The Poetic Views of Slavs on Nature. Elements, Pagan Gods, and Animals

The historian and folklorist Alexander Nikolayevich Afanasyev (1826–1871) was a curious researcher of Slavic legends, beliefs, and customs. The result of his many years of experience was "The Poetic Views of Slavs on Nature: An Attempt at a Comparative Study of Slavic Traditions and Beliefs in Connection with the Mythical Tales of Other Related Peoples." This is a fundamental work dedicated to the historical and philological analysis of the language and folklore of the Slavs in connection with the language and folklore of other Indo-European peoples. The present edition, "Elements, Pagan Gods, and Animals," reproduces the first volume of "The Poetic Views." The text has been adapted to modern spelling with some preservation of the features of the old orthography to give a taste and aroma of the verbal turns of the bygone era.