Aryan Paganism, Traditions and Art (APTA)

30 Oct 2023 06:53

Valkyrie with a fallen warrior II

Konstantin Vasilyev

Aryan Paganism, Traditions and Art (APTA)

29 Oct 2023 17:37

Today, on 29th of October, Konstantin Vasilyev died an early death at the age of 34. He was and still is one of the best Pagan artists and gave us many great works e.g. his famous portrait of Odin. Sadly, most of Vasyliev’s art is hidden away in his museum and never even shown due to the fear of the government ban and/or destruction.

Aryan Paganism, Traditions and Art (APTA)

29 Oct 2023 16:07

In charms, riddles, koliadkas and tales the crescent is male and just like Veles is connected with the mystical other side of the words i.e. the world of spirits (including the dead). He is called a husband of the Sun, an old or a young man (depending of the phase).
Here’s a healing charm one has to use during the waxing moon asking the crescent to help cure toothache (my translation):

Young one, young one, you have a golden horn. For your standing and my health. Have you been to the Underworld? You have! Have you seen the dead? You have! Do they have toothache? No, they don’t. May, o Lord, my teeth never hurt.

Aryan Paganism, Traditions and Art (APTA)

29 Oct 2023 15:40

Mokosh

The second theory is the weakest. Mokosh is a female deity, but otherwise there is nothing one can definitively say about her. As a result Mokosh is seen as a woman par exellence, a guardian of the heavenly hearth. Some also add magic and moon to her attributes comparing her to Frigg and Hecate. But this theory has literally no proof and folklore shows the Moon being masculine thus supporting the next theory.

Aryan Paganism, Traditions and Art (APTA)

29 Oct 2023 14:55

Khors

The first theory is that Khors was a Moon God, but it is rather baseless. Khors is mentioned in one of the main sources, The Tale of Igor’s Campaign, but in context it’s equally likely that Khors was a Sun God. The etymology of the name itself also hints at solar nature of this deity.

Aryan Paganism, Traditions and Art (APTA)

28 Oct 2023 18:59

Winterfylleth 2023

Tonight, on the first day of the October lunar month, our Order will observe the Winterfylleth. Named for the Full Moon for which it is celebrated under, it is a time of death and ancestor worship.

In keeping with the rites of the Álfablót, we shall observe it privately with our clansfolk. Fear Gangráðr's wrath, all who intrude on such.

May your auspices be many, brothers and sisters. Hail the Gods!

Aryan Paganism, Traditions and Art (APTA)

28 Oct 2023 14:33

I have assembled some (mostly ethnographic) material on the Moon in Slavic folklore. I will delve into the rather problematic topic of a Moon God of Slavs and analyze the many folk songs and charms. Will start posting tomorrow.

Aryan Paganism, Traditions and Art (APTA)

27 Oct 2023 20:34

Selling a lyre I built some time ago. This one is made with steam bent sides and a bookmatched back. Sides and back are walnut, top is "earthtone" Red Cedar. Earthtone is a grade of Western Red Cedar which is salvaged from logs that fell many years ago, the oils are oxidized which gives the tonewood more unique characteristics and a more clear sound. The tailpiece and bridge are black walnut. The arms and terminal are pine. There is a moose antker anchor for the tailpiece. This instrument creates some superb sound. Selling it because I could use some extra cash. $400 with free shipping to the US. International buyers will need to speak with me to figure out shipping prices. I will post a video soon showing how it sounds.

Aryan Paganism, Traditions and Art (APTA)

27 Oct 2023 10:56

An offering to the Ancestors by Brother Bjorn

Aryan Paganism, Traditions and Art (APTA)

26 Oct 2023 23:44

Perun by Velimir
My commission

Aryan Paganism, Traditions and Art (APTA)

26 Oct 2023 10:34

Immortal Symbols (1941) with english subtitles

Aryan Paganism, Traditions and Art (APTA)

26 Oct 2023 06:33

Nietzsche’s famous "Gott ist tot" is not inherently atheistic, rather it’s true meaning is that christian belief and morality have finally been mostly forgotten. Of course, Herr Nietzsche didn’t live long enough to see modern woke rebirth of christianity, it’s African boom, TikTok pastors etc.

Aryan Paganism, Traditions and Art (APTA)

25 Oct 2023 20:59

Dziady is coming!

A sacred day of remembering and feasting with the dead in Slavic tradition

Art by Stanisław Bagieński

Aryan Paganism, Traditions and Art (APTA)

24 Oct 2023 22:35

When you go to a sauna, you have to say: Sauna room, sauna’s mistress, let us in to bath, to warmth, to steam. And when you are done, say: Sauna mistress, thank you for a warm bath. You got happy, we got healthy.

