Slavic pseudo-

deities A deity or god is a supernatural being considered to be sacred and worthy of worship due to having authority over some aspect of the universe and/or life. The ''Oxford Dictionary of English'' defines ''deity'' as a God (male deity), god or god ...

(pseudo-

god In monotheistic belief systems, God is usually viewed as the supreme being, creator, and principal object of faith. In polytheistic belief systems, a god is "a spirit or being believed to have created, or for controlling some part of the un ...

s, pseudo-

goddess A goddess is a female deity. In some faiths, a sacred female figure holds a central place in religious prayer and worship. For example, Shaktism (one of the three major Hinduism, Hindu sects), holds that the ultimate deity, the source of all re ...

es) are Slavic deities described in popular and sometimes even

scientific literature Scientific literature encompasses a vast body of academic papers that spans various disciplines within the natural and social sciences. It primarily consists of academic papers that present original empirical research and theoretical ...

, whose historicity is not recognized by the vast majority of scholars, i.e. the deities in question are not deemed actually to have been objects of worship among pagan Slavs. The pseudo-deities of the Slavs, like those of other

ethnic group An ethnicity or ethnic group is a group of people with shared attributes, which they collectively believe to have, and long-term endogamy. Ethnicities share attributes like language, culture, common sets of ancestry, traditions, society, re ...

s, were created as a result of mistakes (e.g., by understanding the

given name A given name (also known as a forename or first name) is the part of a personal name quoted in that identifies a person, potentially with a middle name as well, and differentiates that person from the other members of a group (typically a f ...

as a theonym, unfamiliarity with the

Slavic languages The Slavic languages, also known as the Slavonic languages, are Indo-European languages spoken primarily by the Slavs, Slavic peoples and their descendants. They are thought to descend from a proto-language called Proto-Slavic language, Proto- ...

, misunderstanding of pagan ritual, or uncritical use of sources), as a result of the creation and falsification of Slavic Romantics, or even as a result of falsification for political motives. Much of them are originated from the works described as "

pseudo-mythology Pseudo-mythology ( or ''kabinetnaya mifologiya'', "office mythology", literally "cabinet mythology") are myths and deities which are not properly attested in traditional mythology and folklore or their existence is doubtful or disproved. It may be ...

" (''kabinetnaya mifologiya'', "office mythology", in Russian sources). The reason for the last two may be that, unlike, for example, those of

Greek mythology Greek mythology is the body of myths originally told by the Ancient Greece, ancient Greeks, and a genre of ancient Greek folklore, today absorbed alongside Roman mythology into the broader designation of classical mythology. These stories conc ...

, the sources on Slavic mythology are severely limited. The first Slavic pseudo-deities began to appear as early as the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire and ...

, mainly in Latin Christian texts, as a result of mistakes. Slavic pseudo-deities on a large scale began to appear from the 18th and especially the 19th century. In 1768, a popular forgery of the time appeared, the so-called

Prillwitz idols The Prillwitz idols are a large number of bronze figurines and bronze relief plates allegedly found in the late 17th century. The first publication about them, in 1768, further claimed that the figurines found by the village of Prillwitz (now part ...

, depicting alleged Slavic deities decorated with alleged Slavic

runes Runes are the Letter (alphabet), letters in a set of related alphabets, known as runic rows, runic alphabets or futharks (also, see ''#Futharks, futhark'' vs ''#Runic alphabets, runic alphabet''), native to the Germanic peoples. Runes were ...

. Based on this forgery, many deities were created by Andreas Masch and later by . In the 19th century,

Czech Czech may refer to: * Anything from or related to the Czech Republic, a country in Europe ** Czech language ** Czechs, the people of the area ** Czech culture ** Czech cuisine * One of three mythical brothers, Lech, Czech, and Rus *Czech (surnam ...

philosopher

Ignác Jan Hanuš Ignác Jan Hanuš or, in German, Ignaz Johann Hanusch (28 October 1812, in Prague – 19 May 1869, in Prague) was a Czech philosopher and librarian. Life and work He studied at the grammar school in Old Town (Prague), Staré Město, where one ...

was a popular fantasist, particularly known for his ''Die Wissenschaft des slavischen Mythus'' and ''Bájeslovný kalendář slovanský''. Russian , who was rather uncritical in treating sources in his ''Bozhestva drevnikh slavyan'' ("Deities of the Ancient Slavs"), was also influential. In addition to the above-mentioned authors, every Slavic country had forgers of varying popularity. Contemporary falsification of the Slavic pantheon is continued by in

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...

(e.g. ''Stworze i zdusze, czyli starosłowiańskie boginki i demony. Leksykon'', or ''Mitologia słowiańska: Księga tura''), and by

Alexander Asov Alexander Igorevich Asov (, ; born 29 June 1964), alias Bus Kresen (Бус Кресень, ), is an author of books in Russian pseudohistory (called "фолк-хистори" ("folk-history") in Russian publications), as well as novels and poems ...

Russia Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...

(e.g. ''Kniga Kolyady'').

Popular pseudo-deities

Dzidzilela Dzidzilela, Dzidzileyla, Dzidzilelya is an alleged Polish goddess. First mentioned by Jan Długosz as the Polish equivalent of the Roman goddess Venus, goddess of marriage. Nowadays, the authenticity of the goddess is rejected by most researchers, ...

– according to

Jan Długosz Jan Długosz (; 1 December 1415 – 19 May 1480), also known in Latin as Johannes Longinus, was a Polish priest, chronicler, diplomat, soldier, and secretary to Bishop Zbigniew Oleśnicki of Kraków. He is considered Poland's first histo ...

, the Polish equivalent of

Venus Venus is the second planet from the Sun. It is often called Earth's "twin" or "sister" planet for having almost the same size and mass, and the closest orbit to Earth's. While both are rocky planets, Venus has an atmosphere much thicker ...

