Belarusian mythology

Tsmok (Цмок) is the Belarusian version of a dragon. Some tsmoks were kind, they lived near lakes or rivers, and people brought them sacrifices. Even in 1960th villagers in some regions gave them money, apples and etc. But legends about cruel tsmoks are also widespread

Belarusian mythology (Belarusian Беларуская міфалогія) is the system of legends, myths and cosmological presentations in ancient religion that was practiced in Belarus before Christianization in the 10th century. Belarusian mythology also includes plots and folk presentations that existed in Christian age but were not a part of the canonic Сhristian religion.

Sources and Problems of verification

The folks who lived in Belarus in pagan age didn't have writing. Lion's share of information about Pre-Christian religion was obtained in Christian anti-pagan annals and in folk songs, fairy tales and art in the 19-20th century. Today scientists doubt that all gods, who are mentioned in such sources, really existed in ancient pagans beliefs of Belarusians.

Gods

The Lower Mythology

Vupyr. A dead, who leaves cemetery for drinking blood of living people. The picture of the Belarusian artist

Presentations about spirits and monsters lived in folk imagination even in the middle of the 20th century. It's reasonable to differ:

Holidays

Many todays holidays in Belarus have Pagan roots: Kaliady, Maslenitsa, Kupala Night (Belarusian Купалле), Call of Spring (Belarusian Гуканне вясны), Dziady (Belarusian Дзяды) and etc.

Cosmology and Cosmogony

The original pagan myths about structure of the world and its creating were forgotten. Rests of this myths were kept in fairy tales, folk beliefs, magical traditions. According to some plots the Earth is a thin plate that lies on the surface of the world ocean. Folk riddles, spells and some ornaments in old clothes of Belarusian peasants hints that antient religion could present that Earth is situated on the World Tree (the analogue of the Scandinavian Iggdrasil).

Ancient Creation myth wasn't kept in written sources. Today the scientists try to reconstruct it from folk proverbs, ballads, spells and songs. One spell says: "Sky is a father, Ground is a Mother". Another legend approves, that the Earth and the Sky where connected many centuries ago, and people could climb on the Sky. Ancient Belarusian mythology probably had universal myth about separation of Father-Sky and Mother-Ground which happened at the beginning of the world's existence. Today we can find this widespread myth in the Greek mythology (Uranus and Gaia) in more developed form.

See also

External links

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