#grandfather Veles

[slava-perunu]

They burned an idol.

Somewhere in the deep forest in the Ozarks there used to be an idol to Veles. I know because I put it there. I went as far out as I dared and found a good old dead tree, one that was really just a tall stump, and on a cold winter day I spent the better part of an afternoon carving it into an idol, and when I needed some peace I'd go out and sit with him there in the forest and pray.

I said my goodbyes and left town for a few years for work. When I came back, I found that idol gone. The whole area was scorched. I found out that the government had done a controlled burn of that area of the forest. The idol was gone, my work of devotional art gone up in smoke. At first I felt a great deal of grief, but after thinking about it, I feel the burning to be poetic. An offering to itself, cut from the forest and burned for the good of the forest.

I'd have liked to see it, at least, but I can't complain. I wasn't around. Perhaps I'll go back and pray there again at first snow.

[thewinternighttrilogy]

“We encounter him in fairy tales as an ambiguous Jack Frost character, who punishes the wicked but also rewards the good. However, the roots of the character are pagan and violent. He traces his origin to Karachun, the old winter god of death and chaos who literally shortens your life.

Here is where I diverged from folklore. Because it seemed to me that death and chaos can’t be embodied by the same god. It’s impossible. Death is the antithesis of chaos. So I decided to bifurcate the character, and spin off his chaotic parts into the Bear. The bear is partially based on the dark god veles in Slavic mythology, (whose symbol is a bear) but the two are parts of one whole. I thought how incredible it was, the journey Morozko took to from savage death god, to forest spirit to, in the modern day, ded moroz, who with the snow maiden brings gifts at Christmas to good children. I imagined an actual person, immortal, watching their role and their very self change throughout history, and his he’d feel and react. And so my Morozko was born.

Yes, in the fairy tales, he’s like old man winter, with a beard. I didn’t want a grandfather though, I wanted someone of ambiguous years and morals, still full of life and unwilling to fade. And so I wrote him.”

- Katherine Arden talking about creating Morozko’s character on her Instagram 

[nogetron]

Balor, high chief of the Fomorians. Balor was the embodiment of the scorching sun, who brought drought and death to those against him. Balor’s body towered over all who laid eyes on him, with his one eye emanating an abyssal darkness. This eye was said to bring about death whenever it was opened, scorching the earth. Balor prides himself on his ruling of the Fomorians, demons who sought to subjugate the Tuatha dé and humanity. During the Fomorian’s rule over the Tuatha dé, Balor installed a puppet ruler named bres a member of the Tuatha dé whose father was a Fomorian. Under Bres the Tuatha dé and humanity were enslaved. However Balor heard of a prophecy which detailed his fall from the hands of his grandson. To remedy this Balor sent for all of his daughter’s children to be drowned, the only one to survive was Lugh, who faced off against his grandfather in the final battle against the Fomorians. Using his spear, Lugh punched out Balor’s eye, stealing his grandfather’s eye, Lugh used it to decimate the Fomorian army and obtain victory for the Tuatha dé. However Balor still survived and will occasionally return to the mortal world, but he’s always stopped by his grandson, their combat resulting in storms.

Balor’s most common epithet is “Balor of the evil eye” but he has many others, such as “Balor the smiter” and “Balor of the piercing eye”. In modern scholarship it’s believed that Balor was originally a demonic god of the sun, being the incarnation of the harmful effects of the sun’s rays, like burns and droughts. Balor’s battle with Lugh is believed to be reflected in the story of Saint Patrick and Crom Dubh, with Crom Dubh most likely being a reflection of Balor himself. Another being connected to Balor is the fire spirit slayed by Fionn mac Cumhail, who may have been seen as an aspect of Balor. In wales, Balor was reflected in the evil giant Ysbaddaden, who fought King Arthur. Balor’s fight with Lugh comes from a long line of stories that possibly orginated from the myth of Baal’s combat with Yam in Canaan, these stories pervade the religious landscape like the battle between Indra and Vritra, and the Slavic myth of Perun’s rivalry with Veles. All these stories are grouped together under the moniker of Chaoskampf, a battle against the forces of chaos and drought to bring life and fertility to the world.

[arrgh-whatever]

Do Maric’s brothers ever know what Maric is up to?

At the time they lived together or after that? Either way the answer would be "no". Neither Rowan nor Veles were close with him and none of the three ever showed any attempts to bond at all, the only person Maric considered worthy of sharing his thoughts and ideas with was his Grandfather.

After a few attempts to fit in Maric left his hometown (he was 19 at that time). All of the ideas depicted in the story came to him after that so they couldn't have known about them either. Moreover Rowan was convinced that Maric simply won't survive on his own and will either come back and put up with his mediocre life like everyone else or die.

(I'm currently working on a comic where I can uncover slightly more about Maric, his family and his past!)

[lelkiegeszseg]

Kérek egy létrát karácsonyra, olyan hosszút, hogy fel tudjak hozzád menni a felhők közé.

-Nemsokára találkozunk.

[zarya-zaryanitsa]

Is Leshy an aspect of Veles or are they completely separate entities? Also is Leshy singular ? Is there only one or are there multiple ?

Leshy is a type of a land spirit, specifically a guardian of the forest. Every forest has it’s own leshy; leshys of different forests can interact with eachother. The spirit has different names in different regions, he can be called lesovik, lesnik, lisun, polisun, boruta etc., however there existed a strong taboo against refering to him by his real name (kinda like with domovois) so he’d be more commonly addressed with euphemisms such as “he”, “he himself”, “that”, “grandfather”, “grandpa” etc.

You can find more info about leshy here and a funny folk tale about leshys interacting here.

To the best of my knowledge Borys Uspenski was the main propagator of the idea that leshy is a manifestation of Veles, or that the Slavs had very similar view of leshys and Veles. That is of course not to say that there aren’t other scholars supporting this idea. Let’s look at some of the similarities.

1) In Christian times both became syncretized with the devil, becoming important factors in shaping of the “Slavic folk devil” image (despite Church’s best efforts Slavs of non-noble origin tended to view the devil through the lens of their own culture and not solely in accordance with the Christian doctrines).

2) They share similar characteristics/are associated with the same traits.  Folklore presents both as standing in opposition with the Ruler of Thunder (Perun/Saint Elijah), and frequent targets for thunderstrikes. They are ascribed the same physical characteristic: both can be thought of as missing one leg (alternatively missing the heel, walking with a limp) or one eye (alternatively as blind in both eyes), having horns and/or being very hairy/shaggy. They are associated with the same colors - gold, copper and bronze. In some regions of Russia the forest spirits were referred to by the name “Volodi” or “ Volod’ka” which according to Uspenski is another sign of connection with the deity.

Uspienski presents many other more subtle connections between the two, but I am not going to list them all here. You can learn more about the characteristics of Veles here.

3) Leshy and Veles can both be viewed as “Wolf Herdsman” or “Master of the Wolves”, a mythical being that commanda wolves, feeds them and can either send them after humans/flocks they encounter or protect them, if the owner has Master’s favor. Master of the Wolves is most commonly believed to be either a forest spirit (leshy, polisun and so forth), or a Saint. Among multiple Saints that he is associated with we can find Nicholas and Vlas, Saints that are also syncretized with Veles. Saint Nicholas using his keys to heaven to lock the mouths of hungry wolves is a common motif is Slavic verbal charms. Furthermore wolves in Slavic culture are symbolic of death and can play the role of a psychopomp, so a lupine entourage is very fitting for a deity associated with the dead and afterlife. And lastly what brings us to our next point Master of Wolves is a spirit that holds particular importance for the herdsmen.

