013, Simpson noted that Slavic Native Faith remains a "very small religion" in Poland, which is otherwise dominated by Roman Catholicism. He represents virility. [183] However, Aitamurto and Gaidukov later noted that the most imaginative narratives were typical of the 1980s, and that more realistic narratives were gaining ground in the twenty-first century. Local Rodnover groups usually call themselves obshchina (the term for traditional peasant communities), while skhod, sobor and mir are used for informal meetings or to refer to traditional Russian ideas of commonality. [53] Rodnovers generally present their symbols in high-contrast colour combinations, usually red and black or red and yellow. [9], The scholar of religion Alexey Gaidukov has described "Slavic Neopaganism" as a term pertaining to "all quasi-religious, political, ideological and philosophical systems which are based on the reconstruction and construction of pre-Christian Slavic traditions". [296] In the 1980s, Boris Rybakov published his last books, including The Paganism of the Ancient Slavs (1981) and The Paganism of Ancient Russia (1988). These ceremonies typically entail the invocation of gods, the offering of sacrifices and the pouring of libations, dances and communal meals. Slavic Pagan Design. [315] Another Polish Rodnover group under the leadership of Lech Emfazy Stefaski registered by the state in 1995 is the Native Polish Church (Rodzimy Koci Polski), which represents a tradition that goes back to Wadysaw Koodziej's Holy Circle of the Worshippers of Svetovid. 024-657-834 (CC0), Pixabay. [215], The Rodnover priesthood is characterised by a number of attributes, sacred objects which mark their role. [252], Usually, the organisation of festivals involves three layers of society: there is a patronising "core" of practitioners, who are often professionally affirmed people, usually belonging to the intellectual class; then there is the population of committed adherents; and then there is a loose "periphery" constituted by sympathisers, generally relatives and friends of the committed followers. [423], Rodnover groups are also active in Belarus,[424] though the movement emerged in the country only in the 1990s, much later than in Russia and Ukraine. [237] In another instance, Lesiv observed a Ukrainian Rodnover who legitimised the practice of yoga by claiming that this spiritual tradition had originally been developed by the ancestors of modern-day Ukrainians. 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. Flat With Shadow Icon And Mobile . [232] The rival and near homonymous Association of Sons and Daughters of the Native Ukrainian National Faith (OSID RUNVira), also conducts weekly services, but incorporates a wider selection of sourcessuch as readings from the pan-Rodnover Book of Veles or the poetry of Taras Shevchenkointo the proceedings, and its liturgy is characterised by a more colourful ritual action. [329] The Internet helped the spread of Rodnovery and a uniformisation of ritual practices across the various groups. [290] The journal attracted various personalities, including Anatoly Ivanov, the artist Konstantin Vasilyev (19421974), and Nikolay Bogdanov, among others. [326] In 2011, the Circle of Svarog (Svaroi Krug) was founded in Bosnia. These festivals all were associated with symbols of pagan . ), represent the thunder god Perun or the supreme God (Rod), expressing itself as power of birth and reproduction, in its various forms (whether Triglav, Svetovid, Perun and other gods) and were still carved in folk traditions of the Russian North up to the nineteenth century. Russians in Estonia have established their own religious organisation, the Fellowship of the Russian People's Faith in Estonia registered in Tartu in 2010. [273], In Poland, Jan Stachniuk (19051963) established the Zadruga magazine in 1937, which gave rise to the movement of Zadrugism. [218] The Orthodox Christian Old Believers, a movement that split out from the Russian Orthodox Church during the reform of Patriarch Nikon of Moscow in the seventeenth century, is seen by Rodnovers in a more positive light than the mainstream Russian Orthodox Church, as Old Believers are considered to have elements similar to those of the Slavic Native Faith.[219]. [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. Svarog, in the Slavic mythology, was the god of fire, sun and heaven (heaven being the world of the gods and dead souls). [403], Writing in 2000, Schnirelmann noted that Rodnovery was growing rapidly within the Russian Federation. [222] Some Sylenkoite organisations commemorate Ukrainian national heroes such as Taras Shevchenko, Ivan Franko, Bohdan Khmelnytsky, and Hryhory Skovoroda. [438], The scholar Anna-Marie Dostlov documented in 2013 that the entire Pagan community in the Czech Republic, including Slavic Rodnovers as well as other Pagan religions, was small. [128] A form of organisation of Rodnover communities consists in the establishment of places for commonunal living, such as fortresses (kremlin) or citadels (gorodok), in which temples are surrounded by buildings for various social uses. [241] The basic structure of a temple of the Slavic Native Faith, the ritual square (, kapishche), is constituted by a sacred sacrificial precinct, accessible only to the priests, at the centre of which are placed poles with carved images of the gods and a ritual fire (krada). [78] It was adopted among Rodnovers in the 1990swhen it appeared in such forms as the Russian Neoyazychestvo and the Polish Neopogastwobut had been eclipsed by "Slavic Native Faith" in the 2000s. it represents strength, dignity, sun and fire and is a symbol of secular as well as spiritual power. [407], Aitamurto observed that a substantial number of adherentsand in particular those who had been among the earliestbelonged to the "technical intelligentsia". Sep 8, 2018 - Explore Kelli Andrews's board "Slavic mythology & symbolism" on Pinterest. [126] However, there have been difficulties with Rodnover involvement in the wider environmentalist movement because of many environmentalists' unease with the racial and anti-Christian themes that are prominent in the religion. 