{"id":5278,"date":"2026-04-27T10:35:39","date_gmt":"2026-04-27T10:35:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/iwell-guard.com\/veles\/"},"modified":"2026-06-05T14:32:16","modified_gmt":"2026-06-05T14:32:16","slug":"veles","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/iwell-guard.com\/en\/veles\/","title":{"rendered":"Veles"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-page\" data-elementor-id=\"5278\" class=\"elementor elementor-5278 elementor-1986 elementor-bc-flex-widget\" data-elementor-post-type=\"page\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-10fdade e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"10fdade\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\" data-settings=\"{&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;classic&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-herohlft0 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-child\" data-id=\"herohlft0\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-c3ceb64 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"c3ceb64\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-96ae5e1 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"96ae5e1\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h1 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Veles, God of the Slavic Tradition<\/h1>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-e45238a elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"e45238a\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Veles is the god of the underworld, of cattle, of trade and of cunning in the <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"The entirety of the transmitted divine narratives of a culture.\" tabindex=\"0\">mythology<\/span> of the Slavs and part of the Slavic <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"The academic discipline that studies religions comparatively and without confessional commitment.\" tabindex=\"0\">religion<\/span>. He embodies the <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"Belonging to the earth or the underworld; in ancient religion the gods and spirits of the depths (Hades, the Erinyes, Demeter chthonia).\" tabindex=\"0\">chthonic<\/span> force, prosperity through possessions and the boundary between life and death. His <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"The study of pictorial content and its meaning.\" tabindex=\"0\">iconography<\/span> and <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"The totality of religious acts of veneration for a deity or sacred figure.\" tabindex=\"0\">cult<\/span> sites are attested both archaeologically and in literature.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-klsbdg01 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"klsbdg01\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-klshtm01 elementor-widget elementor-widget-html\" data-id=\"klshtm01\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"html.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"iwg-pill-row\"><span class=\"iwg-klasse-badge\" tabindex=\"0\" data-tooltip=\"God \/ goddess: personified highest power within the pantheon of a culture, with clear areas of responsibility: forces of nature, fate, war, fertility. Venerated through cults, sacrifices and temple institutions.\">God<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/iwell-guard.com\/en\/slavic\/\" class=\"iwg-kultur-badge\" tabindex=\"0\" data-tooltip=\"Slavic mythology and folk religion, overlaid by Christianity from the 10th century onward.\">Slavic<\/a><\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-3f74855 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"3f74855\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-1c30362 elementor-toc--minimized-on-tablet elementor-widget elementor-widget-table-of-contents\" data-id=\"1c30362\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-settings=\"{&quot;exclude_headings_by_selector&quot;:[],&quot;no_headings_message&quot;:&quot;Es wurden keine \\u00dcberschriften auf dieser Seite gefunden.&quot;,&quot;headings_by_tags&quot;:[&quot;h2&quot;,&quot;h3&quot;],&quot;marker_view&quot;:&quot;bullets&quot;,&quot;minimize_box&quot;:&quot;yes&quot;,&quot;icon&quot;:{&quot;value&quot;:&quot;fas fa-circle&quot;,&quot;library&quot;:&quot;fa-solid&quot;,&quot;rendered_tag&quot;:&quot;&lt;svg class=\\&quot;e-font-icon-svg e-fas-circle\\&quot; viewBox=\\&quot;0 0 512 512\\&quot; xmlns=\\&quot;http:\\\/\\\/www.w3.org\\\/2000\\\/svg\\&quot;&gt;&lt;path d=\\&quot;M256 8C119 8 8 119 8 256s111 248 248 248 248-111 248-248S393 8 256 8z\\&quot;&gt;&lt;\\\/path&gt;&lt;\\\/svg&gt;&quot;},&quot;minimized_on&quot;:&quot;tablet&quot;,&quot;hierarchical_view&quot;:&quot;yes&quot;,&quot;min_height&quot;:{&quot;unit&quot;:&quot;px&quot;,&quot;size&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;sizes&quot;:[]},&quot;min_height_tablet&quot;:{&quot;unit&quot;:&quot;px&quot;,&quot;size&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;sizes&quot;:[]},&quot;min_height_mobile&quot;:{&quot;unit&quot;:&quot;px&quot;,&quot;size&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;sizes&quot;:[]}}\" data-widget_type=\"table-of-contents.