4) Both forest spirits and Veles fulfil the same functions in customs of Slavic peoples, their superstitions and their magic. This is particularly visible in traditions of herdsmen and hunters. Both professions operated in the liminal space on the edge of civilization and wilderness, space that is typically seen as Veles’ domain (who is also quite famous for his epithet “skotiy bog”, the cattle god). This pushed them to develop an abundance of superstitions, taboos and charms to ensure safety, health and well-being of both people and the flocks. A common theme of their customs was making certain that local leshy/Master of the Wolves/whatever power ruled the liminal space was kept. According to Uspenski Saint Nicholas, a Saint heavily syncretized with Veles, was considered a patron of hunters. On the other hand even common people from outside those professions could call upon Saint Nicholas or leshy when heading to the forest (for example to look for mushrooms) — examples of prayers and charms of this kind have been recorded.

In conclusion: We cannot answer with all certainty whether pre-Christian Slavs viewed leshy (and similar forest spirits) as a manifestation of Veles and what exactly that meant for their religious practices. Bottom line we will never know that for sure. However we can see that leshy and Veles fufilled many of the same roles and shared many of the same characteristic, therefore it seems like the two were strongly connected.

The legends related to the Master of the Wolves are quite a fascinating rabbit hole. If you wish to learn more here are some articles (presented in the reading order I recommend):

1. Pennington, J. J., Saint Perun and Saint Volos;

2. Mencej, M., The role of legend in constructing annual cycle

3. Mencej, M., Wolf holidays among Southern Slavs in the Balkans

4. Plas, P., Wolves and Death: An Assessment of Thanatological Wolf Symbolism in Western South Slavic Folk Tradition

Other sources used: Gieysztor, A., Mitologia Słowian; Ivanits, L., Russian folk belief; Wigzell, F., The Russian folk devil and his literary reflections; Uspieński, B., Kult Świętego Mikołaja na Rusi;

Any word I may have overspoken, any word I may have underspoken, be my words helpful and true.

[rocky-the-rockstar]

Slavic Deities part 1

Veles

King of the underworld

God of magic, alchemy, earth, livestock, song, wealth, health, vegetation, trade, wisdom, and travel

Shapeshifter

✨trickery✨

Symbols

Bear

Dragon

Wolf

Snake

Cattle, sheep, goat, deer, etc

Willow

Offerings / Altar

Cooked corn

Bread

Herbs (especially basil)

Wooden flutes and stringed instruments

Imagery of His sacred animals

Black wool/fur

Cow bell

Things carved from wood

Opal, obsidian, onyx, moss agate, bloodstone (slavic gods weren’t often associated with specific crystals the way that we often do with the greek pantheon in modern worship, but it’s of course ok to offer them stones and these are just ones that I personally feel like would suit Him)

Gold, silver, metals

Coins and money

Holidays

Festival of Veles (February 11)

Some information for ya

Lives in caves and hallow trees

Dragons in Slavic folklore often had snake bodies and bear heads, representing Veles

Rebirth in humanity is represented in The Battle Between Perun and Veles, where Perun kills Veles. In which Veles represents our forebears, hence why he is sometimes referred to as grandfather

Very similar to worship of Pan, Hades, and other horned, underworld, or destruction deities: His cult and worship was deemed "demonic" by the spread of Christianity and forbidden

In addition, He bears a resemblance to Hermes and Loki in terms of attributes

(will add onto this later)

[leebird-simmer]

Russian Fairy Tales Test Prep: Pagan Deities

The best known roster of pagan deities is that of the six whose statues Prince Vladimir erected upon assuming sole rule of Kiev. According to the Primary Chronicle for the year 980, he “placed idols on a hill, outside the palace yard, a wooden Perun with a silver head and a golden mustache, and Khors and Dazhbog and Stribog and Simargl and Mokosh.” Missing from this list is Volos/Veles, the god of cattle (skotnii bog) and commerce, whose veneration in ancient Rus’ is widely attested, and by whose name (along with that of Perun) ancient Russians ratified oaths.

A. Perun/Bog

1. equivalent to: Lithuanian Perkunas, Latvian Perkons, Albanian Perendi, Roman Jupiter, Greek Zeus, Hittite Teshub, Norse Thor/Donar, Celtic Taranis.  2. primary sources: Nestor’s Chronicle, mid-6th century Procopius, 10th-century Varangian treaties 3. primary story: a creation myth, in which he battles Veles, the Slavic god of the underworld, for the protection of his wife (Mokosh, goddess of summer) and the freedom of atmospheric water, as well as for the control of the universe. 4. dvoeverie: After Christianization in the 11th century CE, Perun's cult became associated with St. Elias (Elijah), also known as the Holy Prophet Ilie (or Ilija Muromets or Ilja Gromovik), who is said to have ridden madly with a chariot of fire across the sky, and punished his enemies with lightning bolts.

In Slavic mythology: Perun was the supreme god of the pre-Christian Slavic pantheon, although there is evidence that he supplanted Svarog (the god of the sun) as the leader at some point in history. Perun was a pagan warrior of heaven and patron protector of warriors. As the liberator of atmospheric water (through his creation tale battle with the dragon Veles), he was worshipped as a god of agriculture, and bulls and a few humans were sacrificed to him. In 988, the leader of the Kievan Rus' Vladimir I pulled down Perun's statue near Kyiv (Ukraine) and it was cast into the waters of the Dneiper River. As recently as 1950, people would cast gold coins in the Dneiper to honor Perun.

Appearance & Reputation: Perun is portrayed as a vigorous, red-bearded man with an imposing stature, with silver hair and a golden mustache. He carries a hammer, a war ax, and/or a bow with which he shoots bolts of lightning. He is associated with oxen and represented by a sacred tree—a mighty oak. He is sometimes illustrated as riding through the sky in a chariot drawn by a goat. In illustrations of his primary myth, he is sometimes pictured as an eagle sitting in the top branches of the tree, with his enemy and battle rival Veles the dragon curled around its roots.

Perun is associated with Thursday—the Slavic word for Thursday "Perendan" means "Perun's Day"—and his festival date was June 21.

Reports: The earliest reference to Perun is in the works of the Byzantine scholar Procopius (500–565 CE), who noted that the Slavs worshipped the "Maker of Lightning" as the lord over everything and the god to whom cattle and other victims were sacrificed.

Perun appears in several surviving Varangian (Rus) treaties beginning in 907 CE. In 945, a treaty between the Rus' leader Prince Igor (consort of Princess Olga) and the Byzantine emperor Constantine VII included a reference to Igor's men (the unbaptized ones) laying down their weapons, shields, and gold ornaments and taking an oath at a statue of Perun—the baptized ones worshipped at the nearby church of St. Elias. The Chronicle of Novgorod (compiled 1016–1471) reports that when the Perun shrine in that city was attacked, there was a serious uprising of the people, all suggesting that the myth had some long-term substance.

B. Kors/Xors/Chors

- most frequently mentioned Slavic god, after Perun - dvoeverie: appears in the apocryphal work Sermon and Apocalypse of the Holy Apostles, which mentions Perun and Khors as old men; Khors is said to live in Cyprus. Khors also appears in the apocryphal text Conversation of the Three Saints, a text which combines Slavic + Christian + Bogomil traditions. In it, he is referred to as “an angel of thunder” and it is said that he is Jewish. - his functions are uncertain and there are multiple interpretations of his name.

