Radagost the Happy, Welcome Guest, Also Being a Present of Jasień’s

PublishedFebruary 1, 2020 Post authortorino

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.

Annual Polish Pagan Customs

PublishedJanuary 13, 2020 Post authortorino

Here is a list of Polish, mostly pre-Christian, festivals of the annual cycle that survived in some form till recent times. As I discover more interesting things, I will try to continue adding to this article.

The Rites of Spring

Gromadki, Śmigus Dyngus, Kogutek, Gaik

The calendar began with a feast and a custom of ancestor remembrance. People burned candles and left food for their ancestors on the grave sites – the so-called gromadki. This typically happened on the Christian Maundy Thursday (before Easter) and was, perhaps, a type of dziady commemoration – remembering the dead celebration (more on that below in the rites of winter). Since this was also “Fat Thursday” and hence a day of doughnuts, there seems to have been plenty of foodstuffs to share with dead souls.

The Monday after Easter is typically the Śmigus-Dyngus Monday. On it men and women would go around and try to surprise each other by spraying the others with water. Younger folks would perform another ritual with young men and boys going around with a stylized rooster (kogutek) and young women going around with branches bound together to represent a young forest (gaik). The dyngus were the trinkets obtained by these spring carolers from the houses that they stopped at to sing and then ask for “payment” for the performance.

Although some have connected dyngus with payment (German: Dingen > things), a much more likely etymology, especially given the context of spring rites, spring rains and the rebirth of the world is the Prussian word dangus which means “sky.” This would also explain the suffix (-s) which is common in Baltic languages.

The kogutek, also celebrated on the second day of Easter, involved a rooster, typically stylized out of a pumpkin or made out of batter with attached feathers and a comb made from red cloth. The rooster was attached to a small wooden plank that sported wheels and served as a cart to have the rooster travel around the village. The procession started at a wealthier farmer’s house from whom a present was obtained and then went house to house while singing, playing pipes and obtaining gifts (the dyngus) from the residents. Eventually the whole troop found its way to the local tavern and then the things obtained were parceled out among all the gathered with everyone concluding the day’s events with a drinking party. The kogutek would then be stored with one of the partygoers till the next year.

The gaik involved young women and kids being led by one lady, again going house to house. The leader would carry a “forest” of greenery, plants, branches, adorned with many colored ribbons as well as, sometimes, with shining baubles. At each house this troupe would sing and, in return, also get small presents. The gaik was also occasionally referred to as maik (reffering to May).

Zielone Świątki

Zielone Świątki simply means the “Green Holidays.” These were associated with all kinds of games. In parts of Kujawy (on the Bachorza channel or at Lubień Kujawski), till about the beginning of the 19th century, the villagers played a game called the “King of Shepherds” – essentially a race (the “track” marked with wooden sticks) to bring one’s cattle herd to a previously agreed place the fastest. Both men and women partake and apparently both royal titles – king and queen – were available for the taking (for an annual period). Afterwards, all manner of simple gifts were given and the completed race turned into a party. In other parts of the country a similar “king” game was played involving horse races.

Later, on the first of May people would go out for walks – on the so-called majówka.

In Warsaw, the citizenry would head to Golendzin across the river where, so the tale goes, one lady from Old Town, chosen at random would be wed. The ferries would be adorned with birch branches and all manner of ribbons. The local mayor would collect the dowry for the bride from the party goers.

It seems that in the days of Jan Casimir, when the Swedes occupied Praga (in 1655) – on the East bank of the Vistula – the citizens unwilling to cross the river, conducted their majowka instead at Bielany, north of Warsaw. In other tellings, the relocation from Golendzin to Bielany was occasioned by the construction of the Camaldolese monk monastery at Bielany about 1630 – whether the monks invited the partygoers or the partygoers showed up of their own is another matter. (In fact, a similar event was sponsored by the Camaldolese of another Bielany near Cracow and may have been sponsored by other such monasteries elsewhere). In any event, the weddings continued, sporadically, even as late as 1766 (during the reign of Stanisuav Augustus) but over time the majowka became more of an all day nature outing for the citizenry.

Whenever the kings Augustus II or Augustus III were in town, they would join the partygoers at Bielany where the ladies, particularly of the lower classes, would wear all kinds of colorful clothes and the coachmen would arrive with green-adorned carts.

In fact, even more generally, wagon and carriage drivers would place greenery on their carts and on their horses. During this month of May, even as late as the reign of Sigismund Augustus, married women would gather at a meadow and hold hands dancing and singing, praising spring.

On the Eve of the Green Holidays (the Pentecost, Whitsun, Whitsunday or Pfingsten in Germany) which was the Sunday (fifty days after Easter, for example May 12th), the partying and playing began.

During those days all the houses (and churches) would be “mayed” that is covered in green leaves and the townspeople would play zielone. Later, the custom included covering the floors in the house (as well as in churches!) with sweet flag leaves (tatarak). The house lobby/foyer (sień) would be covered with birch branches. Various green herbs would also be placed on ceilings, on the windows and on pictures (especially on pictures of Holy Mary).

This was also the season of cake making (babki and placki).

At nights during those May days, there would begin the so-called sobótki. Fires would be lit on top of the hillocks and men and women would jump over them all the while dancing, singing and laughing.

Around 1405, the preacher and professor of Cracow University, Lucas of Great Kozmin also mentions dances with swords:

“I recall that in youth I read in a certain chronicle that there were in Poland Gods and from those days to our times such rites come that young women dance with swords, as if in offering to the pagan Gods, and not to [the] God, as well as [dances of] young men with swords and sticks, which they then hit about…”

These games would continue throughout May and June until Saint John the Baptist’s day. And, in fact, Lucas’ description may relate specifically to Saint John’s Day. On the night before, that is the Vigil (Wigilia) of Saint John, people celebrated the Sobótka. This ancient rite involved fires, wreaths placed on river water (often with a candle) and bylica which was put over house roofs. So let’s go to that.

Sobótka

The longest night of the year – so-called “Saint John’s” Eve – was also an occasion to perform ancient rites. Those typically involved making wreaths and garlands for the ladies followed by late night gatherings and the setting of fires usually in the fields (going ku-pole) or on hilltops. Next came the dancing around these fires. Young women lead those gatherings and young men joined later. They would then couple up and dance around the fires and, often, jump through them – sometimes together. (Incidentally, sobótka is only indirectly related to the “Sabbath” (though perhaps more to the “witches’ sabbaths.” Rather its direct etymology seems to be connected with certain West Anatolian festivities).

In some places, like Kujawy, all the village huts would be decorated with łopian (burdock) leaves (of the Asteraceae family – Kletten in German).

The wreaths would typically be made of bylica (artemisia or mugwort) though other plants were utilized as well, including piołun (common wormwood also a type of artemisia), dziurawiec (Saint John’s wort), leszczyna branches (hazel), mięta (mint), ruta (ruta or rue), biedrzeniec (pimpinella) or czarny bez (black elderberry) were seen as having beneficial powers on this day. Of course, the most coveted was the fern flower – a mythical flower much like the four-leafed clover. Women would take venture naked into the woods, most often with their male companions, in search of this flower. As I understand it, few had found the flower though some had had an altogether good time nevertheless.

In a related custom, the wreaths (wianki – pronounced “vyankee“) would often end up being placed on the surface of local rivers and sent gently floating with the current. Frequently, they would also carry an attached candle so that they remained visible from afar. While women would float the wreaths on water, young men would light small fires on the river banks. These custom continued even into the 18th and 19th centuries when inhabitants in Warsaw would gather on the banks of the Vistula to send their wreaths on the way to the sea while cheering them on from the local bridges. Local potentates would also give out small gifts to the public on the occasion and the common people would exchange presents amongst themselves. The last Polish king – Stanisuav Poniatowski – was recorded attending these events. Sometimes the plants were forgotten and other means were used to float a fire; for example, in Pomerania, local inhabitants would place small barrels full of tar on the water surface and set them on fire, watching them head out to the Baltic.

Such gatherings were known in Poland as sobótki (diminutive for “sabbaths”) or palinoce (pronounced “palinotze“) aka palinocki (pronounced “palinotzki“) (that is “burning nights”). The rituals are alluded too already in the 11th century by Thietmar who describes Mount Ślęża in Silesia. That same mountain would be referred to as sobótka in the 13th century. The clergy typically bemoaned such pre-Christian relicts and forbade them as I have described previously:

“Prohibit too the nightly dances that take place during days of the sabbath (sobótki or kupalnocki in the summer) and on the days of the Saints John the Baptist and Saints Peter and Paul, for there are fornications and adultery and incest committed in those times.” (Bishop Andrzej Łaskarz Statutes from the 1420s)

& here:

“populi multitudo sexus utriusque assolet de consuetudine confluere, ubi tubarum, timpanorum. fistularum, aliorumque musicorum generum exercicia adhibentur, chorearum ceterorumque jocorum plausus exercentur…” (Royal Decree of Casimir IV from 1468)

& here:

“For this reason these pagan [maidens] dedicated this herb to her and when the day [of Diana/Artemis] was celebrated some hung it up around houses while others girded it on: and this was done on the twenty fourth day of the moon [month] June, on our day of Saint John: and so they [the ladies] lit fires in the night, danced, praying and honoring the devil. [And] this pagan custom they [women] refuse to forsake to this day, for so they make offerings of this herb hanging it and girding it on. And they honour holidays of this devil [i.e., Diana/Artemis] by making sabaths [sobótki], burning fires, kindling fires with planks [sticks], so that there should be the right devilish holiness: there they sing devilish songs, obscene/filthy while dancing.” (Marcin of Urzędów, circa 1500 – 1573.:

It is curious that these festivities were so much like the festivities conducted around Rome in honor of the Deity Pales (the so-called parillia). Palić, of course, means “to burn” in Polish. For more on these customs, see here.

Dożynki
(Okrężne or Wieńcowe or Święto Plonów)

First, let us note that there were some harvest festivals that were done during the overall harvest but after the conclusion of harvesting particular type of grain. Specifically, after the collection of żyto (English secale or German Roggen) or pszenica (wheat or Weizen), you had the game of pępkowe. This involved catching the slowest female harvester and forcing her to cut the last stalk – the pęp or, in the diminutive, pępek. This pęp is made part of a bouquet consisting of it and a variety of field flowers collected and is carried by the “tardy” farmer girl to the manor house for which she is rewarded by the local lord along with the accompanying “crew.” Curiously, the pępek is also the name for the navel and the cutting appears to imitate the cutting of the umbilical cord as in a birthing ceremony.

Dożynki these days refers to the Polish harvest festival. Specifically, the word refers to the cutting (dożynać derived from żąć, that is ścinać, kosić, all of which refer to cutting) of the (final) harvest.

Technically, the meaning of the word may have changed over the years and in different parts of Poland. Thus, some think that the cutting that dożynki referred to originally was the cutting of the ozimina, that is of winter wheat, that is of a biennial crop, during the late fall. Technically, this was a separate – and later (in September/October) – activity from the earlier harvest of the current – annual – crop (in August/September). That is, after the actual harvest of the annual crop, the winter crop would be sown and prepped for the winter via the dożynanie and would be harvested next year (though, typically, earlier than the annual crop). As part of the dożynki of ozimina, a garland or wreath (wieniec) would be brought back to the village for the landlord.

If this is true then the earlier activity of the fall harvest was instead called okrężne, the act of going “around” the krąg that is around the fields and checking for any remaining crop. It was that name that came to mean the festivities associated with the harvest, including the ultimate feast/party.

However, because the fall harvest and the associated okrężne of the annual crop would come within a month or so of the dożynki of the biennial crop, the latter name – which could be associated just as easily with the cutting of the harvest as of the ozimina – ultimately displaced okrężne as the name given to the festivities and rituals associated with the fall harvest.

(In some places in Poland, the old name of okrężne now refers to the actual feast part of the dożynki, the latter, originally, unrelated term having subsumed the former. Also, in some places dożynki are called obrzynki and, elsewhere, more appropriately for dożynki, wieniec or wieńcowe (for example in Kujawy), names referring to wreaths that would be created as part of the dożynki of ozimina. Apparently, in Opole Silesia the harvest fest is called żniwniok. Finally, another common name is simply Święto Plonów or the Holiday of the Harvest).

In any event, here we are discussing the earlier-occuring harvest festival. This took place in August or in early September.

After clearing all the harvest from the fields by doing a final walkthrough “around” the fields and cutting the final kłos (the so-called “ear” or spike of the stem of a cereal plant), the villagers would make a garland/wreath entirely from the harvest cereal stalks and then head back to the village to celebrate. Sometimes the local lord’s kids would be part of the party coming from the fields. In some parts of the country this party also “captured” the landlord’s field officials – such as the field administrator and the lower-ranked tallyman (karbowy). These would then serve as “hostages.”

The group would then make its way through the fields to the house of the local lord (the dziedzic). They would find the gates closed but… after showing him the harvest wreath, they would be let in. (Compare this to the “gatekeeping” ceremony at the Temple of Svantovit at Arkona). If “hostages” had been taken, the landlord would now buy the “freedom” of his employees. Then the feast would begin.

The first drink would be taken by that local lord and the village leader, the highest ranking kmieć (that is farmer peasant), the so-called sołtys. After the feast the lord would dance with the village leader’s wife and the lady, the lord’s wife, lest you think this a one way street, would dance with the village leader (the sołtys). In other words, this particular feast’s economics brought all classes together.

