fbpx

Leshy Stories

Posted on

Slavic tribes – Lendians and Vervians (Lędzanie & Wierzbianie). Part II

We continue a string of posts about various Slavic tribes, which are to be mentioned in our animated fantasy comic book series about the customs and beliefs of the ancient Slavic people.

Interestingly, according to the most accepted point of view in etymology, the word “Lech” is derived from the name of the Lędzanie tribe. The name “Lędzianie” itself derives from the Proto-Slavic and Old Polish word “lęda”, meaning ” uncultivated field”. In other languages, this name was distorted according to phonetic laws: Lendizi (Bavarian Geographer), Lendzanenoi , Lendzaninoi (Constantine VII), Lz’njn (Josippon), Landzaneh (Al-Masudi), Lachy (Nestor), etc.

Even more mysterious tribe was the Vervians (Wierzbianie) with even fewer historical references. They were also mentioned in the treatise «De administrando imperio» (Βερβίανοι). They lived near the Lendians (Lędzanie), and also had economic and political ties with Kievan Rus.

Some scientists believe that reference to the Lendians and Vervians by a number of famous sources can be attributed to the significant role those tribes played in the region due to its geographical position on the important trade route from east to west: through the passes of the Carpathian mountains and further to the Moravian Gate.

Sources:
– Henryk Łowmiański “Zagadnienia roli Normanów w genezie państw słowiańskich”, 1957 (PL);
– Krzysztof Tomasz Witczak, On two Prapolian tribes inhabiting the Przemyśl and Chełm Lands – Lędzany and Wierzbiny , ” Acta Archaeologica Carpathica ” R. 38, 2003, pp. 157-172. (PL);
– Krzysztof Fokt “Lędzanie – how far from the Empire”, 2007 (EN);
– Maksim Zhikh, Lendians of Constantine Porphyrogenitus and Radimichs “of Lyahis’ origin”, 2018 (RU with EN summary);
– Atlas historyczny Polski, Państwowe Przedsiębiorstwo Wydawnictw Kartograficznych im. Eugeniusza Romera, Warszawa-Wrocław 1979 (PL);
– We also recommend Wikipedia articles on Lędzanie and Wierzbianie in PL, RU and EN languages.

Slavic tribes Vervians

Posted on

Slavic tribes – Lendians and Vervians (Lędzanie & Wierzbianie). Part I

Lendians (also: Lendzaninoi, Lz’njn, Lachy, Landzaneh and Lendizi) is a West Slavic Lechitic tribe that lived in the border region of modern Ukraine and Poland.

We are starting a string of posts about different Slavic tribes, which are to be mentioned in our animated fantasy comic book series about the customs and beliefs of the ancient Slavic people.

Lędzanie is one of the most mysterious Slavic tribes due to the small amount of historical information. Their reliable localization and identification are still a subject of debate between scholars.

Lędzanie (Λενζανηνοι / Λενζενίνοι) are mentioned in the treatise of the Byzantine Emperor Constantine VII Porphyrogenitus (Κωνσταντίνος Ζ ‘ο Πορφυρογέννητος, 945-959) «De administrando imperio» (Πρὸςτὸν ἴδιον υἱὸν Ρωμανόν, 948-952) among the Eastern Slavic ethno-political unions (Σκλαβηνίας / Sclavenias). Lędzanie supplied logboats (Monoxylon / Μονόξυλον) to Kievan Rus, which were then used in the campaigns against the Byzantine Empire.

This reference gave researchers reasons to believe that the Lędzanie’s lands also included the area in the upper reaches of the Dniester, San, Western Bug and Styr rivers. The latter, being a tributary of the Pripyat river, gave direct access to the Dnieper and Kievan Rus, with whom Lędzanie had economic and political ties.

The “Bavarian geographer” («Descriptio civitatum et regionum ad septentrionalem plagam Danubii») says that Lędzanie (Lendizi) had 98 settlements.

To be continued…

Slavic tribes – Lendians and Vervians

Posted on

The hunter in the Slavic tradition

Along with other “knowing” people (a shepherd, musician, blacksmith, etc.), the hunter was often believed to have magical abilities and witchcraft knowledge.

We continue to familiarize you with the customs and beliefs of the ancient Slavic people, while working on the animated fantasy comic book series. In such posts, as if jumping forward in time, we shed light upon and help to understand the events that will occur in our story … 😉

Hunting craft was passed within a family from generation to generation and was kept secret. Just like with a witchcraft, an elder hunter-sorcerer could teach an apprentice, who was subjected to various trials.

According to Russian beliefs, in order to hunt successfully, it was necessary to enter into a contract with Leshy (Borowy): without his permission, the hunter not only remained without prey, but could also get lost and die. The agreement had certain conditions, like not to take more prey than was allowed by Leshy, go hunting on certain days, etc. Otherwise, Leshy punished the hunter by whipping him with the tops of the trees or cursed him with a disease.

For the hunt to be successful, it was necessary to follow a number of prohibitions and prescriptions: for example, not to name some animals by their real name, but to use substitute names (thus, Russians avoided mentioning the raven, but called it “chicken” 🙂 ). There was a significant number of hunting spells to ensure abundant prey, to protect oneself and weapons from a curse, to drive away birds that interfere with hunting, particularly ravens. There were luck spells for hunting on hares, ducks, squirrels, bears, etc. The hunter pronounced a spell every time he went out on a hunt or enchanted various objects: a knife, a tree twig, bread, honey, a snowball, etc.

In addition to spells, numerous amulets were used to protect a hunter from wild beasts, and a hunting gear from an evil eye or curse. For example, it was believed that carrying a lynx claw could shield its owner from a predator and various dangers. Serbian hunters, in order to protect the caught prey from an evil eye, upon their return from the hunt, concealed the amount of prey and removed animal skin away from the prying eyes.

Source: “Slavic Antiquities” – encyclopedic dictionary in 5 volumes by Institute for Slavic Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

Hunter in Slavic tradition

Posted on

Hair in Slavic tradition

Do you believe in the hair magical powers?  😉

We continue to familiarize you with the customs and beliefs of the ancient Slavic people, while working on the animated fantasy comic book series. Here we will reveal a little secret – in such posts, as if jumping forward, we shed light upon and help to understand the events that will occur in our story …;)

HAIR, according to the ancient Slavic tradition, is the place of concentration of human vitality. In magic, cut off hair was perceived as a substitute (double) of a person. Thus, the hair that fell out during combing, could not be thrown away to prevent a witch to put a hex on you, etc. Or an evil person could cast a spell that would prevent a girl from getting married, when her hair is placed in the hollow of a tree. Therefore, people hid their hair in various crevices, buried it in the ground and at the crossroads, laid it under large stones, or burnt it.

The Slavs also believed in the special hair powers for healing and love magic. For example, Croatian girls, to bewitch young guys, tried to quietly put their hair in the food of their chosen ones. In Moravia, on the contrary, the guys sought to charm the girls, while carrying with them three hairs of their chosen ones twisted in a ring.

Source: “Slavic Antiquities” – encyclopedic dictionary in 5 volumes by Institute for Slavic Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

Photo credit: https://vk.com/nyonaka

Hair in Slavic tradition

Posted on

Volk – villain or hero?

How do you imagine the personality of this character?  😉

We continue to work on the first story from the animated fantasy comic book series about the life, customs and beliefs of the Slavic tribes in the early Middle Ages.

Volk