Svarog is generally considered to be the Smith of the Slavic pantheon, as well as a god who created the concept of a monogamous marriage and in some versions the creator of the world himself. However like much of Slavic myth, Svarog is bathed in contradictions, misunderstandings, and at times controversy. His written mythology is very little while if more modern scholarship is taken into account much more can be gleamed of this “Idle God” than would seem at first glance.
Aside from many Slavic place names such as in Poland, The Czech Republic, and even in the East into Russia. One of the oldest mentions of Svarog is in the Hypatian Codex from the 15th century that translates a John Malalas story from Egypt concerning Greek gods and transcribes the Slavic gods over the Greek ones. Replacing Helios with Dazbog and Hephaestus with Svarog. The story ends up relating Svarog as the father of the Solar deity Dazbog and by equating him to Hephaestus in the story ties Svarog in with not only black smithing but also relates him as a god tied directly into Monogamous marriage. Now what can we truly tell of the gods of this manuscript? Not much, the story itself likely had little if nothing to do with the Slavic gods it mentions, but it does bring two good points on both deities to the forefront. Their associations. While Svarog and Dazbog may not have been the actual figures in the story, replacing the Greek with Slavic counterparts to make the information more appealing to Slavic readers implies the gods were likely at least loosely tied into their respective associations. This gives a good starting point to Svarog, a god of blacksmiths and possibly of marriage.
From here comes the secondary main aspect of Svarog and that is his association as the Father of the gods and the creator of the world. The Slavs have quite a variety and to this day no one can truly agree on the order of the pantheon. With Perun, Rod, Svarog, Yarilo, Svetovid, Dazbog, and even Mokosh vying for the throne, as chief of the pantheon. However for the sake of Svarog as he is the focus here, I will give it to him for the time being. Two differing versions of this tale seem to exist, one deems him a sleeping god, and that the world is his dream, if ever he should wake the world will end. This is oddly reminiscent of Lovecraft's Azathoth, the great dreamer, and calls to mind a sort of apocalyptic conception as the world is merely a dream of a higher being. Though another interpretation could be that the world exists as it is due to the idleness and general slumber of Svarog, and when he wakes this world will change or end as it were. Another version yet not mutually exclusive conception of Svarog is that he forged the world and gods into being. This version is from the controversial book of Kolyada, but as it is disputed and not outright rejected it deserves at least some acknowledgment regardless of personal feeling towards its merit. Involving the Alatyr or Altar stone. This stone ties into the story of Svarog sending numerous gods and then eventually a duck to retrieve land from beneath the waves, breathing power borrowed from Rod into the bird, the bird returned three years later and gifted Svarog with a certain amount of land from the bottom within its beak. Svarog knew something was amiss as the Duck did not give over the stone. Still Svarog breathed into the earth warming it with his hands and the sun which slowly expanded the land further and further, while at the same time the Duck unable to hold onto the growing Alatyr stone dropped it and where it landed formed the Mountain Elbrus also known as Golden mountain, though in another tale it remained with Svarog. The stone was said to be a center of knowledge and wisdom and drew many people to it. Believing no man should know about the stone Svarog took his hammer and attempted to destroy the Altar/Alatyr stone, however this only created sparks which supposedly birthed gods such as Simargl, and created winds that bore Stribog.
Aside from many Slavic place names such as in Poland, The Czech Republic, and even in the East into Russia. One of the oldest mentions of Svarog is in the Hypatian Codex from the 15th century that translates a John Malalas story from Egypt concerning Greek gods and transcribes the Slavic gods over the Greek ones. Replacing Helios with Dazbog and Hephaestus with Svarog. The story ends up relating Svarog as the father of the Solar deity Dazbog and by equating him to Hephaestus in the story ties Svarog in with not only black smithing but also relates him as a god tied directly into Monogamous marriage. Now what can we truly tell of the gods of this manuscript? Not much, the story itself likely had little if nothing to do with the Slavic gods it mentions, but it does bring two good points on both deities to the forefront. Their associations. While Svarog and Dazbog may not have been the actual figures in the story, replacing the Greek with Slavic counterparts to make the information more appealing to Slavic readers implies the gods were likely at least loosely tied into their respective associations. This gives a good starting point to Svarog, a god of blacksmiths and possibly of marriage.
From here comes the secondary main aspect of Svarog and that is his association as the Father of the gods and the creator of the world. The Slavs have quite a variety and to this day no one can truly agree on the order of the pantheon. With Perun, Rod, Svarog, Yarilo, Svetovid, Dazbog, and even Mokosh vying for the throne, as chief of the pantheon. However for the sake of Svarog as he is the focus here, I will give it to him for the time being. Two differing versions of this tale seem to exist, one deems him a sleeping god, and that the world is his dream, if ever he should wake the world will end. This is oddly reminiscent of Lovecraft's Azathoth, the great dreamer, and calls to mind a sort of apocalyptic conception as the world is merely a dream of a higher being. Though another interpretation could be that the world exists as it is due to the idleness and general slumber of Svarog, and when he wakes this world will change or end as it were. Another version yet not mutually exclusive conception of Svarog is that he forged the world and gods into being. This version is from the controversial book of Kolyada, but as it is disputed and not outright rejected it deserves at least some acknowledgment regardless of personal feeling towards its merit. Involving the Alatyr or Altar stone. This stone ties into the story of Svarog sending numerous gods and then eventually a duck to retrieve land from beneath the waves, breathing power borrowed from Rod into the bird, the bird returned three years later and gifted Svarog with a certain amount of land from the bottom within its beak. Svarog knew something was amiss as the Duck did not give over the stone. Still Svarog breathed into the earth warming it with his hands and the sun which slowly expanded the land further and further, while at the same time the Duck unable to hold onto the growing Alatyr stone dropped it and where it landed formed the Mountain Elbrus also known as Golden mountain, though in another tale it remained with Svarog. The stone was said to be a center of knowledge and wisdom and drew many people to it. Believing no man should know about the stone Svarog took his hammer and attempted to destroy the Altar/Alatyr stone, however this only created sparks which supposedly birthed gods such as Simargl, and created winds that bore Stribog.
Vör, Vör is a Norse goddess and often attributed the aspect of being inquiring and wise, nothing could be hidden from her. Not much is known about her aside from this she may have tied into the volva seeresses and the wise women of the Norse. I've recently begun being mildly obssessed with bringing the lesser known gods to light. Vör just happened to occupy my mind lately and all due to buying a certain brand of Hazelnut butter whoda thunk. I personally see her reflected in modern travelers and librarians pursuing knowledge or even something like an interrogator. Though that is far less common. Either way I personally think it wise to remember and ponder even the lesser known gods. For Vör was also what women were said to be when they were "aware of what she has learned" essentially wise. Her name may mean the careful one.
The sacrifice of the people has not just been as soldiers on a battlefield, how many men lost their lives providing for their families and their people? How many are forgotten because their deaths and lives were spent in the caves with tommyknockers and the spirits of Joe Magarac and the mining monk. Never forget everyone who got us to where we are today the good and the bad, the ancestors are people not just some mythic concept, as flawed as you or me, yet without them and their sacrifices here we would not stand, just ashes in the wind in our place.
I love this kind of Wylder Mann stuff, I also love the Morbid macabre parts of Yule. Thanks be to Perchta-TAO