1. Sun God hypothesis: associated with Dazhbog; in The Tale of Igor’s Campaign, Prince Vseslav, who “came to Tmutarakani before the cocks" and "Khors ran his way", traveled from west to east and thus reached the castle before the cocks crowed, and in this way "overtook" the Sun; his name means “rays.”

2. Moon God hypothesis: Prince Vseslav was called “wolf” and his journey takes place at night when the sun is absent from the sky; his name does mean “rays” but they’re the moon’s rays and not the sun’s rays.

3. Fertility God/Vegetation hypothesis: link between Thracian & early Slavic cultures indicates Kors is more of a Dionysus-type figure, who dies and is risen; like Dionysus, Dazhbog (who Kors is often linked to) has a double nature (Eastern Slavs assign him solar qualities, while Southern Slavs assign him chthonic qualities).

C. Dazhbog

1. equivalent to: Khors (Russian/Iranian), Mithra (Persian), Helios (Greek), Lucifer (Christian) 2. primary sources: John Malalas, The Song of Igor’s Campaign 3. family: Son of Svarog, brother of fire god Svarozhich, husband of Mesyats (the moon), father of the Zoryi and Zvezdy 4. primary myth: He resided in the east, in a land of everlasting summer and plenty, in a palace made of gold. The morning and evening auroras, known collectively as Zorya, were his daughters. In the morning, Zorya opened the palace gates to allow Dazbog to leave the palace and begin his daily journey across the sky; in the evening, Zorya closed the gates after the sun returned in the evening. 5. dvoeverie: There was a belief that each winter he would enter people's homes and gift gold to those who had been good. That belief passed into Christianity, especially in Serbia, and this visitor was called Položajnik. During Christianisation, his cult was exchanged with the cult of Saint Sava, while Dažbog became lame Daba - the most powerful demon in Hell. Reasons why he was demonized are various, possibly because his cult was the strongest in Serbia or because he was considered also as the god of Nav, the Slavic underworld and world of the dead.

In Slavic mythology: Dazbog was the Slavic sun god, a role that is common to many Indo-European people, and there is ample evidence that there was a sun cult in the pre-Christian tribes of central Europe. His name means "day god" or "giving god," to different scholars—"Bog" is generally accepted to mean "god," but Daz means either "day" or "giving."

His totem animal was a wolf, therefore wolves were sacred animals and killing them was considered a great sin. Wolves were considered to be messengers of Dazhbog, while he himself could shift into a white wolf.

According to one myth, Svarog became tired of reigning over the universe and passed on his power to his sons, Dazhbog and Svarogich.

Appearance & Reputation: Dazbog is said to ride across the sky in a golden chariot drawn by fire-breathing horses who are white, gold, silver, or diamonds. In some tales, the horses are beautiful and white with golden wings, and sunlight comes from the solar fire shield Dazbog always carries with him. At night, Dazbog wanders the sky from east to west, crossing the great ocean with a boat pulled by geese, wild ducks, and swans.

In some tales, Dazbog starts out in the morning as a young, strong man but by the evening he is a red-faced, bloated elderly gentleman; he is reborn every morning. He represents fertility, male power, and in "The Song of Igor's Campaign" he is mentioned as the grandfather of the Slavs.

4. Stribog

Very little is known about him, although he was clearly very important to early Slavic peoples. In the epic ”Slovo o polku Igorove “ it is said that the winds, the grandsons of Stribog, blow from the sea. This leads to conclusion that Stribog is imagined as an old person, since he has grandsons. The grandsons were the winds from all directions.

Eagle was the animal consecrated to  Stribog. Plants consecrated to Stribog were hawthorn and oak. When pledges were made, Stribog was often warrantor. Festivities in Stribog’s honor were organized in the summer as well as in the winter. They were probably organized in the summer  in order to invocate winds and rain, while in the winter they were organized in order to appease him. In the period of Christianization Stribog’s characteristics were overtaken by St. Bartholomew and Stevan vetroviti (windy).

5. Simargl/Semargl

- may be equivalent to Simurgh in Persian mythology, who is portrayed similarly (winged lion and/or dog). He can also take human form. - God of physical fire (as opposed to celestial fire; that’s Svarog) - He is said to be the husband of Kupalnica (or Kupalnitsa), goddess of night, from whom he got two children: Kupalo and Kostroma.

Zorya, solar goddesses who are servants or daughters of the deity Dazhbog, keep Simargl chained to the star Polaris in the constellation Ursa Minor. Should he break free and destroy this constellation, it will cause the world to end.

Why would he be worshipped in Rus’, you ask? A couple of possible answers: a. Eastern Slavs borrowed Simargl from Sarmatian-Alanian people and worshiped him. b. Eastern Slavs never worshiped Simargl. Just at that time, a significant number of Kiev residents were of Khazar and Sarmatian-Alanian origin. Vladimir included their deity in the pantheon to get their support.

6. Volos/Veles (also Vlas, Weles Vlasii, St. Blaise, or Blasius)

1. equivalent to: Velinas (Baltic), Varuna (Vedic), Hermes (Greek), Odin (Norse) 2. primary sources: The Tale of Igor’s Campaign, old Russian chronicles 3. primary myth: a creation myth, in which Veles abducts Mokosh (the Goddess of Summer and consort of Perun, God of Thunder). Perun and his enemy battle for the universe under a huge oak, Perun's holy tree, similar to both Greek and Norse (Yggdrasil) mythologies. The battle is won by Perun, and afterward, the waters of the world are set free and flowing. 4. dvoeverie: Velia remains a feast of the dead in old Lithuanian, celebrating the border between the world of the living and the world of the dead, with Veles operating as a role of guiding souls to the underworld. The battle between Perun (Ilija Muromets or St. Elias) and Veles (Selevkiy) is found in many different forms, but in later stories, instead of gods, they are complementary figures separated from one another by a furrow plowed by Christ, who converts them. Veles is also likely represented by St. Vlasii, depicted in Russian iconography as surrounded by sheep, cows, and goats.

In Slavic mythology: A second creation myth associated with Veles is the formation of the boundary between the underworld and the human world, a result of a treaty forged between Veles and a shepherd/magician.

In the treaty, the unnamed shepherd pledges to sacrifice his best cow to Veles and keep many prohibitions. Then he divides the human world from the wild underworld led by Veles, which is either a furrow plowed by Veles himself or a groove across the road carved by the shepherd with a knife which the evil powers cannot cross.

Veles is associated with a wide variety of powers and protectors: he is associated with poetry and wisdom, the lord of the waters (oceans, seas, ships, and whirlpools). He is both the hunter and protector of cattle and the lord of the underworld, a reflection of the Indo-European concept of the netherworld as a pasture. He is also related to an ancient Slavic cult of the deceased soul; the ancient Lithuanian term "welis" means "dead" and "welci" means "dead souls."

Appearance & Reputation: Veles is generally portrayed as a bald human man, sometimes with bull horns on his head. In the epic creation battle between Velos and Perun, however, Veles is a serpent or dragon lying in a nest of black wool or on a black fleece beneath the World Tree; some scholars have suggested he was a shape-shifter. In addition to domestic horses, cows, goats, and sheep, Veles is associated with wolves, reptiles, and black birds (ravens and crows). 

