The most ancient deities. Gods of the Ancient World: list and general information about them. God of the Slavs Horse and his incarnations

Literally the entire life of ancient cultures took place with the participation of gods, whom our ancestors considered real beings, and modern historians attribute to fiction and fantasies of primitive thinking. Meanwhile, a huge number of traces of the real presence in the distant past of these very gods - representatives of a very highly developed civilization - have been preserved on Earth. What kind of civilization was this?.. Where did it come from?.. And why did our ancestors consider its representatives to be gods?.. This book is dedicated to the search for answers to these questions, which uses materials collected by the author during numerous expeditions and trips to the most different countries.

Gods in people's lives

In the modern imagination, the life of our distant ancestors was inextricably linked with the gods.

There were many gods. In some places their number was in the tens, and in others it reached many thousands - as, for example, in India.

The gods were different - both in status, and in strength, and in capabilities, and in the scope of their activities. Some of them “managed” only narrow areas - sleep, luck in the game, ripening of crops, fishing, trade and the like. Others were subject to the elements of nature. And still others controlled everything around – including gods of lower rank and capabilities.

The gods could be good, but they could also be evil. Moreover, there were practically no “absolutely good” or “absolutely bad” gods - even the most evil gods could provide help and assistance to a person, and the kindest gods could sometimes bring down very severe punishment on him for disobedience or simply even because of his own bad momentary mood .

People appealed to the gods for a variety of reasons - to cure an illness, ward off danger, provide assistance in a hunt or commercial transaction, support in a military campaign or during the harvest. In some cases, a short verbal or even mental appeal to God was enough for this; in others, such an appeal had to be accompanied by the performance of complex and lengthy ceremonies and rituals, often in specially designated places or luxuriously decorated temples.

To obtain the favor of some gods, a simple request was enough, for others it was necessary to make a blood sacrifice or make some other offering, and for others it was necessary to serve regularly or even constantly. A person could turn to some gods himself, but to communicate with others, additional intermediaries were required - sorcerers, shamans, or priests specially trained in special spells and prayers, equipped with temple utensils and sacred objects.

Everything around was subject to the influence of the gods - from the weather and the movement of celestial bodies to the appearance of heads or tails when tossing a coin. So literally everything was permeated with the invisible (and sometimes visible!) presence of the gods and their participation in human life. And, as a consequence, people perceived the gods as an integral part of their existence, and the corresponding attitude towards the gods was an integral part of the very worldview of people, and not just “accidental superstition” or “current religious doctrine.” Not a single important decision was made without consultation with one or another patron god...

This is exactly how historians and archaeologists, researchers of religion and culture, ethnographers and representatives of various other sciences, one way or another connected with the history of man and society, picture for us the life of our ancestors.

At first glance, ancient texts, sculptural and graphic images, as well as other various artifacts that have survived to this day completely confirm this idea. And sometimes we have no doubt about it at all.

But was it really so?.. Maybe the role of the gods was much more modest?.. And if, after all, this was the case, then what was the reason for such “omnipresence” of the gods in the minds of people?.. After all, this must be the case some reason...

A little about the reliability of our ideas

Of course, it is not so easy to draw any conclusions regarding such an intangible entity as people’s ideas and their worldview when we are talking about long past times. Indeed, in this case we do not have the opportunity to directly communicate with the very carriers of this worldview.

These difficulties are still somehow surmountable in relation to, for example, ancient thinkers Ancient Greece, whose works we still have the opportunity to get acquainted with, although for this we will have to learn the ancient Greek language. And here the conclusions about the worldview of people of a given period can be quite correct, and our ideas about their ideas can be quite correct.

For extinct languages, from which only written sources remain, this is much more difficult to do, but it is also possible. Although here we are already faced with the fact that the very process of “restoring” these languages ​​and translating texts requires certain additional hypotheses and assumptions, the validity of which is sometimes simply impossible to verify. As a result, there is always the possibility that a particular text has been translated with errors or even incorrectly.

There are plenty of examples of such errors, but I will give here only two of them, which, in my opinion, are very indicative.

The first example concerns the translation of texts that remained after the powerful Hittite civilization, which dominated Anatolia (the territory of modern Turkey) in the 2nd millennium BC and was, along with Ancient Egypt and Assyria, one of the most powerful states of that time. The Hittite civilization left us not only ancient structures and numerous bas-reliefs, but also many inscriptions and tablets with texts, the number of which amounts to hundreds of thousands.

Nowadays there are already weighty monographs describing the customs, laws and traditions of the inhabitants of the Hittite Empire, its social structure, the way of life of people and their religious worldview. These descriptions are drawn primarily from the Hittite texts themselves and are therefore considered completely reliable. Meanwhile, the translation of these texts was a very, very difficult task, to which the Czech researcher Bedřich Grozny made a huge contribution.

We will not go into details and nuances of problems with the translation of Hittite texts and its history here. Many books have been written on this topic, and anyone can find them quite easily. Only one point is important to us.

The fact is that Grozny was able to find an approach to “deciphering” (it would be more correct to talk not about decoding, but about translation) of the Hittite writing at the beginning of the 20th century and was engaged in translations until the end of his life. However, this was not at all a simple “linear” development of his knowledge of the principles of Hittite writing - towards the end of his work, he was forced to re-translate even those texts that he had previously supposedly translated, because he discovered errors in his own translations.

It is clear that errors in translations of texts directly entail errors in our ideas about ancient peoples, and even more so in ideas about the worldview of the people who made up these peoples. Only specialists who have spent many years studying ancient languages ​​can detect such errors. And such specialists for specific languages, as a rule, are very few - they can literally be counted on one hand. And the mistake of just one person in translation can lead to errors in the ideas about ancient reality for all of us...

Another example concerns an even more ancient civilization - the civilization of the Sumerians, who lived southeast of Anatolia, in Mesopotamia - in the vast territory between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. From this civilization, quite a lot of texts written in the so-called cuneiform script have also reached us.

One of the tablets with similar cuneiform writing was found by an expedition of the University of Pennsylvania in the ancient city of Nippur. It dates back to approximately 2200 BC.

An initial analysis of the text on this tablet led researchers to the conclusion that it contains descriptions of the preparation of potions from various minerals, plants and even animals, as well as a lot of obscure terms. As a result, it was concluded that it contains a text with some “magic spells” that were used by the ancient Sumerians in healing.

However, in 1955, linguist S. Kramer invited his friend chemist Martin Levy, a specialist in the history of natural sciences, to translate this text. And then it was discovered that the tablet contained a large number of special words and expressions that required knowledge of not only the Sumerian language, but also pharmacology, chemistry, botany and other things. In order to prepare a clear and accurate translation, it turned out to be necessary to make a complex comparison of the terms used in the text with the terminology of cuneiform documents of a later time. And in the end it turned out that the tablet contained not just descriptions of certain potions, but a fairly accurate description of the symptoms of diseases and recipes for preparing medicines for these diseases. It turned out that the substances obtained on the basis of the given exotic recipes have very effective pharmacological properties!.. And no “magic”!..

It is quite obvious that the first version of the translation led to ideas about the ancient Sumerians as people subject to the strong influence of religious prejudices. The second translation option is fully consistent with the natural science approach to the world around us. Two fundamentally different types of worldviews!..

Of course, in this case we are talking about just one sign. But where is the guarantee that other Sumerian texts are translated absolutely correctly? Nobody can give such guarantees. And this “medical plate” is a fairly clear confirmation of this. And if so, then we cannot exclude the possibility that our ideas about the worldview of the ancient Sumerians may also contain serious errors...

And even greater difficulties await us in the case of analyzing cultures from which there is no written language left at all. All we can operate with here is a certain amount of material evidence in the form of household items, images (very often quite sketchy), remains of buildings and the like. In this case, researchers are forced to put forward a lot of additional assumptions, most often boiling down to the transfer of ideas about some ancient cultures to even more ancient ones. In mathematical terms, they are engaged in simple extrapolation.

However, extrapolation is a method that can lead to very serious errors. Especially in cases where the system of phenomena, phenomena or facts under study is subject to serious changes outside the interval for which its behavior is more or less known.

This can be illustrated, say, by the example of Neanderthals - an example that has already become somewhat “classical”.

For a long time it was believed that Neanderthals were not much different from ordinary animals, and their consciousness was practically undeveloped. However, then discoveries were made that radically changed scientists' views on these ancient human relatives. And now it is believed that Neanderthals already had their own highly developed religious ideas. In particular, ideas about life after death and the so-called “cult of the bear.” Here's how Clix writes about it, for example:

“The most famous example... is the Neanderthal bear cult. The first discoveries were made in the Swiss Alps at an altitude of 2400 meters, in the so-called Dragon Hole. At the entrance to this cave there was a kind of pillow made of stones with a side of about one meter. On top lay a massive stone slab. Underneath it were several bear skulls, facing towards the entrance. Numerous bear skulls in the same orientation were discovered in the depths of the cave. One of them had a leg bone inserted into the hole above the cheekbone. The object of this ritual was a cave bear...” (F. Klix, “Awakening Thinking”).

Ethnographers are well aware that many so-called primitive tribes have a cult of certain animals. As a rule, these are animals that a particular tribe often encounters in real life, and on which human life sometimes depends.

It is quite obvious that Neanderthals living in caves periodically had to deal with the cave bear - a large and dangerous predator. And it seems quite logical to put forward the assumption - by analogy with well-known primitive tribes - that they have just a “cult of the bear”. After all, the very location of the bear skulls with their obvious orientation towards the entrance to the cave must be explained somehow. It must have some reason. Simple logic and the method of analogies lead to the hypothesis of the “cult of the bear.” But this is the very extrapolation that can produce serious errors.

Is the “cult of the bear,” which has a mystical-religious basis, the only possible explanation in this case?.. Not at all!

Everything can be explained much more simply without any “rituals” and “cults” - the skulls served to intimidate dangerous predators and prevent them from entering the cave. In this case, a completely natural reaction of animals known to us is used - the sight of dead relatives creates a feeling of danger. This reaction is still sometimes used today, when several shot birds are displayed on a pole in the garden to scare away crows. And in this case there is no longer any “mysticism” or “religious ideas”, but a rational decision based on empirical experience.

But which interpretation is correct then? And what kind of worldview did the Neanderthals have - mystical-religious or simply natural-cognitive?.. But the difference between the two options is cardinal!..

Let's take another “discovery” of researchers.

“...Neanderthals buried their dead or fallen brethren. These burials contain additional, widely varied objects that may provide an indication of the role the dead played during life. In the La Chapelle-aux-Saints cave, the burial of a man was found with a bison's leg placed on his chest. There were also many crushed bones of animals and flint tools - care for the hunter or supplies for future life in the invisible “otherworldly” world. His needs “there” were determined by analogy with the needs “here”. Excavations at Mount Carmel in Palestine support this interpretation. There is no doubt that the burials of Neanderthals were accompanied by some kind of ceremonies and rituals, the content of which, however, we cannot say anything specific. However, there could be significant regional differences. Some indirect evidence suggests that witchcraft rituals associated with hunting were widespread” (ibid.).

