Where Every Scroll is a New Adventure
Slavic Mythology - Blog Posts
When you're bored in czech class and start making fanart for the poem you're supposed to be dissecting
Kolyada (an ancient Slavic pagan holiday in honor of the birth of the sun) by Iren Horrors
This artist on Instagram
Illustrations in collaboration with @fate221 for an artbook Ukrainian Bestiary that focuses on creatures of Ukrainian mythology. We were working on Upyr (укр. упир), it's something in between ghouls and vampires.
BELARUSIAN LESHY CONCEPT 🗣️🗣️🗣️
This is not exactly about the cult of the lamb, this is, ahah, my diploma project.
Today I jotted down a lot of search engine stuff
Almost forgot the last creature I made for the cryptid artbook project: the Chugaister from Ukrainian mythology. Described as a large bear-like man, naked and super hairy (with almost animal-like fur), that roams the Carpathian mountains. Despite his appearance, he is a benevolent creature and doesn’t seem attack humans unless provoked. In fact, according to tales, he’s quite friendly towards people. He doesn’t speak like humans, but if he encounters you camping in the forest, he will gladly join you to dance around a bonfire, engaging in a sort of friendly dance battle. He’s super chill overall, especially if you share your food.
Additionally, the Chugaister protects humans from evil spirits and dangers, including NIAVKAS.
You might have heard of "Mavka" from the cartoon "Mavka, the Forest Song." BUT Mavkas and Niavkas are separate beings in folklore (though there is some overlap). I remember reading these different interpretations of the same entity come from different regions (can`t find right now) , but generally:
Mavkas are benevolent, playful forest spirits, almost like forest nymphs with green hair. Niavkas, on the other hand, are described as having transparent skin on their backs through which you can see their organs, usually covered with long hair. They are considered extremely dangerous, akin to skinwalkers or certain types of Fae (if you’re familiar with Fae/Fey mythology).
ENG: Ehe-he...
Here's Blud but human forms
In my headcanon Yerem and Yeremiya were twins who died in the Forest. Than Blud found their bodies in and took their appearance. The entity, back in the days when they were allowed to leave the Forest, had enjoyed watching the strange twin since their childhood...
UA: хіх
Людські подоби Блуда
У моєму гедканоні Єрем та Єремія були двійнятами, які загинули у Лісі. Блуд знаходить їх тіла і бере їх подобу. Сутності ще за часів, коли було дозволено покидати Ліс, подобалося спостерігати за дивакуватою двійнею з їх дитинства...
ENG:
"He grabs your barely perceptible shoulders and breathes hard, looking into the face, as if he didn't expect to see you among the living.
Y: Yulian... Are you...
Vodyanyk doesn't let you finish and hugs you close. His lips cover yours and at that moment the world around dissolves..."
This fragment still makes me cry. This made me so emotional...
And the drawing took a long time (for me). If it weren't for the ref (I don't know who the author is, let me know if you know, please), everything would have gone to hell ;-;
Save me from squama!
UA:
«Він хапає за ледь відчутні плечі і важко дихає, вдивляючись в обличчя, ніби й не сподівався вже побачити серед живих.
Є: Юліане... ти...
Водяник не дає закінчити і пригортає до себе. Його губи накривають твої і цієї миті світ навколо розчиняється...»
Цей фрагмент досі змушує волати. Я буквально випала, коли це відбублося..
А малюнок — було довго (для мене). Якби не реф (не знаю, хто автор, підкажіть, якщо вам відомо, пліз), все попливло б до біса ;-;
Рятуйте від луски!
ENG:
"He grabs your barely perceptible shoulders and breathes hard, looking into the face, as if he didn't expect to see you among the living.
Y: Yulian... Are you...
Vodyanyk doesn't let you finish and hugs you close. His lips cover yours and at that moment the world around dissolves..."
This fragment still makes me cry. This made me so emotional...
And the drawing took a long time (for me). If it weren't for the ref (I don't know who the author is, let me know if you know, please), everything would have gone to hell ;-;
Save me from squama!
UA:
«Він хапає за ледь відчутні плечі і важко дихає, вдивляючись в обличчя, ніби й не сподівався вже побачити серед живих.
Є: Юліане... ти...
Водяник не дає закінчити і пригортає до себе. Його губи накривають твої і цієї миті світ навколо розчиняється...»
Цей фрагмент досі змушує волати. Я буквально випала, коли це відбублося..
А малюнок — було довго (для мене). Якби не реф (не знаю, хто автор, підкажіть, якщо вам відомо, пліз), все попливло б до біса ;-;
Рятуйте від луски!
My last prompt on late @sasori-mini-bang
Day 3
“Mythology AU”
Before we begin I want to add that it was very plesant experience to be a part of this event; thank you from the bottom of my heart for letting me take part in this. I truly appreciate that and I love all of the works other people did.
Going back to my work - it’s the longest one and in the same time the least unique text I wrote. I just hope I hadn’t written any of the characters too ooc. Hope you’ll have fun anyway (pic and pronounciation of one word at the end of the text).
Czytaj dalej
Girls and gays, it took me foreeeeeveer to finish this piece. You may not remember, but i actually have HH OC Palashka .And since she lived in Kyiv, the capital of all European paganism and witchcraft, during her time on Earth, I wanted to make something to show it.
