In Slavic mythology, there are a variety of gods who are often defined as the “supreme god” in an attempt to shoehorn Slavic polytheism into the Christian monotheistic hierarchy. Each of the slavic tribal lands had their own favorite supreme God—from Perun, to Triglav, to Rod, to Svarog.
One of the favorite Supreme Gods was Perun, God of Thunder.
Perun, Slavic god of thunder, war, and the sky
Perun: God of Thunder and War
Perun was the god of thunder, of the sky, and of the overworld. He was a towering figure, embodying the roaring power of thunder and the fierce flash of lightning.
Perun was also the god of warriors and of war. He is often depicted wearing armor and preparing to go to war. Warriors would pray to him for protection.
Perun’s presence is felt in the rumbling of storm clouds and the strike of lightning that splits the sky.
Perun, god of lightning and thunder
Guardian of Order and Justice
One of Perun’s jobs was to maintain order in the cosmos, wielding authority over the earth, sky, and rain.
In the Creation by Diving myth, Veles needed Perun’s help to create land because Perun had the ability to bring order and structure to chaos.
Perun, god of order
Symbolism and Worship
The oak tree, revered for its strength and endurance, is sacred to Perun, symbolizing his connection to the World Tree and to the natural world.
While the Slavs did not necessarily build temples, they would gather beneath the canopy of ancient oaks, where they sought favor with the ancestors and with the gods through offerings, song, and rituals.
Perun’s weapon, the mighty ax or hammer, symbolized his warrior aspect, and his ability to bring justice and order to those beneath him, striking down chaos and evil with the force of thunderbolts.
Perun is also symbolized by the element of fire, which often accompanies lightning and thunder. He also favored the iris flower.
Perun’s favorite animal was the eagle, and he would often take this form as he flew through the clouds. It was also said that he had a giant eagle as his familiar.
Perun is often depicted as an eagle, perched in the crown of the world tree.
Perun, god of the sky
The Eternal Conflict
Perun is often depicted in a perpetual struggle against Veles, god of the underworld, waters, and trickery. The conflict represents the enternal battle between sky and earth, order and chaos, mirroring the natural cycle of storms that nourish the earth and then recede.
In artistic depictions of this conflict, Perun often takes the form of a giant eagle, while Veles takes the form of a dragon, or giant serpent. In this way, this is conflict is the Slavic equivalent of the the Christian struggle of St. George and the dragon.
Perun, god of warriors
Perun’s Family
In the beginning of the creation story, Perun is depicted as having been one of the consorts of the earth goddess Mokosh, who gave birth to two children, Jarilo and Marzanna. The Great Battle was sparked by Perun’s jealousy over realizing Mokosh had also been seeing Veles (Perun’s chief enemy) as her other consort.
Despite this, Perun claimed both Jarilo and Marzanna as his own children, and he made them welcome in the overworld. Jarilo, he treated as his golden child. Marzanna, as a beloved daughter.
Perun’s wife was the warrior rain goddess Dodola. She was sometimes called Perperuna or Perunitsa or Perunka, signifying her relationship with Perun. Theirs was a much more harmonious partnership than the one between Perun and Mokosh had been. Slavic peoples would sing songs and do rain dances to honor and worship both Dodola and Perun in hopes that they would bring rain to their crops during times of drought.
Perun and Dodola, goddess of rain
Unlike the gods of the Greek and Egyptian pantheon, who are all blood relatives to each other, the other main gods and goddesses in the Slavic pantheon all emerged at different times from the chaos of the cosmic egg, to represent different ideas or aspects of the natural world.
Svarog emerged to represent fire. Rod emerged to represent family relations. Veles emerged to represent water and the underworld. Mokosh emerged to represent the Earth.
Some of the gods had offspring of their own, but the main Slavic gods are not blood kin to each other the way the Greek and Egyptian gods were.
Perun in the Modern World
Although the ancient Slavic religions have long since blended into other traditions and beliefs, the figure of Perun continues to inspire cultural and literary works, symbolizing the enduring power of nature an the human spirit’s quest for justice and order.
Perun’s tales are but one chapter in the rich tapestry of Slavic mythology. To delve deeper into these ancient stories and explore the legends of gods, heroes, and mythical creatures, please consider joining my free Reader’s Club. Enter your email, and you will receive monthly updates on my writing progress, book reviews, and new entries in my “Slavid Spirits” series. New Reader’s Club members will also receive a free short story as a thank you gift.
The Slavic Earth goddess Mokosh, holding her twin children, Jarilo and Marzanna.
Mokosh, goddess of the earth, gave birth to twin children from her two consorts, Perun and Veles. Both gods claimed the twins as their own, and they fought over the right to raise them.
Mokosh declared that the children would spend part of the year in the overworld with Perun, and part of the year in the underworld with Veles as their father.
Siblings of Summer and Winter
The twins absolutely adored each other, even though the two children were as different as could be.
Jarilo, god of spring, summer, fertility, renewal, vegetation
Jarilo most resembled Perun. Although Jarilo was born a girl, they preferred to wear men’s clothes and keep their hair short. Jarilo was full of energy and springtime friskiness. When people were around Jarilo, they wanted to sing and dance and make wedding plans. Jarilo was the god of springtime, vegetation, and fertility. Everyone delighted in Jarilo’s presence.
Marzanna, goddess of winter, nature, dreams, magic, witchcraft, and death.
Marzanna was the opposite. She most resembled Veles. She was dark and broody and could sometimes be secretive. When people were around Marzanna, they most often wanted to stay indoors and sleep. Marzanna was the goddess of winter, nature, dreams, magic, witchcraft, and death.
But despite their opposite natures, when the twins were together, everything in the world seemed to be in balance. Marzanna could calm Jarilo’s manic energy. Jarilo could make Marzanna smile and laugh.
Spring Awakens: Jarilo’s Arrival
Jarilo brings spring
Marzanna would be the first to notice Jarilo’s impending return. She would sense it in the lengthening days and the melting snow, and she would travel the underworld and overworld in search of her sibling.
Jarilo’s arrival would be preceded by storks, who would winter in the eternal springtime land of Vyrai, the land of air and unborn spirits, and then return to the earthly plane, carrying new souls who were ready to be born.
Jarilo would ride a white horse, and everywhere the horse stepped, flowers and grass would spring forth. As Jarilo rode through the forest, green leaves would unfurl from the trees. Birds would sing and flitter about. Bees would hum. Baby animals would be born. The air was thick with the scent of flowers and life and springtime love. Jarilo had returned to earth, and with their arrival, the world was renewed with new life.
All throughout the countryside, the Slavs would celebrate Jarilo’s golden return by wearing wreaths made from fresh leaves. They would make dolls from spring twigs and flowers and hang them in the trees in celebration of Jarilo’s arrival. They would sing and dance to the return of spring. People would fall in love and weddings were planned for the summer.
Summer: The Zenith of Stength and Love
Jarilo and Marzanna, sibling gods of summer and winter
As the days lengthened, Jarilo and Marzanna delighted in each other’s company. The nights were full of dancing under the full moon. The days were long and full of productive work and adventure.
The siblings built a house together. Marzanna was a homebody and would keep the house and tend the garden. Meanwhile, Jarilo would go out riding with the men, and would firt with both the men and the women alike. All around Jarilo, people would sigh with love.
The height of Jarilo’s time on earth was the summer solstice celebrations. Jarilo was a god with a lot of energy. They burned brighter than most, because they knew their time on earth was limited. They’d be up all day and night dancing. They would flirt, kiss, dance, and sing with wild abandon and recklessness.
Because all too soon, the autumn would arrive and they knew the time for celebrations would come to an end.
Autumn: The Great Tragedy
Jarilo was a reckless sort. Inevitably, one of their suitors would become jealous.
Perhaps it would be a young man who had hoped to marry and possess Jarilo as a wife. Perhaps it would be young woman who had thought Jarilo’s kisses were a promise of exclusive devotion.
In either case, the tragic story would unfold like this: a scorned lover would tell his or her family that they had been wronged by Jarilo. The family would plot their revenge. There would be an ambush. Jarilo’s white horse would be killed and then Jarilo would also be killed. As the sun set and the nights grew darker, Jarilo’s blood would soak into the freshly harvested wheat fields.
Marzanna would find Jarilo there. Beside Jarilo would be a scythe, the weapon that had harvested Jariolo’s soul. With tears in her eyes, Marzanna would pick up the scythe. She is often pictured holding a scythe, for she is a goddess of harvest.
Marzanna, weeping in a field over the loss of her sibling Jarilo.