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-toc__header\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-toc__header-title\">\n\t\t\t\tTable of Contents\t\t\t<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-toc__toggle-button elementor-toc__toggle-button--expand\" role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" aria-controls=\"elementor-toc__1c30362\" aria-expanded=\"true\" aria-label=\"Open table of contents\"><svg aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"e-font-icon-svg e-fas-chevron-down\" viewBox=\"0 0 448 512\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"M207.029 381.476L12.686 187.132c-9.373-9.373-9.373-24.569 0-33.941l22.667-22.667c9.357-9.357 24.522-9.375 33.901-.04L224 284.505l154.745-154.021c9.379-9.335 24.544-9.317 33.901.04l22.667 22.667c9.373 9.373 9.373 24.569 0 33.941L240.971 381.476c-9.373 9.372-24.569 9.372-33.942 0z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-toc__toggle-button elementor-toc__toggle-button--collapse\" role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" aria-controls=\"elementor-toc__1c30362\" aria-expanded=\"true\" aria-label=\"Close table of contents\"><svg aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"e-font-icon-svg e-fas-chevron-up\" viewBox=\"0 0 448 512\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"M240.971 130.524l194.343 194.343c9.373 9.373 9.373 24.569 0 33.941l-22.667 22.667c-9.357 9.357-24.522 9.375-33.901.04L224 227.495 69.255 381.516c-9.379 9.335-24.544 9.317-33.901-.04l-22.667-22.667c-9.373-9.373-9.373-24.569 0-33.941L207.03 130.525c9.372-9.373 24.568-9.373 33.941-.001z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div id=\"elementor-toc__1c30362\" class=\"elementor-toc__body\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-toc__spinner-container\">\n\t\t\t\t<svg class=\"elementor-toc__spinner eicon-animation-spin e-font-icon-svg e-eicon-loading\" aria-hidden=\"true\" viewBox=\"0 0 1000 1000\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"M500 975V858C696 858 858 696 858 500S696 142 500 142 142 304 142 500H25C25 237 238 25 500 25S975 237 975 500 763 975 500 975Z\"><\/path><\/svg>\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-herorght0 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"herorght0\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-heroimg00 iwg-hero-image elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"heroimg00\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"683\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/iwell-guard.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/goetter_slawisch_veles-683x1024.webp\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-image-5280\" alt=\"Veles - gods from the Slavic tradition, historical-illustrative\" srcset=\"https:\/\/iwell-guard.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/goetter_slawisch_veles-683x1024.webp 683w, https:\/\/iwell-guard.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/goetter_slawisch_veles-200x300.webp 200w, https:\/\/iwell-guard.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/goetter_slawisch_veles-768x1152.webp 768w, https:\/\/iwell-guard.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/goetter_slawisch_veles.webp 1024w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 683px) 100vw, 683px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-32917199 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"32917199\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-26e916cb e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-child\" data-id=\"26e916cb\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-253a40d4 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-child\" data-id=\"253a40d4\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-1200c304 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"1200c304\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Veles<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-11758e7f elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"11758e7f\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Veles is often portrayed as the antagonist or dual counterpart of Perun. He rules over forest springs, herds of cattle and underground treasures.<\/p><p>The act of swearing an oath before Veles is significant in the history of cult practice (the &#8220;oath upon the earth&#8221;). In <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"The transmitted folk culture with its customs, narratives and songs.\" tabindex=\"0\">folklore<\/span> he lives on as a forest master, water <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"An incorporeal being to which effects in the world are attributed.\" tabindex=\"0\">spirit<\/span> or devil.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-159dcf9a e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-child\" data-id=\"159dcf9a\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-48cee66f elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"48cee66f\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Quick Overview: Veles<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-3f50d82c elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"3f50d82c\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><strong>Type:<\/strong> Major Slavic <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"A being venerated as divine within a religion.\" tabindex=\"0\">deity<\/span>, serpent god of the underworld, <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"Practices that seek to intervene in the course of events through special actions or formulas.\" tabindex=\"0\">magic<\/span> and cattle<br><span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"The entirety of the gods of a religion or culture.\" tabindex=\"0\">Pantheon<\/span>: Slavic (East, West and South Slavic)<br>Function: cattle, wealth, <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"Practices that seek to intervene in the course of events through special actions or formulas.\" tabindex=\"0\">magic<\/span>, poetry, contracts, the realm of the dead, eternal antagonist of Perun<br>Main attributes: serpent form, beard, horns, cattle, treasure<br>Main cult sites: Kiev (outside the city walls, in contrast to Perun&#8217;s <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"A building dedicated to the worship of one or more deities.