#Paraskeva Friday

[druidicentropy]

*Pria

*Pria was a possible Proto-Indo-European goddess associated with beauty, love, sex, and possibly war; she played a role akin to that of Aphrodite, Venus, and Freyja.

*Pria's parents are unknown in the PIE cosmogony, but based on her descendants, Dyēus or Wérunos could be her father.

It is possible that *Pria would be a daughter of Dyđus since in Homer's Teogony, Aphrodite was born from the union of a god (Zeus) and a goddess (Dione).

However, according to the Hesiod cosmogony, Aphrodite was the daughter of Uranus's blood. Ahura Mazda, who the Greeks identified with Aphrodite. created the Zoroastrian goddess Anahita, an ahura. Interestingly, both Ahura Mazda and Uranus have their roots in the proto-Indo-European nigth god Wérunos. In this instance, a potential variant of the proto-Indo-European myth might also regard *Pria as Wérunos' daughter.

*Pria most likely had Martus, the Indo-European God of War, and Dyēus as consorts, using the Greek Aphrodite and the Roman Venus.

However, according to zoroastrianism, Anahita is Mithra's consort; therefore, it's possible that *Pria had a solar deity as her consort.

*Pria's Greek and Roman ancestry suggests that she might be the mother of an hypothetical, unreconstructible love god who predates both Eros and Cupid. Her masculine Norse ancestry further supports this theory. A potential ancestor of Fjolnir, a demigod, may have been mothered by Freyr *PriHyéh₂.

Aphrodite was depicted in Sparta with classical Spartan weapons, and Freyja, the Norse war goddess, is connected to *Pria as well as both Athena and Minerva. It's interesting that many of *Pria's descents were associated with semetic goddesses like Astarte and Ishtar, so it's possible that *Pria's figure originated from a proto-afroasiatic goddess of sex and war, or the Sumerian Inanna.

Both the English and its Spanish counterpart Viernes originate from *Pria. Friday is derived from Frigga's Day, which honors the Norse/Germanic goddess sometimes confused with Freyja,*Pria's female descendant, while Viernes is derived from dies Veneris, or Venus Day.

Similar to other proto-Indo-European gods she has also left some of her legacy within Christianity as well, where the Virgin Mary is depicted in art using traits from both Venus and Aphrodite.

Etymologically, the Slavic Saint Paraskeva Friday, who is revered in folk orthodoxy, originated from *Pria.

[mortheim]

Saints aren't nice - Paraskeva Pyatnitsa

Nearly all cultures were affected by their religion. Often by just knowing the religion of the country, you can guess some things that are valued in this society. And it isn't different in Russia. Orthodox Christianity made suffering one of the cornerstones of my culture. I would say that enduring hardships could be a national sport...

Anyway, Orthodox Christianity is rich in a lot of weird saints. Most of them are mixed with old, pagan, beliefs. And today's "guest" isn't an exception. Paraskeva Pyatnitsa can be considered part of the Slavic folklore, combining elements of Christian sainthood with remnants of pagan beliefs. Revered among Orthodox Slavs, she is based on both Saints Paraskeva of Iconium and Paraskeva of Serbia. However, in folk traditions, her role goes beyond Christianity, reflecting aspects of the pagan goddess Mokosh, who was linked to women’s work, fertility, and protection of the household.

Paraskeva became the personification of Friday, a day considered sacred and often tied to prohibitions around spinning, washing, and other household tasks. Those who disrespected these rules were believed to face her wrath, with punishments including illness, blindness, and flaying.

Russians prayed to Paraskeva Pyatnitsa for protection from the death of livestock, especially cows. The saint was also considered a healer of human ailments, especially the devil‘s obsession, fever, toothache, headache, and other diseases. In honor of Saint Paraskeva, there were special prayers worn around the neck and considered to be a protection against various diseases. Flowers, herbs, and other attachments to the image of Paraskeva-Patnitsa were also considered to be one of the most effective medical remedies and therefore were preserved from year to year as an important healing aid. In case of any illness, peasants boiled them in water and used this decoction to drink for various diseases.

In addition to her religious significance, Paraskeva’s folk image is both protective and fearsome. While traditional icons depict her as an ascetic figure in a red cloak, folk stories paint a wilder picture - showing her as a tall woman with loose hair and large breasts, a blend of both nurturing and punishing forces. In some regions, rituals like vodit' (lead) Pyatnitsu involved leading a woman dressed as the saint around the village, seeking her blessing for the harvest or livestock.

This blending of Christian and pagan elements made Paraskeva an important figure in both religious and rural life. Her feast days, especially October 14 (October 27, New Style), were celebrated with church services and the observance of traditional bans on work, particularly among women. In some regions, Paraskeva was also connected to the "12 Fridays" legend, marking sacred Fridays throughout the year for fasting and reflection. Some authors consider the echo of the Slavic pre-Christian beliefs some authors consider ‘idol’ sculptural images of saints preserved in some places even in the XIX - early XX centuries. The most frequent was the sculpture of Paraskeva Pyatnitsa. In Russia, her wooden sculptures were widespread - ‘wooden painted statue of Friday, sometimes in the form of a woman in oriental garb, and sometimes in the form of a simple woman in a ponyova and lapti’. The statue of Paraskeva ‘was placed in churches in special boxes and people prayed before this idol’.

Ultimately, this is one of the saints who is more like a minor pagan deity - she will punish you if you don't follow her rules, but she also can protect you from illness.

[ancestorsalive]

14 October is Petkovden. It is dedicated to Sveta (St) Petka, a fascinating and much loved Bulgarian saint. She is also equated with St Paraskeva (whose name means Friday in Greek), an 11th century ascetic who spent many years living as a hermit in the Palestinian deserts.

