Veles
God of The Fields Forests Underworld
The Book Of Veles
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Sources: https://sr.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%92%D0%B5%D0%BB%D0%B5%D1%81_(%D0%B1%D0%BE%D0%B3) https://www.ancient-origins.net/artifacts-ancient-writings/book-veles-great-slavic-text-or-charlatan-s-forgery-003991 -
Veles ( Slavic: Велесъ ) or Volos ( Волосъ ) is the Slavic god of fields , pastures , seas, waters, and forests , i.e. crops , livestock , and animals (wild). His animal counterpart is the bear, while in Christianity his role is taken over by Saint Blaise. There are some authors who see him as the Slavic god of the underworld, and some attribute to him the patronage of poetry. One of the most controversial writings in the field of the old Slavic faith, known as the Book of Veles, is named after him.
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Etymology
Among the Eastern Slavs (today's Russians, Belarusians, and Ukrainians) the name Volos appears, while among the Western and Southern Slavs it is called Veles. The Vlachs, as cattle breeders, are named after him.
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Is The Book of Veles a great Slavic text or a charlatan’s forgery?
By Mark Miller Updated 28 September, 2015
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The Book of Veles is so controversial it is banned in Russia. Its supporters say it lays out cultural, religious and historical facts about Slavs from the 7 th century BC until the 9 th century AD, etched out on wooden planks. However, its critics say the purported medieval Slavic text is so fraught with quackery and charlatanism that the reputation of scientists who’ve studied it have been ruined.
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Arthurovich Isenbeck is said to have discovered The Book of Veles in a run-down castle in the Ukraine around the beginning of the 20 th century. Isenbeck left Russia and settled in Brussels after traveling around for a number of years, taking the mysterious inscriptions with him.
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The first person to closely examine the wooden planks was Yuriy Mirolubov, a Russian scientist. He took them from Isenbeck and spent more than 15 years translating and decoding the texts carved into them. Mirolyubov concluded the planks on which The Book of Veles were written contained the oldest Slavic alphabet, similar to Cyrillic. These are the only known examples of proto-Slavic, says the website Meet the Slavs, which has an article titled “Is The Book of Veles a Forgery?” (https://meettheslavs.com/book-of-veles/)
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The book is made of 42 birchwood planks of 38 cm (15 inches) by 22 cm (8.7 inches). The letters inscribed on them are of different sizes and shapes, so it’s possible that different scribes wrote them at different times. Some planks have symbols of bull heads, animals and the sun, possibly representing the months. The people who made the book scrubbed the boards before carving the letters, then painted them with a dark stain that faded with time.
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The book begins with the words “This book of Veles we consecrate to our god who is our refuge and strength,” says the blog The Book of Veles (translation:https://bookofveles.blogspot.com/)
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Veles, also known as Volos, was a god of the Slavic people who controlled agriculture, cattle and upon whose help the success of the people depended. The Book of Veles blog says the first plank continues:
In those days was the man so gentle and brave they called him the father of Russians.
And that man had wife and two daughters. He had cattle and cows and many sheep and he dwelled in the steppe so no where could he find husbands for his daughters and he prayed gods so his line does not perish like that. And Dajbog granted his request and gave him what he was praying for. So were married those who live among us.
And we are obliged to believe because it clearly is god Veles that brings forth the offspring. We owe to our gods and so we give them praise:
Let our leader be blessed now and for the eternity.
Said magicians (shamans) and went away.
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The site Slavorum: Exploring Slavic World, gives a brief synopsis of the books contents: https://www.slavorum.org/book-of-veles-controversial-facts-and-its-future/
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It starts out in the 10th century BC, when pre-Slavic tribes lived in the “land of seven rivers beyond the sea,” possibly southeastern Kazakhstan. The Slavs migrated to Syria and then into the Carpathian Mountains in the fifth century BC in what are now southern Poland, the Czech Republic and the Ukraine. There they were briefly enslaved by King Nabsur.
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They settled there, and several centuries passed relatively peacefully. Beginning in the fourth century AD the Slavs fought wars with the Goths, Huns, Romans and Greek. The book has several references to Ermanaric, a king who ruled a vast kingdom and against whom the Slavs apparently fought, emerging victorious in the end. The book briefly describes the fifth through ninth centuries and ends with Slavic people in disarray and ruled by the Normans.
