Category Archives: Baltics

Latvian Poles Riding in the Sky

PublishedFebruary 11, 2021 Post authortorino

We’ve previously noted, as one of many mentions of Polish Gods, the following language:

“ysaya lado ylely ya ya…”

Ysaya, presumably refers to Yassa, Lado refers to Lado and Ylely to Leli. But what of the “ya ya”? A jajo is, of course, an “egg”. And an egg seems to fit the timeframe of Easter-Green Holidays with the celebration of the rebirth of nature. So is that the correct answer?

Perhaps. But remember that Jasień has in Polish folklore almost always been associated with a horse (koń or, diminutively, konik) and riding on that horse (jedzie meaning “he rides”). For example:

Oj niema sianka
tylko owsianka
na tém sérokiem polu
przyprowadź Boze
kogo ja kocham
na wroniusińskim koniu

Jedzie Jasieńko,
jedzie nadobny
po zielonej dąbrowie,
rozpuścił cugle
rozpuścił złote
konikowi na głowę.

or the following:

Wysła na pole,
stanęła w dole,
pod zielonym jaworem
i wyglądała
swego Jasieńka
oj z której strony jedzie

Oj jedzie, jedzie,
wesoło wsędzie
po zielonyj dąbrowie;
rozpuścił piórko
rozpuścił strusie
konikowi po głowie.

With all that in mind, let’s compare the Latvian Ūsiņš, who also rides a horse. As shown below (once again from Biezais’ Lichtgott der Alten Letten), rode a horse many a time. The Latvian “rode” is jāja.

So could we then have:

“ysa ya[ya] lado y lely yaya…”

“Yassa rode, Lado and Leli rode.”

As an added point of interest, if you want to know the Latvian for “horse”, it is zirgs. Now, “circus” is cognate with “circle” and the Romans named circular rings that served as arenas, circuses. If you want to know, however, what kind of a horse travels in a circle, an answer to that would undoubtedly have to acknowledge the sky horses of the Moon and the Sun.

The Rock-Tossing, Mountain-Dwelling, First Parent Jasień

PublishedJanuary 2, 2021 Post authortorino

As I have repeatedly argued, piorun is not the real name of the Polish Sky God. It is likely not even the name of any other Suavic Sky Deity though, in the Kievan Run and Novgorod only, that sobriquet appears to have superseded (perhaps under Baltic influence with its Perkunos (or Perkun-Os?)) the original which was some form of Iasion/Jasień/Usins.

That being said, there is the question of what does piorun really refer to? Obviously, in Polish the word means “thunder” but the question arises about the etymology of the word. Here Leszek Kolankiewicz provides a useful hint. He cites the Gothic fairguni – meaning hill covered with a forest – as well as the Hindu Parvati – referring to the mountain goddess – and, finally, the Hittite goddess Perunas (referring to sal-li-lis pi-ru-nas) who, according to him, was the mother of the stone giant Ullikummi.

This last claim is, to me, based on unclear sourcing. The University of Chicago Hittite Dictionary does have various – perun including words for “rocks” or “mountains” as well as a reference to a horse-associated Deity that is named Pirwa.

Thus, for example, Pirwan par-ha-an-d[a-an ausdu] is supposed to mean “[let him see] Pirwa galloping.” (for more check out an article by Ahmet Ünal).

A few things may be worth adding to the above. Kolankiewicz refers to the above Perunas as the Rock Goddess – bogini skała. As noted above, the real Deity is likely to have been Pirwa. Yet, curiously, a version of reconstructed “Friday” in Gothic is pareinsdags. That itself is, of course, interesting, as has already been noted. However, more curious for purposes of this post, another version is paraskaiwe which is a borrowing from the Greek παρασκευή (paraskeuḗ), in turn, perhaps, from παρασκευάζω (paraskeuázō, “to prepare”). Is this related to the Polish skała – meaning “big rock”? Brueckner does not connect these, giving, instead, the Greek skallŏ (“to dig”) and the Lithuanian skelti, skilti, skaldyti (“to split” and “broken”) but is he right? (BTW is that the exonym of the Celts?)

Of course, even here Brueckner’s own etymologies can be intriguing. The Baltic skylē he mentions may mean a “hole” but it is a hole in a rock such as a szczelina. He also brings up the Gothic skilja, “butcher” and the Anglo-Saxon scelian, “to split” as well as Anglo-Saxon scalu and Nordic skel referring to a sea shell (presumably a clam-type). A lightning bolt can and of course does sometimes split and melt rocks. Whether skel is connected with strzała (“arrow”) and strzelać (“to shoot”) or are those words rather connected with the German strāla or Strahl meaning “ray” (strahlen, meaning “radiate”, “Strahlung meaning “radiation” and similar) instead is another question. Maybe they are all related. Compare too, the seemingly opposite meaning of scalać that is “to combine” or “to make whole” (“whole” = cało also appear cognates). Of course, without hopefully being too nonchalant with these etymologies, lightning could also fuse rocks.

