Veles

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Summary page for Veles, the Slavic god of underworld, cattle, and agriculture.

Pantheon:

Slavic Pantheon

Deity Of:

Underworld, Cattle, Magic, Abundance, Knowledge, Travelers, Traders, Fertility, Agriculture

Archetype:

Creator: Veles set the world created by Rod and Svarog into motion. He brought the created world into movement and life.

Underworld Ruler: Veles was a judge of the dead and a tester of the living.

Trickster: Veles could take any form and perform magical feats.

Sage: Veles was the patron of wisdom and knowledge.

Protector: He protected livestock, wealth, and travelers.

Harvest Deity: People honored Veles during the harvest with rituals and offerings.

Animal Deity: They associated Veles with animals, especially cattle and bears.

Other Names (a.k.a.):

Czech: Veles 

Russian: Blasius (Власий), Veles (Велес), Vlas (Влас), Volos (Волос)

Slav: Veles, Velesu, Vlassy, Volos, Volusu, Vyeles 

Ukrainian: Veles (Велес), Vlasiy (Власій), Volos (Волос)

Other Pantheons:

Norse = Odin

Roman = Mercury

Protector of Cattle and Livestock: He was called the “cattle god” and was considered a guardian of domestic animals.

God of Wealth and Abundance: Veles was the god of material and spiritual wealth. He brought abundance and prosperity to his followers.

God of Magic and Transformation: Veles was a powerful wizard and master of magic. He was known for his magical abilities and shape-shifting powers.

God of Knowledge and Arts: Veles was the patron of knowledge and the arts. He taught people agriculture and various crafts.

God of the Underworld and the Afterlife: Veles ruled the underworld and judged the dead. He was a mediator between the living and the dead.

Mediator in Trade and Law: Veles protected merchants and traders. He mediated trade agreements and contracts.

Protector of Travelers and Traders: Veles protected travelers and those on journeys. He was the lord of roads and pathways.

God of Fertility and Agriculture: Veles was associated with fertility and agriculture. He ensured bountiful harvests and agricultural prosperity.

Connection to Seasons and Natural Cycles: Veles set the world in motion, creating the cycle of day and night, and the changing seasons. He was linked to the transitions between seasons and the rhythms of nature.

Appearance:

Veles wore simple clothing.
He had bull horns on his head.
As a shape-shifter, he sometimes appeared with scales, fur, membranous wings, and could breathe fire.
He was depicted in various animal forms, such as a bear, wolf, or serpent.

Artistic Depictions:

Statues often showed Veles with bull horns or a horn of plenty.
Some images depicted him holding a dead human head, symbolizing his role in the underworld.
He was sometimes shown as a serpent with fur and wings, highlighting his shape-shifting abilities.

Symbolism:

Chalice with Milk: Represented his role as a protector of livestock.

Bull Horns: Symbolized his connection to cattle and abundance.

Horn of Plenty: Signified wealth and abundance.

Bear’s Paw: Used as a protective charm in stables, symbolizing protection and prosperity.

Animal Masks and Fur Coats: Worn during rituals to honor Veles, signifying his connection to animals and the wild.

Corn Sheaf: Known as “Veles’s beard,” left unharvested as a symbol of fertility and prosperity.

Copper Offerings: Represented wealth and prosperity.

Celestial Associations:

Milky Way: Known as “the milk of the celestial cow,” symbolizing the universe’s origin and Veles’s cosmic connection.

Ursa Major (Great Bear): Referred to as the “abode of Veles.”

Taurus: Called “Veles’s starry field.”

Pleiades: Known as “Veles’s wives.”

Realms:

Underworld (Navi): Veles ruled the underworld, judged the dead, and was associated with death and the afterlife.

Worship Places:

Temples and Altars: Built in Kiev and other cities; often replaced by Christian churches, like the Church of St. Blaise in Novgorod and Rostov.

Forests and Groves: Sacred sites often located in dense pine forests or at crossroads.

Velesova Street in Novgorod: Named after a temple of Veles once stood there.

Vlasovia Street in Kyiv: Named after the place where a temple of Veles once stood.

Dedicated Shrines: Located in valleys, lowlands, or groves, often featuring animal skulls or horns.

Rituals & Divinations:

Animal Sacrifices: Bulls and cows were offered to Veles.

Festive Attire: During святки (Yuletide) and масленица (Maslenitsa), participants wore fur garments inside out and horned masks.

Magical Rites: Rituals to protect livestock, such as crossing an axe over the animals.