At first glance, it also seems logical. However, here too there is the usual extrapolation, which can lead to errors. Why, in fact, do researchers immediately unambiguously interpret such finds as some kind of “evidence of magical rituals and beliefs”?..

Let's look at the facts of burials from a slightly different angle.

Life in a society (or community) requires compliance with certain rules. Among them, it is quite natural for the rule of observing the prohibition to arise, say, on someone else’s property (no matter how small and insignificant it may be in our minds). A community member who died while hunting “took with him” not only his share of the spoils, in the process of hunting which he may have died, but also his (!) tools. Such “inviolability of property rights” could obviously be very effective means preventing civil strife in the community (tribe), and consequently increasing the stability and survival of society.

Therefore, if we leave aside the question of the reality of the possibility of the continuation of the existence of the human soul after physical death, in explaining the contents of such burials we can completely dispense with the version of the “magical” ideas of the Neanderthals.

“Some incomprehensible drawings, for example a scene from the Lascaux cave, where a bison with its intestines out, bending its horns, steps on a reclining man with the head of a bird, may apparently be associated with initiation rites or preparations for hunting” (ibid.).

But it could also be much simpler - the hunter disguised himself as a bird. And such examples are well known to researchers of primitive peoples, who often use this technique to increase the efficiency of hunting. And no “magic” has anything to do with it. Nor has any “cult of the animal” anything to do with it. There is simply a use of empirical experience...

The surprise of Europeans, who at one time encountered completely incomprehensible complexes of various actions of the so-called primitive peoples associated with hunting, is quite understandable. The most careful preparation of weapons, the painting of their own bodies by hunters, collective songs and some kind of coordinated body movements that imitate hunting. Well, why isn’t this “bewitching” a future victim or “appeasing the soul” of a killed animal?..

This is exactly how it is usually interpreted. Both in relation to modern primitive peoples and in relation to ancient cultures. But this is far from the only explanation for actions that are so strange to us.

Let's look at this again from a purely pragmatic point of view.

Collective hunting requires mutual coordination of the actions of hunters, and the maximum efficiency of this coordination can be achieved only with preliminary coordination of actions by the participants in the hunt. A schematic-symbolic representation of the hunting process itself, reproduction or imitation of their actions by hunting participants, is obviously the most effective way both preliminary coordination of the strategy and tactics of the directly planned act of hunting, and “ visual aid» for training growing young animals.

“Hunting rituals” may well serve similar purposes not before, but after the hunt. Only here can future actions be planned for a more distant future and an additional “debriefing” be carried out on the just completed hunt (which is also necessary to increase the efficiency of hunting in the future).

Well, what does the “magic” or “religiousness” of the ritual have to do with it?..

There is one more point in these rituals, noted by modern ethnographic research. Let's say, before a battle with a neighboring tribe, in the process of simulating an upcoming battle, male warriors reach in advance that emotional state that allows them to carry out future military operations as efficiently as possible. Tracking down the “invisible enemy”, his pursuit and imaginary murder turn out to be not “bewitching” the enemy, but a means of achieving that psychological state, which is the goal of the entire patriotic educational system in the modern army. Moreover, it is a very effective means, due to the well-known relationship between motor (that is, motor - in a simplified sense) activity and the emotional and psychological state, which is well known to psychologists.

And again the question arises: why, in this case, are such actions of representatives of primitive peoples interpreted as “magical”?.. The answer is quite obvious: because researchers wanted to do so under the pressure of the approach now dominant in historical science - to attribute everything to some kind of “mysticism” of primitive tribes . Extrapolation of these ideas to ancient cultures also occurs automatically...

It is clear that if we change our approach and do not force ourselves in advance to fit into some excessive “mysticism” of our ancestors, then our ideas about ancient cultures will automatically change. Moreover, they can change quite seriously - the main driving force of ancient man, instead of religious and mystical superstitions, could be an objective analysis of the surrounding reality and a pragmatic approach.

However, even in this case one should not rush to the other extreme - it is simply impossible to completely and completely deny the religious component and its significant role in the life of ancient cultures. This will be a biased approach. There is too much evidence that our ancestors really worshiped a huge number of all kinds of gods.

And here another question arises. If this took place, then it must have a reason. Moreover, the reason is quite important, because it did not give rise to rapidly changing everyday superstitions, but to stable religious systems that persisted for a very, very long time.

For a society in which, as indicated above, it was quite possible that a pragmatic approach dominated, this reason should be all the more important. After all, it is quite obvious that without the presence of such a reason, without the constant stimulation of those same “religious ideas,” a pragmatic society would quickly abandon them.

So what was this reason?..

Official version

In the most simplified form, the reason for the emergence of religious cults and rituals presented by modern science comes down to the fact that ancient man did not have enough knowledge about the world around him. This ancient man, they say, did not know that natural laws govern phenomena and events in the world, and explained what was happening around him by the action of certain supernatural forces - spirits and gods. The multiplicity and diversity of objects and phenomena of the real world led to the multiplicity of these very supernatural forces. This is exactly what historical science has been teaching us, starting from school.

But if for a schoolchild such an explanation may seem quite logical and understandable at first glance, then the skeptical analytical mind of an adult is able to discern a very serious contradiction in this version.

Really. In order to “invent” certain “supernatural entities” that do not exist in reality (as the same version presents) that control everything around, a person must have a sufficiently developed thinking. Moreover: he must have a very developed ability specifically for abstract thinking. Meanwhile, the version presented by historical science is based on exactly the opposite - on the fact that ancient man had primitive thinking, which is characterized by the dominance of the principle “what I see is what I sing.” In other words, primitive thinking is focused on a simple description of surrounding phenomena, and not at all on the invention of abstractions.

And if we analyze from this point of view the existing ancient images, texts and other artifacts that are not directly related to the religious sphere of activity, then this is exactly the conclusion we will get. The “visual-applied” orientation of thinking will be simply obvious here. And this can be easily traced throughout almost the entire ancient history right up to the period of antiquity - until the times of ancient Greek culture, when (and only when) mythopoetic creativity in the full sense of the word appears, and when a person begins to create in the sphere of abstract images and abstract concepts.

But why then in the sphere of religious activity does this same “primitive man” manage to rise to the heights of the highest abstractions thousands of years earlier?.. It does not happen that in one sphere a person is capable of something, but in another he is absolutely incapable of doing anything. the same.

The contradiction is obvious. Moreover, this contradiction “works” against the basic position of the same version, according to which man is driven by the same completely natural laws.

How to be?..

Perhaps the only somewhat related answer to this question in historical science is still the Lévy-Bruhl theory, which since its inception has been repeatedly subjected to (sometimes harsh) criticism from historians themselves and other researchers.

“Lévy-Bruhl proceeded from the understanding of primitive thinking as qualitatively different from thinking modern man. Primitive thinking is prelogical, logical laws and abstract categories are not characteristic of it; the world is perceived in it through the prism of the so-called law of mystical participation (participation) - the identification of phenomena that are incompatible from the point of view of logic and common sense. An object can be itself and at the same time something else, be here and at the same time in another place. By virtue of the law of participation, everything in the world - people, real and fictitious objects and creatures - seems mystically interconnected. The leading place in Lévy-Bruhl's constructions is occupied by the concept of collective consciousness, imposing itself on individual consciousness, determining it - a concept put forward by Durkheim and his school. To understand primitive beliefs, one cannot start from the individual psyche, as was done before; they are a social phenomenon and represent a part of social consciousness, which has its own laws. Like Durkheim and Mauss, Lévy-Bruhl believes that in primitive society collective ideas dominate; at later stages of historical development they do not disappear completely, but here their specific weight is much less. Primitive collective ideas include emotions and volitional acts, reality in them is mystically colored...” (V. Kabo, “The Origin of Religion: History of the Problem”).

“Towards the end of his life, Lévy-Bruhl revised many of his previous views, trying especially to soften the opposition between primitive and modern thinking. And indeed, they cannot be opposed as fundamentally different systems of thinking: it is not so much human thinking that changes as the world with which it deals at different stages of historical development, but it itself is fundamentally one. The logical laws of thinking are the same in all known human societies, Lévy-Bruhl now asserted. However, he still believed that primitive thinking is characterized by a mystical orientation, that both the “affective category of the supernatural” and the phenomenon of participation retain their significance here. Lévy-Bruhl always considered participation as a fundamental property of primitive thinking. It became the key concept in his constructions, with the help of which only primitive collective ideas can be explained” (ibid.).

We will not analyze Lévy-Bruhl’s texts in detail, especially since others have already done this for us. Let us note that anyone can also do this and be convinced that the only (!) characteristic that distinguishes primitive thinking from the thinking of modern man, according to Lévy-Bruhl, is its so-called “mysticism.”

But what do we mean by “mysticism”?..

We usually interpret this term either as “belief in the supernatural” or (in a more expanded interpretation) as “belief in the reality of illusions.”

If we approach from the position of an expanded interpretation, we get the following: the religious and mystical life of ancient people was generated by their very primitive thinking only because it has the property of belief in illusion. Excellent!.. There is nothing to say: the oil is oily because it has the property of being oily...

If we return to a narrower and more specific interpretation of the term “mysticism” as belief in the supernatural, then not everything is smooth here either. Firstly, Lévy-Bruhl does not explain or justify in any way why he attributes to primitive thinking the property of belief in the supernatural (giving it the status of a distinctive property!). He simply introduces this position as an axiom. And secondly, in modern society there are by no means a few people whose thinking has the same belief in the supernatural, that is, this property ceases to be distinctive feature primitive thinking.

Here we again come to a question that has already been touched upon: why, in fact, is it considered that primitive thinking is “mystical”?.. On what basis do researchers claim that the entire way of life of primitive man is literally permeated with belief in the supernatural and, accordingly, is subordinate to early forms of religion ?..

When describing and analyzing primitive societies, for example, much attention is paid to such attributes as initiation rites, taboos, totems, shamanism, etc. At the same time, European researchers, say, in initiation rites were struck primarily by the external features of the rites: their solemnity, significance, colorfulness, and sometimes cruelty...

But let's look under the outer shell.

If we discard the “colorful tinsel”, which is very different in different primitive societies, then we can state that the essence of initiation rites comes down to the transition of a community member from one social group within the community to another. It doesn’t matter whether this is purely related to physiological changes due to reaching puberty or to the acquisition of some skills and knowledge. Another thing is important - the social role of the individual in the community changes, and consequently, the rules of his interaction with other members of the community change.

But man is to a very large extent a social being. Therefore, behind the words “he becomes a different person” (after the initiation rite) one finds not only “pure symbolism”, but also a very real basis. He really becomes a different (!) person.

