Giftware & Lifestyle - Veles Slavic God Of Earth Water and Underworld
| Article number: | 708-891 |
| Availability: | In stock (2) |
Giftware & Lifestyle
Veles Slavic God Of Earth Water and Underworld
- Dimensions: (hxwxd) approx. 21cm x 17cm x 13cm
- Material: Bronzed Polyresin
- Brand: Veronese Design
Veles Slavic God of Underworld, Trade and Wealth
Veles (Volos) is a god from Slavic mythology. He is the king of the underworld, death, trade and wealth and protector of cattle, farmers, shepherds and travelling musicians. Veles is the antagonist of the god Perun and is represented as a snake, dragon, bear or wolf, among others. He is associated with water.
His name is derived from 'wel' (wool in Proto-Indo-European) or 'volos' (hair in Russian).
In the 'storm myth' or 'divine battle', Perun and Veles fought each other. Veles had stolen Perun's cattle and locked them up, and when Perun defeated Veles, rain came from the sky. Yet among the ancient Slavs, Veles was not an evil god, although, like Loki among the ancient Scandinavians, he was also seen as a crook. The battle between Veles and Perun was cyclical: Veles rose again from the dead after being defeated.
While Perun, the storm, thunder and sky god, was worshipped in a high place in Kiev, the statue of Veles stood downstairs in the marketplace. When paganism there was replaced by Christianity in the 10th century, Perun and Veles were transformed into St Elias and St Nicholas respectively, the latter also dedicated to the farmer and his cattle.