To some of you who don't know, the big yellow bearded fella on the background is Perun. Perun is the most powerful pagan god in Kievan Rus, the ruler of Skyies, the lord of thunder and lightning, the son of the Bilobog, the "god above the gods"; later god-warrior, liberator and destroyer.
In combination with pagan notions of gods and Christian notions of saints, the god Perun was replaced by Elijah the Thunderer, who also conquered thunder and lightning (the days of these holidays coincided - July 20 in the old style). Some features of Perun were also inherited by Archangel Michael.
I found the runic translation of the infamous phrase "For the glory of Perun" ===> ᚹᚩ : ᛋᛚᚨᚹᚢ : ᛈᛖᚱᚢᚾᚨ
I've read a 1912 compendium of criminal case studies featuring peasant girls and women from all corners of former Russian Empire as perpetrators, and I couldn't shake the thought of all those 16, 17, 18 year olds driven to killing themselves, their unwanted children, their husbands two or three times them older who were essentially r*ping them for years. Hence the little mermaid - a Slavic edition (in Slavic folklore, mermaids are a type of the undead). All violence starts with domestic and gender-based violence. Russia is a terrorist state and always has been. Down with empires.
Mara is a powerful Slavic goddess who personifies winter, cycles of life and death. She is also considered the patroness of witchcraft and symbolizes justice.
Just a mage and her man-eating demon siren getting ready to do good deeds
Is it normal I sometimes prefer my alternative universe than original? ^^'
"Найбільш яскраво межова семантика виявляється у віруваннях, приурочених до трьох безмісячних, «пустих», днів. У координатах місячного часу межею називають фазу Місяця, яка передує його народженню, так називають і відповідний час (на межі, переміна, перекрій, чернець). Вірять, що той, хто народився на межі фаз Місяця, не буде мати дітей. У безмісячні дні не сватались і не справляли весілля, вважаючи цей час несприятливим для подальшого подружнього життя. З межовою семантикою таких днів пов’язане вірування в місяшників – трансвеститів, у яких перемежовується жіноча й чоловіча самоідентифікація: «Се такий мущинина, що він раз жинка, а раз чоловік. Місьишники ходьи ув дню у мущинскім убраню. Домашні знати можут за се, хто у них місьишник, більше ніхто. Він може бути годину, дві, днину або ½ місьицьи жинков; се находит єго при зміні місьицьи»
- Фольклорна семантика фаз місяця в часовому коді традиційної культури східних слов'ян, О.Ю. Чебанюк
"The semantic association with liminality is expressed the most vividly in beliefs about the three moonless, "empty" days. Among the coordinates of lunar time the edge is the phase that preceds its birth, the appropriate time is called likewise (on the edge, the change, the cut, chernets). It is believed that those born between moon phases shall remain childless. People would not get engaged or married on the dark moon, as this time was believed to be inauspicious for married life. The liminal association is tied to the belief in misiachnyks - transvestites whose male and female self-identification is interchanged: "It is the kind of man, that he is at some times a man, and some a woman. Misiachnyks walk in a male dress during the day. The family might know which one is misiachnyk among them, but nobody else. He may be a woman an hour, two, a day, or half a month; this happens to him with changes of the moon".
- Folkloric Semantics of Moon Phases in the Time Code of the Traditional Culture of Eastern Slavs, O.Ju. Chebaniuk
rusalki are not mermaids. stop translating the word "rusalka" as "mermaid" and stop calling rusalki "slavic mermaids". it's confusing, it's misleading, and it's simply isn't true. the association of rusalka with a western mermaid and undine began in 19th century, when russian empire poets wanted to adapt a popular western motif of a sorrowful water maid that is unrequitedly in love with a mortal man. this literature character of rusalka has nothing to do with actual rusalki folklore and cult.
rusalki are natural undead spirits that are connected to slavic ancestral worship. they don't have tails. they are not in any way connected to the sea: only lakes, ponds, and rivers. often, they're not even connected to water at all: there are forest rusalki, field rusalki, meadow rusalki, etc. they are in close relationships with their human kin: during the spring and summer, they are used in agricultural rites and are believed to help with farming and raising crops. rusalki were sacred to slavic people. the "week of the rusalki" festival, when rusalki are believed to walk on earth and visit their relatives, is celebrated to this day. to call them "slavic mermaids" is very diminutive of their actual role in slavic cultures.
Dozhinki, the harvest of Jarilo
Between Slavics, they celebrated the harvest of Autumn, which, in ancient times, were dedicated to Jarilo, God of Vegetation, who in Autumn descends in the Underworld.
During this festival the last sheaf of August was decorated with ribbons, symbols, berries and flowers. Besides of the sheaf, they prepared large garlands with bundles of wheat, that will be used during the parade; everything will end with dances, chants, banquets and binge drinkings.
Anciently, the festival was dedicate to the beauty Jarilo, a young God, blinde like wheat and eternally shoeless because where he walked, the earth would regenerate.
The whole mythology which recalls to him is the description of seasonal cycle. Jarilo, son of the God of Thunder Perun, was born the last night of February (anciently was New Year's Eve) and the same day had been kidnapped from the God of Underworld Veles and grew up as his son. During Spring, Jarilo went back to the surface, coming back to life generating vegetation.
During Summer he marries his twin Morana, Goddess of Nature and Death, but in Autumn he is ceremonially killed. Later also Morana dies for the lack of Jarilo, but they both rebirth during Summer Solstice.