The initiation rite in this case performs several important functions at once. Firstly, it records for other members of the community the change in the status of the initiate. And secondly, it helps the initiate himself to psychologically adapt to a new social role. The “old” person “died” - “a new one was born.” In essence, we are only dealing with a kind of “visualization in simple images” of an important social change. That's all...

But isn’t this what modern “rites of passage” boil down to: prom; delivery of a passport, certificate or diploma; dedication to students; admission to the party; inauguration celebrations upon assumption of a high government post?.. It is quite obvious that in its very essence it is all the same. However, do we see “mysticism” in them?..

Knowledge of the cultural traditions of our society frees us from such a “mystical” interpretation. But then why not look at the initiation rites of primitive peoples from the same positions (only with adjustments to the corresponding cultural tradition)?..

With the taboo system, things are much simpler. Here, it was not difficult for researchers to see behind it a system regulating the rules of behavior of individuals in society. The version of the “mysticism of consciousness” of primitive peoples arises here only due to the fact that in an attempt to explain the origin (or meaning) of certain taboos, the “savage” uses a version that is inaccessible to the analytical logic of the researcher and the cause-and-effect relationships known to this researcher.

But aren’t there many rules, norms and laws in modern society, the reasons for which are impossible or difficult to explain?..

How many people can explain, for example, why a certain part of everyday language is prohibited for use in society (we are talking about the so-called “profanity”)?.. Or why you cannot wear anything other than a tuxedo or a formal suit to official receptions, and you must have a tie or a bow tie?.. Is that customary?.. But why!?. What does "accepted" mean?

I’m willing to bet that in the discussions of the majority on these topics, a knowledgeable specialist (if there is one at all) will easily discover such a mass of erroneously constructed cause-and-effect relationships that, under other conditions, a researcher of primitive peoples will automatically write off the “mystical” ideas. But will this “mysticism” take place in reality?..

Let us now take such an object of primitive peoples as a totem. The totem refers to the “classical” attribute of “mystical” thinking. Here there is involvement (participation, according to Lévy-Bruhl) of the totem of a certain area and even of each member of the tribe. Here is the “animation” of an animal totem or even an inanimate object (an idol, for example)…

But let’s look at this “obvious mysticism” from a slightly different angle...

Try, dear reader, to determine for yourself the content of the term “homeland”... Wouldn’t you find in the essence of this very “homeland” a connection with a certain geographical region and with a certain circle of other people?.. But will there be such a relationship and integrity (sometimes very difficult to discern? and even more difficult to formulate) complete abstraction, fiction or mysticism?.. Perhaps almost everyone will be indignant at such an interpretation and will be right.

Behind the term “homeland” one can find a completely natural and really existing phenomenon, which correlates with a certain circle of people connected by a mass of territorial, cultural and sometimes even consanguineous ties into a single whole, into a single system. A dual system, having both material and spiritual-immaterial connections. But spiritual-immaterial connections, as it turns out upon closer analysis, are not “mystical” at all, but obey completely natural laws - albeit very peculiar ones (see the author’s book “The Code of the Universe”).

In exactly the same way, the totem correlates with a certain dual system - a tribe (clan, community). He is the embodiment of this system with the totality of its connections, and is its unique symbol.

How a child uses some objects in a game to symbolically represent objects that are inaccessible at a particular moment in time, but really exist; Likewise, primitive man sees the totem as the embodiment of his society. However, even now fully grown people in modern society carry state flags to rallies and draw national emblems, without even thinking about the fact that they are essentially using the same “totems”!..

If we take into account that society, like one system, has well-defined spiritual-immaterial properties, then we have the right to use the term “collective consciousness” in relation to it. Then primitive man may overestimate the abilities of the collective consciousness of his society, attributing to the totem the properties of rational behavior, but still in this he reflects a completely objective reality!..

And finally, another phenomenon often found in primitive societies, which is directly related to the theme of gods and mystical-religious ideas, is the so-called “animism,” that is, the “animation” of animals and plants.

“...characteristic features of archaic thinking. Its first property is a high degree of fusion of the individual with the nature around him. Direct and constant confrontation with forces in the physical world and biological environment, the scale of which exceeds the imagination of an individual, creates a highly emotional and ultimately deeply personal relationship with these forces. This is most clearly expressed in animistic thinking, which populates nature with deities, demons and spirits. The action of natural forces is attributed to fantastic causes. In accordance with mental habits, these causes are isolated and come into use as the animation of things and phenomena. The oldest tales convey from hoary prehistory the remnants of this thinking: animals speak to each other like people, thunder and lightning are caused by a humanoid creature; illnesses are caused by spirits; the dead and gods wander along invisible paths, however, preserving the thoughts, feelings, desires and hopes of the living” (F. Clix, “Awakening Thinking”).

It would seem that the phenomenon of animism is completely consistent with the picture of the origin of the mystical and religious ideas of ancient peoples that academic science paints for us. However, a more detailed analysis reveals no more “mysticism” even here than in everything else.

If we do not stand blindly on primitive materialistic positions, but analyze real facts, then we will have to admit that all our daily life and all our experience indicate that in addition to the material physical body, a person also has some active spiritual-immaterial component, better known as "soul". Even Natalya Petrovna Bekhtereva, who for a long time headed first the Brain Center of the USSR Academy of Sciences and then the Institute of the Human Brain, was forced to admit that it is impossible to explain all the features of human activity only by the presence of a material brain - it is also necessary to assume that he has a soul as something special, but a really existing “something”.

But if a person has such an active spiritual-immaterial component as a “soul,” then the simplest logic tells us that we have no right to deny to animals and plants the existence of a similar spiritual-immaterial component – ​​albeit a less developed one. Which, however, is fully confirmed at the empirical level... Consciousness (in the expanded understanding of this term) does not appear suddenly and immediately. In a certain sense, both the animal has consciousness (not to be confused with self-consciousness!), and so does the plant (although here I prefer the term “preconsciousness”). For more details, see the author’s book “The Code of the Universe”...

But in this case it turns out that the most basic position of animism has a very real basis!.. And it turns out that in their ideas both the members of the modern primitive tribe and our ancient ancestors were guided not at all by some kind of “mysticism”, but by a reflection of a completely objective reality!..

It is curious that the “details” and “details” of animism, upon closer analysis, also turn out to be devoid of any mysticism. Take, for example, the ability of animals to “talk.” Let us just take into account that in the broadest sense of the word, the term “talk” implies not only the exchange of sound signals, but includes the entire complex of methods for transmitting information from one object to another. Then, from these positions, it will turn out that it is quite possible to “talk” with animals if you understand their “language” (and even the author uses quotation marks here, paying more tribute to tradition than trying to reflect the essence). This is well known not only to natural biologists who have devoted their lives to the study of animals. Perhaps any competent “dog owner” knows that he is able to talk to his dog in the full sense of the word, sometimes achieving an amazing degree of communication and mutual understanding. Moreover, even if he is a convinced atheist, devoid of any mystical-religious inclinations...

However, if with animals and plants everything is quite simple and clear, then with the “animation” of the forces of nature the situation is somewhat more complicated. In Klix (as in the general view of modern academic science), everything is lumped together - animism as such (that is, a certain “humanization” of animals and plants), and the “animation” of natural elements. But is this legal?..

Let's carry out the following logical chain. Let’s assume that we are the owners of that same “primitive consciousness.” It is not something unusual or strange for us that animals, plants, and even inanimate objects have their own souls - stones, rivers, rocks, and the like. But then we (due to the primitiveness of our thinking) have no reason at all to endow animals, plants, and especially inanimate objects with a human (!) soul. It is much more natural to correlate the image of the soul with the image of the object itself. A fox running past has its own “fox” soul - it will not have arms or legs, but will have four paws and a tail. A hare hiding under a bush has its own “hare” soul. A tree rustling with its crown is the soul of a tree in the form of that very tree. But then the stone will also have its own “stone” soul, which no longer has paws and a tail. And even more so, there is no need to put a soul in the form of a person in stone.

The same can be said with regard to natural elements. A river should have its own “river” soul, similar to a water stream, and not a person with arms, legs and a head. As a last resort, you can still imagine (with your primitive consciousness) the soul of the river in the form of one of its inhabitants - for example, a huge fish moving large masses of water with its body.

A thundercloud must have the soul of a cloud, not a person. And it’s much more likely to imagine a bonfire in the sky, from which lightning sparks periodically fly out, than to imagine some kind of Zeus throwing fiery arrows. So, from the “animation” of animals, plants and even natural elements, the idea of ​​hominid gods, gods in human form, does not automatically follow (as academic science presents to us). Anthropomorphic (that is, “humanoid”) gods are generally inexplicable from this point of view. And even more than that: their very appearance in the ideas of primitive man is unnatural and illogical!..

The exclusivity of anthropomorphic gods

The modern version of the ideas of ancient people, presented by academic science, has another significant drawback. In it, literally everything is dumped into one heap - souls, spirits and gods. However, these concepts have very significant differences.

The soul for a person is something quite “understandable”. This is what he constantly feels in himself and perceives it as an integral part of himself. In the overwhelming majority of cases, he cannot see the souls of other people - this can only be done by people with extraordinary abilities (shamans, sorcerers and others whom we would now call people with extrasensory abilities). But feeling his own soul inside himself, a person easily perceives the idea that other people also have their own soul.

Within the framework of ideas about the soul as something “not entirely material,” it is also easy to imagine the emergence of the idea of ​​​​the possibility of the posthumous existence of the soul, that is, the continued existence of the human soul after his physical death. And in the light of Robert Moody’s fairly well-known studies in the field of post-mortem experience and clinical death, it can be stated that for an ancient person (not burdened with modern materialistic ideas), ideas about the post-mortem existence of the soul could also be only a generalization of some, albeit not entirely ordinary, but universal empirical experience. “Mysticism” again turns out to have absolutely nothing to do with it...

The soul of the deceased leaves this material world - again, it is not visible to the vast majority of people. Therefore, she moves to a certain “spirit world”. Here souls and spirits become essentially one and the same. Since the study of the world of spirits is not the subject of this book, we will not dwell on it here.

But anthropomorphic gods differ sharply from both the human soul and the spirit. First of all, if we focus on ancient texts, they are periodically present directly among people in a state that is completely accessible to the ordinary vision of an ordinary person. They are visible!..

These gods physically live next to people. They often need ordinary material houses and material food (although they do not refuse spiritual food at all).

Moreover: anthropomorphic gods are not at all invulnerable. They can be physically injured - and the wounds will also be quite visible. Sometimes you can even kill them - if not with the usual primitive weapons (although this does happen), then certainly with some “divine” weapon. And if it is very difficult for a person to do this, then there are plenty of cases of defeat and even murder of anthropomorphic gods by other gods in ancient legends and traditions.

And as is easy to see in the same legends and traditions, anthropomorphic gods stand apart from souls and spirits. Ancient man never identified his soul with the gods. The gods could take her away, dispose of her, could even give her some kind of privileged position in the afterlife, but the soul of a person could never do anything like that in relation to God himself or the soul of God.

It should also be separately emphasized that when it comes to ancient anthropomorphic gods, it is necessary to remember that our ancestors put a completely different meaning into this concept than we now put into the concept of “God.” Our “God” is a supernatural omnipotent being who lives outside the material world and controls everyone and everything. The ancient anthropomorphic gods are not at all so comprehensively powerful - their abilities, although many times greater than the abilities of people, are not at all infinite. Moreover, quite often these gods, in order to do something, need special additional objects, structures or installations - even “divine” ones.

In general, we can say that ancient anthropomorphic gods are much more similar to ordinary people - they only have abilities and capabilities that are significantly greater than the abilities and capabilities of an ordinary ancient person. At the same time (which is very important) our ancestors quite clearly distance themselves from these characters of legends and traditions, calling them not people, not “heroes” or “heroes”, but rather “gods”. And the closest thing would be to compare these gods with, say, modern people, equipped with the most modern equipment, who found themselves in contact with representatives of some primitive tribe in the Amazon jungle. Members of this tribe could well mistake modern people for those very “gods”. Only the “gods” they met in reality...

But our ancestors, if we go by ancient texts, perceived anthropomorphic gods precisely as very real persons with their own habits, whims and other “troubles”!.. The gods here look much more like completely natural beings - like representatives of a certain civilization , which has gone far ahead in its development than human civilization. And this, in my opinion, is one of the most important factors in the ideas of ancient cultures about gods.

Is this similarity coincidental?..

As practice shows, such accidents practically never occur in life...

And it would be even more strange to expect such a similarity between the relationship between gods and people with the contact of two civilizations of different levels for gods who were purely a product of the primitive thinking of ancient man. The primitive mind with the dominance of the “mystical principle” in it is simply not capable of such a result. And certainly not capable of maintaining such a “mental result” in the culture of many peoples for many millennia.

But if we abandon the currently accepted approach to anthropomorphic gods as a product of fantasies and inventions of the primitive mind, it turns out that in some ancient times our ancestors came into contact with another, much more developed civilization. A result that modern historical science does not consider at all as a possible version of our past.

And the question naturally arises: do we have any reason to consider the very possibility of simultaneous coexistence on our planet of two civilizations, radically different from each other in terms of development level?..

However, in my opinion, the question should be rephrased and put in a completely different way.

What reasons do we have? NOT consider the possibility of simultaneous coexistence of two civilizations of different levels of development in some of our distant past?..

Based on calm and common sense reasoning, one has to admit that there are simply no such grounds. And if so, then with a truly scientific approach to ancient history We not only can, but simply must consider this possibility!..

And here, as a fairly obvious consequence, we get a good criterion for choosing between two different options the appearance of anthropomorphic gods in the ideas of our ancestors. If, in the case of the accepted view of academic science on this issue, it was simply pointless to look for any objective and material evidence, then in the case of the reality of contact between ancient cultures and a more developed civilization, such evidence not only can, but should exist!.. Time does not erase everything down to the ground. Something must remain!..

If no evidence of such contact is found, we will have to return again to the version of “fantasies” and “fictions” of primitive consciousness, which has some kind of incomprehensible “mysticism”. But if real traces of contact between two civilizations are discovered, the currently accepted version of the explanation of anthropomorphic gods will simply not be needed. And these same gods, and their presence in the views of our ancestors, will receive a completely rational explanation.

Possible search directions

It would seem, what is there to look for here?.. After all, archaeologists and historians, who have been studying ancient civilizations for so many years, “have not found” any signs of any civilization that would differ sharply in level of development from those known to us from school textbooks?..

However, it should be borne in mind that the result of research is sometimes very dependent on the subjective attitudes of the researchers themselves. And if the version of contact with another highly developed civilization is not taken into account from the very beginning, then no one will simply look for anything on this issue, and, accordingly, “will not find it.”

Therefore, let’s abstract from the “subjective verdict” accepted in current academic science, accept the version of ancient contact between different civilizations as at least possibly acceptable, take the path of simple logic and first determine what could be looked for here.

At first glance, the task of searching for traces of the ancient gods (that is, traces of an unknown ancient civilization) seems as vague as in the famous Russian fairy tale: “go there - I don’t know where; find something - I don’t know what.” However, in fact, not everything is so bad, since very important information that can help in solving this problem can be found directly in ancient legends and traditions that have come down to our time.

Why exactly there?.. Yes, because, following simple logic, it is easy to come to the conclusion that if some contacts of two very different civilizations took place in the distant past, then some could have survived (we don’t know which ones yet). and whether) “eyewitness accounts” of these contacts have been preserved. And if they are preserved somewhere, then they can be precisely in ancient legends and traditions - transmitted orally or in the form of texts and drawings written on something.

What can you learn from these sources?..

Firstly, the most striking characteristic of the gods is that they had capabilities and abilities that far exceeded the abilities and capabilities of the people who lived during the period of the events described.

And secondly, we are clearly talking about quite ancient, from a historical point of view, times - about the period when the first human civilizations known to us were just emerging and rising to their feet (such as, say, Egyptian, Sumerian, Harappan and the like ). After all, legends and traditions, being themselves very ancient, directly indicate that the events described in them date back to even more ancient times.

Archaeologists and historians have worked hard to reconstruct a picture of life in such civilizations. Including in that part that concerns the capabilities of people at the corresponding stage of development of society. And for now we will assume that in general (only in general!) this reconstructed picture corresponds to what happened in reality.

Then, based on the same simple logic, it turns out that we need to look for such artifacts and traces of events that significantly go beyond the capabilities of known ancient civilizations and that do not fit into the picture of the life and capabilities of people at this stage of social development.

The task seems to be greatly simplified. But…

The problem is that historians and archaeologists, when describing ancient societies, really do not like to mention traces and artifacts that do not fit into this very description. And this is quite natural - who will accept such a picture into which something does not fit. As a result, it turns out that looking for descriptions of such traces and artifacts in textbooks, scientific papers, archaeological and historical publications is practically useless. And as practice shows, this logical conclusion is fully confirmed in practice...

In addition, the overwhelming majority of archaeologists and historians have a purely humanitarian education. And the further the development of science goes, the more the gap between different branches of knowledge widens, the more “humanitarian” the system of training archaeologists and historians becomes. Meanwhile, when we talk about the possibilities of a particular civilization, the lion’s share of them is occupied by those opportunities that relate not to the humanitarian, but to the “technical” aspects of culture.

On the one hand, this further aggravates the situation, since the view of a humanist easily passes by what would be very important for a person with a technical education, and as a result, many important “technical” details simply do not fall into the descriptions of ancient artifacts - their archaeologists and historians do not notice. Moreover, on trips to archaeological sites, we had to make sure that sometimes they not only “don’t notice” (that is, they pretend not to see), but even physically don’t even see - the historian’s gaze often passes by (in the literal sense of the word) significant for the parts technician!..

But on the other hand, these same reasons lead to the fact that on the shelves of museums you can sometimes see things that - historians and archaeologists understand what these things mean for techies - would instantly disappear in some “bins”, since such objects sometimes not only do not fit into the picture of the capabilities of known ancient civilizations, but directly undermine it. And this, on the contrary, greatly simplifies the task of our search.

Fortunately, not only professional historians and archaeologists are interested in ancient cultures and monuments. And by now, a whole direction of so-called “alternative” historical literature has appeared, in which the authors purposefully focus attention specifically on “anomalies” that do not fit into the stereotypical perception of ancient cultures.

True, there is a “but” here too...

The big problem is that the overwhelming majority of authors of this very alternative literature often sin with a very careless attitude to the facts. And moreover, in pursuit of sensation and circulation, as well as in the desire to “prove” their theory in any way, these authors often use very dubious information without any verification of its reliability or greatly distort real data involuntarily or even deliberately. As a result (according to my personal estimates), the reliability of information in such literature as a whole is now approximately “fifty-fifty” - that is, speaking in simple language, it contains only about half of the truth, and the other half consists of fantasies and even outright lies...

Some “don’t see” and hide information, others fantasize and lie. What to do?..

If just reading books at home and in libraries, as well as combing the Internet, does not give anything, the only option remains is to go to the site and look at archaeological finds and objects with your own eyes. Check, search, evaluate and compare.

And, starting in 2004, we gradually formed a group of enthusiasts, each of whom realized that “no one will do what we need for us.” Now, this group of enthusiasts, under the auspices of the Foundation for the Development of Science “III Millennium”, has carried out a whole series of survey and research expeditions to Egypt, Mexico, Peru, Bolivia, Ethiopia, Syria, Lebanon, Iran, Greece, Turkey and a number of other Mediterranean countries in order to search for various “historical and archaeological anomalies” that do not fit into the academic picture of the distant past. The material presented below is based primarily on information collected during these expeditions, which has already formed the basis for a number of books and more than twenty hours of documentaries from the series “Forbidden Topics of History”...

Megaliths

Of course, in search of traces of the ancient civilization of the gods, the eye first falls on the so-called megaliths - ancient structures made of large and even huge stones. Pyramids, temples, palaces, fortresses, menhirs, dolmens and so on and so forth made from blocks weighing several tens and hundreds of tons, which “alternative” researchers have long paid attention to...

For example, blocks weighing one hundred tons are quite common in structures on the Giza Plateau in Egypt. Here the builders placed such blocks at the base of the second pyramid (the so-called Pyramid of Khafre), in the walls of the pyramid temples, the Temple of the Sphinx and the Granite Temple.

But even a hundred tons is not the limit. In ancient structures one can find examples of the use of much heavier stone blocks. For example, in Lebanese Baalbek, on the western side of the complex, in the masonry of the wall there are so-called trilithons - three huge limestone blocks, each of which reaches a length of about 21 meters, a height of 5 meters and a width of 4 meters (see Fig. 1-c) . If we take into account that the local limestone is quite dense, and take its specific gravity to be 2.5 g/cm3, then it turns out that trilithons weigh about 1000 tons each! And with such an enormous weight, they are not at all at ground level, but raised to a considerable height - to the very top of the masonry, also made of quite large blocks!.. Let's say, the row under the trilithons consists of stone blocks, although one and a half to two times smaller, but Each such block can carry the weight of a dozen modern heavy Abrams-type tanks!…

Not far from the Baalbek complex, in a quarry there is the so-called “Southern Stone” - a block that was not completely separated from the rock mass and remained in its place. Its dimensions are even larger - 23 meters long, 5.3 meters wide and 4.5 meters high. This gives a weight of about 1400 tons!..

Although the South Stone remained in the quarry, the builders clearly intended to use it. And if we take into account the size of this block and the architectural features in the western part of the Baalbek complex, then the version suggests itself that the “Southern Stone” should have been laid on top of the trilithons!..

