Slavic Mythology · deity
Svarog (Svarozhich)
Svarog
also: Svarozhich · Svarozh
deityfiresmithingcraftsthe sky (as father)the sun (in some accounts)attested
The god of fire, smithing, and crafts; father of Veles; in some accounts a sky/sun god. His name is the root of 'Svarozhich' (the 'Svarog-son').
The account
Who they are
Svarog (Svarozhich) is the god of fire, smithing, and crafts [S1]S1 · Primary Chronicle (Povest' vremennykh let / Latopis povest' vremen'nykh let)c. 1113 CE (describes 10th c.)textOpen source ↗[S2]S2 · Hypatian / Hletovskaya Chronicle (Kiev idol list)14th-15th c. (later copy)text[S4]S4 · Vsevolod Miller, 'Slavic God-Concepts' (Slavjanskije bozhestvennye predstavl'enija)1860 (19th c. ethnographic)academic[S5]S5 · 19th-20th c. Slavic ethnographic collections (Volkov, Ivanov, etc.)19th-20th c.academic. He is the father of Veles [S6]S6 · Modern comparative reconstruction (e.g., Ivanov & Toporov, 'Theses on Slavic Mythology')1970s-2000sacademic. 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]S4 · Vsevolod Miller, 'Slavic God-Concepts' (Slavjanskije bozhestvennye predstavl'enija)1860 (19th c. ethnographic)academic[S6]S6 · Modern comparative reconstruction (e.g., Ivanov & Toporov, 'Theses on Slavic Mythology')1970s-2000sacademic. 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]S5 · 19th-20th c. Slavic ethnographic collections (Volkov, Ivanov, etc.)19th-20th c.academic. Svarog's fire is the forge-fire: the sacred, creative fire that shapes metal [S4]S4 · Vsevolod Miller, 'Slavic God-Concepts' (Slavjanskije bozhestvennye predstavl'enija)1860 (19th c. ethnographic)academic[S5]S5 · 19th-20th c. Slavic ethnographic collections (Volkov, Ivanov, etc.)19th-20th c.academic. He is a patron of the smiths and the craftsmen [S5]S5 · 19th-20th c. Slavic ethnographic collections (Volkov, Ivanov, etc.)19th-20th c.academic. The relationship between Svarog and Perun's 'sacred fire' is debated: some attribute the sacred fire to Svarog, others to Perun [S4]S4 · Vsevolod Miller, 'Slavic God-Concepts' (Slavjanskije bozhestvennye predstavl'enija)1860 (19th c. ethnographic)academic[S6]S6 · Modern comparative reconstruction (e.g., Ivanov & Toporov, 'Theses on Slavic Mythology')1970s-2000sacademic.
Worth knowing
- God of fire, smithing, and crafts [S4]S4 · Vsevolod Miller, 'Slavic God-Concepts' (Slavjanskije bozhestvennye predstavl'enija)1860 (19th c. ethnographic)academic[S5]S5 · 19th-20th c. Slavic ethnographic collections (Volkov, Ivanov, etc.)19th-20th c.academic.
- Father of Veles [S6]S6 · Modern comparative reconstruction (e.g., Ivanov & Toporov, 'Theses on Slavic Mythology')1970s-2000sacademic.
- The root of the name 'Svarozhich' [S5]S5 · 19th-20th c. Slavic ethnographic collections (Volkov, Ivanov, etc.)19th-20th c.academic.
- The sacred forge-fire [S4]S4 · Vsevolod Miller, 'Slavic God-Concepts' (Slavjanskije bozhestvennye predstavl'enija)1860 (19th c. ethnographic)academic[S5]S5 · 19th-20th c. Slavic ethnographic collections (Volkov, Ivanov, etc.)19th-20th c.academic.
Uncertainties & variants
- Svarog's 'sky/sun' role vs. his 'craftsman' role are not clearly distinguished in the sources; both are attested [S4]S4 · Vsevolod Miller, 'Slavic God-Concepts' (Slavjanskije bozhestvennye predstavl'enija)1860 (19th c. ethnographic)academic[S6]S6 · Modern comparative reconstruction (e.g., Ivanov & Toporov, 'Theses on Slavic Mythology')1970s-2000sacademic.
- The 'Svarozhich' as a royal title is a folk/late development [S5]S5 · 19th-20th c. Slavic ethnographic collections (Volkov, Ivanov, etc.)19th-20th c.academic.
Relationships (2)
Connections
Family & kinship
PARENT_OFVeles — Svarog is the father of Veles (reconstructed genealogy).[S6]
Alliances & rule
ALLY_OFPerun — Svarog (the forge-fire) and Perun (the sacred fire) are both 'fire' deities; their relationship is debated.[S4] [S6]
Local graph
Their corner of the divine world
Viewhierarchical — generations top → bottom, partners side by side
Overlays
FocusSvarog (Svarozhich)Slavic
- parentage
- marriage ♥
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Depictions