Modern Western mass culture traditionally “feeds” the public myths about Russia. Here are bears, and eternal winter, and Lenin, the KGB, AK-47 and vodka that have become an integral part of the image. To be fair, it is worth saying that foreigners created myths about the Rusyns during the formation of the Old Russian state. And often these myths were born not from evil intent, but from a misunderstanding of someone else’s world. Below are the “hot ten” myths about our ancestors...

Russians live in an "underground hole paved with logs"

Arab merchants traveling through the lands of the Slavs along the trade routes “From the Varangians to the Greeks” and back, recorded in their diaries various subtleties of the life and culture of other peoples. True, such records often had a subjective coloring, which became the basis for the emergence of myths.

Mysterious Russian bathhouse

One of the most famous errors in Arab chronicles that have survived to this day was the entry about the dwelling of the Slavs. The Arabs believed that the Slavs lived all year round in an “underground hole paved with logs.”

In this hole there is one room and lava, and in the center there is a pile of stones that are heated by fire. The Arabs claimed that people poured water on the stones, and in this hole it became so hot and stuffy that they had to sleep completely naked.

If a Slav, then definitely a pagan

For many centuries after 988, when Prince Vladimir baptized Rus' and ordered to “cut down churches city by city,” many Europeans believed that the lands of the Slavs were the land of pagans. However, it is possible that the Western European elite covered up their attempts to “Catholicize” their brothers in faith with this myth.

Beard is a sign of uncleanliness

In Rus' they really did wear beards. The beard was considered a fundamental virtue of the Orthodox Russian man. But in the West, this gave rise to the myth that the Slavs are by nature unclean.

Russian beard

In fact, in Russian baths they washed much more often than in the Louvre, where they used perfume to kill the “shameful smell”, and ladies chased fleas in their high hairstyles with special long wooden sticks.

Slavic warriors fight in the trees

This very ridiculous myth was born after the Slavs made several raids on Byzantium. “These wars wear neither armor nor an iron sword, but in case of danger they climb trees,” remains in the chronicles.

In fact, Russian warriors never “hid” in trees; they knew how to fight perfectly in the forest. This myth appeared, perhaps, due to the difference in battle tactics. Russian soldiers retreated into the forest not out of fear, but because they could not cope with the heavy Byzantine cavalry in direct battle. In the forest, the Byzantine cataphracts lost their advantage.

Slavs go into battle naked

Constantine VII Porphyrogenitus, the Byzantine emperor, wrote in his work “On the Administration of the Empire” that Slavic warriors go into battle naked. From this were born myths about the barbarity and fury of the Slavic army.

Ancient Slavs in battle

In fact, the Rusyns did not go into battle in negligee, but only with a bare torso. True, as a rule, only detachment commanders removed chain mail from their bodies to show their intention to fight the enemy to the death. This also meant giving up the opportunity to negotiate, which the Byzantines loved so much. Going out to battle in this form did not mean at all that the Slavs did not have means of defense and archaeological finds confirm this.

Bears walk through Russian settlements

The myth about bears, still popular today, has very ancient roots. He was born before the baptism of Rus'. Byzantine historians back in the 9th century mentioned that “in the barbaric, foreign land of the Slavs, people worship bears as gods, and bears live among people and walk through their settlements.”

Bears walk the streets in Russia

The myth was born because of the Slavic god Veles, one of whose incarnations was a bear. This is how the myth about the Russian bear came from Ancient Rus' to modern Red Square. To be fair, it should be noted that bears did sometimes walk through Russian villages, although this happened at fair performances.

Slavs are intolerant of other religions

In the Western world there was a myth that the Slavs do not recognize any faith other than Orthodoxy. Although the Baptism of Rus' was a very painful process for local residents, with the advent of Christianity in the lands of the Slavs, religious tolerance was established.

Already in Kievan Rus there were synagogues and Catholic churches founded by German merchants who came to Rus' to trade. And although a taboo was imposed on paganism, the temples of the ancient gods still remained.

Tolerance

Russian tolerance continues today. In Moscow alone (as of 2011), in addition to 670 temples and 26 chapels of the Russian Orthodox Church, there are 9 Old Believer temples, 6 mosques and an unknown number of Muslim prayer houses, 7 synagogues and 38 cultural Jewish centers, 2 temples of the Armenian Apostolic Church, 5 Buddhist churches, 3 Lutheran and 37 houses of worship of Protestant denominations.

Slavs are inhospitable recluses

For a long time, Europeans did not dare to travel through the Slavic lands. Many believed that the Slavs were a closed and aggressive people. The first religious mission to the lands of the Slavs during the reign of Princess Olga ended in failure for the missionaries, which only fueled the belief about the inhospitality of the local residents.

In fact, the Slavs even had a pagan god of hospitality. And the myths about the bloodthirstiness of the local population were born on that soil; the Slavs knew no mercy towards those who encroached on their lands, wealth or faith.

Hospitality is a Russian custom

It is worth noting that Russians are distinguished by their hospitality even today. If, in America, the hero of the occasion traditionally expects gifts from his colleagues, then in Russia it’s the other way around: as soon as a person has the slightest reason to celebrate something, he immediately sets the table. Fairground amusements are also well known and popular in Russia today.

Slavs “live among the trees”

Today it is generally accepted that the ancient Slavs were predominantly farmers. However, it is not. Even at the time of the formation and flourishing of Kievan Rus, most of the land was covered with forests. The well-known slash-and-burn method of farming looks doubtful for widespread use, since it required significant effort and time.

Agriculture developed very slowly and was local in nature. The Slavs were mainly engaged in hunting, fishing and gathering. Many neighbors believed that the Slavs, like barbarians, “live among the trees.” Our ancestors indeed often settled in forests, however, they built huts and even fortifications there. Gradually the forest around was destroyed, and a settlement arose on the site.

L Yeshiy is the owner of the forest in the mythological ideas of the Slavic peoples. A frequent character in Russian fairy tales. Other names: forester, forester, leshak, forest uncle, lisun (polisun), wild peasant and even forest. The spirit's place of residence is a remote forest thicket, but sometimes also a wasteland.

He treats good people well, helps them get out of the forest, but he treats not-so-good people badly: he confuses them, makes them walk in circles. He sings in a voice without words, claps his hands, whistles, hoots, laughs, cries.

A folk legend talks about the goblin as a spawn of the devil: “There was only God and the devil on earth. God created man, and the devil tried to create, but he did not create a man, but a devil, and no matter how hard he tried and worked, he still could not create a man, all the devils came out of him. God saw that the devil had already created several devils, became angry with him and ordered Archangel Gabriel to overthrow Satan and all evil spirits from heaven. Gabriel overthrew. Whoever fell into the forest became a goblin, whoever fell into the water became a waterman, whoever fell into a house became a brownie. That's why they have different names. And they are all the same demons.”

TO Orgorushi, or Koloverti, are small mythical creatures that serve on errands for brownies. As an independent character, he almost never appears, unlike the South Slavic evildoers. Mortals see them primarily in the form of cats, mostly black.

According to another version, korgorush are the servant's assistants and bring supplies or money to their owner, stealing them from under the nose of the neighbor's servant. Neighboring korgorushki, in turn, can act in a similar way, causing “accidental” breaking of dishes or losses that cannot be foreseen or prevented.

TO Olyada is a Slavic-Russian mythological character associated with the fertility cycle. In the guise of a mummer (goat, etc.) - a participant in folk Christmas rituals with games and songs (caroling, carols). However, in most carols, Kolyada is spoken of as a feminine creature.

Kolyada is the baby sun, the embodiment of the New Year's cycle, as well as a character of the holidays, similar to Avsen.

Once upon a time, Kolyada was not perceived as a mummer. Kolyada was a deity, and one of the most influential. They called carols and called. The days before the New Year were dedicated to Kolyada, and games were organized in her honor, which were subsequently held at Christmas time. The last patriarchal ban on the worship of Kolyada was issued on December 24, 1684.

IN The Eastern Slavs believed that in addition to ordinary people, in ancient times the earth was inhabited by various fantastic people and peoples: giants, cannibals, sea people, people with dog heads. All these legends were borrowed from books of the 13th–17th centuries, brought to Rus' from Byzantium and Europe, and came into the culture of the Eastern Slavs along with many apocryphal legends. These books contained retellings of the works of ancient writers about the structure of the earth and the peoples living on it. The most famous of them are “Alexandria” - legendary tales about the life of Alexander the Great, as well as “Cosmography” - a book that tells in a legendary form about the geography of the earth and the peoples inhabiting it.