I have previously discussed that fulgurites (of course, the Latin fulgur itself meaning “lightning” and also likely cognate with piorun) are commonly known as “piorun arrows” among many Suavs (a point also noted by Kolankiewicz). Incidentally, already the Slovenian trio authors of the “Veneti” pointed out that the Strela Mountain in the Plessur Alps in Switzerland likely also refers to an arrow. Probably, Piorun’s, of course if Suavs were indeed to be found there which is a strong possibility.

This “rock” and “mountain” etymology is likely why we have the Pyrenees and the Pirin Mountains in Bulgaria and, for that matter, the many names of hills and mountains among the South Suavs. This makes the distinction between the mountain named for a Perun as in a deity and a mountain named for, well, a “mountain” or “rock mountain” perhaps, difficult to make. Perhaps where Suavs were present, the mountains are deemed to go back to piorun (but in reference to the deity or just the thunderbolt?) but where Suavs are not attested, other etymologies are sought. The same etymology quests might nevertheless point to an IE “rock” or “mountain”.

Parvati discussed above goes back to parvata a Sanskrit word for “mountain”. Indeed, the “father” of Parvati is Parvat (aka Himavat – hence Himalayas). Alternatively, Parvati is simply “she of the mountain.”

In any event, this Parvati, like the Hittite Pirwa mentioned above, ought to suggest another meaning for Piorun that is the meaning of pirwy or pierwszy or “first” (“first” being cognate with pirwy, of course – compare too piorun/Piorun or Perkunas with Fjörgyn or Fjörgynn). And this may well be the reason for why Piorun is merely, again, a nickname of Jasień’s.

Curiously, the Polish penny (?) today called grosz (German Groschen, both from the Italian grosso?) was referred to in the early 16th century by the name piorunek while the as or assarius was the name of a coin used in the Roman days. Also, curiously, the Republic as featured the head of Janus which also happens to be cognate with Jason and Iasion. Probably a coincidence… though the below (from Derksen) may suggest that Ja–sień is the pathway (foyer, entrance) into Ja? Note too the Latvian cognate signifies “face”. (On yaya in that Polish gloss we’ll have more later – suffice it say that Latvian suggests a riding etymology).

Also curiously, the Lithuanian name for lightning is a perko-like word but rather žaibas (but zibens in Latvian) which is obviously cognate with the Polish vulgarism zajebać, itself meaning “to kill” and a derivative of jebać meaning “to hit” but also “to plow” (sexually) which also brings up the agricultural aspects of Piorun/Jasień.

Finally, note that the above etymologies might also loop in the word “father” or, at least (and more in tune with today’s times), “parent”.

Of course, none of these observations about mountains, rocks, being first or parents exclude the “fork” etymology of piorun‘s found most obviously in Greek (πηρούνι, that is piroúni) and Venetic (piron). And, as already observed previously, the word “fork” itself likely shares the same etymology.

In fact, while we’re at it, let’s mention something else. Zeus apparently has been pictured on a few occasions with a trident (or a three-pronged thunderbolt) and yet he was Zeus not Poseidon (also the reason why if the trident were found to fit the Artemision Bronze, the sculpture could still be of Zeus). A Zeus with a trident might explain why Iasion and Demeter’s field was “thrice-ploughed” (see above for the ploughing concept in the words for lightning), that is, Zeus was identical with Iasion until the Greeks for whatever reason (old Gods versus new?) decided to elevate Zeus over Iasion.

Incidentally, Zeus has on other occasions been pictured with an axe. Such a Zeus while also holding a lotus scepter (for example, Zeus Labaundos) makes you think of the image of Esus with an axe (or really thunderbolt?) next to a tree.

But let’s get back to the stones to conclude. Another connection of Iasion’s “stony aspect” comes from Latvian mythology. I have little doubt that Iasion is Jasień is Ūsiņš. If you look at Haralds Biezais’ “The Lighgod of the Old Latvians” (Der Lichgott der alten Letten), you will note that the Latvian Ūsiņš rides auf einem steinernen Pferd. That is, on a “stone horse.” Incidentally, this is also true of another figure in Latvian mythology that is likely identical to Ūsiņš – the Latvian Dievinš. Of course, Dievinš is cognate with Deus Pater and hence Zeus. Thus, Ūsiņš brings us full circle to the stone-tossing and rock-breaking Jasień. As an aside, I think, as previously mentioned, Jasień is also reflected in the Greek Jason myth.Further, the Iranian word for “stone” is -asan (*garta means “cave” – “guard,” “protect – and hence your Assgard or “stone cave”). That -asan is cognate with Jasień and Jason is unlikely to need an explanation. Thus, we can say that Jasień and Piorun/Perun are likely the same Being.

I will close with a final observation that suggests that this Divinity is also connected with Mars – the warrior and Janus. Specifically, on the 15th of March, celebrations took place to the Anna Perenna. Anna Perenna (I can’t help it but: Marz-anna or Marsa żona?) had been connected with Mars. Mars too was seen as an agricultural deity initially (before he had “to go to war” – much as Gerovit/Iarovit/Iarilo was both an agricultural and war Deity). Curiously, these Anna Perenna celebrations took place in front of town gates. If this suggests a God of Passages, it should not be surprising. Janus certainly filled that role but so does Jasień (remember Jasieńczyk coat of arms consists of a key and compare the passage of winter – entry into “Jasień-time” or w jesna or vest/wiosna – with the entry into winter time – jesień). I will only note further that brama means “gate” in Polish).