Takci bywało, panie, pijaliśmy z sobą,
Ani gardził pan kmiotka swojego osobą;
Dziś wszystko już inaczej, wszystko spoważniało,
Jak to mówią, postawy dosyć, wątku mało.

Music, dancing and various games were part of the festival but the highlight, of course, was the actual feast.

Much preparation would go into ensuring a variety of drinks and foods were available for that party. Piwo (beer) was brewed along with miód (mead that is miód pitny which translates into “drinking honey” as opposed to regular honey) as well as other concoctions such as krupnik which, in this case, did not mean a soup but rather combination of vodka and mead. Cattle would be slaughtered for the beef. Among the soups, a popular type was, of course, barszcz (borscht). Bigos, the Polish stew combo of chopped meat (often beef) and cabbage (sauerkraut). Another course were the zrazy which were are thin slices of meat rolled around various stuffing components (mushrooms, vegetables, eggs, bacon, potatoes). For those grain-inclined, there was also kasza (kasha), typically made from gryka (buckwheat).

Interestingly, already Jan Długosz (15th century) mentions similar harvest celebrations in Lithuania as well. There, he says, the parties took place in the holy sacred groves to which the people would bring the harvest (presumably in thanks to the Gods) in the fall. They would also make offerings from oxen, calves and rams and would party for three days, eating (the food offerings!), dancing and playing a variety of games. It is not clear whether these were Lithuanian customs or the customs of those people who the Lithuanians captured from neighboring regions (such as Mazovia) and brought East as prisoners (typically to harvest and colonize the vast forest lands that covered most of Lithuania and Belarus).

The Rites of Winter

Dziady

Dziady – the day of remembrance for the dead be they direct “ancestors” or simply passed away relatives and friends – are perhaps the most remembered Suavic holiday. This is certainly largely due to Mickiewicz’s play of the same name which served to etch this particular practice into Polish memory. It is widely believed that the Christian All-Saints Day or All-Souls’ Day (zaduszki) replaced the ancient Polish pagan traditions. While this may be the case, the matter is rather more complicated than just that.

As a starting matter, ancient Suavs actually had several days devoted to the Dead at various times of the year. In Belarus, dziady were held at least three times: right before the end of zapusty (for that see below) at the beginning of the calendar year; during the week before the Green Holidays; and one or two weeks before All-Saints Day. In Poland, as discussed above, there were gromadki on Thursday before Easter. And, at the Christmas meal, a place is left at the table (complete with a plate and cutlery) for a “wanderer” though this may originally have been intended for souls of ancestors. This would suggest that such ancestor and dead remembrance customs were part of a number of Polish rites which, in and of themselves, had nothing to do with ancestors or the dead. Thus, perhaps a more accurate statement regarding the timing of these rites is that anytime there was a party, people would do the decent thing and also take a moment away from the festivities to recall their dead relatives. Perhaps this was out of a desire to secure the favor of the dead in the upcoming undertaking, or to placate them so that they would at least not interfere with such undertaking or simply out of a human need to remember.

Further, to the extent we look for Suavic origins of the Christian holy days from the beginning of November, that is of the All-Souls or All-Saints Day, we should look rather to an earlier calendar time for associated traditions. It was in Belarus that the Christianity failed to stamp out various ancient practices associated with ancestor remembrance. And as mentioned above, in Belarus, a dziady holiday fell around the middle of October (though this may perhaps be a result of the Eastern calendar being used). What was it like? The practices (mentioned by Tyszkiewicz as quoted by Józef Gołąbek in Dziady Białoruskie) included: at night calling upon the shadows of the dead in what we would today describe as a séance): tossing crumbs for the shadows of those dead – not necessarily ancestors though all relations – who died in the given dwelling; the leaving of food and drink outside on the exterior window sill so as to provide food for traveling souls; finally, visiting the graves and delivering the food and drink to those dead who did not decide to come to the house.

In some parts of eastern Poland similar practices persisted though they had been mostly stamped out. Specifically, in the Ruthenian Podlasie (around Bielsk Podlaski), we have evidence of the dziady on the first of October. This suggests that the feast itself could also be connected with the harvest feasts. In any event, the whole feast would begin with the placing of a candle called gromnica in the main “honorary” corner of the house called pokut (hence pokuta – penance? or is it simply from pokąt meaning “corner”). (Incidentally, a gromnica was also the type of candle placed in the hand of the deceased, supposedly to help light the way for such departed. Further, as noted above, a gromnica, was also used prior to spring arriving to ward of thunder strikes). The dishes would be richly prepared as much as for Chrismas save that they were mainly meat dishes (not fish, as for Christmas). Further, the feast would begin with a drink and some of it would be spilled under the table for the dead souls. Likewise, morsels of food from each dish would be thrown under the table for the same purpose.

Interestingly, another festival similar to dziady was still alive in the 19th century in Bretagne (see the remarks of Józef Henryk Kallenbach on the work of Anatole Le Braz regarding the practices in Spézet, Bretagne). Whether the similarities are due to Celtic or Venetic influence is, of course, another interesting question.

Gwiazdka & Jasełka

The winter festival of Gwiazdka was the same as Kolęda. Gwiazda means “star”. However, long forgot, it also meant a “tree.” Around this time people would walk around the village with a “star” and sing, what we would today call, carols. These carols to this day are known as kolędy. Although koledy is generally derived from the Latin calends, this may simply be because the Latin word was recorded first. Lęda in Polish means simply an untilled field and is cognate with “land.” From this name we have also the tribal name of the Lendians (Lędzianie also, possibly, cognate with Leugii/Lugii). Among the Eastern Suavs going out to hold festivities in the untilled field (kolyada) in the winter seems similar to going out to hold festivities in the tilled fields (kupala) in the summer (with “ku” meaning towards or, alternatively, koło meaning “around”).

All this involved two further characters: the gwiazdor as well the Toruń or Turoń. The gwiazdor was the bringer of presents (a forerunner to Santa Claus) and he was represented symbolically by the gwiazda – the star that was carried around. Behind that star there would sometimes “hide” the Turoń. This was a person typically dressed as an animal of uncertain pedigree – a quasi horse, bull and goat (etymologically connected with the tur or auroch, a similar “bull” figure reappears during the Easter season as Tracz or traczyk). When the party arrived at a house, wishing happy festivities, the Turon previously “hidden” by the gwiazdor would jump out and act out all kinds of craziness.

At this time, ancient Poles celebrated jasełka from the Polish jasło meaning a “manger” or “feeder”. A manger (which comes from the French “manger” meaning “to eat”) corresponds to the Polish jasło which refers to eating presumably in the context of winter feasting connected with the gwiazdka (the word jasełko reappears at Easter where it refers to a small typically wooden bowl with offerings). It seems somewhat suspicious however that the name is also possibly cognate with Jasion – the Polish Primary Deity associated with the Sun and Moon. In general, however, the feats days appear to coincide with the start of “eating” through the winter supplies gathered at harvest time. Once the days began to be longer and the “Tree” began to grow back, the villagers felt freer to dig into the garnered provisions in expectation of Spring. (The Church appears to have transmuted this holiday into the celebration of the birth of Jesus who, curiously, was alleged to have been born at an animal feeder, that is a “manger” or trough (German Raufe, Krippe = crib). The fact that a manger looks like a baby crib may have had something to do with the association of these two concepts. The Christian version added young men walking around the village with a “szopka” which is a crèche.)

In the house, the tree was not used but jemioła (mistletoe) would frequently be hung from the ceiling. In other instances this would be the tip of a fir, spruce or pine. This was called podłaźniczka or podłaźnik (which with the pod- meaning “under” seems to refer to the ceiling somehow, though łaźnia means hot baths so who knows) or, in the Christian nomenclature sad rajski (Garden of Eden) or simply, jutka or wiecha or gaj (like gaik). Alternatively, it was called boże drzewko – God’s tree – of course the plant used had to be evergreen or at least then green. The ash tree, that is jesion – is, of course, deciduous and, thus, had to be reborn to be green again.

These winter festivals started after the winter solstice (around Christmas or, really, the Roman Feast of Sol Invictus) and continued for the next two weeks or so.

Zapusty

After that the winter merrymaking continued for the next month under the name zapusty (starting with the Christian Feast of the Epiphany or Three Kings Day and basically corresponding to the carnival). In fact, although certain aspects of the winter holidays are associated with their beginning – such as the gwiazdor and the jasełka, in general it is fair to say that the festivities rolled right into the new year and the partying continued throughout this entire period.

Among the wealthier classes of Polish society, a popular entertainment was the kulig – sleigh ride through the snow covered country between various manors. Often multiple sleighs would take part along with accompanying horses of servants. The travelers would don on various outrageous costume and would drive manor to manor picking up further participants. One manor would be selected as the final destination and a messenger would be sent ahead to inform the inhabitants of the impending arrival of the party. The host would arrive at the gates, where the lights were out and all was pitch dark as the locals would act as if they were not expecting anyone’s arrival. One of the party would knock on the doors, be let in and after some time “arguing” and negotiating with the manor dwellers, the lights would go on as a signal that the party was welcomed in at which point they would all stream in. These kuligs would often last several days and sometimes made multiple way stations.

Towards the end of the of the “zapusty” period (especially on Tuesday “zapustny“), final days of partying took place – the so-called ostatki. The custom of dressing up and walking around the village also also made its come back at this time. Specifically, young men went around dressed up as bears, horses, goats or storks and went around the village usually in the afternoon. This typically involved having the animal head attached to a stick along with sheets covering the young actor hiding under the same. The “animal” – much like the afore-mentioned Turoń – would then jump, poke and the like. Its mouth was movable with the jaw controlled by a piece of rope that the actor or his colleagues would operate to imitate speech. They would stop by a house and then the various animals would act up and sing. Sometimes this was referred to as a koza that is a “goat.” The whole group would then end up in a tavern in the evening where they would collect money to pay for the local violin player. This donation was called podkoziołek. In exchange the player “sells” various young ladies to the paying men. Conversely, those women who have not been sold pay him for an unspoken for man. All of this is done with jesting, cheering, jeering and singing and the group ends up dancing. In other places, the actual zapust would be personified with men walking around wearing conical paper hats with colorful ribbons. Occasionally, they called themselves bachuski (as if referring to Bacchus).

The name zapusty is somewhat mysterious. It may refer to the preparation for the great fasting of the Lent (that is post). Or it may refer to something like zaloty, that is courtships – the “preliminaries” of the Rites of Summer. Thus, for example, it was common to attach klocki that is “blocks” – in actuality consisting of sticks, bones or chicken feet – to those who did not get married during these festivities. Another alternative, and perhaps more likely, is to the eating of the winter supples – zapasy or, perhaps even more likely, to the emptying of cellars and granaries (“pusty” means empty). Presumably, it is not related to winter neglect (zapuszczone) of the fields or of the person’s appearance.

Gromnica/Marzanna

The last well-known winter rites consisted in the preparation for the arrival of spring and the official throwing out of winter.

The gromnica was the candle used in the ritual protection of the house against the desired but potentially dangerous arrival of spring storms (or, likely, of the Sky God – Jasion). It was meant to protect against thunder (grom) and specifically the effects of that thunder such as, of course, fires. The candle would be used to ward off thunder by making crosses on the main beam of the house. This was apparently absorbed into the Christian feast of the Presentation of Jesus at the Tempe which in Poland was called Matki Boskiej Gromnicznej, that is the the Mother of God of Gromnica or, if you will, of thunder perhaps. When spring storms came, the same candles would be brought out to ward off the house being struck with thunder (keeping in mind that these houses almost universally had thatched roofs at that time).

With the defensive preparations for spring out of the way, you could move on to getting rid of winter. This was done by dressing up and taking out of the village the puppet of Marzanna. Typically, this puppet would be made of straw, dressed up and then officially transported out of the village to a nearby body of water into which it would be thrown. This has been interpreted as a ritual drowning of “winter/death” personified but matters are not so simple. Długosz identified Marzanna with Ceres and it appears that he was onto something. It is noteworthy that where no body of water was readily available, the villagers would sometimes burn the puppet. In this regard, as noted before, marznąć means “to freeze” and zamarzać means to freeze over. Interesting connotations may be seen in other “earthly” words such as the East Slavic mir (world), morze/mare (sea) or zmora (nightmare also perhaps connected to the “mare” horse). Thus, the puppet appears to be nothing more as the frozen Earth personified and the act of unfreezing Mother Earth is done by melting in running water (“drowning” but not really) or by the use of of fire, that is, burning. The fact that early Suavs used slash-and-burn agriculture (on “the Earth”) also suggests a connotation to the beginning of the agricultural cycle. The role of the Sky God in all of this who tosses bolts that “melt” the Earth (compare the PIE *meldh- with młot or molot (hammer) and miollnir – the “melting tool” of the Sky God with which He unfreezes the Earth, that is is the “Great Melter”).

Marcin Błazowski’s Information

PublishedJanuary 5, 2020 Post authortorino

Another relatively late source for Polish Gods is a mention from the year 1611 by Marcin Błazowski (aka Błażewski or Błażowski). Błazowski was the translator of Marcin Kromer’s chronicle (written in Latin in the original) into Polish. While translating the passage about Polish Gods (which Kromer mostly got from Długosz), Błazowski decided to expand on Kromer’s brief description providing some additional information about Łado that he, it seems, felt comfortable supplementing Kromer on by reason of Błazowski having experienced some of the related celebrations in Ruthenia (around Sambor in Ukraine). He also gives more detail than Kromer on Pochwiściel.