Sveta Petka reflects both Christian and ancient pagan elements. She stands at the crossroads between autumn and winter and embodies some qualities of an ancient goddess of the underworld.

She is the patron saint of women’s spinning and weaving, though such work was traditionally taboo on Petkovden. It was believed that St Petka would appear as a snake to those who violated the taboo.

She is associated with wolves. In some areas Petkovden marks the start of the 12 “Wolf Days,” when rituals and taboos are observed to protect against wolves. In the Troyan region Sveta Petka may take the guise of a wolf – an echo perhaps of the ancient cult of the wolf as a sacred animal.

Petkovden is the name day of my beautiful Bulgarian mum, Paraskeva, and her brother, my uncle Petko, both, alas, now gone from this world.

Image: Icon of Sveta Petka Bulgarska from the church of the same name in Rupite, Bulgaria

Source: Wikimedia Commons

[seewetter]

Mythic Creatures by Culture & Region

Part 5: East Europe, Northwest Asia

Europeans often think that East Europe and Northwest Asia is simply Slavic: if Poles, Czechs, Russians and many Balkan people are Slavic, surely all the areas of East and Southeast Europe must be Slavic. And if West Asia has Indo-Germanic languages and cultures, surely those must be Slavic too? Well no.

So here is an exhaustive list of Wikipedia's creatures for people who just get lumped in as "Slavic" when they are, in fact, from totally different cultures. While browsing Wikipedia, I also learned that there is a autonomous Buddhist European Republic run by descendants of the Mongol horde in Eastern Europe, something I was utterly unaware of (probably because they are incorporated into Russia, but also because I have some biases to work on).

Albania (not Slavic)

Djall Albanian (technically not Slavic!); Drangue; En_Albanian_Deity; Fatia; I Verbti_Albanian_Deity; Kukudh; Kulshedra; Ljubi; Lugat; Nëna e Vatrës; Ora; Perëndi; Perria; Prende_Albanian_Deity; Shtojzovalle; Shtriga; Shurdh; Stihi; Tur; Turoń; Vitore; Xhindi; Zana; Zojz_Albanian_Deity

Armenian (not Slavic)

Griffon; Hayk; Lake Van Monster; Vishap; Werewolf

Caucasus Region (not Slavic)

Batraz North Caucasian culture may not be Slavic; Germakochi; Ossetian Myth; Tutyr; Vainakh religion Georgia (NOT Slavic); Kopala; Ochokochi; Q'ursha Hungary (NOT Slavic); Busós ; Lidérc; Luwr; Ördög; Sárk��ny; Turul also Turkic; Vadleány

Romanian (not Slavic) (Land of Vlad Tepes)

Iele; Ileana Cosânzeana; Little Wildrose; Moroi; Muma Pădurii; Muroni; Nosferatu (word) allegedly Romanian; Pricolici; Samca; Sântoaderi; Sânziană; Solomonari; Spiriduș; Strigoi; Swan Maiden; Uriaș; Ursitoare similar to Roma & Slavic Ursitory; Vâlvă; Vântoase; Zână; Zburător; Zmeoaică; Zmeu

Slavic

Having said that, many East European cultures are in fact Slavic. I will have to revise this section at a later date because I am rarely differentiating the Slavic cultures and lumped them all together.

Ala (from Bulgaria, Serbia, Macedonia); Alkonost; Aq Bars (winged snow leopard, heraldry from 800s onwards, also Mongolian); Baba Yaga; Babay; Baloz; Bannik; Bardha; Baš Čelik; Bauk; Bies; Black Arab; Black Panther; Błędnica; Blud; Błudnik; Bobak; Božalość; Božić; Bukavac; Cambion; Căpcăun (Romanian ogre); Chort; Chut; Cikavac; Cornflower Wraith; Čuma; Death; Ded Moroz; Devil Boruta Poland; Dhampir; Djadadjii (Bulgarian vampire hunter); Dobrynyna Nikitich; Domovoi; Drekavac; Drioma; Dvorovoy; Dzedka; Dziwożona; Fext; Fiery serpents; Firebird; German; Gold Duck; Goldenhorn; Ispolin; Karapandža; Karzełek; Kikimora; King Kojata; Kostroma; Krasnoludek; Kukeri Bulgarian; Laddy Midday; Lakanica; Lazavik; Likho; Likhoradka; Lisunki (see Lyeshi); Lyeshi; Mara_Goddess identical name with unrelated(??) death goddess from India Mara_Goddess2; Marțolea; Maruda; Masovian dragon; Mavka; Mermaid of Warsaw; Misizla; Moryana; Nav; Nocnitsa; Ovinnik; Paraskeva Friday; Pavaró; Pereplut; Płanetnik; Polevik ; Poleviki; Poroniec; Psoglav; Psotnik; Pvitrulya; Rarash; Raróg; Rokita; Rozhanitsy, Narecnitsy and Sudzhenitsy; Rübezahl; Rusalka ; Rusalky; Samodiva; Schrat also medieval European; Shatans; Shubin; Simargl; Skrzak; Slavic Fairies of Fate; Slavic Mythic Creatures; Slavic Pseudo-deities; Slavic Water Spirit\; Spor; Stricha (Ukrainian, while Strigoi are Romanian); Strzyga; Stuhać; Swan Maiden; The Nine Peahens and the Golden Apples; Tintilinić; Topielec; Unclean Force; Upiór; Ursitory also in Roma similar to Ursitoare from Romania; Vampire pumpkins and watermelons; Vazily; Ved; Vedmak; Verlioka; Vesna; Vila; Vjesci; Vrykolakas also Greek; Wars and Sawa; Wawel Dragon; Werewolf; Wild Hunt; Wild Man, Wild Woman ; Wild Men, Wild Women; Wurdulac; Zduhać; Zheuzhyk; Zhytsen; Zilant; Zlydzens; Zmaj; Zwodziasz

