The
Creator of the Universe Rod which by the force of his love
to Lada has created the earth is at the head of the pantheon.
The gods that embodied the kind beginning –
Svarog
(the founder
of Iriy), Mother-Sva, the god of Sun Ra,
Mokosh, Svyatogor,
Siva, and the malicious beginning - Chernobog, Dyi ,Mara were the
descendants of Rod. The confrontation of their descendants
provides harmonious balance in our world.
The third level of divine hierarchy in Slavic myths is
represented by the children of
Svarog - Simargl, Stribog, Vishen,
Dazhbog,
Perun, Zhiva,
Lelya, Azovushka, Marena and the son of
Chernobog - Viy. The children of other gods that acted as allies
or opponents of Svarog’s children - Indra, Kitovras, Kvasura,
Veles,
Khors, Sea Tsar, Churila and Troyan also belong to this
level.
After the Christianization of Russia some of these deities were
transformed into the heroes of national bylinas and legends,
such as Ilya Muromets, Dunay, Volkh, Sadko, Dobrinya Nikititch,
Alyosha Popovich and Vladimir Krasnoe Solnyshko. While
destroying the highest level of pagan mythology Christianity has
identified the most respected gods with Christian sacred, for
example Perun was identified with sacred Ilya,
Veles - with
sacred Vlasiy,
Yarila - with sacred George, etc.
The fourth level of hierarchy is represented by Svarog’s
grandsons - Devana, Dennitsa, Kama, Kolyada, Krishen, Kupala and
Yarila.
The fifth level includes the Dazhbog’s descendants which have
become the ancestors of many people: they are Radogsg, Dreva,
Poleva and Skreva, Kisek, Arias, Krak, Leh, Libushe, Seva, Rus,
Sloven, Kimra, Khazar and Scythian. This genealogy has given the
reason for the Slavic tribes to be called "Dazhbog’s grandsons".
The sixth level of mythological hierarchy is represented by the
spirits and demonic essences which are subordinate to other
pagan characters. Unlike the Slavic pantheon, which has suffered
from introduction of Christianity this level of mythological
hierarchy has kept the stability till today.
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