Here are the relevant passages:

“Thus, the Poles and other Suav nations worshipped as Gods Jupiter personally, Mars, Pluto, Cerera, Venera, Diana: calling them: Jessa, Lada or Ladon, Nya, Marzana, Zezylia, Ziewonia. It is those that they understood as such; it was them that they offered altars, steeles, groves and priests to; it is to those that they made sacrifices to; killed cattle for; for their fame did they come together to annual holiday celebrations, feasting, dancing, clapping, singing and playing a variety of games. Of these idolatrous celebrations Dlugosz himself, having experienced them in his days some time after the Christian conversion, speaks of, saying that men and women, the old and the young would gather together in the fields for games and dances, precisely during our holidays; which gatherings they called stado [meaning “herd”] as if referencing a herd or a flock of some kind. From this, apparently, Ruthenia and Lithuania, the villagers especially, preserve the custom of dancing, clapping their hands and repeating Lado. Kromer does not discuss Ladon sufficiently, favoring pithy assessments, I guess; for this reason, having been born in this land, I provide a more complete description from Ruthenian texts and customs that I was able to get a hold of. For Ladon, the Ruthenian nations, took at times for such a God to whom they ascribed the rule over all fortune and important matters, making him the Lord of all good fortune; for this reason they called to him during the baptism of their children, during games, parties, weddings and all other matters of relevance. Much as the Catholics [would call upon] Hymen, the Greeks [upon] Iao or Bacchus and others. All of Ruthenia retaining this souvenir of paganism till this day, especially in wedding songs, they bring up the afore-mentioned Ladon: for either with their hands [hitting] against the table or with hand against hand [clapping], at each stanza of a song, they sing of him. Let us now return to Kromer…”

“…I would, however, say that Pochwiściel is a whistling wind or tempest, which whirls with great momentum and whatever it hits, it swirls it around; and even its name itself indicates this: for it it appears to be called Pochwiściel from the manner of its blowing (for it whistles as it blows) or from the lifting of things it comes upon [chwytać – to grasp, grab, lift]. But I will leave this to the judgment of the reader. I think though that also Ruthenia and not just the Mazurs worshipped this Pochwiściel (if he is a wind) for this reason: even today in Ukrainian Ruthenia, whenever a this gale appears in front of their eyes, they bow their silver heads to it in various ways.“

Chmielowski’s Nowe Ateny

PublishedJanuary 2, 2020 Post authortorino

We have, thus far, only been through the oldest sources on Polish religion. The latter works are generally more prone to repetition and suspected of elaboration leading to fancy. Nevertheless, caution given, a relatively late work may be worth mentioning here.

This is a work by a priest Benedykt Joachim Chmielowski (Nowe Ateny albo Akademia wszelkiej scjencji pełna) from 1745-1746 (dedicated “to the wise as a mnemonic, to the idiots so as to educate them and to the politicians for entertainment”!). This work was so popular that, in a kind of technological regression, extra copies had to be handwritten (!) when the print runs ran out (or at least when the printed editions were halted). Here is what he has to say about Polish but also Czech, Baltic and East Suav paganism:

“Thus, the Poles worshipped with great aplomb, pomp and celebration, singing, dancing, burning of offerings, the idols, Jasen, Lada or Niwa Manzena, Zyzylia, Ziewana or Ziewie, the Goddess of breath and yawning. Nia the idol, supposedly had its temple in Gniezno as Długosz attests. They venerated too Pogoda, Pochwist, that is the air weather. Lelum polelum, supposedly, the stars of Castor and Pollux and in life inseparable friends and for that reason did the Poles call upon them when in happy company [n their role] as the preservers [conservatores] of friendship. These too idols did the Czechs also call upon and in addition to these also others, as I had read in Republica Bohemica, that is Chwot Zielon, Pohoda, Moskasla, Pochwist or Nehoda, Nerod, Radmasz (supposedly Rhadamanthus); Niwa, Wieles, Tasawi, Sudice, Wili, Tzybek, Lel, Pelel, Ssetek or Skrzytek, Diblik. Among these Czechs the first name was Prun or Peron, the second Swantowit (was this not Saint Vitus, the patron of the Czechs?).”

“It is these Deities’ names that the historians in Poland and in Czechia generally understand all the powers of superstition, that is Jove, Mars, Pluto, Cerera, Diana, Sol, Venera, Mercury, Rhadamanthus, the Furies, the Parcae (the Moirai), Castor, Pollux, etc.”

“The Prussians, remaining in paganism, venerated as God: the moon, fire, water, snakes, groves, especially honoring oaks. The priest of their superstitions went by the name Krywody. As Kromer says when discussing Bolesuav the First Polish monarch: And this Bolesuav desiring not to leave the smallest vestige of pagan superstition ordered the cutting down of an oak, six elbows wide, strangely grown from the earth to the boughs and taken as a God by the inhabitants of the Prussian town of Romowe. There was there another oak in a town Oppen [?] which was supposedly also used for divinations [and] long preserved, such that it came to reach such width that in [the inside emptiness of] its rot Albert the Prussian Duke could safely turn his horse around which was easily achieved when its width reached 27 elbows as Henneberger [Kaspar] testifies in his Prussian Chronicle. This [oak] succumbed thereafter to cuts of different names [inscribed in it] of those who were there making offerings in accordance with the ancient rite to this idol [Deaster – supposedly a pseudo-Latin invention of Sebastian Castellio’s]. Also the Livonians or Inflantians venerated true idols [as in statues as opposed to trees] as Peter of Duisburg attests.”

“It is a great wonder that in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania many were [living] in the errors of idolatry. They bowed to the golden Baba, that is to a statue that was raised by the roadsides; and those that carried or transported something would toss small bits as offerings, hair or flakes in place of other things they would toss from their clothes [?]. Those who did not do this were immediately punished with sickness or poverty, according to Olao [?]. She was supposedly taken for one of the ancient Goddesses, either as Ceres or as Tellus or as that Roman Abeona, or Abeona the Goddess of Travelers. This golden Baba was venerated in Muscovy in the Obdoria Province with the following statue: she held a child in her hand and another stood by her side. This idol was worshipped by nearby nations by the killing of elk and the smearing of their blood on its eyes and lips as also through offering of sable furs. There they also venerated thunder and fire as in all of Ruthenia and Muscovy, whose church in Vilnius Wladyslaw Jagiello the Polish King and Lithuanian Duke – having first extinguished with the water of Holy Baptism the sparkles of superstition in his own person – cast down and put out the perpetual fire [burning there previously]; for this reason, supposedly, in Lithuania and Polesia they call fire Bagacz from the altered name of God. They held in esteem the smith’s hammer, as I read in Aenae Sylvio [Enea Silvio Bartolomeo Piccolomini], the later Pius II, the Supreme Pontiff.* They supposedly wanted to use this hammer to forge gold forever.** They also venerated Lucos, that is groves and trees the cutting down of which was a monstrous crime and a sacrilege. Similarly, to kill at home or on the road, the Snake, a House God, was deadly for the entire family. Lakes, caves were divine places as well as rivers, which is even shown in the very name of the Podolian river Boh, which river, according to Sarnicki, the Podolians held to be a God, a superstition they were taught by Lithuania.”

[* note: perhaps he means the future Pope’s “Tale of Two Lovers”; incidentally, also relevant to Suavs, that Pope’s letters too contain a mention of the one of the best known descriptions of the enthronement ceremony of the Carinthian dukes.]

[** note: it is also “striking” that the Latin “cudo” means to strike, beat, originally perhaps also “forge”. Despite the fact that the “c” was pronounced as a “k” whereas the Suavic “c” is pronounced as a “ts”, it is tempting to note that “cud” in Suavic means “miracle.”]

“In Samogitia or Żmudź [Žemaitija], before the Holy Faith lit up that country, that is around the year 1413, the Samogitians venerated, in addition to trees, the following Gods: Auxtejas Wissagistis, who was powerful among them; Zemolaci, that is Gods of the Earth; Perun, whom the tillers would offer bacon during thunderstrikes and when he stopped, they themselves partook of this offering with oatmeal [kasza] or noodles; Audres, the God of the sea and water; Algis, supposedly an Angel; Ausea, the Goddess of the rays; Bezlea, the Goddess of the Evening; Bregsua, the Goddess of darkness; Ligez the God of alliance or of consensus; Datan, supposedly the giver God; Kirnis, the God of cherries and blueberries;* Lizyusz, the God of young men; Gondu, the God of maidens and girls; Modeyina, Ragaina, Kierkiez, Silimicz, forest idols; Kurwayczyn and Erayczyn, who preside over sheep and lambs; Prigerstitis, the God who listens to murmurs and whispers, for this reason they observed a great quiet and modesty when talking; Dereintos, the God of peace who caused agreements: Laupatim was honored by the tillers; Ratainicz was called upon by the horse owners; Kristosi they asked to maintain crosses and stones on graves; Tawols, the God of wealth and poverty; Ulanicza, the Goddess of all house gear and she who wakes those that are asleep; Krukis the God of Swine; Alabathis, the God of linen and yarn; as also, the Goddess Wasganthos for the same purpose was venerated by maidens and girls; and to the God called Ziemiannik, having on November the 2nd filled the tables with [various] courses they celebrated sacrileges, offering hay, bread, beer, calf, pig, rooster and goose, thanking for all the earthly blessings and asking for new ones in the future. Smik, Smik, Perlewenu, the God of tillers to whom, when beginning to till [in the year] they always offered the first sliver of the field, throughout the year then wary, as if it were a great sin, to cross it. Aitweros, the God of fences. Latawiec was venerated in Samogitia. Kaukie they called the night terrors and ghosts; they worshipped snakes too, taking them as House Gods and calling them by the name Givoytos; Orthus or Ezeonim, the God of Fishing Lakes was there also venerated, so writes Jan Łaski.”

[* note: strangely, a cherry is Kirsche in German which may suggest a solution as to who the mysterious Curche was]

“In Ruthenia – before the Holy Faith illuminated it through Olga or Helena, a Russian Lady and through Anna, the sister of Basil and Constantine, Greek emperors around the year 971 – the Ruthenians venerated Perun, Strib, Hors and Mokosl, as Kromer testifies. To this idol Perun, a human form was erected with a silver head, a golden nose and in the hand a thunderbolt. They worshipped him in Great Novgorod, burning fires to him from oakwood only. In this place there now stands a monatery called the Perunian.”

On Homiliarium quod dicitur de Opatoviz (Part I)

PublishedDecember 29, 2019 Post authortorino

The famous Homiliarium quod dicitur de Opatoviz serves as a fascinating listing of Czech, Moravian & Slovak pagan practices and superstitions and found its way into Karl Meyer’s list of Latin & Greek sources on Suavic paganism. The translation (in this case Czech) of this document was most recently published by Jiří Dynda. The Homiliarium is a long document so here is just the initial part.

I, 5 Alia [In natali] (fol. 6r–6v)

Other Matters [On the birth of the Lord]

“All the generations of man have been tarnished by him [that is the first man Adam] with countless sins and especially the worship of idols. For they had forgotten their Lord Creator. Some worshipped the Sun, the Moon and the stars, and others rivers and fire, yet others mountains and rivers, even as so many pagans do till this day. And many still in this land of ours worship demons and they are only called Christians [in name] and are worse than pagans. But because God wished to end and destroy all these errors and delusions in this land, he established law, sent prophets to turn the people away from these sins, created wonders and signs in the heavens and on Earth and he punished them [the people] with countless scourges, hunger and pestilence.”

Omne statim genus humanum ab illo [primo hominum Adam] innumerabilibus iniquitatibus inquinatum est et maxime in idolorum cultura, quia obliviscentes domini sui creatoris, alii solem et lunam et sidera colebant, alii flumina et ignes alii montes et arbores, sicut et adhuc pagani multi faciunt et plurimi et iam in hac terra nostra adorant demonia et tantummodo christianum nomen habentes, peiores sunt quam pagani. Volens autem deus hoc peccatum et hos omnes errores terminare ac delere de terra, primo costituti hominibus legem, prophetas misit, qui eos averterent ab iniquitatibus suis, fecit signa et miracula de celo et terra et innumerabilibus flagellis eos castigavit, fame et pestilencia.

I, 30 Sancti Wencezlai (fol. 41v-42r)

On the Day of Saint Wenzeslaus

“We admonish all Christians… to keep their priests in reverence, to faithfully serve their princes and lords, and not to place trust in [drawing] lots and [drawing] characters, but to put all their hope in the Lord.”

Omnes simul christianos ammoneamus, ut […] sacerdotibus suis honorem impendant, suis principibus et suis dominis fideliter serviant, sortes et caracteres pro nichilo ducant, sed omnem spem suam in domino ponant.

I, 31 De sacerdotibus (fol. 45r)

On the Priests

“Forbid the signing and female dancing in the vicinity of the church. Do not permit the devil’s songs that the folk used to sing in the hours of the night over the dead and the laughter that such folk [utter] in challenge to the Almighty God.”

Cantus et mulierum choros in atrio ecclesie prohibete. Carmina diabolica, que super mortuos nocturnis horis vulgus facere solet, et cahinnos, quos exercet in contestacione dei omnipotentis, vetate.