One doesn’t go to a sauna after midnight. Obderiha wants to wash and rest too, after all. One woman went to a sauna after midnight and obderiha dragged her out by the hair.

Arkhangelsk oblast, Pinega, Nemnuga, 1984

Aryan Paganism, Traditions and Art (APTA)

24 Oct 2023 16:06

Saunas are notable for not having icons inside them and therefore are considered to be somewhat liminal places where evil spirits can cause a lot of harm and where witches and witchers conducted divinations. Also women gave birth in baths which made them even more chtonic.

Aryan Paganism, Traditions and Art (APTA)

29 Oct 2023 23:17

Valkyrie with a fallen warrior (alt.version)

Konstantin Vasilyev

Aryan Paganism, Traditions and Art (APTA)

29 Oct 2023 16:25

To sum up, Veles, the God of Magic and the Lord of the Dead is the one who fits the role of a lunar deity the most. Slava.

Aryan Paganism, Traditions and Art (APTA)

29 Oct 2023 15:51

Veles

The final and strongest theory is that Veles is the true lunar God. This theory is supported by folklore which always adresses the Moon or rather the crescent (місяць, месяц, miesiąc) as a masculine (a young man and/or an old man). We also know that Veles is strongly assosiated with magic and Underworld and the same is true for the crescent.

Aryan Paganism, Traditions and Art (APTA)

29 Oct 2023 15:04

The English translation of The Tale of Igor’s Campaign is rather flawed in general, but the part we need is especially so. It’s just a couple of lines about legendary Vseslav the Shapeshifter. My own translation:

King Vseslav governed
the city and people by day
And prowled
as a wolf by night
He prowled from Kyiv to Tmutarakan
Crossing the path of great Khors

Here Khors can be interpreted either as the setting moon or the rising sun, but etymology supports the latter.

Aryan Paganism, Traditions and Art (APTA)

29 Oct 2023 14:46

In Slavic sources there’s no clear indication as to which deity was associated with the Moon, but three theories have been formed over the years. One is questionable and the another is simply weak so the third one is the most popular and I support it as well. Let’s start with the first.

Aryan Paganism, Traditions and Art (APTA)

28 Oct 2023 17:57

Pumpkins carved by Brother Bjorn

Aryan Paganism, Traditions and Art (APTA)

28 Oct 2023 00:22

Who’s celebrating Samhain tomorrow?

Aryan Paganism, Traditions and Art (APTA)

27 Oct 2023 18:33

Something else academics are finally catching up to. We've been making this argument for years. Tyr is not the original sky-father.

https://youtu.be/skgKtH_npUE?si=dF3mjnf1Qy460Sbp

Aryan Paganism, Traditions and Art (APTA)

27 Oct 2023 07:52

Silver pendant from Klahammar

Aryan Paganism, Traditions and Art (APTA)

26 Oct 2023 15:30

Ragnar Loðbrok (Shaggy Trousers) and the Wolf by Brother Bjorn
https://twitter.com/bjorn_brother

Aryan Paganism, Traditions and Art (APTA)

26 Oct 2023 06:46

Grendel by Gramanh Folcwald

Aryan Paganism, Traditions and Art (APTA)

25 Oct 2023 23:15

On Dziady spirits of the ancestors come to the world of the living and are treated by their descendants with a special supper at home.

Aryan Paganism, Traditions and Art (APTA)

25 Oct 2023 07:42

Werecat

A being from Slavic folklore, werecat (koshkolak) is one of many creatures a witch or a witcher can turn into. It’s supposed to be a plain cat, at worst a black one, but just like with werewolf it was later turned into a monstrous human-animal hybrid which is not folklore accurate.

Art by A.Basak

Aryan Paganism, Traditions and Art (APTA)

24 Oct 2023 22:00

A sauna has it’s own, not domovoi, but bannik, a sauna master, he lives there, causes havoc they say. I’ve heard that one day, water was carried to a sauna. No matter how much water they’ve carried it wasn’t enough. When they returned with more water there was none in the sauna, as if someone poured it out. They tried five more times and then realized that the sauna master did not want anyone to bath today.

Novgorod, Staraya Russa, Village Ivanovskoe, 1990

Aryan Paganism, Traditions and Art (APTA)

24 Oct 2023 13:01

Bannik is not the only evil sauna spirit, there’s another, female one. Even more dangerous and aggressive is obderiha (the ripper). Typically she is imagined to be a small, scary woman with long claws.