Veles (god)

Etymology

A definitive etymology for the name Veles has not been conclusively determined, though several Proto-Indo-European roots relate to his domains. The presence of Lithuanian vėlės further complicates matters, as Fraenkel claims it is unrelated to the Slavic term. The original shape of the lemma in early Slavic also remains uncertain.

Roman Jakobson considered the identification of Veles and Volos unproblematic, dividing the name into the Indo-European root ṷel- (wel-) and the root esu- (from PIE h₂nsú-, meaning 'ruler > god', as in Vedic asura-). He derived Volos by assuming the second root appeared in the zero grade with a sound change from -el- to -olo-. The connection of the second part with the PIE root for asura is notable because it is an epithet of Varuṇa, who is linked to Veles beyond etymology. The root ṷel- encompasses several semantic fields: to die, grass, to see, to want, to turn, to tear, lukewarm, as well as hair, wool, forest, and to deceive.

Mallory and Adams question whether these meanings represent unrelated homonyms or a once-unified semantic field. Gajdošíková Šebetovská and Jiří Dynda suggest some meanings may interconnect while others are homonymous, but caution against forcing links. Dynda lists three reconstructed PIE roots as the 'wel- problem': ṷel- 'to roll, to turn', and ṷélsu- 'meadow, pasture', the latter leading to Greek Elysion.

Basic myth theory

Vyacheslav Ivanov and Vladimir Toporov proposed the basic myth theory, a reconstruction of Slavic mythology based on comparative study of Indo-European mythologies, primarily from Slavic and Baltic folklore. It was later rejected even by Toporov. The theory conjectures a conflict between Perun and Veles, stemming from Veles's theft of Perun's son, wife, or cattle. Veles, in the form of a serpent, slithers from the underworld up the world tree toward Perun's domain.

Perun attacks with lightning; Veles flees, hiding or transforming into trees, animals, or people. Perun kills Veles, and whatever was stolen is released as rain. The myth was seen as cyclical, explaining seasons: dry periods from Veles's thievery, storms as divine battles, and rain as Perun's triumph.

Perun occupies the high, dry realm; Veles the low, wet one. Veles's death was never permanent; he would shed his skin and be reborn. Only the general schema was widely accepted; the identification of Veles as Perun's opponent was criticized by most researchers, including Leo Klejn and Igor M. Diakonoff. While traces of an ambivalent relationship between the deities exist, they do not support Veles as a demonic opponent in a cosmological battle.

God of magic and musicians

Ivanov and Toporov saw Veles's mischievous nature in his role in the storm myth and in carnival customs of Koledari shamans. As a trickster god, he resembles Hermes and Loki. He was connected with magic; the word volhov, derived from his name, means sorcerer in some Slavic languages.

In The Tale of Igor's Campaign, the wizard Boyan is called Veles's grandson. Veles was also protector of travelling musicians. In some northern Croatian wedding ceremonies, music would not start until the bridegroom spilled wine on the ground, preferably over tree roots, as a toast to the patron deity.

Post-Christian Veles

As a chthonic god of the underworld and magic, he became identified with the Devil and beings such as the chort, leshy, and vodyanoy. His benevolent sides were transferred to Christian saints. As a cattle protector, he became associated with Saint Blaise, known among Slavs as St. Vlaho, St. Blaz, or St. Vlasiy. In Yaroslavl, the first church built on Veles's pagan shrine was dedicated to St. Blaise, whose name was similar and who was also a shepherd patron.

In many Eastern Slavic folk tales, Veles was replaced by St. Nicholas, described as a wealth giver and trickster. In a western Slavic context, Veles's attributes were split between the devil and saints. Old Czech references treat Veles as a demon, with phrases like 'oh, let us leave these sins with veles already' and a wish for a bad wife to fly to veles over the sea. In west Slavic folklore, the devil is not unanimously evil; in many tales he appears as a helper, wealth giver, and positive figure despite punishing sinners.