Dazhdbog Day (06/05)

Dazhdbog — Dab, Radegast, Radigos, Svarozhich — are different variants of the name of the same god. God of fertility and sunlight, life-giving power. He is considered the first ancestor of the Slavs (Slavs according to the text «Words about Igor's Campaign» — Dazhd-god's grandchildren).

According to Slavic legends, Dazhdbog and Zhiva together revived the world after the Flood. Lada, Mother Alive, united Dazhdbog and Zhiva by marriage. Then the betrothed gods gave birth to Arius, according to legends, the progenitor of many Slavic peoples — Czechs, Croats, and Kyiv glades.

Yarilo (Sun), the face of Dazhdbog, the revival of nature, was also revered on this day. The god Yar was often compared to the plowman and warrior Arius, son of Dazhdbog. Arius was revered, like Yar, as the embodiment of the Family (in other interpretations — of Veles or Dazhdbog).

On the day of Dazhdbog, people rejoiced that Dazhdbog rejected Marena and became engaged to Zhiva. This meant the end of the long Winter, the beginning of Spring and Summer. At this time, Dazhdbog was noisily glorified in Vedic churches and plowed fields.

«We praise Dazhdbog. May he be our patron and intercessor from Kolyada to Kolyada! And patron of the fruits in the fields. He gives grass to our cattle all the days. And the cows are multiplied, and the grains in the granaries are multiplied. And it prevents the honey from fermenting. He is the god of Light. Praise Svarozhich, who renounces Winter and moves towards Summer. And we sing glory to him in the fields, since he is our — father» /Vel. 31/.

Dazhdbog Day — is the time of the first cattle drive to pastures. Therefore, they burned lights for Dazhdboga and asked him to guard the cattle:

You, Dazhibozhe brave! Save the cattle, protect them from the kidnappers! Protect from fierce bear, Save it from the predatory wolf too!

It was believed that on this day the god Veles stole cow clouds from Perun and imprisoned them in the Caucasus mountains. Therefore, Yara, Dazhdbog and Perun asked to rescue the clouds, otherwise all life on Earth would perish. On this day they glorify Dazhdbog’s victory over Veles.

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