Slavic mythology makosh. Slavic ritual "make-up". Makosh - goddess of fate and sorcery

Makosh (Makosh, Mokosha, Mokusha) is a Slavic goddess. It occupies one of the most important and significant places in the pagan pantheon of the Slavs. It is worth saying that the idol of Makosh was among others on the Kiev temple, which was erected and then destroyed by Prince Vladimir. The fact that Makosh was awarded such an honor as an idol on the main princely temple speaks of her extraordinary significance in the beliefs and ideas of our ancestors. Among other idols, Makosh was the only female deity.

Makosh is the goddess of the earth and rain, harvest, spinning, weaving, the patroness of crafts, the patroness of women, the goddess of fate. The very name "Mokosh" or "Makosh" is associated with several versions of origin. One of the versions put forward by M. Vasmer, Mokosh comes from the word “get wet”, and in ancient times this goddess was directly associated with rain and harvest. Other researchers - V. V. Ivanov and V. N. Toporov, suggested that Mokosh comes from the word mokos, which can be translated as "spinning". That this goddess was closely associated with weaving and spinning is not in doubt. There are still beliefs that it is impossible to spin and do needlework on Friday, since this day is dedicated to Mokosh and the goddess can punish for such an offense. For the same reason, Mokosh was often depicted as "pricked with needles and twisted with spindles", because wicked women do not obey, they sew and spin on Fridays. As victims, Mokosh brought yarn, tow, thread, which were thrown into the well. This rite is called mokrida. Surprisingly, in one rite, two hypostases of this goddess are emphasized at once - the patroness of needlewomen and the goddess of rain and harvest. According to a well-known researcher, the name Makosh comes from the phrase "ma" - mother and "kosh" - lot. Such a phrase can be translated as - Mother of fate. In ancient times, "kosh" also meant a basket for grain, a barn, a corral for cattle, a cart for sheaves, and from this we can conclude that Makosh is the mother of the harvest. None of the names of the goddess is erroneous, that is, you can call her both Makosh and Mokosh, but later in the article, so that there is no confusion, we will call her Makosh.

Like a spinner who spins divine threads, Makosh is also goddess of fate. According to the beliefs of the pagan Slavs, it is she who is engaged in spinning the threads of life (pokuta, pokutnye threads). The assistants of this goddess are Share and Nedolya (Srecha and Nesrecha).

Makosh was, without a doubt, one of the central figures of the pagan beliefs of the ancient Slavs. The cult of Mokosh is especially popular among women, whose immediate patroness is the goddess. Makosh is mentioned in the annals and teachings against paganism: “Steer before the invisible God: people praying to Rod and women in childbirth, Perun, and Apollo, and Mokosh, and Peregina, and do not approach any gods vile requirements” (XVI century, Teaching to Spiritual Children) , “For the sake of it, it is not appropriate for Christians to play bezovsky games, even eating dancing, buzzing, songs of the myr and eating idlskaya, even praying fires before the barn and the pitchfork and Mokoshi and Sim and Ryglu and Perun and Rod and Rozhanitsy” (XVI century, Word on bribery ), “... the same gods are required to create the Slovenian language: Vilam and Makosh and Diva, Perun. Kharsu…” (XV century, The Word on Idols) and many others.

It is worth noting the fact that during the time of dual faith, the image of Mokosh was transferred to a Christian saint Paraskeva Friday or Paraskeva Pnyanikha. Mokosh's day has always been considered Friday, which is why Paraskeva is also called Friday; Pnyanikha or Lyanikha - spinning flax, also refers to the image of Mokosh. Paraskeva, translated from Greek, means “Friday”. Perhaps also for this reason, the Slavs, who had not yet lost touch with the pagan gods, saw in this name something very similar to Makosh and transferred all the features that were inherent in the pagan goddess to the Christian saint, thus making a kind "castling". Some ancient churches that belong to Paraskeva Pyatnitsa stand on the site of former temples dedicated to Makosh. The connection of Mokosh with Friday is proved by many different testimonies, ranging from the tradition of holding rituals on Fridays in honor of this goddess, various Friday prohibitions, and ending with the similarity of goddesses identical to Mokosh in other traditions. For example, the German Freya, which is very similar to our Makosh, has a direct connection with the name of Friday - Freitag.

Makosh is often compared with such goddesses as Hekate (the ancient Greek goddess of the moon, night visions and sorcery), Freya (the Scandinavian goddess of love and beauty), Aphrodite (the ancient Greek goddess of beauty and love). Makosh existed not only on the territory of ancient Russia, but also in other countries. For example, among the Czechs, Makosh is the goddess of rain and dampness, who was resorted to with prayers and sacrifices during a drought.

Paraskeva Pyatnitsa, just like her pagan predecessor, is considered a dressmaker who patronizes girls engaged in manual labor. There is also a belief here that Friday forbids all women to work on this day, to do any kind of needlework. It is believed that Paraskeva Friday became especially popular in the XII-XIII centuries, when Christianity was already flourishing. In Christian times, people continued to pray to Paraskeva, seeing in her image that same archaic Makosh, for patronage in needlework, fate, and also for rain. For Paraskeva, prayers were arranged at wells and springs, which indicates a direct connection with the ancient rites dedicated to this goddess. Another interesting juxtaposition of the “old” and “new” goddesses was the idea that Paraskeva’s icons miraculously appear near reservoirs or directly in the water of reservoirs, which is also an echo of ancient pagan myths and legends. In the first time after baptism, when pagan customs were still very strong, people brought various fruits to the Paraskeva icons in churches (the cornucopia is one of the attributes of Mokosh), flax, left the first compressed sheaf on the field, and so on. In order for Makosh-Paraskeva to give a good harvest of fruit trees, in the villages they still put fruits under the icon of this holy fruit and keep them there until next year.

For the same reason that no business on friday, on the eve they sweep the floor so that on the holy day the house is clean, and the goddess who came to visit the house was pleased with what she saw. On Friday, do not leave yarn in the spindle, untidy threads and needlework devices. You can not comb flax, wash clothes, dig, plow, harrow the ground, sweep floors, clean manure. It is believed that one who engages in such matters dusts the eyes of the goddess, pricks and cuts her skin with needles and scissors. Friday among the Slavs was revered on a par with Sunday (Week).

associated with the cult of water and rain, she is considered closely connected with the veneration of the earth and patronizes fertility. She is often depicted as a female figure with horns and is also associated with the lunar cult. As you know, in Russia, the Moon has always been considered the "star" of women and patronized women. Thus, Makosh is the goddess of the moon, the goddess of rain and earth, the patroness of women, the patroness of needlework, housekeeping and the eldest of the spins - the goddess of fate. There is also an opinion that not only the Moon is the personification of Mokosh, but also the planet Venus. Venus has always been considered patronizing women, and therefore some researchers bring together Dennitsa, Zorya (the goddess of Venus) and Makosh.

Researchers of this goddess pay special attention to embroidery, where Makosh is presented in some detail. Here she is always depicted as the central figure. Makosh with raised hands means the goddess-giver of rain (prayer for warmth, light and rain - spring and early summer); the goddess with lowered hands is the patroness of the earth and the fertility of the earth (a prayer for the fertility of the earth is summer and autumn). Often in embroidery she is accompanied by two figures. These are the same figures that Boris Rybakov wrote so much about in his studies: once the mistresses of the universe - heavenly moose cows or Rozhanitsy - Lada and Lelya. In instructions against paganism, the medieval clerks Makosh were very often placed next to Beregini and pitchforks. You can read about Beregini and pitchforks in the article "". Makosh is considered their mentor, their main goddess. Forks or Forks-mermaids, Beregini are Makosh's assistants in agricultural affairs, as well as in protecting and helping people. The same assistant is the sacred dog Simargl, who guards the seedlings and harvest.

Since Makosh is associated with the moon, the moonstone, rock crystal, is considered the stone-amulet of this goddess. Mokosh's metal is silver. The animal is a cat. In this case, the cat can be the animal of the goddess for two reasons. Since ancient times, the cat was considered a nocturnal animal that walks under the moon and is closely associated with the night element, night spirits and night Gods. Also, a cat is considered the beast of Mokosh by consonance: Kosh-ka - Ma-kosh. The symbol can be yarn, a spindle, a ball of wool and other needlework items. The idol often looked like a female image with horns and a cornucopia in her hands. An idol or an idol is preferably made from female woods, for example, from aspen. Another symbol of Mokosh is a spider and a spider web. The spider, like Makosh, spins a thread (of fate). Hence the belief that if you suddenly fall into a spider web in the forest, then this is a good sign, that is, Makosh favors such a person and gives a sign that his thread will be even and happy. Also, the most famous and widespread amulet-amulet - Lunnitsa, which in ancient times was a female adornment and an amulet, and looked like a crescent moon with various inserts and images, such as oblique lines of rain, stars, and so on, can serve as its symbol.

