Naw Meen

Nav ( Croatian, Czech, Slovak: ''Nav'', pl, Nawia, russian: Навь, sr, Нав, sl, Navje, uk, Мавка, '' Mavka'' or , ) is a phrase used to denote the souls of the dead in Slavic mythology. The singular form (''Nav'' or ''Nawia'') is also used as a name for an underworld, over which Veles exercises custody—it is often interpreted as another name for the underground variant of the '' Vyraj'' (heaven or paradise).

Etymology

The words ''nawia'', ''nav'' and its other variants are most likely derived from the Proto-Slavic , meaning "corpse", "deceased". Cognates in other Indo-European languages include Latvian ("death"), Lithuanian (“death”), Old Prussian (“body, flesh”), Old Russian () (“corpse, dead body”) and Gothic (, “dead body, corpse”).Razauskas, Dainius (2011). “Ryba - mifologičeskij Proobraz lodki" he Fish As a Mythological Prototype of the Boat In: ''Studia Mythologica Slavica'' 14 (October). Ljubljana, Slovenija, 296, 303. https://doi.org/10.3986/sms.v14i0.1614.

could be cognate with the Sanskrit word Naraka, referring to the concept of hell in Hinduism.

As souls or spirits

The ''nawie'', ''nawki'', sometimes also referred to as ''lalki'' (all plural forms) was used as a name for the souls of the dead. According to some scholars (namely Stanisław Urbańczyk, among others), this word was a general name for demons arising out of the souls of tragic and premature deaths, killers, warlocks, the murdered and the Drowned Dead. They were said to be hostile and unfavourable towards humans, being jealous of life. In Bulgarian folklore there exists the character of 12 that sucked the blood out of women giving birth, whereas in the Ruthenian Primary Chronicle the are presented as a demonic personification of the 1092 plague in Polotsk. According to folk tales, the ''nawie'' usually took the form of birds.

As an underworld

The phrase ''Nawia'' (Polish) or ''Nav'' (used across Slavic tongues) was also utilised as a name for the Slavonic underworld, ruled by the god Veles, enclosed away from the world either by a living sea or river, according to some beliefs located deep underground. According to Ruthenian folklore, Veles lived on a swamp in the centre of Nav, where he sat on a golden throne at the base of the Cosmic Tree, wielding a sword. Symbolically, the Nav has also been described as a huge green plain—pasture, onto which Veles guides souls. The entrance to ''Nav'' was guarded by a Zmey. It was believed the souls would later be reborn on earth.Nikolay Shevchenko
''Where did ancient Slavs go after death?''
Russia Beyond the Headlines, 9 March 2018. It is highly likely that these folk beliefs were the inspiration behind the neopagan idea of Jav, Prav and Nav in the literary forgery known as the Book of Veles.

See also

*Rusalka
* Unclean spirit

Footnotes

References

Further reading

* Kajkowski, Kamil. 2015. “Slavic Journeys to the Otherworld. Remarks on the Eschatology of Early Medieval Pomeranians" łowiańskie wędrówki W zaświaty. Kilka Uwag Na Temat Eschatologii wczesnośredniowiecznych Pomorzan ''Studia Mythologica Slavica'' 18 (July). Ljubljana, Slovenija: 15-34. https://doi.org/10.3986/sms.v18i0.2828.

Locations in Slavic mythology
Slavic legendary creatures
Slavic mythology
Underworld

{{Slavic mythology