Veles

**Veles**, also known as **Weles** or **Volos**, is the Slavic god of the earth, waters, livestock, and the underworld.

## Overview

Veles was an important god for the Slavic people, who was associated with domestic well-being and was seen as the god of ***skot***, a term that is referred home, prosperity, and wealth. Being the god of protector and patron herd animals, farmers, trade and merchants.

Another role Veles had connected to death, the underworld, and the souls or spirits of the dead. The god was seen as a potential psychopomp, who connected the world of the living and the world of the dead. Besides the underworld, he also had connections to water.

Veles was a god associated with the arts and intellect, notably poetry. He was also a in a rivalry with Perun, the god of thunder, war and agriculture.

## Mythology

### Veles' clash with Perun

Veles resides in the Slavic the watery underworld, Nav, which is located at the roots of the Slavic world tree (similar to the Norse Yggdrasil), where often appears in the form of a dragon, snake, bear or wolf. He is opposed by Perun, the god of lighting and thunder, who resided on the top of the world tree in the form of an eagle or hawk.

Veles would overreach his natural position and either steal something important to Perun (like wife, children or cattle) or hold back the underground waters which were vital for human agriculture, which would always lead to a clash between the two deities. Veles would try to hide from Perun (ether under a tree or rock), but the storm god would always find the dragon and fight him. During this battle chaos and drought would enter the world, and the social structure among the humans is broken. Perun would eventually defeat Veles by striking him down with lighting, bringing peace and order back into the world.

## Similarities

The god has been compared to several other deities, such Velnias, the Lithuanian god of the underworld and creator of wild animals, such as reptiles, ravens, crows and wolves, Odin, the Norse god of wisdom, trickery and ravens, as well as Hermes, the Greek god of boundaries, roads and travelers, thieves, athletes, shepherds, commerce, speed, cunning, wit and sleep. The god was also connected with Vedic figures, such as the god Varuna and the demon Vritra.

His rivalry with Perun, the god of thunder, war and agriculture, can also be compared to that of others cultures, such as Perkūnas' struggle with Velnias in Lithuanian mythology or Thor's many struggle with Loki.

## References

1. ↑ Dragnea, Mihai. *Slavic and Greek-Roman Mythology, Comparative Mythology*
2. ↑ Dragnea, Mihai. *Slavic and Greek-Roman Mythology, Comparative Mythology*
3. ↑ Dragnea, Mihai. *Slavic and Greek-Roman Mythology, Comparative Mythology*
4. ↑ Borenović, Mirjana. *René Girard’s Scapegoating and Stereotypes of Persecution in the Divine Battle between Veles and Perun*
5. ↑ Borenović, Mirjana. *René Girard’s Scapegoating and Stereotypes of Persecution in the Divine Battle between Veles and Perun*
6. ↑ Dragnea, Mihai. *Slavic and Greek-Roman Mythology, Comparative Mythology*
7. ↑ Petrosyan, Armen. *Indo-European \*wel- in Armenian Mythology*
8. ↑ Dragnea, Mihai. *Slavic and Greek-Roman Mythology, Comparative Mythology*