The Order of the White Moon Goddess
Gallery Presents
The Slavic Goddess Devana
A Level I Final Project for The Sacred Three Goddess School
By
Initiate Emily Beatrice
(©2019. All original material in this work is under
copyright protection and is the intellectual property of the author.)
https://thegoddessdevana.wordpress.com/
Hunter Goddess. Adobe Stock Image
#81871582.
https://stock.adobe.com/images/woman-shaman-in-ritual-garment-with-hawk/81871582
Introduction
She
is known by Devana, Ciza, Dziewona, Dzevana and many more names. She is the daughter of Ziva and Perun. She can transform into any animal and is considered
the Forest Mother in many Slavic traditions. (Kakaševski,
n.d.) She is a rebel associated with mares, bears, her wolf companions, and all
forest animals. She is thought to be unpredictable and hard to read. But who is
the Goddess Devana? What is her role in the Slavic pantheon? In this write up
you will discover who Devana is by getting to know her through mythology,
artistic representations, and a new ritual created in dedication to her.
About
Devana
Ancient
Slavic Society
The term Slav dates from the 6th
Century CE. A Slav is a general term referring to a person or persons that come
from a region that covers central Eastern Europe all the way to Southeastern
Europe. This area covers Russia,
Ukraine, Belarus, Czech Republic, Poland, Slovakia, Bosnia, Herzegovina,
Bulgaria, Croatia, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, and Slovenia. In the modern
era that area includes three branches of languages, at least fifteen different
spoken languages, and multiple dialects. Because Slavic is such a general term
that covers a huge area of the world there are a lot of interpretations and
overlaps of different Slavic pantheons.
Map of Slavic countries. http://www.simplyslavic.org/slavic-map
The Slavic Pantheon
There is some question about whether or
not Devana was actually a member of an original Slavic pantheon. There is not a
lot of folklore about Devana that has survived to the modern era let alone
English translations. What we do know are accounts from five hundred years
after the Slavic people adopted Christianity. (Elder, n.d.) Her memory is
mostly kept alive through collected bits and pieces shared by folk writers,
scholars and bloggers. Pilkington (2009) lists the names of twenty-one deities
in the Slavic Pantheon.
If we look at Russian specific Slavic
mythology there were six main deities. Five of them were male. Perun, the god
of thunder and Devana’s father, is one that both
Pilkington’s (2009) list and Russian mythology have in common. We also know that
the Goddess attributed to being Devana’s mother, Ziva or Diva, would be similar to Mokosh,
the Goddess of fertility and life in Russian and Pilkington’s (2009) list. Ziva’s devotion was located in what we would consider
modern day Poland. (Muniz, 2010) In fact some sources regard Devana as being
Polish. We can conclude that Devana’s devotion in
some form probably ranged over a large area. She had at least thirty known name
manifestations depending on the language, translation, and dialect used. Muniz (2010) suggest that under her Polish
manifestation, Dilwica, she is actually an aspect of
the Great Goddess and her name was given in order to protect her real identity.
Various sources also suggest that she is part of what would be now interpreted
as the Slavic aspect of the Triple Goddess. She is very similar to the Roman
Goddess Diana or her Greek counterpart Artemis. It is very possible that she
came about from Roman or Greek influence through trade or conquest.
It is also worth noting that according
to Kakaševski (n.d) a rock
with a picture of a mare was found on Mount Devica,
associated with Devana, in the eastern part of
Serbia. Mount Devica is also the location of multiple
undated stone circles that have yet to be investigated by archeologists.
(Serbian Irish, 2014) Whether or not there is conclusive evidence that Devana
has a direct association with this location, there has been Pagan worship at
this site for some time.
https://stock.adobe.com/images/slavic-wooden-idols/87841985
Perun’s
Final Myth
Devana’s story begins with the final myth of Perun. Devana was
conceived after Perun’s marriage to Ziva. Deva means
maid, virgin or young girl. In what stories that survive she is almost
childish, arrogant, and conceited. “She has inside the power of a wild and
unrestrained femininity, which had not been possessed by a man.” (Hirschlauf, 2016) It became clear early on that she was
destined to become a great huntress. According to Perun’s final myth, she
unfortunately began to hunt more for entertainment rather than requirement.
(Slavic, 2010)
She became confident in her abilities
and decided to try and overthrow Svarog, God of the
sun and fire, in order to rule the three worlds. Dazhbog,
son of Svarog, found out. Dazhbog
informed Devana’s father. “Catching sight of her in
the woods, he let out a roar so loud it scared off Devana’s
wolves, she had no choice but to engage her father in battle. Spears were drawn
and both fighters rushed at each other on brilliant steeds, destroying each others’ spears in a flurry of splinters.” (Slavic,
2010) In an attempt to salvage the fight against Perun Devana transformed into
a lioness. Perun not only copied her but cornered Devana. In an attempt to flee
she transformed into a bird and Perun transformed into an Eagle. He caught
Devana again. In another attempt to escape Devana turned into a fish. “Perun
called upon the aid of Mokosh, the goddess of fate.
Perun’s request was answered and a Seine had caught Devana.” (Slavic, 2010) Father
and daughter reconciled and Devana never considered overthrowing Svarog again.
https://pixabay.com/en/forest-mist-nature-trees-mystic-931706/
Marriage
and Family
At one point
Devana begrudgingly married Veles. Veles was the God of many things including
the underworld, water, cattle, and trickery. At first Devana refused Veles. Veles
eventually won wild Devana over by turning himself into a basil flower, soothing
her wild spirit.
Basil
Flower https://pixabay.com/en/herbs-plant-garden-eat-bio-3814075/
(Kakaševski, n.d.) In Russian Folklore Devana and
Veles’s marriage is marked by her wisdom and council. She aids him in many
situations over the course of their relationship.
