On Returning to the Old Gods
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Written from the perspective of a Slavic woman returning to the old gods and ancestral ways. Unromantic paganism. Tradition over trend.
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Channel Posts
I'm one of those people who believe that words are some of the last forms of magic that exist.
Our ancestors attributed far more power to words than we often do today. They believed that a spoken word was not merely a sound, but could carry an intention, a wish, a blessing, or a curse. Because of this, people were careful about what they said, especially in moments of anger, grief, or strong emotion.
It is fascinating how traces of this way of thinking have survived in everyday speech. When someone angrily says Bog te ubio, meaning May God kill you, they may immediately add da te ne ubio, meaning may He not kill you. It is almost as though the curse has to be taken back and cancelled as soon as it has been spoken. This is more than simply an expression of anger. It reflects an older belief that words could have consequences, and that it mattered what a person wished for or spoke aloud.
In folk tradition, a curse was not necessarily seen as an empty sentence spoken in a moment of rage. It was believed that a spoken word could take hold, especially when it came from someone with a reason to utter it and when it was spoken with genuine intention.
That is why I find the old warning to be careful what you wish for and what you say so interesting. Even when something is said as a joke or in the heat of the moment, the words have still been spoken. Perhaps not everyone today believes that words possess supernatural power, but the idea that words carry weight is clearly deeply rooted in our folklore.
@OnReturningtotheOldGods
| 2 | I'm one of those people who believe that words are some of the last forms of magic that exist.
Our ancestors attributed far more power to words than we often do today. They believed that a spoken word was not merely a sound, but could carry an intention, a wish, a blessing, or a curse. Because of this, people were careful about what they said, especially in moments of anger, grief, or strong emotion.
It is fascinating how traces of this way of thinking have survived in everyday speech. When someone angrily says May God kill you, they may immediately add may He not kill you. It is almost as though the curse has to be taken back and cancelled as soon as it has been spoken. This is more than simply an expression of anger. It reflects an older belief that words could have consequences, and that it mattered what a person wished for or spoke aloud.
In folk tradition, a curse was not necessarily seen as an empty sentence spoken in a moment of rage. It was believed that a spoken word could take hold, especially when it came from someone with a reason to utter it and when it was spoken with genuine intention.
That is why I find the old warning to be careful what you wish for and what you say so interesting. Even when something is said as a joke or in the heat of the moment, the words have still been spoken. Perhaps not everyone today believes that words possess supernatural power, but the idea that words carry weight is clearly deeply rooted in our folklore.
@OnReturningtotheOldGods | 1 |
| 3 |  Did you know that Njegoš planned to mint a coin in 1851 called PERUN?
The Golden Perun was intended to be the first Montenegrin currency, but due to Njegoš’s death that same year, the project was never fully completed. A wax impression of the proposed coin has survived, bearing the inscriptions GOLDEN PERUN and MONTENEGRO 1851.
The design is especially interesting because it features a snake biting its own tail, the ouroboros, an ancient symbol of eternity, endless cycles, and renewal.
@OnReturningtotheOldGods | 146 |
| 4 | I really like this topic, and this is just my personal opinion on it.
I don’t think Gods infinitely divide every time a group of people moves somewhere else and develops a different culture. It makes much more sense to me that the same God can have different names, stories, characteristics, and ways of being worshipped across different cultures while still being the same God.
But of course, not all Gods are the same just because they have similar functions. Perun and Thor, for example, are both associated with thunder and storms, but that alone doesn’t mean they are the same deity. Similarity isn’t enough to identify them as the same.
But if someone were to argue that Perun and Thor are actually the same God, understood by different peoples through their own cultural lenses, then we come back to that question: what makes the identity of a God stable enough for us to still consider it the same deity despite all those changes?
@OnReturningtotheOldGods | 159 |
| 5 | Are the Gods infinitely divisible?
If the answer is "no" the obvious conclusion is that the Gods don't just become something different or split into totally separate Gods when a group moves to a new place and their culture changes.
If "yes" then there would have to be a complex splitting as well as points of convergence.
And the true answer to this question is what determines whether or not any of the Gods of different people groups can be the same God understood through a different cultural lense.
@Folk_Spirit | 110 |
| 6 |  Raskovnik, the plant that opens every lock
I have to admit that I have somewhat unfairly neglected Raskovnik. I have wanted to dedicate a post to it for some time, because it is one of those plants from our folklore surrounded by so many interesting stories that it deserves to be talked about.