Russia (the European parts)

Russia; A Hut on Chicken Legs; Al (also in Mongolia, Persia, Afghanistan, Caucasus); Azovka; Brosno dragon; Chernava; Gamayun; "Go I know not whither and fetch I know not what" folktale includes creatures; Indruk; Koshchei; Meduza; Oksoko (3 headed eagle see article's points about scripture for ideas); Polkan; Russian superstitions; Shishiga; Swan Maiden; The Mistress of Copper Mountain; The Sea Tsar and Vasilisa the Wise; Tugarin; Verechelen; Vodyaniye; Zmei (aka Zmei Gorynich)

Kyivan Rus (modern Ukraine)

Sirin

Notify me please if you find any mistakes or would like a disclaimer added if any of the creatures on this list are sacred or should not be used in art by outsiders.

[hedgewitchgarden]

There are seven primordial gods in Slavic mythology, and only one of them is female: Mokosh. In the pantheon in the Kievan Rus' state, she is the only goddess at all, and so her specific role in Slavic mythology is vast and varied, and, more aptly perhaps, foggy and damp. Mother earth and house spirit, tender of sheep and spinner of fate, Mokosh is the supreme Slavic goddess. 

Key Takeaways: Mokosh

Associated Deities: Tellus, Ziva (Siva), Rusalki (water nixies), Lada 

Equivalents: St. Paraskeva Pianitsa (Christian Orthodox); loosely comparable to the Greek Titan Gaia, Hera (Greek), Juno (Roman), Astarte (Semitic)

Epithets: Goddess Who Spins Wool, Mother Moist Earth, Flax Woman

Culture/Country: Slavonic Culture, Eastern and Central Europe

Primary Sources: Nestor Chronicle (a.k.a. Primary Chronicle), Christian-recorded Slavic tales

Realms and Powers: Power over the earth, water, and death. Protector of spinning, fertility, grain, cattle, sheep, and wool; fisherman and merchants. 

Family: Wife to Perun, lover to Veles and Jarilo

Mokosh in Slavic Mythology

In Slavic mythology, Mokosh, sometimes transliterated as Mokoš and meaning "Friday," is Moist Mother Earth and thus the most important (or sometimes only) goddess in the religion. As a creator, she is said to have been discovered sleeping in a cave by a flowering spring by the spring god Jarilo, with whom she created the fruits of the earth. She is also the protector of spinning, tending sheep, and wool, patron of merchants and fishermen, who protects cattle from plague and people from drought, disease, drowning, and unclean spirits. 

The origins of Mokosh as mother earth may date to pre-Indo-European times (Cuceteni or Tripolye culture, 6th–5th millennia BCE) when a near-global woman-centered religion is thought to have been in place. Some scholars suggest she may be a version of Finno-Ugric sun goddess Jumala.

In 980 CE, Kievan Rus emperor Vladimir I (died 1015) erected six idols to Slavic gods and included Mokosh in 980 CE, although he took them down when he converted to Christianity. Nestor the Chronicler (11th century CE), a monk at the Monastery of the Caves in Kyiv, mentions her as the only female in his list of seven gods of the Slavs. Versions of her are included in the tales of many different Slavic countries. 

Appearance and Reputation 

Surviving images of Mokosh are rare—although there were stone monuments to her beginning at least as long ago as the 7th century. A wooden cult figure in a wooded area in the Czech Republic is said to be a figure of her. Historical references say she had a large head and long arms, a reference to her connection with spiders and spinning. Symbols associated with her include spindles and cloth, the rhombus (a nearly global reference to women's genitals for at least 20,000 years), and the Sacred Tree or Pillar.

There are many goddesses in the various Indo-European pantheons who reference spiders and spinning. Historian Mary Kilbourne Matossian has pointed out that the Latin word for tissue "textere" means "to weave," and in several derivative languages such as Old French, "tissue" means "something woven." 

The act of spinning, suggests Matossian, is to create body tissue. The umbilical cord is the thread of life, transmitting moisture from the mother to the infant, twisted and coiled like the thread around a spindle. The final cloth of life is represented by the shroud or "winding sheet," wrapped around a corpse in a spiral, as thread loops around a spindle.

Role in Mythology

Although the Great Goddess has a variety of consorts, both human and animal, in her role as a primary Slavic goddess, Mokosh is the moist earth goddess and is set against (and married to) Perun as the dry sky god. She is also linked to Veles, in an adulterous manner; and Jarilo, the spring god. 

Some Slavic peasants felt it was wrong to spit on the earth or beat it. During the Spring, practitioners considered the earth pregnant: before March 25 ("Lady Day"), they would neither construct a building or a fence, drive a stake into the ground or sow seed. When peasant women gathered herbs they first lay prone and prayed to Mother Earth to bless any medicinal herbs. 

Mokosh in Modern Usage

With the coming of Christianity into the Slavic countries in the 11th century CE, Mokosh was converted to a saint, St. Paraskeva Pyanitsa (or possibly the Virgin Mary), who is sometimes defined as the personification of the day of Christ's crucifixion, and others a Christian martyr. Described as tall and thin with loose hair, St. Paraskeva Pyanitsa is known as "l'nianisa" (flax woman), connecting her to spinning. She is the patroness of merchants and traders and marriage, and she defends her followers from a range of diseases.