I, 52 [Religio Christiana] (fol. 83v–84r)

[On the Christian Religion]

“And as each of you knows, everyone should celebrate the year’s holy days with due reverence for the glory of God and his Saints and should go to church more often. And when he goes there [to the church], he should humbly pray to God and [should] not make jokes and empty [gesture] chants. Let no one dare to cover up the incantations, witchcraft and all these strange things and those who you discover doing such things, you should report either to us or to your priest. Let these people be set right for the law says of them: ‘you will not leave the witches alive for they not only hurt themselves but also many others. If it becomes known to you that unclean marriages had taken place [where you live], do not let these be covered up but tell of them so that we can correct those [and so that] others do not fall into them. And those women who collect poisons or kill their unborn children or of whom it is said that they can cause hail, expose them by all means, bring them into the open and let them do penance. Whatever the people who had been lured and deceived by the devil worship as God, they do this towards their own destruction for they do not understand that what they do is neither good nor useful nor beneficial for them nor can it help them. Therefore, let them be punished by torments not only those whom the devil teaches with all their companions but all who are capable of of evil and little faith and who deceive through evil deeds.”

Dies quoque festos in anno propter reverenciam dei et sanctorum eius noverit se unus quisque cum honore debito celebrare debere et ad ecclesias frequencius venire et cum ibi veniet, oret deum suppliciter et ioca et cantaciones inanes ibi nullo modo quis faciat, incantaciones et maleficia omnes omni novitate et eos, quos talia nostis colere, nullus ex vobis celare audeat, sed aut nobis eos dicat, aut presbitero suo, ut ad emendacionem provocentur, quia lex dicit de eis: Maleficos non paciaris vivere, qui non solum sibi, sed et multis aliis nocent. Incestas nupcias, ubicunque scitis inter vos fieri, nolite illas celare, sed dicite eas, ut tales corrigantur, ne multis sint in ruinam delicti. Illas vero feminas, que venenum congerunt sive partus suos necant, vel que dicuntur grandinem excitare posse, modis omnibus manifestate, ut publice arguantur, et aliquando possint pervenire ad satisfactionem. Quemcunque vero pro deo homines colunt falente et seducente diabolo, ad suam quippe perniciem faciunt, quia non perpendunt, quod ipsi, quos colunt, nihil eis boni neque utilitatis prestare valent nec tollere. Ideo eos diabolus credere docet, ne solus cum suis sociis puniatur in supplicio, sed omnes, quos valet malis artibus, incredulitate et in malo opere studet decipere.

I, 79 Omelia de diversis tribulationibus (fol. 129v)

A Sermon About Various Tribulations

“It is especially through the lack of faith, the source of all evil, that the devil tries to tempt us towards [our] fall, so much so that many Christians, we are not happy to admit this, [he] persuades [to act] as soothsayers and enchanters and to deny the Christian faith. And because he knows that all Christians are born again through baptism into an eternal life, he convinces some bad women, but also men, to refuse baptism so that they should not receive the life and glory which he himself is denied so that they, like him are sent towards eternal death and eternal suffering.”

Nos maxime in infidelitate, unde omne malum in nos diabolus potissimum conatur iniere, in tantum, ut multos etiam christianos, auguria et incantationes, multa etiam, quod coacte [invite] dicimus, fidem christianam negare persuadet. Et unde omnis scit cristianos ad vitam renasci perpetuam per baptismum, quasdam feminas iniquas seu etiam viros denegate suadet, non ut vitam aut gloriam, unde ipse exors est, tribuet, sed ut ad eternam mortem ad eternaque supplicia in talibus sibi consentientes pertrahat.

[…]

(fol. 129r–130v)

“Indeed, it is necessary to maintain the true faith against faithlessness not only with words but also with demonstrate the faith through deeds. Threrefore, [people who engage in] witchcraft of all sorts, chants, sacrilege and refusal of the faith and baptism may – by the grace of the Almighty God and the prayers of the saintly and righteous people – earn forgiveness, mercy and proper remediation through unwavering repentance, through constant confession to God and priests and through good works.”

Nam contra infidelitatem tenere necesse est veram fidem, non solum verbis, sed etiam factis signa fidei demonstrare. Maleficie autem genera omnia et incantaciones et sacrilegia vel denegatio fidei atque baptismi cum misericordia dei omnipotentis et sanctorum atque iustorum hominum oracione cum poenitencia perseverante et confessione incessante deo et sacerdotibus et indulgenciam ac veniam cum instancia bonorum operum et emendacionem condignam possunt promereri.

For the continuation see here.

Martin’s De Correctione Rusticorum

PublishedDecember 26, 2019 Post authortorino

Martin of Braga (circa 520 – circa 580 AD), in addition to mentioning the early Suavs, also made contributions to discussing the religion of the pagans of Hispania. His De correctione rusticorum (“On the correction of rural people”) contains useful hints about the nature of the religious beliefs of those “rustics” who, in addition to the Hispano-Romans, would by then have included the Vandals, Suevi and Alans – all those who flooded the peninsula in the beginning of the fifth century. Because this work was written in Gallaecia – the northwest part of the peninsula – it may be also especially reflective of the religion of the Suevi who then occupied the area.

The below are portions of the missive that relate to the pagan practices of Spain. The translation is that of Hélio Pires.

Part 7

“Then the Devil or his ministers, the demons, which had been brought down from Heaven, seeing men’s ignorance, forgotten of their creator, wondering through the creatures, began manifesting to them in different ways, speaking and influecing them, making them offer them sacrifices in the high hills and in the leafy woods and considered them as gods, calling themsleves names of bandit men, which spent their lives in crimes and evilness. Thus, one called himself Jupiter, which was a magician and had tarnish himself with so many adultery, daring to have as wife his own sister, named Juno, corrupting his daughters Minerva and Venus and vilely dishonouring his grandchildren and all his family. Other demon called himself Mars, which was the instigator of the litigation and of discord. Another named himself Mercury, the inventor of all the theft and all the deceit to which greedy men offer sacrifices, as if he was the god of profit, forming piles of rocks when passing through the crossroads. Another also called himself Saturn, which, living in all his cruelty, devoured even his own children, as soon as they were born. Other pretended to be Venus, which was a woman of ill life.”

Tunc diabolus vel ministri ipsius, daemones, qui de caelo deiecti sunt, videntes ignaros homines dimisso Deo creatore suo, per creaturas errare, coeperunt se illis in diversas formas ostendere et loqui cum eis et expetere ab eis, ut in excelsis montibus et in silvis frondosis sacrificia sibi offerrent et ipsos colerent pro deo, imponentes sibi vocabula sceleratorum hominum, qui in omnibus criminibus et sceleribus suam egerant vitam, ut alius Iovem se esse diceret, qui fuerat magus et in tantis adulteriis incestus ut sororem suam haberet uxorem, quae dicta est Iuno, Minervam et Venerem filias suas corruperit, neptes quoque et omnem parentelam suam turpiter incestaverit. Alius autem daemon Martem se nominavit, qui fuit litigiorum et discordiae commissor. Alius deinde daemon Mercurium se appellare voluit, qui fuit omnis furti et fraudis dolosus inventor; cui homines cupidi quasi deo lucri, in quadriviis transeuntes, iactatis lapidibus acervos petrarum pro sacrificio reddunt. Alius quoque daemon Saturni sibi nomen adscripsit, qui, in omni crudelitate vivens, etiam nascentes suos filios devorabat. Alius etiam daemon Venerem se esse confinxit, quae fuit mulier meretrix. Non solum cum innumerabilibus adulteris, sed etiam cum patre suo Iove et cum fratre suo Marte meretricata est.

Part 8

“Here is what were, in those days, these lost men, whom the ignorant rustic honored for their terrible inventions and whose names were used by demons so that they would worship them as gods, would offer them sacrifices and imitate the actions of those whose names they invoked. Equally, those demons were also capable that temples were built to them, that in them images or statues of bandit men were set and altars erected, in which they would sacrifice them blood, not only of animals, but of humans as well. Besides this, many demons among those that were expelled from Heaven preside to the rivers, the fountains and to the forests and to them in the same way do men, ignorant of God, worship them as they were gods and offer them sacrifices. And in the sea they call them Neptune, in the rivers Lames, in the fountains Nymphs, in the forests Dianes, which are no more than demons and evil spirits damaging and tormenting the infidel men which no not to defend themselves with the sign of the cross. However, they cannot harm without the permission of God, for they have angered God. They [men] do not believe with all their heart in the faith of Christ, but carry their doubts to such a point that they give the name of the demons to each one of the days, saying the day of Mars, of Mercury, of Jupiter, of Venus and of Saturn, whom didn’t make any day, but were terrible and criminal men among the Greeks.”

Ecce quales fuerunt illo tempore isti perditi homines, quos ignorantes rustici per adinventiones suas pessime honorabant, quorum vocabula ideo sibi daemones adposuerunt, ut ipsos quasi deos colerent et sacrificia illis offerrent et ipsorum facta imitarentur, quorum nomina invocabant. Suaserunt etiam illis daemones ut templa illis facerent et imagines vel statuas sceleratorum hominum ibi ponerent et aras illis constituerent, in quibus non solum animalium sed etiam hominum sanguinem illis funderent. Praeter haec autem multi daemones ex illis qui de caelo expulsi sunt aut in mare aut in fluminibus aut in fontibus aut in silvis praesident, quos similiter homines ignorantes deum quasi deos colunt et sacrificant illis. Et in mare quidem Neptunum appellant, in fluminibus Lamias, in fontibus Nymphas, in silvis Dianas, quae omnia maligni daemones et spiritus nequam sunt, qui homines infideles, qui signaculo crucis nesciunt se munire, nocent et vexant. Non tamen sine permissione dei nocent, quia deum habent iratum et non ex toto corde in fide Christi credunt, sed sunt dubii in tantum ut nomina ipsa daemoniorum in singulos dies nominent, et appellent diem Martis et Mercurii et Iovis et Veneris et Saturni, qui nullum diem fecerunt, sed fuerunt homines pessimi et scelerati in gente Graecorum.

Part 9

“When He made Heaven and the Earth, omnipotent God created also the light that, by the distinction of the works of God, manifested it self in seven days. Because, in the first day God made light itself, which as called day. In the second, the firmament of the sky was made. In the third the earth was separated from the sea. In the fourth the Sun, the Moon and the stars were made. In the fifth, the quadrupeds, the birds and the fishes. In the sixth, man was made. To the seventh day, completing all the world and its ornament, God called rest. Indeed light, which was the first among the works of God, manifested seven times by the distinction of the same works, was called week. What alienation isn’t then that men, baptised in the faith of Christ, honours not the day of Sunday in which Christ resurrected and says to honour the day of Jupiter, of Mercury, of Venus and of Saturn, which have no day, but were rather adulterous and iniquos, and died ignominiously in their land! But, as we’ve saying, under the appearance of these names is the worship and honour given by the foolish to the demons.”

Deus autem omnipotens, quando caelum et terram fecit, ipse tunc creavit lucem, quae per distinctionem operum dei septies revoluta est. Nam primo deus lucem fecit, quae appellata est dies; secundo firmamentum caeli factum est; tertio terra a mare divisa est; quarto sol et luna et stellae factae sunt; quinto quadrupedia et volatilia et natatilia; sexto homo plasmatus est; septimo autem die, completo omni mundo et ornamento ipsius, requiem deus appellavit. Una ergo lux, quae prima in operibus dei facta est, per distinctionem operum dei septies revoluta, septimana est appellata. Qualis ergo amentia est ut homo baptizatus in fide Christi diem dominicum, in quo Christus resurrexit, non colat et dicat se diem Iovis colere et Mercurii et Veneris et Saturni, qui nullum diem habent, sed fuerunt adulteri et magi et iniqui et male mortui in provincia sua! Sed, sicut diximus, sub specie nominum istorum ab hominibus stultis veneratio et honor daemonibus exhibetur.

Part 10

“In the same way it was introduced among the ignorant and the rustic that mistake of thinking that the year has its beginning at the Calends of January, which is entirely fake. For, as the Holy Scripture says, the first year of the year was at the equinox of the 25th of March. In fact, this is what one may read: And God divided light from the darkness. As in all strait division there is equalness, so at the 25th of March as many hours has the day, so has the night. And that is why it is false that the beginning of the year is at the Calends of January.”

Similiter et ille error ignorantibus et rusticis subrepit, ut Kalendas Ianuarias putent anni esse initium, quod omnino falsissimum est. Nam, sicut scriptura sancta dicit, VIII Kal. Aprilis in ipso aequinoctio initium primi anni est factum. Nam sic legitur: et divisit deus inter lucem et tenebras. Omnis autem recta divisio aequalitatem habet, sicut et in VIII Kal. Aprilis tantum spatium horarum dies habet quantum et nox. Et ideo falsum est ut Ianuariae Kalendae initium anni sint.

Part 11

“And with what grief must we refer to that foolish error of honoring the day of the clothes moths and of the mice? And is it allowed to say that a Christian worships the mice and the clothes moths instead of God? If they close to these animals the locker or the chest, if they hide from them the bread and the clothes they will spear nothing of what they find. The miserable man believes in these mistakes without any basis, just as he believes that, if he is fed up and joyful in the first day of January, thus he shall kept himself throughout the year. All these observations are from the heathens and inspired by inventions of the demons. But beware he who has not God propitious and sees not in Him the cause of the abundance of bread or the safety of life! Thus you observe the vain superstitions, hidden or in public, and never put an end to these evil sacrifices! And why do they not protect you so that you will be always fed up, safe and joyful? Why, when God is angered, the vain sacrifices do not defend you from the locust, the mice and of many other plagues, which, when He is angered, God sends you?”

