Rozhanitsy, narecnitsy, and sudzhenitsy are invisible spirits or deities of fate in the
pre-Christian religion of the Slavs. Related to pregnancy, motherhood, marriage and female ancestors.
Often quoted together with
Rod.
They are usually mentioned three together, but sometimes up to 9 together, of which one was a "queen" or singular.
['']The Mythology of All Races
''The Mythology of All Races'' is a 13-volume book series edited by Louis Herbert Gray between 1916–1932 with George Foot Moore
George Foot Moore (October 15, 1851 – May 16, 1931) was an eminent historian of religion, author, Presbyterian mi ...
'' (1918), Vol. III, Section "Slavic", Part I: The Genii
Chapter IV: Genii of Fate, pp. 249-252
/ref> They are related to Dola, but it is not known on what terms. In Poland they were worshipped as zorze (auroras).
Names and meaning
In different regions of the Slavs and languages they were named differently:
* Croatian: rodjenice, rojenice, roženice, sudice, sudjenice, sujenice
* Slovene: rodjenice, rojenice, sudice, sojenice, sujenice
* Bulgarian: sudženici, narŭčnici, orisnici, urisnici, uresici
* Czech and Slovak: rodjenice, sudjenice, sudičky
* Polish: rodzanice, narecznice, sudiczki
* Romanian: ursitoare The three Ursitoare, in Romanian mythology, are supposed to appear three nights after a child's birth to determine the course of its life. They are similar to the Greek Fates or Moirai.
The Fates to baptize is part of Romanian tradition hundreds of ...
* Serbian: suđaje, suđenice, rođenice, narečnici
* Old East Slavic, Russian: rožanice, udĕlnicy
Terms ''rodzanica'', ''rodjenica'' or ''rojenica'' come from word ''roditi'' ("giving birth") and literally mean "woman giving birth".
Terms ''sudiczka'', ''sudica'', or ''sojenica'' come from word ''sud'' (''"''judgment''"'', "judge", "court") and literally mean "judging woman".
Terms ''narecznica'', ''nerechnitsa'', ''narucnica'' mean "name giving woman".
Term ''udelnica'' means "granting woman".
Bulgarian terms ''orisnici'', ''urisnici'', ''uresici'' come from the Greek word ''όρίζοντες'' (''orizontes - "''establish''"'') and mean "establishing woman”.
In the Eastern Slavs
The East Slavs are the most populous subgroup of the Slavs. They speak the East Slavic languages, and formed the majority of the population of the medieval state Kievan Rus', which they claim as their cultural ancestor.John Channon & Robert Hud ...
, the personification of good fortune was also known as Dolya, whose name means "division", "participation", and bad luck as Nedolya. In Serbs
The Serbs ( sr-Cyr, Срби, Srbi, ) are the most numerous South Slavic ethnic group native to the Balkans in Southeastern Europe, who share a common Serbian ancestry, culture, history and language.
The majority of Serbs live in their na ...
and Croats
The Croats (; hr, Hrvati ) are a South Slavic ethnic group who share a common Croatian ancestry, culture, history and language. They are also a recognized minority in a number of neighboring countries, namely Austria, the Czech Republic, G ...
, on the other hand, there is Sreća - whose name means "luck".
In some regions of Poland, the functions of rozhanitsy were fulfilled by other figures: boginki in Lesser Poland
Lesser Poland, often known by its Polish name Małopolska ( la, Polonia Minor), is a historical region situated in southern and south-eastern Poland. Its capital and largest city is Kraków. Throughout centuries, Lesser Poland developed a s ...
, kraśniki in Pomerania
Pomerania ( pl, Pomorze; german: Pommern; Kashubian: ''Pòmòrskô''; sv, Pommern) is a historical region on the southern shore of the Baltic Sea in Central Europe, split between Poland and Germany. The western part of Pomerania belongs to ...