In common with many Indo-European religions (Paraskevi is Friday in modern Greek; Freya = Friday; Venus=Vendredi), Friday is associated with Mokosh and St. Paraskeva Pyanitsa, especially Fridays before important holidays. Her feast day is October 28; and no one may spin, weave, or mend on that day. 

Sources

Detelic, Mirjana. "St. Paraskeve in the Balkan Context." Folklore 121.1 (2010): 94–105. 

Dragnea, Mihai. "Slavic and Greek-Roman Mythology, Comparative Mythology." Brukenthalia: Romanian Cultural History Review 3 (2007): 20–27. 

Marjanic, Suzana. "The Dyadic Goddess and Duotheism in Nodilo’s the Ancient Faith of the Serbs and the Croats." Studia Mythologica Slavica 6 (2003): 181–204. 

Matossian, Mary Kilbourne. "In the Beginning, God Was a Woman." Journal of Social History 6.3 (1973): 325–43. 

Monaghan, Patricia. "Encyclopedia of Goddesses & Heroines." Novato CA: New World Library, 2014. 

Zaroff, Roman. "Organized Pagan Cult in Kievan Rus’. The Invention of Foreign Elite or Evolution of Local Tradition?" Studia Mythologica Slavica (1999). 

[steliosagapitos]

~ "14 October is Petkovden. It is dedicated to Sveta (St) Petka, a fascinating and much loved Bulgarian saint. She is also equated with St Paraskeva (whose name means Friday in Greek), an 11th century ascetic who spent many years living as a hermit in the Palestinian deserts. Sveta Petka reflects both Christian and ancient pagan elements. She stands at the crossroads between autumn and winter and embodies some qualities of an ancient goddess of the underworld. She is the patron saint of women’s spinning and weaving, though such work was traditionally taboo on Petkovden. It was believed that St Petka would appear as a snake to those who violated the taboo. She is associated with wolves. In some areas Petkovden marks the start of the 12 'Wolf Days', when rituals and taboos are observed to protect against wolves. In the Troyan region Sveta Petka may take the guise of a wolf – an echo perhaps of the ancient cult of the wolf as a sacred animal. Petkovden is the name day of my beautiful Bulgarian mum, Paraskeva, and her brother, my uncle Petko, both, alas, now gone from this world. Image: Icon of Sveta Petka Bulgarska from the church of the same name in Rupite, Bulgaria." ~

[cymorilcinnamonroll]

The Primary chronicle alludes to the Bible - there’s way too many unnecessary details to go over, but basically, some researchers point out that some details of the Primary chronicle look suspiciously similar to the biblical plots and might have been intentionally written this way to present Slavs as the new God-chosen people.

Big breasts are the chthonic trait - many creatures like Baba Yaga and Poludnica are described as having big breasts. Not in the “big tiddy mommy” way, in the “they are so long, that she has to throw these things over her shoulders” way. I’m pretty sure someone would still be into it.

Moving mountains - if you know the story of Argonauts, you may remember the moving mountains that would crush any ship trying to sail between them. Turns out, many Slavic epic tales mention something similar - mountains that threaten to crush any traveler passing between them. Egory the Brave “pacified” one of these pairs with his holy hymns.

Will-o-wisps - these things are mentioned in many folk tales, and Slavic folklore is not an exception. They were typically considered to be souls of the dead or some parts of them. Often will-o-wisps were thought to be candles held by otherwise invisible spirits.

Adam and Eve's children became spirits - a popular “origin story” for the likes of Leshy and Domovoi tells that Adam and Eve had many children, but were ashamed to show them to God. So, they hid them in various places - in their house, in the woods, near the river and so on. Of course, not only did this do nothing to actually hide them, but those children were transformed into respective creatures.

White Polyanin - this bogatyr is mentioned in the tale of “Ivan Tsarevich and White Polyanin”, where the titular protagonist encounters sleeping warrior White Polyanin. After a bit of fighting and making friends, Polyanin reveals that for many years he's been fighting Baba Yaga (who in this version has a golden leg). Ivan helps to find and destroy the source or Baba Yaga’s army - a legion of tailors and shoemakers who somehow create troops out of thin air, and then finishes off the hag herself.

Death of bogatyrs - tales about bogatyrs are often concluded with the tale of their death. Typical scenario for such a tale features bogatyrs easily defeating an army of invaders and then boasting about how they’re even able to defeat “a force from another place”, which is strongly implied to be angelic armada. This force descends onto warriors, who, to their horror, discover that those mysterious enemies regenerate, and when you cut one of them in half, it becomes two whole creatures. Frightened bogatyrs run towards some unnamed mountains to hide, but are turned to stone once they’ve reached them. There are many conflicting versions of this story, in some of them two armies are merged into one Mongolian regenerating horde, protected by enchantments, and in another bogatyrs just kinda leave and turn to stone on their own free will.

Paraskeva Friday - the folk interpretation of the Saint Paraskevi, who became a personification of Friday itself. It was believed that she travels in the form of a woman with unbridled hair and punishes those who work on Friday, her sacred day. Paraskeva Friday is surprisingly creepy and often does things like flaying people alive for breaking the No Work Friday rule. However, she also helps those who pray to her with curing diseases. There are also saints associated with Wednesday and Sunday with very similar traits. Some researchers think that Paraskeva Friday used to be Mokosh, one of the gods from the Slavic pantheon, but others argue that their connection is way too weak

Moryana - Moryana (no relation to Marena) is a daughter of the Sea Tsar and the personification of the wind, sometimes specifically of the cold southeastern winds in the Caspian Sea. Moryana is sometimes described as a beautiful woman, and sometimes as a giantess, who sinks ships (in this case there can be a lot of Moryanas). Moryana of the Caspian Sea has her nemesis, Grandpa The Tattered Hat, who embodies the northwestern wind and typically loses to her in a fight (yes, this is a mythological explanation for some weather phenomenon).