Sarnicki’s Thoughts

PublishedJune 1, 2020 Post authortorino

Stanisław Sarnicki published his annals of the Poles and Lithuanians in 1587 under the elaborate, though typical for those times, name:

Stanislai Sarnicii Annales sive de origine et rebus gestis Polonorum et Lituanorum libri 8.

Sarnicki, mentioned a number of Polish and other Deities in a number of passages (all below). This passage was translated by Adam Naruszewicz* in volume 2 of his History of the Polish Nation:

“… this God of thunder was called Piorun from the old Poles as almost all our chroniclers testify. This Piorun was worshipped by the Ruthenians in the old days, and they even burned fires for him, as is attested by Herberstein and Guagnini who wrote of Moscovite matters. For they had an idol and a temple at Great Novgorod that the citizens of that city saw as greater than others. Of this Guagnini reports that this statue was worshipped by the Novgorodians with the greatest idolatry. He had the body of a man, a fiery stone in his hand and similar to a thunder: for Perun among the Poles and in Ruthenia means thunder. In his honor a fire was burned from oaken timbers by day and night without pause; and when it came to pass that by the negligence of those sworn to protect it, it failed, they forfeited their lives…”

* An interesting aspect of that is that Naruszewicz mentions Leibnitz noting that Prove is listed in the Szczecin manuscript of Helmold’s Chronicle as “Prone” and, hence, may simply be a reference to Piorun (as shown here from MGH):

This is nothing new and is mostly a regurgitation of information that Guagnini and others must have gotten from Nestor’s Primary Chronicle (PVL). Nevertheless, it’s worth including it here and, as you will note, there are also references to other Deities as you can see here:

The poem at the back of that section is also interesting. It seems to come from or at least be very similar to that slightly different version by Stryjkowski which was published earlier:

“Christ, you have the blind-born Mieszko
Brought to light, brought Poland to Holy Baptism,
It is you Grom, Ladon, Marzanna,
Pogwizd, Ziewanna gave way to”

(Kryste tys Mieszka sleporodzonego
Oswiecil, Polskes przywiodl do krztu swego,
Tobie ustapil Grom, Ladon, Marzanna,
Pogwizd, Ziewanna)

Since Sarnicki relied on Guagnini who may have plagiarized Stryjkowski, this is not surprising. For more on that see here.

As discussed below, there is no evidence that anyone in Poland (as opposed to in Kiev/Novgorod or, possibly, among the Obotrites in Polabia) actually worshipped Piorun as the original name of a Deity. It seems rather that piorun was a “lightning fork” (and may have later become a nickname) of the primeval Jasion/Jasień (ash) Deity.

Let Us Discuss Dags, Jas, Dans & Dags Again

PublishedMarch 2, 2020 Post authortorino

Here are some basic concepts that we should think about.

Suavic “Yes” = Dag

What is the etymology of the Polish “tak” and the Russian “da” or really any Suavic word meaning “yes”? Let’s take a look.

Brueckner

Vasmer

Neither Brueckner (Polish) nor Vasmer (Russian) really say but… there are hints.

The most obvious hint is that the Polish “t” corresponds to the Russian “d”. Another hint is that the Polish has a “k” at the end but the Russian has nothing. If the Polish is a softening of the original then the original, would have been “dag”. The Russian dropped the “g”. The Polish, on the other hand, turned the d > t and the g > k.

Vasmer mentions a theory of Trautmann’s which seems to connect the Suavic “da” to the IE word for “give.” This, however, approximates the meaning of Dažbog/Dadzbog as well as, importantly, of Dagon. Dagon (Hebrew דָּגוֹן, Akkadian Dagān) is described as the Syrian/Canaantite god of seed, vegetation, and crops. The theory connecting Dagon with fish is, well, more fishy.

Interestingly, “da Bóg” or “Bóg da” may be understood as expressions of affirmation. Dažbog/ Dadzbog was, as we know, identified with the Sun.

But we are getting ahead of ourselves. Before we get to the Sun and its days, let’s take a look at the affirmative concepts in Teutonic & Baltic languages.

Teutonic/Baltic “Yes” = Ja

In turn, in Germanic, “yes” is obviously a form of the affirming adverb. However, the English version traces itself to “gea” as proposed by the Online Etymological Dictionary:

Old English gise, gese “so be it!,” probably from gea, ge “so” (see yea) + si “be it!,” from Proto-Germanic *sijai-, from PIE *si-, optative stem of root *es- “to be.” Originally stronger than simple yea. Used in Shakespeare mainly as an answer to negative questions. As a noun from 1712. Yes-man is first recorded 1912, American English.

This “to be” connection also suggests, though admittedly weakly, an Æsir connection.

What about “yeah”?

Old English gea (West Saxon), ge (Anglian) “so, yes,” from Proto-Germanic *ja-, *jai-, a word of affirmation (source also of German, Danish, Norwegian, Swedish ja), from PIE *yam-, from pronominal stem *i- (see yon). As a noun, “affirmation, affirmative vote,” from early 13c.