, goddess of love, weddings and fertility. *

Chislobog Chislobog () is a slavic pseudo-deity of time and/or numbers invented in the 20th century, mentioned in the ''Book of Veles'', spelled as 'ченслобг' ("chenslobg") The book is normally seen as a literary forgery Literary forgery (also k ...

– pseudo-deity of time and/or numbers invented in the 1900s, mentioned in the ''

Book of Veles The Book of Veles (also called the Veles Book, Vles book, Vlesbook or Isenbeck's Planks; ) is a literary forgery purporting to be a text of ancient Slavic religion and history supposedly written on wooden planks. It contains what purport to be ...

'' *

Vesna Vesna may refer to: * Vesna (mythology), female characters associated with youth and springtime in early Slavic mythology *Vesna (given name), Slavic female name, includes a list of people with the name *Vesna (surname), includes a list of people ...

– alleged goddess of spring *Jutrobog, Jutrnyboh – a supposed god worshipped in

Lusatia Lusatia (; ; ; ; ; ), otherwise known as Sorbia, is a region in Central Europe, formerly entirely in Germany and today territorially split between Germany and modern-day Poland. Lusatia stretches from the Bóbr and Kwisa rivers in the eas ...

. His name consists of the word ''jutry'', ''jutrny'' "morning" and the word ''bog'' "god" and means "Morning God, Aurora". The town of

Jüterbog Jüterbog () is a historic town in north-eastern Germany, in the Teltow-Fläming district of Brandenburg. It is on the Nuthe river at the northern slope of the Fläming hill range, about southwest of Berlin. History The Polabian Slavs, Slavic se ...

is supposed to be named after him, although it is also possible that the last syllable is not ''bog'' but ''bok'' "side", and the name of the city can be translated as "side facing the morning (

east East is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from west and is the direction from which the Sun rises on the Earth. Etymology As in other languages, the word is formed from the fact that ea ...

)". * Kyi – alleged Polish god of blacksmithing who appears in the ''sermons of Gniezno''. *

Kupala Kupala or Kupalo is an alleged Slavic deity who was first mentioned in the 17th century and compared to the Greek goddess Ceres. However, modern scholars of Slavic mythology deny the existence of such a deity. Sources The first source that m ...

– a deity created by medieval chroniclers based on the name of the

Kupala Night Kupala Night (also Kupala's Night or just Kupala; Polish: , : , Russian: Ива́н Купа́ла: , Купала: , Ukrainian: Іван Купало: ) is one of the major folk holidays in some of the Slavic countries that coincides with the C ...

holiday *

Koliada Koliada or koleda (Cyrillic: коляда, коледа, колада, коледе) is the traditional Slavic name for the period from Christmas to Epiphany or, more generally, for Slavic Christmas-related rituals, some dating to pre-Ch ...

– personification of the New Year cycle and a figure in folk rituals mistakenly interpreted by

Alexander Afanasyev Alexander Nikolayevich Afanasyev (; – ) was a Russian Slavist and ethnographer best known for publishing nearly 600 East Slavic and Russian fairy and folk tales, one of the largest collections of folklore in the world. This collection was ...

as a goddess *

Lada LadaAccording to various sources, the name Lada is derived from a Russian word for Viking longships (). (, , marketed as LADAFrom 2004 onwards Lada is marketed worldwide, including in Russia, using the all-capitals brand name written in Latin sc ...

– alleged Polish deity first mentioned by Jan Długosz as a god of war, equivalent to

Mars Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun. It is also known as the "Red Planet", because of its orange-red appearance. Mars is a desert-like rocky planet with a tenuous carbon dioxide () atmosphere. At the average surface level the atmosph ...

, then by Maciej Miechowita recognized as the Polish equivalent of Leda. * – the goddess of love, a word found in Russian folk songs *

Yesha Yesha () is a Hebrew acronym for " Judea, Samaria, Gaza" (, "Yehuda Shomron 'Azza") – a geographical area, roughly corresponding to the West Bank and Gaza Strip combined. ''Yesha'' is one of a number of terms used to describe the areas of for ...

– the chief god of

Poles Pole or poles may refer to: People *Poles (people), another term for Polish people, from the country of Poland * Pole (surname), including a list of people with the name * Pole (musician) (Stefan Betke, born 1967), German electronic music artist ...

according to

, the equivalent of the

Roman Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of Roman civilization *Epistle to the Romans, shortened to Romans, a letter w ...

Jupiter Jupiter is the fifth planet from the Sun and the List of Solar System objects by size, largest in the Solar System. It is a gas giant with a Jupiter mass, mass more than 2.5 times that of all the other planets in the Solar System combined a ...

; nowadays the authenticity of the god is rejected * – hypothetical water goddess proposed by

Nikolay Kostomarov Mykola Ivanovych Kostomarov (; May 16, 1817 – April 19, 1885) or Nikolai Ivanovich Kostomarov () was one of the most distinguished Russian–Ukrainian historians, one of the first anti-Normanists, and the father of modern Ukrainian historiog ...

, rejected by modern scholarship * , Pozvizd – a wind deity mentioned by

Maciej Miechowita Maciej Miechowita (also known as ''Maciej z Miechowa, Maciej of Miechów, Maciej Karpiga, Matthias de Miechow''; 1457 – 8 September 1523) was a Polish Renaissance scholar, professor of Jagiellonian University, historian, chronicler, geogra ...

, and Pohvist, mentioned by

Marcin Kromer Marcin Kromer (Latin: ''Martinus Cromerus''; 11 November 1512 – 23 March 1589) was Prince-Bishop of Warmia (Ermland), a Polish cartographer, diplomat and historian in the Kingdom of Poland and later in the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. He w ...

as a god of inclement weather, in reality probably spirits or demons * Flins – alleged deity of death worshipped by the remnants of the

Sorbs Sorbs (; ; ; ; ; also known as Lusatians, Lusatian Serbs and Wends) are a West Slavs, West Slavic ethnic group predominantly inhabiting the parts of Lusatia located in the German states of Germany, states of Saxony and Brandenburg. Sorbs tradi ...