Artisans have magic powers - a very common theme in Slavic folklore is that “knowing people” like builders, smiths, millers, beekeepers, hunters, farriers and shepherds always have some ties with demonic creatures and can perform magical tricks. For example, a builder, who didn��t get his payment could curse a family by embedding some enchanted trinket into the walls of the house.

The Slavic Iceberg

[theartofmany]

Artist: Yuliya Litvinova Title: St. Pyatnitsa “Illustration I made for Mythbook2 Pyatnitsa is a character of Slavic mythology, based on the personification of Friday as the day of the week and the cult of the image of Saint Paraskeva According to beliefs, on Friday it was forbidden to spin and sew. In the epics Paraskeva Pyatnitsa complains that negligent housewifes do not observe the prohibitions: prick her with spindles, spin her hair, clog her eyes with scutch” My goodness, this is absolutely wonderful Very touching artwork

[useless-bulgariafacts]

October 14th is Petkovden (Петковден), or the feast day of St. Paraskeva of the Balkans, also known as St. Petka. She is an 11th century Christian Orthodox saint and ascetic, originally hailing from the town of Epivates in modern Turkey. After being called forth by God, she gave away her possessions to the poor and lived out most of her life in the desert. Legend goes, that after she died and was buried, an old sinner who had drowned at sea was buried next to her. Paraskeva protested this by appearing in a dream to a local monk and informing him of her grave's location; when her body was unearthed it was found to be incorrupt (not decomposed.) During the following centuries, her relics would travel around the Balkans, eventually being transferred to Iași, Moldavia, where they remain to this day.

Paraskeva is traditionally one of the most highly venerated saints in Bulgaria. Between 1238 and 1393, when her relics were in Veliko Tŭrnovo, she gained the moniker "Saint Petka of Bulgaria" (Света Петка Българска) and the reputation of a protector of the Bulgarian people, and she is still revered as such today. Notably, Bulgarian tsars, such as Ivan Alexander (1331-1371) would swear oaths in her name.

On the folk side of things, Petkovden is an important agrarian holiday with ancient roots. It marks the end of the autumn harvest and sowing, and the beginning of livestock mating season, which is why it's also associated with shepherds and farm animals. Fittingly, after Petkovden begins likewise the planning of engagements and weddings. On the day itself the village would organize a feast; an animal, usually white, will be ritually slaughtered in the churchyard, a kurban would be prepared and blessed by a priest, after which everyone would celebrate by eating, drinking, singing and dancing. The holiday would function as a sgleda, in other words an opportunity for young people to meet and get acquainted, while being chaperoned by older relatives.

Petkovden is naturally the name day of anyone named Paraskeva, Petko, Petka, or any of their derivatives. Due to her connection to Friday (per her name), St. Petka is also regarded as a patron of women, children and the hearth. Infertile women will sometimes spend the night in a place dedicated to St. Petka, such as the rock chapel near Trŭn (pictured above), in the hopes that she will help them conceive. On the days between Petkovden and Dimitrovden (Oct. 26) there is a traditional ban on feminine activities involving wool – spinning, cutting, sewing – as it is believed that anyone wearing clothes made during this period will be attacked by wolves, or fall ill, die and turn into a vampire. To anyone who doesn't honor this restriction, it is said St. Petka will appear in the form of a snake.

The aforementioned time period (14.10-26.10) is the transition between fall and winter, the latter thought to kick off on Dimitrovden. Thematically, this makes it a liminal period between life and death (not unlike Friday, which signifies the end of the work week and beginning of a period of rest), ergo these restrictions exist as a safeguard against the unknown and chaotic powers, in full swing during this time. This is also why St. Petka is seen as a mediator between the two worlds, pictured in folk legends as dwelling among the dead, and alongside Archangel Michael, judging the souls who wish to be granted entry into Heaven. On Petkovden, individual families will traditionally hold smaller, private celebrations, called semeĭna sluzhba, in honor of their stopanin – a deceased relative/ancestor, seen as a protector of the household. A ritual loaf of bread would be baked and blessed with frankincense, then placed on the table onto a clean shirt, next to a small bowl of salt and a glass of wine. Every family member will proceed to take three bows before it, after which the eldest present will raise the loaf above their head and say a blessing for health and good fortune. In some regions, a special Petkovdenska Zadushnica is also held in remembrance of the dead. Petkovden is, thus, inextricably linked to rituals like Kokosha Cherkva, which similarly involve ritual sacrifice and seek to appease powers beyond human comprehension.

Petkovden, like many other Bulgarian holidays, represents a layering of Christian traditions and older, pagan beliefs and practices. It has resulted in a saint who is simultaneously a patron of Life and Death (or perhaps more accurately, what lies inbetween?), a personification of fertility and new beginnings and an usherer in of winter and darkness; a day equal parts merry and somber.

[zarya-zaryanitsa]

Hello my dear! I'm that blog that requested resources on Slavic Witchcraft, so I hope it's alright if I come to you with a small question.

Can you please tell me about Mokosh (or Mokosz)? I'm a seamstress, and have been wanting to make more female friends for a very long time now, so I figured Mokosh may be a wonderful deity to work with. What are her sacred animals, colors and symbols? What should I place on her altar? What is she like, if you happen to know, and what kinds of offerings should I give her?

Sorry for taking up your time, but thank you so so much for it. I hope you're doing very well honey

Hello!

Firstly I’d like to wholeheartedly thank you - as it turns out your ask was exactly what I needed to finish my long overdue translation of book fragments about Mokosh. You can find the translation here and I hope it will provide you with some context for the things that I’ll list below.