This, curiously, corresponds to Deities such as the Egyptian Moon God Ya and the Canaanite Yarikh and, of course, Jarilo.

Here the Teutonic languages are joined by the Baltic in that we have the Lithuanian jo (yaw) (though also taip (tuyp)), the Latvian and Old Prussian jā.

Leaving, affirmations aside, let’s ask now about the words for “day”.

Suavic/Baltic “Day” = Dan

In Suavic, “day” is “dzień” (Polish) or “den‘” (Russian) or “dan” (Slovene, Croatian, Serbian). The “dan” suspiciously looks like “don” meaning simply “don” or “lord”. Dunaj, while being the Suavic word for the Danube is also the word for streams more generally and, as we know, the Suavs worshipped rivers.

Here the Suavic is joined by Baltic languages. Thus, the Baltic cognates include Lithuanian dienà (“day”), Latvian dìena (“day”), Old Prussian dēinā (“day”) (accusative singular, deinan).

Teutonic “Day” = Dag

In order to look at the Teutonic words for “day” we have to come full circle and revert back to the word dag with which we started the discussion above (showing that it refers in Suavic to the “yes” concept).

For example, the German word for day is simply “tag”. Let’s turn to English and the Online Etymology Dictionary which says this for “day”:

Old English dæg “period during which the sun is above the horizon,” also “lifetime, definite time of existence,” from Proto-Germanic *dages- “day” (source also of Old Saxon, Middle Dutch, Dutch dag, Old Frisian di, dei, Old High German tag, German Tag, Old Norse dagr, Gothic dags), according to Watkins, from PIE root *agh- “a day.” He adds that the Germanic initial d- is “of obscure origin.” But Boutkan says it is from PIE root *dhegh- “to burn” (see fever). Not considered to be related to Latin dies (which is from PIE root *dyeu- “to shine”).

And so we are back with the concepts of Dagon, Dažbog/Dadzbog & so forth.

It would thus seem that:

Suavic language took an IE word/concept and interpreted it as “yes”: dag > tak or da
Germanic languages turned the same IE word/concept into “day”: dag > day

Of course, these topics are quite difficult and am quite sure that professional linguists have entirely convincing explanations for the above which do not invoke any divine names or concepts.

Finally, here are some more ruminations on the topic.

Łada Placenames in Central & Eastern Europe

PublishedFebruary 1, 2020 Post authortorino

Just as the name Jasień is present in many town and river designations in Poland and vicinity so is Łada. Dlugosz spoke of a village named Łada and we’ve identified such a village already but there are more such place and water names. The following comes from various sources supplemented by the “Geographic Dictionary of the Polish Kingdom and Other Suavic Countries” (Słownik geograficzny Królestwa Polskiego i innych krajów słowiańskich).

Here is a list of some of those in and around Poland.

Villages

Łada – a village in the Lublin voivodeship. The river Łada runs through it. First mentioned in 1245 during the invasion of Ruthenian dukes of the “Lachic land” when Duke Wasilko raided the Łada and Dzwola areas. In the 14th century it was a royal village (that is it belonged to the crown). In 1377 it somehow came into the possession of Dmitri of Goraj (the royal treasurer) and then his nephews. The Lublin voivode Mikołaj Firlej bought the village in 1508. In 1517 it was sold to Wiktoryn Sienieński who then donated it to the Gorka family. At the end of the 16th century it was bought by Jan Zamojski. The village suffered during the Napoleonic wars. It was partly repopulated by Uniates. In WWII most of Łada burnt down during a German air raid.

Łady – a village in the Mazovian voivodeship.

Ładawy – a village in the Łódź Voivodeship.

Ładowska-Wola – a village in the Mazovian voivodeship.

Ładzice – a village in Radomsko County, Łódź Voivodeship.

Ladzin (Ładzin) – a village in the Subcarpathian Voivodeship.

Ładzyń – a village in the Mazovian Voivodeship.

Ladorudz – a village in the Greater Poland Voivodeship.

Ładomierz – a former village near Wielun.

Lada – a village in Slovakia

Ladomirowa – a village in Slovakia.

Ladce – a village in Slovakia.

Ladygos (Ładogole) – a village near Vinius.

Ładyżyn – a village in Lithuania near Lazdijai.

Ładowszczyzna – formerly a private village near the town of Lida, Belarus.

Ladeniki (Ładzienniki) – a village in Belarus.

Ładonicha – a place in Дзісна region in Belarus.

Ladorozh (Ładoroże) – a village in Belarus on the Ukrainian border.

Malye Lyady (Lady) – ancient town and goods near Smilavichy in Belarus (part of former Červień or Chervyen (Чэрвень) fka Igumen (Ігумен) district.

Ladasna (Ladosno, Ładosno) – village in Belarus.

Ladyzhin – a town in Belarus.

Ładyżycze – a town in Belarus on the Braginka (Brahinka) river; today in the Chernobyl exclusion zone.

Lyady (Łady) – a village on the Belarussian – Russian border, east of Orsha (incidentally just West of the Russian Yasenets).

Lyadovichi (Ladowicze) – a village near Kobryn in Belarus.