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. Finally, the Trojan symbol may be said to connote the three dimensions of time: past, present and future. Check out our slavic pagan symbols selection for the very best in unique or custom, handmade pieces from our figurines shops. [97], When emphasising this monism, Rodnovers may define themselves as rodnianin, "believers in God" (or "in nativity", "in genuinity"). [46], The most commonly used religious symbol within Rodnovery is the kolovrat ("spinning wheel", e.g. [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. [122], Rodnovers value individual responsibility as the cornerstone for the further maturation of humanity, equating the conversion to Rodnovery with such maturation. 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 symbols in this category predominantly originate from the pre-Christian period and are related to the gods (bogs) of the Pagan Slavic mythology. [333] The scholar Kaarina Aitamurto later criticised some of these Russian-language studies for reflecting scholars' own religious biases against Rodnovery, over-reliance on the published texts of prominent figures, or for sensationalising the subject to shock or impress their audience. [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. . Aitmurto notes that festivals are usually set in the evenings, the weekends and on public holidays, in order to allow everyone's participation. As of 2013, Rodnover groups in Bulgaria were described as having few members and little influence. [213], Christians have also been responsible for opposition to Slavic Native Faith, for instance through the establishment of social media groups against the movement. [113] Lesiv reported about a Sylenkoite follower who said that "we cannot believe in various forest, field and water spirits today. [181], Rodnover organisations have inherited ideas of commonality and social governance from Slavic and Russian history. Marija Gimbutas, instead, found Slavic religion to be a clear result of the overlap of Indo-European patriarchism and pre-Indo-European matrifocal beliefs. [36], In crafting their beliefs and practices, Rodnovers adopt elements from recorded folk culture, including from the ethnographic record of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. It is Bog Hors who ensures that the harvest is plentiful and the cattle are healthy. [87] Rod is the all-pervading, omnipresent spiritual "life force", which also gives life to any community of related entities; its negative form, urod, means anything that is wrenched, deformed, degenerated, monstrous, anything that is "outside" the spiritual community of Rod and bereft of its virtues. Slavic Traditions & Mythology. [227] The swastika (or kolovrat, as the eight-spoked wheel is called in Rodnovery) is considered the main symbol for mystical ascension to the divine world. 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. Here is a list of (almost) all Slavic mythical creatures. [301] In 2003, the First Forum of Rodnovers was held in Ukraine, resulting in two public proclamations: the first urged the country's government to protect what the Rodnovers regarded as sacred sites and objects, and the second called on the government not to go ahead with the proposed privatisation of agricultural land. [276] He did not develop his ideas into a religion, and those who shared his views remained "a very loose and diverse intellectual clique". [115] In Poland, Rodnovery also influenced various forms of folk and popular music. [220] Laruelle has observed that most Rodnover groups emphasise the exoteric aspect of the religion, organising large communal, popular celebrations, and spreading exoteric knowledge open to all. The original meaning of Dazhbog would thus, according to Dubenskij, Ognovskij and Niederle, be "giving god", "god-giver, "god-donor".. Morphologically this word is an old compound, that is particularly interesting because it retains the old . The Slavic mythology personified many aspects of the world, with worshipers believing that waters, forests, households and even illnesses were represented or governed by spirits. [306], The social context of Rodnovery's growth in Russia differed from that in other parts of Central and Eastern Europe. He is likely to have been the highest ranking god in the Slavic tradition, similar to Zeus in Ancient Greek mythology. [54] It means "Native Faith" and it is the name used by the majority of the movement's adherents. [38] Halyna Lozko of the Federation of Ukrainian Rodnovers, which directly inherits Volodymyr Shaian's