What is Raskovnik?
In Serbian folk belief, Raskovnik is a magical herb believed to open any latch, lock, or padlock. Its name is very evocative. Raskovnik means the one who breaks open, unties, or opens. Because of this, the plant also gained a symbolic meaning. It represents removing obstacles, gaining freedom, and finding a way where there seems to be none.
Raskovnik and buried treasure
Its power was especially associated with buried treasure. People believed that money hidden in the ground, particularly large amounts of it, could be sealed so that it could not be opened or taken without Raskovnik. Because of this, the plant became closely connected with stories about hidden wealth.
The search for Raskovnik
In Zemun, there is a story about a merchant who wanted to find the plant. According to a story recorded by Vuk, he put an old woman in leg irons and sent her out into a meadow at night. It was believed that wherever the leg irons opened by themselves, Raskovnik would be found.
Another legend tells of the treasure of the mythical Emperor Radovan. His treasure is said to be hidden inside a building whose doors are secured with locks and padlocks. Only Raskovnik can open them, but the plant cannot be found.
The hedgehog who knows Raskovnik
According to folk belief, the hedgehog knows the secret of Raskovnik. In some versions, the turtle has this role instead. The story says that baby hedgehogs should be placed inside a chest. The hedgehog will then find Raskovnik, use it to open the chest, and free its young.
But there is a catch. After opening the chest, the hedgehog swallows the plant, making it impossible for the person to take it.
Raskovnik in folklore
Raskovnik was discussed by Š. Kulišić, P. Ž. Petrović, and N. Pantelić in the Mythological Dictionary, where different folk beliefs about the plant were recorded.
Although its name and magical purpose are well known, its actual appearance remains uncertain. This is one of the reasons Raskovnik has remained such a mysterious figure in Serbian folklore.
Where is Raskovnik found?
Today, Rtanj is often mentioned as one of the places where Raskovnik grows. The Homolje region and other mountains of eastern Serbia are also associated with the plant and with stories about searching for it.
@OnReturningtotheOldGods | 187 |
| 7 |  Vampires in the 14th Century
Did you know that traces of beliefs we associate with vampires today can be found even in the Dušan’s Code, one of the most important legal monuments of medieval Serbia?
Article 20 of Dušan’s Code speaks of people who, through “witchcraft,” dug up the dead from their graves and burned their bodies. A village that participated in such practices could be fined, while a priest who took part could lose his priesthood.
What is particularly noteworthy is the fact that such a practice was included in the code of Emperor Dušan, in the 14th century. Beliefs concerning the dead, graves, and the possibility of the deceased somehow returning among the living were evidently part of the folk beliefs of that time.
Also, one more fact: Dušan’s Code is more than a century older than the historical Vlad III Dracula, who lived in the 15th century.
Traces of beliefs that we associate with vampires today can be found in Serbian historical sources even before the time of Vlad Dracula.
@OnReturningtotheOldGods | 160 |
| 8 |  @OnReturningtotheOldGods | 202 |
| 9 |  Preobraženje and Old Beliefs
Today is the feast of Preobraženje, making it another perfect example of how old beliefs have continued to survive, even within Christian holidays.
In folk tradition, Preobraženje was not seen solely as a Christian event, but also as an important turning point in nature.
Tying a Thread and Making a Wish
In some regions, women had a custom of tying a red or white thread around their wrist on the eve of Preobraženje and making a wish. It was believed that the wish would come true if the thread remained unbroken throughout the day.
This custom belongs to folk traditions and beliefs that were passed down from generation to generation. I have already written about the red thread before, precisely because it appears in different customs and forms throughout folk belief. It is yet another small trace of older beliefs that continued to live on after the arrival of Christianity.
The Last Day for Swimming in Rivers
Preobraženje was also associated with the changing of the seasons. According to folk belief, the great summer heat generally begins to fade after this holiday, and the water becomes colder.
In folk tradition, Preobraženje was seen as a transition from the summer period into the winter period. The air and water become colder, the leaves begin to turn yellow, and everything that had flourished until then slowly begins to wither.
Around the time of Preobraženje, the unbearable heat begins to pass and the weather becomes colder, especially at night.