. In ''The Catalogue Of Rudolph's Magic'', written by Edward Karvot, who wrote the information collected by Brother Rudolf
A brother is a man or boy who shares one or more parents with another; a male sibling. The female counterpart is a sister. Although the term typically refers to a familial relationship, it is sometimes used endearingly to refer to non-familia ...
about the customs of pagan Western Slavs
The West Slavs are Slavic peoples who speak the West Slavic languages. They separated from the common Slavic group around the 7th century, and established independent polities in Central Europe by the 8th to 9th centuries. The West Slavic langu ...
, we read that the Slavs "make sacrifices to their three sisters, which the pagans call Clotho
Clotho (; el, Κλωθώ) is a mythological figure. She is the youngest of the Three Fates or Moirai who spins the thread of human life; the other two draw out (Lachesis) and cut (Atropos) in ancient Greek mythology. Her Roman equivalent is ...
, Lachesis
Lachesis ( ; grc, Λάχεσις, Lákhesis, disposer of lots; from , 'to obtain by lot, by fate, or by the will of the gods'), in ancient Greek religion, was the second of the Three Fates, or Moirai; the others were her sisters, Clotho and ...
and Atropos
Atropos (; grc, Ἄτροπος "without turn") or Aisa, in Greek mythology, was one of the three Moirai, goddesses of fate and destiny. Her Roman equivalent was Morta.
Atropos was the oldest of the Three Fates, and was known as "the Inflex ...
to lend them wealth." Rudolph, probably not knowing the language of the Slavs, gave rozhanitsy the names of Moirai, which he knew from Greek mythology, and which perform the same functions as the rozhanitsy.
The rozhanitsy after Christianization were replaced by the Mothers of God or saint women. In Russian charms of a maturing boy, Parascheva, Anastasia
Anastasia (from el, Ἀναστασία, translit=Anastasía) is a feminine given name of Greek origin, derived from the Greek word (), meaning "resurrection". It is a popular name in Eastern Europe, particularly in Russia, where it was the most ...
and Barbara are mentioned, and in Bulgarian folklore Mother of God, Parascheva and Anastasia. Angels
In various theistic religious traditions an angel is a supernatural spiritual being who serves God.
Abrahamic religions often depict angels as benevolent celestial intermediaries between God (or Heaven) and humanity. Other roles include ...
or even Christ
Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label=Hebrew/Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other Names and titles of Jesus in the New Testament, names and titles), was ...
Himself also took over the functions of rozhanitsy.
Sources
''Word of St. Gregory Theologian about how pagans bowed to idols'' of the 11th century is first source mentioning about rozhanitsy:
''Word of Chrystolubiec'' describes the prayers dedicated to the Rod and rozhanitsy:
The cult of Rozhanitsy was still popular in the 16th century Rus, as evidenced by penance
Penance is any act or a set of actions done out of Repentance (theology), repentance for Christian views on sin, sins committed, as well as an alternate name for the Catholic Church, Catholic, Lutheran, Eastern Orthodox, and Oriental Orthodox s ...
given during confession by Orthodox
Orthodox, Orthodoxy, or Orthodoxism may refer to:
Religion
* Orthodoxy, adherence to accepted norms, more specifically adherence to creeds, especially within Christianity and Judaism, but also less commonly in non-Abrahamic religions like Neo-pa ...
priests
A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deity, deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in p ...
described in the penitentiaries of Saint Sabbas of Storozhi :
Izmail_Sreznevsky">:
Izmail_Sreznevsky_collected_the_following_sources_in_his_''Materials_for_the_Old_Russian_dictionary'':
Narecnitsy_often_appear_in_various_:
Izmail_Sreznevsky">:
Izmail_Sreznevsky_collected_the_following_sources_in_his_''Materials_for_the_Old_Russian_dictionary'':
Narecnitsy_often_appear_in_various_South_Slavs">South_Slavic_Legend.html" "title="South_Slavs.html" ;"title="Izmail_Sreznevsky.html" ;"title=":
Izmail Sreznevsky">:
Izmail Sreznevsky collected the following sources in his ''Materials for the Old Russian dictionary'':
Narecnitsy often appear in various South Slavs">South Slavic Legend">legends
A legend is a historical narrative, a symbolic representation of folk belief.