Makosh was present not only in many chronicles, writings, teachings, and in the court of Prince Vladimir in the form of one of the idols. The image of the goddess is also found on the famous Zbruch idol. Among the other Gods that are depicted on each of the four faces, Makosh is represented on the front face with a horn (of abundance) in his hand.

Friday, she is Makosh, was considered patroness of trade. The researchers came to this conclusion, judging by the numerous names, including: the Church of Friday at the Market in Veliky Novgorod, built in 1207; the Church of Friday at the Market in Chernihiv in the 12th and 13th centuries; Friday Church in Okhotny Ryad in Moscow and so on. In addition, since ancient times, Friday has always been considered the day of trade, bazaars, fairs. The very name "Mokosh" after baptism was not forgotten, but switched to a domestic god (as in the case of Rod, who, after the baptism of Russia, turned from an almighty creator into a brownie). Mokosha was now presented as a female house spirit with a large head and long arms. There are legends that the house spirit of Mokosh spins at night, while everyone is sleeping, and if you leave the tow untidy, then Mokosha can ruin it. There is also such a mention about Mokosh, recorded in the 19th century in the Olonets region: “A sheep, no matter how they cut their wool, sometimes wipe it off; and they say: Mokusha sheared the sheep. Other: they are sleeping - the spindle rumbles. They say Mokusha spun. Leaving the house, she (Mokosh) sometimes comes up, and about the beam, from the floor, about the spindle, she clicks.

Another holiday dedicated to this goddess is Spring Makoshye (Earth Day) - May 10.

Makosh, together with women in labor Lada and Lelei, are the main patron goddesses of the Babi porridge holiday, which is traditionally celebrated on January 8th.

Feasts of the Christian saint Paraskeva: Paraskeva Gryaznikha (October 14) and Paraskeva Lnyanitsa (October 28).

