Chapter CCXXIV: Section II: Slavonian Mythology

The Slavonians had a polytheistic religion, answering, in spirit, to that of the other Indo-European nations; but as they had no mythic literature, like Greece and Scandinavia, we are dependent for information upon popular ballads and superstitions, eked out by the notices of missionaries and statements of conquerors; and it is not easy to perceive whether their myths were an independent branch of the general stock, or only the Teutonic religion under another dress.

The divine word, in all the various nations, is Bog. It was used for God, both in the old heathen times, and afterwards in its full sense, when Christianity became known to them. It enters into numerous names, both before and after Christianity. The most noted is Bogislav, or God’s glory, which was borne by many a Pole and old Prussian; and, in 1627, it finished off the old Slavonic line of dukes of Pomerania, from whom that state came to the acquisitive house of Brandenburg. The historical Latinism of the name is Bogislaus; and it is still current in Illyria as Bogosav.

Theophilus is literally translated by Bogoljub or Bogoje in Illyria, and Bohumil in Bohemia. This makes it probable that Robert Guiscard thence took the name of his eldest son, Bohemond, giving it a Norman termination. The mother is called Alvareda, and she is said to have been divorced on the score of consanguinity; but it is not improbable that this was a mere excuse of the wily duke of Calabria for ridding himself of an Illyrian wife. Bohemond is said to have been called after a giant of romance; but the giant has not as yet transpired, and may have been, after all, a Slavonic divinity. Bohemond, or Boemondo, as Tasso calls him, was the Ulysses of the first Crusade, and left a grandson namesake.

Theodorus and Theodora are answered by Bogdan and Bogdana, both spelt with _h_ in Bohemia—Bohdan, Bohdana, and in Illyria Bozidar, Bozidara; and, as has been already said, the Divine birth-night, Christmas, is commemorated by Slovak children being called Bozo. Bogohval is Thank God, Bogoboj, God’s battle, all names in use in Poland and the kindred nations before the general names of Europe displaced the native growth.

The word does not answer to either Deus or God, but is related to the Sanscrit _bhagas_, destiny.

The word _ljube_, Love, is rather a favourite in the affectionate Slavonic nomenclature. At the outset of Bohemian history we come on the beautiful legend of Queen Libussa, or the darling. She succeeded her father in 618, governed alone for fourteen years, then, finding her people discontented, sought the wisest man in her domains for a husband, and found him, like Cincinnatus, at the plough, when he not only retained his homely cloak, iron table, and bark sandals, as marks of his origin, but bade them be produced at all future royal elections. His name, Przemysl, or the thoughtful, was continued in his line, though chroniclers cut its dreadful knot of consonants by calling it Premislaus and the next ensuing namesake Germanized himself as Ottokar. He was afterwards elected king of Poland, where the name was used, with the feminine Przemyslava.

Russia has the feminine Ljubov, Love, fondly termed Lubuika, and, in families where French is spoken, called Aimée, though this more properly translates Ljubka and Ljubnia. The Slovaks have Ljuboslav and its feminine, and the Polish Lubomirsky is Peace-loving. The Russian Ljubov is chiefly used in allusion to the Christian grace of love; and Faith, or Vjera, and Hope, Nadezna, are both, likewise, very popular at the present day, the latter usually Frenchified into Nadine; while the Serbs have Nada, or Nadan.

The Slaves of Rugen had a terrible deity called Sviatovid, or the luminous, who was considered to answer to Mars, or Tyr, and had a temple at Acron, and an image with seven heads, which must have much resembled Indian idols. A white horse was sacred to him, and was supposed to be ridden by him during the night, and to communicate auguries by the manner in which it leaped over lances that were arranged in its path. Human sacrifices were offered to this deity both in Rugen and Bohemia; and when his image was at length overthrown, St. Vitus, from the resemblance of sound, was confounded with him by the populace, and Svantovit, as they called both alike, was still the tutelary genius of the place. Svetozor, Dawn of light, and Svetlana, a Russian lady’s name still in use, are connected with light, the first syllable of his name.

Conjoined with Sviatovid, and lying on a purple bed in the temple in Rugen, was the seven-headed Rugevid, or Ranovid (whose name is explained by reference to the Sanscrit _rana_, blood-thirsty); and likewise Radegost, the god of hospitality, from _rad_, prosperous, and _gose_, a guest, the word so often encountered. Several names began with the first syllable—Rada, Radak, Radan, Radinko, Radmir, Radivoj, Radko, Radman, Radmil, Radoje, Radoslav; and the Illyrians have the hospitable name of Gostomil, or Guest love: indeed, _gost_ forms the end of many Slavonic names, in accordance with the ready and courteous welcome always offered by this people.

Davor is another war god, whose name seems of very near kindred to Mavors, or Mars, and who left Davorinn, Davroslav, and Davroslava, as names.

Tikla was the old Slavonic goddess of good luck, and, being confounded with St. Thekla, made this latter name popular in Poland, Russia, and Hungary; and, in like manner, Zenovia, the huntress goddess, conduced to make Zenobia, and Zizi, its contraction, common in Russia.

The fire god was Znitch; and though he does not show any direct namesakes, yet there are sundry fire-names in his honour, such as the Slovak Vatroslav and Illyrian Ognoslav, both signifying fire glory. Possibly, too, the Russian Mitrofan may be connected with the old Persian _mithras_, or sacred fire; though in history it figures in Greek ecclesiastical guise, as the Patriarch Metrophanes.[150]

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Footnote 150:

Tooke, _Russia_; Eichioff, _Tableau de la Littérature du Nord au Moyen
Age_; Zeuss, _Deutschen und die Nachbar Stamme_; _Universal History_.