Marzanna was Jarilo’s only true friend and companion. She would weep and gather their body into a funeral pyre, calling upon the departing birds to help guide their soul to Iriy, the paradise afterlife in the sky land of Perun where it was always summer and there was no suffering. She prayed that in Iriy, Jarilo’s spirit would heal and recover.
Marzanna, at Jarilo’s funeral pyre.
She would take the ashes from Jarilo’s funeral pyre and use it to build herself a new house. One where she would grieve throughout the long, dark winter.
Winter: A Time of Darkness, Dreams, and Death
Marzanna, goddess of winter, darkness, dreams, death.
Without Jarilo to keep her company, Marzanna would grow sad and sullen. Darkness would grow and the world would be cast into winter, for winter was Marzanna’s domain.
Winter is a harsh time in the north. It is cold, dark, and snowy. Families would cuddle in side. They would take the winter season as an opportunity to sleep and dream. They might go on midnight walks under the full moon, or tell stories beside the fire. Winter was a time of rest, recovery, and magic.
But there was always a deadly side to winter. Too many people in a small place might cause the air to grow stagnant. Diseases might spread. The food stores might become infested or run out before spring. The elderly and the weak might pass away.
This was why Marzanna was known as the goddess of dreams and magic, but also of winter and death.
She would sometimes be seen riding throughout the moonlit land riding a black mare—a nightmare, bringing sad omens and bad dreams.
The Drowning of the Marzanna and the Rebirth of Spring
Effigy of Marzanna.
In late winter, around the time of the spring equinox when the snow begins to melt and swell the rivers, the children of the Slavic world perform an ancient festival called the Drowning of the Marzanna.
In this festival usually happens in March 21st. An effigy of Marzanna is made of straw and rags. It looks like a doll or a scarecrow. The children all march together, parading the effigy through the village.
The idea is that all the bad air, disease, nightmares, and sadness that everyone had experience through the winter would get sucked from the houses and into the effigy of the Marzanna. The children would then take the effigy down to the river and throw it in, thus cleansing their village with water, and welcoming the renewal of spring.
Marzanna, sees the melting snow and knows spring is approaching.
This is an important part of the goddess Marzanna’s story. She would see the melting snow, and know that her sibling, Jarilo had been restored, and was ready to be reborn back into the world.
Marzanna Searches for Her Lost Sibling
Marzanna dives into a river, in search of a portal to the underworld where she hopes to find her lost sibling, Jarilo.
Marzanna dives into the water and goes into a portal into the underworld. This part of the underworld was called Nav. It was presided upon by Marzanna’s father, Veles.
Nav is the place where the souls of the dead first go. It is an upside down world, at the roots of the World Tree.
In some Slavic traditions, the land of Nav was imagined as a vast, grassy field. A place that was neither hot, nor cold. It was a waiting place, where souls would either be stuck, or they would gain permission to travel to the other parts of the world tree.
Marzanna would find her father, Veles, who would tell her that Jarilo had already come and gone.
Marzanna would climb up the world tree into the land of Iriy, where her father, Perun sometimes lived. Iriy was the Slavic version of heaven. It was warm and filled with plenty. It was a place where there was no suffering, and where people lived in harmony with nature.
Marzanna would find her father, Perun, and ask him if he had seen Jarilo. Perun would tell her that Jarilo had already come and gone. Jarilo had chosen to be reborn, and had gone to Vyrai, the land of air and unborn spirits.
Next, Marzanna would climb down the world tree toward the lower branches. She would stand on the last branch and leap into the sky, into oblivion, into the land of clouds and air and unborn souls that surrounded the lower branches.
Here, she would find Rod, the god of ancestors and destiny and new life. Rod was Marzanna’s uncle. Rod would tell Marzanna that that Jarilo had returned to earth, riding on their white hors, accompanied by storks and the newborn spirits.
Jarilo and Marzanna are reunited.
Joyfully, Marzanna would also return to earth where she would finally find her lost sibling. The re-united siblings would embrace. The god of spring had been reborn and the cycle of renewal and harvest would begin anew.
Jarilo, and the rebirth of spring.
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Mokosh: The Slavic Goddess of Earth, Fertility, and Women’s Destinies
Mokosh, the Earth Goddess
In the rich tapestry of Slavic mythology, Mokosh stands out as one of the most revered goddesses. She is seen as the divine mother, the Earth Goddess, the goddess of weaving, agriculture, and the home.
In a culture that was often patriarchal, Mokosh was the goddess who looked out for women, their destinies, their health, their desires, their work, their sexuality, and their offspring.