Legend(s) or The Legend(s) may also refer to:
Narrative
* Urban legend, a widely repeated story of dubious truth
* A fictitious identity used in espionage
Books, co ...
and epics, one of them is the epic of Prince Marko:
The first to record the cult of auroras was the ethnographer Zorian Dołęga Chodakowski. He wrote about it in his work ''About Slavdom before Christianity'':
Polish literature historian Stefan Vrtel-Wierczyński in ''Medieval Polish secular poetry'' wrote a spell discovered by Brückner:
Polish folklorist Stanisław Czernik in his book ''Trzy zorze dziewicze: wśród zamawiań i zaklęć'' (''Three virgin auroras: among orders and spells''), he cites the following spell:
The ''Wisła'' geographical and ethnographic monthly gives the following spell over a baby crying at night, that is spell for three days during sunset, and a prayer for a good husband:
Look
In the folklore of the Southern Slavs, rozhanitsy are described as beautiful girls or as good-natured elderly women. Sometimes also represented as three women of different ages: a girl, an adult woman and an elderly woman. Southern Slavs described them as beautiful figures with white, round cheeks. They were to be dressed in white clothes and had a white cap (mob cap
A mobcap (or mob cap or mob-cap) is a round, gathered or pleated cloth (usually linen) bonnet consisting of a caul to cover the hair, a frilled or ruffled brim, and (often) a ribbon band, worn by married women in the 18th and early 19th centurie ...
) on their heads and to have silver and gold jewelry. In their hands they were to hold burning candles through which their silhouettes were to be easily visible in the moonlight.
Czechs
The Czechs ( cs, Češi, ; singular Czech, masculine: ''Čech'' , singular feminine: ''Češka'' ), or the Czech people (), are a West Slavic ethnic group and a nation native to the Czech Republic in Central Europe, who share a common ancestry, c ...
described them as white-dressed virgins or old women. They were to be tall and transparent, their cheeks were to be pale and their eyes were to spark and charm people and their hair was decorated with precious stones. Like the southern Slavs, they were to wear a white bonnet or veil.
Functions and cult
They were to look after pregnant women, and after giving birth to a child, they determined his fate for the rest of his life. The rozhanitsy appeared at midnight, three days after the birth of the child, at his cradle, then they were supposed to foretell the child good or bad fate for life. After determining the fate of the child, it was saved as an indelible mark on the forehead. The rozhanitsy opinions on the future of the child were often contradictory, and the final, oldest parent makes the final decision. The first, youngest rozhanitsa spins, the second measures and the third cuts off the thread of life - the longer the thread, the longer life will be. In southern Slavs, rozhanitsy were sometimes distinguished from sudzhenitsy, which were to appear before death and during important moments in life. Rozhanitsy were sometimes called to protect the family from illness.
According to Procopius
Procopius of Caesarea ( grc-gre, Προκόπιος ὁ Καισαρεύς ''Prokópios ho Kaisareús''; la, Procopius Caesariensis; – after 565) was a prominent late antique Greek scholar from Caesarea Maritima. Accompanying the Roman gener ...
, Slavs did not believe in destiny:
According to sources, a trapezoidal table with bread, honey, cheese and groat (kutia
Kutia or kutya is a ceremonial grain dish with sweet gravy traditionally served by Eastern Orthodox Christians and Byzantine Catholic Christians predominantly in Ukraine, Belarus and Russia during the Christmas - Feast of Jordan holiday season ...
