Veles is the old Russian god of animals, livestock and we alth. He was second in importance after Perun. This deity was worshiped not only in antiquity, modern Orthodox pagans and Rodnovers continued to worship him.
God Veles in antiquity
Since Veles was the god of cattle breeding, he was asked to protect the cattle. In this regard, some Slavic tribes began to call the shepherds "Veles". According to ancient beliefs, the Slavic god Veles could turn into a bear, therefore he was considered the patron saint of hunting. Veles was called the spirit of the beast killed during the hunt. This Slavic deity had another important purpose. In particular, Veles "pastures" the souls of the dead in the afterlife. Therefore, the Lithuanians called the day of commemoration of the dead "the time of Veles." According to legend, on this day the ritual of burning the bones of animals was carried out. In addition, Veles was the embodiment of gold.
In the 10th century, the cult of this deity was widespread in Novgorod, Kyiv, and also in the Rostov land. The annals mention that the idol of the god Veles once stood in Kyiv on Podil. In 907, concluding an agreement with Byzantium,Russians swore not only by Perun, but also by Veles. Among the ancient Slavs, cattle was a measure of we alth, so it is not surprising that the god Veles was highly revered.
Slavs celebrated the so-called Veles days, which coincide with modern Christmas time and Maslenitsa. These days it was customary to dress up in sheepskin coats and animal masks. March 24 was especially important, when Komoyeditsy was celebrated. Interestingly, thanks to this holiday, the famous expression arose: "The first pancake is lumpy." Initially, this saying was pronounced differently: "The first pancake is komAm." It was believed that on this day the bears (comas) woke up and left the lair. To appease the bears, they had to give away the first baked pancake.
God Veles in the modern world
With the advent of Christianity in Russia, the veneration of Veles was supplanted by the cult of St. Blaise. He also patronizes livestock. Traces of the pagan cult are preserved in the veneration of St. Vlasiya in the north of Russia. This combination is nothing but Orthodox paganism. As early as the beginning of the 20th century, Russian peasants adhered to the ancient custom, according to which a few ears of corn should be left uncompressed as a gift to Veles. These ears were called "voloty" or "hair beard". Such a gift was supposed to appease not only Veles, but also the souls of their ancestors. It was the latter who could ask the deity for a future harvest. On the other hand, the pagan god Veles eventually began to correlate with an unclean spirit or a devil.
But the cult of Veles was preserved not only in some "Christian" traditions, but also in Rodnoverie. The latter is a neo-pagan religious movement, the purpose of which is to revive the ancient Slavic beliefs and rituals. According to the Rodnovers, the knowledge and rituals of the ancient Slavs are sacred, so they try to observe and reconstruct them. Among the Rodnovers, the god Veles is a black deity, the lord of the dead, in addition, he is responsible for wisdom and helps the Magi. Neo-pagans attach far not the last importance to Veles, in particular, there is an association of communities, which is called the “Veles Circle”.
