Zhiva. The Goddess of Life and Love in the Rites and Myths of the Slavs. Book 1

This work is dedicated to one of the most famous and at the same time one of the least studied Slavic goddesses - Zhiva. Recognizing the entirety of folklore and ethnographic materials related to her, it can already be said... that the situation has fundamentally changed, and the image of the goddess Zhiva is quite clear to us. We can understand how our ancestors imagined her, what she was the patroness of, what myths were told about Zhiva, and what holidays were celebrated in her honor.The study examines the relationship of Zhiva with other names and images in Slavic mythology - Lelya, Zorya, Krasopita. Questions about the iconography of the goddess, her temples and priesthood, and other elements of the cult are raised. Reliable parallels are drawn with goddesses from the pantheons of Indo-European origin peoples related to the Slavs.This edition is intended for all those interested in Slavic spiritual culture and, in particular, Russian paganism.