There is a similar example in Aswan, Egypt. Here, in the granite quarries, an obelisk about 42 meters long remained lying (see Fig. 2-ts). Each side of its square base is 4.2 meters long, which (taking into account the fact that the density of Aswan granite is at least 2.7 g/cm3) gives a weight of almost two thousand tons!!!

In both cases, the ancient craftsmen clearly had no doubt that they would be able to successfully complete the work begun and deliver these stone colossuses to their destination. But how?!.

Historians suggest that we accept the version that the ancient builders delivered such solid blocks by hand using the simplest devices and mechanisms, thus performing an almost heroic feat.

However, in ancient times it was not just single stones that were moved, which could still be allowed for such “heroic deeds.” In the same Baalbek, blocks weighing hundreds of tons are laid along the entire perimeter of the so-called Temple of Jupiter, forming a row on which trilithons are located. In total, it turns out to be at least fifty giant blocks, which are not just laid, but adjusted to each other so that the joints of the blocks are sometimes even invisible to the eye!..

Dozens of equally massive blocks were used in the construction of Sacsayhuaman, an ancient fortress near the capital of Peru, Cusco. But here the stone monoliths had to be moved not across the plain, but in the mountains!..

And not tens, but hundreds of hundred-ton (or more) blocks can be seen in buildings in Egypt. And if we take into account that everything mentioned together constitutes only a very small part of the ancient megaliths, then we are not dealing with isolated cases of heroic feat, but in fact with mass construction (without exaggeration - on an industrial scale) from huge stones!..

This no longer fits in with the rather low (I would even say primitive) level of technology development that took place at the dawn of ancient human civilizations. This already (at least from the point of view of banal logic) just creates the feeling of that very “anomaly” that should not exist, but it still exists...

Another thing is that supporters of the version of manual labor and transportation of such huge stones using the push-pull method are not at all convinced by such examples. They prefer to refer to a certain “mobilization of all the resources of society” and “a long period of construction” - they say, a drop wears away a stone, and, wasting the lives of entire generations, our ancestors still did it all themselves.

Many techies understand that ordinary arithmetic does not work here at all. Organizing and implementing large-scale construction is not a simple sum of one-time efforts. And here we need to talk about fundamentally different technologies.

But be that as it may, the situation now has developed that - in relation to the size of the blocks and the scale of construction - the arguments of one side do not have any effect on the other side, which sometimes cites the same arguments as proof of its point of view. This debate has already been going on for decades and can last forever, since humanists don’t even want to listen to techies...

Meanwhile, there are examples that are completely out of the ordinary. Let's say, the “anomaly” becomes literally obvious in cases where we see the similarity of work with similar megaliths on different continents. Not only does the size of the huge blocks create a complete feeling of some kind of “standardization” used by the builders and determined, apparently, by the technologies at their disposal. There are more surprising examples.

For example, the megalithic masonry of an ancient object in the town of Aladzha-huyuk in the territory of modern Turkey, like a twin brother, repeats the features of a similar masonry in the center of the city of Cusco in Peru (see Fig. 3-c). Not only are the blocks practically the same size, there is absolutely the same style of masonry - the so-called polygonal masonry, in which the blocks are articulated with each other along a surface of a complex shape with many angles, creating all sorts of additional “hooks” and “fastenings”. Moreover, even the chamfer along the edge of each block is made in the same style.

You don’t need to be an expert to understand that the same masters worked here. Well, if not exactly the same, then using the same technology and having the same capabilities. In other words, these structures, despite the fact that they are located in different hemispheres of the planet, have one “author” - the same civilization.

Meanwhile, historians date Aladja Huyuk to the times of the Hittite Empire (2nd millennium BC), and the construction of Cusco is attributed to the Incas in the period immediately preceding the Spanish conquest South America- that is, as much as three thousand years later!.. Moreover, it is also assumed that there were no contacts between the continents before Columbus...

Then where does such similarity come from between objects so distant from each other in time and space?.. It simply cannot be explained. Moreover, historians and archaeologists do not even mention the very fact of this similarity. It is of no interest to representatives of academic science, since it not only does not fit into the constructed picture of ancient history, but completely undermines it. The simplest logical explanation of this similarity in the form of a common authorship does not suit them even more so...

Therefore, we will not delve into the analysis of the arguments (which, in my personal opinion, speak in favor of the fact that known human civilizations have nothing to do with the creation of a significant part of megalithic objects), but will pay attention to one much more important aspect of the scale of megalithic construction.

Header photo: Mother Mnemosyne by T-R-Brownrigg @ Deviantart.com

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Religion played a major role in Everyday life ancient Greeks. The main gods were considered the younger generation of celestials, who defeated their predecessors, the titans, who personified the universal forces. After the victory, they settled on the sacred Mount Olympus. Only Hades, the ruler of the kingdom of the dead, lived underground in his domain. The gods were immortal, but very similar to people - they were characterized by human traits: they quarreled and made peace, committed meanness and intrigue, loved and cunned. A huge number of myths that have survived to this day are associated with the pantheon of Greek gods, exciting and fascinating. Each god played his role, occupied a certain place in a complex hierarchy and performed his assigned function.

The supreme god of the Greek pantheon is the king of all gods. He commanded thunder, lightning, the sky and the whole world. Son of Kronos and Rhea, brother of Hades, Demeter and Poseidon. Zeus had a difficult childhood - his father, the Titan Kronos, fearing competition, devoured his children immediately after birth. However, thanks to his mother Rhea, Zeus managed to survive. Having grown stronger, Zeus threw his father from Olympus to Tartarus and received unlimited power over people and gods. He was very revered - the best sacrifices were made to him. The life of every Greek from infancy was saturated with the praise of Zeus.

One of the three main gods of the ancient Greek pantheon. Son of Kronos and Rhea, brother of Zeus and Hades. He was subordinate to the water element, which he got after his victory over the titans. He personified courage and a hot temper - he could be appeased with generous gifts... but not for long. The Greeks blamed it for earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. He was the patron saint of fishermen and sailors. Poseidon's constant attribute was a trident - with it he could cause storms and break rocks.

Brother of Zeus and Poseidon, completing the top three most influential gods of the ancient Greek pantheon. Immediately after birth, he was swallowed by his father Kronos, but was subsequently released from the latter's womb by Zeus. He ruled the underground kingdom of the dead, inhabited by the dark shadows of the dead and demons. One could only enter this kingdom - there was no turning back. The mere mention of Hades caused awe among the Greeks, because the touch of this invisible cold god meant death for a person. Fertility also depended on Hades, giving the harvest from the depths of the earth. He commanded underground riches.

Wife and at the same time sister of Zeus. According to legend, they kept their marriage a secret for 300 years. The most influential of all the goddesses of Olympus. Patroness of marriage and conjugal love. Protected mothers during childbirth. Was different amazing beauty and... a monstrous character - she was angry, cruel, hot-tempered and jealous, often sending misfortunes to the earth and people. Despite her character, she was revered by the ancient Greeks almost on a par with Zeus.

God of unjust war and bloodshed. Son of Zeus and Hera. Zeus hated his son and tolerated him only because of his close relationship. Ares was distinguished by cunning and treachery, starting a war only for the sake of bloodshed. He was distinguished by an impulsive, hot-tempered character. He was married to the goddess Aphrodite, with her he had eight children, to whom he was very attached. All images of Ares contain military paraphernalia: a shield, helmet, sword or spear, sometimes armor.

Daughter of Zeus and the goddess Dione. Goddess of love and beauty. Personifying love, she was a very unfaithful wife and easily fell in love with those around her. In addition, she was the embodiment of eternal spring, life and fertility. The cult of Aphrodite was very revered in Ancient Greece - magnificent temples were dedicated to her and great sacrifices were made. An invariable attribute of the goddess’s attire was a magic belt (the belt of Venus), which made those who wore it unusually attractive.

Goddess of just war and wisdom. She was born from the head of Zeus... without the participation of a woman. Born in full combat uniform. She was depicted as a virgin warrior. She patronized knowledge, crafts and art, sciences and invention. She is, in particular, credited with the invention of the flute. She was a favorite of the Greeks. Her images were invariably accompanied by the attributes (or at least one attribute) of a warrior: armor, spear, sword and shield.

Daughter of Kronos and Rhea. Goddess of fertility and agriculture. As a child, she repeated the fate of her brother Hades and was devoured by her father, but was later saved by being extracted from his womb. She was the lover of her brother Zeus. From her relationship with him, she had a daughter, Persephone. According to legend, Persephone was kidnapped by Hades, and Demeter wandered the earth for a long time in search of her daughter. During her wanderings, the land was struck by crop failure, causing famine and death of people. People stopped bringing gifts to the gods, and Zeus ordered Hades to return his daughter to her mother.

Son of Zeus and Semele. The youngest of the inhabitants of Olympus. God of winemaking (he was credited with the invention of wine and beer), vegetation, the productive forces of nature, inspiration and religious ecstasy. The cult of Dionysus was characterized by uncontrollable dancing, mesmerizing music and immoderate drunkenness. According to legend, Hera, the wife of Zeus, who hated the illegitimate child of the Thunderer, sent madness to Dionysus. He himself was credited with the ability to drive people crazy. Dionysus wandered all his life and even visited Hades, from where he rescued his mother Semele. Once every three years, the Greeks held Bacchic festivals in memory of Dionysus' campaign against India.

Daughter of the thunderer Zeus and the goddess Leto. She was born at the same time as her twin brother, the golden-haired Apollo. Virgin goddess of hunting, fertility, female chastity. Patroness of women in labor, giving happiness in marriage. Being a protector during childbirth, she was often depicted with many breasts. A temple was built in her honor at Ephesus, which was one of the seven wonders of the world. She was often depicted with a golden bow and quiver over her shoulders.

God of fire, patron of blacksmiths. Son of Zeus and Hera, brother of Ares and Athena. However, the paternity of Zeus was questioned by the Greeks. Different versions have been put forward. One of them, the obstinate Hera, gave birth to Hephaestus from her thigh without male participation, in revenge on Zeus for the birth of Athena. The child was born weak and lame. Hera abandoned him and threw him from Olympus into the sea. However, Hephaestus did not die and found shelter with the sea goddess Thetis. The thirst for revenge tormented Hephaestus, rejected by his parents, and the opportunity to take revenge eventually presented itself to him. Being a skilled blacksmith, he forged a golden throne of incredible beauty, which he sent as a gift to Olympus. The delighted Hera sat down on him and immediately found herself shackled with previously invisible shackles. No amount of persuasion or even the order of Zeus had any effect on the blacksmith god - he refused to free his mother. Only Dionysus was able to cope with the obstinate man by drugging him.

