GODDESS MARA
Mara, Morena, Morana - the Goddess of Death, Night, and Winter in Ancient Slavic beliefs. This Deity was considered to be "Nav'iy". That is, belonging to the Nav'iy World (World of the Dead). Her image has survived to our days in various interpretations found in folklore and Occultism. She is also known as "Death's Godmother," "Mother Death," "Black Widow," simply "Death" personified. Her ancient name in Old Slavic contains the root of the word "Mar" and also "Mor", which directly translates to Death. All of this points directly to her main functions: depriving all living beings of life, halting life processes, and putting to sleep many crucial natural phenomena for long periods of time. Thus, she was associated with the arrival of the harshest and "nature-killing" season: winter. This easily connects to the logic of people living during the time of the Original Rus: the Autumn Equinox, when the day started decreasing and Nav'i time (Dark time of day) increased. It also signifies the freezing of all plant processes and the dying off of everything growing from the soil. The earth's covering as a white, cold "shroud." And the six-month period of harsh weather ruling. This time was considered her "reigning" period. Its end was marked by the arrival of spring at Maslenitsa - Lady Maslenitsa. Her departure was celebrated by publicly burning her straw effigy in the form of a female doll. It was believed that when someone dies, Goddess Mara takes them to the Nav'iy World (to the Other Side). So, "Mara came for so-and-so." Contact with this Deity was made in those times by "Nav'i Volkhovateli," Warlocks, Witches, and the like. And not lesser in all times, after the cruel Christianization of Rus and the fierce struggle against Paganism, up to our days, Village Witches and modern Occult Practitioners have contacted and continue to contact Marena in their Occult work. Information about this Slavic Goddess has also been studied by scholars. Here are their testimonies:
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Material from Wikipedia - the free encyclopedia
This term has other meanings, see Mara (disambiguation), Morena (disambiguation), Morana (disambiguation)
Embodiment of Death, Winter
Mythology: Slavic
In other cultures: Mars
Morena (Polish Marzan(n)a, Smiertka, Slovak Morena, Marmuriena, Czech Morana, Smrtka, Ukrainian Morena) is a female mythological character in Western and Eastern Slavic tradition associated with seasonal rituals of nature's dying and resurrection. Morena, also known as Mara, carries a effigy, doll, or small tree in rituals symbolizing the end of winter and the arrival of spring.
FUNCTIONS AND ORIGINS:
The image of Morena, based on etymological relation or secondary phonetic similarity, is linked to death and seasonal agricultural rituals of nature's dying and returning to life. The 15th-century Polish chronicler J. Dlugosh identifies Morena with the Roman goddess Ceres. Czech Morana is associated with Hecate and Proserpina-Persephone in glosses from "Mater Verborum". Vyach. Vl. Ivanov and V. N. Toporov connect the name Morena with the name of the Roman god of war, Mars, who originally also had agricultural functions, suggesting a common root *Mor- (allowing for the possibility that later, perhaps there was a blending - in the spirit of folk etymology - of the roots *Mor- and *mer-, "death", resulting in the fertility deity also being associated with death). In popular publications, Morena is often described solely as the goddess of death; this is often the image of her in the Neo-Pagan sphere.
Among the Slovenes of Pomurje during the spring festival on St. George's Day, when they performed the "Green George" or "Messenger" ritual, winter was referred to as Baba Yaga:
Original
Zelenega Jurja vodimo,
Maslo in jajca prosimo,
Jezi-babo zganjamo,
Mladoletje trosimo!
Translation
We lead the Green Jurja,
We ask for butter and eggs,
We drive away Baba Yaga,
We scatter spring!
====================================================
32 Rybakov B. A. Paganism of ancient Slavs, p. 335.
The clearly defined female essence of the ritual "fire" brings to mind ethnographic data about the annual burning ritual of straw effigies of Mara, Morena, Kostrama, Kupala, widely spread in Slavic lands. However, there is a significant difference in the idea of the ritual between the bonfire in the shape of a female figure and the female effigy thrown into a shapeless pyre: the effigy of Mara is thrown into the fire (or water), symbolizing a human sacrifice; in our case, it depicts a chthonic deity accepting some sacrifices.
The main objection to this hypothesis is the indisputable singularity of the very solemn ceremony performed in ancient Shumsk. The "fires" leaving ashes behind, and the bonfires in which small straw dolls of Kupala or Kostrama burned, were annual, common occurrences. Here, we have a unique ritual that has no analogies.
2. Second, and more natural, is the assumption of sacrifice on some special, exceptional occasion: a natural disaster, drought, epidemic.
An epidemic, plague, perfectly explains the combination of the effigy-altar with the cemetery and the theft nearby.