, mentioned in ''Cronecken der Sassen'' (1492) * Krodo – originally a pseudo-chief-deity of the

Saxons The Saxons, sometimes called the Old Saxons or Continental Saxons, were a Germanic people of early medieval "Old" Saxony () which became a Carolingian " stem duchy" in 804, in what is now northern Germany. Many of their neighbours were, like th ...

in later centuries ascribed to the Slavs * – a figure from South Slavic mythology borrowed by East Slavic writers and later recognized as a deity * – a 19th-century

n pseudo-god of borders, equivalent to the Roman

Terminus Terminus may refer to: Ancient Rome *Terminus (god), a Roman deity who protected boundary markers Transport *Terminal train station or terminus, a railway station serving as an end destination *Bus terminus, a bus station serving as an end des ...

* Uslad – a deity mistakenly created by Siegmund von Herberstein, then repeated by Stryjkowski, who took a fragment of ''

Primary Chronicle The ''Primary Chronicle'', shortened from the common ''Russian Primary Chronicle'' (, commonly transcribed ''Povest' vremennykh let'' (PVL), ), is a Rus' chronicle, chronicle of Kievan Rus' from about 850 to 1110. It is believed to have been or ...

'', ''us zlat'' ("golden moustache" – about the statue of

Perun In Slavic paganism, Slavic mythology, Perun () is the highest god of the Pantheon (religion), pantheon and the god of sky, thunder, lightning, storms, rain, law, war, fertility and oak trees. His other attributes were fire, mountains, wind, ir ...

), as theonym, and compared it to

Cupid In classical mythology, Cupid ( , meaning "passionate desire") is the god of desire, erotic love, attraction and affection. He is often portrayed as the son of the love goddess Venus and the god of war Mars. He is also known as Amor (Latin: ...

West Slavs

Polabian Slavs

* Goderac () –

Arnold of Lübeck Arnold of Lübeck (died 1211–1214) was a Benedictine abbot, a chronicler, the author of the '' Chronica Slavorum'' and advocate of the papal cause in the Hohenstaufen conflict. He was a monk at St. Ägidien monastery in Braunschweig, then from 11 ...

, in ''Chronica Slavorum'' (his sequel to

Helmold Helmold of Bosau (c. 1120 – after 1177) was a Saxon historian of the 12th century and a priest at Bosau near Plön. He was a friend of the two bishops of Oldenburg in Holstein, Vicelinus (died 1154) and Gerold (died 1163), who did much ...

's ''Chronicle''; V, 24), wrote that Bernon (died 1190 or 1191), bishop of

Schwerin Schwerin (; Mecklenburgisch-Vorpommersch dialect, Mecklenburgisch-Vorpommersch Low German: ''Swerin''; Polabian language, Polabian: ''Zwierzyn''; Latin: ''Suerina'', ''Suerinum'') is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Germ ...

, destroyed the pagan cult, and in place of the deity Goderac ordered St. Godehard, bishop of

Hildesheim Hildesheim (; or ; ) is a city in Lower Saxony, in north-central Germany with 101,693 inhabitants. It is in the district of Hildesheim (district), Hildesheim, about southeast of Hanover on the banks of the Innerste River, a small tributary of t ...

, to be worshipped, taking advantage of the similarity of names. The deification was the result of a mistake – the name Goderac appears as early as 1171 in

Henry the Lion Henry the Lion (; 1129/1131 – 6 August 1195), also known as Henry III, Duke of Saxony (ruled 1142-1180) and Henry XII, Duke of Bavaria (ruled 1156-1180), was a member of the Welf dynasty. Henry was one of the most powerful German princes of ...

, who granted the bishopric of Schwerin "the village of St. Godehard, which was once called Goderac," and the name itself is probably derived from a personal name, perhaps that of the village owner. *

Julius Caesar Gaius Julius Caesar (12 or 13 July 100 BC – 15 March 44 BC) was a Roman general and statesman. A member of the First Triumvirate, Caesar led the Roman armies in the Gallic Wars before defeating his political rival Pompey in Caesar's civil wa ...

– According to ''Life of Saint Otto'', Julius' spear was venerated in

Wolin Wolin (; ) is a Polish island in the Baltic Sea, just off the Polish coast. Administratively, the island belongs to the West Pomeranian Voivodeship. Wolin is separated from the island of Usedom (Uznam) by the Strait of Świna, and from mainla ...

, which was also called Julin (Iulin) after Julius Caesar. According to the authors, it was supposed to be in a wooden column and slightly rusty. The Julius theme was later developed by Wincenty Kadlubek in his account of the battle of the

Lechites Lechites (, ), also known as the Lechitic tribes (, ), is a name given to certain West Slavs, West Slavic tribes who inhabited modern-day Poland and eastern Germany, and were speakers of the Lechitic languages. Distinct from the Czech–Slovak lan ...

led by Leszko III against Julius. * Suentebueck – The 15th-century ''Passion of the Martyrs of Ebstorf'' speaks of Slavs who abandoned Christianity after the death of

Charlemagne Charlemagne ( ; 2 April 748 – 28 January 814) was List of Frankish kings, King of the Franks from 768, List of kings of the Lombards, King of the Lombards from 774, and Holy Roman Emperor, Emperor of what is now known as the Carolingian ...

, who were said to have erected statues of Suentebueck, Vitelubbe, and Radegast that had been toppled earlier. Strzelczyk interprets the name as ''svęty byk'' "sacred bull", or less likely ''Svęty Vit'' "

Saint Vitus Vitus (), whose name is sometimes rendered Guy or Guido, was a Christian martyr from Sicily. His surviving hagiography is pure legend. The dates of his actual life are unknown.Basil Watkins, ''The Book of Saints: A Comprehensive Biographical ...