Son of Zeus and the Pleiades of Maya. God of trade, profit, eloquence, dexterity and athleticism. He patronized merchants, helping them get generous profits. In addition, he was the patron of travelers, ambassadors, shepherds, astrologers and magicians. He also had another honorable function - he accompanied the souls of the dead to Hades. He was credited with the invention of writing and numbers. From infancy, Hermes had a penchant for theft. According to legend, he even managed to steal the scepter from Zeus. He did it as a joke... when he was a baby. The constant attributes of Hermes were: a winged staff capable of reconciling enemies, a wide-brimmed hat and winged sandals.

Each of the peoples of the Ancient World had their own deities, powerful and not so powerful. Many of them had unusual abilities and were the owners of wonderful artifacts that gave them additional strength, knowledge and, ultimately, power.

Amaterasu ("Great Goddess Who Illuminates the Heavens")

Country: Japan
Essence: Sun Goddess, ruler of the heavenly fields

Amaterasu is the eldest of three children of the progenitor god Izanaki. She was born from drops of water with which he washed his left eye. She took possession of the upper heavenly world, while her younger brothers got the night and the watery kingdom.

Amaterasu taught people how to cultivate rice and weave. The imperial house of Japan traces its ancestry from her. She is considered the great-grandmother of the first Emperor Jimmu. The rice ear, mirror, sword and carved beads given to her became sacred symbols of imperial power. According to tradition, one of the emperor's daughters becomes the High Priestess of Amaterasu.

Yu-Di (“Jade Sovereign”)

Country: China
Essence: Supreme Overlord, Emperor of the Universe

Yu-Di was born at the moment of the creation of Earth and Heaven. The Heavenly, Terrestrial, and Underground worlds are subject to him. All other deities and spirits are subordinate to him.
Yu-Di is absolutely emotionless. He sits on a throne in a robe embroidered with dragons and holding a jade tablet in his hands. Yu Di has an exact address: the god lives in a palace on Mount Yujingshan, which resembles the court of the Chinese emperors. Under it there are celestial councils responsible for various natural phenomena. They perform all sorts of actions that the Lord of Heaven himself does not condescend to do.

Quetzalcoatlus ("Feathered Serpent")

Country: Central America
Essence: Creator of the world, lord of the elements, creator and teacher of people

Quetzalcoatl not only created the world and people, but also taught them the most important skills: from agriculture to astronomical observations. Despite his high status, Quetzalcoatl sometimes acted in a very peculiar way. For example, in order to get maize grains for people, he entered an anthill, turning into an ant himself, and stole them.

Quetzalcoatl was depicted both as a feathered serpent (the body symbolizing the Earth, and the feathers representing vegetation) and as a bearded man wearing a mask.
According to one legend, Quetzalcoatl voluntarily went into overseas exile on a raft of snakes, promising to return. Because of this, the Aztecs initially mistook the conquistador leader Cortes for the returned Quetzalcoatl.

Baal (Balu, Baal, "Lord")

Country: Middle East
Essence: Thunderer, god of rain and elements. In some myths - the creator of the world

Baal, as a rule, was depicted either as a bull or as a warrior riding on a cloud with a lightning spear. During the festivities in his honor, mass orgies took place, often accompanied by self-mutilation. It is believed that human sacrifices were also made to Baal in some areas. From his name comes the name of the biblical demon Beelzebub (Ball-Zebula, “Lord of the Flies”).

Ishtar (Astarte, Inanna, "Lady of Heaven")

Country: Middle East
Essence: Goddess of fertility, sex and war

Ishtar, sister of the Sun and daughter of the Moon, was associated with the planet Venus. Associated with the legend of her journey to the underworld was the myth of nature dying and reborn every year. She often acted as an intercessor for people before the gods. At the same time, Ishtar was responsible for various feuds. The Sumerians even called wars “the dances of Inanna.” As a goddess of war, she was often depicted riding a lion, and was probably a prototype of the Whore of Babylon riding on a beast.
The passion of the loving Ishtar was destructive for both gods and mortals. For her many lovers, everything usually ended in big trouble or even death. The worship of Ishtar included temple prostitution and was accompanied by mass orgies.

Ashur ("Father of the Gods")

Country: Assyria
Essence: God of War
Ashur is the main god of the Assyrians, the god of war and hunting. His weapon was a bow and arrow. As a rule, Ashur was depicted together with bulls. Its other symbol is the solar disk above the tree of life. Over time, as the Assyrians expanded their possessions, he began to be considered the consort of Ishtar. The High Priest of Ashur was the Assyrian king himself, and his name often became part of the royal name, as, for example, the famous Ashurbanipal, and the capital of Assyria was called Ashur.

Marduk ("Son of Clear Sky")

Country: Mesopotamia
Essence: Patron of Babylon, god of wisdom, ruler and judge of the gods
Marduk defeated the embodiment of chaos Tiamat, driving the “evil wind” into her mouth, and took possession of the book of destinies that belonged to her. After that, he cut Tiamat's body and created Heaven and Earth from them, and then created the entire modern, ordered world. The other gods, seeing the power of Marduk, recognized his supremacy.
Marduk's symbol is the dragon Mushkhush, a mixture of scorpion, snake, eagle and lion. Various plants and animals were identified with the body parts and entrails of Marduk. The main temple of Marduk - a huge ziggurat (step pyramid) - probably became the basis of the legend of the Tower of Babel.

Yahweh (Jehovah, "He Who Is")

Country: Middle East
Essence: Single tribal god of the Jews

Yahweh's main function was to help his chosen people. He gave the Jews laws and strictly monitored their implementation. In clashes with enemies, Yahweh provided the chosen people with assistance, sometimes the most direct. In one of the battles, for example, he threw huge stones at his enemies, in another case he abolished the law of nature, stopping the sun.
Unlike most other gods of the ancient world, Yahweh is extremely jealous, and forbids the worship of any deities except himself. Severe punishments await those who disobey. The word “Yahweh” is a replacement for the secret name of God, which is forbidden to be spoken out loud. It was impossible to create his images either. In Christianity, Yahweh is sometimes identified with God the Father.

Ahura-Mazda (Ormuzd, “God the Wise”)

Country: Persia
Essence: Creator of the World and all that is good in it

Ahura Mazda created the laws by which the world exists. He endowed people with free will, and they can choose the path of good (then Ahura Mazda will favor them in every possible way) or the path of evil (serving Ahura Mazda's eternal enemy Angra Mainyu). Ahura Mazda's assistants are the good beings of Ahura created by him. He is surrounded by them in the fabulous Garodman, the house of chants.
The image of Ahura Mazda is the Sun. He is older than the whole world, but at the same time, eternally young. He knows both the past and the future. In the end, he will achieve the final victory over evil, and the world will become perfect.

Angra Mainyu (Ahriman, "Evil Spirit")

Country: Persia
Essence: The embodiment of evil among the ancient Persians
Angra Mainyu is the source of everything bad that happens in the world. He spoiled the perfect world created by Ahura Mazda, introducing lies and destruction into it. He sends diseases, crop failures, natural disasters, gives birth to wild beasts, poisonous plants and animals. Under the command of Angra Mainyu are the devas, evil spirits, who carry out his evil will. After Angra Mainyu and his minions are defeated, an era of eternal bliss should begin.

Brahma ("Priest")

Country: India
Essence: God is the creator of the world
Brahma was born from a lotus flower and then created this world. After 100 years of Brahma, 311,040,000,000,000 earthly years, he will die, and after the same period of time a new Brahma will spontaneously generate and create a new world.
Brahma has four faces and four arms, which symbolizes the cardinal directions. Its indispensable attributes are a book, rosary, a vessel with water from the sacred Ganges, a crown and a lotus flower, symbols of knowledge and power. Brahma lives on the top of the sacred Mount Meru and rides on a white swan. The descriptions of the action of Brahma's weapon Brahmastra are reminiscent of the description of nuclear weapons.

Vishnu ("All-encompassing")

Country: India
Essence: God is the keeper of the world

The main functions of Vishnu are maintaining the existing world and opposing evil. Vishnu appears in the world and acts through his incarnations, avatars, the most famous of which are Krishna and Rama. Vishnu has blue skin and wears yellow clothes. He has four hands in which he holds a lotus flower, a mace, a conch shell and Sudarshana (a rotating disk of fire, his weapon). Vishnu reclines on the giant multi-headed snake Shesha, which swims in the world's Causal Ocean.

Shiva ("Merciful")

Country: India
Essence: God is the destroyer
Shiva's main task is to destroy the world at the end of each world cycle in order to make room for a new creation. This happens during the dance of Shiva - Tandava (therefore Shiva is sometimes called the dancing god). However, he also has more peaceful functions - a healer and a deliverer from death.
Shiva sits in lotus position on a tiger skin. There are snake bracelets on his neck and wrists. On Shiva's forehead there is a third eye (it appeared when Shiva's wife, Parvati, jokingly covered his eyes with her palms). Sometimes Shiva is depicted as a lingam (an erect penis). But sometimes he is also depicted as a hermaphrodite, symbolizing the unity of the male and female principles. According to popular beliefs, Shiva smokes marijuana, so some believers consider this activity a way to understand him.

Ra (Amon, "Sun")

Country: Egypt
Essence: Sun God
Ra, the main god of Ancient Egypt, was born from the primordial ocean of his own free will, and then created the world, including the gods. He is the personification of the Sun, and every day with a large retinue he travels across the sky in a magic boat, thanks to which life in Egypt becomes possible. At night, Ra's boat sails along the underground Nile through the afterlife. The Eye of Ra (sometimes considered an independent deity) had the ability to pacify and subjugate enemies. The Egyptian pharaohs traced their origins to Ra, and called themselves his sons.

Osiris (Usir, "The Mighty One")

Country: Egypt
Essence: God of rebirth, ruler and judge of the underworld.

Osiris taught people agriculture. His attributes are associated with plants: the crown and boat are made of papyrus, he holds bundles of reeds in his hands, and the throne is covered with greenery. Osiris was killed and cut into pieces by his brother, the evil god Set, but was resurrected with the help of his wife and sister Isis. However, having conceived the son Horus, Osiris did not remain in the world of the living, but became the ruler and judge of the kingdom of the dead. Because of this, he was often depicted as a swaddled mummy with free hands, in which he holds a scepter and flail. IN Ancient Egypt The tomb of Osiris was highly revered.

Isis ("The Throne")

Country: Egypt
Essence: Intercessor Goddess.
Isis is the embodiment of femininity and motherhood. All segments of the population turned to her with pleas for help, but, first of all, the oppressed. She especially patronized children. And sometimes she acted as a defender of the dead before the afterlife court.
Isis was able to magically resurrect her husband and brother Osiris and give birth to his son Horus. In popular mythology, the floods of the Nile were considered the tears of Isis, which she shed for Osiris, who remained in the world of the dead. The Egyptian pharaohs were called the children of Isis; sometimes she was even depicted as a mother feeding the pharaoh with milk from her breast.
The well-known image is the “veil of Isis,” meaning the concealment of the secrets of nature. This image has long attracted mystics. No wonder Blavatsky’s famous book is called “Isis Unveiled.”

