Welcome to the magical world of Slavic lore and mythology! 

Who were the Slavs?

The Slavs were a diverse group of people whose origins trace back over a thousand years to around the time of the fall of the Roman Empire and the Early Middle Ages. They were not just one tribe but many, each contributing to a complex mosaic of traditions, languages, and stories which can still be felt in Central and Eastern Europe.

Where Did They Live?

Imagine a map of Europe. You are probably most familiar with the Western European countries: Britain, Ireland, Spain, Portugal, France, Germany, Italy. These are the countries you most likely learned about in school. In history class, you colored in many maps of the West. 

Now, turn your map slightly to the East so that you are looking at Central and Eastern Europe. This part of the map is usually a big mystery to most folks, with boarders that shift and countries that seem change their names every decade or so. —Here there be dragons, witches, haunted forests, and ghost knights guarding forgotten castles!

Modern-day countries like Poland, Ukraine, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Belarus, Hungary, Romania, and Russia sit on what was once Slavic territory. Imagine coloring in the vast space from the deep forests of Russia, across to the Baltic Sea, along the boarder with Germany, and down to the Carpathian mountains and the sunny beaches of Croatia—that’s where the Slavs called home!

When Did They Live?

While people have been living in this region for thousands of years, most believe the Slavic saga begins in the early Middle Ages, around the fall of the Roman Empire. During this time, Europe was a patchwork of emerging kingdoms and wandering tribes. This era was a time of castles, knights, Viking and Cossack raids, and the birth of Slavic folklore and the spread of early Christianity.

Their Cultural Significance

While Greek, Norse, and Celtic myths might be more familiar, Slavic mythology is a treasure trove of untold stories. Comparable to the pantheon of gods in Olympus, the mystical realms of Asgard, or the trickster fae of the Isles, the Slavic world is brimming with its own unique gods, heroes, and mythical beings. Their legends offer a fresh perspective on bravery, magic, the eternal battle between good and evil, and the ties of love and loyalty that holds us together.

What to Expect From This Series

My intent with this on-going series is to share some of the amazing fairy tales, mystical creatures, myths, urban legends, and local folklore from Central and Eastern Europe. We’ll meet dragons, witches, talking animals, nature spirits, and many other magical creatures that lurk in the shadows of ancient forests and in the periphery of the human awareness. Each story will be like opening a treasure chest, revealing mysteries from an enchanted world that are both familiar and strange.

This page will be a central hub from which we can dive into various aspects of the enduring the Slavic imagination has had on world mythology. Check back often because there will be more entries added every few weeks as I learn about new legends and report back my findings. I will also be providing illustrations to help bring these stories to life.

Prepare to be transported to a realm where the lines between the natural and supernatural blur.

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Creation Myths and The Old Gods

Because the Slavs were a collection of tribes, a variety of creation myths arose. Here are some of the main ones.

The Cosmic Egg—The cosmos and everything in it was hatched from an egg.

The World Tree—Also known as the Tree of Life and Axis Mundi. The tree brings order to chaos and is a metaphor for the past, present, and future.

Creation by Diving—Perun, god of the sky, and Veles, god of water, create land in the space between.

Mokosh and The Great Storm—The cosmic rivalry between Perun and Veles for the love of Mokosh, goddess of the earth.

Mokosh’s Children: Jarilo and Marzanna—The story of the seasons unfolds as an epic bond between two siblings, separated by death and continually reborn.

Perun and Dodala—The god of the sky marries the goddess of rain.

Veles and Devana—the god of the underworld marries the goddess of the hunt, forests, and nature.

Resources

English-language resources about Slavic and Polish mythology is hard to come by. Here is a list of websites, books, podcasts and articles I’ve used to gather my information.

Wikipedia — An in particular, their articles about Slavic creation myths, Slavic deities, Slavic paganism, World Tree/Tree of Life, supernatural beings in Slavic religion.

Culture.pl — An excellent online resource about Polish culture.

Meet the Slavs — A good resource about history and mythology from the various cultures in the Slavic region.

Polish Customs, Traditions, & Folklore by Sophie Dodorowicz Knab, 1996.