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Chernobog and Belobog

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This article is about alleged Slavic gods. For mountains in Germany, seeCzornebohandBieleboh.For the Disney character, seeChernabog.

Chernobog[a](lit."Black God"[1]) andBelobog[b](lit."White God"[1]) are an alleged pair ofPolabiandeities. Chernobog appears inHelmold'sChronicleas a god of misfortune worshipped by theWagriandObodrites,while Belobog is not mentioned – he was reconstructed in opposition to Chernobog. Both gods also appear in later sources, but they are not considered reliable. Researchers do not agree on the status of Chernobog and Belobog: many scholars recognize the authenticity of thesetheonymsand explain them, for example, as gods of good and evil; on the other hand, many scholars believe that they are pseudo-deities, and Chernobog may have originally meant "bad fate", and later associated with the Christiandevil.

Sources[edit]

In Latin records, this theonym is noted asZcernebochandzcerneboth.[2]

The 12th-century German monk and chroniclerHelmold,who accompanied theChristianizationmissions to theElbe Slavs,describes in hisChronicle of the Slavsthe cult of Chernobog:

Also, the Slavs have a strange delusion. At their feasts and carousals, they pass about a bowl over which they utter words, I should not say of consecration but of execration, in the name of [two] gods — of the good one, as well as of the bad one — professing that all propitious fortune is arranged by the good god, adverse, by the bad god. Hence, also, in their language, they call the bad god Diabol, orZcerneboch,that is, the black god.[3]

Belobog does not appear in any reliable sources[4][5][6][7]– he was recreated in opposition to Chernobog.[4][8]

Later sources[edit]

The next sources that speak of Chernobog and/or Belobog appear only in the 16th century. Around 1530, a Dominican friar fromPirna,Johan Lindner, recalls the gods in his compilation. Although he lived in or near theLusatianregion, he probably only used written sources and monastic stories, and not field research, which made many historians deem his work unreliable, includingGeorg FabriciusandPetrus Albinus.They believed that although his sources were numerous and varied, he used them uncritically. At the end of the 17th century,Abraham Frencel[de]also mentioned the Chernobog in his list of the Lusatian gods. This information is also considered unreliable because it came into being late, when the Lusatian paganism was probably completely extinct and about half of the gods he mentioned are ofPrussianorigin.[1][9]

In 1538, the Pomeranian chroniclerThomas Kantzowin hisChronicle of Pomeraniawrote:

I have heretofore related all manner of faithlessness and idolatry, in which they had engaged before the time of the German Empire. Earlier yet, their ways are said to have been even more pagan. They placed their kings and lords, who ruled well, above the gods and honored the said men [as gods] after their death. In addition, they worshipped the sun and the moon and, lastly, two gods whom they venerated above all other gods. One [of them] they calledBialbug,that is the white god; him they held for a good god. The other one [they called]Zernebug,that is the black god; him they held for a god who did harm. Therefore, they honoredBialbug,because he did them good and so that he might [continue to] do them good.Zernebug,on the other hand, they honored so that he should not harm them. And they appeased the saidZernebugby sacrificing people, for they believed that there was no better way of assuaging him than with human blood, which is actually true, if only they had seen it in the right light: thatZernebugseeks nothing other than the death of Man's body and soul.[10]

ThenSebastian Münster,inCosmographiae universalisof 1550, describes the harvest ritual associated withSvetovitand continues: "In general they (the Rugians) worshipped two gods, namelyBelbuckandZernebuck,as if a white and a black god, a good and an evilgenius,God and Satan, as the source of good and evil, according to the error of theManichaeans".The works of Kantzov and Münster are probably independent of each other (various forms of recording the name of the Belobog, theChronicle of Pomeraniawas first published, but it was not published until the 19th century), but they use a common source, which, according to Miroslava Znayenko, could be the archive of the Abbey ofBiałoboki[pl],where the Belobog was forged.Daniel Cramer,a theologian and professor fromSzczecin,probably held in his hands a copy of a chronicle from this archive or saw a quote from it, because in hisPommerisches Kirchen-Chroniconhe probably paraphrased a part of it:[1]

