Bonfires for the sun

Jumping bonfires is an ancient pagan tradition in many cultures. Although some of them cellebrate this ritual to mark the shortest day of the year (summer solstice) and others do it to mark the end of the winter and the arrival of the spring, in Armenia this traditions has more to do with love and prosperity for marriage and family and it coincides with Valentine´s day in other countries, although this ritual was also associated with sun worshipping during pagan times in Armenia. Despite this differences, all them share one reason to cellebrate this ritual: to honor the sun.

As all our participant countries cellebrates this ritual, we burned and jumped our own bonfire in May.

Armenian pagan deities

Armenian group presented some topics about paganism in Armenia, like the main gods that Armenians worshipped.

Armenian mithology was influenced by Zoroastrianism and Assyrian traditions. At first, Armenians worshipped fire, sun, water and holy animals like lions, but relations with other countries made them begin to worship some gods. Some of these gods were identified with hellenistic gods.

Aramazd

God-Sun. The father of all the gods and creator of the Universe. Aramazd was supposed to born on 21th of March, according to the current calendar. Some neo-pagans in Armenia still cellebrate this feast.

Anahit

Anahit was the god of fertility and birth. It´s not clear yet if she was the wife or the daughter of Aramazd. Navasard, still celebrated in August, is the feast dedicated to Anahit. Identified with Aphrodite.

Mihr

The God of light and Sun. The pagan temple of Garni was built to worship him.

Vahagn

God of thuder and lightning. He was a God of war aswell. Identified with Heracles.

Astghik

God of love, beauty and water. Lover of Vahagn. Her feast, Vartavar, is still celebrated with water fights. It´s said that the day of this feast is the hottest day of the year in Armenia.

Pagan slavic gods in Ucrainian territory

The Ukranian group presented us some slavic gods who were worshipped in Ucrainian territory during the pagan times.


The origin of the word "pagan" is still not clear. Most likely, this word is associated with the word "tongue" or "language", hence its value -the tribe, the people who speak the same language. From etymological dictionary of the Ukrainian language, the word "pagan" is "a tribe of people bound by common custom and origin".

Rod

Creator of the Universe, God of Gods.

Perun

Lightning, thunter, was the god of king´s army. All of the myths of Perun, preserved in Ukraine depict him like a shooter.

Yarilo

God of fertility and fecundity.

Veles

Protector of cattle and poetry.

Svarog

God-smith, taught people marriage, agriculture and gave them the plow.

Hors

God of Sun

Lada

One of the oldest pagan gods, the goddesh of harmony in nature, love in marriage, mother-nurse of Peace.

Mokosh

Probably the mother goddesh, the goddesh of earth, fertility and weaving.

Rozhanitsy

Goddesh of fate.

Stribog

God of wind