Iam quid de illo stultissimo errore cum dolore dicendum est, quia dies tinearum et murium observant et, si dici fas est, homo Christianus pro deo mures et tineas veneratur? Quibus si per tutelam cupelli aut arculae non subducatur aut panis aut pannus, nullo modo pro feriis sibi exhibitis, quod invenerint, parcent. Sine causa autem sibi miser homo istas praefigurationes ipse facit, ut, quasi sicut in introitu anni satur est et laetus ex omnibus, ita illi et in toto anno contingat. Observationes istae omnes paganorum sunt per adinventiones daemonum exquisitae. Sed vae illi homini qui deum non habuerit propitium et ab ipso saturitatem panis et securitatem vitae non habuerit datam! Ecce istas superstitiones vanas aut occulte aut palam facitis, et numquam cessatis ab istis sacrificiis daemonum. Et quare vobis non praestant ut semper saturi sitis et securi et laeti? Quare, quando deus iratus fuerit, non vos defendunt sacrificia vana de locusta, de mure, et de multis aliis tribulationibus, quas vobis deus iratus immittit?

Part 12

“Don’t you clearly understand that the demons lie to you with these practices that you in vain follow, and that they delude you frequently in the auguries to which answer? Indeed, just like the most wise Solomon: Vain are the auguries and the foretellings. And the more men will fear them, the more their heart will weaken. Give them not your heart for many they lead astray. This says the Holly Scripture and thus, in truth, it is, for so many times do the demons persuade the unfortunate men to be aware to the singing of the birds that they end up losing their faith in Christ by these frivolous and vain things and risk themselves to an unfortunate death. God did not allowed men to know the future but, instead, that he would live in fear of Him and of Him expected the government and help for his life. It is exclusive of God to know things before they happen. However, the demons delude the vain men with several arguments until they lead them to offend God and drag with them their souls to hell, like they did in the beginning, for envy, so that man would not enter in the Kingdom of Heaven, from which they, the demons, were expelled.”

Non intellegitis aperte quia mentiuntur vobis daemones in istis observationibus vestris quas vane tenetis, et in auguriis quae adtenditis frequentius vos inludunt? Nam sicut dicit sapientissimus Salomon: divinationes et auguria vana sunt; et quantum timuerit homo in illis, tantum magis fallitur cor eius. Ne dederis in illis cor tuum, quoniam multos scandalizaverunt. Ecce hoc scriptura sancta dicit, et certissime sic est, quia tamdiu infelices homines per avium voces daemonia suadunt, donec per res frivolas et vanas et fidem Christi perdant, et ipsi in interitum mortis suae de improviso incurrant. Non iussit deus hominem futura cognoscere, sed ut, semper in timore illius vivens, ab ipso gubernationem et auxilium vitae suae expeteret. Solius dei est antequam aliquid fiat scire, homines autem vanos daemones diversis argumentis inludunt, donec illos in offensam dei perducant et animas illorum secum pertrahant in infernum, sicut ab initio fecerunt per invidiam suam, ne homo regnum caelorum intraret, de quo illi deiecti sunt.

Part 16

“Here is your bail and confession by God! And why do some of you, that renounced to the Devil and to his angels, his worship and his bad doings, now return again to that evil worshipping? Indeed, to light candles by the rocks, the trees, the fountains and in the crossroads of the paths, what is this if not evil worshipping? To take notice of the fortellings, auguries and of the days of the idols, what is this if not evil worshipping? To take notice of the Volcanes and of the Calends, to garnish to tables, to lay laurel, to enter with the right foot, to shed in the fire place, over the burning timber, food and wine and to throw bread into the fountains, what is this if not Devil worship? The fact that women invoke Minerva at there looms and chose as wedding day the day of Venus [Friday] and to remark in what day one should travel, what is this if not evil worshipping? To make enchantments with herbs to damage and to invoke the names of demons when you do it, what is this if not evil worship? And many other things that that would take time to tell. Here is that you do all these things after Baptism and the renouncing of Satan! Returning to demon worship and to the bad doings of the idols, you have spoken to your word and broke the pact you have made with God. You have abandoned the sign of the cross that you received at Baptism and consider sings of the Devil the little birds, the sneeze and many other things. What’s the reason that to me or to any other sincere Christian the augury doesn’t harm? Because, where the sign of the cross stands, nothing is the sign of the Devil. And why does it harm you? Because you have despised the sign of the cross and fear what you have taken as a sign to you. In the same way, you have forgotten the sacred enchantment, the symbol you received at Baptism, which is I believe in God Omnipotent Father, the dominical prayer, which is our Father thou are in Heaven, and practice evil enchantments and verses. He who, therefore, disdaining the sign of the cross of Christ, takes for him other signs, has lost the sign of the cross he received at Baptism. In the same way, he who practices other enchantments invented by magicians and other evil ones, lost the enchantment of the holy symbol and of the dominical prayer, which he had received in the faith of Christ, trampled at his feet that same faith, because one cannot serve God and the Devil at the same time.”

Ecce qualis cautio et confessio vestra apud deum tenetur! Et quomodo aliqui ex vobis, qui abrenuntiaverunt diabolo et angelis eius et culturis eius et operibus eius malis, modo iterum ad culturas diaboli revertuntur? Nam ad petras et ad arbores et ad fontes et per trivia cereolos incendere, quid est aliud nisi cultura diaboli? Divinationes et auguria et dies idolorum observare, quid est aliud nisi cultura diaboli? Vulcanalia et Kalendas observare, mensas ornare, et lauros ponere, et pedem observare, et fundere in foco super truncum frugem et vinum, et panem in fontem mittere, quid est aliud nisi cultura diaboli? Mulieres in tela sua Minervam nominare et Veneris diem in nuptias observare et quo die in via exeatur adtendere, quid est aliud nisi cultura diaboli? Incantare herbas ad maleficia et invocare nomina daemonum incantando, quid est aliud nisi cultura diaboli? Et alia multa quae longum est dicere. Ecce ista omnia post abrenuntiationem diaboli, post baptismum facitis et, ad culturam daemonum et ad mala idolorum opera redeuntes, fidem vestram transistis et pactum quod fecistis cum deo disrupistis. Dimisistis signum crucis, quod in baptismum accepistis, et alia diaboli signa per avicellos et sternutos et per alia multa adtenditis. Quare mihi aut cuilibet recto Christiano non nocet augurium? Quia, ubi signum crucis praecesserit, nihil est signum diaboli. Quare vobis nocet? Quia signum crucis contemnitis, et illud timetis quod vobis ipsi in signum configitis. Similiter dimisistis incantationem sanctam, id est symbolum quod in baptismum accepistis, quod est Credo in deum patrem omnipotentem, et orationem dominicam, id est Pater noster qui es in caelis, et tenetis diabolicas incantationes et carmina. Quicumque ergo, contempto signo crucis Christi, alia signa aspicit, signum crucis, quod in baptismum accepit, perdidit. Similiter et qui alias incantationes tenet a magis et maleficis adinventas, incantationem sancti symboli et orationis dominicae, quae in fide Christi accepit, amisit et fidem Christi inculcavit, quia non potest et deus simul et diabolus coli.

Part 18

“Therefore we praise you, brothers and dearest sons, that you keep in your mind these precepts, which God has deign to transmit it to you trough us, quite humble and small, and think on how you should save your souls, so that you will not only take care of this present life and of the passing utility of this world, but remember what you promised to believe in the Creed, that is, the resurrection of the flesh and eternal life. If, indeed, you have believed and believe in the resurrection of the flesh and the eternal life in the Kingdom of Heaven among God’s angels, just like we have told you, think truly on that and less in the unhappiness of the world. Prepare your life with good doings. Go to the church or to holy places to pray to God. Do not despise but keep with respect the Dominic day [Day of the Lord], by which it’s called Sunday, because the Son of God, our Lord Jesus Christ, resurrected from the dead in that day. Do not work at Sunday, in the field, in the meadow, in the vine or in other labours considered heavy, unless to satisfy the feeding necessities of the body as it is to prepare food or a long journey. You may travel to nearby places at Sunday, not with evil purposes but with good ones, that is, to got to the holy places, to visit a brother or a friend, to comfort he who is ill, to take an advice to the troubled ones or help to a good cause. This is how the Christian man must honour Sunday. How innocuous and shameful it is that those who are heathens and ignore the faith in Christ, worshipping their evil idols, keep the day of Jupiter or of any other demon and abstain themselves from working when the demons haven’t created nor have any day and we, who worship the true God and believe that the Son of God resurrected from the dead, now keep the badly the day of Resurrection, that is, Sunday! Do not insult the Resurrection of the Lord, but honour it and respect it with reverence, in the name of the hope that we in it keep. For, just like our Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, which is our head, resurrected from the dead at the third day, so we, that are his limbs, hope to resurrect in our flesh at the end of the centuries, so that each one will receive the eternal rest or doom, according to the acting it had, with his body, in the present life.”

Rogamus ergo vos, fratres et filii karissimi, ut ista praecepta, quae vobis deus per nos humillimos et exiguos dare dignatur, in memoria teneatis et cogitetis quomodo salvetis animas vestras, ut non solum de praesenti ista vita et de transitoria mundi istius utilitate tractetis, sed illud magis recordetis quod in symbolo vos credere promisistis, id est carnis resurrectionem et vitam aeternam. Si ergo credidistis et creditis quia carnis resurrectio erit et vita aeterna in regno caelorum inter angelos dei, sicut vobis supra iam diximus, inde quam maxime cogitate, et non semper de istius mundi miseria. Praeparate viam vestram in operibus bonis. Frequentate ad deprecandum deum in ecclesia vel per loca sanctorum. Diem dominicum, qui propterea dominicus dicitur, quia filius dei, dominus noster Iesus Christus, in ipso resurrexit a mortuis, nolite contemnere, sed cum reverentia colite. Opus servile, id est agrum, pratum, vineam, vel si qua gravia sunt, non faciatis in die dominico, praeter tantum quod ad necessitatem reficiendi corpusculi pro exquoquendo pertinet cibo et necessitate longinqui itineris. Et in locis proximis licet viam die dominico facere, non tamen pro occasionibus malis, sed magis pro bonis, id est aut ad loca sancta ambulare, aut fratrem vel amicum visitare, vel infirmum consolare, aut tribulanti consilium vel adiutorium pro bona causa portare. Sic ergo decet Christianum hominem diem dominicum venerare. Nam satis iniquum et turpe est ut illi qui pagani sunt et ignorant fidem Christianum, idola daemonum colentes, diem Iovis aut cuiuslibet daemonis colant et ab opere se abstineant, cum certe nullum diem daemonia nec creassent nec habeant. Et nos, qui verum deum adoramus et credimus filium dei resurrexisse a mortuis, diem resurrectionis eius, id est dominicum, minime veneramus! Nolite ergo iniuriam facere resurrectioni dominicae, sed honorate et cum reverentia colite propter spem nostram quam habemus in illam. Nam sicut ille dominus noster Iesus Christus, filius dei, qui est caput nostrum, tertia die resurrexit a mortuis, ita et nos, qui sumus membra ipsius, resurrecturos nos in carne nostra in fine saeculi speramus, ut unusquisque sive requiem aeternam sive poenam aeternam, sicut in corpore suo in saeculo isto egit, ita recipiat.

On the Rider in the Sky & His Łada &/or Łado

PublishedDecember 16, 2019 Post authortorino

The German counterpart of Odin is Wotan. It means, supposedly, “furious” or “raging” (wütend) which would make for a nice etymology of a storm god.

But the name isn’t as clear as that…The name appears as Wadon and Wodan and may have originated as Wado or Wate and may have even been Vadi or Vada. Odin is also the “Wanderer”.

But words such as wander or rage (wüten) are conceptually complex. So the question becomes where do they come from?

Here we come to the real issue and the issue is water. The water meanders or, if you will, wanders. Little wonder about that…

But here are some other interesting facts “water” in:

in Suavic is woda
in Old Prussian wenda or Lithuanian vanduo (yet see here for Suavic cognates

One might ask whether wandering or even the Wendell name (period?) could be derived from these. On the aquatic character of Wodan I wrote a bit here.

If one wanted to stretch this a bit, one might also note that Mercury has been variously identified with Wodan. The Roman Mercury is the Greek Hermes whose mother is the eldest of the Pleiades – Maia. Now, Johannes Lydus says the following in his “Of the Months”:

“…but by the methods of natural philosophy, the majority assert that Maia is water. Indeed, among the Syrians who do not speak Greek water is still to this day called that, so that also water-vessels are termed mêiouri. And it was not without reason that Varro manifestly dedicated the month to her…”

and then:

“…During this month also the festival of the Rosalia was celebrated among the Romans; and the businessmen would pray to Maia and Hermes that their profits would be free of risk. Accordingly, all the profits grow in matter and out of the same, and in it, as it were “god-sends” [Hermaia] are found and distributed, they say, in accordance with merit…”

Thus, May is connected with water and the rebirth of nature. It does not take much to connect the Rain God or Storm God to such events.

Now, explain the Suavic:

wojewoda – “warrior leader”
wódz – “leader”
wodzić – “to lead”

The “z” sound at the back makes a tempting comparison to the reconstructed *Wōdanaz or *Wōdinaz. Though, if you really wanted to stretch things you could also connect the latter to vocative wodzu nasz… 🙂

Or, for that matter, wozić – “to transport.” Curiously the Big Dipper or Great Bear is known as the Great Wagon among the Suavs – Wielki Wóz.