Ladantsi (Ладанці, Ładańce) – Ukrainian village near Lviv.

Ladychyn (Лади́чин, Ładyczyn) – a village in Ukraine near Ternopil.

Ladyzhyn (Ладижин, Ładyżyn) – a town in Ukraine.

Ladyzhynka – a town in Ukraine.

Liadova/Lyadova – Ukrainian village on the border with Moldova on the river Liadova (presumably meaning “icy”).

Ladendorf – A village in Austria.

For a Liedena in Spain – rather curious next to Yesa – see here.

Rivers

Biala Łada (White Łada) – starts northwards around the town of Chrzanów, heads south past the village Łada towards, then through Bilgoraj and merges with the Czarna Łada at Sol or so to form Łada.

Czarna Łada (Black Łada)- starts at Dabrowa/Gorecko Koscielne, then heads west towards Bilgoraj where it merges with the Biala Łada to form Łada.

Łada – the combined Łada has a short run west into the River Tanew.

Ladosnianka (Ładośnianka) – river near Lepel/Niemirava/Ladosno in Belarus.

Ladantsi (Ладанці, Ładańce) – Ukrainian stream near the village of Ladantsi. Flows into the Marushka river.

Liadova/Lyadova – river in Ukraine. Flows through village Liadova/Lyadova.

What about Germany? Well, there is the river:

Leda – the river Leda is in NW Germany and, of course, has an “e” not an “a” but its old name was shown with an “a” as in: fluuium Lade, flumen Lathe, Lathamuthon. The below etymology of Greule’s is rather improbable.

Other

Ladowa Niwa – a hill near Łukawiec (Лукавець, Lukavets’), Subcarpathian Voivodeship. Łukawiec itself was founded already in the 16th century.

Here is a map of the above.

Of course these are only some such names and there are many others such as several place names Łady near the Belarussian Dzisna (Дзісна), Ładycza, Ladzyny, Ladźwienie, Ladce, Ladniki, Ladna, Ladki, Ladendorf, Ladenberg, Ladeskul, Ladce & others. You could also look elsewhere such as at Ladenburg (remember Imple o Lada from the Rhine province).

Chmielowski’s Nowe Ateny

PublishedJanuary 2, 2020 Post authortorino

We have, thus far, only been through the oldest sources on Polish religion. The latter works are generally more prone to repetition and suspected of elaboration leading to fancy. Nevertheless, caution given, a relatively late work may be worth mentioning here.

This is a work by a priest Benedykt Joachim Chmielowski (Nowe Ateny albo Akademia wszelkiej scjencji pełna) from 1745-1746 (dedicated “to the wise as a mnemonic, to the idiots so as to educate them and to the politicians for entertainment”!). This work was so popular that, in a kind of technological regression, extra copies had to be handwritten (!) when the print runs ran out (or at least when the printed editions were halted). Here is what he has to say about Polish but also Czech, Baltic and East Suav paganism:

“Thus, the Poles worshipped with great aplomb, pomp and celebration, singing, dancing, burning of offerings, the idols, Jasen, Lada or Niwa Manzena, Zyzylia, Ziewana or Ziewie, the Goddess of breath and yawning. Nia the idol, supposedly had its temple in Gniezno as Długosz attests. They venerated too Pogoda, Pochwist, that is the air weather. Lelum polelum, supposedly, the stars of Castor and Pollux and in life inseparable friends and for that reason did the Poles call upon them when in happy company [n their role] as the preservers [conservatores] of friendship. These too idols did the Czechs also call upon and in addition to these also others, as I had read in Republica Bohemica, that is Chwot Zielon, Pohoda, Moskasla, Pochwist or Nehoda, Nerod, Radmasz (supposedly Rhadamanthus); Niwa, Wieles, Tasawi, Sudice, Wili, Tzybek, Lel, Pelel, Ssetek or Skrzytek, Diblik. Among these Czechs the first name was Prun or Peron, the second Swantowit (was this not Saint Vitus, the patron of the Czechs?).”

“It is these Deities’ names that the historians in Poland and in Czechia generally understand all the powers of superstition, that is Jove, Mars, Pluto, Cerera, Diana, Sol, Venera, Mercury, Rhadamanthus, the Furies, the Parcae (the Moirai), Castor, Pollux, etc.”

“The Prussians, remaining in paganism, venerated as God: the moon, fire, water, snakes, groves, especially honoring oaks. The priest of their superstitions went by the name Krywody. As Kromer says when discussing Bolesuav the First Polish monarch: And this Bolesuav desiring not to leave the smallest vestige of pagan superstition ordered the cutting down of an oak, six elbows wide, strangely grown from the earth to the boughs and taken as a God by the inhabitants of the Prussian town of Romowe. There was there another oak in a town Oppen [?] which was supposedly also used for divinations [and] long preserved, such that it came to reach such width that in [the inside emptiness of] its rot Albert the Prussian Duke could safely turn his horse around which was easily achieved when its width reached 27 elbows as Henneberger [Kaspar] testifies in his Prussian Chronicle. This [oak] succumbed thereafter to cuts of different names [inscribed in it] of those who were there making offerings in accordance with the ancient rite to this idol [Deaster – supposedly a pseudo-Latin invention of Sebastian Castellio’s]. Also the Livonians or Inflantians venerated true idols [as in statues as opposed to trees] as Peter of Duisburg attests.”