The most important goddess is the Great Goddess of Life - Swa, the Mother of Time and Eternity, Space and Order, the daughter of Chaos. It is eternal and infinite, born and dying, it is unchanging and changing (scientists would call it the Universe). Daughter of Chaos and Mother of Order. Her son, the eldest and main god of the sky - Svarog - the ancestor of the heavenly gods, the great god, the supreme lord of the stars, the all-seeing eye of the whole world. He has other names. In honor of the great God Svarog (Svyatovit, Svetovit, Svantevit, Rodovita), great temples were erected throughout the Slavic world. A staff (great wanderer) and a large turium horn, filled to the brim with honey (on holidays), were put into the hands of Svarog. The progenitor of the World, the only supreme being, became the mother of the gods. She is the daughter of Chaos and the Black Abyss. She is the Mother of Order, because thanks to Svarog she had many children: The first is the God of the Sun - Dazhdbog Svarozhich - the great giver of light (Radokosh). God of prosperity, warriors, prosperity and protection. The second is the Goddess of the Moon - Dennitsa Svarogovna, the wife of the Sun God, she has many names (Podaga, Zimtserla, etc.). She is the goddess of weaving and weaving. Dennitsa takes the threads of life and, working with bobbins (on a loom), weaves the threads of the fate of each person, creating a canvas of fate. In this canvas, our paths intersect with each other, and when one pattern ends on the Great Canvas of Fate, Dennitsa weaves others into the old threads of life. The God of the Sun and the Goddess of the Moon have children - the gods of the seasons. Kupava is the goddess of Summer, herbs (but in some Slavic tribes she is not a woman, but a man - Kupalo, Ligo, Yanko). Kolyada - the goddess of frost, snow, the beauty of Winter. Her holiday was accompanied by dances of mummers. Lada is the goddess of Spring, youth, beauty and pleasure, the patroness of the inviolability of marriages. Goddess of love and health A young, dazzlingly beautiful woman (she was depicted with a ring in her hand). She has a wreath of non-fading flowers, gives goodness and health to people, keeps harmony in the family, sudarushka - ok-white swan (the swan is her bird). Beauty of the Russian Land. She has a daughter, Lelya, from the god Veles. Lada and Lelya were often simply called Rodunits in Russia. Ovsen is the god of Autumn and harvest. Songs are sung at his holidays: Yarilo - Yarovit, Radegast, Yar, the god of warmth, fertility, pleasure, marriage, carnal love, forever young, impetuous, violent, predictor of the future (his second name is Yarovit, his symbol at weddings is a wand in the form of a phallus and a shield, gilded with the image of the rays of the sun, was often depicted with a spear). But at the same time, quick-tempered and uncontrollable. Wherever he looks - everything will give birth there, wheat is earing and a child will be born. With his spear he pierced hearts, inflamed passion in the human body. According to legend, Yarilo fell in love with Mokosh and for a long time followed the shadow of the great beauty. He desired her so much that he vowed to give his life for a night with her. And the Great Goddess heard him, lay down with him, and he gave her his love, and in the place with her his strength, and died. But the Great Goddess did not want his death, dismembered his body and, together with the grain, threw it into the ground, sprinkled it with her tears, and was reborn, Yarilo in a new grain. And also the children of the Sun and the Moon - two children born at the same time - but completely different! Boy and girl - Day and Night. Day always accompanies the father, Night - the mother. Perun is the brother of Dazhdbog, the second son of Svarog. Perun is the supreme god of the elements, the lord of thunderstorms, lightning, thunder. Terrible and majestic, he rushes above the earth on winged horses. Perun Svarozhich Perun is the god of warriors, weapons, and also the god of Heaven. Once Svarog himself was responsible for all this, but one day he fell in love with the beautiful land - the goddess Diva and began to ask Sva for land. But his mother wouldn't let him. Then Svarog divided his soul into two parts and endowed one of them with wisdom - this is how Perun appeared. Perun has several names: Chislobog, Perkunas, Belobog, Chernobog. This god has two faces: formidable and kind. There were separate chapels for Perun Belobog and Perun Chernobog. Chernobog helped in revenge, revenge, murder; Belobog - get out alive from any difficult trouble, war. According to legend, the inner self of Perun is constantly at war with each other and it is not known who will win - Chernobog or Belobog. Another name of Perun is Gromovik, on his holidays they lit a wax 16-pood candle - “Thunder”. When they went on military campaigns and the campaign turned out to be successful, the temples of Perun relied on 1/3 of the captured booty. It is interesting here that Svarog divided his soul in two, and one of the parts of the soul was named Perun. Most likely, this is already a late insertion into the legend. And in the primary source, Svarog himself stood, who descended from heaven to earth. Moreover, many still do not recognize Perun as a separate god and believe that this is Lish one of the names of SVAROGA, only an image of another. It's like in a church you can see several icons of the Virgin at once: Kazan, Vladimir, indestructible wall. And she alone is for Christians. So SVAROG has many names. The children of Svarog wear his name - Svarozhychi. Perun Svarozhich, Dazhdbog Svarozhich, Diva Svarogovna, Dennitsa Svarogovna. The Slavs of the whole earth, on the example of their gods, bear patronymics - Andrey Semyonovich, Oleg Ivanovich, Yuri Sergeevich, Natalya Igorevna, Tatyana Anatolyevna. If a person was highly respected in Russia, then he was simply called by one patronymic: Vladimirovich, Svyatoslavich, Mikhalych, Olegovna, Sereevna, Yakovlevna. Diva is the goddess of the Earth (the whole earth: sands, seas, rivers, mountains, forests), the goddess of truth and justice, the goddess of hunting, warriors (Divan, Dzivana). She resolves the disputes not only of her children-gods, but also the disputes of all the gods of the Slavic kingdom. Goddess hunter, goddess warrior, goddess of justice. Perun and Diva (Earth) have children: Stribog - the god of the winds, Khors - the god of fire, Mokosh - the goddess of water, Veles - the god of herbs and animals. The oldest god - Stribog - uncle Wind, lord of the seven winds, patron of sailors and millers. Khors - the second son - the god of fire, heavenly and earthly fire. The patron of the hearth, travelers, merchants, blacksmiths, the god of trade and wealth, strength, power and cunning. Mokosh is the only daughter of the goddess Diva, her affectionate name is Mokusha - the goddess of water: seas, rivers, streams, swamps, lakes, rain. Goddess of good luck, easy childbirth and childbearing, good luck and prosperity. The patroness of mermaids, watermen, fishermen and all Slavic women, the goddess of spinning! Homemaker. Livestock. Mistress of the transition from this world to another world. The goddess of fate, divination and sacraments. The great Mokosh holds her head high and proudly, majestically, but she looks kindly at people. At her word, a warm rain begins, at her glance, grasses bloom. Her hair falls over her shoulders, and in her hands she holds the Cup of Life, and wise snakes braid her hands (often on idols the cup is replaced by a horn). The goddess is crowned with cow horns, her clothes are embroidered with river pearls. Giver of life and arbiter of fate. HER names are Zhiva, Dana, Moka ... “Stepping proudly as a princess, You walk along the water surface. In your pearl robe, you carry the cornucopia. The arbiter of secrets and destinies, You spin the threads of life for everyone. Oh, Mokosh is the daughter of Earth and Heaven! ”... Two goddesses help Mokosh: Lada and Lelya. Their idols were placed in temples on the sides of the idol (Kapi) Mokosh. In Russia, there was even a holiday in honor of the three goddesses. Now this holiday is called the Trinity (but in honor of another god!). In Poland, near the city of Kilets, there was a large temple with the Temple of three goddesses: Mokosha, Lada and Lelya, but with the advent of Christianity, it was destroyed, and in its place, a Catholic church was built from its own stones. In general, Mokosh has several Slavic names: Zhiva, Zhlya, Mokosh, Suravel. In addition, it is believed that Mokosh spins the threads of life, even the saying was: “Mokusha spins the threads of life, and Dennitsa weaves a cloth from them! » The holidays of Mokushi fell on every Friday, in addition, there is one central holiday in each month. The Christian Church struggled with these holidays for a long time, but, having become tired, replaced the names, linking them with the Mother of God. Temples - the Temple of Mokosh stood in Kyiv, Novgorod, Rostov, Murom, Pskov, Chernigov. Who has never heard of the famous Bald Mountain near Kyiv? In the Czech Republic, Poland, they went to Mokosh with gifts in case of great need, with gifts and prayers they asked for rain during droughts, they asked for forgiveness of all insults ... As we see, not Elijah the prophet. And although Swa is the Great Mother, the goddess of the world and the mother of all gods, and Diva is the goddess of the earth and the elements, Mokusha, the earthly goddess of fertility, was closer to the hearts of women. She milked the heavenly cow and watered the souls of dead people with the milk of eternity. All Slavic women asked her for protection and happiness for themselves and their children. She was approached with a request and spells about health, luck and wealth, because Mokusha was still the patroness of divination, fortune-telling, getting rid of illness, divination, and magic. She has the keys to go to another world. The Chalice of Mokosh (horn) is the Chalice of the World through which all life flows in order to return to it again. Previously, though, they didn’t say a bowl, but a chara, hence the name Enchantress, or there was such a word kosh. Hence the koshevar. Veles is the patron saint of cattle, animals, plowing, grain in the fields. Veles has many faces, he can change his disguise, either an old man with a stick and a gray beard, or a mature husband with arrows or a club, or take the form of a beast, then a bird, then a young man with a flute ... He is the god of the Navi world, the shepherd of the dead, the opener of paths, the god of magicians and sorcerers, hunters. Veles has many friends (his child) - goblin, brownie, Chur, Vila, etc. So the goblin has a name - Pereplut, he strays the roads - weaves. In the north, he is revered by many, but not Preplut, but called a goblin. They will twist the secret name, like Ber - a bear (lair - BERA's lair). Like Hort is a wolf. Svarog and Sva also have children: Morning Dawn and Evening Dawn. They lead out and meet the winged horses of Dazhdbog. Morning Dawn - the goddess of war, the goddess of horses, the patron goddess of crafts. She is often in conspiracies, in addition to the female image, called the red mare. The Dawn of the god Khors has a daughter - the goddess Zaryanitsa, a red maiden. This is a star - Venus, after sunset it rises in the sky, before sunrise it preaches from heaven. In addition, Swa has a black-eyed beauty daughter - Moarena (Morena, Mara, Mora, Morzhana). She also has other names: Nia, Death, Rock, Revenge, Nestrecha, Mary, Khmar, etc. According to legend, she fell in love with Perun and wanted to become his wife, but Perun refused, did not take his bed. And the beauty was angry, she cooled her heart with malice. Love left the heart of the beauty, she became cold and proud, the coldness of her heart freezes all life in the white world. And when Perun married Diva and became the father of the elements, out of jealousy she began to take revenge, to spread diseases on people - 12 fevers - fevers. Lock up human souls, turning them into ghosts. She wanders from village to village along the roads, inflating envy and malice in human hearts, extinguishes love and heat in the blood. Goddess of poisons, death, betrayal. The most interesting thing is that Moarena can change her disguise. It will turn into a girl, then a small child, then an old woman with a stick, it can come in the form of a loved one or relative, it can appear in any male guise. Her heart is cold, her soul is frozen. Moarena takes away the warmth of human hearts, when a person dies, they say - they celebrated the wedding. Moarena married herself. From here at the funeral, flowers, wreaths, towels. It’s just that once a funeral rite was celebrated like a wedding, but with death - Moarena. The dead man's other half was buried. But Moarena gets only the body, the soul and spirit are not subject to her. She lives in the far north, in eternal snows, in eternal cold, where there is no sun in winter, and when summer comes there too. And there the sun begins to shine, summer comes on the earth, then she goes to sleep on Buyan Island, in a copper pillar, in a room, without windows, her bed weighs on chains. She sleeps in it until winter.