orthodox doctrine, advanced vehement critiques of Sylenkoism, deeming Lev Sylenko a "false prophet" and accusing him of having tried to lead Ukrainians in the Abrahamic religions' "quagmire of cosmopolitan monotheism". [225], According to Aitamurto, rituals play "a central role in defining, learning and transmitting the religion", and thus they constitute an important complement to Rodnover theology. [234] Some Rodnover groups incorporate practices which are not Slavic in origin. [59] A variant of "Rodnovery" is "Rodianism" (Rodianstvo), which Laruelle also translates as "Ancestrism". The movement also rejects extreme right-wing and anti-Semitic ideas. pertaining "to the gens", "to the kin"), which in turn it itself renders in Slavic translations of the Bible. [55] The suffix "-ism" is usually avoided in favour of others that describe the religion as if it were a practice or craft (which is the meaning of the Ukrainian and Russian suffix -stvo, thus translatable with the English suffix "-ery, -ry"). [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. 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. [55] The term is adapted from Slavic forms, and variations of it are used in different Slavic languages: for instance, in Ukrainian it is Ridnovirstvo or Ridnovirya, in Russian Rodnoverie, in Polish Rodzimowierstwo, and in Czech Rodnov. The Slavic Native Faith, commonly known as Rodnoverie[] and sometimes as Slavic Neopaganism,[] is a modern Pagan religion. The Bazhovites retain most of the Roerichian practices, and worship, as their major deities, the Mistress of the Copper Mountain and the Great Snake. Prestige is not limited to male priests; a priestess, Halyna Lozko from Ukraine, is an acknowledged authority within the Rodnover movement,[128] and the settlement of Pravovedi in Kolomna is governed by a priestess. [384], Besides their Vedas, the Ynglists instruct their disciples about "Aryan mathematics" and grammar, and techniques for a "healthy way of life", including forms of eugenics. [167], The scholar Dmitry V. Shlyapentokh noted that it is the Russian right-wing in general to have identified itself with Paganism, due to the peculiar political climate of benevolence and cooperation with Jews and Muslims of the contemporary Russian government and Orthodox Church. It was believed that Rod could be personified through all living beings as he presented fate and destiny. The latter, which is a derivation of the near-homophonous yazyk, "tongue", is prevalent and has a less negative acceptation, literally meaning "pertaining to (our own) language". It was in Chicago that he established the earliest groups of the Native Ukrainian National Faith (Sylenkoism) in 1966. Animals always played a important role among Slavic people. [143] Rodnovery typically emphasises the rights of the collective over the rights of the individual,[144] and their moral values are the conservative values typical of the right-wing of politics: emphasis on patriarchy and traditional family. [136], There is no evidence that the early Slavs ever conceived of themselves as a unified ethno-cultural group. [367] Ladovery is a doctrine articulated by Oleksander Shokalo and other personalities in the magazine Ukrans'kyi Svit ("Ukrainian World"). [126] A festival that is believed to be the most important by many Rodnovers is that of the summer solstice, the Kupala Night (June 2324), although also important are the winter solstice festival Karachun and Koliada (December 2425), and the spring equinox festival Shrovetidecalled Komoeditsa or Maslenitsa (March 24). [77], By the mid-1930s, the term "Neopagan" had been applied to the Polish Zadrugist movement. [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. [129] Schnirelmann observed that Rodnovers' calls for social justice tend to apply only to their own ethnic community. [447] In Lithuania there are also homesteads of the Anastasian movement. Vedic ta, "Right"), was usurped by the Christians. [83] Some practitioners describe themselves as atheists,[84] believing that gods are not real entities but rather ideal symbols. [43] Slavic Native Faith adherents, as far as they are concerned, believe that they can take traditional folk culture, remove the obviously Christian elements, and be left with something that authentically reflects the historical beliefs of the Slavic peoples. Sventovit is the Slavic god of war. [130] Many Rodnovers espouse socio-political views akin to those of the French Nouvelle Droite,[145] and many of them in Russia have come close to the ideas of Eurasianism. [186] In following decades the work would have caused a sensation,[282] with many emigrees regarding it as a genuine tenth-century text. Radegast is the Slavic god of strength, honor and hospitality. [309], Since the 1990s, Russian Rodnovery has expanded and diversified. History . [262] This was accompanied by a growth in nationalism across Europe, as intellectuals began to assert their own national heritage. Ynglism meets widespread disapproval within mainstream Rodnovery, and an international veche of important Rodnover organisations has declared it a false religion. The statue remained in place for some time until being removed by the authorities in 2007 when a decision was made to construct a church nearby. [200], Many Rodnovers consciously and actively reject Christianity and the Abrahamic