Mokosh, goddess of wheat
Mokosh is often depicted as a powerful female figure, embodying both the sensual and maternal aspects of the harvest. She was a provider, a nurturer, and a protector.
She is closely associated with the earth’s fertility, ensuring the abundance of crops and the well-being of the community.
Mokosh, goddess of the harvest
Symbols and Worship
Representations of Mokosh often includes symbols of fertility and femininity, such as sheaves of wheat, spinning wheels, and water. These symbols reflect her importance in an agrarian society, where the cycle of sowing, growing, and harvesting was central to survival and prosperity.
Mokosh, goddess of spinning
Her favorite tree was the Linden tree. Her favorite animals were the sheep and the spider.
The worship of Mokosh persisted even as Slavic societies transitioned from paganism to Christianity, with many of her attributes and symbols being absorbed into veneration of the Virgin Mary.
Mokosh: Goddess of Sensuality
Mokosh’s presence in Slavic mythology is marked by her deep connections to the natural world and the cycles of life.
She is often portrayed as having a complex relationship with both Perun, god of the sky, and Veles, god of the underworld, as both gods sought to win her affections.
Perun, bringing gifts for Mokosh
Perun brought Mokosh wheat and flowers, fragrant from the warmth of the sun. With Perun, Mokosh delighted in the light, the rain, and the wind. He promised protection and strength.
Veles, bringing gifts for Mokosh
Veles brought snakes and worms to help Mokosh keep the soil healthy, so that it could become more fertile. With Veles, Mokosh enjoyed the water, the moist earth, and the decomposition that returned nutrients to the soil. He promised dreams, darkness, rest, magic, and mystery.
When Mokosh became pregnant, each suitor was overjoyed, thinking he had been chosen as Mokosh’s favorite and that she would choose him as her husband.
Mokosh, goddess of fertility
The Great Storm: The Epic Rivalry Between Perun and Veles
Mokosh gave birth to twin girls, one with the golden hair of Perun, and one with the black hair of Veles. Not only had Mokosh refused to choose between the gods, she had taken them both as her consorts.
Mokosh and her twin daughters: Jarilla (spring/summer) and Marzanna (autumn/winter)
Perun’s jealousy flared. Thunderstorms gathered and lightning struck the earth. Perun turned into a giant eagle and challenged Veles to an epic battle over Mokosh’s affections, and the right to raise her children. Perun attacked Veles, determined to banish him to the underworld once and for all.
Yet Veles, ever the shape-shifter, evaded Perun’s wrath. Veles changed his form into a tree, into a human, into a serpent, into a bull. He hid in the shadows, and he hid amongst the sheep and the trees. And finally, when Perun found him, Veles took the form of a dragon and fought back.
The world shook as the two divine suitors battled for Mokosh and for dominance over the earth—for, indeed, their rivalry predated Mokosh.
The Great Storm: The Battle Between Perun and Veles
Finally, Perun, god of war, got the upper hand. He struck Veles down and drove him beneath the Earth.
Mokosh’s Choice
Perun went to Mokosh as the victor, and offered his hand in marriage and his protection as a father over her two children.
To his surprise, she refused him.
Mokosh, ever gentle and wise, sought harmony between her two suitors. In her heart, she harbored love for both gods, for each represented vital aspects of the world she cherished.
Mokosh bade Perun to look at the world and at all the destruction he had caused to her lands in his jealous rage. He saw crop that had been charred and flattened. He saw people and animals, cowering in the fields and forests. He saw deserts, which had been deprived of Veles’s waters and nutrients.
Mokosh, goddess of women’s destinies
Mokosh knew that a healthy landscape needed the attentions of both the sky and the land and waters, and there needed to be balance. A world with only sky and fire could not sustain life.
Not only that, but her children needed both fathers, not just one.
And so, she insisted on a kind of shared custody agreement between the two suitors.
Mokosh, in the overworld during the summer
For part of the year, she and her children would live in the domain above with Perun. For part of the year, they would rest in below-ground domain of Veles. Her decision gave rise to the seasons.
Mokosh, in the underworld during the winter
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The Cosmic Egg had cracked open, but this brand new universe was very simple. World only consisted of opposites.
Light and dark.
Up and down.
Sky and Water.
In this realm, the gods began to form from the raw essences of life. It first there were only two gods: Perun and Veles.
