E-Book Overview
This book offers a radical reinterpretation of the Slavic pagan religion made on the basis of a thorough re-examination of all reliable sources. What did Slavic pagan religion have in common with the Afro-American cult of voodoo? Why were no Slavic gods mentioned before the mid-tenth century, and why were there no Slavic gods at all between the Dnieper and the Oder? Why were Slavic foundation legends similar to the totemic myths of the nomadic peoples of the Eurasian Steppe, and who were Slavic Remus and Romulus? What were the Indo-European roots of Slavic hippomantic rituals, and where was the Eastern Slavic dragonZmey Gorynychborn? Answers to these and many other provocative questions can be found in this book.
E-Book Content
SLAVIC GODS AND HEROES Judith Kalik and Alexander Uchitel Slavic Gods and Heroes This book offers a radical reinterpretation of the Slavic pagan religion made on the basis of a thorough re-examination of all reliable sources. What did Slavic pagan religion have in common with the Afro-American cult of voodoo? Why were no Slavic gods mentioned before the mid-tenth century, and why were there no Slavic gods at all between the Dnieper and the Order? Why were Slavic foundation legends similar to the totemic myths of the nomadic peoples of the Eurasian Steppe, and who were Slavic Remus and Romulus? What were the Indo-European roots of Slavic hippomantic rituals, and where was the Eastern Slavic dragon Zmey Gorynych born? Answers to these and many other provocative questions can be found in this book. Judith Kalik teaches East European history at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. She has written extensively on the inter-religious encounters in Eastern Europe from the early Middle Ages to the early twentieth century. Alexander Uchitel taught ancient history at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and the University of Haifa between 1985 and 2017. He is the author of numerous articles on diverse subjects related to the history and philology of ancient Greece and the ancient Near East. Slavic Gods and Heroes Judith Kalik and Alexander Uchitel First published 2019 by Routledge 2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN and by Routledge 711 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017 Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business 2019 Judith Kalik and Alexander Uchitel The right of Judith Kalik and Alexander Uchitel to be identified as authors of this work has been asserted by them in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers. Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and explanation without intent to infringe. British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data Names: Ḳaliḳ, Judith, author. Title: Slavic gods and heroes / Judith Kalik and Alexander Uchitel. Description: 1 [edition]. | New York : Routledge, 2018. | Includes bibliographical references and index. Identifiers: LCCN 2018009437| ISBN 9781138493193 (hardback : alk. paper) | ISBN 9781351028707 (e-book) Subjects: LCSH: Mythology, Slavic. | Gods, Slavic. | Slavs—Religion. Classification: LCC BL930 .K287 2018 | DDC 299/.18—dc23 LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2018009437 ISBN: 978-1-138-49319-3 (hbk) ISBN: 978-1-351-02870-7 (ebk) Typeset in Times New Roman by Swales & Willis Ltd, Exeter, Devon, UK Contents