Slavic Mythology · The Divine Atlas

01 — Cosmology

The shape of the world

The Slavic cosmos is three-layered: the Sky (Nebo) above, the Earth (Zemlya) in the middle, and the Underworld (Nav/Cherd) below. A world-axis (the world-tree, the 'axis mundi') connects the three layers [S5][S6]. This is a scholarly reconstruction from folk belief and comparative evidence [S6].

02 — The relationship graph

How the divine world is wired

Two ways to read the same data: the genealogy view layers generations top → bottom (partners side by side, children fanning from the union), while the relationships view shows the full web of typed relationships — filter by category, or click any node to open its profile. Line style encodes confidence: solid = attested, dashed = disputed, dotted = scholarly reconstruction.

View

hierarchical — generations top → bottom, partners side by side

Overlays

zoom 1.89× · medium

parentage
marriage ♥

far = primordials · medium = all · close = detail — scroll/pan, click a deity to focus

03 — Major myths

The stories

The Slavic Cosmology (the three-layered world)

The Slavic cosmos is three-layered: the Sky (Nebo) above, the Earth (Zemlya) in the middle, and the Underworld (Nav/Cherd) below. A world-axis (the world-tree, the 'axis mundi') connects the three layers. The Sky is the realm of Nebo and Perun; the Earth is the realm of the human world and the earth-gods; the Underworld is the realm of the dead (Nav/Cherd) and Veles [S4][S5][S6].

4 PARTICIPANTS · READ STORY →

The Perun-Veles Conflict (reconstructed)

In the reconstructed 'Perun-Veles' conflict, the sky-thunder-god Perun and the underworld-serpent-god Veles are in opposition. This is a scholarly reconstruction (Ivanov & Toporov) of an Indo-European 'sky-father vs. underworld-serpent' duality, not a single attested Slavic myth [S6]. The 'conflict' is expressed in folk belief as the opposition of the thunder (Perun) and the serpent (Veles) [S5][S6].

2 PARTICIPANTS · READ STORY →

The Seasonal Cycle (Jarilo vs. Morana, reconstructed)

In the reconstructed seasonal cycle, Jarilo (spring/youth) and Morana (winter/death) are in opposition. The cycle is expressed in folk ritual: the 'drowning of Marzanna' (the winter-goddess) in spring, and the 'Kupala' night (the midsummer fire-and-water festival) in the height of summer [S5][S6]. The 'spring kills winter, summer peaks, winter returns' is the reconstructed annual cycle [S5][S6].

2 PARTICIPANTS · READ STORY →

The Kupala Night (the midsummer fire-and-water festival)

The 'Kupala' night (the midsummer solstice, around June 23/24) is a well-attested folk fire-and-water festival across Slavic lands: bonfires are lit, people leap over the fire, the 'Kupala' flower (the fern-flower) is sought, and the water is blessed [S5]. The 'Kupala' is associated with Jarilo (the spring/youth/sun god), though the relationship is debated [S5][S6].

1 PARTICIPANTS · READ STORY →

The Destruction of the Idols at Kiev (980 CE)

In 980 CE, the pagan ruler Vladimir of Kiev (later baptized as Vladimir) ordered the destruction of the pagan idols. The great wooden idol of Perun (with a golden head and beard) was dragged from its hill by the Dnieper, beaten, and thrown into the river [S1][S3]. This is the oldest attested event in the Slavic pantheon's history — the moment of the Christianization of Kiev [S1][S3]. The 'Tale of the Destruction of the Idols' (a later retelling) describes the event in detail [S3].

1 PARTICIPANTS · READ STORY →

The Slavic Cosmology (the three-layered world)

The Sky (Nebo)

The highest heaven, the realm of Nebo and Perun [S4][S5].

The Earth (Zemlya)

The human world, the realm of the earth-gods [S4][S5].

The Underworld (Nav/Cherd)

The realm of the dead, the domain of Veles and Cherd [S4][S5][S6].

The World-Axis

The world-tree (the 'axis mundi') connects the three layers [S5][S6].

Sources: [S4] [S5] [S6]

The Perun-Veles Conflict (reconstructed)

The Sky-Thunder (Perun)

Perun, the thunder-god, the sky-father [S5][S6].

The Underworld-Serpent (Veles)

Veles, the serpent-god, the underworld-god [S5][S6].

The Opposition

The thunder (Perun) vs. the serpent (Veles) — the reconstructed duality [S5][S6].

Sources: [S5] [S6]

The Seasonal Cycle (Jarilo vs. Morana, reconstructed)

Winter (Morana)

Morana, the winter/death goddess, rules the cold season [S5].

The Drowning of Marzanna

In spring, an effigy of the winter-goddess is drowned to 'kill' winter [S5].

The Kupala Night

At midsummer, the 'Kupala' fire-and-water festival (Jarilo's peak) [S5].

The Return of Winter

Morana returns; the cycle repeats [S5][S6].

Sources: [S5] [S6]

The Kupala Night (the midsummer fire-and-water festival)

The Bonfires

Great bonfires are lit on the Kupala night [S5].

