Stribog Day among the Slavs

Stribog is the god of atmospheric phenomena among the pagan Slavs In ancient Russian literary monuments he is called grandfather or father of the winds Researchers have not yet figured out what lies in the essence of this Slavic deity: a good or evil principle Some scientists correlate it with the lord of sunlight - Dazhdbog Others consider him the god of war, the patron of warriors, and the guardian of the world of the dead According to legend, the gray-haired old man Stribog lived in the thicket of a dark forest or on an island in the middle of the ocean He had the power to cause a storm, a hurricane, a storm, or, conversely, to pacify the raging bad weather A tornado was a frightening manifestation of Stribog The Slavs were afraid of this atmospheric phenomenon: they tried to stab him with a knife, beat him with sticks, shouted at him, and threw stones at him The day of honoring the deity according to the new style falls on August 21 Sometimes this day was called Stribozhe Summer or the day of Stribog Vetrogon From this moment on, the cold children and grandchildren of the deity remind people of the upcoming autumn thaw It is interesting that not only in summer, but also in other seasons - autumn, winter and spring - the pagans remembered and honored Stribog and his children, who brought warm and cold winds There were no special festivities held at Stribozhye Letneya, and there was no ban on work either Housewives did not prepare festive meals and did not decorate their homes On this day, pagans performed various rituals for the harvest and good luck in business In the morning, the Slavs offered Stribog the following: colorful ribbons, shreds, newly ground flour, bread, and cereals People went out into the field and scattered everything they brought to the wind, asking for good winds that were beneficial for the harvest On this day, sailors and merchants especially honored Stribog, because he had the power to fill the sails with wind or sink a ship with goods being transported Magi and priests considered this deity their patron; they talked to him, asking him to bring hidden knowledge from the world of the dead with the winds On this day, you had to watch your words and not throw them away, otherwise the deity could make you answer for them The Slavs also believed that all bad wishes could come true with the help of Stribog