Svarog (Svarozhich) is the god of fire, smithing, and crafts [S1][S2][S4][S5]. He is the father of Veles [S6]. In some accounts, Svarog is a sky/sun god (the 'heavenly' father), while in others he is the 'earthly' craftsman-god who works in the forge [S4][S6]. His name is the root of 'Svarozhich' ('the Svarog-son') — a name applied to the smith, the craftsman, and (in one folk account) to the ruler himself (the 'Svarozhich' as a royal title) [S5]. Svarog's fire is the forge-fire: the sacred, creative fire that shapes metal [S4][S5]. He is a patron of the smiths and the craftsmen [S5]. The relationship between Svarog and Perun's 'sacred fire' is debated: some attribute the sacred fire to Svarog, others to Perun [S4][S6].