" (

Svetovit Svetovit, also known as Sventovit and Svantovit amongst other variants, is the god of abundance and war, and the chief god of the Slavic tribe of the Rani, and later of all the Polabian Slavs. His organized cult was located on the island of Rü ...

?). * Vittelube – A deity also mentioned in the ''Passion''. Probably recognized by the author as the name of a deity because of the occurrence of the local name Vietlübbe next to the local name Radegast, both in the district of

Gadebusch Gadebusch () is a town in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania in the district of Nordwestmecklenburg. Halfway between Lübeck, Schwerin and Wismar, it is part of the Hamburg Metropolitan Region. The town is known for two notable monuments: the ''Stadt ...

. * Svitibor, Zuttibor - a deity mentioned by Abraham Frentzel. Christian Knauthe translated the name as "Holy Forest". * Puscetus - a deity mentioned by Abraham Frentzel. According to Christian Knauthe, the name sounded like the Slavic word ''bosowske'' "

elderberry ''Sambucus'' is a genus of between 20 and 30 species of flowering plants in the family Adoxaceae. The various species are commonly referred to as elder, with the flowers as elderflower, and the fruit as elderberry. Description Elders are most ...

", "Deus Sambuceus like", and meant "one who lives under the Sambuceus tree". * Ciza - goddess of maternal feeding according to Christian Knauthe. Her name was supposed to be derived from the Slavic word ''zyz'' (

Polish Polish may refer to: * Anything from or related to Poland, a country in Europe * Polish language * Polish people, people from Poland or of Polish descent * Polish chicken * Polish brothers (Mark Polish and Michael Polish, born 1970), American twin ...

''cyc'') "breast". * Püsterich – In the middle of the 16th century, a bronze figure (57 cm.) of a pot-bellied man with one arm raised to his forehead, the rest of the limbs missing, was found at

Castle A castle is a type of fortification, fortified structure built during the Middle Ages predominantly by the nobility or royalty and by Military order (monastic society), military orders. Scholars usually consider a ''castle'' to be the private ...

in the Kyffhäuser mountains (

Thuringia Thuringia (; officially the Free State of Thuringia, ) is one of Germany, Germany's 16 States of Germany, states. With 2.1 million people, it is 12th-largest by population, and with 16,171 square kilometers, it is 11th-largest in area. Er ...

). There are two holes in the head, the head and torso is hollow inside. There were different interpretations of this figurine: Abraham Frentzel (1791) recognized Püsterich as a deity of Slavs from Thuringia linking him with the Polish word ''bystry'' "smart, bright, shrewd", others regarded him as a god of fire, or a god of both Slavs and

Germans Germans (, ) are the natives or inhabitants of Germany, or sometimes more broadly any people who are of German descent or native speakers of the German language. The Basic Law for the Federal Republic of Germany, constitution of Germany, imple ...

. The figurine was used as a toy, it acted as a kind of

steam boiler file:Dampfkessel für eine Stationärdampfmaschine im Textilmuseum Bocholt.jpg, An industrial boiler, originally used for supplying steam to a stationary steam engine A boiler or steam generator is a device used to create steam by applying heat ...

, heated water poured out through holes in the head.

Prillwitz idols

Many of the deities were created by

Andreas Gottlieb Masch Andreas Gottlieb Masch (5 December 1724 – 26 October 1807) was a Evangelical Church in Germany, German Lutheran Theology, theologian and scholar. He acted as superintendent for Mecklenburg-Strelitz (district), Mecklenburg-Strelitz and became ...

(1771), a

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...

theologian who studied the so-called

, taking them to be authentic Slavic statues, but which are now recognized as 17th century

forgeries Forgery is a white-collar crime that generally consists of the false making or material alteration of a legal instrument with the specific intent to defraud. Tampering with a certain legal instrument may be forbidden by law in some jurisdict ...

. The drawings for his book were made by Daniel Woge, a German painter and illustrator. Masch's information was further repeated by

Martin Friedrich Arendt Martin may refer to: Places Antarctica * Martin Peninsula, Marie Byrd Land * Port Martin, Adelie Land * Point Martin, South Orkney Islands Europe * Martin, Croatia, a village * Martin, Slovakia, a city * Martín del Río, Aragón, Spain * Mart� ...

(1820), a German botanist and antiquarian, and

Bernhard Severin Ingemann Bernhard Severin Ingemann (28 May 1789 – 24 February 1862) was a Danish novelist and poet. Biography Ingemann was born in Torkilstrup, on the island of Falster, Denmark. The son of a vicar, he was left fatherless in his youth. He atten ...

(1824), a Danish writer. Andreas Gottlieb Masch: * Sieba * Zibog, Siebog * Nemisa * Podba * Percunust * Schwaixtix * Zislbog, Zislbocg * Zirnitra, Zir *

Wodan Odin (; from ) is a widely revered god in Norse mythology and Germanic paganism. Most surviving information on Odin comes from Norse mythology, but he figures prominently in the recorded history of Northern Europe. This includes the Roman Emp ...

* Balduri * Ipabog, Ipabocg * Misizla * Plusso * Zois Martin Friedrich Arendt: * Tara(n) * Othin * Gestrab * Raziva * Tsibaz *

Hela HeLa () is an immortalized cell line used in scientific research. It is the oldest human cell line and one of the most commonly used. HeLa cells are durable and prolific, allowing for extensive applications in scientific study. The line is ...