Perun, God of the Sky
Perun, god of the sky, floating on the surface of the water.
Perun is a pivotal diety in Slavic mythology, often associated with thunder, lightning, storms, rain, law, war, fertility, and oak trees.
Regarded as the chief god by many Slavic tribes, Perun’s imagery frequently includes weapons like axes or hammers. He is sometimes pictured riding a chariot, or taking the form of an eagle. He embodies the might of the heavens and is revered as a powerful protector and warrior. But he is also seen as fiery, quick-tempered, and rigid.
But when this story begins and the universe was new, the mighty god Perun did not have much to rule over. In the beginning, he found himself floating on a boat in a vast ocean, staring up at the empty sky. Sometimes, to alleviate his boredom, he would take the form of an eagle and soar over the waters.
But everywhere he flew, there was only sky and water, and nowhere to land except for his scanty little boat.
Veles, God of the Waters
Veles, god water and the underworld, walking along the ocean floor.
Veles is the Slavic god of the underworld. Although the Christians re-cast him into the role of the devil, his Slavic origins were more complex. He is the god of earth, water, forests, the underworld, music, magic, trickery, cattle, livestock, and wealth. And, yes, he is also the god of the afterlife.
Known for his shapeshifting abilities, Veles can transform into various forms, including a mighty dragon or serpent, animals (particularly cattle or sheep), and even as trees, showcasing his mastery over magic and his role as a protector of livestock. His favorite tree was the willow.
Veles was also known as being a bit of a trickster, similar to Hermes and Loki. In Slavic mythology, he often used his his cunning to prod Perun and evade his wrath.
When the world was new, Veles’s domain was everything below the water. He watched over the chaos and wildness of all the creatures of the sea. The fish and crustaceans and sea serpents, and all the wild and magical monsters that later humans would draw in unexplored corners of the map.
And yet, when Veles looked upward toward the surface of the water, into Perun’s domain where he saw a vast expanse of nothingness, he saw potential for so much more.
The Genesis of Land
Veles swam up to the surface and approached Perun, floating in his boat.
“The world yearn for complexity,” Veles said. He proposed the creation of land, as an in-between space above the waters and beneath the sky, upon which life could grow. “But I can’t create this land myself. I will need you help.”
Perun, too, longed for more, and so he agreed to work with Veles in creating this new plane.
Veles dove down into the waters, down to the deepest, darkest depths of the sea. When he reached the bottom, he scooped a handful of sand into his mouth, and swam back up to the surface.
Up at the surface, he spit the sand into Perun’s hand, and Perun scattered the sand across the surface of the sea.
Where the sand hit the water, land formed.
How the Land Grew
The first patch of land was very small. Barely big enough for the two gods to stand on, side by side.
They began to argue over who would be in control of this land. Soon, the gods were pushing and shoving each other, fighting for more room. Veles pushed Perun. Perun shoved Veles back.
Veles tried to toss Perun down into the water, but everywhere Perun stepped, the land extended beneath him. He was the god of the over-world and could not be drowned. Perun changed into a bird and tried to carry Veles up into the sky so that he could drop him. But Veles was the god of the underworld and could not be lifted without his consent. Everywhere he stepped, the land extended beneath him, because he, too, had had a hand in its creation.
After age of fighting, the two gods paused for breath. When they looked around, they saw that the land had extended around them as far as the eye could see. They realized that there was now plenty of land for the both of them to share.
And in the place where the first land had been created, there grew an immense oak tree that extended up to the heavens and down into the soil. This was the tree of life, the world tree.
The two gods agreed to make a temporary peace.
Perun created an eagle, which flew him up to the very top of the world tree, a place he called Wiraj, which was a place of birds and stars.
Perun, flying to the top of the World Tree on his white eagle.
Veles created a dragon-serpent called Zmey, and the two of them burrowed down to the upside-down world among the roots of the world tree, where Veles made himself a throne of gold, and Zmey curled among the tree roots in a nest of wool.
Veles, in his underworld kingdom with his dragon Zmey.
Each god had retreated to their own kingdoms, one above and one below.
Life Hatched From a Firebird’s Egg
Perun, up in the sky, looked dow at the barren landscape and felt profound sadness at its emptiness. From his height, Perun could see the vast complexities of life in the oceans and in the soil—in Veles’s domain—and felt envy. He would not be outdone by Veles. He wished for the same richness of life to exist on the surface of the earth.