To this monastery they (the founding monks) gave the nameBelbug,[more] correctlyBialbuck,which in the Wendish tongue means literally ‘the white god,’ thus to give [the Slavs] to understand that, unlike their (the Slavs’) heathen ancestors, the Christians did not know of anyblack god.The name [Belbug] also well befits the clothes of the Premonstratensians, who [always] went dressed in white. The foundation of the monastery took place anno 1163.[11]

Chernobog also appears in the anonymousHistoria Caminensisas the god of theVandals,which is based on a work by Münster (both works speak of the "error of the Manichaeans" ). Chernobog and Belobog also appear in other minor texts.[1]

Interpretations[edit]

There is no consensus in the academic community about the status of Chernobog and Belobog in Slavic mythology, or whether the two gods existed at all in Slavic mythology. Some researchers completely reject the existence of Belobog due to his non-appearance in the sources.[4][7]At least four views have developed in scholarship:[12]

  1. Chernobog is an epithet of Satan, and Belobog arose secondarily in later literature
  2. Chernobog and Belobog are Slavic deities (actual theonyms or epithets of other deities)
  3. Chernobog and Belobog are names of Christian figures with pre-Christian origin
  4. Chernobog and Belobog are pseudo-deities, they did not exist in either the Christian or pagan vocabulary

As deities[edit]

Helmold's information led to the 19th century concept according to which there was supposed to bedualismin Slavic religion, which reached the Slavs from theIranian peoples(Scythians,SarmatiansorBogomils); Chernobog and the hypothetical Belobog were compared toAhrimanandOrmuzd,the eternal enemies inZoroastrianmythology.[13]In this spirit, Chernobog was interpreted by Alexander Hilferding. Later,Alexander AfanasyevandAlexander Famitsinconsidered the eastern counterpart of Belobog to beBelun(field spirit). None of these scholars, however, considered dualism an important element of Slavic religion; such a view was expressed only byNikolay Kvashnin-Samarin[ru]in his amateur workОчерке славянской мифологии(1872), but his work is not considered important.[14]Franciszek Slawski, in hisSłownik prasłowiański,reconstructed theProto-Slavic*bělъ bogъ"white, bright deity"[15]and Proto-Slavicdial.*čŕ̥nъ bogъ"black deity, dark deity", for the latter the main attestation is supposed to be Helmold's account.[16]Such dualism was advocated, for example, byAleksander Gieysztor,[17]Vyacheslav IvanovandVladimir Toporovconsidered Chernobog to be a god who brings misfortune.[18]Some authors have tried to prove the cult of Chernobog with the names of theCzornebohandBielebohmountains inUpper Lusatia,where the gods are said to have been worshipped, but these names were not created until the modern era due to the popularity of the gods in the culture of those areas.[1][9]When considering the authenticity of the gods, place names that are said to refer to Chernobog and Belobog are also mentioned as arguments, such as the village ofChernobozhyeinRussiaor the village ofChernobozhnainUkraine,also the neighboring villages ofČerníkoviceandBělbožice[cs]in theCzech Republicare said to be evidence of the authenticity of the cult of Chernobog and Belobog;[1][19]however, the former actually comes from a personal name, likely of the founder.[20]

As pseudo-deities[edit]

On the other hand, many researchers considered Chernobog merely a personification of bad luck, some mistake by Helmold or a pseudo deity in general.Andrzej Szyjewskiconsidered Chernobog only a pejorative epithet for the devil,[21]Stanisław Urbańczyksaid:

It is likely that Helmold heard something about the Slavs' belief in malevolent spirits, in personified fate, and combined it with Christian depictions, which, by the way, may have already permeated among the Slavs. This, in my opinion, is the kernel of his story; the connections with the Iranians must be abandoned in this case, because the basis is too fragile. The Slavic name for evil spirits were the wordsbiesandczart;glaringly different from Chernobog.[5]

His view was supported byJerzy Strzelczyk.[9]Chernobog was also supposed to be the personification of bad luck according to Martin Pitro and Petr Vokáč[22]andStanisław Rosik.[23]