* Kricco * Opora * Karevit * Hirovit * Marovit * Gilbog * Juthrbog * Urii * Pya * Mita * Sicksa * Berstuk * Gudii

Czechs

Václav Hájek, a Czech chronicler who is accused of making up many events in his work, lists the deities in his ''Chronicle'': Klimba, Krasatina, Krosina. Hájek gained imitators after his death: Pavel Stránský, Jan Jiří Středovský, Juraj Papánek, who added the following deities by themselves: Chasoň, Ladoň, Zeloň, Živěna, Nočena, Krasopaní, Hladolet. Priest Antonín Liška, one of the translators of

Homer Homer (; , ; possibly born ) was an Ancient Greece, Ancient Greek poet who is credited as the author of the ''Iliad'' and the ''Odyssey'', two epic poems that are foundational works of ancient Greek literature. Despite doubts about his autho ...

into

, also made up deities. He replaced Greek theonyms with similar Czech ones or just transferred them into Czech. He gave up to three versions of the same invented Czech name, writing them in brackets or footnotes: * Bělobohyň (

Leucothea In Greek mythology, Leucothea (; ), sometimes also called Leucothoe (), was a Water deity, sea goddess. Myths surrounding Leucothea typically concern her original identity, either as Ino (Greek mythology), Ino or Halia of Rhodes, Halia, and her t ...

) * Boležal (

Megapenthes In Greek mythology, Megapenthes (; Ancient Greek: Μεγαπένθης ''Megapénthēs'' means "great sorrow") is a name that refers to two characters: * Megapenthes, a son of Proetus. * Megapenthes, a son of Menelaus. Pausanias3.19.9 Notes ...

) * Bořivoj (

Rhexenor In Greek mythology, Rhexenor ( means "breaking armed ranks") may refer to the following figures: * Rhexenor, a Phaeacian prince as son of King Nausithous and the brother of Alcinous who married his daughter Arete. Apollo killed Rhexenor in his ha ...

) * Buraš ( Boreas) * Děvany (

nymph A nymph (; ; sometimes spelled nymphe) is a minor female nature deity in ancient Greek folklore. Distinct from other Greek goddesses, nymphs are generally regarded as personifications of nature; they are typically tied to a specific place, land ...

) * Dáloboj (

Telemachus In Greek mythology, Telemachus ( ; ) is the son of Odysseus and Penelope, who are central characters in Homer's ''Odyssey''. When Telemachus reached manhood, he visited Pylos and Sparta in search of his wandering father. On his return to Ithaca, ...

) * Hněvoň, Hněvoš, Hněvsa (

Odysseus In Greek mythology, Greek and Roman mythology, Odysseus ( ; , ), also known by the Latin variant Ulysses ( , ; ), is a legendary Greeks, Greek king of Homeric Ithaca, Ithaca and the hero of Homer's Epic poetry, epic poem, the ''Odyssey''. Od ...

) * Hrozivec, Protiva, Lidosvit (

Styx In Greek mythology, Styx (; ; lit. "Shuddering"), also called the River Styx, is a goddess and one of the rivers of the Greek Underworld. Her parents were the Titans Oceanus and Tethys, and she was the wife of the Titan Pallas and the moth ...

) * Chasoň, Jason, Slunce Hyperionovec (

Helios In ancient Greek religion and Greek mythology, mythology, Helios (; ; Homeric Greek: ) is the god who personification, personifies the Sun. His name is also Latinized as Helius, and he is often given the epithets Hyperion ("the one above") an ...

) * Jarec, Jaroš, Jařec (

Ares Ares (; , ''Árēs'' ) is the List of Greek deities, Greek god of war god, war and courage. He is one of the Twelve Olympians, and the son of Zeus and Hera. The Greeks were ambivalent towards him. He embodies the physical valor necessary for ...

) * Kolohledi (

Cyclopes In Greek mythology and later Roman mythology, the Cyclopes ( ; , ''Kýklōpes'', "Circle-eyes" or "Round-eyes"; singular Cyclops ; , ''Kýklōps'') are giant one-eyed creatures. Three groups of Cyclopes can be distinguished. In Hesiod's ''The ...

) * Lada, Pěnonorka (

Aphrodite Aphrodite (, ) is an Greek mythology, ancient Greek goddess associated with love, lust, beauty, pleasure, passion, procreation, and as her syncretism, syncretised Roman counterpart , desire, Sexual intercourse, sex, fertility, prosperity, and ...

) * Lichoplesy, Ochechule (

Sirens Siren or sirens may refer to: Common meanings * Siren (alarm), a loud acoustic alarm used to alert people to emergencies * Siren (mythology), an enchanting but dangerous monster in Greek mythology that lured sailors to their deaths. Places * Si ...

) * Meneslav (

Menelaus In Greek mythology, Menelaus (; ) was a Greek king of Mycenaean (pre- Dorian) Sparta. According to the ''Iliad'', the Trojan war began as a result of Menelaus's wife, Helen, fleeing to Troy with the Trojan prince Paris. Menelaus was a central ...

) * Milostenky (

Charites In Greek mythology, the Charites (; ), singular Charis (), also called the Graces, are goddesses who personify beauty and grace. According to Hesiod, the Charites were Aglaia (Grace), Aglaea, Euphrosyne, and Thalia (Grace), Thalia, who were the ...

) * Nevid (

Hades Hades (; , , later ), in the ancient Greek religion and Greek mythology, mythology, is the god of the dead and the king of the Greek underworld, underworld, with which his name became synonymous. Hades was the eldest son of Cronus and Rhea ...

) * Netřena (

Athena Athena or Athene, often given the epithet Pallas, is an ancient Greek religion, ancient Greek goddess associated with wisdom, warfare, and handicraft who was later syncretism, syncretized with the Roman goddess Minerva. Athena was regarde ...

) *

Peroun In Slavic mythology, Perun () is the highest god of the pantheon and the god of sky, thunder, lightning, storms, rain, law, war, fertility and oak trees. His other attributes were fire, mountains, wind, iris, eagle, firmament (in Indo-Europe ...