I don’t think it’d be a stretch to consider Mokosh a patron of seamstresses or the textile industry. Your very work sounds like a wonderful activity to dedicate to her, and any physical manifestations of it would make for great votive offerings. I believe Mokosh would enjoy all beautiful or artfully adorned fabrics.

That said if you strive for a more traditional approach wool and flax seem to be the two materials closest associated with her. Other appropriate and historically supported offerings would be eggs (especially pisanki), chickens, bread and salt, groats or porridge, milk, honey, herbs, fruits and vegetables. I’m of the belief that locally sourced, seasonal crops make for an universally appropriate offering, that boasts millenia of frequent use.

Any activities undertaken to protect nature and show reverence to it, explore and express your sexuality or take care of your household would likely fall within her sphere of patronage.

Although this isn’t directly supported by any sources, the frequent mentions of free-flawing hair and lack of headdress in traditions related to Mokosh lead me to believe that a lock of your hair would also be accepted as an offering.

When it comes to animals most commonly associated with Mokosh the obvious answer is sheep. From what I have seen modern followers tend to also connect het with cats. Her sacred day is no doubt Friday. As for her symbol, modern pagans tend to use this one:

It’s worth remembering that while this particular symbol has been featuring in traditional Slavic embroidery for centuries it only became associated with Mokosh recently. Another pattern frequently seen as symbolic of Mokosh is this kind of female figure:

Since my own experience with Mokosh is quite limited I will finish off by recommending a few links:

A freely available publication about Slavic gods and demons through Slovenian lenses - with an intriguing chapter on Mokosh, to help further flesh her out.

A short publication on mythical beings who punish taboos on spinning.

A post by Żmija describing her experiences with Mokosz.

A post by Red describing Saint Paraskeva and her sacred days

A short post on Slavic textiles as a form of worship and expression of spirituality.

I hope you have a great day!

[upyrica]

Once, as Paraskeva wandered the earth, she met a labourer returning from his master. He sat down to have a bite, and suddenly saw - an undescribable beauty walking towards him, and asking to share. So they ate.

"Here is your reward for it," - the woman said, - "go to that over there village, find there a wealthy orphan girl, and marry her. And I shall give you a hundred years to live."

So he did. He was a hundred exactly, when Friday visited him again, as it was his time to die. He did not want to, so he asked for another hundred, and was granted his wish. As it passed, Friday returned. And again, the man asked to live longer.

So he lived, and himself got bored with it, being so old moss grew all over his body. Saint Friday came to him, along with Death, and said, "Well, now is certainly time to go. Here is a nice place for you in the afterlife."

The place was very much to his liking, but Friday then showed him another one, which the old man liked even more. Then she brought him to a third one, opened the door, and pushed him directly into Hell: "If you died after your first century, you would have lived at the first spot, if you died after my second visit, the second one would have been yours. But in your three centuries you have sinned so much - where else could you possibly live, if not in the Devil's claws?!"

[russianicons]

Saint Paraskevi of Iconium is a Christian virgin martyr living in the 3rd century. For the Eastern Orthodox Church, she also goes under the name of Paraskeva Friday (“Paraskeva Pyatnitsa”). The Russian icon that you see in the picture was painted in the first half of the 16th century. It depicts the saint and scenes from her life. While the painter of the religious work is unknown, icon experts believe that the icon belongs to the Tver school.

[orthodoxydaily]

Saint&Reading: Wed., Nov.10, 2021

November 10_

THE HOLY MARTYR PARASKEVA, NAMED ALSO PIATNITSA  (3rd c.)

The Great Martyr Paraskevḗ of Iconium, lived during the third century in a rich and pious family. The parents of the saint especially reverenced Friday, the day of the Passion of the Lord, and therefore they called their daughter Paraskevḗ. This name, Paraskevḗ, also means Friday.

Young Paraskevḗ with all her heart loved purity and the loftiness of the virginal life, and she took a vow of celibacy. She wanted to devote all her life to God and to enlighten pagans with the light of Christ.

Because of her confession of the Orthodox Faith, the pagans in a frenzy seized her and brought her to the city prefect. They demanded that she offer unholy sacrifice to the pagan idols. With a steady heart, and trusting on God, the saint refused this demand. For this she underwent great torments: after stripping her, they tied her to a tree and beat her with rods. Then the torturers raked her pure body with iron claws. Finally, they threw her into prison, exhausted by the torture and lacerated to the bone. But God did not forsake the holy sufferer, and miraculously healed her wounds. Not heeding this divine miracle, the executioners continued with their torture of Saint Paraskevḗ, and finally, they cut off her head.

Saint Paraskevḗ has always enjoyed a special love and veneration among the Orthodox people. Many pious customs and observances are associated with her. In the ancient Russian accounts of the Saints’ Lives, the name of the Great Martyr is inscribed as: “Saint Paraskevḗ, also called Piatnitsa (in Russian: Friday).” Churches dedicated to Saint Paraskevḗ in antiquity were given the name Piatnitsa. Small wayside chapels in Rus received the name Piatnitsa. The simple Russian people called the Martyr Paraskevḗ variously Piatnitsa, Piatina, Petka.

Icons of Saint Paraskevḗ were especially venerated and embellished by the faithful. Russian iconographers usually depicted the martyr as an austere ascetic, tall of stature, with a radiant crown upon her head. Icons of the saint guard pious and happy households. By Church belief, Saint Paraskevḗ is protectress of fields and cattle. Therefore, on her Feastday it was the custom to bring fruit to church to be blessed. These blessed objects were kept until the following year. Moreover, Saint Paraskevḗ is invoked for protection of cattle from disease. She is also a healer of people from grievous illness of both body and soul.

LUKE 11:9-13

9 So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. 11 If a son asks for bread from any father among you, will he give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent instead of a fish? 12 Or if he asks for an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? 13 If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!

COLOSSIANS 1:18-23

18 And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence. 19 For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell, 20 and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross. 21 And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled 22 in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight- 23 if indeed you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and are not moved away from the hope of the gospel which you heard, which was preached to every creature under heaven, of which I, Paul, became a minister.

[russianfolklore]

Paraskeva Pyatnitsa or Paraskeva The Friday. The icon from Ural region.

Better known as saint Paraskeva of the Balkans. She is an ascetic saint of the 10th century. Among the eastern slavs she was conflated with Mokosh - a slavic goddess of women, destiny and women's work.The friday were devoted to her. In this day it was forbidden to braid hair, to wash clothes, to keep fire in the oven and to spin the yarn.

[brookston]

Holidays 10.14

Holidays

Be Bald and Be Free Day

Chisinau Day (Moldova)

Chung Yeung Festival (Hong Kong)

Defender’s Day (Ukraine)

Feed the Birds Day

International Squalane Day

Liberation Day (a.k.a. Second Revolution Day; Yemen)

Mother’s Day (Belarus)

Mwalimu Julius Nyerere Day (Climax of the Uhuru Torch Race; Tanzania)

National Bring Your Teddy Bear to School Day

National Education Day (Poland)

National FRUMP Day (Frugal, Responsible, Unpretentious, and Mature Person)

National I Love You Day

national lowercase day

National Soccer Day

National Stop Bullying Day

Nyerere Day (Tanzania)

Peace Corps Day

Preaching of the Lion Sermon Day

Quarrel Festival (Japan)

Ride A Bicycle Somewhere Day

Spider-Man Day

Svetitskovloba (Republic of Georgia)

Teachers’ Appreciation Day (Micronesia)

Winnie-the-Pooh Day

World Standards Day

Youth Day (Zaire)

Food & Drink Celebrations

Chocolate-Covered Insects Day

National Dessert Day [also 2nd Thursday in Oct.]

2nd Friday in October

Vet Nurse Day [2nd Friday]

World Day Against the Death Penalty [2nd Friday]

World Egg Day [2nd Friday]

Feast Days

Angadrisma (Christian; Saint)

Burckard, Bishop of Wurzburg (Christian; Saint)

Callixtus I, Pope (a.k.a. Callistus; Christian; Saint)

Day of the Cathedral of the Living Pillar (Georgian Orthodox Church)

Dominic Loricatus (Christian; Saint)

Donatan of Rheims (Christian; Saint)

Festival for the Penates (Ancient Roman gods of the Storeroom)

Fortunatus of Todi (Christian; Saint)

Grover (Muppetism)

Intercession of the Theotokos (Christian; Saint)

Joseph Schereschewsky (Episcopal Church (USA))

Judge Isaac Parker Day (Church of the SubGenius; Saint)

Petca Paraskeva (Christian; Saint)

St. Thomas Aquinas (Positivist; Saint)

Try a New Beer Day (Pastafarian)

Vinternatsblot (Asatru)

World Food Day (Pastafarian)

Lucky & Unlucky Days

Sakimake (先負 Japan) [Bad luck in the morning, good luck in the afternoon.]

Umu Limnu (Evil Day; Babylonian Calendar; 47 of 60)

Premieres

The Accountant (Film; 2016)

Alive II, by KISS (Album; 1977)

The Big Year (Film; 2011)

From the Earth to the Moon, by Jules Verne (Novel; 1865)

Girl Crazy (Broadway Musical; 1930)

Mean Streets (Film; 1973)

Pulp Fiction (Film; 1994)

She’s So Unusual, by Cyndi Lauper (Album; 1983)

Someday, We’ll Be Together, by The Supremes (Song; 1969)

Standing Stone, by Paul McCartney (Symphonic Poem; 1997)

Watching the Detectives, by Elvis Costello (Song; 1977)

White Christmas (Film; 1954)

Winnie-the-Pooh (Children’s Book; 1926)

Today’s Name Days

Burkhard (Austria)

Pencho, Penka, Petka, Petko (Bułgaria)

Divna, Kalist, Krasna, Stanislav (Croatia)

Agáta (Czech Republic)

Calixus (Denmark)

Kai, Kaia, Kaidi, Kaie, Kaili, Kaisa (Estonia)

Elsa, Else, Elsi (Finland)

Céleste, Gwendoline, Juste (France)

Alan, Burkhard, Calixtus, Otilie (Germany)

Gervasios, Ignatios, Nazarios (Greece)

Helén (Hungary)

Callisto, Gaudenzo (Italy)

Minna, Vilhelmīne (Latvia)

Fortūnata, Kalikstas, Mindaugas, Rimvydė (Lithuania)

Kai, Kaia (Norway)

Alan, Bernard, Dominik, Dzierżymir, Fortunata, Kalikst, Kaliksta (Poland)

Boris (Slovakia)

Calixto, Fortunata (Spain)

Manfred, Stellan (Sweden)

Gervais, Jervis (Ukraine)

Calista, Dwight, Fortino, Fortuna, Glennis, Glynnis (USA)

Today is Also…

Day of Year: Day 287 of 2022; 78 days remaining in the year

ISO: Day 5 of week 41 of 2022

Celtic Tree Calendar: Gort (Ivy) [Day 14 of 28]

Chinese: Month 9 (Júyuè), Day 19 (Geng-Zi)

Chinese Year of the: Tiger (until January 22, 2023)

Hebrew: 19 Tishri 5783

Islamic: 18 Rabi I 1444

J Cal: 17 Shù; Twosday [17 of 30]