“It is a great wonder that in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania many were [living] in the errors of idolatry. They bowed to the golden Baba, that is to a statue that was raised by the roadsides; and those that carried or transported something would toss small bits as offerings, hair or flakes in place of other things they would toss from their clothes [?]. Those who did not do this were immediately punished with sickness or poverty, according to Olao [?]. She was supposedly taken for one of the ancient Goddesses, either as Ceres or as Tellus or as that Roman Abeona, or Abeona the Goddess of Travelers. This golden Baba was venerated in Muscovy in the Obdoria Province with the following statue: she held a child in her hand and another stood by her side. This idol was worshipped by nearby nations by the killing of elk and the smearing of their blood on its eyes and lips as also through offering of sable furs. There they also venerated thunder and fire as in all of Ruthenia and Muscovy, whose church in Vilnius Wladyslaw Jagiello the Polish King and Lithuanian Duke – having first extinguished with the water of Holy Baptism the sparkles of superstition in his own person – cast down and put out the perpetual fire [burning there previously]; for this reason, supposedly, in Lithuania and Polesia they call fire Bagacz from the altered name of God. They held in esteem the smith’s hammer, as I read in Aenae Sylvio [Enea Silvio Bartolomeo Piccolomini], the later Pius II, the Supreme Pontiff.* They supposedly wanted to use this hammer to forge gold forever.** They also venerated Lucos, that is groves and trees the cutting down of which was a monstrous crime and a sacrilege. Similarly, to kill at home or on the road, the Snake, a House God, was deadly for the entire family. Lakes, caves were divine places as well as rivers, which is even shown in the very name of the Podolian river Boh, which river, according to Sarnicki, the Podolians held to be a God, a superstition they were taught by Lithuania.”

[* note: perhaps he means the future Pope’s “Tale of Two Lovers”; incidentally, also relevant to Suavs, that Pope’s letters too contain a mention of the one of the best known descriptions of the enthronement ceremony of the Carinthian dukes.]

[** note: it is also “striking” that the Latin “cudo” means to strike, beat, originally perhaps also “forge”. Despite the fact that the “c” was pronounced as a “k” whereas the Suavic “c” is pronounced as a “ts”, it is tempting to note that “cud” in Suavic means “miracle.”]

“In Samogitia or Żmudź [Žemaitija], before the Holy Faith lit up that country, that is around the year 1413, the Samogitians venerated, in addition to trees, the following Gods: Auxtejas Wissagistis, who was powerful among them; Zemolaci, that is Gods of the Earth; Perun, whom the tillers would offer bacon during thunderstrikes and when he stopped, they themselves partook of this offering with oatmeal [kasza] or noodles; Audres, the God of the sea and water; Algis, supposedly an Angel; Ausea, the Goddess of the rays; Bezlea, the Goddess of the Evening; Bregsua, the Goddess of darkness; Ligez the God of alliance or of consensus; Datan, supposedly the giver God; Kirnis, the God of cherries and blueberries;* Lizyusz, the God of young men; Gondu, the God of maidens and girls; Modeyina, Ragaina, Kierkiez, Silimicz, forest idols; Kurwayczyn and Erayczyn, who preside over sheep and lambs; Prigerstitis, the God who listens to murmurs and whispers, for this reason they observed a great quiet and modesty when talking; Dereintos, the God of peace who caused agreements: Laupatim was honored by the tillers; Ratainicz was called upon by the horse owners; Kristosi they asked to maintain crosses and stones on graves; Tawols, the God of wealth and poverty; Ulanicza, the Goddess of all house gear and she who wakes those that are asleep; Krukis the God of Swine; Alabathis, the God of linen and yarn; as also, the Goddess Wasganthos for the same purpose was venerated by maidens and girls; and to the God called Ziemiannik, having on November the 2nd filled the tables with [various] courses they celebrated sacrileges, offering hay, bread, beer, calf, pig, rooster and goose, thanking for all the earthly blessings and asking for new ones in the future. Smik, Smik, Perlewenu, the God of tillers to whom, when beginning to till [in the year] they always offered the first sliver of the field, throughout the year then wary, as if it were a great sin, to cross it. Aitweros, the God of fences. Latawiec was venerated in Samogitia. Kaukie they called the night terrors and ghosts; they worshipped snakes too, taking them as House Gods and calling them by the name Givoytos; Orthus or Ezeonim, the God of Fishing Lakes was there also venerated, so writes Jan Łaski.”

[* note: strangely, a cherry is Kirsche in German which may suggest a solution as to who the mysterious Curche was]

“In Ruthenia – before the Holy Faith illuminated it through Olga or Helena, a Russian Lady and through Anna, the sister of Basil and Constantine, Greek emperors around the year 971 – the Ruthenians venerated Perun, Strib, Hors and Mokosl, as Kromer testifies. To this idol Perun, a human form was erected with a silver head, a golden nose and in the hand a thunderbolt. They worshipped him in Great Novgorod, burning fires to him from oakwood only. In this place there now stands a monatery called the Perunian.”