(

Zeus Zeus (, ) is the chief deity of the List of Greek deities, Greek pantheon. He is a sky father, sky and thunder god in ancient Greek religion and Greek mythology, mythology, who rules as king of the gods on Mount Olympus. Zeus is the child ...

) * Pršenky (

Pleiades The Pleiades (), also known as Seven Sisters and Messier 45 (M45), is an Asterism (astronomy), asterism of an open cluster, open star cluster containing young Stellar classification#Class B, B-type stars in the northwest of the constellation Tau ...

) * Pyripalič (

Phlegethon In Greek mythology, the river Phlegethon () or Pyriphlegethon (, ) was one of the five rivers in the infernal regions of the underworld, along with the rivers Styx, Lethe, Cocytus, and Acheron. Mythology According to Homer's ''Odyssey'', t ...

) * Radhost Zevs (

Xenia Xenia may refer to: People * Xenia (name), a feminine given name; includes a list of people with this name Places United States ''listed alphabetically by state'' * Xenia, Illinois, a village in Clay County ** Xenia Township, Clay County, Il ...

) * Skuhravec (

Cocytus Cocytus or Kokytos (, literally "lamentation") is the river of wailing in the underworld in Greek mythology. Cocytus flows into the river Acheron, on the other side of which lies Hades, the underworld, the mythological abode of the dead. There ...

) * Sudičky (

Keres In Greek mythology, the Keres (; Ancient Greek: Κῆρες) were female death-spirits. They were the goddesses who personified violent death and who were drawn to bloody deaths on battlefields. Although they were present during death and dyin ...

) * Světloň ("sunny horse") * Svrchovanec ( Hyperion) * Uměná, Umka (

Muse In ancient Greek religion and Greek mythology, mythology, the Muses (, ) were the Artistic inspiration, inspirational goddesses of literature, science, and the arts. They were considered the source of the knowledge embodied in the poetry, lyric p ...

) * Ukryta ( Calypso) * Vodan, Vodeň, Vodín (

Poseidon Poseidon (; ) is one of the twelve Olympians in ancient Greek religion and mythology, presiding over the sea, storms, earthquakes and horses.Burkert 1985pp. 136–139 He was the protector of seafarers and the guardian of many Hellenic cit ...

) * Vodanky víly (

Naiad In Greek mythology, the naiads (; ), sometimes also hydriads, are a type of female spirit, or nymph, presiding over fountains, wells, springs, streams, brooks and other bodies of fresh water. They are distinct from river gods, who embodied ...

) * Vzteklice (

Erinyes The Erinyes ( ; , ), also known as the Eumenides (, the "Gracious ones"), are chthonic goddesses of vengeance in ancient Greek religion and mythology. A formulaic oath in the ''Iliad'' invokes them as "the Erinyes, that under earth tak ...

) * Žalotok (

Acheron The Acheron ( or ; ''Acheron'' or Ἀχερούσιος ''Acherousios''; ''Acherontas'') is a river in the Epirus (region), Epirus region of northwest Greece. It is long, and has a drainage area of . The river's source is located near the vil ...

) * Žehlan (

Hephaestus Hephaestus ( , ; wikt:Hephaestus#Alternative forms, eight spellings; ) is the Greek god of artisans, blacksmiths, carpenters, craftsmen, fire, metallurgy, metalworking, sculpture and volcanoes.Walter Burkert, ''Greek Religion'' 1985: III.2. ...

) * Živena (

Demeter In ancient Greek religion and Greek mythology, mythology, Demeter (; Attic Greek, Attic: ''Dēmḗtēr'' ; Doric Greek, Doric: ''Dāmā́tēr'') is the Twelve Olympians, Olympian goddess of the harvest and agriculture, presiding over cro ...

) Another forgery is the glosses added to ''

Mater Verborum Title page of «Mater Verborum» Mater Verborum (or Glosa Salomonis) is a medieval encyclopedical dictionary written in Latin language around 1240. The document is especially renowned for the more than 1000 comments written in it in the medieval ...

'', a Czech-Latin dictionary, added by

Václav Hanka Václav Hanka (also written as ''Wenceslaus Hanka'') (10 June 1791 – 12 January 1861) was a Czechs, Czech philologist. Biography Hanka was born at Hořiněves near Hradec Králové. He was sent in 1807 to school at Hradec Králové, to esca ...

, containing deities invented by him: * Sytiwrat (

Saturn Saturn is the sixth planet from the Sun and the second largest in the Solar System, after Jupiter. It is a gas giant, with an average radius of about 9 times that of Earth. It has an eighth the average density of Earth, but is over 95 tim ...

) * Hladolet (Saturn) * Kirt (Saturn) * Kralomocz (

) * Smrtonoss (

) * Chtytel (

) * Dobropan ( Mercury) * Porvata (

Persephone In ancient Greek mythology and Ancient Greek religion, religion, Persephone ( ; , classical pronunciation: ), also called Kore ( ; ) or Cora, is the daughter of Zeus and Demeter. She became the queen of the Greek underworld, underworld afte ...

) * Příje (Venus) * Letnicě (

Latona In ancient Greek mythology and religion, Leto (; ) is a childhood goddess, the daughter of the Titans Coeus and Phoebe, the sister of Asteria, and the mother of Apollo and Artemis.Hesiod, ''Theogony'404–409/ref> In the Olympian scheme, t ...

) * Chliba ( Salacia) * Jasni (

Isis Isis was a major goddess in ancient Egyptian religion whose worship spread throughout the Greco-Roman world. Isis was first mentioned in the Old Kingdom () as one of the main characters of the Osiris myth, in which she resurrects her sla ...

) * Svoba (

Libertas Libertas (Latin for 'liberty' or 'freedom', ) is the Roman goddess and personification of liberty. She became a politicised figure in the late republic. She sometimes also appeared on coins from the imperial period, such as Galba's "Freedom ...

