Slavic Myths. From Veles and Mokosh to the Sirin Bird and Ivan Kupala

Why are mermaids associated with trees rather than water in Slavic beliefs, when and why did the dead visit the living in their homes, was there a struggle between Perun and Veles, and why did millers often become heroes of terrifying tales? A book on Slavic mythology in pocketbook format.

We encounter echoes of Slavic mythology almost every day: in language, in works of art, in folk signs and tales that we tell our children. However, despite this presence, we actually know very little about the beliefs of our ancestors.

The author of this book is Alexandra Barkova: a Russian researcher of mythology, folklorist, writer, and translator, author of six monographs. She holds a PhD in philology and headed the Department of Cultural Studies at the UNIK Institute. She explains what we truly know about Slavic paganism, dispels popular myths, and shows how interesting and amazing the Slavs' perceptions of the surrounding world, life, and death were.