Because of this change in nature, a Serbian folk saying emerged:
Preobraženje je, preobražava se i gora i voda.
The Transfiguration comes, and both the forests and the waters are transformed.
These customs show how Christian holidays became intertwined, through folk tradition, with much older ideas about nature, its changes and cycles, as well as traces of the old faith that continued to exist within everyday customs.
A Christian holiday, yet within it we can still recognize parts of a much older relationship between people, nature, its cycles, and the unseen world.
@OnReturningtotheOldGods | 338 |
| 10 |  Baba Anujka: The Banat Healer Who Became a Poisoner
In the village of Vladimirovac in Banat, during the late 19th and early 20th century, lived a woman named Ana Dee, better known as Baba Anujka. Today, she is remembered as a Banat fortune teller and poisoner, and some authors refer to her as the first serial killer in Serbia.
Who was Baba Anujka?
Ana Draksin came from a family of Romanian origin. She was baptized on April 30, 1844, in Vladimirovac. She married Jozef Dee and had three children with him.
She lived in the multicultural region of Banat, where different languages, customs, and folk beliefs came together. She practiced fortune telling and folk medicine and eventually gained a reputation as a woman people turned to when ordinary help was not enough.
Her knowledge of plants and preparations
At that time, folk medicine was an important part of everyday life. People often relied on women who knew how to use plants and various natural ingredients to make teas, ointments, and other preparations.
Baba Anujka was also known for preparing different remedies. Her knowledge of substances and their effects contributed to her reputation as a fortune teller.
Over time, this knowledge became connected to a much darker side of her activities. According to the research of Šimon Đarmati, Anujka knew how to prepare a solution made from fly agaric poison, with the amount supposedly determined according to the body weight of the person it was intended for.
Who came to her?
People came to Baba Anujka with different problems. Some wanted a particular person to become ill or “go mad”, while others wanted to get rid of someone from their lives.
She was also assisted by Ljubina Milankov, who acted as her helper and intermediary.
Among her clients were people who had serious problems in their marriages and families. In some cases, women sought help because of husbands who were violent or struggled with alcohol.
The trial
Baba Anujka was arrested in 1928, and in 1929 she was sentenced to 15 years in prison for her involvement in the poisoning of Nikola Momirov from Ilandža.
During the trial, she claimed that she was a trader and that she did not know what her customers intended to do with the preparations they bought from her. The court nevertheless found her guilty.
How many people died?
The exact number was never established.
Later research has suggested estimates ranging from at least 50 to around 100 victims, but not all of these cases were historically or legally confirmed. Because of this, it is difficult to separate what was actually proven from the stories that became associated with her name over time.
The end of her life
She served her sentence in Požarevac and was released in 1936 because of her advanced age. She died on September 1, 1938, in Vladimirovac.
Baba Anujka remains one of the best known fortune tellers and poisoners in the history of Banat. Her story continues to exist somewhere between history, folk beliefs, and legend.
Although she is remembered today as the “Banat witch”, behind that name was a real woman whose life left a dark mark on the history of the region.
@OnReturningtotheOldGods | 255 |
| 11 |  @OnReturningtotheOldGods | 199 |
| 12 |  Today is International Cat Day, so here is an interesting folk belief about cats.
It was believed that cats could sense things that humans could not see and that their presence could cleanse a space of negative energy. Because of this, in some folk beliefs, a cat would be allowed to enter a new house or space before the people moved in.
It was believed that the cat would absorb or drive away anything bad, restless, or impure, preparing the space for its new inhabitants. People would also carefully observe the cat’s behavior, believing that it could sense whether a place was peaceful or whether there was something there that did not belong.
For this reason, the cat was not seen merely as a useful domestic animal, but also as a kind of guardian of the home.
@OnReturningtotheOldGods | 312 |
| 13 |  How Nosferatu Changed
the Myth of the Vampire
Today, it is almost impossible to imagine a vampire without one defining rule: sunlight kills them. As soon as dawn arrives, the vampire retreats into darkness, and if the first rays of sunlight catch them off guard, they turn to ash or disappear into smoke. We are so used to this idea that it feels as though it has always been part of vampire mythology. However, when we look at older folklore and classical literature, we find something quite different. Sunlight was not originally the vampire’s greatest enemy.
