The Order of
the White Moon Goddess Gallery Presents
Mokosh
The
Ancient Slavic Earth Goddess
A
Level II Final Project for The Sacred Three Goddess School
by
Adept Luma Mora
(©2020. All original material in this work is under copyright protection and is the intellectual property of the author.)
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Dual_Faith_Dwuwierze.jpg
Mokosh
is the most ancient and important female deity of the Russian pantheon. Her
name is derived from the Slavic words associated with moisture. She is the
personification of the moist and fertile earth. Mokosh is the only female deity
mentioned in the Primary Chronicle, a history of the Ancient Slavs dating back
to the 9th century. The Slavs worshipped Mokosh as the Great Mother
Earth and felt profound respect for the Goddess who gave and took life. During
the Christianization of the Ancient Slavs, warnings were issued against
worshipping Mokosh and she was replaced by the figures of the Virgin Mary and
St. Paraskevia. Despite the attempt to eradicate her
cult, Mokosh remained popular in Eastern Europe. Today, she is associated with
traditional domestic activities, and is seen as a life-giving force and
protector of women.
Rain
is considered the divine milk of Mokosh. She is the giver of life’s water and
her presence is invoked during times of drought.
A
common ritual performed for Mokosh is called the Dodola,
meaning “to give milk.” During a drought, a young girl is dressed in a net of
fresh flowers and leaves. The child dances and sings an incantation while water
I s splashed on her garb of greenery.
We
pass through the village, and the clouds across the sky.
We
go quicker, and the clouds go quicker,
But
the clouds have overtaken us
and
have bedewed the fields.
We
go through the village, and the clouds across the sky,
and
see, a ring drops from the clouds.
The
Songs of the Russian People W.R.S. Ralston 1872
Mokosh
Embroidery from the Belgorod Museum of Folk Culture
The image of Mokosh has gradually transformed over time from the
cosmic Earth Goddess to the patroness of the house. Traditional Slavic
embroideries depict Mokosh as a woman with long arms. Her figure is associated
with household duties such as spinning, weaving, and sheering sheep. The
following artwork represents the ancient image of Mokosh as the moist earth
Goddess.
Mokosh by Luma Mora
References
Slavic
Pagan World Compilation by Garry
Green
Slavic
Myth by Mike Dixon Kennedy
Mokos
by Encyclopaedia Britannica
The
Songs of the Russian People by W.R.S.
Ralston