Baba Yaga - is a Slavic Crone of ancient Russia and the Baltic Regions, where the Goddess Culture for thousands of years in the region known as Old Europe. Baba Yaga is often seen as the gruesome Witch, who has a reputation of scaring forest dwellers and eat children for trespassing. Her house, like any good place of worship is said to move on it's own. Her lawn is covered in skulls and these were all who did not approach her with proper respect. Baba Yaga is a Goddess of Life, Death, and ultimately Rebirth, as she tested those who came to here. As a harvest Goddess, she plants us, raises us, cuts us down, stores us through the winter's night, and finally replants us. She represents that which is feared and that which we fear. Thinking on the Goddess Baba Yaga, remember what we fear will kill us if we turn our backs to it. It is better to face our fears no matter how gruesome, then to find our energy scattered and unable to return. Goddess of death and regeneration. Baba Yaga can appear as either an old crone or a beautiful young woman. Baba Yaga lives in darkness and eats people, but she has the gift of prophecy as well. "Grandmother Bony-shanks". A terrifying Witch who flew through the air in a mortar using the pestle as a rudder and sweeping away her tracks with a broom. She lived in a revolving house which stood on chicken legs. Her fence was made of human bones and was topped with skulls. The keyhole was a mouth filled with sharp teeth. She would aid those who were strong and pure of heart and eat those who were not. She is seen as a Goddess of death and initiation. Goddess of death and regeneration. Baba Yaga can appear as either an old crone or a beautiful young woman. Baba Yaga lives in darkness and eats people, but she has the gift of prophecy as well.
Bereginy - Traditionally "covens" of old women performed the rituals and sacrifices for these river bank nymphs. Bóginki means "little Goddess". They were said to steal human babies and leave behind changelings called Odmience in Polish, Oborotni in Russian.These spirits were the original spirits of life and predate the sky deities. They are the forerunners of the Rusalki
Bolotnyi - swamp, female bog spirit
Dennitsa - Slavonic morning star Goddess, her sister Vechernyaya being the evening star. Together they help Zorya, the Dawn tend the Sun's white horse. Some say that Dennitsa is the wife of Myestyas, the Male moon. The Sunrise, opens the gates of the heavens in the morning to allow the Sun to make its journey across the skies. Wieczorniaia (Polish) is the Sunset, and welcomes the Sun back after the day's journey is completed, closing the gates behind him. It is to the crone aspect, Polnoca, that the Sun ultimately returns, as she is death and rebirth; he "dies" each day, is rejuvenated in her arms to be reborn and return in the morning.
Devana - Goddess of the hunt. Young, beautiful, she rode a swift horse through the forest of the Elbe and the Carpathians, with a pack hounds. A name form of Diana.
Dimste - Household Goddess.
Dodola from "doit" - to give milk. A South Slavic cloud/rain goddess. Rain was thought to be a form of divine milk, sometimes thought to be from Dodola, sometimes the milk of Mokosh. Often, the clouds were perceived to be heavenly women or even cows. In Serbia, the rites of Dodola were kept up until quite recently: During a drought a girl, called Dodola, clad only in greenery and flowers was led through the village while her companions sang "Dodola" songs: We pass through the village, and the clouds across the sky. We go quicker, and the clouds go quicker, But the clouds have overtaken us and have bedewed the fields. We go through the village, and the clouds across the sky, and see, a ring drops from the clouds. Afterwards, the girl dances and spins while the woman douse her with water. This practice is thought to convince the heavenly women, clouds, to rain upon the earth, represented by the greenery.
Domawiczka - Female Domovoi or wife of the Domovoi. May be the same as the Kikimora. There are very few reports on this spirit, but they usually involve her rewarding anyone who bathes or finds her baby.
Dogoda - The gentle West wind.
Dugnai - House Goddess, who prevents the dough from spoiling.
Dziewona - (See Devana) This huntress was said to run throughout the Carpathian forests. A version of Diana whose legend is probably due to contact with the Romanians.