The Vampire of Folklore
In older Balkan and Slavic traditions, the vampire was not an elegant aristocrat living in a dark castle, but primarily a dead person who returned among the living. Night was associated with their activity, but the arrival of dawn did not mean their death. In some traditions, a vampire could move among people, visit their family, return to their former wife, or even travel to another village. The boundary between the world of the living and the dead was much less defined than we imagine today.
If a vampire needed to be destroyed, much more specific methods were used, such as a wooden stake, fire, decapitation, or certain rituals. Sunlight was not a weapon against them. It could mark the arrival of day and the end of their nighttime activity, but it was not deadly.
Literary Vampires Did Not Burn in Sunlight Either
When the vampire moved from folklore into literature, its image began to change, but the rule about sunlight still did not exist. John Polidori’s vampire from 1819 could move among human society, while Sheridan Le Fanu’s Carmilla from 1872 was also far removed from the image of a creature that would turn to ash at the first ray of sunlight.
Even the most famous literary vampire did not have this weakness. In Bram Stoker’s Dracula, published in 1897, the Count can move around in daylight. Sunlight limits some of his supernatural abilities and makes him weaker, but it does not burn or kill him.
By the end of the nineteenth century, the vampire was already firmly associated with the night, but it still was not bound by the rule that it had to die with the rising sun.
1922: The Year Everything Changed
Then came Nosferatu.
In 1922, German director F. W. Murnau made Nosferatu: Eine Symphonie des Grauens, an unauthorized film adaptation of Stoker’s Dracula. Dracula became Count Orlok, and the story received one of the most famous endings in horror history.
Orlok remains with his victim until morning. When the first rays of sunlight reach him, the vampire disappears into smoke.
Sunlight became deadly
The idea was simple, dramatic, and visually striking. It quickly began influencing future portrayals of vampires. What was originally a cinematic choice for a powerful ending gradually became one of the defining rules of the entire genre.
@OnReturningtotheOldGods | 418 |
| 14 |  Today marks 6 years since I started my journey in Paganism, on August 6th, 2020.
I can’t believe how much time has passed. In these six years, I have changed a lot. I have questioned my beliefs many times, changed some of my views, strengthened my faith, and learned to see many things differently than I did at the beginning.
I still feel like I have so much more to learn, and that is what I love the most about this path. This journey never truly ends. There is always something new to discover, understand, and experience.
@OnReturningtotheOldGods | 189 |
| 15 |  Lada: Goddess of Love or a Misinterpreted Tradition?
The Problem of Historical Sources and Interpretations
The name Lada is today one of the most well known names associated with Slavic mythology, especially as a supposed goddess of love and marriage. However, when historical sources are examined, the picture becomes much more complex.
References to Lada appear only in later written sources and often differ from one another. Polish chroniclers from the 15th and 16th centuries connected this name with the Roman Mars or the Greek Leda, while Russian chroniclers from the 17th century described Lada as a god of joy and marriage and identified it with Bacchus. In the South Slavic region, the Croatian writer Josip Bedeković in 1752 added a verse to a folk song in which Lado was called a god. However, the sources themselves do not provide a clear answer about the gender of this figure or its exact attributes.
The Romantic Creation of the Goddess Lada
The image of Lada as a goddess known today mostly developed during the Romantic period. In the desire to give Slavic mythology counterparts to ancient deities, Lada was given a female form and became associated with love, marriage and beauty, similar to Aphrodite, Venus or Freyja. Because of the mistaken connection with the Greek Leda, Lada was often portrayed with a swan in art.
Folk Customs, Rituals and the Refrain Lado
However, behind the name Lada there may be something much older: folk customs and language. The refrain lado or lada was repeated in seasonal and wedding songs, especially at the beginning of summer around the summer solstice. Among the South Slavs, these songs were part of the female rituals known as kraljice, and because of the refrain they were also called ladovnice or ladarice. A similar motif appears in wedding customs: in Bulgaria, the maiden ritual of predicting marriage is called laduvane, while in Russia these songs are known as podblyudnie. On the border between Serbia and Bulgaria, the bride or the entire ritual procession that went to a spring to collect water for wedding bread was called Lada.
The Meaning of the Word Lada and the Final Interpretation
The meaning of the word itself also changes the way this name is understood. In Old Russian, as well as in other Slavic languages, lada refers to a beloved person or spouse. This is also shown by words such as ladovati, meaning to celebrate a wedding, and ladkanje, connected with wedding singing.