Up in the sky, other gods were beginning to form themselves from chaos of existence.
There was Svarog, god of fire.
Svarog, god of fire.
And Rod, god of newborn souls, of family, kinship, and birth.
Rod, god of family, kinship.
With their help, Perun, conjured a golden bird that glowed so brightly it looked as if it had been made from fire. Indeed, it was made of fire. This magical bird has often been imagined as the first firebird, the phoenix, a creature with the ability to create itself anew from the ashes of its former self.
The Firebird.
Perun sent the bird down to the barren landscape. The rooster laid an egg, which cracked on the dry landscape. The egg whites oozed over the surface of the shell, and wherever it touched the land, a river sprang up from the soil, bringing fresh water all across the land. From the golden yellow yolk of the egg, all other forms of life emerged. Vast, golden fields of wheat and grass spread across the land. Animals emerged to eat the wheat. Humans emerged to tend the wheat and the animals.
And from the yoke, a new god emerged. The goddess Mokosh, diety of the earth and the fields, of fertility, fecundity, spinning, and everything having to do with women and childbirth.
Mokosh, the Earth goddess
She was beautiful and and so enchanting that both Perun and Veles fell in love.
But that’s another story for another day.
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After the Cosmic Egg hatched and have birth to the universe, a vast tree began to grow. While the Cosmic Egg initiated creation, the World Tree organized the universe’s structure.
While you may be familiar with Yggdrasil, the World Tree from Norse Mythology, the Tree of Life in Slavic Mythology was said to be a colossal, sacred oak tree with that not only spanned the cosmos, but also served as a metaphor for understanding one’s place in time, and our connection to past and future generations.
Trees were holy to the Slavs. Oak trees in particular were seen as holy representatives of the World Tree. The oak tree was where people celebrated, prayed, and worshipped. If they wanted to talk to their ancestors, they would lean against an oak tree and speak to it.
Roots in the Underworld
The roots of the World Tree delve deep into the underworld, a mysterious shadowy realm. This part of the tree represents our deepest fears and the unknown, but it’s also where growth begins. Just as seeds germinate in the dark soil, the roots remind us that life’s beginnings are often hidden from view.
The roots of the tree also represented the past. All the ancestors and past generations — their triumphs and struggles — lay rooted in the soil, bringing nourishment and stability to the present.
In folk art, a coiled snake or dragon is often painted among the roots of the World Tree. While this may be reminiscent of the Midgard serpent, in Slavic mythology, this serpent-dragon was one of the forms that the Slavic god Veles would take. Veles was the god and guardian of earth, water, forests, livestock, wealth, magic, music, and the underworld. In some versions of the creation myth, Veles and Perun created land together after Veles swam up from the ocean depths with sand in his mouth. He seems like a rather punk-rock sort of god.
The Trunk: The World Stage of Present Time
The trunk of the World Tree stands firmly on the earthly plane, bridging the gap between the heavens and the underworld. It symbolizes strength, growth, and the everyday world we inhabit. The trunk is where the physical and spiritual meet, reminding us that we live in a world that is both material and spiritual.
The trunk, or stem, of the tree also represents the axis point between past and future. We are the actors on the world stage today. Our existence is the culmination of the hopes and dreams of past generations, and we are also the funnel through which time flows, so that our actions will also affect future generations.
In Slavic and Baltic folk art, you will often see a woman in traditional dress standing near the trunk of the World Tree. This is Mokosh, the Mother Earth goddess. She is the guardian of life, of fertility, of the harvest, of childbirth, of weaving, of fate, and of sexuality. She nourishes, nurtures. She creates and sustains. It is said that both Veles, god of the underworld, and Perun, god of the sky, were her consorts. From her union with these two gods, she gave birth to the twin gods of the seasons. Jarilo is the pangender god/goddess of spring and summer; Marzanna is the goddess of autumn and winter.
Branches Reaching the Heavens
Soaring high into the sky, the branches of the World Tree touch the heavens, hame to gods, celestial beings, and the spirits of future generations. These branches represent our highest aspirations, dreams, and the divine.
As we look up past the leaves of our ancestral oak tree to the Milky Way above—which were believed to be one of the far away branches of the cosmic World Tree—they remind us of our connection to the greater universe and the cycle of life that will continue beyond our earthly existence.
