Veles - Introduction and Sources

The Serpent

The myth about Veles being the Serpent comes from the 20th century reconstruction movement taken up by Soviet philologists Vyacheslav Ivanov and Vladimir Toporov. The myth about Veles as the Serpent that fights Perun the Thunderer is based on comparative mythology and Veles was taken up as the Enemy of the Thunderer due to his name being cognate with the names of Velnias (Baltic) and Vala (Vedic), both enemies of the Thunderer. According to the myth, Veles comes out of the underworld in the form of a serpent and heads towards Perun’s realm, by climbing up the World Tree, from which he tries to steal his son, wife or cattle. Perun doesn’t let him go, but attacks him in rage, charging lightning bolts at him. Veles uses his magic to hide. He takes form of people, animals or trees, but he cannot escape Perun’s wrath, in the end Perun smites him. Victory over Veles represents the ending of a cycle, which means that Veles will be reborn and return with the same thing in mind.

Lord of the Underworld

Like other chthonic deities, Veles is often associated with rivers. His places of worship were often located next to them. After the coming of Christianity, people of Czechia started referring to the Devil as Veles. This occurred because Veles was known as having horns. Literary evidence linking him to the Devil started appearing in 14th or 15th century, with the publishing of Tkadleček, a prose work written by an unknown Czech:

“… which devil, or Veles, or dragon sent you against me… Oh let the sins at the Veles go… What Veles is whispering them! …” -Various lines mentioning Veles from Tkadleček

There also exists a Czech story about a man who is disappointed in his wife. He had enough of his evil wife and wishes for her to be turned into a goose and sent over the sea to Veles. This story and the above mentioned place of Veles worship correlate to the common Indo-European myth about the waters being the passage way between the world of the living and the world of the dead.

God of Cattle

Oldest evidence mentioning Veles as the God of Cattle comes from the Russian primary Chronicle:

“Thus the Emperors Leo and Alexander made peace with Oleg, and after agreeing upon the tribute and utually binding themselves by oath, they kissed the cross, and invited Oleg and his men to swear an oath likewise. According to the religion of the Russes, the latter swore by their weapons and by their god Perun, as well as by Volos (Veles), the god of cattle, and thus confirmed the treaty.” -Nestor, The Primary Chronicle

In this text we see just how important Veles was. He was mentioned in an oath giving ceremony, right next to Perun, who at one point became the head of the East Slavic (as well as the South Slavic) pantheon. Serbian folklore refers to Veles as Velesh the feeder. He is the one who feeds the cattle and makes sure that it grows naturally. What does it mean to be the God of the cattle?

Cattle meant riches and who ever had more cattle was richer, hence why Veles is also identified with riches. When Christianity came, part of the Veles cult was incorporated in the new arrived saint known as Blaise (not to be confused with Saint Basilus of Ostrog). Blaise was identified as a protector of cattle. One ritual connected to him is worthy of mention. If a cow or rather a couple would get sick, the owners would put the icon of Saint Blaise in the barn in which the cattle are. It is said that Saint Blaise will take away the sickness which befell the animals. Veles was still recognised as the God of Cattle even as late as the 19th century by Russians. The Millennium of Russia is a bronze monument which was erected in 1862 in Novgorod Kremlin. It celebrates the millennium of Rurik’s arrival to Russia, which marks the beginning of Russian statehood. It is worthy to mention that behind all the beautiful statues included in this monument, there lies a small statue of an idol that has a cow’s head placed on its chest.

The Bear

Veles / Volos’ name comes from the Slavic term hairy or woolly. Veles means the Hairy One. For a deity to be called hairy or woolly would mean that this deity would be associated with animals, especially mammals. While Veles is represented as the God of Cattle and fields (main sources of riches) in the lands where agriculture and cattle breeding are a normal thing, in the lands filled with great forests where life is harsher and where it was only possible to hunt, he was represented by different aspects. Based on Ivanov’s and Toporov’s research they gathered about the life of Northern Russia, Veles was not only represented as a bear, but also as the protector of the forest. Even if the conditions are very different, we see that Veles still remains the God of Riches, due to him representing the bear, who is the most prized animal in the forest. Veles was also associated with the hunt.

The time of the hunt was in part governed by the Pleiades, who the Slavic hunters referred to as Veles’ stars (Russian: Volosynia, Serbian: Vlašići). The shine of the constellation would mean that a great hunt is aproaching. When the hunt was successful, the hunters did not bring the bear’s skin through the door, but rather through a window, which was immediately closed. This was done in order to confuse the bear’s spirit, which would only enter a house through the same opening as the skin. It could not enter through a closed window, but it could enter through the occasionally opened door and then wreak havoc on the hunter and his family. What can be seen from this tradition is that Northern Russians firmly believed that, just like humans, bear had a soul, which made it stand above other animals. Possible connection between bears and Veles in South Slavic lands has been presented in my article on Perun.

Magic and Music

It is worthy to mention Veles’ connection to magic and music. Tales of Igor’s Campaign mention Veles as the grandfather of a very famous musician. From other similar mentions, we can conclude that saying that a person originates from a deity means that that persons vocation is connected, or rather derived from the mentioned deity, which would make Veles god of music. In Croatia, during a wedding ceremony, the musicians will not start playing until somebody spills their drink, clearly referring to a tradition where they wouldn't play unless an offering was given to their patron deity. Earliest written source about Veles being connected to magic comes from the Primary Chronicle:

“But if we fail in the observance of any of the aforesaid stipulations, either I or my companions, or my subjects, may we be accursed of the god in whom we believe, namely, of Perun and Volos, the god of flocks, and we become yellow as gold, and be slain with our own weapons. Regard as truth what we have now covenanted with you, even as it is inscribed upon this parchment and sealed with our seals.” -Nestor, The Primary Chronicle

To become yellow as gold referred to a sickness that would make your skin turn yellow. This disease was deadly at that time. Being able to influence ones health like that made academics believe that Veles was also the deity connected with magic. This belief was later incorporated in the Divine battle myth in which Veles uses magic to transform into various creatures.