) * Zcuor or Ztuor (

Osiris Osiris (, from Egyptian ''wikt:wsjr, wsjr'') was the ancient Egyptian deities, god of fertility, agriculture, the Ancient Egyptian religion#Afterlife, afterlife, the dead, resurrection, life, and vegetation in ancient Egyptian religion. He was ...

) * Jarobud (

Demetrius Demetrius is the Latinization of names, Latinized form of the Ancient Greek male name, male Greek given names, given name ''Dēmḗtrios'' (), meaning "devoted to goddess Demeter". Alternate forms include Demetrios, Dimitrios, Dimitris, Dmytro, ...

) * Stracchus Hanka also mentions gods from other sources, e.g. Belebog,

, Živa,

Triglav Triglav (; ; ), with an elevation of , is the highest mountain in Slovenia and the highest peak of the Julian Alps. The mountain is the pre-eminent symbol of the Slovene nation, appearing on the Coat of arms of Slovenia, coat of arms and Flag ...

Veles Veles may refer to: *Veles (god), a Slavic god *Veles Municipality, in North Macedonia *Veles, North Macedonia, a city, seat of the municipality, formerly called Titov Veles *Veles Bastion, Stribog Mountains on Brabant Island, Antarctica *Veles, s ...

Devana Devana ( , ), Zevana (), less often Zievonia () is the goddess of wild nature, forests, hunting and the moon worshiped by the Western Slavs. In the sources, she was first mentioned in the 15th century by Jan Długosz, who compared her to the Roma ...

, and

Morana Morana may refer to: * Moraña, a municipality in Galicia, Spain * Morana Dam, an earthfill dam on Morana river near Patan, Satara district in the state of Maharashtra in India * Marzanna, Slavic goddess of death * ''Morana'' (film), a 1994 Slove ...

. In addition, he mentions many demons, including

vesna Vesna may refer to: * Vesna (mythology), female characters associated with youth and springtime in early Slavic mythology *Vesna (given name), Slavic female name, includes a list of people with the name *Vesna (surname), includes a list of people ...

East Slavs

Book of Veles

The ''

'' is a 20th century forgery that has gained particular popularity among

Ukrainians Ukrainians (, ) are an East Slavs, East Slavic ethnic group native to Ukraine. Their native tongue is Ukrainian language, Ukrainian, and the majority adhere to Eastern Orthodox Church, Eastern Orthodoxy, forming the List of contemporary eth ...

. It lists, in addition to authentic gods, the following pseudo-gods: * Vyšenʹ (

Russian Russian(s) may refer to: *Russians (), an ethnic group of the East Slavic peoples, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries *A citizen of Russia *Russian language, the most widely spoken of the Slavic languages *''The Russians'', a b ...

: Вышень) * Lelja (Леля) * Letnica (Летница) * Kolendo (Колендо) * Krʹšenʹ (Крьшень) * Deržatelʹ (Держатель) * Snvʹіj (Снвьій) * Belojare (Белояре) * Lado (Ладо) * Kupalo (Купало) * Senic (Сениц) * Žitnec (Житнец) * Veniŝč (Венищ) * Zernic (Зерниц) * Ovsenic (Овсениц) * Prosicʹ (Просиць) * Studecʹ (Студець) * Ledic (Ледиц) * Ljutecʹ (Лютець) * Ptiščec (Птищец) * Zverenc (Зверенц) * Milic (Милиц) * Dozdec (Доздец) * Plodec (Плодец) * Jagodnec (Ягоднец) * Pščelic (Пщелиц) * Rostic (Ростиц) * Klenčič (Кленчич) * Zzerenč (Ззеренч) * Vetricʹ (Ветриць) * Slomicʹ (Сломиць) * Gribicʹ (Грибиць) * Loviščʹ (Ловищь) * Besedicʹ (Беседиць) * Snezicʹ (Снезиць) * Stranicʹ (Страниць) * Sventicʹ (Свентиць) * Radnicʹ (Радниць) * Sveticʹ (Светиць) * Korovicʹ (Коровиць) * Krasicʹ (Красиць) * Travicʹ (Травиць) * Steblicʹ (Стеблиць) * Rodicʹ (Родиць) * Maslecʹ (Маслець) * Živicʹ (Живиць) * Vedicʹ (Ведиць) * Listvicʹ (Листвиць) * Kveticʹ (Кветиць) * Vodišč (Водищ) * Zvezdicʹ (Звездиць) * Gromič (Громич) * Semišč (Семищ) * Lipecʹ (Липець) * Rembicʹ (Рембиць) * Brezičʹ (Брезичь) * Zelenicʹ (Зелениць) * Goricʹ (Гориць) * Stradicʹ (Страдиць) * Spasicʹ (Спасиць) * Listeverzicʹ (Листеверзиць) * Mʹjuslicʹ (Мьюслиць) * Gosticʹ (Гостиць) * Raticʹ (Ратиць) * Stranicʹ (Страниць) * Čurncʹ (Чурнць) * Rodicʹ (Родиць) * Ognebog Semerogelʹ (Огнебог Семерогель) * Čislobog (Числобог) * Kvasur (Квасур)

Others

* Uslad (Услад) – a deity mistakenly created by Siegmund von Herberstein, then repeated by Stryjkowski, who took a fragment of ''

'', ''us zlat'' ("golden moustache" – about the statue of

), as theonym, and compared it to

. * Zimtserla (Зимцерла) – goddess who first appears in the Russian translation (1722) of '' Kingdom of the Slavs'', by the Croatian writer

Mauro Orbini Mavro Orbini (1563–1614) was a Ragusan chronicler, notable for his work '' The Realm of the Slavs'' (1601) which influenced Slavic ideology and historiography in the later centuries. Life Orbini was born in Ragusa (now Dubrovnik), the capital ...