Aleksander Brücknernegated the existence of Chernobog (and Belobog) in Slavic religion and claimed that Chernobog was created under the influence of Christianity, including medieval depictions of the devil as a black demon, and compared him to the alleged Prussian godPikulas,which ultimately derives from the Polish wordpiekło"hell".[24]The view was supported by e.g.Henryk Łowmiański.[25]

An extended analysis ofChernobogandBelobogwas made by Michał Łuczynski.[26]He points out, first of all, that Slavic linguistic material makes it easy to conclude that words likeblack godandwhite godhave a pan-Slavic range and a Proto-Slavic origin.[27]The attestations of theblack godare as follows:Slovinciančǻrnï bȯ́u̯g"devil",SilesianCzorny Bóg"evil spirit, devil", andtoponyms:RussianChernobozhye[ru],UkrainianChernobozhnaandSerbianČernobožeskij gorodok;the attestations of thewhite god:Slovincianbjǻu̯lï bȯ́u̯g"God", SilesianBioły Bóg"a good, human-friendly deity; a good spirit", Serbiandial.bel(i) bog"fate",Bulgariandial.byal bog"luck, success",[c]and toponyms: CzechBělbog,Bělbožice[cs],RussianBelye bogi,Belovozhskiy monastyr,GermanBelboh,Belbog,Belbukand others.[29]According to him, the above material leads him to assume that: the wordsblackandwhiteused in the expressions were used in their metaphorical sense, successively "bad" and "good", and the wordgodwas used in its abstract sense of "fate, luck, fate". Accordingly, Proto-Slavic*čŕ̥nъ bogъmeant "bad fate", and*bělъ bogъ"good fate" and this was their original meaning. Evidence of this etymology is provided by analogies, e.g. Polishczarna dola,Serbiancrna sreća,crna sudbina,Croatiancrna sudbaall meaning "bad fate",lit."black fate".[30]Subsequently, these terms passed into personal names category and were used to describeGod/Jesusand thedevilas figures responsible for good fate and bad fate.[31]Consequently, he considers Helmold's Chernobog to be a pseudo-deity,[32]which has been misidentified by modern scholars as a deity due to Helmold'scalqueofblack godandwhite godinto Latin asniger deusandbonus deuswhich suggests that Slavicbogused in these terms = Latindeus,[30]and personal names*Čŕ̥nobogъ"devil" and*Bělobogъ"God/Jesus" as semantic neologisms belonging to the Christian cultural circle, not pagan, as religious, not mythological terms, as may be further indicated by the toponymy (the Christian places of worship in Bielboh and Belovozhskiy monastyr).[33]

In popular culture[edit]

In Disney productions[edit]

Main article:Chernabog
Afloatof Disney's rendition of Chernabog, holding the Wicked Queen from Disney'sSnow White and the Seven Dwarfs.

An alternative version of Chernobog named Chernabog appears in thesymphonic poemNight on Bald Mountainby Russian composerModest Mussorgsky.He is depicted as a giant winged demon summoning the souls of the dead. One segment ofWalt Disney'sFantasia(1940) was based on this work.[34]The character may have been originally intended as a representation of Satan; in the film, Disney calls him "Satan himself". A full-length live-action film based on the segment was announced in 2015.[35]SinceFantasia,Chernabog has appeared in many Disney productions:

  • Fantasia 2000(1999) – a sequel to the 1940 film; Chernabog appears in references to the first film[36]
  • House of Mouse(2001–2003) – guest starring in one episode along with other characters fromFantasia[35]
  • Mickey Mouse(2013) – in the episode "Touchdown and Out" as Mickey Mouse's opponent. In the episode "The Scariest Story Ever: A Mickey Mouse Halloween Spooktacular!", he is visible in the background during the introductory subtitles.
  • Kingdom Hearts(2002) – as a Boss during theEnd of the World[35]
  • Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance(2012)[36]

Movies and shows[edit]

Books and comics[edit]

Video games[edit]