Makosh - Slavic goddess of universal fate

Makosh (Makosh, Mokosha, Mokusha) is a Slavic goddess. It occupies one of the most important and significant places in the pagan pantheon of the Slavs. It is worth saying that the idol of Makosh was among others on the Kiev temple, which was erected and then destroyed by Prince Vladimir. The fact that Makosh was awarded such an honor as an idol on the main princely temple speaks of her extraordinary significance in the beliefs and ideas of our ancestors. Among other idols, Makosh was the only female deity.

Makosh is the goddess of the earth and rain, harvest, spinning, weaving, the patroness of crafts, the patroness of women, the goddess of fate. The very name "Mokosh" or "Makosh" is associated with several versions of origin. One of the versions put forward by M. Vasmer, Mokosh comes from the word “wet”, and in ancient times this goddess was directly associated with rain and harvest.
As victims, Mokosh brought yarn, tow, thread, which were thrown into the well. This rite is called mokrida. Surprisingly, in one rite, two hypostases of this goddess are emphasized at once - the patroness of needlewomen and the goddess of rain and harvest.

Makosh was, without a doubt, one of the central figures of the pagan beliefs of the ancient Slavs. The cult of Mokosh is especially popular among women, whose immediate patroness is the goddess.
Makosh is often compared with such goddesses as Hekate (the ancient Greek goddess of the moon, night visions and sorcery), Freya (the Scandinavian goddess of love and beauty), Aphrodite (the ancient Greek goddess of beauty and love). Makosh existed not only on the territory of ancient Russia, but also in other countries. For example, among the Czechs, Makosh is the goddess of rain and dampness, who was resorted to with prayers and sacrifices during a drought.

Makosh is associated with the cult of water and rain, it is considered closely related to the veneration of the earth and patronizes fertility. She is often depicted as a female figure with horns and is also associated with the lunar cult. As you know, in Russia, the Moon has always been considered the "star" of women and patronized women. Thus, Makosh is the goddess of the moon, the goddess of rain and earth, the patroness of women, the patroness of needlework, housekeeping and the eldest of the spins - the goddess of fate. There is also an opinion that not only the Moon is the personification of Mokosh, but also the planet Venus. Venus has always been considered patronizing women, and therefore some researchers bring together Dennitsa, Zorya (the goddess of Venus) and Makosh.
Since Makosh is associated with the moon, the moonstone, rock crystal, is considered the stone-amulet of this goddess. Mokosh's metal is silver. The animal is a cat. In this case, the cat can be the animal of the goddess for two reasons. Since ancient times, the cat was considered a nocturnal animal that walks under the moon and is closely associated with the night element, night spirits and night gods. Also, a cat is considered the beast of Mokosh by consonance: Kosh-ka - Ma-kosh. The symbol can be yarn, a spindle, a ball of wool and other needlework items. The idol often looked like a female image with horns and a cornucopia in her hands.

An idol or an idol is preferably made from female woods, for example, from aspen. Another symbol of Mokosh is a spider and a spider web. The spider, like Makosh, spins a thread (of fate). Hence the belief that if you suddenly fall into a spider web in the forest, then this is a good sign, that is, Makosh favors such a person and gives a sign that his thread will be even and happy. Also, the most famous and widespread amulet-amulet - Lunnitsa, which in ancient times was a female adornment and an amulet, and looked like a crescent moon with various inserts and images, such as oblique lines of rain, stars, and so on, can serve as its symbol.

