Throughout the millennia during which Belarusian culture was formed and developed, mythology has served as a source of inspiration and a compass that helped our ancestors navigate the world of natural phenomena and human relationships. The ancient ancestors of Belarusians, who did not yet have a written language, passed these stories down orally over many centuries to preserve them for future generations.
The HVILINA team, in collaboration with Iryna Klimkovich — journalist, publicist, independent researcher of traditional Belarusian beliefs, and co-author of the encyclopedic dictionary Belarusian Mythology — published a collection of solar and lunar myths of Belarus, gathered from various regions of the country. The collection is available in three languages: Belarusian, Russian, and English.
The material includes a large number of cosmological plots and reflects the influence of mythology on the formation of calendar holidays, customs, and beliefs. It reveals the connection between ancient symbols and modern traditions, interprets various phenomena, and describes sacred animals. The material is divided into four major sections: myths about the Sun, the Moon, the planet Venus, and other celestial bodies.
The article contains some mythological plots that help provide a general idea of the content of the entire collection. These stories date back to the times of Indo-European unity and offer a new perspective on Belarusian culture and its roots. The full research material is available for download at the end of the article.
WHY THE SUN ONLY SHINES DURING THE DAY
Right after creating the world, God granted the Sun the ability to always shine for all beings on Earth — good and evil. However, the Sun grew weary of lighting the way for the evil and complained to God. In response, God punished the Sun by limiting its light to the daytime only, allowing it to rest at night when evil forces roam. Thus, the Sun became the celestial body of the day, symbolizing the contrast between the good and the evil, light and darkness, day and night.
It was believed that the Sun was pulled across the sky by birds (geese and ducks), and in the evening, they would lower it into the water at the edge of the world, allowing the Sun to rest in its palace at night. According to some sources, somewhere in the south, near the Sun, there is the Paradise (Vyraj) — a warm and bright place where the birds go to spend the winter.
According to ancient folk beliefs, the Sun was seen as a large cosmic (divine) fire, “warming” the sky so that it would remain warm. At the same time, it was considered the highest embodiment of cosmic fire.
THE CELESTIAL FAMILY
According to an ancient myth known as “The Celestial Family” or “The Celestial Wedding”, the Sun and the Moon are portrayed as the perfect married couple. The Sun embodies the feminine principle, the ideal housekeeper, while the Moon represents the masculine, the ideal host. The stars are their children, and the Cosmos serves as their mansion and courtyard, symbolizing a flawlessly ordered Universe.
However, even in this ideal order, disruptions can occur. Due to its changeable nature, the Moon sometimes pursues the Evening Star (Venus) — the brightest star in the morning and evening sky. It shines so brightly that it competes in "beauty" with the Sun, which either sets or has not yet risen. Astronomically, this corresponds to the periodic conjunctions of Venus and the Moon in the night sky.
The Moon's infidelity results in severe punishment from Perun. The Moon is either shattered (the God crushes it into stars) or split, which corresponds to several days during which the Moon is not visible in the sky. The Moon is also regularly mentioned in riddles as "a piece of bread".
KUPALLE AND THE DANCE OF THE SUN
Kupalle is the day of the summer solstice, when the Sun reaches its peak strength, causing the earth to come alive and bloom. At this time, the Sun rises above the earth, emitting its hottest and most intense rays, warming the land and illuminating it with light. This moment represents the culmination of the relationship between the Sun and the Earth.
Observing the dance of the Sun was part of the Kupalle rituals for our ancestors. Seeing the Sun's dance after the “endless” Kupalle night was considered a good omen for all participants in the ritual and for nature as well. Folklore often mentions that the Sun plays with the Dawn. This motif — the dance of the Sun — is well-developed in Indo-European heritage, where the morning Dawn is depicted as the goddess Ushas — a beautiful girl dressed in bright attire, who appears at dawn on a golden chariot, granting people offspring and prosperity.
In one Belarusian folk song, the Dawn loses the keys with which she must unlock the sky each morning to release the day; the Sun finds these keys.
WHY THE MOON ONLY SHINES AT NIGHT?
The Moon's unique movement across the starry sky gave rise to the very idea of the calendar — the Moon became a segment of time.
One legend states that God commanded the Moon to shine for people at night while the Sun rests. However, the Moon was very lazy and did not shine well, so God ordered it to be reborn every four weeks. Thus, one week it is new, the next it waxes, the third it is full, and in the fourth, it completely disappears. In Latvian folklore, the Moon is jokingly called lazy for not wanting to shine during the day.
Another Belarusian legend says that when the Moon ages, God breaks it into stars. One part is placed in a bowl for fermentation. The stars fall into it, creating grooves. The dough rises and overflows. This is how a new Moon is born.
ZARNITSA AND VECHARNITSA
In popular consciousness, Venus in its morning (Zarnitsa) and evening (Vecharnitsa) manifestations are not identified. People saw them as two different celestial objects.
Zarnitsa is a very bright star that shines early in the morning and symbolizes the beginning of the day; Vecharnitsa is the evening star that God sends to inspect the earth before the onset of the night darkness. It is believed that Vecharnitsa is responsible for the “punishment of the Moon” for the marital infidelity of the Sun in the mythological plot of the “Heavenly Family”.
Zarnitsa and Vecharinitsa are also referred to as “gospodnie or divine helpers”. According to legends, these stars serve as assistants to God, and in Lithuanian tradition, they are considered the daughters of the Sun. The morning star prepares breakfast for the Sun, while the evening star makes the bed. In Belarusian tradition, Zarnitsa and Vecharinitsa were presented as daughters of God. Due to their celestial origin, they can help people convey their requests to God more quickly.
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We invite you to embark on a journey into the world of Belarusian mythology, to explore how ancient legends and beliefs are reflected in modern life and culture.
📌The full material is available for download in PDF format in three languages of your choice here.