Gabija - Goddess of Fire and the Hearth
Giltine - the Death Goddess
Grauduse - Dangerous Baltic Sea Goddess who drowned people
Gyvate - biological fertility, life, immortality
Junda - Goddess of War
Jurata - A Baltic Sea Goddess who took the form of a mermaid. She was said to live in an underwater palace made of amber polished to look like gold. The mighty Perun fell in love with her beauty, but Jurata had eyes only for a human fisherman. The jealous God of Thunder send down a bolt of lightning which killed both Jurata and her fisherman. When pieces of amber wash ashore, they are said to be pieces of Jurata's ruined palace. Another version of this myth has her palace and lover destroyed by her own sea father who disapproved of her romance with a mere mortal. During storms it is said one may still here her lamenting over the loss of her lover. Folk tales tell us that Jurata fell in love with a human fisherman, much to the jealous ire of Piórun, the God of Thunder. He caused a great lightning storm, which chained the fisherman to the bottom of the sea and caused Jurata's amber palace to shatter. It is said that to this day, any time there is a lightning storm on the Baltic, you can hear the fisherman's cries, and small pieces of Jurata's amber palace wash up on the shore.
Karta - Latvian Goddess of Fate and Destiny
Kaupole - Goddess of Vegetation
Kikimora - The Domestic Goddess (in some places, wife of the house-god Domovoi). If the housewife was lazy, Kikimora gave trouble and tickled the children at night. She was placated by washing pots and pans in fern tea. Female house spirit who usually lives in the cellar or behind the stove. She comes out at night to spin and will look after the housework and the chickens if the home is well tended. If the household is a sloppy one she will wine, whistle and tickle the children at night. She is sometimes married to the domovik. To appease an angry Kikimora, you should wash all your pots and pans in a fern tea. She appears as an average woman with hair down (Slavic women always kept their heads covered) or sometimes with chicken feet. She would occasionally appear, spinning, to one about to die.
Krimba - A house Goddess
Krumine - Goddess of blossoming vegetation and corn ears
Koliada - spirit of the winter solstice
Kupalo - spirit of the summer solstice, associated with Kupalo's Day (June 24) A goddess of water, sorcery and herbal lore. Kuplula personifies the magical and spiritual power inherent in water, and Kupula's devotees worshiped her with ritual baths and offerings of flowers cast upon water. Since fire as well as water has powers of purification, her worshipers also danced aroudn and leaped over huge bonfires. Frequently her effigy was burned or cast into pools of water. Kupula's cult preserved an extensive lore of magical plants and herbs which gave men the power to read minds, control evil spirits, find hidden treasures, and win the love of beautiful women. Although many references are made to this deity either being a water Goddess or another version of the sacrificial god, Jarilo, Kupalo is a "seasonal" deity of the Summer Solstice. It was customary in Slavic culture to create an effigy named after the holiday which they were welcoming in. At the end of the holiday, the effigy was torn apart and tossed into the fields. A goddess of water, sorcery and herbal lore. Kuplula personifies the magical and spiritual power inherent in water, and Kupula's devotees worshiped her with ritual baths and offerings of flowers cast upon water. Since fire as well as water has powers of purification, her worshipers also danced around and leaped over huge bonfires. Frequently her effigy was burned or cast into pools of water. Kupula's cult preserved an extensive lore of magical plants and herbs which gave men the power to read minds, control evil spirits, find hidden treasures, and win the love of beautiful women.
Lada - Variously thought to be the mother of Lel' and Polel', a god of the underworld and marriage, or not a deity at all; Rybakov considers her the goddess of spring and mother of Lelia Lada is the Slavic goddess of love and beauty. In Russia, when a couple is happily married, it is said they "live in lada", in love. Lad is also a word meaning "peace, union, harmony" as in the proverb "When a husband and wife have lad, they don't require klad (Treasure)" - Ralston, p.105. She is said to reside in the underworld, vrij, until the Vernal Equinox. Maslenica, when she returns, bringing the lark and springtime with her. Like Jarilo, Lada is often portrayed as a goddess who is born and dies yearly. Her sacred tree is the lime/linden, supposedly because its leaves are shaped like hearts. As a Slavonian love song goes: "As the bee is drawn by the linden-bloom (or lime-perfume), My heart is drawn by thee." - Leland, p.138 One story has her married to Swarog who without her could not have created the world. Other sources give her a brother/lover named Lado which would make them divine twins such as Freya and Frey. There is also some mention of her two sons, Lel & Polel, and occasionally that of a daughter, Liuli.
Laima - Goddess of Fate
Laumes - the Fey Women
Lazdona - Hazelnut Tree Goddess
Lelia - possibly the daughter of Lada
Leshachikha - Slavonic forest Goddess, wife of the forest god the Leshy and mother of Leshonki. The Leshies died in October and revived in Spring. They were jealous of their territory, leading those who entered it astray- but almost releasing them in the end. The spell against them was to take off your clothes under a tree and put them back on again backwards. Female Leszi. Sometimes an ugly woman with large breasts, sometimes a naked young girl - or a woman in white as tall as the trees.
Linksmine - Goddess of Good Cheer, invoked at banquets
Morana - Her name derived from the ancient slavic word "mor" meaning death, she is the Goddess of winter and death, wife to Tchernobog or Chrt, mother to Bjesomar, rules the depths of Temnava with her husband, she then comes out to the world at the beginning of every winter only to be defeated by Vesna at the beginning of every spring.
Marzanna - Goddess who helped the growth of fruit. Death and winter personified. the Marzanna appeared as an old woman dressed in white. Annually, an effigy of her was made, escorted to the edge of the village and thrown out. In Poland it was burned then "drowned". This was customary as both the fire of the sun, and the rainwaters were needed for the fertility of the crops.
Matergabia - Goddess directing the housekeeping, to whom one offered the first piece of bread from a new batch.
Matka or Mata Syra Zjemlja - Earth Goddess. In some regions, in August, she was invoked protectively facing East, West, South and North, with libations of hemp oil. She could prophesy, if one could understand her. The oath in her name was binding and incontestable. As late as this century, Russian peasant women performed a rite to her to ward of plague, nine virgins and the widows, clad only in their shifts, would plough a furrow round the village, shrieking. Any man who met them was struck down mercilessly. Not a name, but a title which means Moist Mother Earth. An earth goddess. The most ancient and possibly the most important of the Slavic gods. Ever fruitful and powerful, Mati Syra Zemlia was worshiped well into the twentieth century. Mother Earth was an oracle whom anyone could consult without any need for a priest or shaman as a go-between. The Slavs felt the profoundest respect for Mother Earth. Peasants settled property disputes by appealing to Mother Earth to witness the truth of their claims, and oaths were sworn in her name."...Matushka Zemlia, Mother Earth, giving suck from bountiful breasts to countless children. When the peasants spoke of Matushka Zemlia, their eyes, usually dull and expressionless, were flooded with love, like the eyes of children who see their mother at a distance." - Shmarya Levin Moist Mother Earth, seems to have never been personified as other Earth Goddesses were (given human form), but worshiped in her natural form. She may, however, be the same Goddess as Mokosh. Along with the ancestral worship shown in the belief in household spirits, Earth worship was most adamantly clung to despite the Christianizing of the Slavic world. She had absolute sanctity and no one was allowed to strike her or begin farming until her birthgiving time at Maslenica. Memorial day and Assumption day (sorry - I have no dates as of yet) were her name days so no plowing or digging could be done then. Anyone spitting on the Earth had to beg her forgiveness. Property disputes were settled by calling her to witness the justice of the claims. Oaths and marriages