The verb jechać with which Yessa may be cognate brings up similar notions – including, given the context of a wedding, that of something like the “Wild Hunt” but with the leader (bridegroom) “hunting” for a bride along with his “pack” (wataha or Männerbund?):

Jasiowe bojary
pod wieś podjechały
O Łado, Łado, Łado, Łado!

In fact, you could be tempted to suspect that the above may reflect a darker “tradition” in the history of the Central/Eastern European lands when roving bands of male northmen ravaged the countryside. But, what makes that unlikely is the attested existence of the agricultural Iasion already in the Greek times.

In any event, I could accept that the various “leader” words as derived from Teutonic languages. That is, that all these words come from the Raging Wodan (but also raining – hence, temptingly, reign?) … But matters get more complicated when you mention water (woda) or the number one (jeden or один though Óðinn is closer to the soft Othin). Surely, the Suavs had their own word for “water” and did not derive it from the name of a Teutonic God (or any other God).

Already a few years ago, I noted here that the Slavic term for ruler/leader, i.e., wódz may also come from “water” noting “that the Slavic wodit (i.e., to lead but also to lead about) is therefore related to the Germanic wend, i.e., as a river meanders that is wends itself (though, as noted, wend also has Prussian and Slavic aquatic meanings, e.g., wędka (wendka) (fishing rod) or wędzić (wendzić) (to smoke, i.e., remove water from, fish). (note here how the Polish ę is a likely result of an earlier -en).” Specifically, the reason for this being that tribes had to have fresh water and so they traveled along water ways “led” by their “water” guide/leader.

In this respect, there is an interesting connection from the English language – “to wade”. This meant “to go forward, proceed, move, stride, advance” from *wadanan. Curiously, though this word meant or at some point began to mean specifically “to walk into or through water.” Why?

Another interesting aspect is the reference to Wodan among the East Suavs. Hence:

Oj, Łado, Łado, oj dana dana,
idem do pana, do pana Wodana

Of course, what’s really curious is that if those Suavs had gotten this notion from the Goths, then Wodan would have been Godan but that is not the case with the above quote suggesting an older source of the reference. See here for the context.

As noted in that post, the dana, dana refrain while common in Suavic songs generally and here probably meaning “I am given away, given away” to Wodan, could also be a reference to the hypothetical Goddess Danu/Dana of the Tuath(a) Dé Danann or of the Vedic Goddess Danu. That would make Dana the Mother Goddess but also consort – the Łada – of Wodan. Dana Wodana rhyme may, thus, be of rather deeper interest (assuming, of course, that this Wodan reference is not just a fabrication).

Further, note that the fact that a Rain God should be associated with fire is hardly surprising as fire melts ice in northern climes. Thus, the Wodanaz name has both a water connotation and possibly a fire connotation. As I wrote before:

agni or ogień becomes wügin for Polabian Suavs/Slavs which, incidentally, they pronounced wüdjin

Interestingly, similar conclusions were reached by the much under-appreciated Friedrich Nork (Frierich Korn) in his Etymologisch–symbolisch–mythologisches Real-wörterbuch:

You can also compare this with the Latvian for water – ūdens – strikingly similar to Odin.

Another curious linguistic Suavism that connects fire with water is the etymological creation of related spirits. Thus, we have both the wodnik who is a mean spirit of the waters and, attested in Belarus, the wognik – similarly constructed – who is the nasty spirit of fire. However, these spirits are not water and fire themselves. Rather, for example, the wognik appears when the family hearth’s fire (each family had their “own” fire) is somehow mistreated (for example, by spitting on it).

Curious also is the under-appreciated Norse God Óðr who may have given his name to the river Odra. On the water connotations of the “dr” segment in Polish I wrote here (szczodra (generous/bountiful), modra (dark blue), wydra (otter), wiadro (bucket)),

At this juncture note that the word wataha (or pack/group) appears in Russia very early, first with the “leader of the pack” forms of wataman and wotaman which were used for the older leader of fishermen, peasants and, curiously, also the leader of a boat crew and a helmsman (!). According to Brückner, all this comes from the Tatar language wherein odaman meant the head shepherd (Tatars being pastoralist nomads originally). That Yassa was also the legal code of the nomadic Tatar empire of Genghis Khan, I need not remind anyone.

One can even try to connect the rosalia with Wodan’s horse – Ros (leaving interesting possibilities for Rurik’s people’s name). And, at the Penthecost the Suavs had to walk around barefoot on grass to touch the Earth. They, of course, walked on the morning dew which is called rosa.

Now, is that the sweat from the Jasion’s galloping horse? From the Temple at Arkona, we know that the white horse of Swantovit came back in the morning perspiring from his night rides. It gets better, however, since Ross is a German form of “horse”, a word with which it is cognate. In fact, “horse” is cognate with the OHG hros and Old Norse hross and the Old Saxon hors.

It is not that far-fetched to ask whether Dadzbog Chors of the Kiev Pantheon is in fact the Rider and His Horse combined into one (see here for the Rider). Already Vatroslav Jagić thought Dadzbog Chors was the same deity (Chors = χρυσ? Hence “golden” – Brückner mocked this idea but there is much he mocked that proved right) and so we can have a “golden Dagon”. Here it is worth noting that this “giver” may be cognate with the word for grain – specifically in Ugaritic, the root dgn also means “grain” (also Hebrew, דגן) which, once again, creates an agricultural connection for our Jaryło, that is the Ruthenian or Belorussian/Russian Ярило or Ярила/Ярыла.

Maybe that rider rides just on the horse or on the Sun’s chariot. But it is not necessary to go all “solar”. In fact, whether He is to be identified with the Sun or the Moon or both is another interesting matter – for a discussion of Osiris and Horus connections, you can look below.

But there are other connections with the Penthacost/May and Zielone Świątki. The Polish wada means “fault”. But it means a bit more. It means a “feud” or a “conflict”. Thus, we have:

wadzić się, swada, zwada, swaditi

But that’s not all. Then there is the same meaning for:

swarzyć się

That furious Wotan was also quite mischievous and caused conflict need not be further elaborated on.

To sum this up:

woda > Wodan > Swaróg

Whether Swarożyc is an aspect of Swaróg (such as fire) or his offspring is almost secondary. Kazimierz Moszyński’s mentions a fisherman on lake Chervonoye (Red Lake) (earlier Lake Kniaź/Князь) in the Polesie region who, hearing thunderbolts, says: “Boh svarycsa“. That is “God is raging.” According to Moszyński, the same saying was present in Poland: “Bóg swarzy.” The Gothic svarjan (to swear) also raises the question of whether phrases that include both “swearing” and “so help you God” do not exhibit a redundancy. Interestingly too, “to vote” also meant “to vow” earlier (though the word may come from Latin, whether that ends the matter or not is a question of how far back we are willing to delve).

On the other hand… there are some aspects of Svarog/Swaróg that point to a chthonic character (such as the German Zwerg – dwarf; the OHG twerg – or, the Polish tworek though not from Tworki). This raises the possibility that the “smith” (or Vulcan) comes from a different tradition and that the cult of Iasion may have ultimately prevailed over the cult of the smith for some peoples at least. Later Iasion Himself being, at least in some geographies (such as Scandinavia), pushed aside to create Taranus/Thor/Perkunas – in Poland perhaps represented by Turoń – the bull or tur – that is auroch – like creature.

As for the Suavs – at least the Poles, I would be inclined to say the following:

Jaś as the Sky Deity – Łada (aka Dzidzilela?) as the Earth
(Theory 1A)

Jaś or Jasion/Jesion/Jasień the diminutive Jesza or Jasza is the Sky God. When winter frost ends, the farmers throw the Marzanna that is the frozen earth (zamarzła) out – in fact they melt her in streams (or burn her). This ritual being known in Czechia, Ukraine, Suavic parts of Austria and Germany, Italy and even Scotland. The Sky God steps in and throws some thunderbolts down on the Earth. Note that the bolts “melt” the Earth (compare the PIE *meldh- with młot or molot (hammer) and miollnir – the “melting tool” of the Sky God with which He unfreezes the Earth, that is is the “Great Melter”). This results in the ice breaking, the water coming and the spring arriving – all of which culminates on “Saint John’s” Eve. There Jaś as Łado aka “Wodan” or Iasion impregnates the Earth (perhaps even comes down to Earth as someone akin to an avatar) – now unfrozen – which produces the harvest (recall the feast of the pępkowe which symbolically treats the cutting of the final grain stalk as the cutting of an umbilical cord). This happens in the summer – lato – when the “wife” – a direct translation of Łada – arrives. In this version Jaś is himself the Łado, that is the groom. In the physical appearance He is also the lawgiver – hence ład meaning “order.” You can compare this with Voluspa’s Lóðurr who gave man lá (law, order?) – lá gaf Lóðurr ok litu góða. The litu perhaps cognate with lico (oblicze) – in other words “color.” It is almost as if man himself is “unfrozen” after the winter.

Perhaps Łada is the Earth aka Dzidzilela or, alternatively in the Marzanna or Dziewanna/Devana form. Tellingly perhaps Jaś is at times connected with Marysia (though at other times with Kasia – the diminutive of Catherine). From her and Jasion‘s “connection” the harvest is born (and people – recall that there is an agricultural feast of ) – that is the agricultural harvest but perhaps also the rebirth of the same entities – Jasion and his Łada. That Łada, perhaps Demeter – in her Suavic form of Dzidzilela or Marzanna or Dziewanna/Devana – is both the consort of Jasion and, perhaps, also the vessel of her own and a vessel of Jasion‘s rebirth – the mother of the Gods. She is the gardzina of Jasion by being the protector or guardian (rather than as a heroic adventurer or Mars) perhaps only while He is on Earth in the avatar-like form. Perhaps that avatar-like Łado is the “traveling” form of Jasion while on Earth.

It is interesting to note that similar cults occurred in other places with connotations of the Slavic/Suavic cult both in substance and in nomenclature. Thus, we have Semele, a consort of Zeus in Greek mythology of whom Dionysus is born. But the name Semele is not Greek but likely “Thracian” or “Thraco-Phrygian,” that is Zemele. That name meant “Earth” and, in the case of the Greek fable, this make her “mother earth” too. Zemele is obviously cognate with the Russian & Ukrainian zemlya (земля), then Polish ziemia – all meaning Earth. That the Earth should be associated with both water and death (frozen – zamarzana) and unfrozen when it becomes a source of life generates little surprise in the context of agricultural societies. Spinning more wheels we can also connect Jasion to actually being the world ash tree – in the sense of our solar system (?). This is especially so since the Slavic and Baltic word for “star” is an ancient word for a tree. (Interestingly, all this raises the question of whether other “Jasions” “rule” other solar systems or whether Jasion is universal 🙂 ).

Thus, we further have an answer why a “tree” God (note the “column” like beams – poles – idols that were constructed for the Tree but also fertility God throughout Europe) would be connected with “Mother Earth”. Such a God would be born or arrive, would then die or leave but seed the Earth (with the help of his “devices” – the Sun and the Moon – which was also associated with agriculture) of Whom the God would then be reborn or Whom He then would come back to when the time was appropriate. To connect this with the day cycle, the seasons or even the life of the universe takes little effort obviously. Thus, we have an agricultural theology of a people who lived far enough in the North that seasons resulted in freezing but not so far as to have experienced a permanent winter.

Jaś as the Sky Deity, Łada as His Female Gardzina, Dzidzilela, Marzanna or Dziewanna as the Earth
(Theory 1B)

Another possibility is that Jasion and Łada are a pair of Gods that couple during the time of Dziewanna, that is when the Earth is not in the Marzanna but in the Dziewanna phase. In this case, Jasion is still the Łado to his Łada but the Earth itself is separate. Łada can be the gardzina of Jasion by being the heroic Amazon. Hence the reference to the Goddess Łada in Mazovia. An interesting aspect of this role assignment is that the female Łada may nevertheless be the enforcer of Jasion‘s laws here on Earth – the English lada for example – which also meant an assembly. Hence “land.” It is tempting, if this is the case to also ask whether Jasion (as Łado) and Łada are sibling Deities (Moon and Sun?) that come to Earth when it has been “unfrozen” in its “breathing” (Dziewanna – ziewa) phase.

Kolberg’s view from vol 2 of his series

A variant of this would have Jasion couple not with Łada (whether or not She is His sister) but with the Earth Marzanna or Dziewanna with Łada not being party to this. This is less likely given that Łada literally means spouse beloved but is perhaps the closest to the Greek myth of Iasion and Demeter coupling at Harmonia’s wedding. In this case, we would have to find the Suavic Cadmus. In this case too, perhaps both Jasion and Łada are the reborn as a result of Jasion‘s coupling with Mother Earth when She is in the Dziewanna/Devana form. In this way Jasion’s act would allow for the Gods’ return. Whether the Gods are then “reborn” from Mother Earth (creating Oedipal issues) or merely as a result of the coupling they are “replenished” is another matter (so to speak).

Jaś as the Sky Deity, Łado as His Male Gardzina (Either Coupling with the Earth or Protecting the Arrival of Jaś to Couple with the Earth)
& Dzidzilela, Marzanna or Dziewanna as the Earth
Theory 1C

Another possibility is that Jasion is “above it all” and that His representative (avatar?) on Earth is a separate but male Łado. That Łado becomes the “Mars” of Długosz’s later telling. He rages but is subservient to Jasion. This is reminiscent of Odin being of the Aesir but with a twist that Łado is not the ultimate Áss (though perhaps the ultimate being was always, the ash Yggdrasil). Łado is thus the male protector, guardian or hero of Jasion‘s.

