"All of us are pregnant, Socrates, in body and in soul, and, as soon as we come to a certain age, we naturally desire to give birth. Now no one can possibly give birth in anything ugly; only in something beautiful. That's because when a man and woman come together in order to give birth, this is a godly affair. Pregnancy, reproduction — this is an immortal thing for a mortal animal to do, and it cannot occur in anything that is out of harmony, but ugliness is out of harmony with all that is godly. Beauty, however, is in harmony with the divine. Therefore the goddess who presides at childbirth — she's called Moira or Eilithuia — is really Beauty."

Plato, Symposium 206cd

Honey plays a pivotal role in the Slavic cult of the dead, integral to every ritual meal or drink, whether during the first year after a person’s death or on memorial days. This tradition is not unique to the Slavs but is also prevalent among other Indo-European peoples. Honey, according to belief, is formed from morning dew and the redness of dawn, considered a divine gift scattered across flowers and leaves, which bees then gather. In Slavic folk songs that reference the cosmic tree, bees are said to produce honey within its trunk. With its pleasant taste, honey is favored by both gods and the deceased, making it indispensable during ritual feasts and offerings. It is used to glaze ritual bread and pour over wheat-based offerings, which are distributed to attendees before any other food or drink, all in honor of the deceased's soul.

Honey also features prominently in other important customs. On Badnyak Eve, it is eaten with walnuts, another food symbolizing the earth and the underworld. This honey is then kept as a remedy. It is used to glaze the bread given to a woman who has just given birth and is central to wedding customs. On the wedding day, before the bride enters the groom’s house for the first time, the doorpost is smeared with honey, which the newlyweds taste (or are served), symbolizing a sweet married life, just as honey itself is sweet.

In Serbian and South Slavic folklore, the sun is depicted as a living being that is born and sets, with its own functions and needs. The moon is its brother or uncle, and the stars are its sisters, especially Venus (Danica, Prehodnica), which in one song appears as the sun's wife. Symbols of the sun include: a wheel, an apple, a bird, a rooster, a horse, or it is represented by people with golden hair, golden hands, or golden apples. In folk songs, the general Indo-European concept is preserved that the sun rides in a chariot or on a horse. There is also a belief that the sun dies as soon as it sets and that a new sun is born every morning, as well as the idea that it travels underground at night, from the west back to the east. According to one belief, the sun falls into the sea in the evening and rises from the sea again in the morning. The belief that the sun, which is born from water, is attacked by a dragon that Saint Elijah (Perun) then strikes with lightning would also point to the nocturnal sun and its dwelling in the underworld. Particularly interesting is the concept that the sun is the "eye of God" — a belief widely spread in the religions of some Indo-European and many other peoples. In certain folk customs with a cultic significance, movement "with the sun" is mandatory, and on holidays during the winter solstice, then in spring and during the summer solstice (Christmas Eve, St. George's Day, St. John's Day, St. Peter's Day), rituals containing elements of sun veneration are performed.

A story from Macedonian folklore, "The Girl and the Twelve Months," serves as a vivid illustration of the cosmological aspects of a wheel mounted on an axle. In this tale, a wheel is described as being located upon the "windy tree." On this wheel, "sat around 11 men and one old woman."

The number of characters and the title of the story clearly indicate the calendar-like significance of this structure. The tree, though not explicitly depicted in the story, symbolizes the axis of this wheel, representing the axis of the sky and the universe.

This motif is common in many other Slavic tales. For instance, a Slovak story features the eternal fire burning at the peak of the cosmic mountain, around which sit the "twelve servants" (the months of the year) of the "tsar of the seasons." The tsar of the seasons is the one who turns this cosmic wheel, identified with the cosmic axis, symbolizing the Highest Slavic God known by various names.

What could it mean? A Goddess with animal-shaped arms and legs? A tree-shaped goddess?

In my latest video, I dive deep into a rare and powerful category of mythical images representing Mokosh, the Slavic Earth Mother Goddess.

Through an in-depth exploration of archaeology and embroidery, you'll learn fascinating, hidden truths about her true nature.

You'll also learn how to authentically represent Mokosh in your own ritual objects.

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Slavic Earth Mother Goddess: Iconography & Meaning

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Stefan Cvetkovic (@stefcvetkovic) | Cara - Artist Social & Portfolio Platform

Stefan Cvetković, a traditional artist and author specialising in Slavic and European mythology, folklore and paganism.

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Amazing

The same symbol represented as a candle, burning above a ritual bread.