Jarilo - Introduction and Sources

Jarilo, also known as Jaril, Jarun, Jure, Jurij, Jaro and Jarovit, is a very important pan-Slavic deity of vegetation, fertility and youth. Jarilo is considered by many to be the Slavic variant of the “Father Harvest” deity in Indo-European religion. In Belarus folklore, Jarilo is depicted as a barefooted young man, whose beauty couldn’t be matched, with a big phallus who is dressed in a white tunic and in a cape of the same colour. He wears a crown of field flowers and is riding a white or a green horse (depends on the region). His head is enriched with golden curls of hair. In one of his hands, Jarilo is carrying wheat, while in the other one he is carrying a human head, whose blood pours down on the fields. He comes to our world in early spring, bringing warmth with him. Throughout centuries, it has been sung about how the Earth gives birth to grass and plants where Jarilo has walked. Because of this, Croats and Slovenes refer to him with the epithet Zeleni, which means the Green One.

Radoslav Katičić, Croatian philologist and pan-Slavist and Vitomir Belaj, Croatian ethnologist, attempted to reconstruct the mythology surrounding Jarilo in the XX century. According to these authors, he was a fairly typical life-death-rebirth deity, believed to be (re)born and killed every year. His mythical life cycle followed the yearly life of various wheat plants, from seeding through vegetation to harvest. 

The path that Jarilo takes is closely related to seasons. In short, the myth talks about Jarilo, the tenth son of Perun, being taken by Veles to underworld and spending winter there. In spring, as a young man, he travels across the rivers and across the plains, all the way to the groves. There he meets Morana, who is his twin sister, and they fall in love. Later during summer Jarilo cheats on her and she, in rage, makes her brothers kill Jarilo, after which she, because of anger and grief, turn into Morana as we know her, a deity of cold and dark times.

“Holy Jurij knocks on the doors silently, one pant green, one pant red. Even though he just returned, already he made everyone happy, birds in the hedges, birds on the trees, yellow flowers which bloom beautifully, all celebrate his return in happiness. It has passed, winter has finally passed, Green Jurij returns to us at last. With him he brought sprouting seeds, arm length long green grass, from the green swamp and the bloody sea, through the rough roads and wide mountains.” -Karel Štrekelj, Slovenian springtime song

The ritual is performed by a number of villagers, one of which, a young man is furnished in green, leafy branches. He is the representation of Green Jurij. Other villagers go with him and sing the ritual songs. They walk across the village and visit every homestead. People who live there come out and give Jurij a certain offering, for which he blesses their land and makes it fertile for this season.

Jarovit can be translated into Furious Lord or Young Lord, but it can also be translated into Furious One or Young One, due to the suffix it (another example being rechit, meaning the one who talks a lot). Unlike other names under which this deity appeared, Jarovit didn’t survive through folklore, but on the other hand, Jarovit is the only variation of Jarilo’s name, which was recorded in the Middle Ages.

Otto of Bamberg, a German bishop that lived in the 12th century, mentioned Jarilo in his chronicle under the name Gerovit and compared him to the Roman God of War, Mars. Shrines dedicated to him were built in the towns of Hobolin (Havelberg) and Wołogoszcz (Wolgast). On the wall of Wołogoszcz temple, there hanged a golden shield, dedicated to Jarovit. It was bigger than regular shields and it was coated in golden tiles. This shield was the most sacred object in this temple and nobody could touch it in time of peace. In time of war, it was taken down and was carried in front of the army, which led to boost of morale. The army of Wołogoszcz believed that they will be victorious because they have the protection of the shield and Jarovit on their side. One day, a German priest took the shield from the temple and because it was the time of peace, and nobody could touch the shield, he managed to escape without resistance. Otto of Bamberg also took notes on what the priests of the temple said. They talked about Jarovit being a fertility God that makes the development of plants and animals possible.

St. George was a Roman soldier of Christian faith who had a Hellenic background. His legend talks about a dragon that lived in a lake near the city of Lide. The Dragon often came out of the lake and feasted upon anyone who has gotten too close. It also had a foul, poisonous breath which made people sick and they often died because of it. At some point townsfolk finally went with their complaints to the city ruler. He told them that in order to get rid of their dragon problem they have to sacrifice a child to the Dragon each day. Finally, one day, time came for the Lord’s daughter to be sacrificed, and when she came to the lake, St. George appeared in front of her and upon spotting the dragon, took his spear and pierced the Dragon’s head. His day was celebrated on the day of his death, on 23rd of April, later due to calendar changes Orthodox Christian Slavs started celebrating him on 6th of May.