Lada may not have been a clearly confirmed Slavic goddess of love in the way she is known today, but the name and the customs connected with it probably preserve a very old Slavic layer related to love, marriage, fertility and ritual celebration.
@OnReturningtotheOldGods | 237 |
| 16 |  Happy Lughnasadh to all my followers who celebrate it today 🌾
Today marks the ancient Celtic festival dedicated to the god Lugh and the time of the first harvest. It is a day of gratitude for the fruits of the earth, our efforts, and everything we have managed to achieve.
@OnReturningtotheOldGods | 282 |
| 17 | I shared this video a long time ago, when this channel had far fewer followers, so I wanted to recommend it again to those who may have missed it.
Really good video. The topic is very important, and I’m glad it was covered in such a clear and straightforward way. I think this is one of those topics where having a wider context and a deeper understanding is very important. | 173 |
| 18 |  Protection Against the Evil Eye: Amulets and Talismans
Part 2/2
Because of the fear of the evil eye, people throughout history used various protective objects. Among them were amulets, written charms, and talismans that were worn on the body, especially by children.
Amulets in Folk Tradition
Image 1. Child’s necklace
Interesting objects, talismans, and amulets can be seen in the Ethnographic Museum as part of the Timor mortis collection. Author Saša Srećković included objects from Serbian, Mexican, and Vlach traditions, which are part of the rich collection of the Ethnographic Museum.
Among many original and mystical objects are richly decorated amulets on silver chains that were worn by children as protection against the evil eye. The collection also contains many motifs recorded at the beginning of the 20th century by Sima Trojanović, the first formally educated ethnologist and anthropologist in Serbia.
These objects show how important the belief in protection from the evil eye was in everyday life. Amulets were not only decorative objects, but also symbols of safety and protection from invisible dangers.
Written Charms and Protective Talismans
Image 2 and Image 3
The images show amulets intended as protection against the evil eye. These objects were made to be worn close to the body, attached with a cord or clasp, around the waist or under the arm.
Inside them was placed a written charm against the evil eye, which according to belief was written by dervishes and hodjas. The charm was then wrapped in waxed cloth or oiled paper so it could be preserved and carried as a protective talisman.
These amulets represent a combination of folk beliefs, religious influences, and traditional methods of protection passed down through generations.
Preservation of Ancient Beliefs
Beliefs in the evil eye and curses were once much more widespread than they are today. However, traces of these ideas have been preserved through customs, stories, and objects that remain part of folk tradition.
Such beliefs were recorded by many ethnologists, including Tihomir Đorđević, whose works preserved many records about the customs and beliefs of the Serbian people.
@OnReturningtotheOldGods | 269 |
| 19 |  The Love Potion (1903) delo je britanske slikarke Evelyn De Morgan.
Na prvi pogled slika može ostaviti utisak da žena priprema ljubavni napitak namenjen paru koji se vidi u pozadini. Međutim, brojni detalji ukazuju na složenije tumačenje.
Na polici se nalaze knjige sa imenima Paracelzusa, Agripe i Jambliha, istorijskih ličnosti poznatih po doprinosu medicini, alhemiji, filozofiji i religijskoj misli. Njihovo prisustvo povezuje glavnu figuru sa učenjem i proučavanjem, a ne isključivo sa narodnim predstavama o veštičarenju.
Zlatna odora takođe može imati simboličnu ulogu. U alhemijskoj tradiciji zlato predstavlja završetak procesa i dostizanje mudrosti i savršenstva. Prethodne faze alhemijskog dela povezivane su sa crnom kao početkom, belom kao pročišćenjem i crvenom kao transformacijom.
Crni mačak ne posmatra ženu, već gleda pravo ka posmatraču. Istovremeno, zeleno staklo iznad nje odražava boju i oblik njegovih očiju, stvarajući osećaj da se pažnja ne usmerava samo na ženu već i na onoga ko posmatra sliku.
Kombinovanjem tradicionalnih motiva povezanih sa veštičarenjem i elemenata učenosti, Evelyn De Morgan ostavlja prostor za različita tumačenja. Par u pozadini možda nije predmet napada, već simbol sjedinjenja koje je u alhemijskoj tradiciji predstavljalo harmoniju i jedinstvo suprotnosti. | 1 |
| 20 |  @OnReturningtotheOldGods | 179 |
