Holidays of the Slavs - Semargl Day

Semargl is a sacred winged dog, a deity belonging to the category of beregins In the Tale of Bygone Years, Semargl is mentioned as one of the idols included by Prince Vladimir in the pantheon of Slavic gods A documented fact testifies to the importance of Semargl Then the riddles begin Scientific and literary works provide conflicting information about the purpose of this character Researchers of Slavic mythology express several versions According to one, Semargl is the patron of fertility, a vital sphere for the Slavs Protecting seeds and crops requires fearlessness, strength, and speed Claws, teeth and wings help Semargl successfully cope with this task, endowing him with swiftness, remarkable strength and courage According to another version, Semargl is not an independent god, but the divine dog of Mokosh, the goddess of fertility But a more common opinion is that Semargl is the Fire God, belongs to the most ancient powerful deities, and is identified with the fire god Svarozhich (the supreme god of the ancient Slavs) The emergence of people is associated with fire in Slavic mythology The Fire God ignites the flame of love, promoting procreation, protects the world from evil created by black forces, gives people light, warmth and fire, keeps home and hearth, and acts as a mediator between people and the Heavenly Gods Semargl - the Fire God brought a shoot of the tree of life to earth and therefore he is able to heal people and animals from various ailments He inhabits the body and souls of the sick and heals everyone who turns to him for help A rising temperature is a clear sign that the sacred winged dog is frantically fighting illness The higher the temperature, the fiercer the battle You cannot interfere with Fire God and bring down the patient’s temperature Semargl is the keeper of fire, monitors the observance of fire rituals and sacrifices He is revered on days when signs and rituals associated with fire are mentioned in the Slavic calendar On Semargl Day, following ancient customs, the Slavs say goodbye to winter by burning an effigy of Madder, the goddess of death, made from branches in a fire Then they invite spring, jump over the fire and ask the God of Fire to melt the remaining snow The ritual ends with chants and round dances around the fires On April 14, Semargl melts the last snow and revival begins in nature: seeds germinate, plants wake up, people rejoice in spring The fire of love flares up in Slavic hearts, life goes on Praise be to Semarglu!