Devana and Veles have at least one
child. Kakaševski (n.d.) refers to him as Jarilo, the God of vegetation and fertility. Another
sources names Devana and Veles’s son as Miloš Obilić from a Serbian epic poem. However, I could not
find a resource available to support these claims.
https://stock.adobe.com/images/girl-in-a-wreath-looks-away/84945564
Sacred Aspects
The sacred attributions below are mostly assumptions
made by me based on the research gathered about her for this Final Project.
Food: What the forest provides.
Colors: Greens, browns, tans, and forest colors
of day the day and night.
Elements: Earth (See Figure 6)
Stones: Moonstone, silver, and quartz.
Human aspects: Hunter, wisdom, virginal purity,
bravery, confidence, and forests.
Animals: Mares are especially sacred to Devana. She
also has two wolf companions. All forest creatures are sacred to Devana.
Plants: basil, willow tree, hazel tree, mugwort, and wolfsbane.
Regions/locations: Slavic countries, Mount Devica, forests, lakes, and rivers.
Days/Celebrations: Monday, Spring, (See Figure 7)
and Willow Day.
Devana, Spring aspect. Original acrylic painting on canvas
by Emily Beatrice. December 2018.
Ritual to Honor Devana by Emily Beatrice
Hirschlauf (2016)
directly attributes devotion of Devana to Artemis and the peoples who lived in
the Balkans. “She is a very powerful Goddess and may be temperamental when
approached with unclear intent. Be certain in your approach and carry
basil and garlic for protection. Honor your pets and wildlife!” (Hirschlauf, 2016) With that in mind, I have created a
ritual dedicated to Devana.
The Spring Equinox is the main
inspiration for the environment of this ritual. Specifically
the forest in the Spring. Think delicate flowers carpeting the forest floor,
warming sunshine filtering through the leaves, and baby animals. This ritual is
designed woman specific, but could be tweaked if necessary. As with all rituals
I create, I like to leave room for personal creativity in order to implement
authenticity. This ritual can be completed clothed or skyclad,
whatever you are comfortable with. (See Figure 8)
https://www.sacredsource.com/Young-Artemis-Diana-3-1_2-x-3-1_4/productinfo/BZ-YA/
DEVANA RITUAL OUTLINE
Items Needed
-Candles (Colors representing spring. As many as you feel
you need while still being fire safe.)
-Flowers (Fresh or fake. You want your ritual space bursting
with symbols of new life. Floral crowns are a great addition to this ritual.)
-Floral incense or essential oil blend to bless yourself and
your ritual space. (Basil essential oil is a good option. Moxibustion could
also be used as it is made of Mugwort.)
-Food offering for animal companion or wildlife.
Before you begin set an intention for
this ritual. It could be a boost in confidence or a blessing for an animal
companion, or just to get in better touch with your inner Sloth Woman. Review
the Sacred Aspects of Devana to help you find a clear intention. Brain storm
and write it out if need be. Knowing exactly why you are asking her for help is
key.
*Prepare for this ritual how you would normally for your
regular practice. (Set your ritual space, ritual bath, etc…)
**Refer to the Chapter Five section about the Spring Equinox
in Stein (1990) “Casting the Circle: A Women’s Book of Ritual”, and March 23rd
about Marzenna in Telesco (1990) “365 Goddess: A
Daily Guide to the Magic and Inspiration of the Goddess” for further
inspiration.
***At the end of the ritual you will honor either an animal
companion or wildlife. Please prepare an appropriate food safe offering to
honor Devana to be given to your animal companion or wildlife. (Cat or dog
treat, hummingbird food for your local hummingbird population, etc…) PLEASE follow all local wildlife safety protocol and
regulations if preparing something for local wildlife. (This includes using
essential oils for blessings) Contact your local Audubun
Society chapter or State Fish and Wildlife Authority if you are unsure.
After preparing your ritual space bless
the space with the incense or floral essential oil blend you prepared. Light all
candles. Take a minute to ground yourself feeling the pulse of the earth
beneath your feet. Think of your intention for this ritual and meditate on it
for a moment. Be very clear about your intention. Devana does not like
vagueness. Bless yourself. Feel free to prepare a blessing ahead of time or
improvise one if you feel moved in order to create a more authentic ritual
environment.
Open your circle in the manner you
normally would during a daily ritual focusing on your intention. Consider who
Devana is and what she represents. Tap into your own wild woman, liberated and
unrestricted. Feel the energy of the earth pulsing beneath your feet. Let that
energy move you. Do you feel like dancing? Dance! Do you feel like singing?
Sing! Whatever that energy is telling you to do, do it while focusing on your
intention. (See Figure 10) Raise the energy higher. Feel it in your knees, your
thighs, your hips, your lower belly, your stomach, your chest, all the way up
until you’ve pushed it through the sky. Keep going, going, going, going until
you feel moved to stop.
Before you lower the energy back into
the earth bless the food offering for your animal companion or wildlife. *You
can prepare the blessing beforehand in order to better focus the energy.
However, do not ignore the feeling to improvise if you feel it is right.
After you have blessed the food
offering ground yourself once again and focus the energy you raised that is now
buzzing overhead towards Devana. Use your hands to lower it back into the
earth. *I like to start with Uttarabodhi Mudra
pointed way over head, and then slowly lower my hands down focusing the energy
into the earth. Take a moment to center yourself. When you feel at peace close
the circle and bring your blessed food offering in honor of Devana to your
animal companion or set it out for the wildlife. (See Figure 11)
The
Goddess Devana, Huntress of the Forest. Original leather
burning by Archibald Knightfield. December 2018,
created
by the author’s spouse and owned by the author.
Devana. Original drawing by Amaya Wolfe.
December 2018.
https://www.deviantart.com/nightwolf84
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