Slavic Gods and Heroes

by Judith Kalik

This book offers a radical reinterpretation of the Slavic pagan religion made on the basis of a thorough re-examination of all reliable sources. What did Slavic pagan religion have in common with the Afro-American cult of voodoo? Why were no Slavic gods mentioned before the mid-tenth century, and why were there no Slavic gods at all between the Dnieper and the Oder? Why were Slavic foundation legends similar to the totemic myths of the nomadic peoples of the Eurasian Steppe, and who were Slavic Remus and Romulus? What were the Indo-European roots of Slavic hippomantic rituals, and where was the Eastern Slavic dragon Zmey Gorynych born? Answers to these and many other provocative questions can be found in this book.

Genres: History, Mythology, Nonfiction

198 pages, Paperback

Published June 30, 2020

Reviews

[Es]

Eh. Couldn’t even finish it.

[Cole]

I appreciate the systematic way that the authors lay out the available sources on the topic. However, much of the book - apart from the first chapter on writings from antiquity - does not discuss what the sources actually reveal. In this way, it's more of a catalog than reference book.

The authors also make some definitive statements in areas that are considered open to different interpretations or debated, without indicating that there is still scholarly debate. I do not care for that approach. A better one is to be open about competing theories and the evidence for each. Simply presenting one's favored theory as fact does readers a disservice.

[Natasa]

The only value of this book are the lists of sources used to write it. Otherwise, the book is poorly written, raising more questions than it answers and without fulfilling the purpose set in the introduction.

[Sophie Komlóšiová]

I thought this would be about traditions and diety-worshipping in the Slavic countries, but it's rather a book for students in universities having specialisation in Slavic history that want more "historical" content. Plus its also written overly difficult, so this book is just a no for me:/