We have suggested previously that Radagost (mentioned by Adam of Bremen as being a Deity worshipped at Rethra contrary to Thietmar‘s reports of the Suavic God Svarozic being venerated there) was the name of the wood around Rethra in which Svarozic was venerated (see here).
In doing so we rejected Alexander Brückner suggestion that Radagost simply means a “Happy Guest” which he, contemptuously, linked with the name of a tavern rather than with the name of a Deity.
But what if Brückner was – sort of – correct? What do we mean by that? Well, he spoke of a happy guest though perhaps he could have also said a “welcome guest.” Since we know that Svarozic was relatively frequently identified – at least among the East Suavs – with fire worship, perhaps Radagost is simply a moniker for “fire.”
Volume I of Pavel (Pavlo) Čubinski‘s (Chubynsʹkyĭ’s) 1872 book “Works of ethnographic-statistical expedition to western Russian region. Materials and researches” (Труды Этнографическо-статистической экспедиціи в Западно-Русскій край, снаряженной Императорским Русским географическим обществом (Юго-Западный отдѣл); матеріалы и изслѣдованія) contains an interesting testimony from villagers living at the upper Boh river (Southern Buh) in the Litinsky Uyezd of the Podolian Governorate of tsarist Russia. The villagers stated:
“We honor fire just as God. He is our dear guest. What he takes [that is, burns down] when he gets angry, that he won’t give again to another.”
(Ми шануєм вогонь, як Бога, він нам дорогий гість. Він як розсердитьсяі візьме, то другому вже того не дасть; transliterated: My šanujem ohoń jak Boha; vin naš dorohyj hisť. Vin jak rozserdytśa i vizme, to duhomu vže toho ne dasť)
Polish villagers also spoke of fire as a guest:
“Welcome our guest in a red coat; do not go wide but rather go high .”
(Witaj nam gościu w czerwonym płaszczyku; nie bierz się szyroko, a bierz się wysoko…)
Now, the next question is did the Suavs really worship Fire as a God?
The answer to this question seems to be no. Rather they seem to have worshipped fire as present of God, specifically of the Sky God. Do we know this for sure? Of course not. But, there are hints…
For an answer we look to a tale of the Old Believers (starovéry) in the far east of Suavdom and, specifically, as was noticed already by Felix Haase, to Pavel Ivanovich Melnikov (alias Andrey Pechersky, Russian: Па́вел Ива́нович Ме́льников or Андре́й Пече́рский or Melnikov-Pechersky) and to volume IV of his Complete Collection of Works (or Collected Works) (Polnoe sobranie sochinenii or Полное собраніе сочиненій). There we find a story of how Jarilo came upon Mother Earth shrouded in darkness, loved her and as a result of this union all living things – including Man – were born. Jarilo hit Man with lightning which caused Man to awaken his faculties elevating him above the other living things. Man spoke to Jarilo answering the God’s thunder and was made rule of all living and inanimate things. Long story short, Jarilo then left Mother Earth and all their creation placing it all again in cold and darkness but vowing to return. Mother Earth then pled for Jarilo to take pity on their special love child, that is Man. As a result of these pleadings, Jarilo gave Man fire. Here is that excerpt:
“…But Mother Earth cried further. ‘Don’t you feel sorry for me Jarilo? Do not the cries of your children reach you? Have mercy at least on your love child, who answered your thunder speech with eternal words. It is naked and weak, it will shortly perish if you take away heat and light from us.’ And the God Jarilo struck a stone with lightning, his flaming blitz hit the trees. And he said to Mother Earth: ‘Now I have brought fire to the stones and the trees. I myself am in this fire. With his mind will Man figure out how to take light and fire from wood and stones. This fire is my gift for my love son. For the entire living Creation will this gift be a fright and terror. Only for him alone will be of service.’ And so the God Jarilo left the Earth. Terrible winds blew, dark clouds covered Jarilo’s eye, the red Sun [and] white snow felt and enveloped Mother Earth like a pall. All froze, all fell asleep, only Man slept [but] did not slumber. He had the great gift of Father Jarilo and with it light and warmth.”
An interesting conclusion that can be drawn here is that if Svarozic is fire and Svarog is the Sky God then it is clear that Svarog is merely another title of Jarilo. Of course, I’ve previously made the connection between Jasień or Yassa, Jarilo, Ūsiņš, Usen, Jeuseņš and, importantly, also Iasion who lay with Demeter. Further, the above story neatly fits with the narrative of Jasień “waking” up Man with lightning (“It is almost as if man himself is “unfrozen” after the winter”) that I also alluded to here. Of course, in the above story, Man is not merely woken up after a winter, he is actually given his reason or mind via a thunder strike. Afterwards, Jarilo basically acts as a Suavic version of Prometheus.
Although the name Prometheus has an uncertain etymology, one version of such etymology points to pramantha – a fire-drill, that is the tool used to create fire. Curiously, in Polish promień simply means “ray”. Same for Ukrainian with its промінь.
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