Reports: The earliest reference to Veles is in the Rus-Byzantine Treaty of 971, in which the signers must swear by Veles' name. Violators of the treaty are warned of a menacing punishment: they will be killed by their own weapons and become "yellow as gold," which some scholars have interpreted as "cursed with a disease." If so, that would imply a connection to the Vedic god Varuna, also a cattle god who could send diseases to punish miscreants.

7. Mokosh

1. loosely comparable to: Gaia, Hera (Greek), Juno (Roman), Astarte (Semitic) 2. epithets: Goddess Who Spins Wool, Mother Moist Earth, Flax Woman 3. primary sources: Nestor Chronicle (a.k.a. Primary Chronicle), Christian-recorded Slavic tales 4. dvoeverie: With the coming of Christianity into the Slavic countries in the 11th century CE, Mokosh was converted to a saint, St. Paraskeva Pyanitsa (or possibly the Virgin Mary), who is sometimes defined as the personification of the day of Christ's crucifixion, and others a Christian martyr. Described as tall and thin with loose hair, St. Paraskeva Pyanitsa is known as "l'nianisa" (flax woman), connecting her to spinning. She is the patroness of merchants and traders and marriage, and she defends her followers from a range of diseases.

In Slavic mythology:  The origins of Mokosh as mother earth may date to pre-Indo-European times (Cuceteni or Tripolye culture, 6th–5th millennia BCE) when a near-global woman-centered religion is thought to have been in place. Some scholars suggest she may be a version of Finno-Ugric sun goddess Jumala. 

Mokosh, sometimes transliterated as Mokoš and meaning "Friday," is Moist Mother Earth and thus the most important (or sometimes only) goddess in the religion. As a creator, she is said to have been discovered sleeping in a cave by a flowering spring by the spring god Jarilo, with whom she created the fruits of the earth. She is also the protector of spinning, tending sheep, and wool, patron of merchants and fishermen, who protects cattle from plague and people from drought, disease, drowning, and unclean spirits.

Although the Great Goddess has a variety of consorts, both human and animal, in her role as a primary Slavic goddess, Mokosh is the moist earth goddess and is set against (and married to) Perun as the dry sky god. Some Slavic peasants felt it was wrong to spit on the earth or beat it. During the Spring, practitioners considered the earth pregnant: before March 25 ("Lady Day"), they would neither construct a building or a fence, drive a stake into the ground or sow seed. When peasant women gathered herbs they first lay prone and prayed to Mother Earth to bless any medicinal herbs.

Appearance & Reputation: Surviving images of Mokosh are rare—although there were stone monuments to her beginning at least as long ago as the 7th century. A wooden cult figure in a wooded area in the Czech Republic is said to be a figure of her. Historical references say she had a large head and long arms, a reference to her connection with spiders and spinning. Symbols associated with her include spindles and cloth, the rhombus (a nearly global reference to women's genitals for at least 20,000 years), and the Sacred Tree or Pillar.There are many goddesses in the various Indo-European pantheons who reference spiders and spinning. Historian Mary Kilbourne Matossian has pointed out that the Latin word for tissue "textere" means "to weave," and in several derivative languages such as Old French, "tissue" means "something woven." The act of spinning, suggests Matossian, is to create body tissue. The umbilical cord is the thread of life, transmitting moisture from the mother to the infant, twisted and coiled like the thread around a spindle. The final cloth of life is represented by the shroud or "winding sheet," wrapped around a corpse in a spiral, as thread loops around a spindle.

Our brief survey of agrarian holidays indicates that the peasant’s central concern is fertility and that special rites in the cemetery and/or rites involving a symbolic death & resurrection are a major component in these celebrations.

Belief in the absolute sanctity of “Mother Damp Earth” (Mat’syra zemlia) has been central to folk belief throughout the centuries. In remote areas, old people observed a ritual of asking the earth’s forgiveness prior to death into the 20th century. A number of scholars have maintained that peasants transferred attributes of earth worship to their particular veneration of Mary as “Mother of God.”

Fedotov: “At every step in studying Russian popular religion, one meets the constant longing for a great divine female power, be it embodied in the image of Mary or someone else. Is it too daring to hypothesize, on the basis of this religious propensity, the scattered elements of the cult of a Great Goddess who once...reigned upon the immense Russian plains?”

[i-mybrunettelady]

Shall I make another self-referential post while in Mirka mood? Yes! It’s about Mirka’s family members.

Her father, Jar Velesson, was a traveller and a necromancy apprentice before he decided he was ready (without his master’s say so) and left to be a traveller. During his travels he met Asgeira Koralkin and fell in love. Soon, Asgeira was pregnant, but felt like the child would halt her path to fame and left the girl in her father’s hands, as they agreed to do. Jar returned home to his father’s homestead, a child in tow, and raised her there. When Mirka was young (before she can even remember him), her grandfather Veles died, leaving his homestead in the care of his children. Jar is a devotee of Raven.

Danica Velessdotyr (pronounced Danitsa) is Jar’s sister and Mirka’s aunt. She lost her mate when their son, Svarogg, wasn’t yet born and as she loved him greatly, hadn’t bothered to find another and raised her son and niece alongside her brother. She is a mesmer, fearsome when she needs to be, but otherwise a community elder in the community of nearby homesteads and is rumoured, though she denies it, to be in a relationship with another of the community elders. She is a devotee of Snow Leopard.

Svarogg the Bright (nicknamed so for his bright, pale hair) is Danica’s son by her deceased mate and very much beloved by his mother and uncle. He is a guardian and a guide for weary travellers on the Shiverpeaks. He speaks Krytan and is overall a good natured dude like his late father and views Mirka as his sister and adores his nephew Kov.

Kov Vladimirkasson-Rosekin is Mirka’s son by a hunter whose name she doesn’t even remember. His names come from both of his mothers - Mirka and her sylvari mate, Fiadh (@moonlit-grove). He is nine years old and takes a lot after Mirka. He looks up to Nyra and was very angry at Mirka that she didn’t let him meet the famed Commander earlier and wants to manipulate plants like his mom Fiadh!! Even at such a young age, he’s showing signs of being an earth-attuned elementalist and is being magically educated by his parents (sans Mirka who doesn’t have magic) and his extended family <3

also if you see the references ily

[ablackbrick]

The Mask of Veles Loki

The Mask of Veles Loki

This mask, representing the ghost of Jack Loki’s ancestral grandfather, is part of a Geranium Lake Properties story that was never published. The mask here is quite different from Veles Loki’s other appearances in GLP, but we know this is him because he was the only character who perceived Jack Loki as some sort of cat, and he was one of two characters who referred to the apertures in the…

[rhysand-vs-fenrys]

The Shadows of Night: Original Character Guide

... of Prythian

High Lord Leith of Night -- Organized the other 6 High Lords to work together and pour their might into an iron collar. The collar was to capture Amren, but laying in wait to ambush her they got Persephone instead. Despite looking human, Persephone never aged. Leith had her tortured to find out what she was, and when that didn’t work he decided to have her bred so he could study the offspring’s powers instead.

High Lord Becan of Night -- Though for 6 millennia now Persephone’s children had been sold to various noble houses to incorporate Daemati and Shadowsinger power into them, Becan was the first High Lord to directly breed her power into his bloodline to increase the might of the Night Court. He took two daughters from Persephone before he received the son he’d sought.