\" tabindex=\"0\">temple<\/span> within), bear caves, iron and ore mines<br>Indo-European kinship: the Indo-Iranian Vala serpent, the Baltic Velnias<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-18613602 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"18613602\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-262b8a9f elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"262b8a9f\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Historical Classification<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-46dcb7d e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"46dcb7d\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-61d3ab3 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-child\" data-id=\"61d3ab3\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-117c166 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"117c166\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Period of the Texts<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-73997a0 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"73997a0\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>After Perun, Veles is the most important Slavic <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"A being venerated as divine within a religion.\" tabindex=\"0\">deity<\/span>, attested in all three Slavic language groups. He is also called <em>Volos<\/em> in Russian sources.<\/p><p>Main period of flourishing: the <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"Originating from the period before the spread of Christianity.\" tabindex=\"0\">pre-Christian<\/span> era (until about 988). An important source: Russian oath formulas that invoke <em>Volos and Perun<\/em> together (treaties between Byzantine emperors and the princes of Kiev in 907 and 944).<\/p><p>In contrast to Perun, Veles typically had his <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"A sacred place dedicated to the veneration of a deity.\" tabindex=\"0\">sanctuaries<\/span> <em>outside<\/em> the city walls or in the lower town; his chthonic character required separation from the heavenly sphere. He is venerated again in the modern <em>rodnovery<\/em> movement.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-d47b156 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-child\" data-id=\"d47b156\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-ff38c2b elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"ff38c2b\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Area of Distribution<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-4e49fcc elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"4e49fcc\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Main cult sites: in <strong>Kiev<\/strong> outside the city wall (at the Podol harbour, in contrast to Perun within the princely fortress), and in <strong>Novgorod<\/strong> likewise separate from Perun&#8217;s <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"A sacred place dedicated to the worship of a deity.\" tabindex=\"0\">sanctuary<\/span>.<\/p><p><strong>Bear caves<\/strong> in the Slavic mountain regions were regarded as the sites of his manifestation. Iron and ore mines (his treasure aspect). He is venerated again in the modern rodnovery <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"The passing on of knowledge and narratives across generations.\" tabindex=\"0\">tradition<\/span>, in Russia, Poland, Ukraine and the Czech Republic.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-db03c39 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"db03c39\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-229a87b e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-child\" data-id=\"229a87b\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-1f471fc elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"1f471fc\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">The Source Situation<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-36b1201 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"36b1201\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Central sources: the <em>Primary Chronicle<\/em> (with Veles oath formulas), oath formulas from Byzantine treaties (907, 944), folk tales, folk songs, and the disputed <em>Book of Veles<\/em> (a modern 20th-century manuscript, classified by scholars as a forgery, yet widespread in rodnovery circles).<\/p><p>Secondary literature: V&aacute;&#328;a, <em><span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"The entirety of the transmitted divine narratives of a culture.\" tabindex=\"0\">Mythology<\/span> of the Slavic Peoples<\/em>; Iv&aacute;nov\/Toporov; Belaj, <em>Hod kroz godinu<\/em> (Croatian, the standard work on Slavic <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"The entirety of the transmitted divine narratives of a culture.\" tabindex=\"0\">mythology<\/span>); Pittner, <em>Slavic <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"The entirety of the transmitted divine narratives of a culture.\" tabindex=\"0\">Mythology<\/span><\/em>.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-3ae0637c e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"3ae0637c\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-31d07739 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"31d07739\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Name and Spellings<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-b7642947 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"b7642947\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-a086266 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"a086266\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>In the available sources Veles is often portrayed as a dragon-like being, a giant serpent or a wolf: a threefold shape that moves between the worlds and never remains fixed.<\/p><p>Sometimes he is described as an old man with a serpent in place of one leg, or as a being with goat-like features (horns, a bearded face).<\/p><p>His body is not human but hybrid and animal. His attributes are treasures, coins, gemstones and other precious hidden things.<\/p><p>In the repertoire of <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"A sign that stands in place of an idea or meaning.\" tabindex=\"0\">symbols<\/span> the coiling spiral appears, a timeless pattern that signifies turning and transformation. The golden necklace of Veles, mentioned in various legends, was a sign of wealth and of <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"Practices that seek to intervene in the course of events through special actions or formulas.\" tabindex=\"0\">magical<\/span> binding to him.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-709a44a8 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"709a44a8\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-2f585873 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"2f585873\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Character Traits<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-70621c12 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"70621c12\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-4296eb49 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"4296eb49\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Veles ruled over the invisible, hidden forces: sorcery, the art of healing, <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"The interpretation of signs in order to perceive what is hidden or to come.\" tabindex=\"0\">divination<\/span> and the <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"A bodiless being to which agency in the world is attributed.\" tabindex=\"0\">spirits<\/span> of the dead. Shamans and magicians venerated him in whispers and in nocturnal rituals.<\/p><p>Merchants prayed to him for profit in barter and trade, especially on dangerous journeys. His <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"A gift to a deity, expressing thanks, a request or veneration.\" tabindex=\"0\">offerings<\/span> were subtle and indirect: bread placed in rivers, coins left in caves, quiet prayers without trumpets and dance such as accompanied the loud and joyful Perun.<\/p><p>After Christianization, the <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"The entirety of the religious acts of worship for a deity or holy figure.\" tabindex=\"0\">cult<\/span> of Veles was the most stubborn to be suppressed, yet he lived on in the veneration of forest spirits (Leshy), in fairy tales of the dragon and the sorcerer, and in magical practices.<\/p><p>His connection to the dead and to the beyond made him a god to whom people turned in sickness, hardship and grief, with caution and respectful fear.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-44e71476 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"44e71476\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-3c1fc3f0 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"3c1fc3f0\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Profile: Veles<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-84f33b8e e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"84f33b8e\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-hqkdc67p elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"hqkdc67p\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>The most important aspects of Veles at a glance. The following fields summarize origin, function, appearance, veneration, symbols and cultural parallels.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-pemmx7c5 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"pemmx7c5\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-pemmx7c1 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"pemmx7c1\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-qh9oavvu iwg-steckbrief-card e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-child\" data-id=\"qh9oavvu\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-awzx8k2k elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"awzx8k2k\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">The Origin of Veles<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-x6rowhv0 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"x6rowhv0\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Veles is the chthonic antagonist of Perun, the eternal pair of conflict in Slavic <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"The entirety of the transmitted divine narratives of a culture.\" tabindex=\"0\">mythology<\/span>. In the central <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"A transmitted narrative about gods, origins and the order of the world.\" tabindex=\"0\">myth<\/span> Veles climbs the world tree as a serpent, steals Perun&#8217;s cattle (or wife, or son) and hides. Perun pursues him, striking with thunder upon rocks, trees and earth, upon every one of Veles&#8217; hiding places.<\/p><p>Veles is struck back down into the underworld, releases what he has stolen, and the rain brings fertility. This cyclical struggle explains thunder, rain and seasonal renewal. In Christianity he was reinterpreted as <em>St. Blaise (Vlasij)<\/em> (Slavic <em>vlas<\/em> = &#8220;hair&#8221;, a phonetic resemblance), the patron saint of animals.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-8e3o4kxs iwg-steckbrief-card e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-child\" data-id=\"8e3o4kxs\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-08rkdgov elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"08rkdgov\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">The Audience of Veles<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-uwjelx8s elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"uwjelx8s\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Diverse functions: patron of cattle (a key role in peasant tradition), patron of <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"Practices that seek to intervene in the course of events through special actions or formulas.\" tabindex=\"0\">magic<\/span> and soothsaying, patron of poets and skalds, patron of contracts and oath formulas, ruler of the underworld (Nav).<\/p><p>The oath &#8220;by Perun and Veles&#8221; means: by heaven and earth, by cosmic order and chthonic power. In the folk cult he was <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"The petitioning or invoking address to a deity or power.\" tabindex=\"0\">invoked<\/span> for the health of cattle, a good harvest, financial success and magical abilities, an <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"The petitioning or invoking address of a deity or power.\" tabindex=\"0\">invocation<\/span> for these ends.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-jm2n74ec iwg-steckbrief-card e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-child\" data-id=\"jm2n74ec\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-8vufse4c elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"8vufse4c\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">The Appearance of Veles<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-mwb9u015 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"mwb9u015\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>He is characteristically portrayed in two main forms: (1) <em>serpent or dragon shape<\/em>, the principal mythic form in which he climbs the world tree; (2) <em>anthropomorphic<\/em> as a bearded man in shepherd&#8217;s garb or a black cloak, often with horns (bull or ram horns), a beard, a staff or a shepherd&#8217;s bag.<\/p><p>In some folk traditions he is depicted wearing a bear pelt (the bear being his <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"Belonging to the divine and thereby withdrawn from everyday use.\" tabindex=\"0\">sacred<\/span> animal). In modern rodnovery imagery he is typically shown as a dark, powerful <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"A religious specialist credited with mediating between humans and the world of spirits.\" tabindex=\"0\">shaman<\/span> with a serpent staff.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-pemmx7c2 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"pemmx7c2\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-37ss2yr6 iwg-steckbrief-card e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-child\" data-id=\"37ss2yr6\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-3v0wp3wx elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"3v0wp3wx\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">The Effect of Veles<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-w3247g2m elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"w3247g2m\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><strong>Sphere of effect:<\/strong> Veles was invoked as patron of cattle in every farmhouse. His feast day in late February (in the Christian tradition the feast of St. Blaise, 11 February) is a day of protection for cattle. Shamanic practitioners (Slavic <em>volchov<\/em>, linguistically related to <em>Volos<\/em>) were regarded as his servants.<\/p><p>Before important contracts, the oath upon Veles was sworn. In peasant tradition there was the <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"A transmitted action regularly repeated within a community.\" tabindex=\"0\">custom<\/span> of the first sheaf being <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"Handed over to the sacred through a religious act and thereby set apart from the everyday.\" tabindex=\"0\">consecrated<\/span> to Veles (&#8220;Velesov bart&#8221;). In modern rodnovery gatherings he is again central, especially in the shamanic line.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-0qpjal9w iwg-steckbrief-card e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-child\" data-id=\"0qpjal9w\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-6ndoih0o elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"6ndoih0o\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">The Defence against Veles<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-6684tyh9 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"6684tyh9\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Serpent shape, horns, beard, shepherd&#8217;s staff, bear pelt, treasure (gold and precious metal), the first sheaf (Velesov bart). Sacred animals: bear, serpent, wolf (in some versions), cattle in general. Sacred plants: oak (paradoxically also Perun&#8217;s, but in a different aspect). Sacred places: bear caves, mines, marshlands. Sacred day: 11 February.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-3lfi7x32 iwg-steckbrief-card e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-child\" data-id=\"3lfi7x32\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-0kg99ga1 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"0kg99ga1\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">The Parallels of Veles<\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-n0fum6kp elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"n0fum6kp\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><em>Volos<\/em> (Russian variant), <em>Velnias<\/em> (Baltic, a related serpent and death god), <em>Vala<\/em> (Hinduism, the Vedic <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"A spiritual being to which harmful or ambivalent effects are attributed.\" tabindex=\"0\">demon<\/span> serpent in the Indra <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"A transmitted narrative about gods, origins and the order of the world.\" tabindex=\"0\">myth<\/span>, a shared Indo-European root), <em>Vritra<\/em> (Hinduism, another dragon antagonist of Indra), <em>Apsu<\/em> (Mesopotamia, chthonic fresh water), <em>Hermes<\/em> (Greece, patron of poets, of contract and of <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"Practices that seek to intervene in the course of events through special actions or formulas.\" tabindex=\"0\">magic<\/span>), <em>Loki<\/em> (Germanic, trickster, a similar antagonist of Thor).<\/p><p>Functionally, all serpent, trickster and <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"Practices that seek to intervene in the course of events through special actions or formulas.\" tabindex=\"0\">magic<\/span> gods share aspects of Veles. In a wider comparison: all antagonists of the thunder god (Vritra, Tiamat, Yamata-no-Orochi, Apophis).<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-5a584676 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"5a584676\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-6d0757bf elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"6d0757bf\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Veles, Parallels in Other Cultures<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-60563f68 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"60563f68\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-5a93fdd6 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"5a93fdd6\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Veles corresponds to the Baltic V\u0117linas (god of the underworld), the Vedic Valas (<span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"A spiritual being credited with harmful or ambivalent influence.\" tabindex=\"0\">demon<\/span> and guardian of treasure), and, more distantly, the Greek Hades and Pluto.<\/p><p>The dragon aspect connects him with the Germanic J\u00f6rmungandr and the Egyptian Apep. His duality, evil and yet necessary, destructive and generative, wealth and ruin, is a recurring pattern of Indo-European mythologies.<\/p><p><strong>Jewish tradition:<\/strong> Samael and the demonic lords of the underworld share with Veles the chthonic power and the role of opposition to a higher <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"A being venerated as divine within a religion.\" tabindex=\"0\">deity<\/span>, a structural dualism pattern.<\/p><p><strong>Greco-Roman world:<\/strong> Hades and Pluto rule the underworld and its riches like Veles. Hermes, as a god of boundaries and of trade, shares Veles&#8217; functions in mediation and the increase of prosperity.<\/p><p><strong>Germanic tradition:<\/strong> Loki and Odin share with Veles traits of cunning, of <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"Practices that seek to intervene in the course of events through special actions or formulas.\" tabindex=\"0\">magic<\/span> and of chthonic, boundary-crossing power, an Indo-European counterpart to the dual deity structure.<\/p><p><strong>Hinduism:<\/strong> Yama, the lord of the dead, and Kubera, the god of wealth, in a certain sense combine Veles-like functions, the underworld and transition together with the administration of prosperity.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-cpc779b54 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"cpc779b54\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-cp6baa302 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"cp6baa302\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Veles and Perun: the Fundamental Mythological Conflict<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-cp51ab0f8 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"cp51ab0f8\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-cpfeda1d5 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"cpfeda1d5\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>The most influential modern interpretation of Veles is connected with the hypothesis of the Slavic basic myth.<\/p><p>In the 1960s and 1970s the Russian scholars of language and religion Vyacheslav Ivanov and Vladimir Toporov developed the thesis that at the centre of Slavic <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"The entirety of the transmitted divine narratives of a culture.\" tabindex=\"0\">mythology<\/span> stands a conflict between the thunder god Perun and his antagonist Veles.<\/p><p>According to this reconstruction, Perun is the heavenly god of the storm, while Veles is a <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"A being venerated as divine within a religion.\" tabindex=\"0\">deity<\/span> of the underworld, of water, of cattle and of the dead, often with serpent-like or dragon-like features.<\/p><p>The <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"A transmitted narrative about gods, origins and the order of the world.\" tabindex=\"0\">myth<\/span> describes how Veles steals Perun&#8217;s cattle or his wife, or holds back the heavenly waters. Perun pursues him, hurls his lightning bolts, and Veles hides successively in trees, stones, animals and people. In the end Perun strikes him, the withheld waters are released, and it rains.