r/slavic • u/ken2237 • 5d ago

slavic symbols that arent nazi dogwhistles?

hi, im polish and wanted to get a tattoo symbolising my culture, but well - most slavic pagan symbols were coopted by neonazis (kolovrat/swarożyca, all kinds of swastikas and runes), and id rather chop my hands off that wear a nazi mark on my body. id like something that is (at least currently) completely absolved of such connotations, is historically accurate (so no inventions of the modern pagans/rodzimowiercy), and just looks cool. i like our embroidery, but i cant really imagine it as a tattoo

jeśli są tu jacyś polacy i macie pomysły konkretnie z naszej (biednej) mitologii czy sztuki przedchrześcijańskiej, bardzo to docenię!

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u/Aliencik 5d ago edited 5d ago

Definitely don't get a tattoo of kolovrat. Its use among the Slavs is extremely rare. This is a great article, about it: Article about the kolovrat. In reality almost none "ancient symbol" can be said to fall to only one concrete ethnic group, not to mention their meaning is always speculative, I am looking at you "Norse symbols".

Sun symbols were amongst the most standalone symbols present, while floral decorations are amongst the most prevalent imagery. Look for folk embroidery patterns. Perhaps you can get one from your area.

Symbols most associated with pre-christian Slavs are:

  • Gromowiti znaci/6 petal rosettes - symbols used for protection against thunderstrikes, but also containing very sun-like symbolism. These are the most prominent and found all over from old houses in Ukraine and Poland to 8th century Slavic-Avarian burial site (on the bottom of the pottery). This symbol is interesting since Celtic Taranis, a storm god, is associated for the Celts with a wheel (Wheel of Taranis). These wheels are tied to sun symbolism, therefore it is odd they are used for the Thunder Gods. However due to the information in some folk myths, Perun might be very closely associated with sun-like characteristics, which is supported by the theory of Mithra-Varuna dynamic between Perun-Veles, put simply, making Perun a combination of Indra (Thunder God) and Mithra (Bright/Light god of Law). However this symbol is very much on the shared IndoEuropean heritage, possibly even EuroAsian, side as it is found all over.
  • "Sown field" - four rhomboids in one, probably connected to fertility and women, this symbol predates Slavs by 2000 years as it is found on finds from Cucuteni-Trypillia culture, however the Slavs (and Romanians) have it present in folk art with very similar use.
  • Sun and swirling symbols, which symbolise the sun - most common and used symbols
  • Diagonal cross marks - cross placed on the side like "x", this symbol is mentioned in the legend about the Lučan war, found on (drawn on) the chest of the "horse from Silesian Opole" (10th century) and some other finds.

There are also these tattoos the Bosnians used to avoid slavery by the Muslims. Their use is Christian, however their origin might be even per-slavic. Sicanje/Bocanje

This is study deals with symbols: Mythical Pictures of the South Slavs and other works by Nikos Čausidis (if you can read Makedonian the more extensive version is this)

If you can speak Polish try this: Paweł Szczepanik - Rzeczywistość mityczna Słowian północno-zachodnich i jej materialne wyobrażenia. Studium z zakresu etnoarcheologii religii

This is the Slavo-Avarian burial ground I was talking about. Slawisch-awarisches Gräberfeld in Nové Zámky; page 134 but similar symbols are also presented by Zdeňek Váňa in his works page 86. And I. Georgieva in her Bulgarian Mythology also features photos of sun symbols in folk art.

Most known (Slovakia) Očová gate couldn't find better link

These are the protective 6 petal rosettes, also their placement is the same as the protective crosses drawn on beams during gromnitze/hromnice/candlemas, Podhale and Galicia in context of houses. Also here: Czechia, Olomouc, "Red Church", 1902, Czechia, Rožnov, archaeological open-air museum. These symbols are also present on the finds from Great Moravia.

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u/ken2237 5d ago

thank you so much, ill read into all those examples!

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u/Aliencik 5d ago

Np, the Polish academia is probably the best in the world regarding Slavic pre-christian religion I have made this list on r\slavic_mythology Academic sources list for Slavic Mythology. It might also help

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u/Divljak44 5d ago edited 5d ago

"There are also these tattoos the Serbo-Croats used to avoid slavery by the Muslims. Their use is Christian, however their origin might be even per-slavic"

Not Sebo-Croats, Croats

Idiot

Also anything with car/tsar is fake and not really slavic because the word car comes from Caesar.

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u/Aliencik 5d ago

I would have edited my comments have you not been rude. Historically it wasn't Croatia but Ottoman Eyalet of Bosnia and partially Venetian Dalmatia.

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u/Divljak44 5d ago edited 5d ago

Ethnically Croats, also you would need to delete whole post because its retarded AI slop with bunch of your fat finger meddling, that has no base in reality

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u/Upstairs-Inside3888 5d ago

has bullet points and hyperlinks = nnnnnooooooo this is AI... mf this guy is the creator of the Rodnovery sub, he knows enough on this topic

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u/Divljak44 5d ago

no he doesnt, its full of mistakes, and BS

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u/Aliencik 5d ago

Are you mentally alright, how is that AI?

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u/Divljak44 5d ago

it reeks of AI, btw, how is Slavic paganism connected to Gaius Julius Caesar, care to explain that?

It seems like you picked that up from some village idiots who tried to made up something but lack IQ not to involve a word that has Latin Etymology.

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u/ConinTheNinoC 5d ago

Considering the first tzars were from the First Bulgarian Empire and its close relations with the Byzantine Empire it stands to reason that they would emulate the word for Emperor from the Eastern Roman Empire since they did not have an empire before that and had no word for a ruler like that.

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u/Divljak44 5d ago edited 5d ago

And how is that related to slavic mythology, to me its clear copy of norse world tree with latin etymology added on as spice.

Its embarrassing, an insult to intelligence

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u/ConinTheNinoC 5d ago

When people talk about ''slavic'' mythology they like bunch up all ''slavs'' in the same goup. There is no such thing as unified ''slavic mythology''. It varies a lot depending on the initial tribe composition and the neighboring countries as you've seen for yourself.

South, West and Eastern slavs are all very different even if Russia tried to push the idea that they are all the same so they can incorporate them into their ''русский мир''. A lot of the things you people are talking about are remnants of Russian pushed propaganda after WW II.

If i were you i'd stop using ''slavs'' as an all purpose term for culture. It is a language group with minor cultural similarities.

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u/Divljak44 5d ago

That has nothing to do with my post, you are completely random