High Lord Gildas of Night-- Persephone’s third child to Becan. Gildas was Daemati, and at age eleven he broke into his father’s mind, found out the truth of his lineage, and destroyed the High Lord. Gildas then took Persephone from the cell and brought his mother to Velaris. He intended to leave her there while he hunted Amren (who by now had escaped the Prison) in order to turn Persephone over to her protection. Before he could find her he was killed by--

High Lord Eoghann of Night-- High Lord Becan’s cousin and Rhysand’s grandfather. He killed Gildas less than a week after Gildas became High Lord and hunted relentlessly for the missing Persephone. Not trusting Gildas’ good will, Persephone had fled into the mountains and after a few hundred years was captured by Illyrians who wanted her might in their bloodlines too. The Illyrians hid Persephone from Eoghann.

Rhysand’s Mother-- Not an original character, but within TSON Rhysand’s Mother is the first of Persephone’s two Illyrian children, though it was only long after her death than Azriel was able to verify. It is through Rhysand’s Mother that Rhys’ powers were magnified to their legendary levels. She is also the source of his Daemati gifts. Rhysand’s Mother plotted and arranged a raid on Azriel’s father’s camp, using the chaos as a cover to liberate Persephone and bring her to The Weaver for temporary safekeeping (as Persephone and the Weaver were ancient friends). Azriel has denied to Rhysand that his mother was one of Persephone’s children, but admitted it to Feyre. Which technically makes Azriel Rhysand’s uncle.

Mythological Beings

Persephone-- “The Mother” included in so many prayers, though none know her story. Captured in Amren’s place, tortured beneath the Hewn City for millennia, freed, captured again on the Illyrian Steppes. Her only specifically mentioned offspring are Gildas, who freed her; Rhysand’s mother, who helped get her away from the Illyrian Steppes and into hiding with the Weaver; and Azriel, who with Cassian and Rhysand created a safe cottage for her. Azriel denies to Rhys that his mother was the first of Persephone’s Illyrian children, but admits it to Feyre.

Hades-- Husband of Persephone. He was captured by the Divine Host and imprisoned for over one thousand years as part of a response from other pantheons to the war in Troy and the increasingly belligerent behavior of the Greek Gods. Hades had no idea Persephone was missing and believed she’d been captured with him.

Eirene-- The Horae (physical manifestation of a concept) of Springtime and Goddess of Peace. Persephone’s oldest and dearest friend, who acts as a go-between for Tamlin and Demeter. Eirene has agreed to help smuggle a spy into the Greek camp. She has also shown a deep fondness for Tamlin.

Bellerophon “Bel”-- A deceased hero and nephew of Persephone who walks among the living again with the divine army. Bellerophon is the only one who can control Pegasus. After the attack of Vele Luk, in which Feyre and Azriel were captured, Bellerophon returned with his lover Kydoimos to try and get to the bottom of what happened and was taken captive instead.

Kydoimos-- The physical manifestation of the din that hangs above battlefields, a minor god in the greek host under Hades. Kydoimos doesn’t necessarily share Bel’s beliefs or trusting nature, but he will follow Bellerophon wherever he goes.

Zahariel-- The leading Archangel of the host. Zahariel was Amren’s subordinate. When asked, he says he joined the Divine Army because he and Persephone were friends and would have tea together after he finished dropping off souls in the Old Testament Hell. He was the one chasing Persephone when she vanished into Prythian. Zahariel wears a vial around his neck given to him by his Father containing the ashes of the Garden of Eden.

Melinoe-- Persephone’s daughter with Hades. Her power is described as a blackness that fills the world and poison that burns the blood.

Aires-- God of War and a member of Hades’ strike force on Vele Luk.

The Keres-- Primal embodiments of the blood soaked battlefields and handmaidens of Hades. They are able to fill an enemy with the essence of death. This person ages, withers, and becomes a mummified corpse until they return the vitality they stole. A way to capture their enemies. The bargain between Feyre and Rhys considers this to be actual death, and tries to take Rhys’ soul while Feyre is in this state.

Achlys-- One of the Keres, the embodiment of the mist of death. She vanished when searching for Persephone and was never seen again by her sisters. Somehow she found her way to Prythian and became trapped, never able to find her mistress. Her daughters are Nuala and Cerridwen. In the raid on Vele Luk the Keres fill Feyre with the essence of death to subdue her, killing Rhysand due to their bargain. Achlys was able to reverse the bargain using a large portion of her power so that as long as Rhys is alive Feyre cannot be killed. Achlys takes Rhys into the Veil to preserve his body and thus his and Feyre’s lives.

Aesculapius-- God of medicine and lead healer for the Greek Army.

Airmed-- Another god of healing.

Sekhmet-- Another god of healing.

Mnemosyne-- The titaness of Memory who develops a way to block Persephone’s memories of Prythian. If or how successful this was remains to be seen.

Apophis-- Both in the Egyptian and Greek pantheon as an embodiment of Chaos. He serves as Hades’ torturer and can taste lies and truth in the air. After she is revived following the Vele Luk raid, Apophis begins to torture Feyre for information on Persephone. 

Haniel-- Another angel in the camp who answers to Zahariel.

Ramiel-- Another angel in the camp who answers to Zahariel.

[slavicafire]

That Veles looks exactly like my grandfather Rzewuski. I feel like I'm going to get yelled at to go sweep the kitchen.

well maybe the kitchen needs sweeping!

[dameracrystmon]

Trolloctober 17 Day Sporty

Run Zedrina! Run! It runs so fast that it can outrun any raptor.😁 Zedrina and Itzel my English: At 8, Zedrina is a little distant. She ran away to play with street children and did not reveal her origins. Of course, nothing will remain a secret forever that she comes from a rich family. Children mocked and scorned her. But others heard this kid talk and saw the opportunity to make some gold. One day Zedrina is kidnapped and a ransom is demanded.

Itzel was almost devastated and was ready to pay the amount, even though there was little chance of seeing her daughter alive. Zedrina's grandfather, who had been living like a thief, Itzel was no better off for it, and he got wind of it and gave up everything to rescue his granddaughter. He takes care of all the robbers and frees his grandson, who has also shown his talent. His speed. Zedrina has very quick reflexes and is fast on the run. His grandfather saw the rogue talent in him and, despite Itzel's opposition, began training him. Itzel was very happy to have her daughter back, but she was not happy about the idea of her grandfather teaching her. It is very difficult, but eventually it works. In addition, they have asked the King for clemency, as they have dismantled a dangerous band of robbers. Magyar: Zedrina 8 évesen kissé elkanászodott. Kiszökött és az utcai gyerekekkel játszik és nem árulta el származását. Persze semmi se marad örökre titok, hogy gazdag családból származik. A gyerekek kigúnyolták és megvetették. Viszont más is hallotta ezt a gyerek beszédet, és meglátta a lehetőséget egy kis arany szerzésre. Egyik nap elrabolják Zedrinát és váltság díjat követelnek érte.

Itzel majdnem összetört és kész lett volna kifizetni az összeget, bár kicsi volt az esély arra, hogy élve viszont látja lányát. Zedrina nagypapa, aki tolvajként élt, Itzel ezért se volt vele jobban, az ő fülébe is eljutott a dolog és mindent félbehagyva kiszabadítja kis unokáját. Minden rablónak ellátja a baját és kiszabadítja unokáját, aki szintén megmutatta tehetségét. Sebessége. Zedrina nagyon gyors reflexszel rendelkezik és gyors futásban. Nagyapja látta benne a rogue tehetséget és Itzel ellenkezése ellenére elkezdte kiképezni. Itzel nagyon boldog volt, hogy vissza kapta lányát, de nem örült az ötletnek, hogy a nagypapa tanítaná. Nagyon nehezen, de végül bele megy. E mellett a királytól is kegyelmet kértek, hisz felszámoltak egy veszélyes rabló bandát.

