Slavic Pantheon (Rodnovery)
Rooted in forest, thunder, hearth, and field, the Slavic gods reflect a world shaped by seasonal struggle and ancestral continuity. Much was lost to Christianization, but echoes remain in folklore, ritual survivals, and rural memory.
Deities
🜃 Perun
Domain: Thunder, sky, war, law
Symbols: Axe, oak tree, lightning
Realm: Sky / mountaintops
Key Associations: Order and authority
Perun is the chief thunder god in many Slavic traditions. He battles Veles in a recurring mythic cycle representing cosmic order versus chaos.
🜃 Veles
Domain: Underworld, cattle, wealth, magic
Symbols: Serpent, dragon, horned imagery
Realm: Earth / underworld
Key Associations: Trickery and opposition
Veles is associated with the earth and the underworld. In mythic reconstruction, he opposes Perun in a cyclical conflict tied to storms and fertility.
🜃 Mokosh
Domain: Earth, fertility, women’s work
Symbols: Spindle, moisture, earth
Realm: Land
Key Associations: Protection of women
Mokosh is one of the few female deities attested in early Slavic sources, associated with fertility and domestic labor.
🜃 Svarog
Domain: Sky, fire, smithing
Symbols: Forge, celestial fire
Realm: Sky
Key Associations: Creation
Svarog is associated with heavenly fire and craftsmanship, sometimes viewed as a creator figure.
🜃 Dazhbog
Domain: Sun, prosperity
Symbols: Solar imagery
Realm: Sky
Key Associations: Wealth and blessing
Dazhbog is a solar deity connected to light and abundance.
🜃 Stribog
Domain: Wind, air
Symbols: Storm imagery
Realm: Sky
Key Associations: Movement
Stribog is associated with winds and atmospheric forces.
🜃 Yarilo (Jarilo)
Domain: Spring, vegetation, fertility
Symbols: Green branches, youth
Realm: Seasonal cycle
Key Associations: Renewal
Yarilo represents spring vitality and agricultural fertility in reconstructed seasonal myth cycles.
🜃 Lada (Contested Figure)
Domain: Love, harmony (in later folklore)
Symbols: Floral motifs
Key Associations: Debate among scholars
Lada appears in later sources and folk songs, though her status as an ancient goddess is debated.
🜃 Morana (Marzanna)
Domain: Winter, death, seasonal transition
Symbols: Effigy burned or drowned
Realm: Seasonal cycle
Key Associations: End of winter
Morana embodies winter and death. Ritual effigies representing her were traditionally destroyed to welcome spring.
🜃 Rod
Domain: Fate, ancestry, kinship
Symbols: Ancestral imagery
Realm: Household / lineage
Key Associations: Origin and clan
Rod is associated with kinship and ancestral continuity, particularly in later interpretations.
Creatures
🜃 Baba Yaga
Type: Forest hag / ambiguous spirit
Domain: Wilderness, liminal spaces
Symbols: Hut on chicken legs, mortar and pestle, iron teeth
Key Associations: Trial and initiation
Baba Yaga is a powerful and unpredictable figure who lives deep in the forest. She may devour, test, or assist those who encounter her. She is neither purely evil nor benevolent.
🜃 Leshy
Type: Forest spirit
Domain: Woods and wild places
Symbols: Shapeshifting form, green beard
Key Associations: Protection of the forest
The Leshy governs the forest and can mislead travelers. He protects animals and wilderness territory.
🜃 Rusalka
Type: Water spirit
Domain: Rivers and lakes
Symbols: Long hair, water reeds
Key Associations: Drowning and seduction
In many traditions, the Rusalka is the spirit of a drowned woman who lures victims into water.
🜃 Domovoi
Type: Household spirit
Domain: Hearth and home
Symbols: Small bearded figure
Key Associations: Domestic protection
The Domovoi protects the household if respected, but may cause disturbances if neglected.
🜃 Zmey (Zmey Gorynych)
Type: Dragon or serpent
Domain: Chaos and destruction
Symbols: Multiple heads, fire
Key Associations: Heroic combat
Zmey is a dragon-like being often defeated by heroes in epic tales.
🜃 Koschei the Deathless
Type: Sorcerer / undead figure
Domain: Immortality through hidden soul
Symbols: Needle, egg, hidden object
Key Associations: External soul motif
Koschei hides his death (or soul) inside nested objects, making him difficult to destroy.
🜃 Vila (Vily)
Type: Nature spirits
Domain: Forests, mountains, clouds
Symbols: Dancing maidens
Key Associations: Enchantment
Vily are beautiful, supernatural maidens connected to natural landscapes.
🜃 Upyr
Type: Revenant / vampire-like being
Domain: Graveyard
Symbols: Blood-drinking corpse
Key Associations: Early vampire lore
The Upyr is a reanimated corpse that feeds on the living, appearing in early Slavic folklore.
🜃 Bannik
Type: Bathhouse spirit
Domain: Bathhouse (banya)
Symbols: Steam, shadows
Key Associations: Omen and warning
The Bannik inhabits bathhouses and may foretell the future or punish disrespect.
🜃 Polevik
Type: Field spirit
Domain: Farmland
Symbols: Grain, tall grass
Key Associations: Agricultural risk
Polevik spirits inhabit fields and may mislead or harm those who disrespect the land.
Rodnovery is the modern revival of Slavic native faiths, honoring gods like Perun, Veles, and Mokosh. Rooted in folklore, ritual, and seasonal festivals, it seeks to restore ancestral traditions where gods and spirits infuse daily life. Explore how the fire of Slavic paganism is rekindled today, weaving ancient belief into modern practice.