Odin (Wotan, "The Seer")

Country: Northern Europe
Essence: God of war and victory
Odin is the main god of the ancient Germans and Scandinavians. He travels on the eight-legged horse Sleipnir or on the ship Skidbladnir, the size of which can be changed at will. Odin's spear, Gugnir, always flies to the target and hits on the spot. He is accompanied by wise crows and predatory wolves. Odin lives in Valhalla with a squad of the best fallen warriors and warlike Valkyrie maidens.
In order to gain wisdom, Odin sacrificed one eye, and in order to understand the meaning of the runes, he hung on the sacred tree Yggdrasil for nine days, nailed to it with his own spear. Odin's future is predetermined: despite his power, on the day of Ragnarok (the battle preceding the end of the world) he will be killed by the giant wolf Fefnir.

Thor (Thunder)

Country: Northern Europe
Essence: Thunderer

Thor is the god of the elements and fertility among the ancient Germans and Scandinavians. This is a hero god who protects not only people, but also other gods from monsters. Thor was depicted as a giant with a red beard. His weapon is the magic hammer Mjolnir (“lightning”), which can only be held with iron gloves. Thor is girded with a magic belt that doubles his strength. He rides across the sky in a chariot drawn by goats. Sometimes he eats goats, but then resurrects them with his magic hammer. On the day of Ragnarok, the last battle, Thor will deal with the world serpent Jormungandr, but he himself will die from his poison.

The religion of Ancient Greece belongs to pagan polytheism. The gods played important roles in the structure of the world, each performing its own function. The immortal deities were similar to people and behaved quite humanly: they were sad and happy, quarreled and reconciled, betrayed and sacrificed their interests, were cunning and were sincere, loved and hated, forgave and took revenge, punished and had mercy.

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The ancient Greeks used the behavior, as well as the commands of gods and goddesses, to explain natural phenomena, the origin of man, moral principles, and social relations. Mythology reflected the Greeks' ideas about the world around them. Myths originated in different regions of Hellas and over time merged into an orderly system of beliefs.

Ancient Greek gods and goddesses

The gods and goddesses belonging to the younger generation were considered the main ones. The older generation, who embodied the forces of the universe and natural elements, lost dominance over the world, unable to withstand the onslaught of the younger ones. Having won, the young gods chose Mount Olympus as their home. The ancient Greeks identified 12 main Olympian gods among all the deities. So, the gods of Ancient Greece, list and description:

Zeus - god of Ancient Greece- in mythology called the father of the gods, Zeus the Thunderer, lord of lightning and clouds. It is he who has the powerful power to create life, resist chaos, establish order and fair justice on earth. Legends tell about the deity as a noble and kind creature. The Lord of Lightning gave birth to the goddesses Or and the Muses. The Or govern time and the seasons of the year. Muses bring inspiration and joy to people.

The wife of the Thunderer was Hera. The Greeks considered her the quarrelsome goddess of the atmosphere. Hera is the keeper of the home, the patroness of wives who remain faithful to their husbands. With her daughter Ilithia, Hera eased the pain of childbirth. Zeus was famous for his passion. After three hundred years of marriage, the lord of lightning began to visit ordinary women, who gave birth to heroes - demigods. Zeus appeared to his chosen ones in different guises. Before the beautiful Europa, the father of the gods appeared like a bull with golden horns. Zeus visited Danae like a shower of gold.

Poseidon

Sea god - ruler of the oceans and seas, patron saint of sailors and fishermen. The Greeks considered Poseidon a just god, all of whose punishments were deservedly sent to people. Preparing for the voyage, the sailors offered prayers not to Zeus, but to the ruler of the seas. Before going to sea, incense was offered on altars to please the sea deity.

The Greeks believed that Poseidon could be seen during a strong storm on the open sea. His magnificent golden chariot emerged from the sea foam, drawn by fleet-footed horses. The ruler of the ocean received dashing horses as a gift from his brother Hades. Poseidon's wife is the goddess of the roaring sea, Amphthrita. The trident is a symbol of power, giving the deity absolute power over the depths of the sea. Poseidon had a gentle character and tried to avoid quarrels. His loyalty to Zeus was not questioned - unlike Hades, the ruler of the seas did not challenge the primacy of the Thunderer.

Hades

Master of the Underworld. Hades and his wife Persephone ruled the kingdom of the dead. The inhabitants of Hellas feared Hades more than Zeus himself. It is impossible to get into the underworld - and even more so, to return - without the will of the gloomy deity. Hades traveled across the surface of the earth in a chariot drawn by horses. The horses' eyes glowed with hellish fire. People prayed in fear so that the gloomy god would not take them to his abodes. Hades' favorite three-headed dog Cerberus guarded the entrance to the kingdom of the dead.

According to legends, when the gods divided power and Hades gained dominion over the kingdom of the dead, the celestial being was dissatisfied. He considered himself humiliated and harbored a grudge against Zeus. Hades never openly opposed the power of the Thunderer, but constantly tried to harm the father of the gods as much as possible.

Hades kidnapped the beautiful Persephone, the daughter of Zeus and the fertility goddess Demeter, by force making her his wife and ruler of the underworld. Zeus did not have power over the kingdom of the dead, so he refused Demeter’s request to return her daughter to Olympus. The distressed goddess of fertility stopped caring for the earth, there was a drought, then famine came. The Lord of Thunder and Lightning had to enter into an agreement with Hades, according to which Persephone would spend two thirds of the year in heaven and a third of the year in the underworld.

Pallas Athena and Ares

Athena is probably the most beloved goddess of the ancient Greeks. Daughter of Zeus, born from his head, she embodied three virtues:

• wisdom;
• calm;
• insight.

The goddess of victorious energy, Athena was depicted as a powerful warrior with a spear and shield. She was also a deity clear skies, had the power to disperse dark clouds with her weapons. The daughter of Zeus traveled with the goddess of victory Nike. Athena was called upon as the protector of cities and fortresses. It was she who sent down fair state laws to Ancient Greece.

Ares - deity of stormy skies, Athena's eternal rival. The son of Hera and Zeus, he was revered as the god of war. A warrior filled with rage, with a sword or spear - this is how the ancient Greeks imagined Ares. The God of War enjoyed the noise of battle and bloodshed. Unlike Athena, who fought battles judiciously and honestly, Ares preferred fierce fights. The God of War approved a tribunal - a special trial of especially cruel murderers. The hill where the courts took place was named after the warlike deity Areopagus.

Hephaestus

God of blacksmithing and fire. According to legend, Hephaestus was cruel to people, frightening and destroying them with volcanic eruptions. People lived without fire on the surface of the earth, suffering and dying in the eternal cold. Hephaestus, like Zeus, did not want to help mortals and give them fire. Prometheus - Titan, the last of the older generation of gods, was an assistant to Zeus and lived on Olympus. Filled with compassion, he brought fire to earth. For stealing fire, the Thunderer doomed the titan to eternal torment.

Prometheus managed to escape punishment. Possessing prophetic abilities, the titan knew that Zeus was in danger of death at the hands of his own son in the future. Thanks to Prometheus's hint, the lord of lightning did not unite in marriage with the one who would give birth to a patricidal son, and strengthened his rule forever. For the secret of maintaining power, Zeus granted the titan freedom.

In Hellas there was a running festival. Participants competed with lit torches in their hands. Athena, Hephaestus and Prometheus were symbols of the celebration that served as the birth of the Olympic Games.

Hermes

The deities of Olympus were not only characterized by noble impulses, lies and deceit often guided their actions. God Hermes is a rogue and thief, the patron of trade and banking, magic, alchemy, and astrology. Born by Zeus from the Mayan galaxy. His mission was to convey the will of the gods to people through dreams. From the name of Hermes comes the name of the science of hermeneutics - the art and theory of interpretation of texts, including ancient ones.

Hermes invented writing, was young, handsome, energetic. Antique images depict him as a handsome young man in a winged hat and sandals. According to legend, Aphrodite rejected the advances of the god of trade. Gremes is not married, although he has many children, as well as many lovers.

The first theft of Hermes was 50 cows of Apollo, he committed it at a very young age. Zeus gave the kid a good beating and he returned the stolen goods. Subsequently, the Thunderer more than once turned to his resourceful son to solve sensitive problems. For example, at the request of Zeus, Hermes stole a cow from Hera, into which the beloved of the lord of lightning turned.

Apollo and Artemis

Apollo is the sun god of the Greeks. Being the son of Zeus, Apollo spent the winter in the lands of the Hyperboreans. God returned to Greece in the spring, bringing awakening to nature, immersed in winter hibernation. Apollo patronized the arts and was also the deity of music and singing. After all, along with spring, the desire to create returned to people. Apollo was credited with the ability to heal. Just as the sun drives out darkness, so the celestial being drove out illnesses. The sun god was depicted as an extremely handsome young man holding a harp.

Artemis is the goddess of hunting and the moon, patroness of animals. The Greeks believed that Artemis took night walks with the naiads - the patroness of the waters - and shed dew on the grass. At a certain period in history, Artemis was considered a cruel goddess who destroys sailors. Human sacrifices were made to the deity to gain favor.

At one time, girls worshiped Artemis as the organizer of a strong marriage. Artemis of Ephesus began to be considered the goddess of fertility. Sculptures and pictures of Artemis depicted a woman with many breasts on her chest to emphasize the goddess's generosity.

Soon the sun god Helios and the moon goddess Selene appeared in legends. Apollo remained the deity of music and art, Artemis - goddess of the hunt.

Aphrodite

Aphrodite the Beautiful was worshiped as the patroness of lovers. The Phoenician goddess Aphrodite combined two principles:

• femininity, when the goddess enjoyed the love of the young man Adonis and the singing of birds, the sounds of nature;
• militancy, when the goddess was portrayed as a cruel warrior who obliged her followers to take a vow of chastity, and was also a zealous guardian of fidelity in marriage.

The ancient Greeks managed to harmoniously combine femininity and belligerence, creating a perfect image of female beauty. The embodiment of the ideal was Aphrodite, bringing pure, immaculate love. The goddess was depicted as a beautiful naked woman emerging from the foam of the sea. Aphrodite is the most revered muse of poets, sculptors, and artists of that time.

The son of the beautiful goddess Eros (Eros) was her faithful messenger and assistant. The main task of the god of love was to connect the life lines of lovers. According to legend, Eros looked like a well-fed baby with wings.

Demeter

Demeter is the patron goddess of farmers and winemakers. Mother Earth, that’s what they called her. Demeter was the embodiment of nature, which gives people fruits and grains, absorbing sunlight and rain. They depicted the goddess of fertility with light brown, wheat-colored hair. Demeter gave people the science of arable farming and crops grown with hard work. The daughter of the goddess of wine, Persephone, becoming the queen of the underworld, connected the world of the living with the kingdom of the dead.