Julian: 1 October 2022

Moon: 78%: Waning Gibbous

Positivist: 7 Descartes (11th Month) [St. Thomas Aquinas]

Runic Half Month: Wyn (Joy) [Day 4 of 15]

Season: Autumn (Day 22 of 90)

Zodiac: Libra (Day 20 of 30)

Calendar Changes

October (Julian Calendar) [Month 10 of 12]

[brookstonalmanac]

Holidays 10.14

Holidays

Be Bald and Be Free Day

Chisinau Day (Moldova)

Chung Yeung Festival (Hong Kong)

Defender’s Day (Ukraine)

Feed the Birds Day

International Squalane Day

Liberation Day (a.k.a. Second Revolution Day; Yemen)

Mother’s Day (Belarus)

Mwalimu Julius Nyerere Day (Climax of the Uhuru Torch Race; Tanzania)

National Bring Your Teddy Bear to School Day

National Education Day (Poland)

National FRUMP Day (Frugal, Responsible, Unpretentious, and Mature Person)

National I Love You Day

national lowercase day

National Soccer Day

National Stop Bullying Day

Nyerere Day (Tanzania)

Peace Corps Day

Preaching of the Lion Sermon Day

Quarrel Festival (Japan)

Ride A Bicycle Somewhere Day

Spider-Man Day

Svetitskovloba (Republic of Georgia)

Teachers’ Appreciation Day (Micronesia)

Winnie-the-Pooh Day

World Standards Day

Youth Day (Zaire)

Food & Drink Celebrations

Chocolate-Covered Insects Day

National Dessert Day [also 2nd Thursday in Oct.]

2nd Friday in October

Vet Nurse Day [2nd Friday]

World Day Against the Death Penalty [2nd Friday]

World Egg Day [2nd Friday]

Feast Days

Angadrisma (Christian; Saint)

Burckard, Bishop of Wurzburg (Christian; Saint)

Callixtus I, Pope (a.k.a. Callistus; Christian; Saint)

Day of the Cathedral of the Living Pillar (Georgian Orthodox Church)

Dominic Loricatus (Christian; Saint)

Donatan of Rheims (Christian; Saint)

Festival for the Penates (Ancient Roman gods of the Storeroom)

Fortunatus of Todi (Christian; Saint)

Grover (Muppetism)

Intercession of the Theotokos (Christian; Saint)

Joseph Schereschewsky (Episcopal Church (USA))

Judge Isaac Parker Day (Church of the SubGenius; Saint)

Petca Paraskeva (Christian; Saint)

St. Thomas Aquinas (Positivist; Saint)

Try a New Beer Day (Pastafarian)

Vinternatsblot (Asatru)

World Food Day (Pastafarian)

Lucky & Unlucky Days

Sakimake (先負 Japan) [Bad luck in the morning, good luck in the afternoon.]

Umu Limnu (Evil Day; Babylonian Calendar; 47 of 60)

Premieres

The Accountant (Film; 2016)

Alive II, by KISS (Album; 1977)

The Big Year (Film; 2011)

From the Earth to the Moon, by Jules Verne (Novel; 1865)

Girl Crazy (Broadway Musical; 1930)

Mean Streets (Film; 1973)

Pulp Fiction (Film; 1994)

She’s So Unusual, by Cyndi Lauper (Album; 1983)

Someday, We’ll Be Together, by The Supremes (Song; 1969)

Standing Stone, by Paul McCartney (Symphonic Poem; 1997)

Watching the Detectives, by Elvis Costello (Song; 1977)

White Christmas (Film; 1954)

Winnie-the-Pooh (Children’s Book; 1926)

Today’s Name Days

Burkhard (Austria)

Pencho, Penka, Petka, Petko (Bułgaria)

Divna, Kalist, Krasna, Stanislav (Croatia)

Agáta (Czech Republic)

Calixus (Denmark)

Kai, Kaia, Kaidi, Kaie, Kaili, Kaisa (Estonia)

Elsa, Else, Elsi (Finland)

Céleste, Gwendoline, Juste (France)

Alan, Burkhard, Calixtus, Otilie (Germany)

Gervasios, Ignatios, Nazarios (Greece)

Helén (Hungary)

Callisto, Gaudenzo (Italy)

Minna, Vilhelmīne (Latvia)

Fortūnata, Kalikstas, Mindaugas, Rimvydė (Lithuania)

Kai, Kaia (Norway)

Alan, Bernard, Dominik, Dzierżymir, Fortunata, Kalikst, Kaliksta (Poland)

Boris (Slovakia)

Calixto, Fortunata (Spain)

Manfred, Stellan (Sweden)

Gervais, Jervis (Ukraine)

Calista, Dwight, Fortino, Fortuna, Glennis, Glynnis (USA)

Today is Also…

Day of Year: Day 287 of 2022; 78 days remaining in the year

ISO: Day 5 of week 41 of 2022

Celtic Tree Calendar: Gort (Ivy) [Day 14 of 28]

Chinese: Month 9 (Júyuè), Day 19 (Geng-Zi)

Chinese Year of the: Tiger (until January 22, 2023)

Hebrew: 19 Tishri 5783

Islamic: 18 Rabi I 1444

J Cal: 17 Shù; Twosday [17 of 30]

Julian: 1 October 2022

Moon: 78%: Waning Gibbous

Positivist: 7 Descartes (11th Month) [St. Thomas Aquinas]

Runic Half Month: Wyn (Joy) [Day 4 of 15]

Season: Autumn (Day 22 of 90)

Zodiac: Libra (Day 20 of 30)

Calendar Changes

October (Julian Calendar) [Month 10 of 12]