were confirmed by swallowing a clump of earth or holding it on the head. Boundaries were measured while walking them with a clump of earth on the head. Villages were protected from cattle plague & epidemic by plowing a furrow around them to release Mother Earth's power. If no priest was present, sins were confessed to the earth and into the 20th century survived the custom of begging the Earth's forgiveness prior to death. Earth worship was transferred to the cult of Mary and is why she is such a central part of Slavic Christianity. Unlike other nature deities, Mata Syra Zemlja was never personified as a Goddess with human features. In the early 1900's to save their village from plague of cholera the older women circled the village at midnight quietly getting the younger women to come out. Without the men's knowledge, they chose nine maidens and three widows who were led out of the village and undressed down to their shifts. The maidens let their hair down, white shawls covered the heads of the widows. They armed themselves with ploughs and items of frightening appearance such as animal skulls.The maidens took up scythes and the entire procession marched around the village, howling and shrieking, while ploughing a deep furrow to release the spirits of the Earth. Any man who came upon the procession was felled by the maidens "without mercy". Not a name, but a title which means Moist Mother Earth. An earth goddess. The most ancient and possibly the most important of the Slavic gods. Ever fruitful and powerful, Mati Syra Zemlia was worshiped well into the twentieth century. Mother Earth was an oracle whom anyone could consult without any need for a priest or shaman as a go-between. The Slavs felt the profoundest respect for Mother Earth. Peasants settled property disputes by appealing to Mother Earth to witness the truth of their claims, and oaths were sworn in her name.
Mat' syra zemlia - Moist Mother Earth, personification of the earth as a female deity
Medeine - Goddess of Woods and Trees
Medziojima - Goddess of the Hunt, portrayed with a masculine face, a bow and bear-skin.
Milda - Goddess of Love and Freedom, portrayed as a nude woman who drives a chariot pulled by doves
Mjésjac - The Moon Deity- Sometimes seen as "The Sun's old bald uncle", sometimes his wife who grows older every winter as she moves away from her husband across the sky. In the summer, her youth returns and they are once again re-united and remarried.
Mokosh - The goddess who both gives and takes life, the spinner of the thread of life, the giver of the water of life. Mokosh later became PARASKEVA-PIATNITSA, a goddess of spinning, water, fertility, health with marriage. Mokosh' only female deity included among Vladimir's idols, possibly associated with Moist Mother Earth (14); Rybakov associates her with fertility, bounty, moisture, women's work, the protection of maidens (16), October 28 (Saint Paraskeva-Friday). The goddess who both gives and takes life, the spinner of the thread of life, the giver of the water of life. Mokosh later became PARASKEVA-PIATNITSA, a goddess of spinning, water, fertility, health with marriage.
Mokosz - Her name means "moisture" and she may be the personified version of Mati Syra Ziemlja (Moist Mother Earth). Images of her survive to this day in Russian embroidery with arms raised, flanked by two horsemen. She is usually described as having a large head & long arms. In Onolets, she was believed to walk abroad or spin wool at night and if a sheep mysteriously lost it's hair, it meant that Mokosh had sheared them. Mokosh is associated with weaving, spinning, and perhaps that is why she is seen as the Goddess of fate. She is also seen as a Goddess of fertility and bounty. Some sources say she rules over occult knowledge and divination. She is also sometimes referred to as wife of Swarog which would then create a marriage of "heaven" and "earth". Rybakov called her the Great Mother Goddess of the Slavs. 16th century church chronicles contain a question posed to women parishioners "Did you not go to Mokosz?" It was believed that if Mokosz were pleased with the women's offerings, she would help the women with their laundry. This helps to support some people's theory that Mokosz was actually a water Goddess. As a wandering goddess, she is thought to be tied into the fertility of the earth and rain is sometimes called "Mokosz milk." Mokosz has survived in the legends of Mokosha - minor female spirits who punish women for spinning on Friday, Mokosh sacred day. Her worship was transfered to that of St. Paraskeva-Friday. Mokosh' Feast Day - Mokosh was honored on the Friday between Oct 25 and Nov 1. She was given offerings of vegetables and vegetables seem to have been the focal point of the day. One reference fixes this date on Oct 28.
