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The Prillwitz idols are a large number of bronze
figurine A figurine (a diminutive form of the word ''figure'') or statuette is a small, three-dimensional sculpture that represents a human, deity or animal, or, in practice, a pair or small group of them. Figurines have been made in many media, with cla ...
s and bronze
relief Relief is a sculpture, sculptural method in which the sculpted pieces remain attached to a solid background of the same material. The term ''wikt:relief, relief'' is from the Latin verb , to raise (). To create a sculpture in relief is to give ...
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 of Hohenzieritz) came from a pagan shrine in
Rethra Rethra (also known as ''Radagoszcz'', ''Radegost'', ''Radigast'', ''Redigast'', ''Radgosc'' and other forms like ''Ruthengost'') was, in the 10th to the 12th centuries, the main town and political center of the Slavic Redarians, one of the four ...
, a major town of
Polabian Slavs Polabian Slavs, also known as Elbe Slavs and more broadly as Wends, is a collective term applied to a number of Lechites, Lechitic (West Slavs, West Slavic) tribes who lived scattered along the Elbe river in what is today eastern Germany. The ...
, and Prillwitz is the location of Rethra."Słowo o bałwankach przylwickich", in: ,
Kamienie mikorzyńskie
', Kraków, 1896
A detailed description was published in a 1771 book by Andreas Gottlieb Masch, with illustrations by Daniel Woge. Andreas Gottlieb Masch, Daniel Woge (illustrations)
Die gottesdienstlichen Alterthümer der Obotriten aus dem Tempel zu Rhetra am Tollenzer See
1771
Nowadays they are recognized as an archaeological forgery.


History

While the story was questioned from the very beginning, many experts believed their authenticity, and disputes about them continued well into the 19th century. Finally, with the progress in research techniques in
archaeology Archaeology or archeology is the study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of Artifact (archaeology), artifacts, architecture, biofact (archaeology), biofacts or ecofacts, ...
have led to the conclusion that the technique of some of the molds was from recent times, while others, while being apparently authentic, had no evidence of the connection with
Slavic peoples The Slavs or Slavic people are groups of people who speak Slavic languages. Slavs are geographically distributed throughout the northern parts of Eurasia; they predominantly inhabit Central Europe, Eastern Europe, Southeast Europe, Southeast ...
.Sfalšowani přibohojo Słowjanow
, 2005
Nowadays Slavic neopagans insist that further research may confirm their authenticity.


Figurines

The find contained over 180 idols, instruments and metal utensils. Masch's book presented 66 illustrations (some objects presented in several figures). Count
Jan Potocki Count Jan Potocki (; 8 March 1761 – 23 December 1815) was a Polish nobleman, ethnologist, linguist, traveller and author of the Enlightenment period, whose life and exploits made him a celebrated figure in Poland. He is known chiefly for his ...
subsequently described over 118 more. With a few exceptions each idol was inscribed with a name in runic characters.William Bell
''Shakespeare's Puck, and his folklore''
1852
Those figurines who are supposedly to represent pagan gods have lion heads. From this Piekosiński concludes that these figurines could not be made by
Polabian Slavs Polabian Slavs, also known as Elbe Slavs and more broadly as Wends, is a collective term applied to a number of Lechites, Lechitic (West Slavs, West Slavic) tribes who lived scattered along the Elbe river in what is today eastern Germany. The ...
of pagan times, since they hardly saw lions. Masch mentioned the following names: *Temple gods (Tempelgötter) ** Radegast: Figure 1 p. 51, Figure 2, p. 56, Figure 3 ** Podba, Fig. 4 **Podaga, Fig. 5 ** Percunust, Fig. 6 =? Perkunas ** Nemisa, Fig. 7 ** Zislbog, Fig. 8, Zislbocg =?
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 ...
** Ipabocg, Fig. 9 ** Zibog, Fig.11 ** Schwaixtix Fig. 13 =? Swiatowit
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 ...
, ''Die Wissenschaft des slawischen Mythus im Weitesten, den altpreussisch-lithauischen Mythus mitumfassenden sinne: Nach Quellen bearbeitet, sammt der Literatur der slawisch-preussisch-lithauischen Archäologie und Mythologie''
search for Schwaixtix
1842
** As?ri, Fig. 14 ** Sieba, Fig. 15 **Zernebocg, Fig. 17 =?
Chernobog Chernobog ( "Black God") and Belobog ( "White God") are an alleged pair of Polabian deities. Chernobog appears in Helmold's ''Chronicle'' as a god of misfortune worshipped by the Wagri and Obodrites, while Belobog is not mentioned – he was c ...
*Other **Lelus und Polelus, Fig. 20 = Lel and Polel **Der Herbstgott, Fig. 25 ** Zirnitra, Fig. 34 ** Wodan =?
Odin 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 Em ...
** Balduri =?
Baldr Baldr (Old Norse also Balder, Baldur) is a god in Germanic mythology. In Norse mythology, he is a son of the god Odin and the goddess Frigg, and has numerous brothers, such as Thor and Váli. In wider Germanic mythology, the god was known in ...
** Misizla, Fig. 63 ** Plusso ** Zois, Fig. 62 **Ein Opfermesser der Swantewit, Fig. 50 = Sacrificial knife of Swiatowit 02018 0515 slavic apocrypha, the Prillwitz idols 1794, Mecklenburgischen Volkskundemuseum – Freilichtmuseum Schwerin-Mueß.jpg, Radegast 02018 0525 slavic apocrypha, the Prillwitz idols 1794, Mecklenburgischen Volkskundemuseum – Freilichtmuseum Schwerin-Mueß.jpg,
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 ...
02018 0510 slavic apocrypha, the Prillwitz idols 1794, Mecklenburgischen Volkskundemuseum – Freilichtmuseum Schwerin-Mueß.jpg 02018 0516 slavic apocrypha, the Prillwitz idols 1794, Mecklenburgischen Volkskundemuseum – Freilichtmuseum Schwerin-Mueß.jpg 02018 0527 slavic apocrypha, the Prillwitz idols 1794, Mecklenburgischen Volkskundemuseum – Freilichtmuseum Schwerin-Mueß.jpg 02018 0532 slavic apocrypha, the Prillwitz idols 1794, Mecklenburgischen Volkskundemuseum – Freilichtmuseum Schwerin-Mueß.jpg 02018 0534 slavic apocrypha, the Prillwitz idols 1794, Mecklenburgischen Volkskundemuseum – Freilichtmuseum Schwerin-Mueß.jpg Piekosiński - Kamienie mikorzyńskie - Tabl. IV A. Perkunust.jpg , Perkunust


Notes


References

{{Authority control Archaeological forgeries Fakelore Slavic neopaganism Religious hoaxes