The East Slavs

The origin of the Slavs is a complicated problem. Scholars from modern Slavic states tend to place their ancestors’ motherland on the territory of their nations respectively (Russia, Belarus, Slovakia, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, etc) Most Ukrainian scholars place the motherland of ancient Slavs between the Order River (Poland) and Dnieper River (Ukraine). They suppose that the Slavs originated in the area in the first half of the 1^st millennium AD, and then from about AD 500 began to expand in all directions. The Slavs can be divided into three major groups: the Eastern Slavs (Russians, Belarusians, Ukrainians); the Western Slavs (Czechs, Poles, Slovaks); the Southern Slavs (Bulgarians, Croats, Macedonians, Serbs, Slovenes, Montenegrins).

As early as the 2nd century AD Roman historians wrote about Slavic tribal unions – Venedians, Sklavines, and Antes. The first two lived in the area located west of present-day Ukraine. The Antes occupied the lands of present-day Dnieper Ukraine. The famous Ukrainian historian M. Hrushevskyi considered the Antes to be proto-Ukrainians.[11] In the 3d century the Antes in union with the Goths often attacked eastern borders of the Roman Empire (the Danube area). Then in the 4^th century the Antes joined the Huns in their attacks on Goths. In 602 the Antes were defeated by the Avars and disappeared from ancient texts.

According to Byzantine chronicles the Slavs were handsome people. They were tall and had blond hair and blue eyes. With time, however, due to numerous nomadic invasions the Slavs’ appearance changed. They are still handsome but the percentage of the blond people among the Slavs is not as high as it was long time ago.

The East Slavs consisted of about fourteen large tribal unions that inhabited Ukraine, Russia, and Belarus. Ukrainian lands were inhabited by 8 tribal unions: Polianians, Drevlianians, Ulichians, Volhynians, Siverianians, Tivercians, Dulibians, and White Croatians. Of these, the most prominent were the Polianianswho lived in central Ukraine, on the banks of the Dnieper. Their administrative centre was Kyiv.[12]

According to ancient foreign chronicles, the East Slavs were known to be tough, stubborn fighters who could endure extremes of cold and heat and survive with a minimum of provisions. The Slavs were not nomads; the basis of their economy was farming.

Eastern Slavs’ religion was pagan polytheism, a belief in existence of many gods, in contrast to monotheism, a belief in the existence of a single god. The most revered deity was Perun, the god of thunder, lightning, and war. Animals as well as humans were sacrificed to get Perun’s favor. The symbol of Perun was oak. Other important gods were Dazhdboh (god of the Sun), Stryboh (god of wind), Veles (god of cattle and wealth), Moksha (goddess of fertile land), etc. With the aim of worshiping their gods Slavs made idols from stone or wood. They prayed and made sacrifices in front of those idols. Ancient Slavs burnt their dead relatives. In such a way they tried to clean the deceased from evils and open for them the way to a kingdom of light and eternal peace.

Дата добавления: 2015-07-11