Thuringian Jechas

PublishedDecember 9, 2019 Post authortorino

An interesting place deep in Thuringia, way further than any Suavic settlement should have occurred, is a place called Jecha (a part of Sondershausen on the Wipper (Wieprz?)). Next to Jecha lies Jechaburg. Now the name of both of these supposedly comes from a Germanic Goddess Jecha. The mentions are rather late but they were significant enough to merit a discussion in Grimm’s work.

Jecha was first mentioned in 1282. The name varieties include Gicha, Giche, Jicha and Jiche.

Curiously, Jechaburg was first mentioned earlier – in 1004. The name appears also as Gigenburg, Jechenburc, Jechenburch, Jechenburgk and Jichenburg.

What then is the etymology of this Name? Well, a number of different thoughts have been expressed. For example, perhaps it has something to do with “hunting” – jagen. Thus, Jecha becomes a Goddess of the Hunt like Diana (or the Polish Devanna). But that etymology seems forced. For one thing, if you really want to use the Huntress notion then you might be better able to apply it to the Suavic Baba Yaga (which may actually be something worth looking into).

Another possibility is that the name comes from something like jach which, apparently, used to mean “fast” in German. Here we may be onto something… Except that the etymology seems to establish a Suavic connection again:

jechać – to ride, drive, go.

And what do we have next to Jecha? Do we have many Suavic place names? Not so much. But there is the town next door: Bebra. Bebra comes from “beavers” (Biberaho) but is this a German beaver or some other? Bebra lies on the Bebra river which also comes from beavers (in fact Bebra’s coat of arms features a beaver with a proper tail). Now there is another river, similarly named. It is in Poland and its name is Biebrza. That name is supposedly of Old Prussian, Yatvingian or, perhaps, Lithuanian origin. Of course, Jesza (not Jess though perhaps Jaś) was also a Polish God with the functions similar to Jupiter.

Wiltzi the Geloni, their Wolves and Jason?

PublishedOctober 7, 2019 Post authortorino

Adam of Bremen says this (in the Francis Tschan translation as updated by Timothy Reuter):

“In that region too, are those who are called Alani or Albani, in their language named Wizii; very hard-hearted gluttons, born with gray hair. The writer Solinus mentions them. Dogs defend their country. Whenever the Alani have to fight they draw up their dogs in battle line.”

“That region” refers to the shores of the Baltic Sea and the land of the Amazons. This is probably around Mazovia. But who are these Wizzi? The connection with the Alani (Alans, presumably) via the translation of Albani seems dubious though possible. The Albani themselves were, like, Alans, a Caucasian people and the Albani reference seems more to the “whiteness” rather than to the people (but the Alans were blondish too as per Ammianus Marcellinus so who knows).

A scholium (124 or 120) to Adam says:

“In their language they are called Wilzi, most cruel gluttons whom the poet calls Gelani.”

This, itself is a reference to the “Geloni” of Lucan’s Civil War III. 283; and Plliny’s Natural History III. xiv-xv; and Vergil’s Georgics III.461.

The hair reference may be to Solinus’ “Collection of Curiosities” (Collectanea rerum memorabilia), chapter xv. Specifically, according to Tschan/Reuter, to these passages (translation by Arwen (!) Apps) which speak of the Albani (of the Caucasian Albania on the Caspian Sea?) but which may encompass the Geloni/Suavs (see below for the reasoning, such as it is):

“…The Albani, who inhabit the coast, and which themselves to be believed the posterity of Jason, are born with white hair. Their hair is white when it first begins to grow. Thus, the color of their heads gives this people their name. The pupils in their eyes are a bluish grey, so they see more clearly by night than by day. Dogs which excel all other beasts are born among this people. They subdue bulls, overwhelm lions, and hinder whatever they are presented with. For these reasons, they too merit to be spoken of in these chronicles. We read that as Alexander the Great was making for India, two dogs of this kind were sent to him by the king of Albania. One of them scorned the swine and bulls offered to him, as he was offended by such inferior and ignoble prey. He lay still for a long time, and Alexander, through ignorance, ordered him to be killed for a lazy animal. But the other at the advice of those who had brought the present, dispatched a lion sent to him Soon, seeing an elephant, he rejoiced; first, he cunningly fatigues the beast, and then, to the great wonder of the spectators, threw him to the ground. This kind of dog grows to a very large size, and makes, with awed-inspiring barking, a noise beyond the roaring of lions. The above items were specifically about Albanian dogs; the rest concerns the features common to all dogs. Dogs esteem all masters equally, as is well-known from sundry examples. In Epirus a dog recognized his master’s murderer in a crowd, and revealed him by barking. After Jason the Lycian was killed, his dog scorned food, and died from starvation. When the funeral pure of King Lysimachius was lit his dog there himself into the flames, and was consumed by the fire along with his master. The king of the Garamantes was broght back from exile by his two hundred dogs, who fought those who resisted them .The Colophians and Castabalenses lead their dogs to war, and in battle, build their front lines with them…”

Now, the Geloni had previously been tied to Suavs via their relationship with the Budinoi or Budini which was first mentioned by Herodotus (we’ll get to that at some point) but here, with the scholiast of Adam’s, there is a separate connection to the Suavic Veltae (the Veltoi first mentioned by Ptolemy), that is the Wieleci or Lutycy, to these same Geloni.