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The site Slavorum says banning the book as irrational and based in politics. “We do not have to see the book as a historical fact-book; it could be seen as a fantasy entertainment book like any other so reason behind its ban has no justifiable cause,” the article states. “Many conclude that the book inspired Pan-Slavism among its readers.”
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The site Meet the Slavs concludes its article by saying most experts in Slavic languages believe the book is a 20th century forgery. “This theory is based on fact that texts are written in invented form of different modern Slavic languages without any grammar rules,” the article states. “But in spite of those claims and fact that book is rejected [by] scientists, some Slavic neopagans use the Book of Veles in their rituals.”
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If it is a forgery, there is some irony in the fifth plank of the book, which states, “Our conscience commands we don’t hide our words and we tell only the truth about our kin.”
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Why the Book is banned in Russia?
https://www.slavorum.org/book-of-veles-controversial-facts-and-its-future/
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We can safely conclude the reason behind it’s ban is highly irrational. We do not have to see the book as a historical fact-book, it could be seen as a fantasy entertainment book like any other so reason behind it’s ban has no justifiable cause. Many conclude that the book inspired pan-Slavism among it’s readers, and spread of Rodnovery groups across Slavic lands in latest times create danger to installed governments and their ideas of their national history and their future path.
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Russia today that tries to become multicultural Euro-Asian empire while being in wars with some Slavic neighbors has a problem with pan-Slavist ideology and spread of pan-Slavism inside it’s borders among ethnic Russians. This is one of the main reasons why such books are banned, to stop Pan-Slavist organizations within Russia to have a ideological standpoint of their views.
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In one interview, Anatoly Klyosov shares his thoughts on the “Veles book” and talks about the upcoming examination. -In The scientific community, unfortunately, is already such atmosphere that those who take up the Book of Veles, they ruin the reputation of themselves.
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The opposition is so great that hate towards Veles Book is in all pores of the society, which is fairly unhealthy even if it is a fantasy book, who has seen so much hate towards LOTR or Game of Thrones books? “War and Peace” by Tolstoy’s was also not a historical source therefore, the author that made Veles book – is also a very creative work, so the ban of Veles Book is rather strange. If it is proved that the Veles book does contain important philosophical stance on the matter, the most ardent opponents of the same are unlikely to succumb as people do not change their points of view.
Волки Велеса | Vlci Velesa | Veles Wolves
"Perinbaba 1985" Petr Hapka.
"Wolves" musical arrangement:
Slavomir Drago Velesov
Language and Description is in Russian Translated to English
Wolf (dog) – Dažbog's animal. It is the ancient "guide" of the Slavs. It is the ancestral symbol of the Slavs.
Symbolic display - black background, emerald green circle with a thin golden border or halo, in the center of the circle is a wolf as the embodiment of the intertwined Spirit and Will. The wolf is shown in different ways. Sometimes he "smiles", sometimes his face is ennobled, etc. depending on the "corporate" affiliation of the symbol.
A wolf's will is comparable to a human's will. Long ago, we were connected by blood to the Wolf Clan. We became relatives. In life, they often merged with the Spirit. Knowing the way, they were united. They didn't lose the keys.
The wolf is a predatory animal, the ancestor of the domestic dog, which retained many of the wolf's habits. He lives in a pack, belongs to carnivores and is extremely smart. This powerful and dangerous animal caused conflicting feelings among the Slavs. On the one hand, the wolf is the totemic ancestor of many Slavic tribes, and this bond has remained very strong to this day.
Even today, the wolf inspires fear and respect. Although he does not dare to hunt alone, but only in a pack, he prefers weak or sick game. Nevertheless, it hunts and kills only if it is necessary for the pack, so during the summer, when there is relatively enough food, it is not dangerous. The Neuri, who inhabited some areas of today's Belarus, according to Herodotus, turned into wolves for a few days a year, which did not surprise even the ancient Greeks, who are known for their experiences with such transformations into another appearance.
On the other hand, the wolf is a guide in many stories after the enchanted forest, is the embodiment of the afterlife. As a guide, however, he is not unbiased, the wolf always charged a fee for his services - a horse or a cow. From this wolf peculiarity echoes the ancient justice, "if you take - give all" (as you lend, give back), which we know today as the law of conservation of energy. This dark nature of the wolf, strangely associated with the moon and frosty clear nights, frightened the Slavs.