Viktor Korolkov

Makosh goddess of fate
Artist Andrey Mazin

Makosh or Mokosh, in Slavic mythology, the goddess of fertility and fate (kosh, kosht - fate, the syllable "ma" can be abbreviated to mean the word "mother"), the eldest of the goddesses of fate, and also the patroness of women's needlework - on Earth; takes care of women's fertility and productivity, housekeeping and prosperity in the house. It can be correlated with the beliefs of the ancient Greeks in the spinners of fate - Moir, as well as with the Germanic spinners of fate - the Norns and Frigg - the wife of Odin, spinning on her Wheel. Due to the fact that the goddesses - the spinners of fate in beliefs appear in threes, the Goddesses Dolya and Nedolya help to weave the Yarn of Fates of Mokosh, connecting a person with the fruits of his labors - good or evil.

Makosh is connected with the Earth (in this her cult is close to the cult of the Mother of the Raw Earth) and Water (which here also acts as a maternal, life-generating environment).

Makosh - the goddess of fertility, the mother of crops, has 12 annual holidays, sometimes depicted with horns (apparently the cult of Makosh - and the Lunar cult, then there are 13 holidays). A characteristic female horned headdress was worn as early as the 19th century at folk festivals. Mentioned in Russian chronicles and numerous teachings against paganism. "Teaching Spiritual Children" in the 16th century warns:

"Steer before the God of the invisible: people praying to Rod and women in childbirth, Perun, and Apollo, and Mokosh, and Peregina, and do not approach any gods vile requirements."

The only goddess from the pantheon of Prince Vladimir. The mother of the gods, perhaps the wife or incarnation of Veles-Mokos-Mokosh, correlated with Hekate (the name is often used in the masculine form). "Mamai is the king ... he began to call on his gods: Perun, Salmanat, Mokosh, Rakliya, Rus and his great assistant Akhmet"; "They put the demand and create it ... Mokosh diva .... they smear the goddess Ekatia, they create this same maiden and honor Mokosh." Thus, Makosh is the goddess of witchcraft and the mistress of the Transition from this world to the Other World. In the lower incarnation, perhaps, she is the famous Baba Yaga (Hel, Kali), in this case we can say that she is the mother of the winds and the mistress of the forest world. Depicted on Russian embroideries between two moose cows-Rozhanitsa, sometimes depicted with a cornucopia.

Perhaps Makosh is an image of the most ancient, still of Neolithic origin, the Mother Goddess, who is known as the "Neolithic Venus". The most ancient Goddess was the giver of both life and death, the image of her face was considered taboo, had a large head.

Mokosh's Day is Friday, in Orthodoxy the image merged with Paraskeva Friday, that is, she is the patroness of housewives and wives. One of the days on which Makosh is especially honored is the Friday closest to April 8 - Makosh's Proclamation. And also on October 27, actually Paraskeva Pyatnitsa. Its metal is silver, its stone is rock crystal and the so-called "moonstone". Makosh the Beast is a cat. The symbol of this goddess is yarn, a ball of wool, a spindle, and they were brought to temples. Makoshi's idols could be made from "female woods", primarily from aspen. The idol of Mokosh could often be horned or have a horn in his hands.

The monk Alberich from the Three Sources in his "Chronicle" of the XI century (according to A. Frenzel, 1712) wrote: "II. an idol in the most famous place. They put in his hand a horn full of a drink made from water and honey ... "

Share, Srecha, Sryashta, Meeting, Happiness - a spinner, assistant or younger sister of Makosh, the mother of the lot, Yagishna. Nedolya, Nesrecha, Nesryashta, Misfortune is also a spinner, assistant or younger sister of Mokosh.

So, Makosh herself:
1. Goddess of all Destiny.
2. The Great Mother, the goddess of fertility, is associated with the harvest, has 12-13 annual holidays (and can be honored every full moon).
3. Goddess of magic and sorcery, wife of Veles and Mistress of the crossroads of the universe between worlds.
4. Protector and patroness of hostesses.
5. In the lower incarnation, she is the famous Yaga, in this case we can say that she is the mother of the winds, that life and death are equally subject to her.
6. Mistress of Wildlife.