In Slavic art, you will often see an eagle perched among the branches of the World Tree. The eagle is the symbol of Perun, who was the god of the sky, lightning, thunder, war, justice, and the physical realm. In some versions of the creation story, Perun’s rooster hatched the egg from which the World Tree sprang. He is the primary patriarchal god of the Slavs, kind of like how an oldest sibling will often self-nominate themselves to be in charge.
The World Tree in Daily Life
The World Tree remains a powerful symbol today, inspiring environmental awareness and a sense of global connectedness. It reminds us that we are part of a larger ecosystem, and that the drama of life is bigger than just our one, small part.
The World Tree’s symbolism extends beyond mythology into the daily lives and rituals of Slavic and Baltic peoples. It’s symbolism is frequently seen in folk art, carved into furniture, painted on the sides of buildings, and embroidered into traditional clothes.
The Tree of Life is a living symbol that serves as a reminder of our connection to the earth, the divine, and each other.
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Among the Slavs, there are a variety of creation myths. One of them is of the Cosmic Egg, which represents the potential for life and the genesis of all we know.
The Cosmic Egg: A Universe Waiting to Hatch
Our story begins with a void—a vast expanse of nothingness where the seeds of the universe lays dormant. Within this primordial emptiness, a miracle occurred. An egg formed, and within this egg lay the seeds of all creation. It held the raw materials and forces necessary for the birth of the cosmos.
The Egg Cracks Open and a Universe is Born
The moment the Cosmic Egg cracks open marks the Slavic mythological equivalent of the Big Bang. As the egg’s shell fractured, it didn’t merely break apart; it gave structure the the chaos within.
The upper fragment of the shell ascended to form the heavens, like a vast dome across the sky.
The bottom part of the shell formed the Earth—a vast cradle that held all the mountains, valleys, rivers, oceans, and plains.
The Egg and Slavic Spirituality
The egg is a powerful symbol in many cultures. For the Slavs, it the egg was seen as both the beginning and the container of life, its breaking open was a metaphor for the sometimes chaotic process of creation. The belief that the upper shell contained the sky and the bottom shell contained the earth mirrors the dualistic nature of the world, where balance was achieved by the interplay of opposing forces.
Life and Humankind Sprung From a Rooster’s Egg
One of the myths about the creation of life in that when the universe was first created, it was completely barren. The gods wished for there to be more, so they send down a rooster which lay an egg of immense power. (Roosters don’t lay eggs, but whatever. We’re talking magical creation myths here, so there doesn’t have to be any logic.)
This egg cracked open and its golden yoke spread across the land. Everywhere the yoke touched, life sprang forth. A vast diversity of rivers, mountains, plants, animals, and humans arose from this golden yoke.
Faberge and Pisanki Easter Eggs: Modern Celebrations of the Cosmic Egg
The Cosmic Egg has remained an important symbol in Slavic culture. Its enduring legacy is most visible today in traditions and customs surrounding Easter Eggs, where Christian and pagan beliefs have blended.
In Slavic cultures, there is a long tradition of dying and decorating eggs in the spring that pre-dates Christianity. Archaeologists have found decorate clay and egg-shaped stones that date back to the 10th and 13th centuries, but the tradition of dying and decorating spring eggs is speculated to be at least a thousand years old.
There are many methods of decorating eggs, from pickling, to using wax and dyes, to watercolors, to oil paints, to removing the yoke and creating an egg-shell masterpiece by carefully breaking away parts of the shell so that it resembles lace.
The gold and silver Faberge eggs of Imperial Russia are perhaps the most famous decorated eggs.
I remember every Easter, there was a great deal of ceremony around placed around dying our “pisanki” Easter eggs.
First, the eggs would be hardboiled. Then, my grandmother would fill a vast pot with beets, red onions, and berries to dye the eggshells red. The eggs would be set aside to dry and cool. Then, we would use a sewing needle to scratch designs into the shell of the egg, which created white lines on a red background. We would draw geometric designs, and sometimes floral and tree patterns—symbolizing the World Tree, the rebirth of spring. By the end of this egg-decorating process, our fingers would all be stained red from handling the eggs.
Our spectacular designs did not last long, though, for these beautiful creations were intended for our traditional Polish Easter breakfast. (If you are planning on eating the eggs, it is very important to only use non-toxic, natural dyes.) We would pass around the basket of colorful eggs, each and break them apart, and eat them with salt and horseradish, nourishing our bodies with this vessel of life—a symbol of spring, of renewal, of the Cosmic Egg.
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