Slavic Gods and Heroes

This book offers a radical reinterpretation of the Slavic pagan religion made onthe basis of a thorough re-examination of all reliable sources. What did Slavic pagan religion have in common with the Afro-American cult of voodoo? Why were no Slavic gods mentioned before the mid-tenth century, and why were there no Slavic gods at all between the Dnieper and the Oder? Why were Slavic foundation legends similar to the totemic myths of the nomadic peoples of theEurasian Steppe, and who were Slavic Remus and Romulus? What were the Indo-European roots of Slavic hippomantic rituals, and where wasthe Eastern Slavic dragon Zmey Gorynych born? Answers to these and many other provocative questions can be found in this book.

Contents List of Charts List of Tables Foreword Introduction Part One: Ancient Slavs 1. Ancient Slavs and their Neighbors Slavic languages Slav's homeland Hydromymics Names of the Slavs and Slavic names for their neighbors Slavic migrations Slavic scripts Slavic society Slavic states The Christianization of the Slavs 2. Earliest Evidence of Slavic Religion Procopius, The Gothic War St. Boniface, A letter to King Ethelbald of Mercia Ahmad ibn Fadlan, Travel-Report Constantine Porphyrogenitus, De administrando imperio Widukind of Corvey, Deeds of the Saxons Leo the Deacon, History 3. Conclusions Part Two: Gods 4. Sources Documentary evidence – Bruno of Querfurt, A Letter to King Henry II – The Magdeburg Charter Historiography – Thietmar of Merseburg, The Chronicle – Adam of Bremen, History of the Archbishops of Hamburg-Bremen – Helmold of Bosau, The Chronicle of the Slavs – Saxo Grammaticus, The History of the Danes – The Knytlinga Saga –The Russian Primary Chronicle Hagiography – The Life of Otto, Apostle of Pomerania –– Ebo –– Herbord –– Wolfger of Prüfening Poetry – The Tale of Igor's Campaign 5. Svarozhich 6. Sventovit 7. Rugevit 8. Porevit, Porenut and Turupid 9. Pizamar and Chernoglav 10. Prove and Podaga 11. Triglav 12. Gerovit 13. Pripegala 14. "Vladimir's Gods" Perun Khors Dazh'bog (Dazhd'bog) Stribog Simar'gl Mokosh' 15. Volos (Veles) 16. Conclusions Part Three: Heroes 17. Sources: Slavic National Historiography Cosmas of Prague, The Chronicle of the Czechs Gallus Anonymus, The Deeds of the Princes of the Poles Wincenty Kadlubek, Chronicles of the Kings and Princes of Poland The Chronicle of Great Poland The Chronicle of Dalimil Jan Dlugosz, Annals or Chronicles of the Famous Kingdom of Poland 18. Bohemia Cech Krok Kazi Tetka Libuše 19. Little Poland Wislanie – The Dragon of Wawel (Smok Wawelski) – The Fratricide – Wanda Ledzianie – Leszek I – Leszek II – Leszek III 20. Great Poland 21.Kiev 22. Croatia 23. Reconstruction Appendix 1: Indo-European Hippomancy India Persia Parthia Greece Rome Germanic Tribes Slavs – Redarii – Pomerania – Rani – Bohemia – Little Poland Ireland Reconstruction Appendix 2: Zmey Gorynych Afterword Bibliography Index

Judith Kalik teaches East European history at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.She has writtenextensively on the inter-religious encounters in Eastern Europe from the early Middle Ages to the early twentieth century. Alexander Uchitel taught ancient history at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and University of Haifa between 1985 and 2017. He is the author of numerous articles on diverse subjects related to the history and philology of ancient Greece and the ancient Near East.