Leaping the Fire

People leap over the fire (a rite of purification) [S5].

The Fern-Flower

The 'Kupala' flower (the fern-flower) is sought (a rare, magical bloom) [S5].

The Water

The water is blessed; the 'Kupala' water is collected [S5].

Sources: [S5]

The Destruction of the Idols at Kiev (980 CE)

The Pagan Kiev

The pagan idols stand on the hill by the Dnieper; Perun is the head [S1].

Vladimir's Decision

Vladimir (influenced by the 'ambassador' episode) chooses Christianity [S1].

The Destruction

The idols are dragged into the river; Perun is beaten and drowned [S1][S3].

The Christianization

Kiev is baptized; the pagan pantheon is destroyed [S1].

Sources: [S1] [S3]

04 — Sources & archaeology

When it was written, not when it began

⚠ The date of a source is not the date of the myth it preserves.

c. 6th-10th century CE (reconstructed)

period

Pre-Christian Slavic religion

The pre-Christian Slavic religion. The gods Perun, Veles, Svarog, Dazhbog, Khors, Stribog, and Mokosh are worshipped. The evidence is archaeological and reconstructed (no contemporary literary sources).

980 CE

period

The 980 CE 'destruction of the idols'

The pagan ruler Vladimir of Kiev orders the destruction of the pagan idols, including the great wooden idol of Perun. This is the oldest attested event in the Slavic pantheon's history.

c. 1113 CE (describes 10th c.)

period

The Primary Chronicle

The Primary Chronicle (Latopis povest' vremen'nykh let) is composed. It names the Kiev pantheon (Perun, Khors, Dazhbog, Stribog, Veles, Mokosh) and describes the 980 'destruction of the idols'.

16th-18th century CE

period

The 'Tales of the Destruction of the Idols'

The 'Tale of the Destruction of the Idols' (Skazanie o razrushenii idolov) and other later chronicles retell the 980 event and the pagan pantheon in detail.

19th-20th century CE

period

Ethnographic collection

19th-20th c. ethnographers (Vsevolod Miller, Vasily Ivanov, etc.) collect folk survivals of the pre-Christian religion: the 'drowning of Marzanna', the 'Kupala' night, the 'Veles-day', the folk gods (Lada, Morana, Zorya).

05 — Historical artworks

The visual record

18 pieces, all from open-license or public-domain collections. Attribution is always visible; nothing is scraped.

Mokosh, illustration from Schleusing (1685) — Mokosh — Mokosh · Georg Andreas Schleusing · 1698 · Wikimedia Commons (institution in source file) · Public domain

Lada, by Sergei Konenkov, 1909 (Tretyakov Gallery collection photo) — Lada — Lada · Shakko · 1909 · Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow · Public domain

Jarilo (folk-art depiction of the spring/sun god) — Jarilo (folk-art depiction of the spring/sun god) — Jarilo (folk-art depiction of the spring/sun god) · Деятель искусства · undated · Wikimedia Commons (institution in source file) · CC BY-SA 4.0

06 — Where scholars disagree

Honest uncertainties

We preserve disagreement rather than inventing answers. Each entry lists the competing positions and how this Atlas presents them.

The overall status of Slavic mythology

attested

The 980 'destruction of the idols' and the Kiev idol list (Perun, Khors, Dazhbog, Stribog, Veles, Mokosh) are attested in the Primary Chronicle

reconstructed

The genealogies (Svarog-Veles, Nebo-Perun), the 'Perun-Veles' conflict, the seasonal cycle, and the cosmology are scholarly reconstructions

PRESENTED AS: We mark every claim with its evidence_status (attested / attested(folk) / reconstructed / variant / modern). We do NOT present reconstructions as if they were attested myths.

The 'Perun-Veles' conflict

S6

A scholarly reconstruction (Ivanov & Toporov) of an Indo-European 'sky-father vs. underworld-serpent' duality, not a single attested Slavic myth

PRESENTED AS: We present it explicitly as a reconstruction, not as an attested myth.

Nebo's status

reconstructed

The 'sky-father', the supreme deity in folk belief

debated

Whether a formal pre-Christian god or a folk Christianization that absorbed Perun's role

PRESENTED AS: We present Nebo as the reconstructed supreme sky-father, noting the debate.

The 'Kupala' and Jarilo

folk

The 'Kupala' night is a well-attested folk fire-and-water festival

debated

Whether Jarilo is the 'Kupala' god or the 'Kupala' is a separate older ritual

PRESENTED AS: We present the 'Kupala' as well-attested folk ritual; the Jarilo connection as debated.

Morana / Marzanna

folk

The 'drowning of Marzanna' is a well-attested folk spring-ritual

debated

Whether Morana was a formal pre-Christian goddess or a folk death/winter figure

PRESENTED AS: We present the ritual as well-attested; the goddess's pre-Christian status as debated.

The dating of the myths

attested

The 980 'destruction of the idols' is the oldest attested event

reconstructed

The pre-Christian religion is c. 6th-10th c. (reconstructed); the surviving texts are c. 1113 CE and later

PRESENTED AS: We make clear that the religion is much older than the surviving texts.