It was believed that the wolf belongs to the world of the dead and knows its secrets. The mournful howl of the wolf terrified our ancestors and they considered it for a bad omen. If they heard this, they were preparing for famine, war or a hard winter. Many European nations believe in turning into a werewolf. If a wizard stuck a knife into the day, he could turn into a wolf and run around in its skin as long as the knife was in place.
The wolf is therefore a dual creature. On the one hand, he is closely connected with the solar deity, a wise and faithful companion, a powerful seer. On the other hand, a predatory demon, an alien beast from the world of the dead.
Vlci Velesa || Medvedica
Lyrics (Language is Slovak Translated to English)
BEAR
In the silence of the mountains the wind sleeps,
old forests hide secrets,
the soul calls, the heart burns,
where our origin resides.
Bear, the child is sleeping
In spirit, clear, pure.
You lead us to healing
Into the depths of the wild.
You lead, you lead, you lead us
the old way, through time,
You accompany the darkness
you watch over us.
Bravery, strength you give,
In life, our life,
the flames dance
we are born in blood.
Pictures Videos Music and Additional Reading
Veles was the king of departed souls and as such became naturally associated with supernatural powers, magic and communion with spirits. He was the god to whom the witches and sorcerers, shamans and magicians of the old world turned to. Veles was also worshipped as the patron and protector of livestock and shepherds.
Veles’ tool for connecting between worlds was music and song. He used mantras, chants and melodies, much like the shamans of today, to help guide willing souls to enter altered or trance-like states, so as to travel between worlds and see into other dimensions. By repeating these sacred songs, modern-day Slavs can continue to connect to the practices and wisdoms of their ancestors.
But what about magic and sorcery?
Few realise that the English word sorcerer in fact originated from the word ‘source’, the term used to denote someone who understood the great universal force (i.e. spirit matter) and could manipulate it. The origins of the Slovak word chary, Polish czary, are still shrouded in mystery, but one theory bases it on the Slavic word for line – the lay lines of the earth that demark her electromagnetic currents.
Witches, sorcerers and healers, otherwise known as the priests and priestesses of the old world, were those who had a profound understanding of nature and the natural laws that govern the world. They were familiar with the elements, as well as the earth’s electromagnetic field and knew how to channel, harness and direct these subtle energies to achieve their desired outcome, some for good, some not.
Unfortunately, those who could see beyond the veil gained a bad reputation after the arrival of Christianity into the region. The old-world seers were often portrayed as sorcerers and witches – an extension of the Devil.
When Christianity arrived, the meaning of Veles was inverted. The Christian ideology had no room for the subtle meaning of natural chaos, and the role of death in transformation. The new monotheistic belief system saw any form of destruction as evil (i.e. anti-order) and so the god of the underworld became associated with the devil. It probably did not help that Veles was depicted as a rather menacing horned god…
His cult was eventually banned, and with time and over the centuries his symbolism, iconography and archetype was erased from public and private spaces alike.
A Plank of The Book of Veles
Source: https://www.slavorum.org/book-of-veles-controversial-facts-and-its-future/ Veles Slavic God: The Mysterious Guardian of Wealth and Magic
Source: https://www.mifologia.com/pantheon/slavic-pantheon/veles-slavic-god-the-mysterious-guardian-of-wealth-and-magic/-
Revered as the god of the underworld, cattle, magic, and wealth, Veles commanded respect and devotion. His influence reached across the land, touching the lives of travelers, traders, farmers, and magicians.
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As a god of fertility and agriculture, he taught people the secrets of farming and blessed them with bountiful harvests.
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Veles was not just a protector of cattle and wealth. He was a mediator in trade, a teacher of laws, and a guide for travelers. His wisdom and magic made him a revered figure, whose influence was felt in every aspect of life.
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Through his connection to the earth and the stars, Veles reminded his followers of the mysteries that lay beyond the physical realm, inviting them to explore the depths of mythology and the magic that wove their world together.
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Veles was the son of Rod, the primordial god of creation and chaos, who brought light and life to the world. His lineage linked him to the very essence of the universe, making him a powerful and revered god.
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Veles’s family was a constellation of divine beings. He had several notable siblings, each ruling over different aspects of the natural and spiritual worlds. His brothers included Svarog, the god of the sky and fire, and Khors, the sun god. These divine relations enriched Veles’s role in the pantheon, connecting him to the cycles of nature and the heavens.