) was prepared in honor of the rozhanitsy, sometimes the meal was left in the shrines. First haircut
The first haircut for a human has special significance in certain cultures and religions. It can be considered a rite of passage or a milestone.
Indian babies
Hindu babies
In Hindu tradition, the hair from birth is associated with undesi ...
was sacrified to the rozhanitsy - cut hair should be offered to the rozhanitsy. Slovenes
The Slovenes, also known as Slovenians ( sl, Slovenci ), are a South Slavic ethnic group native to Slovenia, and adjacent regions in Italy, Austria and Hungary. Slovenes share a common ancestry, culture, history and speak Slovene as their n ...
and Croats used to put candles, wine, bread and salt in the room where the woman lies the day after delivery. Failure to do so threatened that rozhanitsy would determine a child's bad fortune. Slovenians living in Istria
Istria ( ; Croatian language, Croatian and Slovene language, Slovene: ; ist, Eîstria; Istro-Romanian language, Istro-Romanian, Italian language, Italian and Venetian language, Venetian: ; formerly in Latin and in Ancient Greek) is the larges ...
laid bread under the boulders next to the caves in which rozhanitsy were to live, and in Bulgaria suppers were prepared. In the Czech Republic, a table was prepared on which white clothes and chairs were waiting for rozhanitsy and chair, on which bread, salt and butter were laid, sometimes cheese and beer. One of Rod's and rozhanitsy holidays was to be December 26
Events Pre-1600
* 887 – Berengar I is elected as king of Italy by the lords of Lombardy. He is crowned with the Iron Crown of Lombardy at Pavia.
* 1481 – Battle of Westbroek: An army of 4,000 to 5,000 soldiers raised by David of Bu ...
, which after Christianization was replaced by the Orthodox Church
Orthodox Church may refer to:
* Eastern Orthodox Church
* Oriental Orthodox Churches
* Orthodox Presbyterian Church
* Orthodox Presbyterian Church of New Zealand
* State church of the Roman Empire
* True Orthodox church
See also
* Orthodox (di ...
with the Feast of the Mother of God.
The rozhanitsy were to live at the end of the world in the palace of the Sun, which could connect them to the solar deity.
In many European religions there are three female characters telling the child the future, which indicates the Indo-European
The Indo-European languages are a language family native to the overwhelming majority of Europe, the Iranian plateau, and the northern Indian subcontinent. Some European languages of this family, English, French, Portuguese, Russian, Dutch ...
origin of the rozhanitsy:
*Roman
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
*Rome, the capital city of Italy
*Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
*Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a letter ...
Parcae
In ancient Roman religion and myth, the Parcae (singular, Parca) were the female personifications of destiny who directed the lives (and deaths) of humans and gods. They are often called the Fates in English, and their Greek equivalent were the ...
*Greek
Greek may refer to:
Greece
Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe:
*Greeks, an ethnic group.
*Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family.
**Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...
Moirai
In ancient Greek religion and mythology, the Moirai (, also spelled Moirae or Mœræ; grc, Μοῖραι, "lots, destinies, apportioners"), often known in English as the Fates ( la, Fata, Fata, -orum (n)=), were the personifications of fate ...
* Norse Norns
The Norns ( non, norn , plural: ) are deities in Norse mythology responsible for shaping the course of human destinies.'' Nordisk familjebok'' (1907)
In the ''Völuspá'', the three primary Norns Urðr (Wyrd), Verðandi, and Skuld draw wate ...
*Celtic
Celtic, Celtics or Keltic may refer to:
Language and ethnicity
*pertaining to Celts, a collection of Indo-European peoples in Europe and Anatolia
**Celts (modern)
*Celtic languages
**Proto-Celtic language
* Celtic music
*Celtic nations
Sports Fo ...
