Perhaps the most mythologized element in Slavic mythology is water. In my own first novel, The Song of the Sirin, the Water of Life plays a pivotal role. It does in the other books as well. But there is also something called the Water of Death, which may or may not play a role in books 4 and 5 of the series. In any case, it’s not surprising that for the ancient Slavs, water loomed large in their stories and legends.
As I’m writing book 4 and planning book 5 of the Raven Son series, I’m considering this primordial hold that water had on the Slavic imagination. There are some fascinating legends concerning life, death, and the afterlife that I think will come up in big ways in my last books especially. With that in mind, I’m starting a series on the mythology of water this week. I’ll be adding to it over the next few months. Most of my information is a direct translation of Vladimir Shuklin’s Myths of the Russian Folk.
The Source of All That Is
First of all, water is the source of all that exists. As such, it is tied up in all manner of creation legends. According to the Slavs, it corresponds to primordial chaos, the beginning of the world. In this sense, the ocean is clearly opposed to the organized space of land. Interestingly, since most of Russia is landlocked, there is no separate idea for “ocean” and “sea.” In fact, the character of the “Ocean-sea” is the bedrock of the world, so to speak. On it, the earth is established on the backs of three (or seven) whales.
In the Stone Book, a book of ancient spiritual poetry collected in the 17-18th centuries, we read the following quote:
Ocean-sea is the mother of all seas. The sea has covered the whole wide world, that sea reached out to all lands.
What’s missing in the English is that “Ocean-sea” is feminine and is often compared to a mother (like Earth itself, for that matter).
As for the mythological origin of this Ocean-sea, it comes from somewhere very far away. Still, the sea is not the end of the world, because there are magical lands (possibly Eden) beyond that primordial sea. Another legend has the origin of the sea in the far North, probably in the same place where Koschei the Deathless built his palace on top of crystal mountains. This version is probably later, when the Rus had reached the Arctic circle in their wanderings.
The Caspian Sea
The Caspian Sea holds a special place in the mythological imagination of ancient Slavs. The sun rises from the Caspian sea. Under this sea is a copper house in which the Serpent of Fire has been chained, while under this Serpent is hidden a seven-ton key to the palace of Prince Vladimir, as well as the armor of the bogatyrs of Novgorod. If one can catch a swan and force it to fly to the Caspian Sea, it will attack the Serpent of Fire and get the key for you. Whoever claims the bogatyr’s armor will be essentially unbeatable in war.
Interestingly, in some version of this tale, it’s not a Swan, but a Raven who must go into the depths. For those of you who have read The Song of the Sirin and the rest of the series, this should be a fascinating bit of lore. After all, both the Raven and the Swan as archetypes play important roles in the fate of the world. As to who will be the one to attack the Serpent of Fire in book 5 … (wait, have I said too much?)
There is yet another bird associated with the Caspian Sea–the Eagle. The Eagle is formed from the waves. After its birth, it throws a lightning bolt into the wet earth, which causes a fire that gathers into storm clouds, from which comes the rain that gives life to the entire world. (Of course, the Eagle has much to do with The Heart of the World, book 3 in the series, but I digress again…)
The Island of Buyan
The Ocean-sea is especially known for the Island of Buyan, which stands at its center. This island is the source of nature’s essence, containing the mythical incarnations of the spring storms, thunder, and the winds. The mother of all birds, Gagana, who has a metal beak and copper talons, finds her home there. The eldest of all ravens also lives there, making sure the Serpent of Fire stays chained in the depth of the Ocean-sea.
Buyan is a magical island, and not surprisingly in pagan Rus, it was often invoked. It also often appears as an image in fairy tales and epic poetry.
Water as Boundary
Water is not only an element to itself, but it’s also a boundary between worlds. The space between heaven and earth is bordered by water, as is the space between life and death. Water also divides the epochs in a person’s life. Ritual washing was a necessary part of coming into the world, entering the married state, and being buried. Overcoming water in some form is one of the most common heroic motifs in Russian fairy tales.
Water from the heavens was considered to be life-giving, as opposed to water on or under the earth itself. Rain is the mythical image of the union between the heavens and the earth, a masculine image of sowing. In fact, the drops of rain are traditionally no different from seeds that give rise to grains necessary for life.
The first rain of the day, in fact, was considered to have powerful energy. It could make your face younger and more beautiful and give health to the body. It could even grant good fortune to one’s fate. This is why people always hurried to be outside for the first rain. It’s also probably why, to this day, “magic water” still persists in people’s imaginations.
In fact, I was surprised and amused to hear from a person otherwise well educated in the order of church services that on the day of Christ’s Baptism, you had to take a shower at midnight to get the full among of divine grace. Of course, that has nothing to do with Church tradition, but it’s fascinating to see how the ancient fascination with water persists through the ages. To this day, most Orthodox will recognize that any time water is blessed in churches, you can expect a lot of people to be in attendance.
Water in Fairy Tales and Legends
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