A variation (Theory 1C1) on this role assignment (again so to speak) has Łado coupling with the Earth. Like Didis Lado this could be Didis Lela or Dzidzilela (in this version also known as or titled Łada) or perhaps Marzanna/Dziewanna. While this preserves the Polish Olympus’ Mars, it smacks of being more elaborate than the agricultural rituals attested in Polish folklore. It also raises the question why the farmers speak of Jasion as riding to the wedding – not – though that Name is mentioned – of Łado. You could suggest that Łado was the Sky God and Jasion His representative (avatar?) on Earth but this would flip Długosz’ (but not only) hierarchy upside down. Of course, another possibility is that Łado was referred to as “the” Jasion the same was way as Odin became “the” Áss. Didis Łado and Didis Lela as Jasion’s children, perhaps, mating together and preserving Jasion’s continuation. Of course, Łado in this version is also a Jasion (or, being youthful, Jasieńczyk – coat of arms a key – perhaps to “open” Mother Earth) since He is Jasion’s Son and Hero. Whether the spring thunders and lightning were the work of Jasion the Father, announcing the arrival of Łado or were the work of Łado Himself (with the rains being that of Łado/Wadon/Wodan) is another question.

Another variation (Theory 1C2), however, is that Jasion is the Ruler but still comes down to Earth Himself while Łado only provides the support, protection and law. This variation is similar to the above-discussed theory which has Łada be a supporting Goddess to Jasion (that is separate from the Earth). In this iteration Jasion’s Łada is still the Earth but not Łado‘s “łada” (beloved) but Jasion‘s. Support for this type of reasoning (Łado as subservient to Jasień) may come from Germanic mythology where (in Adam of Bremen) we hear that “Thor, they say, presides over the air, which governs the thunder and lightning, the winds and rains, fair weather and crops. The other, Wotan—that is, the Furious—carries on war and imparts to man strength against his enemies” and that “[i]f plague and famine threaten, a libation is poured to the idol Thor; if war, to Wotan…” In this telling, Thor is the ruler and is the same as Jasień – the lightning and thunder are His but also, importantly, he seems a Deity of rains, weather and crops – that is, of fertility. Also, Thor sits in the center in Uppsala – not Wotan.

Thus, we have the paradigm of the Sky God Jasień – responsible both for thunder and lightning and for fertility. This is the same Divinity as Iarilo and, likely, Piorun/Perun as well as the God of Procopius. In other words, Taranis and Esus become One (Assathor?)? Jasień is the Gallic Esus as he strikes (like piorun-thunder) a tree.

On the other hand, Didis Łado, the Divinity of Order but also of war (war to maintain order perhaps) is Jasień’s hero and “Mars”. Perhaps, He is a leader (wodzin, wojewoda). In that telling He is the leader of the Jasiowe Bojary (“bojary” itself is an interesting word describing members of the drużyna – the companions – very similar to Boii/Voii or, in the diminutive, boiki/voiki).

He may be responsible for water (woda) and for fire (wogień) but more as a messenger of Jasień’s or as an intermediary between Jasień and Man. Thus, He is the “first” (Odin/adin/jeden) in the sense that He is the First Son of Jasień’s.

Who mates with Mother Earth? Łado Jasieńczyk (Theory 1C1) or Jasień Himself (Theory 1C2 – with Łado providing protection to the Couple)? Given that Łado carries the title “beloved” it might seem Łado. However, in that case, Łado should not be a Child of Mother Earth either (at least if we want to prevent any oedipal issues).

What is the Name of Mother Earth here? A number of possibilities exist. She could be the functional “łada” (beloved) of Jasień’s. Of the Names above She could be Łada or Didis Lela or Marzana or Devana or, interestingly, even Nya (representing barrenness until the lightning strikes of Jasień) or “Iashera” meaning the Goddess of Jasień’s or Jaszer’s (in East Suav spellings).

The other Gods in this telling would be, depending on the above choices for Lady Łada’s Name: Devanna (responsible for the hunt and the wilderness), Marzanna (covering the sea, death and the cold generally), Pogoda (covering good weather and happiness) and Zywie (the God of Life). In effect, two Sons and Three Daughters.

It is also conceivable that Jasion and Łado were brothers (Lel and Polel?) (rather than brother and sister). As above, a question then arises as to whether they are then born of Mother Earth or are merely replenished via the coupling.

(A less likely variation might see Łado as the Ruler and Jasion and Lela as the couple. This Theory 2 is discussed here In either case, perhaps the Ruler vies, via his champion Łado against the nothingness of Nia and/or its allies such as Marzanna – perhaps a child of the couple along with other Lelki – Dziewana, Pogoda (Zorze?). Zywie might be a separate Divinity though likely on the “good” side of the cosmic struggle).

Other Jasion Matters

Curiously, the Suavic słońce may not be a diminutive but plural (Smolensk Slavs, Montenegrins and Yugoslavs know tales of multiple Suns) and – in which case the term may have at some point referred to both the Sun and the Moon. (This would not be unprecedented – thus, in Egyptian myth there, apparently, was a tendency to merge Osiris with Horus. This before we even get into the etymology of the word sunset or the Egyptian name for the moon – Yah… Further, as already mentioned multiple times we have the Canaanite deity Yarikh (“illuminator of the heavens” and provider of the morning dew – see the discussion of the rosa above) and the Palmyran Yarhibol or Iarhibol (“Lord of the Spring” which fits right with Jaryło, the diminutive being Jesza, Jessa, Yessa, Yassa or Jaś).

Let us just note that the Polish Suavs sang yaya (meaning “egg”?) and that ya-ra-ti (jarać) means to burn (tempting a Yah-Ra – the moon and sun connection). Curiously, it was with the moon Deity – then called Khonsu – that the Goddess Nut plotted to get extra light to give birth to Isis, Osiris and others against Ra (though she also assist in the rebirth of Ra – in addition to Osiris’ resurrection). Is there a connection with… Porenut? 🙂 )

At some point among some IE people, a need arose to replace Jaś and so they did, likely with another Sky God who would now toss thunders at Iasion or with the thunder himself as the son personified (Thor who is born of the Earth) with the father perhaps tossing growing angry at the son’s Oedipal act (like Iasion with Demeter). No such elaboration appears necessary to the above, however, in the basic form of the story as Piorun is merely Jasion‘s lightning “fork”. Incidentally, piorun itself although derived from “oak” (Latin quercus) may also be derived from “fire”. Thus, for example, we have pyrotechnics or pyre from the Greek –pyro – meaning fire. Perhaps from the same root we also have the Norse Fjörgyn and Fjörgynn. Again, whether Lel and Polel are references to the children of this coupling or to the couple itself reborn we do not need to determine.

Ancient Tales from Horodenka?

PublishedDecember 12, 2019 Post authortorino

A teacher in the small town of Horodenka (Western Ukraine) apparently recorded the following song and published it in the “Gazeta Lwowska”:

Oj, Łado, Łado, oj dana dana,
idem do pana, do pana Wodana,
szczoby nas oczystyw i nas błohosławyw

“Oy, Łado, Łado, oy dana dana*
I am going to the lord, lord Wodan,
so that he should cleanse us and bless us”

*note: The dana, dana refrain is a common one in Suavic songs and usually designed to force a rhyme. However, in this context, it could also mean “I am given away, given away.” That being said, it is interesting that the word dana is used in the context of Wodan and makes me think of the hypothesized Goddess Danu/Dana of the Tuath(a) Dé Danann or of the Vedic Goddess Danu.

The song was part of marriage ceremonies in Galicia, Wolhynia and in the Bug area. Kolberg’s volume on Red Ruthenia mentions this. Before the actual wedding ceremony, the couple’s relatives would walk them to a barn or a shed. The groomsmen would carry the groom’s wedding clothes and the bridesmaids, the brides’ gown. One of the relatives carried two watering cans filled with clean water. During this procession they would sing the above song. Upon arrival the party stays outside and closes the doors save for the couple and their relatives. They go in and take off their clothes. Thereafter, the women pour the water onto the bride and the men on the groom. They then put the wedding attire on the groom and bride, dance around them and continue to sing:

Oj, Łado, Łado, oj dana dana,
harnyj nasz panycz, harna i panna

“Oy, Łado, Łado, oy dana dana
handsome is our young man, handsome too the young lady”

then they exit the barn or shed and head for the house for the wedding singing:

Widyłyśmo, baczyłyśmo
Sam Żiwe, błahosławy nam

“We saw, we observed
Żiwe himself blessed us”

If the above is a genuine recording and not a fraud perpetrated by a romantic soul, then we may explain with whom at least some eastern Suavs connected the mysterious horse-riding Jasion or Jesion. More on this later. Whether Żiwe may be cognate with Ziu is another matter.

Thuringian Jechas

PublishedDecember 9, 2019 Post authortorino

An interesting place deep in Thuringia, way further than any Suavic settlement should have occurred, is a place called Jecha (a part of Sondershausen on the Wipper (Wieprz?)). Next to Jecha lies Jechaburg. Now the name of both of these supposedly comes from a Germanic Goddess Jecha. The mentions are rather late but they were significant enough to merit a discussion in Grimm’s work.

Jecha was first mentioned in 1282. The name varieties include Gicha, Giche, Jicha and Jiche.

Curiously, Jechaburg was first mentioned earlier – in 1004. The name appears also as Gigenburg, Jechenburc, Jechenburch, Jechenburgk and Jichenburg.

What then is the etymology of this Name? Well, a number of different thoughts have been expressed. For example, perhaps it has something to do with “hunting” – jagen. Thus, Jecha becomes a Goddess of the Hunt like Diana (or the Polish Devanna). But that etymology seems forced. For one thing, if you really want to use the Huntress notion then you might be better able to apply it to the Suavic Baba Yaga (which may actually be something worth looking into).

Another possibility is that the name comes from something like jach which, apparently, used to mean “fast” in German. Here we may be onto something… Except that the etymology seems to establish a Suavic connection again:

jechać – to ride, drive, go.

And what do we have next to Jecha? Do we have many Suavic place names? Not so much. But there is the town next door: Bebra. Bebra comes from “beavers” (Biberaho) but is this a German beaver or some other? Bebra lies on the Bebra river which also comes from beavers (in fact Bebra’s coat of arms features a beaver with a proper tail). Now there is another river, similarly named. It is in Poland and its name is Biebrza. That name is supposedly of Old Prussian, Yatvingian or, perhaps, Lithuanian origin. Of course, Jesza (not Jess though perhaps Jaś) was also a Polish God with the functions similar to Jupiter.

Jasiels, Jasieńs, Jasions Gallore

PublishedNovember 27, 2019 Post authortorino

We have talked about the various Iasions throughout Polish history and their connections to antiquity. But what about geography? As mentioned there may be an occasional Piorunowo, Strzybogi or even Swarozyn. Are these town names former worship places? Maybe or maybe not. But what about Jasion? A quick search of the map reveals a huge number of Jasion and related names that dwarfs any of the above. Are these all places owned by a “Jan” or places where the ash tree (jesion) grew aplenty? Or is there a more mystical reason for this topography?

These names along with few (I did not do a review outside of Poland) from Ukraine and Germany are on the map below (in red). The mountain peaks are also listed (in green)

There are also rivers and lakes (in blue) though I only included a few of those items in the list below.

All of this is far from complete and there are many more similar names if you are willing to spend time pouring over the map.