. The translator incorrectly transferred the theonym ''

Semargl Simargl (also Sěmargl, Semargl) or Sěm and Rgel is an East Slavic god or gods often depicted as a winged dog, mentioned in two sources. The origin and etymology of this/these figure(s) is the subject of considerable debate. The dominant view i ...

'', written by Orbini as ''Simaergla'', by writing the letter ''a'' as ''s'' and removing the letter ''g'', probably due to

euphony Phonaesthetics (also spelled phonesthetics in North America) is the study of the beauty and pleasantness associated with the sounds of certain words or parts of words. The term was first used in this sense, perhaps by during the mid-20th century ...

, and thus ''Simserla'' was created. The goddess is then mentioned by Mikhail Popov in his mythological dictionary; according to him, the corrupted name may have been derived from the words зима, ''zima'' ("winter"), and the verb стерть, ''stiertʹ'' ("to wipe off"), and would be a goddess of flowers, similar to

Aurora An aurora ( aurorae or auroras), also commonly known as the northern lights (aurora borealis) or southern lights (aurora australis), is a natural light display in Earth's sky, predominantly observed in high-latitude regions (around the Arc ...

. Zimtserla later appears in many Russian texts. She was erroneously believed to be the ''Aurora'' of the "Slavonians" and a "Queen of Flowers" or goddess of spring, akin to Roman

Flora Flora (: floras or florae) is all the plant life present in a particular region or time, generally the naturally occurring (indigenous (ecology), indigenous) native plant, native plants. The corresponding term for animals is ''fauna'', and for f ...

South Slavs

One of the major forgeries from the

South Slavs South Slavs are Slavic people who speak South Slavic languages and inhabit a contiguous region of Southeast Europe comprising the eastern Alps and the Balkan Peninsula. Geographically separated from the West Slavs and East Slavs by Austria, ...

is the

Serbian Serbian may refer to: * Pertaining to Serbia in Southeast Europe; in particular **Serbs, a South Slavic ethnic group native to the Balkans ** Serbian language ** Serbian culture **Demographics of Serbia, includes other ethnic groups within the co ...

Песме и обичаи укупног народа српског (1869; "Songs and customs of the all Serbian peoples") by Miloš Milojević: * Kupalo () * Koledo () * Koled () * Živboža () * Živanija () * Svaroga () * Prprьruša () * Pravid () * Svevid () * Ljelj () * Ljelja () * Poljelj () * Poljelja () * Lada () * Branjanj () * Živ () * Davor () * Gostoslav () * Vodan () * Vodana () * Moran () * Morica () * Pra Pra Bog () * Preslav () * Višnji () * Ježdraksin () * Belgostić () * Tug () * Pravd () * Crnobar () * Vihor () * Kračun () * Praovil () * Belbožić () The second important forgery is ''

Veda Slovena ''Veda Slovena'' (Веда Словена in Modern Bulgarian, originally written as Веда Словенахъ) is an ethnographic collection of folk songs and legends of the Muslim Bulgarians; the subtitle of the book indicated that they wer ...

'' (1874) by

Stefan Verković Stefan may refer to: * Stefan (given name) * Stefan (surname) * Ștefan, a Romanian given name and a surname * Štefan, a Slavic given name and surname * Stefan (footballer) (born 1988), Brazilian footballer * Stefan Heym, pseudonym of German writ ...

: * Kuledo () * Kuleda () * Ognen () * Vishnu () * Vodin () * Surva () * Rosna () * Žijne () * Surica () * Iognica () * Masina () * Rue () * Vitna () * Igne () * Jognica () * Dʺžna () * Dia () * Jara () * Druida () In Croatia, a long list of authors contributed to romanticized interpretations, uncritical theories and unverifiable claims about Croatian pagan beliefs. This group includes the likes of Giorgio Sisgoreo,

Marin Držić Marin Držić (; also ''Marino Darza'' or ''Marino Darsa''; 1508 – 2 May 1567) was a Croatian writer from Republic of Ragusa. He is considered to be one of the finest Renaissance playwrights and prose writers of Croatian literature. Li ...

Matija Petar Katančić Matija Petar Katančić (; 1750–1825) was a Croatian writer and scholar. His fields include poetry, literary theory, philology, lexicography, aesthetics, archaeology, and numismatics. He is considered the father of Croatian archaeology in modern ...

Pavao Ritter Vitezović Pavao Ritter Vitezović (; 7 January 1652 – 20 January 1713) was a Habsburg-Croatian polymath, variously described as a historian, linguist, publisher, poet, political theorist, diplomat, printmaker, draughtsman, cartographer, writer and printe ...

Natko Nodilo Natko Nodilo (31 August 1834 – 21 May 1912) was a Croatian politician, historian, journalist, university professor, and chancellor of the University of Zagreb. Born in Split, he studied theology in Zadar until 1856, when he dropped out of colle ...

, Nikola Sučić and

Franjo Ledić Franjo Ledić (; 12 March 1892 – 26 September 1981) was a Yugoslav expressionist film director, producer and screenwriter from Derventa, one of the first notable Croatian film authors and self-proclaimed "first Yugoslav film director". He is be ...

, among others. These authors' works are now sources of many pseudo-deities and fabricated systems in what is today popularly considered Croatian folklore, including Črt, Sarmand, Velja and an entire systematically presented "Croatian pantheon" containing deities such as Bjelobog, Danica, Domovoj, Slava,

, Voloska, Zora and Žibog.

References

Bibliography

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * {{Slavic mythology

Slavic pseudo-deities Slavic pseudo-Deity, deities (pseudo-gods, pseudo-goddesses) are Slavic deities described in Popular literature, popular and sometimes even scientific literature, whose historicity is not recognized by the vast majority of scholars, i.e. the deit ...