[mortedeveles]

Absent / Jotaro K. x friend!reader

SUMMARY: You’ve been friends with the infamous Jotaro Kujo since you can remember- there’s no secret between the two of you-, but you can’t help but feel worried when he disappears for fifty days without saying anything to you. And when he returns, things are bound to get messy. 

Copyright © 2020-2021 by Veles. The story plotline and some other elements belong to me, but all the  JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure characters belong to Hirohiko Araki.

PAIRING: Jotaro Kujo x platonic!GN!reader.

THEMES/GENRE: angst, heartbreak, tears? hurt comfort.

TW: not much, cursing? sad shit?

a/n: some of the stuff i inserted here (jotaro’s backstory) is inspiration from the comics that @/thesnipsterwolf shares on Instagram, wasn’t sure if I should credit her but well, there it is! 

i already mentioned it in the PAIRING, but reader is completely a platonic friend with Jotaro here! no romantic feelings or anything. will be writing romantic content w Joot as well, but i wanted to write one where he has a shoulder to lean on :’)

please remember to leave a like, reblog, follow and/or comment if you enjoyed! have a good day!! 

Fifty-two days.

It's been fifty-two days since you saw your best friend, Jotaro. Admittedly, maybe the term 'best friend' was too much, but you liked to consider yourself as such.

On the first day, you brushed it off and called him. Sometimes he'd ditch school and not inform you, but you couldn't help but feel worried when he didn't answer.

On the second day, you decided to visit his home, only to find out through his mom that he had left on an urgent trip to god knows where with his grandfather for fifty days. Urgent my ass, you had grumbled that day as you walked away from the ass. If it was urgent, he would've at least called you or visit. Jotaro knew how much of a worrywart you were and even though he repeatedly said it annoyed the shit out of him, he made sure to call when you wouldn't be seeing each other for a while.

Ever since his departure, you find yourself returning to the special spot you shared with him ever since you were children. It's modest, nothing special to be honest- but it meant the world to you. There was a small forest near your home and as hyperactive and adventurous children, Jotaro and you would sit on the cracked rock and stare at the sky, babbling about nonsense.

The place held a very special place in your heart. Jotaro would ask you to meet him there and sometimes he was so distraught and would grumble about his father- who was never home- or other insecurities or problems he dealt with.

Each time he spilled his feelings, you made sure to listen. Jotaro was letting you see a vulnerable part of him, and you appreciated it very much.

That was until high school was in session. Jotaro had been constantly bullied throughout elementary and middle school- due to him being half Japanese and half American. At school, they'd call him awful names, like 'filth', 'hafu', 'trash'. 

Jotaro had been a kind and compassionate child but once middle school was over, he changed. You began to notice that his body began to grow more muscular, stockier, and taller- though you decided to not comment about it- and his personality changed as well. He was far more closed off and rude than before, but you didn't mind. Jotaro was still Jotaro, and that was all that mattered to you. 

He was even labeled as a delinquent, but that didn't stop you from hanging out with him when you could. They didn't know Jotaro like you did, so why would you let useless rumors get in the way of your friendship?

You thought about this each time you visited the forest, hoping that one day, Jotaro would be sitting there, a cigarette between his fingers, waiting for you.

And he wasn't there, not for the next fifty or so days. And yet, you persisted. Your hope and determination never wavered. And thank god it didn't, because, on the fifty-three day, he was sprawled on the rock. His legs were spread open, sporting his usual customized school uniform. The shock had rendered you frozen on the spot but once you recovered, you quickly approach him and stay at a safe distance.

Relief travels through your body, but the sudden anger you feel makes you tense up again. Jotaro glances at you- he knows you're here- and he doesn't bother saying anything.

Fifty-two days, you say to yourself. He's been gone for fifty-two days and now that he's back, he won't bother to say anything?

''Jotaro,'' your voice is firm and you can't help but drill holes into his stupid hat. He doesn't even bother to spare you a glance and busies himself with another cigarette. 

Frustrated, you stomp over and grab the cigarette, squishing it with your shoe. Jotaro narrows his eyes and you can feel that he isn't pleased, but you don't care.

''Where were you?'' your voice is barely a whisper and you can feel yourself breaking down in a matter of seconds.

''Yare, yare, what do you care?'' he snaps and bares his teeth at you. 

You swallow down a growl and clench your fists at your sides. You wait for him to speak again, but he's fishing out his fucking cigarette box and quickly lights up another cigarette. 

He isn't taking you seriously- when has he ever? The thought makes you boil with rage and you scowl. Enough is enough, you had to talk to him about this. Even if you wanted to avoid it at all costs.

''What do I care?!'' you repeat his words and angrily tug at your hair. ''I'm your best friend, Jotaro! You're supposed to tell me things so I don't worry! You know, like mentioning that you were going to disappear for FIFTY TWO DAYS without a word!'' you're screaming and must look hysterical at this point, but you don't care. The tall and intimidating ''delinquent'' you call your best friend has tested your patience and you aren't playing games anymore.

Breathing in deeply, you raise your eyes towards Jotaro. He's oddly silent and hasn't spoken a word since your outburst. You tap your left foot as you wait for an answer, but when Jotaro turns around silently and walks out of the forest, you can't help but scream. Again.

''You've got to be kidding me!'' you shout after him but remain in the same spot. ''Well, I'm sorry for worrying about you! I have feelings you know! Fuck you, Jotaro! Not everyone can bottle up their emotions or is as closed off as you!'' you feel a bitter taste in your mouth at the last sentence, but you don't take it back. You can't.

There isn't a single lie in your outburst- and that's what’s the worst. Jotaro falters for a moment and a small burst of hope weaves its way into your heart, but its quickly gone when you see that Jotaro has regained his composure and is walking away.

Your emotions are overflowing- you're sad, worried, betrayed, and angry- and it's all too much for you. With a strangled noise, you drop on the rock, burying your face between your knees.

You stay in that position for hours. 

It isn't until you raise your head at the sound of a branch snapping on the ground. It's Jotaro. He's leaning against a tree, a cigarette carefully held between his fingers. Typical. 

You scoff and avert your gaze, deciding to stare at the night sky. You can't see that many stars-despite the fact that you're in a forest, most likely due to pollution- but the ones you manage to see are so bright and beautiful. They make you feel fuzzy and warm inside. That is until your best friend speaks. 

''I'm sorry.'' 

You glance over at Jotaro. He isn't looking at you- his gaze is straight ahead and he exhales loudly, puffs of smoke leaving his plump lips. Despite your anger and bitterness, you feel a twinge of guilt. Even if he was being rude, you were too. An apology was necessary. 

''Don't be,'' you whisper. ''I said some really rude things. I'm sorry.''

Jotaro grumbles and lowers his gaze.

''I'm the one who should be sorry here, not you, so shut up,'' you snort and beckon him to keep talking.

''I just... I really screw up when I try to express myself. I don't know how to...,'' he falters and glances at you. He's expressing himself, you think. He's showing his vulnerable side to you, his best friend. He hasn't done this in years- at least not to this extent. You can already feel the tears stinging your eyes.  ''I'm sorry that I hurt you.''

