Slavic mythology: the god Chernabog

Slavic mythology: the god Chernabog

Chernabog is a god of Slavic mythology whose name means "black god", of which there are very few references or sources, the only known ones being a 12th century Christian chronicle and an Icelandic legend from the 10th century, where he is described as a dark and cursed deity.

Also written as Chernobog, Crnobog, Czernobóg, Zernebog or Czernobog.

One of the first sources to mention it is “Chronica Slavorum”, Written by Helmoldo de Bosau between 1168 and 1169, who describes Chernabog after describing a Slavic religious ritual where it was offered to the good god, whose name was not mentioned, and the bad one, who identified him as the devil and who called by the name of Zcerneboch.

The Slavs also have a peculiar misunderstanding; that in their parties and drunkenness they pass a plate on which they say certain words, I would not say of consecration but of execration, in the name of their gods, both good and bad, professing that all good fortune is granted by good God and the adverse for the bad. Hence, in their language the evil god is called Diablo or Zcerneboch, that is, the Black God.

He was the opposite of his brother, Belobog or Bielobog, the white god, god of Good and companion of Dazsbog.

Image: Mhapon on Wikimedia


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