Along with Demeter, Dionysus, the deity of winemaking, was revered. Dionysus was portrayed as a cheerful young man. Usually his body was entwined with a vine, and in his hands the god held a jug filled with wine. Dionysus taught people to care for vines and sing wild songs, which later formed the basis of ancient Greek drama.

Hestia

Goddess of family well-being, unity and peace. The altar of Hestia stood in every house near the family hearth. Residents of Hellas perceived urban communities as large families, so sanctuaries of Hestia were always present in prytanae (administrative buildings in Greek cities). They were a symbol of civil unity and peace. There was a sign that if you take coals from the prytanean altar on a long journey, the goddess will provide her protection along the way. The goddess also protected foreigners and the afflicted.

Temples to Hestia were not built, because she was worshiped in every home. Fire was considered a pure, cleansing natural phenomenon, so Hestia was perceived as the patroness of chastity. The goddess asked Zeus for permission not to marry, although Poseidon and Apollo sought her favor.
Myths and legends have evolved over decades. With each retelling, the stories acquired new details, and previously unknown characters emerged. The list of gods grew, making it possible to explain natural phenomena the essence of which ancient people could not understand. Myths passed on the wisdom of older generations to young ones, explained the state structure, and affirmed the moral principles of society.

The mythology of Ancient Greece gave humanity many stories and images that were reflected in the masterpieces of world art. For centuries, artists, sculptors, poets and architects have drawn inspiration from the legends of Hellas.

In Ancient Rus', at a time when Christianity had not yet been adopted, the Slavs idolized otherworldly incorporeal creatures. The pagan gods of ancient Rus', according to the ideas of the ancients, are endowed with supernatural abilities to influence all things. They are responsible for all the fundamental principles of human existence, control both the fate of the people themselves and everything that surrounds them.

Each deity performs a specific, utilitarian function. The history of ancient times stores many dozens of names, of which we now know only a part. This part has survived to this day thanks to pagan rituals and rituals passed down from generation to generation, which over time became the basis of the customs of the Slavic family.

At the hierarchical top stands the supreme god, under him are the gods of the environment of existence of all living things, then are the gods of human destinies and the everyday life of people, at the bottom of the pyramid are the elements and forces of darkness.

Table of pagan gods of ancient Rus':

No.	Deity name	Purpose
1	GENUS	Supreme god of heaven and earth
2	HORSE	Sun God
3	YARILO	God of the spring sun. Son of Veles
4	DAZHDBOG	God of fertility and sunshine
5	SVAROG	Master of the Universe. God of the sky
6	PERUN	God of lightning and thunder
7	STRIBOG	God of the wind
8	VELES	God of fertility (cattle)
9	LADA	The female embodiment of Rod
10	CHERNOBOG	Lord of the forces of darkness
11	MOKOSH	Goddess of the earth, harvest and female destiny
12	PARASKEVA-FRIDAY	Mistress of revelry
13	MORAINE	Goddess of evil, disease and death

Ancient Slavic god Rod

This is the supreme god who rules over all things in the Universe, including all other gods. He heads the pinnacle of the pagan pantheon of gods. He is the creator and ancestor. He is omnipotent and influences the entire cycle of life. It exists everywhere and has no beginning or end. This description fully corresponds to the concept of God of all modern religions.

The genus governs life and death, abundance and poverty. No one has ever seen him, yet he sees everyone. The root of his name is sewn into human speech - into the words with which people interpret (voice) their dominant spiritual and material values ​​in the material world. Birth, relatives, homeland, spring, harvest - Rod is present in all this.

Hierarchy of pagan gods of Rus'

Under the leadership of the Family, all Slavic deities and other spiritual entities are distributed according to levels corresponding to their impact on the everyday affairs of people.

The top level is occupied by deities who manage global and national affairs: wars and ethnic conflicts, weather disasters, fertility and famine, fertility and mortality.

At the middle level there are deities responsible for local affairs. These are the patrons of agriculture, crafts, fishing and hunting, and family concerns. People liken their face to their own.

The stylobate of the base of the pantheon is assigned to spiritual entities whose physical appearance is unlike that of a human. These are kikimoras, ghouls, goblins, brownies, ghouls, mermaids and many others like them.

The Slavic hierarchical pyramid ends here, unlike the ancient Egyptian one, where there was also an afterlife with its own governing deities and laws, or, for example, where the basis was a numerous pantheon of gods.

Slavic gods by importance and power

God of the Slavs Horse and his incarnations

Khors is the son of Rod and the brother of Veles. This is the sun god in Ancient Rus'. Horse's face is like a sunny day - yellow, radiant, dazzlingly bright. He has 4 incarnations:

• Kolyada
• Yarilo
• Dazhdbog
• Svarog.

Each hypostasis operates in a specific season of the year, and people expect help from each divine incarnation, which is associated with the corresponding rituals and ceremonies.

We still follow the traditions of the ancient Slavs: we tell fortunes on Christmastide, fry pancakes on Maslenitsa, burn bonfires on Ivan Kupala and weave wreaths.

1. God of the Slavs Kolyada

Kolyada begins the annual cycle and reigns from the winter solstice to the spring equinox (December 22 – March 21). In December, people greet the young Sun and praise Kolyada with ritual songs; festivities last until January 7. It's Christmastide.

By this time, the owners are slaughtering livestock, opening pickles, and taking supplies to fairs. Throughout Christmas time, people organize gatherings, rich feasts, tell fortunes, have fun, get married and have weddings. In general, doing nothing becomes completely legal. Kolyada treats with its mercy all benefactors who show mercy and generosity to the poor.

2. God of the Slavs Yarilo

He is Yarovit, Ruevit, Yar - the solar god of young age with the face of a barefoot young man on a white horse. Wherever he looks, shoots will sprout; wherever he passes, the grass will sprout. On his head is a crown of ears of corn, in his left hand he holds a bow and arrows, in his right hand are the reins. Its time is from the spring equinox to the summer solstice (March 22 – June 21). People's supplies at home are depleted and there is a lot of work to do. When the sun turned back, the tension in the labors subsided, the time of Dazhdbog had come.

3. God of the Slavs Dazhdbog

He is also Kupala or Kupaila - the solar god with the face of a mature man. Its time is from the summer solstice to the autumn equinox (June 22 - September 23). The reunion celebration is postponed on July 6-7 due to work commitments. On this mysterious night, people burn Yarila (or rather, a scarecrow) on a large bonfire and jump over it, girls throw wreaths of woven flowers down the river. Everyone is looking for the blooming fern of desires. There is also a lot of work during this season: mowing, harvesting fruit, repairing the house, preparing the sleigh.

4. God of the Slavs Svarog

The tired Sun sinks lower and lower towards the horizon. In its slanting rays, the tall, strong old man Svarog (aka Svetovid), whitened with gray hair, takes up the baton of power. He looks north, clutching a heavy sword in his hand, with which he slays the forces of darkness. He is the husband of the Earth, the father of Dazhdbog and all other gods of natural phenomena. His time from September 23 to December 21 is a period of satiety, peace and prosperity. People are not sad about anything, they organize fairs and have weddings.

Perun god of thunder and lightning

This is the god of war. In his right hand Perun holds a rainbow sword and lightning arrows in his left. The clouds are his hair and beard, the thunder is his speech, the wind is his breath, the raindrops are the fertilizing seed. He is the son of Svarog (Svarozhich), and is also endowed with a formidable disposition. He patronizes brave warriors and gives them luck and strength to everyone who puts in the effort to do hard work.

Stribog god of the wind

He is the god above the gods of the elemental forces of nature (Whistling, Weather and others). Stribog is the lord of the wind, hurricanes and blizzards. He can be touchingly kind and furiously evil. When he angrily blows the horn, the elements arise; when he is kind, the leaves simply rustle, streams gurgle, the wind howls in the crevices of the trees. From these sounds of nature music and songs appeared, and with them musical instruments. They pray to Stribog for the storm to subside, and hunters ask him for help in pursuing the sensitive and timid animal.

Veles pagan god of wealth

This is the god of agriculture and cattle breeding. Veles is also called the god of wealth (aka Hair, Month). He commands the clouds. When he was young, he tended the heavenly sheep himself. In anger, Veles sends torrential rains to the earth. After reaping, people still leave him one collected sheaf. In his name they swear word of honor and fidelity.

Lada goddess of love and beauty

Goddess Lada is the patroness of the hearth. Her clothes are snow-white clouds, and the morning dew is tears. In the predawn haze she sees off the shadows of the departed other world. Lada is the earthly incarnation of Rod, the high priestess, the mother goddess, surrounded by a retinue of young servants. She is beautiful and smart, brave and dexterous, flexible with a vine, ringing flattering speech flows from her lips. Lada gives people advice on how to live, what they can do and what they can’t do. She condemns the guilty and exonerates those falsely accused. A long time ago, her temple stood on Ladoga, now her abode is the blue sky.

God of the Slavs Chernobog

Many ancient legends have been told about the evil spirits of the swamp, but not all of them have reached us. After all, they are protected by the powerful Chernobog - the ruler of the dark forces of evil and whim, serious illnesses and bitter misfortunes. This is the god of darkness. His abode is terrible forest thickets, ponds covered with duckweed, deep pools and marshy swamps.

He holds a spear in his hand with malice and rules the night. The evil spirits subordinate to him are numerous: goblins who entangle forest paths, mermaids who drag people into pools, cunning banniki, malicious and insidious ghouls, capricious brownies.

God of the Slavs Mokosh

Mokosh (Makesha) is the goddess of trade, like the ancient Roman Mercury. In Old Slavonic, mokosh means “full wallet.” She uses the harvest prudently. Another of its purposes is to control fate. She is interested in spinning and weaving; With spun threads she weaves the destinies of people. Young housewives were afraid to leave an unfinished tow overnight, believing that Mokosha would ruin the yarn, and with it, fate. Northern Slavs consider Mokosha an unkind goddess.

God of the Slavs Paraskeva-Pyatnitsa

Paraskeva-Friday is Mokoshi’s concubine, who made Paraskeva a deity ruling over riotous youth, gambling, drinking bouts with vulgar songs and obscene dances, as well as dishonest trade. Therefore, Friday was a market day in Ancient Rus' for a long time. On this day, women were not allowed to work, because for disobedience Paraskeva could wrap the naughty girl in a cold toad. It poisoned the water in wells and underground springs. Today this goddess has no power and is practically forgotten.

God of the Slavs Morena

The goddess, ruler of evil, incurable diseases and death, is Maruja or Morena. She sends severe winters, stormy nights, epidemics and wars to the Earth. Her image is a scary woman with a dark, wrinkled face with deep-sunk small eyes, a sunken nose, a bony body and the same hands with long curved nails. Ailments serve her. She herself never leaves. They drive her away, but she appears again and again.