In the culture of the ancient Slavs , paganism was central. The earliest forms of religion, which were of great importance at the time, were fetishism, magic, and totemism. The last direction stood in a separate place. The most revered totems of the Slavs were a rooster, an eagle and a falcon among birds, a bear and a horse among animals.
Paganism in Ancient Russia, according to modern scholars, has gone through several stages of its development.
The initial period was characterized by the deification of the forces of nature. The symbolism of ancient Slavic art reflects the attitude of people of that time towards nature. In their opinion, it was inhabited by many spirits. The paganism of Ancient Russia at the initial stage was expressed in the worship of the Slavs of Mother Earth. Its symbol was a square divided into four squares, in the center of which are dots. Water cults were also highly developed, groves and forests revered as the dwellings of the gods. In the pagan forest, the Bear was the master.
By the first millennium AD, the deities of the ancient Slavs begin to acquire an anthropomorphic appearance. From that moment on, human traits in deities gradually replaced animal animals.
Paganism in Russia of that period is characterized by the worship of such deities as Dazhbog, Svarog, Veles, Stribog, Horse, Makosh, Yarilo. These gods were among the Slavs the most revered.
Svarog personified the sky, was considered the ancestor of all deities. For several centuries, the most revered was Dazhbog - the god of sunlight, ripening, heat. Its symbols were silver and gold.
Horse was the sun god. His name means "circle", "sun." This deity did not have a human appearance. It was represented by a simple golden disc. The worship of Khors was expressed by a spring dance, a round dance, the custom of baking pancakes on Shrovetide, skating lighted wheels symbolizing the sun.
Paganism in Russia at the second stage of its development is characterized by the cult of the Rozhanitsy and the Sort - the goddesses of fertility and the creator of the universe. This direction of religion was closely connected with the veneration of ancestors, home, family.
The clan was considered the god of fertility, thunder, sky. The Slavs said that he was riding on a cloud and rain was falling on the ground. From this children are born. The clan was a pagan creator god. The women in labor were nameless goddesses of prosperity, abundance and fertility. Their Slavs were revered as defenders of young children and young mothers.
In the same period, paganism in Russia came to a three-part view of the world. The image of the structure - the lower (underground), middle (earthly) and upper (heavenly) worlds - can be seen on the preserved idols.
Sacrifices and worship took place in special sanctuaries-temples. They were rounded earthen or wooden structures that were erected on hills or embankments. Later they became quadrangular.
The Slavs artistically consolidated the process of the continuous struggle of the dark and light forces of nature in their ideas about the temporary cycle. The starting point coincided with the onset of the new year in late December. The celebration of the birth of the new sun was called "carol."
At the last third stage of development, pagan religion elevated the cult of the god Perun. Vladimir, the Prince of Kiev, in 980 tried to reform the religion, seeking to elevate worship to the state level.
It should be noted that of the Slavic fertility deities a special role and significance was assigned to warlike gods. The Slavs brought bloody sacrifices to them. These were the gods Perun and Yarilo. The second personified death and resurrection, a young sheep was sacrificed to him. Perun was worshiped as a thunder god, the exaltation of his cult begins with the first campaigns of Kiev.
Despite the adoption of Christianity in 988, paganism in Russia existed for quite some time.