Design Semantics Database CITY of 8

arrogant

sea

ANTONYM

COMPARE

MOVING AXIS

BUILDING BLOCK

QUOTES

Fate and supernatural healing power, a semantic construction

The South Slavic Vily, the Mother Goddess, usually appearing in triplicate, unites several concepts that are given a clear place in the Semantic Colour Space and are represented by a shift in colour combinations. Vily is both the deliverer of abundance (green-4), depicted with a filled horn (white-4), determiner of fate (white-on-green), she does charity (white-on-green), and in addition does she possess supernatural healing powers (white-on-blue). (Vyncke, 1969)

The movement here is then from green-4 to blue. Keywords under this sign includes: womb, fortune.

_{Relief on a brick of the parish church in Altenkirchen, depicting Svantovit with his emblems, the horn and the moustache (a sign of warriors). Source: https://viaelectri.com/tpost/uo06lny2m1-pilgrimage-to-arkona}

Later on, the horn attribute is taken over by male gods, who combine fertility, abundance, and male potent power in one deity. A good example is the Slavic god Sventovit, who was not only a warrior god but also a famous oracle, who determined the fate of the clan’s endeavours. (Vyncke, 1969)

(I. Michiels, red.)

Square shaped temple of Svetovit

_{Reconstruction drawing of the Jaromarsburg on the island of Rügen, Germany – a medieval West Slavic temple (https://i.imgur.com/zMtp6XA.jpg)}

_{Viergesichtige neuzeitliche Statue des Svantevit auf der Burgwallinsel im Teterower See (Landkreis Rostock, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern). Plastik von Ralph Wedhorn (commons.wikimedia.org)}

The striking cubic shape of the temple at Arkona is also found among the Celts. According to C. Schuchardt, the Slavs would have adopted this type of building from the Celts, while its radiation centre could be found in Byzantium and Armenia. The Temples of Garz were of the same square type. The outer walls of the temple of Arkona were made of carved and polychrome wood, on which rested a red roof.

Inside, curtains were stretched around four pillars, creating an enclosed space for the statue of Svetovit, the Slavic supreme god. (Vynke, 1969). He had four heads, facing the four corners of the globe, thus representing his all-encompassing and central power. This cubic temple had an oracle that predicted the future using a white horse and a dice. In the temple was the treasury of the tribe. Helmold situates this supreme god in heaven, but there is no evidence for this. On the contrary, the clear line that we can draw from nature worship to the temple cult proves that East Slavic religion has always remained bound to the earthly, material things (Vyncke, 1969).