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Veles married Azovushka, the spirit of the Azov Sea. She was the daughter of Svarog and the mother of Sva, the goddess of autumn and harvest. Their union symbolized the merging of land and water, life and fertility. Together, they lived on the mythical island of Buyan, a place of enchantment and mystery.
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Veles was also said to be linked to Mokosh, the earth goddess of fertility and weaving. This association highlighted his connection to the earth and its bountiful gifts. Whether through his consorts or his dominion, Veles embodied the forces of nature, magic, and life itself.
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His progeny included powerful and revered figures. Yarilo, sometimes depicted as a golden-horned deer, was his son and a guardian of family well-being. This divine lineage extended to other spirits and deities, with Veles having dominion over forest, water, and household spirits. His influence permeated every aspect of life, from the natural world to the mystical realms beyond.
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Veles’s sacred animals included cattle, particularly cows and bulls, which symbolized his protective and nurturing aspects. Bears, revered as masters of the forest and symbols of abundance, were also sacred to Veles. People also assigned a wolf as a sacred animal of the god.
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Veles’s symbols were deeply rooted in his diverse roles as a protector, provider, and magical guardian. His horns and the chalice of milk were primary symbols, representing his protection over livestock and his role in sustaining life. Worshipers also revered the bear, seeing it as a symbol of abundance and protection, closely associated with Veles.
Hate - Auric Gates of Veles
Lyrics
Let's spawn the anger
Make them feel the scythe
Revenants with beast hearts
Walking down through the darkest of voids
Call it life
It blooms briefly enrapt with death's blight
Invoking Raven's proudest dream of magic stronghold
Here lies the Sun
Svarog's fire, Veles's golden throne
Across night's immensity
Sculpting a temple that revolves across time
Burning eye filled with tombstones
Take a breath of the blazing firе
It lives through thousand golden dawns
Sunk in the ocеans of burning gold
As Saturn ascends
Hell's Stirps Regia
Glorious giant with serpentine heart
You took my soul from me
No man's child born of evil blood
In wolf's skin
In silence enshrined through time
In chase the wind
To the purest of winters
There I'll find my fate
Where no gods ever dare to tread
Where death is all mine
In Svarog's fire all empires fall
In deathmarch till the end of time
From darkest embrace towards brightest skies
When dawns arise to hollowed ground
Visions in blindness
In blindness
Until truth is reclaimed
Once more, once more, once more
Stronghold of fire, Veles's golden throne
It gleams in sultry eyes of the Sun
Arkhen will rise through the Auric Gates
With Serpent's chant in the ghostland
Vernyhora's cold stare invokes the Raven
Vernyhora's cold voice summons the Raven
Hate - Sovereign Sanctity (OFFICIAL VIDEO)
Lyrics
Rise up to witness red twilight
There's no peace in Raven's land
As darkness lingers
Once you leave
You feel dark northern breeze…
Let's spit on this shell
And go down to the depth
As horizons crumble
In a blaze of burning forests
Mountain Ślęża vibration
In the roaring winter dusks
See the fire of existence
Through the facade of pretense
Still locked in a grudge
Drowned in Velesian storm
Behind the curtain of sorrow
Recurring hatred
A soul of revenge
Sulphur lead us!
Are we not a caravan of struggles and failures
A history of terrors and creaturness?
Where death is all mine
Are we not lifeless satellites drifting in void
finding peace with emptiness?
Till our dreams decay
Are we not wearing blindfolds as the hangman
is tightening the nooses and kicking the chairs?
I follow the will
Down untrodden pathways
In relentless night
Where life is inferior
Infernal dust
Drawn in every breath…
Beyond the reach of light
Through starless night
To God's perfect darkness
It's perfect and pure
So perfect and pure
Sulphur lead us!
It comes as a lion
That feasts upon the soul
It's deathshead with halo
Who closes his eyes to the truth
Is only a firewood
Torn by the wind
It's only one flash of existence
Solo
Another day there's no suffering
As we drink from the night's essence
Holy Evil Cristal Shrine
We've become Sovereign Sanctity
Beyond measure
A chainless soul
It's perfect and pure
Beyond measure
In reverent silence, in vacuum of touch
Come, bask in great nothing which was once our world!