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THE IMAGES OF THE MYTHS ON PAINTINGS
RUSALKE-are the spirits of dead girls, mostly of drawn ones who have become undines. On Sundays, after the Holly Ghost, those water nymphs come out from water, dancing and laughing aloud. They are imagined as beautiful longhaired girls who, crowned with green leaves, dance in a clearing during the time of the young moon.
MRAČNICI-imagined in human shape, with the wings, flying above the water, polluting it. The waters from the plains were considered as polluted.
LESNIK-the spirit who governs the forests and the beasts. He does not like tame areas. In the forest he is a sovereign master. He was imagined as a giant who, when in the woods, reaches the highest treetops with his head, and while moving along the edge of the forest he transformes himself into a dwarf. He was used to be called the wolf’s shepard as he governs all the wolves, and once a year gathers them to determine the plunder for that particular year. In order to protect himself from his powerful magic, it is best for a man to put his clothing on inside out and to put his left shoe on his right foot (and vice-versa). It was believed that all the Slavs at least once in their incarnation were wolves. In some tribes it is also believed that people became from the trees.
NAVI-NEKRŠTENCI-they became from the souls of stillborn or unbaptized children. They were imagined in various ways. They let some frightening screams out of them.
PERUN-A god thunderer, respected by all the Slavic people. Some mountain tops as well as springs are dedicated to him, and believers offered him a sacrificial bull. He was imagined as a mature, large man with a flamy stone in his hand.
SVETOVID- a fourheaded protector of the people and a prophet as well. With his four heads he looks at the four sides of the world predicting destinies. The center of Svetovid`s cult was Arkona.
VODEN-the god of waves and water, the protector of the sailors and fishermen. In the glory of Voden, the believers used to gather near springs and lakes (Đurđevdan). They prayed to Voden mostly on certain places, specially chosen holly spots in order to wash away their own sins.
SVAROŽIĆ-The son of the supreme god Svarog.The god of Sun (“RA”) warms the land giving it life, surrecting the nature in the spring and feeding his people.
JARILO-A magnificant young man crowned with wild flowers, riding a white horse. In the Slavic mythology a god of vegetation and fertility, with an ear of grain in his hand.
STRIBOG-in Eastern-Slavic mythology, a god of the winter and frost. All the winds are his grandchildren.
TALASON-a spirit appearing on deserted places and in fallen towns and houses.
VILE-in the Slavic mythology Vile, (fairies/nymphs), are supernatural females, more or less friendly to people. They were imagined as extremely beautiful long-haired girls, dressed in long, transparent dresses. They live in the mountains, (mountain-nymphs), beside water, (water-nymphs), in the clouds, (cloud-nymphs), etc.
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