We will also cover the Geloni in more depth earlier but note also that the reference to Solinus’ Albani is too interesting because of the mention of dogs and of Jason. After all Wilcy means “wolves” in Suavic and that may, in fact, have been the origin of the Veltoi name.

Further, the “Jason” discussed by Solinus may, more accurately, be Iasion (the names are cognates and Jason may have come from the earlier Iasion) who may be the Yassa/Jasień of the Poles, the Usenj of the Russians and the Ūsiņš/Jeuseņš of the Latvians. Further, on Jason of the Scythians you can see more here (perhaps it was Solinus that was Isidore’s source).

Whether “Jason the Lycian” can also be seen as the progenitor of the Vindilici or of Lechites is another matter altogether.

Finally, although Solinus seems to refer to the Albani above and treats the Geloni separately, several aspects of the description of these Albani appear to recall the Suavs. Specifically, the Suavs are often blonde in childhood but their great grows darker as they mature. Further, their eyes are certainly, very often, exactly blue-gray.

Now Tschan is also famous for his translation of the Chronicle of the Slavs (see here and here).

Finally, it should be known that Solinus also mentions (though quoting Cornelius Nepos) the Veneti (chapter 44.1):

“Paphlagonia is surrounded in the reasr by the marches of Galatia. Paphlagonia faces Taurica from the promontory of Carambis, and rises to Mount Cytorus, which extends for thirty-six miles. It is famous for the place called Enetus, from which, as Cornelius Nepos holds, the Paphlagonians, soon to be known as the Veneti, crossed over into Italy.”

A different translation is given here.

Czechs & Balts

PublishedSeptember 12, 2019 Post authortorino

The relatedness of some Suavic and Baltic Gods can be shown by references to the same vegetation Deity – Zelu. This name appears in the Czech Neplach but also is reported – as Želus – among the Prussians by Matthäus Prätorius (1635 – 1704) in his Deliciae Prussicae oder Preussische Schaubühne (written in 1698 but not published till 1871).

The name may also appear in Laskowski or in the De diis Samagitarum caeterorumque Sarmatarum et falsorum Christianorumi if I recall correctly.

It seems that this is the “Green Deity” the God of Vegetation though because of the Suavic Jarylo/Yarylo‘s connection with yar, it seems that this is simply another name for Yassa/Jassa or Jarowit/Yarovit/Gerovit.

Curiously, while Jassa and Jarylo bear clear connections to the word jar and Jahr/year, Zelu may not only be cognate with the obvious ziele (herb) and hence zielony (green) which is derived from it – but also may bear a connection to the word “zealot” as in eifrig, jarski that is animated, driven – adjectives very connected withe the growth of vegetation in the spring, that is the return of Life to the Earth.

Going Back to Those Polish Rosettes

PublishedSeptember 1, 2019 Post authortorino

Regarding the rosette sign from the territories (or former territories) of Poland, here are a few examples from the “Folkart in Poland” (Sztuka Ludowa w Polsce) by Kazimierz Mokłowski from 1903. For other examples you can see here. Of course, if you really want to see rosettes, check out Romania – the place is full of them.

Violin from Bilgoraj

On the left we have the Bilgoraj violin. On the right another string instrument – the so-called Lithuanian klawec from East Prussia

Chest from Ivano-Frankivsk (Stanisławów)

Pomeranian Chairs

These chairs’ rosettes are not the usual hexapetal rosettes but they are quite similar so I also include them.

Jabłonowo Prayer Stand

This is from a bóżnica – a Jewish temple. Note that the symbol is, of course, also represented in other Jewish art such as the Magdala Stone.

Ivano-Frankivsk (Stanisławów) Table

Another Table
(more contemporary)

Podhale Spoon Holder

These are so-called łyżniki – spoon racks. If you look closely, you will see the same hexapetal rosette.

Sosrębs From Little Poland (Bogusza near Grybów in the Nowy Sącz Area) and Great Poland (Gniezno Area)

A sosręb is a beam holding up a roof. It was common in Poland to carve images of the rosette in such beams. Below you have examples from Bogusza (near Grybów in the Nowy Sącz area), Gniezno (from the local collegiate church!) and from Kłecko (near Gniezno).

The final example is from Kniahynyn (Knihin) in the Ivano-Frankivsk (Stanisławów) area. Though this sosręb does not feature a rosette – rather a type of a cross made up of triangles.

The Gniezno sosręb is from 1750. The Kłecko sosręb is from 1733. The Knihinin sosręb is from 1886.

Lviv (Lwów/Lemberg) Sosrębs

This sosręb dates to 1669,

And this sosręb dates to 1690.

Huculsko or Huculszczyzna

This sosręb is from Huculsko or Huculszczyzna – today’s Ukrainian Гуцу́льщина. The text also describes other examples from other places in Poland (e.g., Pomerania).

Here are a few rings from Moszyński’s Suavic Folk Culture – the one on the right features a similar rosette motif: