Belobog: Encyclopedia - Belobog

Belobog

In Slavic mythology, Belabog (alternately Bialbog, Byelobog, Bielobog, Belun, Bylun) (bel-oh-bog | byal-bog | bel-oon, from Slavic bel, byal (white or light) and bog (god), literally meaning White God) is a solar deity in the Slavic pantheon.

Belobog is one of the archaic gods. He is master of light, source of good, happiness and luck, and is the absolute antagonist of darkness, evil, and of all negative emotions and activities. Probably Belobog was at first the god of highest priority, associated to ancient Slavic cosmogony, as one of the universal demiurges. With the later development of pagan beliefs he gradually lost his importance, although people's respect towards him never died out. In the advanced Slavic cult, Belobog is god of the waxing year, one of the solar god Dajbog's companions, personifying sunshine, warmth and life in general. Peasants believed that Belobog secretly keeps an eye on their wheat and if they praised him, he even helped them in farming, especially in harvest-time. They imagined him as a long-bearded old man, carrying a staff and dressed in white robes, which was the traditional Slavic costume.

Belobog was said to fight his evil brother Chernobog ("Black God") twice a year for control of that year, with Belobog gaining control of the waxing half of the year and Chernobog control of the waning half.

Belobog - External link

• A sum of the legend of Belobog and Crnobog

Categories: Slavic gods | Solar gods

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Belobog", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki