ResourcesBooks, Sources and Media

Details the history and pagan practices of the Western Slavs. One of the key written records of pre-Christian belief in the Western Slavic world.

Missionary accounts preserving direct descriptions of pagan practices among Western Slavs. Valued by scholars for its candid documentation of pre-Christian life.

A 10th-century Arab travelogue documenting encounters with Slavic tribes , including a vivid account of a ship funeral. A rare outsider perspective on Slavic ritual.

A late 12th-century epic poem referencing Slavic deities and folklore. One of the most significant surviving literary artifacts of the pre-Christian Slavic world.

Provides insights into Slavic tribes east of the Elbe with detailed accounts of pagan practices. Available in English as Ottonian Germany, translated by David A. Warner.

The primary international academic journal dedicated to Slavic mythology and religion. Published continuously since 1998, available fully open-access online in English and other languages. The single most important ongoing scholarly venue for this field.

The most thorough critical inventory of which Slavic deities are actually historically attested, separating confirmed figures from later inventions and misinterpretations. Essential reading before studying any individual god.

A careful re-examination of the Rod figure and the Rožanicy, correcting decades of misinterpretation stemming from Rybakov. Directly relevant to understanding the foundational divine concept in Rodnovery.

A focused study on Dazhbog drawing on linguistic, textual, and comparative evidence. Clarifies the god's actual attested role versus popular assumptions carried over from 19th-century scholarship.

A comprehensive ethnographic and mythological study of the rusalka figure across Slavic traditions, examining the intersection of seasonal time, the dead, and water spirits in folk belief.

The definitive scholarly treatment of Triglav, the three-headed Western Slavic deity, examining all historical sources alongside Indo-European comparative material.

Archaeological and textual analysis of surviving evidence for wooden idol construction and placement among the Western Slavs, focusing on Pomeranian sites. Important for understanding actual pre-Christian sacred practice.

An examination of burial evidence and written sources to reconstruct beliefs about death, the afterlife, and the journey to Nav among early Slavic communities.

A foundational study asking whether the pagan religious system documented in Kievan Rus' was an indigenous development or a construction of its foreign ruling elite. Draws on archaeology and the Primary Chronicle.

Detailed analysis of the historical, archaeological, and mythological evidence for the great four-faced god of Arkona, the most extensively documented Slavic deity in Western sources.

A systematic survey of deities and figures associated with death in Slavic tradition, separating attested from invented figures and examining how death was conceptualized across the Slavic world.

A critical linguistic and historical examination of the Black God and White God, perhaps the most contested figures in Slavic religion. Gorbachov evaluates all the evidence carefully against centuries of speculation.

Ethnographic and comparative study of the ritual wolf-holiday complex among Southern Slavic peoples, connecting seasonal protection customs to pre-Christian mythological structures.

Comparative Indo-European analysis placing Morana within the broader tradition of sun-daughter figures, drawing on Greek, Vedic, and Slavic sources to reconstruct shared mythological heritage.

A survey of the full range of Slavic spirit beings below the level of the major gods: house spirits, field spirits, water spirits, forest beings, and the complex taxonomy of the Slavic supernatural world.

Examines how Christian saints absorbed and preserved the functions of pre-Christian agricultural deities, tracing the survival of pagan mythology within officially Christian ritual practice.

Analysis of how political and religious authority were intertwined in pre-Christian Slavic societies, examining the role of the volkhvy, sacred kingship, and the relationship between rulers and the divine order.

A thorough scholarly treatment of Baba Yaga's role as a complex deity-like figure in East Slavic mythology , one of the most enduring figures in the tradition.

Rigorous scholarly exploration of Slavic deities across all regions, grounded in primary sources and archaeological findings. One of the more serious modern treatments of the full pantheon.

Explores Bulgarian folklore, rituals, and customs highlighting pre-Christian Slavic influences. A valuable window into the Southern Slavic tradition and its living remnants.

An introductory guide explaining Rodnovery's beliefs, practices, and worldview for modern practitioners. A clear first step for those new to the tradition.

Serbian folklore, fairy tales, and poetry offering insight into Serbian mythology. Essential for understanding the Southern Slavic oral heritage and its spiritual dimensions.

Academic essays on pre-Christian Slavic religion drawing on historical and archaeological sources. Represents serious current scholarship across multiple regional traditions.

A second volume of academic essays with updated research and additional regional coverage. Continues the rigorous scholarly work of the first volume.

A focused study of Perun's mythology, worship, and significance in East Slavic culture , the most historically prominent deity in the primary sources.

Detailed study of Perun across all Slavic regions , bridging historical evidence and modern interpretation to build a complete theological picture of the Thunderer.

Polish folktales and folklore highlighting pre-Christian beliefs and cultural traditions. An accessible entry point into the Western Slavic oral heritage.

A rigorous 1924 classic examining Poland's pagan heritage, now available for the first time in English translation. Debunks myths and traces gods, spirits, and rituals with scholarly precision.

Afanasyev's foundational collection of Russian folklore featuring the full cast of Slavic spiritual beings. A cornerstone of Slavic folklore scholarship , essential reading.

Ancient Russian myths including deities, heroes, and mythical creatures in East Slavic culture. Well-organized and accessible for those beginning the study of Russian mythology.

Explores Buyan Island, the Forest of Baba Yaga, and eight other sacred places , a unique approach to Slavic cosmological imagination through its sacred geography.

A literary work blending Ukrainian folklore and pagan elements in the Carpathian region. A vital piece of Eastern European cultural literature , available free online.

Afanasyev's mythological writing compiled , focusing on the role of nature, gods, and spirits in East Slavic beliefs. The most important 19th-century scholar of Slavic folk tradition.

A readable collection of Slavic myths with analysis of their cultural significance. An accessible overview of the mythological landscape across the Slavic world.

A reprint of the important 1916 classic enriched with modern commentary , exploring Slavic deities, spirits, and legends made accessible to contemporary readers.

Analyzes the Primary Chronicle to uncover pre-Christian pagan traditions and their cultural context. Bridges the primary text and modern understanding of the faith it documents.

Explores Slavic folklore focusing on spirits, demons, and their connections to nature. A thorough survey of the beings that populate the Slavic spiritual world beyond the main pantheon.

Explores pre-Christian Slavic customs and myths, carefully distinguishing authentic traditions from modern invention. A rigorous contribution to separating historical record from later fabrication.

Translated primary sources on pre-Christian Slavic religion with scholarly commentary. A rigorous academic resource for direct access to the historical evidence base.

A detailed study of Slovenian supernatural beings, deities, and rituals. One of the few English-language resources focused on the Slovenian tradition , available free online.

A 500-page guide covering ancient and modern Slavic pagan practices , rituals, deities, and magical traditions. Includes contributions from fourth-generation Vedma Radomira Gromova, bringing living tradition into one volume.

A new English edition of the epic poem with detailed commentary on its Slavic pagan elements. The recommended edition for practitioners and students of Rodnovery.

The most thorough English-language treatment of the foundations, theology, ritual practice, ethics, and history of Slavic Native Faith. Based on classes of the School of the Native Faith in Odesa (2013–2017). Primary source for this site.

Examines the Slavic pagan cycle of the year through changing seasons, solar festivals, and rites tied to death and renewal. Drawing from folk tradition, archaeology, embroidery patterns, songs, and Rodnover practice, it follows the movement from Korochun and the winter darkness through Yarilo's return, Kupalo's fires, the autumn harvest, and the season of the ancestors.

The first English edition of Léger's pioneering 1901 study of Slavic mythology, translated and annotated for contemporary readers. Preserves his effort to distinguish authentic pagan traditions from later distortions, with contextual notes providing an accessible introduction to the major gods, rituals, and ideas that shaped early Slavic belief.

Introduces Slavic and Neo-Slavic divination practices and explains how they were used to understand fate, the soul, nature, and the afterlife. Outlines one historically based binary system and a second, more symbolically rich system rooted in Slavic culture. Written by a theologian and priest within the Native Polish Church.

A journey into the living heart of Slavic spirituality rooted in ancestral memory and generations of oral storytelling. Offers myths, legends, and teachings that have shaped Slavic communities for centuries, blending poetry, folklore, and lived experience. An author-assisted English translation of the original German work.

Introduces over 150 Slavic symbols, exploring their meanings, cultural significance, and practical uses. Blends ancient traditions with modern Slavic Native Faith, revealing the evolution of these symbols as protective charms, fertility emblems, and more. Includes detailed illustrations and accessible explanations for practitioners, artists, and anyone interested in Slavic heritage.

A rigorous critical analysis of how medieval Christian authors recorded, distorted, and preserved Slavic pagan belief. Essential for understanding what the written sources actually tell us versus what later interpreters assumed.

A comprehensive survey of Slavic material culture, religion, and cosmology. One of the more thorough overviews of pre-Christian Slavic life available in English. Older but carefully researched.

Propp's structural analysis of the folk tale as a genre, essential for understanding how Slavic oral tradition encoded mythological content across centuries of transmission.

The primary scholarly study of physical sacred spaces among the Western Slavs: temple structures, idol arrangements, and the archaeology of Slavic worship sites.

A dedicated monograph on Perun synthesizing archaeological, historical, and comparative mythological evidence. Complements the Krafczik volume with a different methodological approach.

The foundational collection of Eastern Slavic folklore, compiled in the 1850s-1860s. Afanasyev gathered thousands of tales directly from oral tradition across Russia and Ukraine, preserving mythological content that had survived centuries underground. The primary source for Slavic folk narrative.

The most scholarly English-language edition of Afanasyev's complete collection, with critical apparatus and annotation. Three volumes covering the full range of the collection with contextual notes.

A collection of the byliny epic songs, the heroic oral poetry of Eastern Slavic tradition. These songs preserve mythological content and proto-historical memory in verse form. Free access.

A carefully selected anthology that includes both fairy tales and bylina material, giving readers access to the heroic epic tradition alongside the folk tale. Includes some of the core hero cycles.

The primary English-language collection of Ukrainian folk tales, drawing on the distinct Eastern Slavic tradition of Ukraine. Ukrainian oral tradition preserved mythological content with a regional character distinct from the Russian collections.

An early but important comparative collection drawing on material from multiple Slavic branches, useful for seeing shared mythological structures across the Eastern and Western traditions. Free access via Project Gutenberg.

A focused collection centring the Firebird cycle and related tales, among the most mythologically rich of the Eastern Slavic narrative tradition. The Firebird connects to solar mythology and the divine messenger archetype.

Erben was the Czech counterpart to Afanasyev, collecting and preserving Slavic folk material in the 19th century. This collection spans both Eastern and Southern traditions, preserving material from multiple branches.

The foundational collection of Polish folk tales, comparable to Afanasyev's role in the Eastern tradition. Preserves Western Slavic narrative material including figures like Pan Twardowski. Free via Project Gutenberg.

A deliberately cross-branch collection drawing material from Czech, Slovak, Polish, Serbian, Bulgarian, and Russian sources. Useful for comparative study across all three Slavic branches in a single volume. Free access.

The most celebrated work of Croatian children's literature, drawing directly on pre-Christian Slavic mythology. Often called the Croatian equivalent of the Brothers Grimm. Preserves Southern Slavic mythological figures in narrative form. Free via Project Gutenberg.

An early English translation of Serbian folk material, drawing on the oral tradition documented by Vuk Stefanović Karadžić. Preserves Southern Slavic mythological beings and narrative structures. Free via Project Gutenberg.

A broader collection of Serbian oral tradition including epic songs, fairy tales, and proverbial wisdom. The epic song tradition of Serbia is one of the richest surviving examples of pre-Christian Slavic oral poetry. Free access.

Active subreddit for discussion of Rodnovery and the modern revival of Slavic Native Faith. Includes conversation on practices, beliefs, interpretation, and resources at all levels of study.

Focused on Slavic mythology , stories, deities, and historical insights. A good space for exploring the mythological dimension alongside scholarly discussion.

Educational videos on Slavic paganism covering myths, deities, and cultural traditions. A quality visual complement to book-based study for those beginning their exploration.

English-subtitled videos exploring Slavic gods, goddesses, and their worship. Provides access to content originally produced within the living Rodnover community.

A platform offering articles and guidance on Rodnovery practices, folklore, and rituals. A growing English-language resource hub for practitioners and those beginning the path.

Peer-reviewed academic essays on Slavic mythology covering deities, rituals, and folklore across all Slavic regions. For those who want direct engagement with the scholarly literature.

The primary English-language publisher of Slavic Native Faith scholarship and literature. Perun Mountain produces original scholarship, primary source translations, and practical guides for modern practitioners , bringing this tradition to a global audience for the first time at serious depth. Their full catalog of books is the largest English-language library of Rodnovery available.