Mokosz Myestyas - Usually a Moon goddess but sometimes represents as the Sun's beautiful wife, who he remarries each Spring and abandons each winter.
Nijole - Goddess of the Underworld
Numeja Household Goddess
Oynyena - Maria Assistant and counselor of the thunder god Peroun. Probably an early fire goddess.
Perchta - Fertility goddess, Bride of the Sun. Her feast was celebrated at Salzburg as late as 1941 by wearing of masks, those of beauty for spring and summer, those without beauty for autumn.
Pergrube - Agricultural Goddess
Poludnitsa - North Russian field goddess. Tall, young and beautiful, dresses entirely in white. If she found anyone harvesting at midday, she would pull his or her hair out, and she would lose little children in the corn. Psezpolnica in Serbian (poh-wood-NEET-sah) Lady Midday, from "Poluden" - noon. She may appear as a 12-yr old girl, a beautiful woman or an old hag but is only seen at the hottest part of a summer's day. She is known to steal children or lead them astray in the fields and Russian mothers threaten their children with "Be good or the Poludnica will get you. She sometimes pulls the hair of farm workers or attacks women who have just given birth and wander out at noontime. She carries a scythe and will stop people in the field to either ask difficult questions or engage them in conversation. If the person fails to answer a question or tries to change the subject of the conversation, the Poludnica will strike them with illness or cut off their head (Poland). The Wends, German Slavs, called her pscipolnitsa and pictured her as carrying shears, a symbol of death. When not in the fields or streets, the Poludnica was said to float on the winds. Marija Gimbutas calls her "sunstroke" personified. It is thought that the Poludnica was the explanation for the dangers of working in the noon heat and remained a part of more recent legend because of her usefulness in scaring children away from valuable crops.
Polunocnica - "lady midnight". A "demon" said to torment children in the middle of the night. May have originally been the third Zorya of midnight
Poluvirica - "female half-believer". This forest spirit probably had an earlier name but was later called poluvirica due to the belief that non-Christians returned after death as various home and forest spirits. She appears naked, with a long face, long hanging breasts and three braids of hair down her back. She is usually seen carrying a child.
Ragana - Witch Goddess
Ragutiene - Goddess of Beer
Rasa - Goddess of Morning Dew
Rugiu BobaRugiu Boba - Old One of the Rye.
Rusalka - Female water Spirit. These souls of unbabtized babies or drowned maidens became beautiful pale girls with long flowing hair. They wear white or are sometimes naked, usually with poppies in their hair. They lived in the waters during the winter, but moved to the forests and fields during Rusal'naia week (hence the name) where they could often be seen perched in trees. A danger to humans, the Rusalki may lead cattle astray, steal children, fall upon people from the treetops and tickle them to death or kidnap young lads to take as lovers. They love to come out in the moonlight to sing and dance the khorovod (circle dance). If they find someone bathing near where they dance, often, they will drown them. Tying ribbons to trees in which they were known to perch is one way to appease them. Linens and scarves, as well as eggs were also left as offerings. Before these nature spirits were associated with the souls of the "unclean" dead, it is believed they were the spirits who brought moisture to forest and field.
Rozhanitsy - minor goddess of birth; Rybakov associates her with the harvest (September 9)
Saule - The Sun Goddess
Vaiva - Goddess of the Rainbow
Varuna - Goddess of the Tides and Changing Moon
VED'MA - A demon goddess who flies over the clouds and mountains on a broom or rake. Ved'ma causes storms, keeps the water of life and death, and knows the magical properties of plants. Ved'ma can be young and beautiful or old and ugly as she pleases.