A female deity, consuming the offerings dedicated to her, could have been Mokosh (in case of a threat to crops), while in the case of a plague and threat to human life, it could have been the embodiment of a hostile and malevolent deity like Mara, Morena, (from "mор", "to kill"), which later took on the familiar form of the fairy tale Baba Yaga. Fairy tales often emphasize the vastness of this creature: Baba Yaga lies in the house from corner to corner: "legs in one corner, head in another, lips on the ceiling, nose stuck in the ceiling"; "Baba Yaga, bony leg, clay maw, stove blocking the chest" (sometimes - "her boobs hanging on the fence").
====================================================
These were presented testimony from Scholars, closely matching logical conjectures and Occult information. What information does Occult Practice have about this Deity? In this paragraph, I will try to explain as concisely and clearly as possible. There are also parallels with historical references that the Goddess Morena also symbolized the "Black Moon" - that is, the "New Moon." In Occult circles, such a day is referred to as "Day of Morena." In Ancient Greek tradition, these days were called "Hecate's Days." Similarly, the deity Mara often utilizes the powers of Mars. Her main representative planet is Mars primarily, and secondly, the Moon. Astrologically, the days of the week associated with Morena are Tuesday and Monday. As mentioned above, Mara is the Goddess of Death and the World of the Dead. Contacts with Her primarily involve rituals for vanquishing opponents, for destruction predominantly. Occasionally, Her power is used in love spells. Mainly in curses and protective rituals, characteristic of Her Priests and Sorcerers. She also has interpretations in other Ancient Beliefs: she is Hecate among the Ancient Greeks, she is Ereshkigal among the Ancient Sumerians, she is Kali among the Indians. In Voodoo, She also has her own image, known as Maman Brigitte in that tradition. Among the Slavs, she was always depicted as a woman dressed in all black, with a scythe (litovka) and without a face. Not in vain in the Village Black Magic, she is called specifically Death itself, coming for anyone she wishes to take with her. Unlike the testimonies of modern "neopaganism," now called "Rodnovery," the Goddess Mara unequivocally never was some sort of "good fairy," purportedly changing her forms depending on the situation: sometimes appearing as an evil old woman in all black, sometimes supposedly as a good pleasant girl in all white with a braided hair. These claims from neopaganism are nothing more than fiction. I recommend trusting information from Historical Science and Folk Literature, presented exclusively from Primary Sources, rather than from all kinds of pseudo-scientists and self-proclaimed pseudo-shamans with a communist past. Be vigilant! BEST OF LUCK!
Mara, Morena, Morana - the Goddess of Death, Night, and Winter in Ancient Slavic beliefs. This Deity was considered to be "Nav'iy". That is, belonging to the Nav'iy World (World of the Dead). Her image has survived to our days in various interpretations found in folklore and Occultism. She is also known as "Death's Godmother," "Mother Death," "Black Widow," simply "Death" personified. Her ancient name in Old Slavic contains the root of the word "Mar" and also "Mor", which directly translates to Death. All of this points directly to her main functions: depriving all living beings of life, halting life processes, and putting to sleep many crucial natural phenomena for long periods of time. Thus, she was associated with the arrival of the harshest and "nature-killing" season: winter. This easily connects to the logic of people living during the time of the Original Rus: the Autumn Equinox, when the day started decreasing and Nav'i time (Dark time of day) increased. It also signifies the freezing of all plant processes and the dying off of everything growing from the soil. The earth's covering as a white, cold "shroud." And the six-month period of harsh weather ruling. This time was considered her "reigning" period. Its end was marked by the arrival of spring at Maslenitsa - Lady Maslenitsa. Her departure was celebrated by publicly burning her straw effigy in the form of a female doll. It was believed that when someone dies, Goddess Mara takes them to the Nav'iy World (to the Other Side). So, "Mara came for so-and-so." Contact with this Deity was made in those times by "Nav'i Volkhovateli," Warlocks, Witches, and the like. And not lesser in all times, after the cruel Christianization of Rus and the fierce struggle against Paganism, up to our days, Village Witches and modern Occult Practitioners have contacted and continue to contact Marena in their Occult work. Information about this Slavic Goddess has also been studied by scholars. Here are their testimonies:
==================================================
Material from Wikipedia - the free encyclopedia
This term has other meanings, see Mara (disambiguation), Morena (disambiguation), Morana (disambiguation)
Embodiment of Death, Winter
Mythology: Slavic
In other cultures: Mars
Morena (Polish Marzan(n)a, Smiertka, Slovak Morena, Marmuriena, Czech Morana, Smrtka, Ukrainian Morena) is a female mythological character in Western and Eastern Slavic tradition associated with seasonal rituals of nature's dying and resurrection. Morena, also known as Mara, carries a effigy, doll, or small tree in rituals symbolizing the end of winter and the arrival of spring.
FUNCTIONS AND ORIGINS:
The image of Morena, based on etymological relation or secondary phonetic similarity, is linked to death and seasonal agricultural rituals of nature's dying and returning to life. The 15th-century Polish chronicler J. Dlugosh identifies Morena with the Roman goddess Ceres. Czech Morana is associated with Hecate and Proserpina-Persephone in glosses from "Mater Verborum". Vyach. Vl. Ivanov and V. N. Toporov connect the name Morena with the name of the Roman god of war, Mars, who originally also had agricultural functions, suggesting a common root *Mor- (allowing for the possibility that later, perhaps there was a blending - in the spirit of folk etymology - of the roots *Mor- and *mer-, "death", resulting in the fertility deity also being associated with death). In popular publications, Morena is often described solely as the goddess of death; this is often the image of her in the Neo-Pagan sphere.
Among the Slovenes of Pomurje during the spring festival on St. George's Day, when they performed the "Green George" or "Messenger" ritual, winter was referred to as Baba Yaga:
Original
Zelenega Jurja vodimo,
Maslo in jajca prosimo,
Jezi-babo zganjamo,
Mladoletje trosimo!
Translation
We lead the Green Jurja,
We ask for butter and eggs,
We drive away Baba Yaga,
We scatter spring!
====================================================
32 Rybakov B. A. Paganism of ancient Slavs, p. 335.
The clearly defined female essence of the ritual "fire" brings to mind ethnographic data about the annual burning ritual of straw effigies of Mara, Morena, Kostrama, Kupala, widely spread in Slavic lands. However, there is a significant difference in the idea of the ritual between the bonfire in the shape of a female figure and the female effigy thrown into a shapeless pyre: the effigy of Mara is thrown into the fire (or water), symbolizing a human sacrifice; in our case, it depicts a chthonic deity accepting some sacrifices.
The main objection to this hypothesis is the indisputable singularity of the very solemn ceremony performed in ancient Shumsk. The "fires" leaving ashes behind, and the bonfires in which small straw dolls of Kupala or Kostrama burned, were annual, common occurrences. Here, we have a unique ritual that has no analogies.
2. Second, and more natural, is the assumption of sacrifice on some special, exceptional occasion: a natural disaster, drought, epidemic.
An epidemic, plague, perfectly explains the combination of the effigy-altar with the cemetery and the theft nearby.
A female deity, consuming the offerings dedicated to her, could have been Mokosh (in case of a threat to crops), while in the case of a plague and threat to human life, it could have been the embodiment of a hostile and malevolent deity like Mara, Morena, (from "mор", "to kill"), which later took on the familiar form of the fairy tale Baba Yaga. Fairy tales often emphasize the vastness of this creature: Baba Yaga lies in the house from corner to corner: "legs in one corner, head in another, lips on the ceiling, nose stuck in the ceiling"; "Baba Yaga, bony leg, clay maw, stove blocking the chest" (sometimes - "her boobs hanging on the fence").
====================================================
These were presented testimony from Scholars, closely matching logical conjectures and Occult information. What information does Occult Practice have about this Deity? In this paragraph, I will try to explain as concisely and clearly as possible. There are also parallels with historical references that the Goddess Morena also symbolized the "Black Moon" - that is, the "New Moon." In Occult circles, such a day is referred to as "Day of Morena." In Ancient Greek tradition, these days were called "Hecate's Days." Similarly, the deity Mara often utilizes the powers of Mars. Her main representative planet is Mars primarily, and secondly, the Moon. Astrologically, the days of the week associated with Morena are Tuesday and Monday. As mentioned above, Mara is the Goddess of Death and the World of the Dead. Contacts with Her primarily involve rituals for vanquishing opponents, for destruction predominantly. Occasionally, Her power is used in love spells. Mainly in curses and protective rituals, characteristic of Her Priests and Sorcerers. She also has interpretations in other Ancient Beliefs: she is Hecate among the Ancient Greeks, she is Ereshkigal among the Ancient Sumerians, she is Kali among the Indians. In Voodoo, She also has her own image, known as Maman Brigitte in that tradition. Among the Slavs, she was always depicted as a woman dressed in all black, with a scythe (litovka) and without a face. Not in vain in the Village Black Magic, she is called specifically Death itself, coming for anyone she wishes to take with her. Unlike the testimonies of modern "neopaganism," now called "Rodnovery," the Goddess Mara unequivocally never was some sort of "good fairy," purportedly changing her forms depending on the situation: sometimes appearing as an evil old woman in all black, sometimes supposedly as a good pleasant girl in all white with a braided hair. These claims from neopaganism are nothing more than fiction. I recommend trusting information from Historical Science and Folk Literature, presented exclusively from Primary Sources, rather than from all kinds of pseudo-scientists and self-proclaimed pseudo-shamans with a communist past. Be vigilant! BEST OF LUCK!