You laugh between tears and shake your head. Slowly, you rise from the rock and approach the man-boy. 

''It's okay, JoJo. I know how hard it is for you. Don't worry,'' you mumble the last words as you wrap your arms around his back and bury your face in his chest.

You can hear Jotaro grunt in reply, but he doesn't try to push you up. He's slowly accepting your friendly affection.

''Thank you,'' you whisper. Jotaro's arms tighten around you but he doesn't reply.

''You don't have to tell me right now but,'' you pull away and stare into his sea-green eyes. ''Do you think you can tell me one day what happened on that trip?''

Jotaro's face immediately hardens and you curse at yourself. Maybe it was too forward?

He sighs and his face softens. It doesn't soften into a pleasant expression- his face is pained. You're not sure if the lack of lighting is making you see things, but you can see Jotaro's eyes water with tears. Nevertheless, he doesn't cry. He swallows them down and you frown. You tug him by the hand and urge him to sit at the rock with you. 

Before, the two of you could sit comfortably on the rock with room to spare. Now, you're clinging to the edge of the rock. Jotaro's body takes up most of the space and he notices. He mutters his typical 'yare yare daze,' under his breath and tugs you closer. 

You smile and squeeze his hand comfortingly.

''You don't have to be like this all the time, you know,'' you raise your gaze to the stars as you speak. ''It's okay to cry.''

Jotaro doesn't reply but you can feel his body slump. He doesn't sob or scream, he's silent. But his shoulders are slightly trembling and he raises his head- only to tug his hat downwards- but you catch the sight of his red-rimmed eyes and tears flowing down his cheeks.

He doesn't say anything and neither do you. Instead, you wrap your arms around him, hoping to provide some comfort. You like to think it helped because his arms quickly wrapped around you. The rest of the night is spent in the same spot, finding comfort in each other’s embrace.

Jotaro's tears are something you won't forget easily, and you make a promise to yourself, to let him know that everything will be okay the next time you spot his tears. He’s your best friend, and you’d do anything for him.

a/n: aaah!! this is my first JJBA fic,, what do you guys think? i really hope you enjoyed it!! 

if you enjoyed this, please consider checking out my other works! xx 

[seraphxx]

USE THIS WEBSITE TO GENERATE YOUR MUSE’S POKEMON TEAM.

Tagged by @leopardfcted Tagging: Anyone who want to do this~ 

Note: There is a Pokemon Team already listed on Kira’s Pokemon Verse tab on the Verses page. Kira regularly rotates his Pokémon out allowing others he had has caught to train and bond with. The only constant in his party are Mimi (Lopunny) and Hotaru (Houndoom). Also, it story time~ I’m not sorry. 

Note 2: Kira typically mains Dark, Ghost, and Poison type Pokémon. Occasionally he will have a few other types sprinkled in there somewhere.

Lopunny a.k.a. Mimi - Mimi is the oldest among all of Kira’s Pokemon. He had received her when she was a Buneary as birthday present from his mother when he was young. She always been by his side growing up. Due to all the love and affection Kira had given her Mimi had eventually evolved from a Buneary to a Lopunny. Lopunny is a constant presence on Kira’s team and is rarely rotated out. The one time Kira did that Mimi would listen to Kira for a straight week. Eventually caved missing her trainer’s cuddles. She the power house of the team and authority figure.

Houndoom a.k.a. Hotaru - Kira was not Houndoom’s originally training when they had literally ran into each other. Hotaru had recently ran away from an abusive trainer when they had met. Seeing how injured the Dark Pokemon was Kira had taken the time to nurse the her back to health and stayed at a nearby Pokemon Center while doing so. When Hotaru’s original trainer did appear to reclaim her (after a week) she had coward behind Kira, scared. Like any caring trainer Kira dealt with the Houndoom’s original trainer professionally. Ending with her being released to him and Kira giving Houndoom the nickname Hotaru soon after. The original trainer being left terrified of Kira.

Shiftry a.ka. Tengu - Shiftry is the oldest (in age) of Kira’s Pokemon acting like a grandfather to other Pokemon and close to doing the same to Kira much to his trainer’s amusement. Kira had met this old Shiftry at a Shrine hidden in a forest during his journey. The Shiftry continued to guard the shrine even though the family the family that once resided within it had long since past. It took some time before the Shiftry considered moving on and finally honoring the family’s wish to be free. Eventually he became a member of Kira’s party. Occasionally being switched out every now and then for another Pokemon. Enjoys tea time.

Empoleon a.k.a. Napoleon - Not much of a story here as Kira knew Empoleon since he was a stubborn as hell Piplup. That for some reason always challenged him to battles after he left his colony. It still make Kira laugh to this day how he ended up with the now Empoleon. Apparently Napoleon had found an empty Pokeball in Kira’s bag one day and decided to make it as his home, but ended up getting captured by accident instead.

Haunter a.k.a. Veles - The biggest trouble maker out of all of Kira’s Pokemon, more so than the Misdreavus he has. Another story for another time. He still wonders how he ended up with this mischief maker. Clearly remembering how the Gas Pokémon would constantly prank him any chance she had. Made wonder even more why she even left her tower to begin with. In the end he found out all the Haunter wanted was a friend and let Haunter join his growing family. He could live without the pranks though.

Oricono a.k.a. Nataraja - Kira not even sure how this even happened. All he can remember is that one day he woke up with this Oricono inside a Pokéball in his bag. The Oricono just popped right on out and introduced herself and demanded she stay with him. Too confused to even say ‘no’ Kira just nodded his head.

[kitsuningtonshippoknockoff]

How Kuma Lisa’s Children got their Markings

This is my attempt at creating an original folktale, such as might be told by Slavic foxkin.  It uses the name Kuma Lisa-- Godmother Fox-- a figure in Bulgarian folklore.  There are other names for her, such as the Russian Lisa Patrikeyevna or Ukrainian Lisichka-sestrichka, but simply put I like the name Kuma Lisa best.  Despite Kit being of Russian extraction, maybe Bulgaria is the actual epicenter of Slavic foxkin (hereafter called lisakoviy) culture.  Dunno.  Anyway, this is the Christian version of the story.  Lisakoviy in modern times are more-or-less Christian, but they acknowledge that their saints map out to old gods: Perun the thunder god becomes the Prophet Elijah; Mokosh the mother goddess becomes St. Paraskevi; and Veles, the trickster god, becomes St. Blaise, or Vlasiy as he’s known in this story.

Blaise is the most important saint to lisakoviy, and is venerated differently than in the human church, something I'll get into in another post.  For now, on with the story.

When the good Kuma Lisa came out of the East, she brought all her children with her.  There were many, for Kuma Lisa was a very beautiful woman, and had many husbands.  She and her family had been traveling a long time, and as they traveled they became dirty and thirsty.  When they came to a vast river, all of them rushed to dive in without thinking.  Kuma Lisa called to them, warning them to be careful not to wash off the markings on their faces-- Kuma Lisa's own mother had carefully painted those markings herself to protect her grandchildren, but she had stayed in the East, and so there was no-one who could put them back if they were lost.

Kuma Lisa's foolish children paid their mother no mind, and spent all day swimming in the river.  But when they got out and looked at each other, they saw that the facepaint their grandmother had given them was gone.  All the children began to weep, for now they had no protection.