Towns

Jasiel – near Slovakian border

Jasienica – (German Jasenitz, then Jasienice) part of Police, a town in Pomerania
- site of the Jasenitz abbey
- first mentioned: 1260 but village likely founded much earlier
- Nowa Jasienica – a village next to Jasienica (Police)
Jasienica – a village in the administrative district of gmina Ziebice, within Zabkowice Slaskie County, Lower Silesian Voivodeship (south-west) (German Heinzendorf since?)
Jasienica – a village in the administrative district of gmina Dubienka, within Chelm County, Lublin Voivodeship (east)Jasienica – a village and seat of gmina Jasienica, Bielsko County, Silesian Voivodelship (south)
- first mentioned circa 1305 in Liber foundations episcopates Vratislaviensis as “item in Gessenita decent ease XI) mansi solubiles” (German Heinzendorf, Czech Jasenice)
Jasienica – a village in the administrative district of gmina Myslenice, within Myslenice County, Lesser Poland Voivodeship (south)
- after 1335, probably named after the river Jasieniczanka that flows through the village
Jasienica – a village in the administrative district of gmina Łoniów, within Sandomierz County, Swietokrzyskie Voivodeship, (south-central)
Jasienica – a village in the administrative district of gmina Ostrow Mazowiecka, within Ostrow Mazowiecka County, Masovian Woivodeship (east-central)
- also nearby Jasienica-Parcele
Jasienica – a village in the administrative district of gmina Tłuszcz, within Wolomin County, Masovian Voivodeship (east-central)
- first mentioned: in 1414
- names used: Jassenicza, Jassyenyecz, Jassyenicza, Jaszenicza, Jaszenecz, Jasiennica, Jasszenicza, Jassyeniecz, Jaschenyecz, Jasyenyecz, Jassenycza, Jaschyenycze, Jasyenycza, Yassyennycza (Slownik historyczno-geograficzny ziem polskich w sredniowieczu)
Jasienica (German Jessnitz) – a village in the administrative district of gmina Brody, within Żary County, Lubusz Voivodeship (western)
- first mentioned: in 1452 as Jessenitz
Jasienica Rosielna – a village in Brzozow County, Subcarpathian Voivodeship (south-east)
- was called just Jasienica and was a town as early as 1727
Jasienica Dolna – a village near near Nysa
Jasienica Gorna – a village near near Nysa on the Czech border
Jasienica Sufczynska – a village near near Przemysl

Jasienie (Geman Jaschine but the obvious Suavic name made the Nazis change it to Eschenwalde – which just means ash forest)
- first mentioned: in the Liber foundations episcopates Vratislaviensis as “Cossine solvitur decima more polonico” “combined with “Lippe Cossine”

Jasienna – village in the administrative district of gmina Korzenna within Nowy Sacz County, Lesser Poland Voivodeship (south)
- first mentioned: in 1372

Jasiennik Stary – southwest of Biłgoraj

Jasień (Cashubian Nënczi or Nënkòwë, German Nenkau) – an administrative part of Gdańsk; previously a separate village;
- previously Nenkowe village which, however, was then acquired by a certain Jasiński a judge who bought the village in 1704

Jasień (German: Lichtenbach) – a village in the administrative district of gmina Tłuchowo, within Lipno County, Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship (north-central)
Jasień (German: Gassen) – a town in Poland, within Żary County, Lubusz Voivodeship (west)
- gmina seat
Jasień (German: Jassen; Kashubian Jaséń) – a village in the administrative district of gmina Czarna Dąbrówka, within Bytów County, Pomeranian Voivodeship (northern)
- lies on Lake Jasień
Jasień – a village in the administrative district of gmina Rogów, within Brzeziny County, Łódź Voivodeship (central)
Jasień – a village in the administrative district of gmina Kobiele Wielkie, within Radomsko County, Łódź Voivodeship (central)
- next to Jasień state park
Jasień – a village in the administrative district of gmina Głuchów, within Skierniewice County, Łódź Voivodeship (central)
- near Rawa Mazowiecka
Jasień – is a village in the administrative district of gmina Lubochnia, within Tomaszów Mazowiecki County, Łódź Voivodeship (central)
- nearby also Nowy Jasień
Jasień – a village in the administrative district of gmina Osjaków, within Wieluń County, Łódź Voivodeship (central)
Jasień – a village in the administrative district of gmina Brzesko, within Brzesko County, Lesser Poland Voivodeship (southern)
Jasień – a village in the administrative district of gmina Chmielnik, within Kielce County, Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship (south-central)
Jasień – a village in the administrative district of gmina Łopuszno, within Kielce County, Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship (south-central)
Jasień – is a village in the administrative district of gmina Staszów, within Staszów County, Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship (south-central)
Jasień – a village in the administrative district of gmina Repki, within Sokołów County, Masovian Voivodeship (east-central)
Jasień (German: Jasin) – a village in the administrative district of gmina Czempiń, within Kościan County, Greater Poland Voivodeship (west-central)
Jasień – a hamlet part of the village Czarna Sędziszowska in the administrative district of gmina Sędziszów Małopolski, within Ropczyce-Sędziszów County, Subcarpathian Voivodeship (south-eastern)
- also nearby Mały Jasień
Jasień – a part of the town Ustrzyki Dolne

Jasieniec – a town and a gmina seat near Grojec
Jasieniec Iłżecki Górny – between Ostrowiec and Radom
- Jasieniec Iłżecki Dolny
- Nowy Jasieniec Iłżecki
- Jasieniec Nowy
- Gajówka Jasieniec
- Jasieniec-Maziarze
Jasieniec Solecki – a village near near Zwoleń
- Jasieniec Kolonia

Jasion – a village in the administrative district of gmina Żarnów, within Opoczno County, Łódź Voivodeship (central)

Jasionka – a village in the administrative district of gmina Trzebownisko, within Rzeszów County, Subcarpathian Voivodeship (southeast)
Jasionka – a part of the village Krzywa in the administrative district of gmina Sękowa, within Gorlice County, Lesser Poland Voivodeship (south)
Jasionka – a village in the administrative district of gmina Zgierz, within Zgierz County, Łódź Voivodeship (central)
- first mentioned: 1396
Jasionka – a village in the administrative district of gmina Parczew, within Parczew County, Lublin Voivodeship (eastern)
- first mentioned: 19th century
Jasionka – a village in the administrative district of gmina Zbuczyn, within Siedlce County, Masovian Voivodeship (east central)
Jasionka (German: Jassonke and Neu Jassonke) – settlement in the administrative district of gmina Kołczygłowy, within Bytów County, Pomeranian Voivodeship (north)
- first mentioned: at least 1749
- nearby also Nowa Jasionka
Jasionka (Ukrainian: Ясінка, Yasinka) – a village in the administrative district of gmina Dukla, within Krosno County, Subcarpathian Voivodeship (southeast)
- first mentioned: 14th century
- other: through the village runs the river Jasionka a tributary of Jasiołka.
Jasionka – a part of the village Skórka in the administrative district of gmina Parzęczew, within Zgierz County, Łódź Voivodeship (central)
Jasionka – a part of the village Blizne in the administrative district of gmina Jasienica Rosielna, within Brzozów County, Subcarpathian Voivodeship (southeast)
Jasionka – a part of the village Krzątka in the administrative district of gmina Majdan Królewski, Kolbuszowa County, Subcarpathian Voivodeship (southeast)
Jasionka – a part of the village Krzewata in the administrative district of gmina Olszówka, Koło County, Greater Poland Voivodeship (west-central)

Jasionna – a village in the administrative district of gmina Piątek, within Łęczyca County, Łódź Voivodeship (central)
Jasionna – a village in the administrative district of gmina Błaszki, within Sieradz County, Łódź Voivodeship (central)
Jasionna – a village in the administrative district of gmina Bolimów, within Skierniewice County, Łódź Voivodeship (central)
Jasionna – a village in the administrative district of gmina Głowno, within Zgierz County, Łódź Voivodeship (central)
Jasionna – a village in the administrative district of gmina Jędrzejów, within Jędrzejów County, Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship (south-central)
Jasionna – a village in the administrative district of gmina Białobrzegi, within Białobrzegi County, Masovian Voivodeship (east-central)
Jasionna – a village in the administrative district of gmina Wronki, within Szamotuły County, Greater Poland Voivodeship (west-central)
Jasionna (German: Jessen) – a village in the administrative district of gmina Jasień, within Żary County, Lubusz Voivodeship (western)

Jasionno – a village near near Elblag

Jasionowo – a village in the administrative district of gmina Lipsk, within Augustów County, Podlaskie Voivodeship (north-eastern)
Jasionowo – a village in the administrative district of gmina Rutka-Tartak, within Suwałki County, Podlaskie Voivodeship (north-eastern)
Jasionowo – a village in the administrative district of gmina Szypliszki, within Suwałki County, Podlaskie Voivodeship (north-eastern)
Jasionowo – a village in the administrative district of gmina Sztabin, within Suwałki County, Podlaskie Voivodeship (north-eastern)
Jasionowo Dębowskie – a village in the administrative district of gmina Sztabin, within Suwałki County, Podlaskie Voivodeship (north-eastern)

Jasionów – (Ukrainian: Ясенів, Yaseniv) – a village in the administrative district of gmina Haczów, within Brzozów County, Subcarpathian Voivodeship (south-eastern)
Jasionów (German: Jeßmenau) – a village in the administrative district of gmina Trzebiel, within Żary County, Lubusz Voivodeship (western)
Jasionów – a part of the village Huta Poręby in the administrative district of gmina Nozdrzec, within Brzozów County, Subcarpathian Voivodeship (southeast)
Jasionów – a hamlet of the village Olszówka in the administrative district of gmina Mszana Dolna, within Limanowa County, Lesser Poland Voivodeship (south)

Jasło – (German: Jassel) – a county seat in the Subcarpathian Voivodeship (southeast)

Jastew – a village in the administrative district of gmina Dębno, within Brzesko County, Lesser Poland Voivodeship (southern)

Jaświły – a village in Mońki County, Podlaskie Voivodeship (north-east)
- it is the seat of the gmina Jaświły

Jesienicha – a settlement in the administrative district of gmina Czarna Białostocka, within Białystok County, Podlaskie Voivodeship (north-eastern)

Jesiona – a village in the administrative district of gmina Kolsko, within Nowa Sól County, Lubusz Voivodeship (western

Jesionka – a part of the village Jesiona in the administrative district of gmina Kolsko, within Nowa Sól County, Lubusz Voivodeship (western)
Jesionka – a part of the village Szczecin in the administrative district of gmina Dmosin, within Brzezin County, Łódź Voivodeship (central)
Jesionka – a colony in the administrative district of gmina Ciechocin, within Golub-Dobrzyń County, Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship (north-central)
Jesionka – a hamlet part of the village Nowa Wieś Szlachecka in the administrative district of gmina Czernichów within Kraków County, Lesser Poland Voivodeship (south)
Jesionka – a village in the administrative district of gmina Szczawin Kościelny, within Gostynin County, Masovian Voivodeship (east-central)
Jesionka – a village in the administrative district of gmina Baboszewo, within Płońsk County, Masovian Voivodeship (east-central)
Jesionka – a village in the administrative district of gmina Wiskitki, within Żyrardów County, Masovian Voivodeship (east-central)
Jesionka – a village in the administrative district of gmina Czosnów, within Nowy Dwór Mazowiecki County, Masovian Voivodeship (east-central)
Jesionka – a village in the administrative district of gmina Sompolno, within Konin County, Greater Poland Voivodeship (west-central)
Jesionka – a part of the village Sołtysy in the administrative district of gmina Praszka, within Olesno County, Opole Voivodeship (south-western)
Jesionka – a settlement in the administrative district of gmina Czerwionka-Leszczyny, within Rybnik County, Silesian Voivodeship (south)

Jesionna – a village in the administrative district of gmina Wodzierady, within Łask County, Łódź Voivodeship (central)

Mountain Peaks

(not shown on map)

Jasiennik – peak near Lubomierz in Beskid Sadecki
Jasiennik – peak at Przysietnica in Beskid Sadecki

Rivers/Streams/Lakes

(not shown on map except Lake Jasień)

Jasienica – a tributary of Ilownica
Jasienica – a tributary of Klodnica
Jasienica – a tributary of Wirowa
Jasienica – a tributary of Gunica
Jasienica – a tributary of Rega
Jasienica – a tributary of Grabowa
Jasienica – a tributary of Wieprza

Jasieniczanka – a small river flowing through Jasienica, a village in the administrative district of gmina Myslenice

Jasień – a river in the Polish city Łódź; a tributary of Ner

Jasień (Cashubian Jezero Jaséńsczé, German Jassener See) – a lake in the Bytów Lake District (Pojezierze Bytowskie, Cashubian, Bëtowsczé Pòjezerzé)
- Bytów is the bigger town there (Cashubian, Bëtowò, German Bütow); its name may come (or vice versa) from the river Bytowa (Bytówka, Cashubian Bëtowa)
- a part of the Słupia Valley Landscape Park

Jasiołka – a river in SE Poland; a tributary of Wisłoka

Jasionka – a tributary of Jasiołka

Outside Poland

(these are just some examples – for a great list of all of these see the Allgemeines geographisch-statistisches Lexikon aller Laender, volume 3 pages 469-478, 486-487 (Ja-) and pages 506-514 (Je-))

Towns/Geographic Features

Jasionów – a village in the Brod region near Lviv, Ukraine
Jasienica Zamkowa – near Lviv, Ukraine
Jasenegg – a village in Austria
Jessen – a town in East Germany
Jasnitz – a town East Germany
Jassmund – Rugia, Germany
Jestetten – a town in Germany
Jesenwang – a village in Germany
Jesen – a village in Slovenia
Jesenice – a village in Slovenia
Jesenice – a village in the Czech Republic
Jesenik – a village in the Czech Republic
Jesenec – a village in the Czech Republic
Jesenské – a village in Slovakia
Jasenica – a village in Slovakia
Jasenie – a village in Slovakia
Jasenov – a village in Slovakia
Jasenovo – a village in Serbia
Jasenice – a village in Croatia
Jasenovac – a village in Croatia
Jasenovac – a village in Bosnia Herzegovina
Iesi – a town in Italy (hence the Codex Aesinas)
Jesolo – a part of Venice

Mountain Peaks

Jeseníky (Polish Jesioniki, German, Gesenke) – a mountain range of Eastern Sudetes in northern Moravia, Czech Silesia and partly in Poland.
- the two main subranges are the Hrubý Jeseník and the Nízký Jeseník
- Hrubý Jeseník – a mountain range of Eastern Sudetes in northern Moravia and Czech Silesia; the second highest mountain range in the Czech Republic
  - site of such sights as the Devil Stones (Čertovy kameny) and Peter’s Stones (Petrovy kameny)
  - its highest peak is the “Ur-Father” (literally Ur-Old Man or Praděd) and other peaks include the Great Father (Velký Děd or Great Old Man) and Little Father (Malý Děd or Little Old Man) as well as the Velký Jezerník and Malý Jezerník
  - Velký Jezerník – a peak in the Hrubý Jeseník range
  - Malý Jezerník – a peak in the Hrubý Jeseník range
- Nízký Jeseník – a peak in the Czech republic on the Polish border
Jesza – a mountain in Slovenia