Symbolic Baking: Making and baking symbolic animal figures from dough to influence livestock fertility.

Feeding Rituals: On Veles’s night, livestock were given abundant feed, and sheep received the first pancake.

Dance and Song: Dedication of dances, songs, and even open expressions of love to Veles, tied to fertility and renewal of life.

Harvest Rituals: Leaving a bundle of unharvested grain “for Veles’s beard” at the end of the harvest.

Smoke Divination: Priests interpreted smoke from fires; poor divinations could lead to the execution of the priest.

Wisdom and Prophecy: Veles was regarded as a master of wisdom, prophecy, and law.

Master of Crossroads: Associated with protection and guidance at crossroads and in trade.

Festivals:

Winter Festivals: Celebrated during зимние святки (winter holidays) and масленица (Maslenitsa), with specific dates: 22-24 December, 31 December, 2 and 6 January during “Николы Зимнего” (St. Nicholas Winter).

Spring and Summer Festivals: Celebrated for “Николы Вешнего” (St. Nicholas Spring) on 22 May, and harvest rituals in July and August.

Seasonal Rituals: Included the first driving of cattle to pasture after winter and rituals related to the grain harvest.

Wednesday as Veles’s Day: Wednesday was dedicated to Veles, with associated symbols like opal or obsidian stones, and lead or mercury metals.

Themes:

Beasts and Bravery of Heroes: Veneration of the bear as the master of the forest.

Creation and Birth of Humanity: Veles set the world in motion, establishing cycles of day and night and the changing seasons.

Chronicles of Animals Allies and Kindred Spirits: Protection and reverence for livestock and wild animals.

Genesis of the Realms: Mystical origins of the universe linked to the celestial cow and the Milky Way.

World of Ghosts and Spirits: Veles as the guardian of ancestors’ bones and the silent dead.

Tricksters and Marvelous Mischief: Veles’s shape-shifting abilities and his role as a trickster in mythology.

Mythology Mentions

In “The Tale of Igor’s Campaign,” Veles is referred to as the god of knowledge and arts.

Nestor’s chronicles call him the “cattle god,” highlighting his importance in Slavic mythology.

Veles was often depicted as a guardian and mediator in various myths.

Association with Seasons and Natural Cycles:

People associated Veles with specific days, stones, metals, and trees.

They honored him in rituals that marked the changing seasons and agricultural cycles.

They saw his influence in the natural order and the flow of time.

• A. N. Nikolayeva, Slavic Myths (Russian) Славянские мифы Мифы мира. Самые сказочные истории человечества (Bombora Izdatelstvo, 2023) Pages 54-56, 89
• Alexandra Barkova, What gods were worshiped before christinization? (Russian) В КАКИХ БОГОВ ВЕРИЛИ ДО КРЕЩЕНИЯ РУСИ? («Культура.РФ», 2013)
• Editors of Drevnerusskiy Slovar, Велес (Drevenrusskiy Slovar (Russian) “Древнерусский словарик”, 2010-2024)
• Editors of Spadok.Org.UA, Pantheon of Slavic Gods (Ukraine) Пантеон язичницьких богів слов’ян (Spadok (Ukrainian), August 17, 2020)
• G. Glinka, V. Zhukovskiy, A. Gilferding, Slavyanskaya Mifologia (Beliy Gorod, 2020) ВОЛОС, Pages 43-44
• Galina Lozko, Слов’янський пантеон у світлі етнорелігійного ренесансу (“Об`єднання рідновірів України”, 1995-2024)
• Igor Ozhiganov, Slavic Gods and Goddesses (Russian) Славянские Боги и Богини (Naslediye Sluchkogo Kraya (Russian) “Наследие слуцкого края”, October 31, 2019)
• J.A. Coleman, The Dictionary of Mythology: An A-Z of Themes, Legends, and Heroes (Barnes & Noble, Inc., 2007)
• Jan Hanuš Máchal, George Foot Moore, Louis Herbert Gray, Slavic Mythology: Folklore & Legends of the Slavs (e-artnow, Originally published 1922, Date Published 2020) 109-111
• Mayevska Svitlana Vasilivna, Pantheon of Slavic Gods (Ukrainian) Презентація ПАНТЕОН СЛОВ’ЯНСЬКИХ БОГІВ – ТО НАШЕ НЕБО. (Na Urok (Ukrainian) «НА УРОК», April 01)
• Yaromir Slushni, All  Slavic Myths and Legends (Russian) Все славянские мифы и легенды (ACT, Moscow, 2021) Page 5