<\/p><p>This reconstruction rests on comparison with other Indo-European myths, especially on the widespread <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"A recurring thematic element in art or narrative.\" tabindex=\"0\">motif<\/span> of the struggle between the storm god and the serpent, as well as on traces in folk songs, fairy tales and <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"The entirety of the transmitted customs of a community.\" tabindex=\"0\">popular custom<\/span>. It is, however, not undisputed.<\/p><p>Critics point out that there is no coherent Slavic source that tells this <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"A transmitted narrative about gods, origins and the order of the world.\" tabindex=\"0\">myth<\/span>, and that the reconstruction relies heavily on analogical inference. The hypothesis should therefore be treated as a plausible but unproven model. It has nonetheless profoundly shaped scholarship and remains the most important point of reference for any engagement with Veles.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-cpf582066 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"cpf582066\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-cp1eefebd elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"cp1eefebd\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">The Written Traces: Treaties, Chronicles, the Tale of Igor<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-cp3674aa7 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"cp3674aa7\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-cp1d76366 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"cp1d76366\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Veles is one of the few Slavic deities whose name is actually attested in contemporary written sources, if only briefly. The most important source is the Old Russian <em>Primary Chronicle<\/em>, the &#8220;Tale of Bygone Years&#8221;.<\/p><p>It reports on treaties between the Kievan Rus and Byzantium in the 10th century, in which the Rus affirmed their oaths by swearing upon Perun and upon Volos, the &#8220;cattle god&#8221;.<\/p><p>This passage is illuminating in several respects. It attests, first, to the existence of the god under the name Volos; second, to his connection with cattle; and third, to his being named together with Perun, which fits the thesis of the antithetical pair.<\/p><p>It is notable that Volos, unlike Perun, does not appear in the chronicle among the idols that the Kievan prince Vladimir had erected. Scholarship debates whether this points to a different position in the official <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"The entirety of the religious acts of worship for a deity or holy figure.\" tabindex=\"0\">cult<\/span> or to gaps in the <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"The passing on of knowledge and narratives across generations.\" tabindex=\"0\">transmission<\/span>.<\/p><p>Another frequently cited passage stands in the <em>Tale of Igor<\/em>, an Old East Slavic heroic poem whose dating and authenticity were long disputed. There the singer Boyan is called the &#8220;grandson of Veles&#8221;.<\/p><p>From this scholarship has concluded that Veles may also have been connected with poetry, magical <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"A linguistic ritual intended to summon or bind a power.\" tabindex=\"0\">incantation<\/span> and the ecstatic word, similar to what is attested for other deities of the &#8220;dark&#8221; sphere.<\/p><p>On the whole the written source situation remains thin, yet it is comparatively good for a Slavic <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"A being venerated as divine within a religion.\" tabindex=\"0\">deity<\/span>, and it secures at least the basic outlines: cattle, oath, opposition to Perun, and a connection to the word.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-cp3a610c0 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"cp3a610c0\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-cp64f8851 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"cp64f8851\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Veles, the Sacred Beard Sheaf and Christianity<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-cp2605ea0 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"cp2605ea0\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-cpb4f0ed7 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"cpb4f0ed7\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>The veneration of Veles left traces in peasant <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"The entirety of the transmitted customs of a community.\" tabindex=\"0\">popular custom<\/span>, some of which were recorded by folklorists as late as the 19th and early 20th centuries. Especially well known is the <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"A transmitted action regularly repeated within a community.\" tabindex=\"0\">custom<\/span> of leaving a small group of uncut ears of grain standing in the field at the end of the harvest.<\/p><p>In several Slavic regions this tuft was called a &#8220;beard&#8221;, and in some areas explicitly the &#8220;beard of Volos&#8221; or, after Christian reinterpretation, the &#8220;beard of St. Nicholas&#8221; or of other saints.<\/p><p>Such <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"The totality of the customs handed down within a community.\" tabindex=\"0\">customs<\/span> are interpreted in scholarship as a possible echo of the cult of Veles. The stalks left standing were regarded as a gift to the power responsible for the fertility of field and cattle, and were meant to secure the yield of the coming year.<\/p><p>The connection to Veles cannot, however, be proven with certainty; it rests on the coincidence of name and function.<\/p><p>After Christianization, the functions of Veles were transferred to Christian saints. A widespread assumption in scholarship connects him with St. Blaise, whose name is phonetically close to Volos and who likewise was regarded as the patron saint of cattle. St. Nicholas too took on, in <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"The religiosity lived out in everyday life, often alongside official doctrine.\" tabindex=\"0\">popular piety<\/span>, traits that fit Veles.<\/p><p>This process, in which a pre-Christian <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"A being venerated as divine within a religion.\" tabindex=\"0\">deity<\/span> continues to act under a Christian name, can be observed several times in Slavic religious history.<\/p><p>At the same time it makes reconstruction more difficult, because <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"Synonymous with heathen; belonging to a pre-Christian religion.\" tabindex=\"0\">pagan<\/span> and Christian layers can scarcely still be cleanly separated in the transmitted <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"The entirety of the transmitted customs of a community.\" tabindex=\"0\">popular custom<\/span>. Anyone seeking more about the antagonist will find further references in the entry on <a href=\"\/en\/perun\/\">Perun<\/a>.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-36dd7469 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"36dd7469\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-13760ab4 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"13760ab4\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Further Links<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-28c87796 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"28c87796\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-5d6538df elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"5d6538df\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<ul><li><a href=\"\/en\/perun\/\">Perun, the arch-enemy, heavenly thunder god<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"\/en\/mokosh\/\">Mokosh, the female Slavic earth goddess<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"\/en\/svarog\/\">Svarog, a related Slavic god<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"\/en\/marena\/\">Marena, a related chthonic Slavic deity<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/iwell-guard.com\/en\/slavic\/\">Slavic, pantheon overview<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/iwell-guard.com\/en\/gods\/\">Gods, class overview<\/a><\/li><\/ul>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-grl4kl40 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"grl4kl40\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-bzsbfrmh elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"bzsbfrmh\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Literature (Selection)<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-2c13224a e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"2c13224a\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-0eymh9ub elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"0eymh9ub\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<footer class=\"iwg-literatur\" data-nosnippet=\"true\"><ul><li><span data-nosnippet>V&aacute;&#328;a, Zden&#283;k: <em><span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"The entirety of the transmitted divine narratives of a culture.\" tabindex=\"0\">Mythology<\/span> and Divine World of the Slavic Peoples<\/em>. Stuttgart 1992.<\/span><\/li><li><span data-nosnippet>Iv&aacute;nov, Vja&#269;eslav \/ Toporov, Vladimir: <em>Issledovanija v oblasti slavjanskich drevnostej<\/em>. Moscow 1974.<\/span><\/li><li><span data-nosnippet>Belaj, Vitomir: <em>Hod kroz godinu<\/em>. Zagreb 2007.<\/span><\/li><li><span data-nosnippet>Pittner, Manfred: <em>Slavic <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"The entirety of the transmitted divine narratives of a culture.\" tabindex=\"0\">Mythology<\/span><\/em>. Cologne 2009.<\/span><\/li><li><span data-nosnippet>Gimbutas, Marija: <em>The Slavs<\/em>. London 1971.<\/span><\/li><li>Walde, Christine (ed.): <em>Der Neue Pauly<\/em> (entry &#8220;Veles&#8221;).<\/li><\/ul><\/footer>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Veles, God of the Slavic Tradition Veles is the god of the underworld, of cattle, of trade and of cunning in the mythology of the Slavs and part of the Slavic religion. He embodies the chthonic force, prosperity through possessions and the boundary between life and death. His iconography and cult sites are attested both [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":5279,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"elementor_header_footer","meta":{"_yoast_wpseo_focuskw":"Veles","_yoast_wpseo_title":"Veles: Slavic God of the Underworld | iWell Guard","_yoast_wpseo_metadesc":"Veles, the Slavic god of the underworld. Ruler of the dead, keeper of magic and wealth, eternal adversary of Perun","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_angie_page":false,"gefaehrdungsstufe":"","wesen_kultur":"","wesen_klasse":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[79,86,109],"class_list":["post-5278","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-cultures","category-gods","category-slavic"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.7 (Yoast SEO v27.7) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Veles: Slavic God of the Underworld | iWell Guard<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Veles, the Slavic god of the underworld. 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