Veju Motina - Mother of the Four Winds
Valiuona - Goddess of the Shades of the Dead
Velyke - Easter Goddess
Vesna - Female fairy-like spirits who live in the wilderness and sometimes clouds. They were believed to be the spirits of women who had been frivolous in their lifetimes and now floated between here and the afterlife. They sometimes appear as the swans, snakes, horses, falcons, or wolves that they can shapeshift into but usually appear as beautiful maidens, naked or dressed in white with long flowing hair. It is said that if even one of these hairs is plucked, the Wila will die, or be forced to change back to her true shape.A human may gain the control of a Wila by stealing feathers from her wings.Once she gets them back, however, she will disappear. The voices of the Wila are as beautiful as they, and one who hears them loses all thoughts of food, drink or sleep, sometimes for days. Despite their feminine charms, however, the Wila are fierce warriors. The earth is said to shake when they do battle. They have healing and prophetic powers and are sometimes willing to help mankind. Other times they lure young men to dance with them, which according to their mood can be a very good orvery bad thing for the lad. They ride on horses or deer when they hunt with their bows and arrows and will kill any man who defies them or breaks his word. Fairy rings of deep thick grass are left where they have danced which should never be trod upon (bad luck). Offerings for Wila consist of round cakes, ribbons, fresh fruits and vegetables or flowers left at sacred trees and wells and at fairy caves. "Spring". A Vernal Goddess.
Wila, Vily, Vile, Veles - Female fairy-like spirits who live in the wilderness and sometimes clouds. They were believed to be the spirits of women who had been frivolous in their lifetimes and now floated between here and the afterlife. They sometimes appear as the swans, snakes, horses, falcons, or wolves that they can shapeshift into but usually appear as beautiful maidens, naked or dressed in white with long flowing hair. It is said that if even one of these hairs is plucked, the Wila will die, or be forced to change back to her true shape.A human may gain the control of a Wila by stealing feathers from her wings.Once she gets them back, however, she will disappear. The voices of the Wila are as beautiful as they, and one who hears them loses all thoughts of food, drink or sleep, sometimes for days. Despite their feminine charms, however, the Wila are fierce warriors. The earth is said to shake when they do battle. They have healing and prophetic powers and are sometimes willing to help mankind. Other times they lure young men to dance with them, which according to their mood can be a very good or very bad thing for the lad. They ride on horses or deer when they hunt with their bows and arrows and will kill any man who defies them or breaks his word. Fairy rings of deep thick grass are left where they have danced which should never be trod upon (bad luck). Offerings for Wila consist of round cakes, ribbons, fresh fruits and vegetables or flowers left at sacred trees and wells and at fairy caves.
Zemyna - the Earth Goddess
ZORIA - (Also ZARIA) The heavenly bride, goddess of beauty and morning. At down her worshippers greeted her as "the brightest maiden, pure, sublime, honorable."
Zorya - Warrior Goddess, in association with the Sun god Perun. Protectress of warriors. Priestess/goddess of Bouyan, a happy island with a river whose water cures all ills, below the river was land of the dead. These daughters of Dazhdbog are the Auroras of dawn and dusk, and sometimes have a third sister, midnight (perhaps, Polunocnica). They are the Guardians of the God or hound, which is chained to the constellation, Ursa Major. Like the Fenris wolf of the Norse mythos, this creature will destroy the world if it ever breaks free. Each morning, Zorya Utrenyaya opens the gates of Dazhdbog's Eastern palace so he may ride across the sky. In the evening, Zorya Vechernyaya closes the gates after her father's daily ride is finished. Their other two sisters, Zezhda Dennitsa and Vechernyaya Zezhda, the morning star and evening star are the caretakers of their father's horses and are sometimes considered to be the same two goddesses. These Goddesses, associated with Venus, are sometimes merged into one warrior Goddess, Zorya, who hides and protects warriors with her veil
Zorya - Utrennyaya Dawn Goddess, opening the gates of Heaven each morning for the Sun to start his journey. One myth says that the three Zoryas, of evening, morning, and midnight, might have charge of a dog tied by an iron chain to the constellation Ursa Minor. When the chain braks, the world will come to an end.
Zorya - Vechernyaya Sunset goddess, closeing the gates of Heaven after the Sun has completed his daily journey
Zvoruna - Lithuanian dog Goddess, protector of animals and Patroness of the hunt.
Zverune - Goddess of Wild Beasts.
