Yarilo (Jarilo): Slavic God Of Spring, Powerful Sexual Energy, Symbol Of Dying, Regeneration And Abundance

A.Sutherland - AncientPages.com - Jarilo was an important Slavic deity of spring, fertility, sowing of seed, dying and regeneration, and symbol of high sexual energy, sexual attraction, and passion in all living beings.

Yarilo by Andrey Shishkin - CC BY

In ancient beliefs, he was the lost son of the Slavic god of thunder, Perun. He was stolen from his father and taken to the world of the dead, where he was adopted and raised by Veles, Perun's enemy.

This Slavic deity played an important role in the dawn of Christianity, where Jarilo was the Slavic version of a Dionysos-like god of youth, and spring wearing a crown of flowers, and even Balder, a symbol of the dying and later resurrected god of fertility.

Jarilo was believed to stimulate reproduction taking place in nature, but this influence was extended only to inhabitants of their realm – Yav.

The world of Yav was 4-dimensional and contained people and other living beings. In ancient beliefs of the Slavs, Yav was the world surrounding us, and inside it, there were suns, stars, and solar systems. There were also celestial objects invisible to our senses.

Young Beautiful Man On A White Horse

Jarilo (Yarylo, Jarylo or Gerovit) was portrayed as a beautiful, barefoot young man wearing a long white robe. His head is crowned with a wreath of flowers and he moves around the world on a white horse.

He is seen holding a bunch of wheat ears in his left hand and a skull in his right.

High temples in honor of Yarilo were settled on the top of hills covered with trees. He was widely honored as a patron of all living things but without sacrifices.

 

The tops of the hills were cleared of vegetation and an idol was erected at this place, in front of which a large white stone was installed, which sometimes could be found at the foot of the hill.

Unlike most other gods, there were no sacrifices in honor of the god of spring. Usually Jarilo was worshiped by songs and dances in the temple. Each year, there were also organized spring festivals dedicated to this warmly welcomed god.

One of the participants was usually dressed up like the god Jarilo himself, and then this person became the center of the whole celebration. Sometimes special figures were made in the image of various people and brought to the temples. Then they were smashed against a white stone installed there.

It is believed it symbolized the blessing of Jarilo from which, both the harvest will be greater and the sexual energy higher.

All of these spring festivals, taking place in late spring or early summer, were basically alike. On a special day, processions of villagers would go around for a walk in the country or through villages.

Something or someone was identified to be Jarilo. a doll made of straw, a man or a child adorned with green branches, or a girl dressed like a man, riding on a horse.

Certain songs were sung which alluded to Jarilo's greatness and power, and his return from a distant land across the sea.

He was always greeted as a bringer of spring sunlight and abundance.

Written by – A. Sutherland  - AncientPages.com Senior Staff Writer

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