Brigid
Brigid ( , ; meaning 'exalted one' from Old Irish),Campbell, MikBehind the Name.See also Xavier Delamarre, ''brigantion / brigant-'', in ''Dictionnaire de la langue gauloise'' (Éditions Errance, 2003) pp. 87–88: "Le nom de la sainte irlandais ...
in three persons or three Matres
The Matres (Latin for "mothers") and Matronae (Latin for "matrons") were female deities venerated in Northwestern Europe, of whom relics are found dating from the first to the fifth century AD. They are depicted on votive offerings and altars th ...
*Baltic
Baltic may refer to:
Peoples and languages
* Baltic languages, a subfamily of Indo-European languages, including Lithuanian, Latvian and extinct Old Prussian
*Balts (or Baltic peoples), ethnic groups speaking the Baltic languages and/or originati ...
Laima
Laima is a Baltic goddess of fate. She was associated with childbirth, marriage, and death; she was also the patron of pregnant women. Laima and her functions are similar to the Hindu goddess Lakshmi.
In Latvia
In Latvian mythology, Laima and ...
, which sometimes appeared in three forms
Goddess Rozhanitsa
Old Russian sources also mention the rozhanitsa as a single person, usually as a pair of Rod and Rodzanica. An example of such a source is the 12th century chronicle ''Gesta regum Anglorum
The ''Gesta Regum Anglorum'' (Latin for "Deeds of the Kings of the English"), originally titled ("On the Deeds of the Kings of the English") and also anglicized as or , is an early-12th-century history of the kings of England by William of Malme ...
'', which describes the cult of Svetovid
Svetovit, Sventovit, Svantovit is the god of abundance and war, and the chief god of the Slavic tribe of the Rani, and later of all the Polabian Slavs. His organized cult was located on the island of Rügen, at Cape Arkona, where his main temp ...
among the Slavs of Elbe, comparing him to Roman Fortune
Fortune may refer to:
General
* Fortuna or Fortune, the Roman goddess of luck
* Luck
* Wealth
* Fortune, a prediction made in fortune-telling
* Fortune, in a fortune cookie
Arts and entertainment Film and television
* ''The Fortune'' (1931 film) ...
and Greek Týchē. The 13th century Russian translation of this chronicle translates Fortune as Rozhanitsa (Рожданица). Another example could be the ''Word about how pagans bowed to idols'': "Artemis and Artemisa called Rod and Roshanitsa". In such a situation, Rozhanitsa could be the Mother Goddess
A mother goddess is a goddess who represents a personified deification of motherhood, fertility goddess, fertility, creation, destruction, or the earth goddess who embodies the bounty of the earth or nature. When equated with the earth or th ...
- the goddess of fertility and motherhood. According to mythologists, the triple deities of fate are the hypostasis of the ancient goddess of fate. Pragermani Urðr
Urðr (Old Norse "fate"Orchard (1997:169).) is one of the Norns in Norse mythology. Along with Verðandi (possibly "happening" or "present"Orchard (1997:174).) and Skuld (possibly "debt" or "future"Orchard (1997:151).), Urðr makes up a trio o ...
and early Greek Clotho
Clotho (; el, Κλωθώ) is a mythological figure. She is the youngest of the Three Fates or Moirai who spins the thread of human life; the other two draw out (Lachesis) and cut (Atropos) in ancient Greek mythology. Her Roman equivalent is ...
were to be such goddesses. A similar process probably took place in the Slavs and in that situation Dolya could be the original goddess of fate.
Boris Rybakov
Boris Alexandrovich Rybakov (Russian language, Russian: Бори́с Алекса́ндрович Рыбако́в, 3 June 1908, Moscow – 27 December 2001) was a Soviet Union, Soviet and Russian historian who personified the anti-Normanist the ...
tied rozhanitsa with Lada, claiming that Lada was Rod's partner and also the first rozhanitsa.
In popular culture
* Percival Schuttenbach - ''Rodzanice'' ( ''Strzyga'' album)
References
Bibliography
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{{Slavic mythology
Slavic mythology
Slavic neopaganism
Destiny
Time and fate deities