"Foolish whelps!"  Kuma Lisa said.  "I should leave you to your sobbing, for this is your own doing.  But I am still your mother, and I must fix your mistakes.  I will go abroad and find a servant of the Lord to give you new markings.  Stay here by the river and wait until I return, or you shall surely die."

So Kuma Lisa left her children, following the river.  First, she came to a deep forest.  She kept her ears up and her eyes open, for the forest was dark and full of dangers.  She kept to the shadows and brambles, and soon came to the hunting lodge of Saint Elijah the Thunderer, prophet of the wilderness.  She knocked on the door and was admitted by a servant.  When she was ushered in to see the saint, she got on her knees.  Elijah was a very old man, but looked very strong and fierce, with thick white hair and piercing eyes.

"What brings you to my lodge?"  asked the old saint.  Kuma Lisa bowed her head submissively.

"Great Saint," she said, "My children foolishly washed off the markings my mother gave them to keep them safe.  What must they do to receive your mark instead?"

Elijah replied, "If your children would have my protection, they must stay in the wilderness.  They must never seek out the company of the Children of Eve, and they must follow all the Laws the Wild."

Kuma Lisa thought about this.  She knew that the Laws of the Wild were written by her old rival, Kumcho Vulcho the wolf, and that they were very harsh indeed.

"Forgive me, Great Saint," Kuma Lisa said, "I cannot accept those terms."

"And I cannot change the terms," Elijah said "But I thank you for your honesty, and my heart goes out to your children.  Though you will not have my mark, you and your family will always be welcome in the wilderness.  Here you will find many places to hide."  He gave her food and drink, as well as a bed for the night, and blessed her when she left the next morning.

Kuma Lisa traveled on, following the river.  Soon she came to a bustling city.  She kept her ears up and her eyes open, for the city was crowded and full of dangers.  She kept to the shadows and alleys, and soon came to the palace of Saint Paraskevi of Iconium, lady of traders, fairs, and marriage.  She knocked on the door and was admitted by a servant.  When she was ushered in to see the saint, she got on her knees.  The saint was a very beautiful woman dressed red, as regal as any Tsarina but humble as a shepherdess.

"What brings you to my palace?" asked the kind saint.  Kuma Lisa bowed her head submissively.

"Great Saint," she said, "My children foolishly washed off the markings my mother gave them to keep them safe.  What must they do to receive your mark instead?"

Paraskevi replied, "If your children would have my protection, they must stay in the city.  They must humble themselves before the Children of Eve, and follow all the laws of the lands that humankind inhabits."

Kuma Lisa thought about this.  She knew that humans were fickle, and their laws were written without thought but to their own selfishness.

"Forgive me, Great Saint," Kuma Lisa said, "I cannot accept those terms."

"And I cannot change the terms," Paraskevi said "But I thank you for your honesty, and my heart goes out to your children.  Though you will not have my mark, you and your family will always be welcome in the markets and festivals of humanity.  Furthermore, all your children have my blessing to marry the Children of Eve."  She gave her food and drink, as well as a bed for the night, and blessed her when she left the next morning.

Kuma Lisa traveled on, following the river.  She came to a green meadow full of sheep.  Here she stopped to rest a moment, and the warmth of the sun caused her to doze off on a soft hillock.  She was awoken by a cruel laugh.  It was Kumcho Vulcho, the monstrous father of wolves.

"Oh ho!"  Kumcho Vulcho said, "So we meet again, little morsel.  I'd come here to slaughter sheep, but now I find a greater prize."

"True," said Kuma Lisa, keeping her wits about her, "I value myself much more than a sheep.  Certainly great minds think alike."

"Pfah!"  said Kumcho Vulcho, "Don't think you can flatter your way out of this!  Now get up on your feet and face me; I'm not so honorless as to kill a foe lying prone."

"I would stand and die honorably," sighed Kuma Lisa, "But I fear I cannot.  The shepherd who tends this flock set his dogs on me, and my tendons are torn."

"You take me for a fool!"  Shouted the wolf, "I smell no blood, I see no wounds!"

"You wouldn't," said Kuma Lisa, "For these are no earthly dogs.  They can tear the flesh without breaking the skin, and leave no scent nor pawprint.  Ah, how glad I am to see you here after all!  It's much better to die and make a meal for you than for those terrible dogs to return.  They would rend my very soul!"

This gave the wolf pause, for he was very wary of magic and the supernatural.

"I still think you are lying," he said doubtfully, "But... there is a wheeled shepherd's hut on the hill, and that man may well keep dogs.  Perhaps you merely dreamed of them."

"Oh!"  Said Kuma Lisa, "You must be right!  When I fell asleep, those terrible dogs must have entered my dreams and attacked me!  How clever you are, brave wolf.  And how terrible such dogs that maim in dreams and leave the waking crippled!"

Kumcho Vulcho, of course, is not very smart.  His head spun with all sorts of images of terrible nightmare dogs, and he began to feel frightened himself.  But of course he couldn't let it show.

"I'm not afraid of any dogs," he growled, "Whether they're flesh and blood or nightmare beasts.  If I had been in your place, I'd have trounced them!"

"Oh, really?"  Kuma Lisa said skeptically.  "Forgive me, brave wolf, but as much as I stand in awe of your might, I can't imagine anyone besting those dogs."

"Pfah!"  Said the wolf, "I'll show you!"  He lay down beside her.  "We shall both go to sleep, and when the dogs come, I'll kill them right before your eyes!"

And so they both shut their eyes, but Kuma Lisa only pretended to sleep.  When she heard Kumcho Vulcho's breath become slow and even, she silently rose to her feet and crept up to the shepherd's hut.  And who should the shepherd be but Saint Vlasiy himself?  Kuma Lisa was very relieved, for Saint Vlasiy was her grandfather, and so she didn't need to convince him she wasn't there for his sheep.

"Dear granddaughter," said the Saint, "How good it is to see you!  It's surely God's will that we have found each other again.  Tell me, what can I do for you?"

"That can wait, dedushka," said Kuma Lisa, "You should know that my hated cousin Kumcho Vulcho has come to steal your sheep."

"Thank you, dear child," Vlasiy said, "I'll go now and sort him out."

The saint and the fox strode down the hillside where he found the sleeping wolf.  Vlasiy took out a very sharp knife, and skinned the wolf without waking him.  Then he took the skin and nailed it to a log, which he rolled into the river, letting it carry the skin away.  When this was done, Kuma Lisa pinched the wolf awake.  Kumcho Vulcho began to scream, in terrible pain without his skin.

"Be quick!"  shouted Kuma Lisa, "The dogs have taken your skin and thrown it in the river!"

Yelping and cursing, Kumcho Vulcho lept into the river, and was washed away along with his skin.  Saint Vlasiy and his granddaughter laughed heartily at the sight.

When Kuma Lisa told her grandfather about her children's plight, he knelt down and kissed both her cheeks.

"Go back to your family," he told her, "And when you find them, you will see they have been marked with a special sign of my protection.  As your mother watched over them before, so now will your grandfather watch over them."  

Kuma Lisa spent the night at her grandfather's hearth, then left in the morning with his blessing.  She followed the river back to her children for three days and nights without stopping, for she had begun to miss them terribly.  When she found them beside the riverbank, they welcomed her joyously, and showed her the marks that Saint Vlasiy had given to them.  And from that day, all the children of Kuma Lisa have worn their great grandfather's marks, which can never be washed away.