  • Blood(1997) – Tchernobog is the primary antagonist, being depicted as a "bloodied, horned Dark God of monstrous appearance", who controls the cult known as "the Cabal"
  • Persona 3(2006) - Chernobog is one of the many Personas the protagonist can embody for its powers in battle.
  • Crusader Kings II(2012) – In expansions,Monks and Mystics,when a player plays as a pagan Slavic ruler, a Chernobog appears as a "Satanic" god, worshipped by a "Cold Bloods" sect
  • Smite(2014) – as a playable character added in the May 2018 update. He is also the first god of the Slavic pantheon in this game[40]
  • Arknights(2019) – Chernobog is the name of the first town that the story takes place in.
  • Honkai: Star Rail(2023) – Belobog is the name of the blizzard-stricken town in the first planet, Jarilo-VI, where the story takes place.
  • Grand Theft Auto Online(2017) – AnMLRSbased on the SovietMAZ-543Mappears as the Chernobog.

See also[edit]

Notes[edit]

  1. ^Also transcribed asČernobog.
  2. ^Also transcribed asBelebog,Belbog.
  3. ^Also in phraseology:do byala boga"(shout) very strongly",nyamam byala boga"I have no peace",videt byala boga"to see consolation, joy".[28]

References[edit]

  1. ^abcdefgGorbachov 2017.
  2. ^Alvarez-Pedroza 2021,p. 158.
  3. ^Gorbachov 2017,p. 187.
  4. ^abcIvanov & Toporov 1990a,p. 672.
  5. ^abUrbańczyk 1991,p. 26.
  6. ^Brückner 1985,p. 199.
  7. ^abŁuczyński 2020,p. 181.
  8. ^Urbańczyk 1991,p. 187.
  9. ^abcStrzelczyk 1998,p. 57–58.
  10. ^Gorbachov 2017,p. 235.
  11. ^Gorbachov 2017,p. 237.
  12. ^Łuczyński 2020,p. 182.
  13. ^Szyjewski 2003,p. 40.
  14. ^Klejn 2004,p. 36.
  15. ^Sławski 1974,p. 238.
  16. ^Sławski 1976,p. 243.
  17. ^Gieysztor 2006,p. 159.
  18. ^Ivanov & Toporov 1990b,p. 672.
  19. ^Kulišić, Petrović & Pantelić 1970,p. 28–29.
  20. ^Vokatá, Lenka."Specifika některých českých oikonym"(in Czech): 27.{{cite journal}}:Cite journal requires|journal=(help)
  21. ^Szyjewski 2003,p. 47.
  22. ^Pitro & Vokáč 2002,p. 139.
  23. ^Rosik 2012,p. 272.
  24. ^Brückner 1985,p. 195, 199, 210, 213.
  25. ^Łowmiański 1979,p. 189.
  26. ^Łuczyński 2020,p. 180–194.
  27. ^Łuczyński 2020,p. 187, 189.
  28. ^Łuczyński 2020,p. 186.
  29. ^Łuczyński 2020,p. 185–186.
  30. ^abŁuczyński 2020,p. 187.
  31. ^Łuczyński 2020,p. 190, 192–193.
  32. ^Łuczyński 2020,p. 191.
  33. ^Łuczyński 2020,p. 189, 192, 194.
  34. ^Culhane 1983,p. 185.
  35. ^abcdKirsten Acuna (2015-06-04)."Disney's giving one of its darkest characters -- a demon gargoyle from 'Fantasia' -- its own movie".Business Insider Australia.Retrieved2020-09-29.
  36. ^ab"Chernabog - Kingdom Hearts 3D Wiki Guide".IGN.Retrieved2022-08-13.
  37. ^"American Gods mythology guide: Who is bloodthirsty Slavic deity Czernobog?".Radio Times.Retrieved2020-09-29.
  38. ^Scott, Walter. (1996).Ivanhoe.Duncan, Ian. Oxford: OUP Oxford.ISBN978-0-19-161111-7.OCLC781614504....May Mista, Skogula and Zernebock, gods of the ancient Saxons...
  39. ^"Chernobog Powers, Enemies, History | Marvel".Marvel Entertainment.Retrieved2020-09-29.
  40. ^"Pierwszy słowiański bóg zawitał do SMITE. Robi wrażenie... | Portal o grach MMO"(in Polish). MMORPG.org.pl.Retrieved2020-09-29.

Bibliography[edit]

Further erading[edit]

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