Most of the legends were known about giants - the first people on earth who raised high mounds and built huge defensive ramparts. These people were so tall that the forest for them was like grass for modern people. Giants could transfer various objects to each other through the mountains. Even for fun, they could throw axes and their battle clubs to each other from one mountain to another. But the giants angered God with their unrighteous lives. And God destroyed them by causing a flood. And after the flood modern people arose. Until now, some ancient mounds are popularly considered to be the graves of giants and legends are told about the huge bones found there.

AHow did the first people appear on earth? East Slavic legends answer this question like this. God sculpted man from clay, just as a potter sculpts a pot. And God, like a real baker, first tried to make a man from dough, but He quickly had to abandon this idea. True, others say that God tried to sew a person from different scraps of skin, like a tailor sews a suit or dress. Where did these legends come from?

The Bible tells how man was molded from the earth, from dust: “And the Lord formed man from the dust of the ground.” But these stories entered the popular tradition not as church canons, from the Bible, but from apocryphal books. In Rus', the book “How God Created Adam” was known, from the point of view of which not only God, but also Satan participated in the creation of man.

IN The Eastern Slavs believed that the earth was round, like a plate, and at the edges it converged with the sky. The earth is surrounded by an endless ocean. An ordinary person cannot reach these places - only the souls of the dead reach them. And the sky is a huge vaulted dome covering the entire earth. The palate is very hard. God created him on the third day of the creation of the Universe to live there along with the angels and souls of holy people.

Our ancestors did not have a very good idea of ​​what was happening at the edge of the earth - where it connects with the sky. Some legends said that in these places live tribes of wild one-eyed people, very strong and ferocious. In others - that the most ordinary people live on the edge of the earth. Only when the women wash their clothes there do they hang them out to dry on the horns of the new moon. And the sky is used as a large shelf, on which it is convenient to place various household utensils.

M Ifs that explain the origin of the earth and tell about the original existence of the earth, nature and man are called cosmogonic (this word is derived from two Greek words with the meanings “cosmos” and “to give birth”). One of the most ancient cosmogonic myths is the myth of the creation of the world from a wonderful golden egg. The image of the world egg from which the cosmos emerged was known to many peoples: the ancient Greeks, Indians, Iranians, and Chinese. Their myths say that in the beginning there was neither earth nor sky, the world was folded into a chicken (or duck) egg. In Finnish mythology, this egg is laid by a duck on a single hill overlooking the ocean. Then the egg falls, breaks, and the earth is formed from the lower half, and the sky from the upper part. In the mythology of the Eastern Slavs, scientists restore this plot on the basis of fairy tales, in which only its echoes can be seen.

In Russian fairy tales there is also an image of an egg dropped by a duck into the water. For example, the tale of the three kingdoms tells about the origin of the world. The hero goes to the underworld in search of three princesses and ends up first in the copper, then in the silver, and then in the golden kingdom, where he finds the princesses. Each princess gives the hero an egg, into which he turns all three kingdoms in turn. When the hero returns home, he throws the eggs on the ground and unfolds all three kingdoms. In addition, everyone knows the tale of the Ryaba Hen, which contains a very ancient motif of a breaking golden egg.

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© Prozorov L.R., 2016

© Yauza Publishing House LLC, 2016

© Eksmo Publishing House LLC, 2016

Preface

Every historical event exists in an aura of myths. The more famous it is, the more myths there are around it. I will say more, most of the “facts known to everyone” about this or that historical event are myths.

Here we need to decide on the meaning that we attach to the word “myth”. Actually, any historical event exists in the memory of people, is clothed with some meanings, and is perceived from the angle of a certain view of society on itself and on the world. This perception in itself can be called a “myth”. But we will not touch myths in this sense in this book. Let us leave perhaps the most commonly used meaning of the word “myth” - that is, information about a particular historical fact that is widely disseminated, but does not correspond to the truth.

Myths, I apologize for the banality, are different. Historical myths are divided into three main categories.

1. Myths are subcultural, or, if you like, sectarian. “The authorities are hiding, but we know the truth” is the slogan of this type of myth. Followers of the Internet “philosopher” Dmitry Evgenievich Galkovsky believe, say, that Moscow Rus' was an English colony, and adherents of the “Old Russian Church of Old Believers-Yinglings” believe that the Byzantine chronology “from the creation of the world” is actually “Slavic-Aryan”, and came from “the creation of the world” with ancient China in a certain “star temple of Kolyada”

2. Philistine. “Well, everyone knows that” - no one, however, knows where exactly - at most they can name a film or a novel. Anna Yaroslavna, who married the king of France, allegedly complained to her father Yaroslav the Wise in letters about the savagery of the Parisians; German knights in horned helmets fell through the ice on Lake Peipus, and Nevsky spoke about “who will come to us with a sword”; the Slavs have always been peace-loving, and Catherine II sold Alaska to America...

3. Academic – the latter is called the “historiographic tradition”. “Scientifically, this issue has long been resolved!” - unfortunately, sometimes it is “solved” without much regard even to the sources known at the time of the “decision,” but new sources may appear in the field of view of scientists. There are numerous examples of such myths - “The Path from the Varangians to the Greeks”, the religious reform of Vladimir, etc.

Of course, there are no solid barriers between the three types of myths. The second and third varieties communicate most actively with each other. Common myths are formed under the influence of historical knowledge - and academic myths. In turn, scientists are born into this world and do not grow up in ivory towers, and from childhood they are saturated with many philistine ideas. Sometimes, however, subcultural myths are also “lucky” - for example, Gumilyov’s invention about the adoption of the Russian prince Alexander Yaroslavich by Batu and his twinning with Batu’s son Sartak was destined to disperse from the narrow circle of Gumilyov-Eurasianists to the masses, to end up in scientific works (sinful , I believed it too - until it turned out that the only source from which Lev Nikolaevich could get this information was... the novel “Ratobortsy” by the Soviet writer Yugov).

Sometimes myths form a self-sustaining cycle. A historian is also a person. First, as a child who cannot read, he will watch, say, the movie “Vikings,” or, at best, “And Trees Grow on Rocks.” Then he will read novels about the ubiquitous Vikings (thousands of them... I'm talking about novels). Then at the university he will get acquainted with a set of opinions, hallowed by centuries of repetition, from three hundred years ago about the victorious all-pervading Normans, about the “path from the Varangians to the Greeks,” etc. And with such a “background” in his brain, he will read the sources.

Do you think he will see in these sources a story about how Denmark and Sweden were regularly plundered from the 7th (at least) to the beginning of the 13th century by the Latvian Curonian tribe and Estonians? How did the Baltic Slavs impose tribute on the Scandinavian countries? How did the Swedes, with a national militia, led by the supreme king, besiege one fortress of one of the Latvian tribes, and when they managed to extort a ransom from the besieged, did they consider it a miracle of God? How did the Norwegians, sailing by sea past the shores of the Bjarmians, be afraid to turn into the river, “for its banks were densely populated”?

And then this historian will write works, with an eye on which they will begin to compose popular books and novels, make films and TV series...

The “Varangian” question is just one example. But in fact, this happens at every step.

Above, we defined myth as a historical idea that is widespread in one environment or another, but does not correspond to the truth. Here it’s time for readers to puzzle me with Pilate’s question: “What is truth?” I won’t risk answering it here in a general philosophical sense, but in a historical sense, data from sources are accepted (or, more precisely, should be accepted) as such - that is, chronicles, chronicles, decrees and labels, and so on - right down to birch bark letters and even medieval graffiti (yes, yes, our ancestors were no less keen than ours to write on walls, including on the walls of churches - where their creations were preserved under layers of new and new frescoes before being revealed to the eyes of a restorer). That is, they still cannot be considered one hundred percent truth - they were all left by living people who were inclined to be honestly mistaken and deliberately lie. Others - this is especially true for chronicles, sagas and legends - have come to us in God knows which list or retelling, along the way acquiring errors on the principle of a “broken telephone”, or the speculations of a copyist/reteller. But you can only verify some sources with other sources - and not because their data for some reason does not suit you, or you suspect the author of insincerity. Here, the work of a historian strongly resembles the work of an investigator dealing with witness testimony and evidence (the latter being archaeological data). Therefore, the principle of the “presumption of innocence” as applied to sources, put forward by the famous historian Apollo Grigorievich Kuzmin, also seems appropriate. That is, it is not the correctness of the source that needs proof, but the distrust of the researcher.

Alas, the parallel with the investigator can be continued. There is a plan, and reporting, and pressure from management, who are extremely disapproving of “hangings” or raising cases already “closed” by others, there is the opinion of colleagues, there is corporate ethics and “uniform honor”... In a sense, it is even more difficult for a historian. A fired investigator can be hired by some private security company or corporate security department - but where should a fired historian go? On a teacher's pittance salary? On the other hand, the fate of the living depends on the investigator, and who, it would seem, would benefit if a historian gets to the bottom of the truth? In most cases, the participants in the events have been dead for a long time...

author Demeter Georgy Stepanovich

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0 Most significant and not so significant states have legends and beliefs that tell of powerful deities, brave heroes, and greedy and short-sighted rulers. In Russia there are also a lot of interesting myths and tales that go back thousands of years into the past of our country. Today, the former faith is again strengthening its influence, and this is actively promoted by the Internet and information presented in various scientific literature. These documents represent the great past of our ancestral home. Many references in the chronicles concern a mythical country called Belovodye. It is this protected place that is spoken of in the oldest book of all the Slavs - " Russian Vedas". Add our website to your bookmarks to always receive interesting and up-to-date information.
However, before I continue, I would like to point you to several of our publications related to the topics of various superstitions and cults. For example, who is the Slavic goddess Devan, who is called Baba Yaga, find out more about the Slavic goddesses, who is the god Perun, etc.
So let's continue Myths and legends of Rus', meaning?

Myth is a story that conveys people’s ideas about the origin of the universe, about heroes and deities, about the world and about man’s place in it.

Legend- this is a written testimony about certain historical figures or events from their lives, essentially a representation of unreliable facts of reality.

Book of Veles

According to these ancient texts, our ancestors, under the leadership of Prince Yar, first sent their steps beyond the Urals, and later settled in Semirechye. Finally, they settled in India and Iran, where the Slavs stood out, that is, that is the name given to those who glorified their gods and ancestors.
Unfortunately, we have no reliable facts about such a distant time; most of the chronicles and books were burned or destroyed in a special way. This happened after Christianity reigned in our lands, and its servants, with fire and sword, erased from people’s memories memories of ancient times and the glorious deeds of their ancestors. Therefore, the picture of what was happening at that time can only be reconstructed based on secondary sources, the most important of which are European chronicles, usually Latin and German, as well as documents left over from the Czechs and Poles. In addition, many researchers turn their attention to the texts of Byzantine and Arabic authors.

Slavic folklore

Unfortunately, we can glean most of the information from those who in every possible way eradicated pagan religions, that is, from Christian clergy. They have books that describe a variety of rituals, which are commented on and condemned in every possible way. Simple village mythology, fortunately, has not gone away; it is still mentioned on these Internets of yours. I mean various living creatures, such as mermaids, brownies, witches, spirits, kikimoras and immortal koschei.
Much later, the personification of the forces of nature and mythical animals began to be replaced by completely humanoid and understandable creatures, for example Leshy. Initially, this character did only good deeds, helped find the way in the forest, could lead to the trail of missing four-legged animals, etc. True, if the person began to be active " piggyback"in the forest, then he could make him angry and make him get lost, and sometimes such an individual could die without finding a way out to people. However, after the cult of Christ began to rule the roost in Russia, Leshy suddenly turned out to be evil and dangerous being.

Since the ancient Slavs were engaged in agriculture, they, like air, needed the help of “beregins”, who shed dew on the fields and generally took care of the harvest in every possible way. At first, these creatures were considered the lords of wells and small reservoirs, and looked like girls with wings. However, later, under the influence of European culture, they turned into harmful mermaids.

Archeology

In order to better study the life of our ancestors, archaeological expeditions are carried out, in which people dig in the ground for about three months, thus trying to imagine what was in this place many centuries ago. Moreover, some of the finds are really encouraging, since it is not uncommon for treasures with women’s and men’s jewelry, in which pagan symbolism occupies a dominant place, to be unearthed. In addition, neighboring peoples also have the memory of their ancestors, and from them you can learn many interesting legends and tales about our common past. For example, information about the greatness of ancient Kievan Rus runs like a red thread through all sources. Many believe that that old Kyiv was located in a completely different place, and in our time only grains of information about this event have been preserved.

Beliefs

Typically, our ancestors worshiped wooden idols and professed totemism and animism ( pre-scientific idea of ​​the existence of a spirit, soul in every thing). In their worldview, two worlds, the otherworldly and the real, were tightly connected. In that spiritual world, spirits and deities lived, and the real one was intended for ordinary people and animals. The other world was well known to the ancient Slavs, they composed legends and fairy tales about it, and therefore it was no less real for them than the one in which they themselves lived.

Totemism

In ancient times, the Slavs believed that their ancestors were always with them, providing protection, food and clothing. For this they were sincerely worshiped, and it was believed that some souls after death acquired the form of animals.
Each Slavic tribe had its own special totem. Some tribes believed that their deity was a wolf, and held a holiday in winter, on the day of the solstice, wearing skins and imagining themselves as these predators. They believed that in this way it was much easier to communicate with the souls of the dead, and receive wisdom, protection and support from them. This is exactly what Ancient Rus' was like, because it was about this life that myths and legends were composed.
Our ancestors mostly lived in the forest, and only the strongest survived here. By right, the Bear was considered the most dangerous and cunning animal of the forest. For the Slavs, he became not only a protector from various evil spirits, but also helped with the harvest.
In addition to the bear, the Deer or Elk totem was very highly valued. Since that time, the custom has remained to embroider the Deer, who was the goddess of fertility, on various fabrics. Moreover, in all the embroideries without exception, the Deer had antlers, although in real life she does not have them. This was done in order to place the sun in the antlers, thus showing that the Deer is a symbol of warmth, light and sun rays.

Creatures of the world

The first civilized peoples believed that the world was born from an egg. For example, this was claimed by the ancient Greeks, Iranians and Chinese. Our ancestors also have similar legends.

Myth 1. In the lower worlds, the prince received three kingdoms as a gift, which were cleverly packaged in three eggs. After he arrived in our world, having overcome a huge number of obstacles and evil creatures, all he had to do was break the shell and they appeared right in front of him. There were three kingdoms - Golden, Copper, Silver.

Myth 2. When the space was deserted, an unknown duck flew over the ocean. She drops the egg, which falls down. From the impact, it splits into two even parts, from the upper one the vault of heaven is immediately formed, while the lower one turns into mother damp earth.

Myth 3. At one time there was a golden egg of unprecedented value. He was guarded by a terrible snake, possessing enormous strength and power. However, for any force there can be another, even greater one. This is exactly what happened, a hero came to the serpent, and after a long battle he killed him and cracked the egg. This is how the three kingdoms were formed - the heavenly, the underground and the middle, that is, ours.

Carpathian song

The inhabitants of the Carpathians have songs that speak of a time when there was nothing at all, and only the blue sea stretched around. And in the middle of that sea stood a huge oak tree. One day two doves flew up to this tree and began to think and wonder how to create the earth and all things. They dived into the sea and pulled out sand and gold nuggets. They scattered that sand around the oak tree along with gold, and black earth came out of the sea, and deep rivers flowed through it, and the grass turned green around it, the sky became blue and the sun rose on it.

Trinity

In many legends we can find the characteristic features of a tripartite system, in which our Earth is the middle of the world, above it are the heavens, and in the depths hide the most terrible creatures and monsters.

Country Ir

In old myths, you can often hear about the island of Buyan, which is located in the sea-ocean. An oak tree grows on it, and at its foot lies a magical altar stone. According to our ancestors, this island is the center of the entire universe.
True, it is sometimes claimed that this place is located in the Holy Mountains, which are sometimes called the Iriy tree. It is to this place, according to the ancient Slavs, that all birds strive to fly, and it is there that the beautiful Spring spends the cold season. Some researchers claim that the oldest legends mention the country of Ir, which is supposedly located at the bottom of the sea. It is there, in their opinion, that the most powerful forces that rule our world live.

Geography

For ancient people, all directions of the world had their own, strictly functional properties, which were directly related to various deities. At that time, the most fertile lands were located in the East, and therefore that place was inhabited by the Gods. However, if a person dared to go to the northwest, then no one was waiting for him back, since that land was the land of eternal winter and death. The Slavs assumed that two rivers - the Danube and Don - were a line beyond which there was no life. Behind this water barrier lived the souls of the dead, and those who dared to overcome impassable swamps, thickets and wild animals would face a quick and terrible death. It was there that after death, eternal peace or great trouble awaited a person. Everything depended on how correctly each of the Slavs fulfilled the laws of their ancestors and prayed to the ancient deities.

After reading this informative article, you have now learned briefly about Myths and legends of ancient Rus', and now you won’t find yourself in a difficult situation if you suddenly come across references to ancient times again.