The connection between Jarilo and St. George is apparent. Like George, Jarovit of Polabian Slavs was depicted as a spearman. Both Jarilo and George are depicted as young men who ride a horse, both are celebrated in springtime, when the land is the most green and they share very similar names. Worship of St. George is very prominent. We see that Serbs of Vojvodina, who live farming lives, often worship St. George as their family’s patron saint. This is the strongest evidence we have about St. George being connected to the farming cult, just like Jarilo was.

Jarilo has been connected to a celebration that usually goes by the same name. The celebration of Jarilo takes place in spring. In Belarus, it was celebrated on 24th of April and in Banat region of Serbia it takes place on 7th of May. On the other hand, in Russia, it was celebrate in early June and unlike in other parts of Slavdom, here Jarilo is pictured as an old man. Folklore content is the same from Slovenia, to Russia. Jarilo is physically represented by a doll. Young people would go out to the fields and dance around, enjoying their time. At one point, they will make a figure of Jarilo with a big phallus out of straw or clay. The doll would be taken to its resting place in the same manner a deceased would be taken. Jarilo was usually carried by women and girls, with loud tears and cries. The men who followed the ritual commented how the women have the right to mourn him, for he was sweeter than honey. They would burn, bury or drown the doll and continue celebrating.

Dr. Sreten Petrovich, Serbian philosopher and professor of aesthetics, who went through small villages and towns and collected lore, writes in his book Serbian Mythology: Mythology, Magic and Rituals – Researching Svrlyig Region about how people of the Svrlyig region celebrated the day of St. George. It all starts two days prior to George day. 

“Rise young men and women, so we can go out and pick flowers, pick flowers so we can knit wreaths, first wreath for the bread which will feed all, second wreath for the sheep that will first be milked, third wreath for the lamb which will be sacrificed.” - Folk song from Buchum dedicated to this ritual

Women of the village go out to the fields, where they gather tall grass. The gathered grass will be used to knit wreaths. They usually go in a group and bring food with them. On their way back, they would pick up sticks with which they will make the frame for the wreaths. After they return home, they put the bags filled with grass somewhere to stay until dawn. In some villages, half of gathered grass is drowned in water. Next to these bags, they put a strainer which holds a “kravaj” that was baked that day, salt and a boiled egg. The next day, before dawn, the whole village would gather and they will bring musicians with them and together they would all, while singing and playing music, go near a body of water (river, spring, etc…) and there they will knit wreaths. With them, they brought the bags filled with grass, some flowers and plants they will add to the wreaths, sticks and also the kravaj, the egg and the salt. They would also bring food and bottles filled with drinks with them. The bottles will later in the evening be refilled with the water in which the grass has been drowned. During this day women would knit the wreaths, young men would sprinkle them with water and the musicians would play. The atmosphere would be very joyous and lively. During this night, young people would rejoice, for they had been given an opportunity to be more open. Young men would hug and kiss their women, but also the women of other men and young women would be happy about it.

Back at the village, in the evening householders would cut sticks from hazel, wild rose and from oak and with them make some sort of arc. Householder’s wife would in the meantime bake bread. When the arc has been completed, on the other side of him, householder’s wife would place a kettle, on top of which she would place the bread, usually it gets pierced, a napkin, a comb, a pierced stone and a ring. The host would dig a small hole under the kettle and, in it, place the kravaj, salt and egg. Sheep would be gathered and each of them would first have to cross through the arc. After that, they will be brought to the kettle and the host would try to milk them and by doing that, fill up the kettle. The bread and other items would get soaked in milk in the process. After the first sheep was milked, they would put a wreath on her head, after which all other sheep are milked. The kettle would be brought to the housewife, so that she could make cheese out of the milk. Kravaj, salt and egg would be taken and placed in an anthill. In the morning, on George day, they are taken out and the anthill would be filled with lamb feces. Then the host would cut up the ears of his lambs, all in a certain way, so that they can be separated from other host’s lambs. One lamb would be ritually sacrificed and then baked. After the feast, the anthill would be filled with the bones of the sacrificed lamb.