monotheisms,[201] regarded as destructive forces which erode organic communities,[16] with Christianity being perceived as a foreign entity within Slavic culture. The sacrificial ground is usually in the northern part of the square, so that during the sacrificial ceremonies both the priests and the laymen look towards the divine North Pole; otherwise, in the cases of those communities who give more importance to the cycle of the Sun, it is located in the eastern part of the square. For some Rodnovers, the Orthodox cross is another Slavic version of the swastika. Koliada is the God of the new year and of the rising of the new sun each day. [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"). [333] Rodnover themes entered the heavy metal subculture, particularly in bands like Sokyra Peruna ("Perun's Axe"), Whites Load, and Komu Vnyz ("Who Will Go Down"). [405] The 2012 Sreda Arena Atlas complement to the 2010 census of Russia, found 1.7 million people (1.2% of the total population of the country) identifying themselves as "Pagans" or followers of "traditional religions, worship of gods and ancestors". [198], Like many other supporters of pseudoscientific ideas, Rodnovers often consider their teachings to be "true science" (or "Russian science"), in contrast to "Jewish" "academic" science ("Judeo-materialistic science"), which is allegedly written with the aim of hiding from the Slavs the "truth" about their great past and superiority over other peoples. Nemiza is the Slavic god of death, in that he or she would cut the thread of life. The god was depicted, at different times, as both male and female. 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. He ensures that the hunt is successful and that fishermen catch many fish. He is associated with herders and cattle farmers. [432] In Bosnia and Herzegovina there is a Slavic Native Faith group called Circle of Svarog (Svaroi Krug), founded in 2011. [111] Sylenko acknowledged that the ancient Slavs were polytheists but believed that a monotheistic view reflected an evolution in human spiritual development and thus should be adopted. [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. [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"). Avdeyev connected the future with the establishment of a "supranational, continental, planetary worldview", which should be helped by a "national prophet". [197] In turn, Rodnovers have accused academics of being part of a conspiracy to conceal the truth about history. In recent times, the movement has been increasingly studied by academic scholars. [431] Some Bulgarian Rodnovers identify themselves as the descendants of the Turkic Bulgars and therefore lean towards the Central Asian shamanic type of Rodnovery, influenced by the ancient Turko-Mongolian religion; they are incorporated as the Tangra Warriors Movement (Bulgarian: " "). [361], In Ukraine, there are currents of Rodnovery which are peculiar to the Ukrainians. [64] Many Rodnovers have adopted terms that are already used to refer to other religions, namely "Vedism", referring to the historical Vedic religion and the ancient Iranian religion, and "Orthodoxy", commonly associated to Orthodox Christianity. In one gruesome instance near the Ukrainian border in 1997, a man and his nephew attacked a woman who they claimed used black magic to cast a spell on them. [349] Koliada Viatichey refutes any non-Slavic influence in their religion, including the label "Vedic" and Vedic literature, influences from Eastern religions, influences from Roerichism and esotericism, and also the Book of Veles. Following the Second World War and the establishment of communist states throughout the Eastern Bloc, new variants of Rodnovery were established by Slavic emigrants who lived in Western countries, later, especially after the collapse of the Soviet Union, they were introduced into Central and Eastern European countries. This belief often manifests itself in forms of nationalism, opposition to miscegenation and the belief that fundamental differences exist between racial groups. [79] However, the prefix "neo-" within "Neopaganism" is a divisive issue among Rodnovers. It is a symbol, also, of protection. In Christianity wolf was associated with evil spirits but still most of these . [271] The adherents believe that the class of the warriors should have the superior and leading role in society (espousing the idea of a military state and rejecting communism and democracy), and should be always ready to sacrifice themselves for the community. They are used to surround evil or protect oneself from it. [439] The first Pagan groups to emerge in the Czech Republic in the 1990s were oriented towards Germanic Heathenry and Celtic Druidry,[317] while modern Slavic Rodnovery began to develop around 19951996 with the foundation of two groups, the National Front of the Castists and Radho, which in 2000 were merged to form the Commonwealth of Native Faith (Spoleenstv Rodn Vra). [321] Conflicts emerged around the interpretation of ancient Slavic religion: The Kin of Yarovit focused on Indo-European religion and its social trifunctionalism, the Kin of Mokosh focused on Neolithic Europe's mother goddess worship, while groups which emerged later, such as the "Kin of Veles", had no focus. [327] These groups have strong political motivations, being extremely nationalistic, anti-Western, and anti-Semitic.