Mokosh (Makosh) - East Slavic goddess. Mokosh was the only female deity whose idol was in the Kiev temple before the adoption of Christianity by Prince Vladimir.
V.V. Ivanov and V.N. Toporov in their joint work "On the reconstruction of Mokosh as a female character in the Slavic version of the main myth" put forward the theory that Mokosh was originally the wife of the thunder god Perun. After Mokosh's betrayal of his husband with his opponent (the Serpent-Veles), Perun deprives the traitor wife of divine and marital status, exiles her from heaven to earth, to the underworld, to chthonic waters. It is no coincidence that Mokosh, partly devoid of divine status, is the last to be mentioned in the list of gods in The Tale of Bygone Years, after the sacred dog Simargl. In the dialects of the Moscow region, the word "mokosya" is known, meaning a woman of easy virtue. This is another evidence in favor of the above theory about the betrayal of Mokosh Perun. In some sources, Mokosh is called the wife of Veles (Volos), this is explained by the fact that Mokosh, overthrown from the kingdom of Perun (heaven) into the kingdom of Veles (underworld), shared with him part of his functions, being responsible for fertility, water, livestock and trade. If in pagan times the gods themselves revered by the people were Veles and Mokosh (Perun was the god not of the people, but of the princely squad), then after the adoption of Christianity, the functions of Veles passed to St. Nicholas, and the functions of Mokosh to Paraskeva Pyatnitsa. Friday was the sacred day of Mokosh, because followed the sacred day of her husband Perun - Thursday.

Name "Mokosh" V.V. Ivanov and V.N. Axes are associated with the root "wet", "wet", at the same time, they also note a possible connection with *mokos, "spinning". B. Rybakov holds a different opinion on the interpretation of the name of the goddess in the book "Paganism of the Ancient Slavs", preferring the variant of the name "Makosh" and interpreting it as "mother of a good harvest" / "mother of happiness" ("ma" - mother, "kosh" - lot , fate, as well as a measure for storing grain). Rybakov brings Makosh closer to the Greek moira goddesses, spinning the line of fate.

The motif of spinning passed to the successor of Mokosh - Paraskeva Pyatnitsa: Friday was sacrificed by throwing yarn into the well (the name of this rite is "mokrida"). Parakeva forbade spinning on Friday (the sacred day of Mokosh): she walked punctured with needles and twisted with spindles, because wicked women sew and spin on the day dedicated to her. Also on Friday, there was another ban - on sexual intercourse between a woman and her husband (a hint at the separation of Mokosh and Perun).
In the Russian North, there was an idea of ​​an unclean spirit named Mokosha, who was represented as a woman with a large head and long arms, secretly shearing sheep, spinning at night in huts (if a prayer was not said over the yarn) and forbidding spinning on holidays.
The most reduced image of Mokosh is Kikimora (Shishimora). If Mokosh was punished by the fire of the Thunderer and thrown into the water, then Kikimora also lives in a damp place and is afraid of fire. Kikimora also borrowed a connection with yarn from Mokosha (Kikimora confuses yarn).

Ex-member of the group "Melnitsa" Alevtina Leontyeva in 2008 recorded the song "Mokosh". Later, in a modified form, this song was included in Alevtina's album "Dance of the Transition". Then you can listen to the original version of the song "Mokosh" and read its lyrics.

Lyrics of the song "Mokosh":

Only dawns rose above the forests
The Slavs have not yet found light and glory.
It was the beginning of days
And they prayed like their mother.

Yaki light Yarilo,
We need you too!
We make sacrifices
Mokosh, Mokosh!

I bow to you
fabrics and water watchman,
I give sacrifices
Mokosh, Mokosh!

With spears, descendants were driven into the Dnieper
Idols were overthrown, the prince-boar raged
Overshadowed by steel and cross
A fire blazed over the Water Goddess.

Yaki light-Yarilo,
We need you too!
We make sacrifices
Mokosh, Mokosh!

I bow to you
fabrics and water watchman,
I give sacrifices
Mokosh, Mokosh!

You have sprouted through the centuries with threads.
She became Paraskevna, she was Mokosh.
End the flow of hard days!
On Friday we pray ours.

Yaki light-Yarilo,
We need you too!
We make sacrifices
Mokosh, Mokosh!

I bow to you
fabrics and water watchman,
I give sacrifices
Mokosh, Mokosh!