Radegast (god)

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Statue o "Radegast" on a Czech muntain Radhošť

Radegast, kent as Radigost, Redigast, Riedegost or Radogost an aw, is an auld god o Slavic mythology. Syne the name kin easy be kent as meanin something like “Dear guest”, Radegast wis proclaimed as the Slavic god o hospitality an as siclike entered the hypothetical, reconstructit Slavic pantheon o modren days. E'en myths anent him wur biggit based on sindry fowk customs o sacred hospitality. Seemlar customs, houaniver, are kent in mony Indo-European meyhologies athoot a distinct deity associatit explicitly wi thaim. Accordin tae some leeterar soorces he is the god o war, nicht, fire an the forenicht sky an aw.[1] He likes tae invite tae the banquets, is completely black an is airmt wi a spear an helmet.

History[eedit | eedit soorce]

Mt. Radhošť (Czech Beskids) is tradeetionally associatit wi the wirship o this god an accordin tae legend, missionars Cyril an Methodius whan thay reportit went tae the muntain on thair trip tae Great Moravie, haed his idol caa'd doon.

Radegast is mentioned bi Adam o Bremen in his Gesta Hammaburgensis Ecclesiae Pontificum as the deity warshippt in the Lutician (Wast Slavic tribes) city o Radgosc. Sicweys, Helmold in his Chronica Slavorum wrate o Radegast as a Lutician god. Housomeivver, Thietmar o Merseburg earlier wrate in his Chronicon that the pagan Luticians in their haily city o "Radegast" warshippit mony gods, the maist heich o thaim whit wis cried Zuarasici, identifee'd as either Svarog or Svarožič. Accordin tae Adam o Bremen, Johannes Scotus, Bishop o Mecklenburg, wis sacrificit tae that god on 10 November 1066, durin a Wendish pagan rebellion agin Christianity.

Accordin tae Slavic legends, Radegast wis beluvit bi Hors, descrieved as bonnie young goddess o the muin. Housomeivver he ignored her, unlike the god o the wind Stribog, who luvit her. Stribog secretly stole Radegast's cloak an towards fore-nuin he sneakit intae Hors chamber, whaur she let him seduce her an got her pregnant. Radegast wis ootragit, but no acause o Hors rather for the stolen coat. Hors felt cheatit an lonely. She beggit for mercy for her newborn girl an suggestit that she coud be a goddess o hairst, but the main god Svarog disagreed an the dispute wis no settled. As a result this saison does no hae a goddess an the goddess Živa fechts ower it wi the goddess Marzanna.[1]

In popular cultur[eedit | eedit soorce]

The oreeginal statue ance fand on Mt. Radhošť, sculptit in 1929 bi Albin Polasek, is nou locatit in Frenstat's (Czech Republic) Toun Haw. Whan the statue wis muivit tae the muntain in 1931, the larrie became stuck in a steep turn, hivy rain accompaniet the storm an lichtnin killed ane o the sodgers.[2]

A smawer version bi Albin Polasek staunds in the centre o Prague's Zoo. The enlarged version, nou foond on Mt. Radhošť, is a mair recent copy fundit bi the Radegast Beer Company in 1998. Mair information an sculpturs o Radegast can be viewed at The Albin Polasek Museum & Sculpture Gardens in Winter Park, Florida. The name Radhošť itsel is supposed tae be a Czech transcription o Radegast.

Radagast the Brown is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium. He is ane o the Wizards an lives amang animals.

References[eedit | eedit soorce]

Freemit airtins[eedit | eedit soorce]

Media relatit tae Radhošť at Wikimedia Commons

References[eedit | eedit soorce]

  1. a b Book Báje a mýty starých slovanů bi Ivan Hudec, Slovart, 1994
  2. Pohanský bůh Radegast Archived 2013-10-04 at the Wayback Machine

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