Makosh is the Slavic goddess of universal fate. Makosh, the oldest goddess of the Slavs

The Slavic goddess Makosh (Mokosh, arbiter of fate, supreme spinner, Makosha) patronizes women's magic (witchcraft), needlework, sacred wells are in her sphere of influence. She respects hard work with perseverance, she sends Srecha (luck) to such people.

Goddess of fate - Makosh

The main patroness of fate has 2 assistants (Share with Nedolya). If Dolya is shaking the ball, a person’s life is smooth and successful, but if Nedolya gets down to business, even the simplest achievements are difficult.

Place in the pantheon

The goddess Makosh was held in high esteem by the ancient Slavs. Idols of Makosh were present in all pantheons. Near the chura there was always a well, into which the victims intended for the patroness of fate were thrown. Also, her image was present on all springs and wells.

Makosh personifies the feminine principle.

The idol was carved from a birch tree, usually aspen. The head was always decorated with a kikoy (headdress), and in Mokoshi’s hands a fertility horn, a spinning wheel or ears of corn were depicted. The idol Makosh is the only female idol located in the Slavic pantheons along with other revered gods.

According to Slavic mythology, she was considered the goddess of fate, women's handicrafts, magic and fertility. According to some myths, she had no relatives among the gods. According to other legends, she was the wife of Veles (they had 2 daughters: Dolya and Nedolya). There are legends where the great goddess is the wife of Svarog.

The lower hypostasis is Baba Yaga (guardian of the Navi world and magic).

Bloody sacrifices were not made to the mothers of the gods. When contacting the goddess, they presented items of their own handicraft (balls, spinning wheels, clothes and linens with embroidery), and silver coins.

Attributes

The Slavic goddess Makosh is an image of femininity, motherhood, and patience. Patroness female happiness. Each attribute of the goddess has its own sacred meaning and can be used as a talisman.

• Plant: flax;
• animals: cow(moose), cat;
• items: spindle, tow;
• metal: silver;
• day of the week: Friday;
• rune: "There is"
• stone: moonstone and rock crystal.

Cross stitch pattern for the Makosh amulet

The image of the Slavic goddess is an image beautiful woman aged. She was not depicted as young (like Lada), but she was not in the form of an old woman (like Mara), which corresponds to the image of her mother.

Symbol

The sign of the goddess Makosh is an anti-salt. It refers to the solar sign meaning continuous movement. Curved 4 rays personify destiny, which does not stand still, but changes under the influence of circumstances and moves only forward. The Slavic goddess Mokosh is subject to life in all its manifestations: past, present and future.

All destinies are intertwined with others and at a certain period of time can have a different vector. The power of the goddess is aimed at maintaining harmony, balance and femininity.

The symbol symbolizes the infinity of the movement of life and the various intertwining of destinies different people into one canvas.

The Makosh symbol cannot be used as amulets for warriors. She is a concentration of creative energy. Has nothing to do with military affairs.

Each ray of the symbol has its own meaning: body, soul, spirit, conscience. Harmony of internal and outside world gives a feeling of happiness and well-being.

Another symbol of the pagan goddess is the field sign, consisting of 4 squares.

IN Slavic culture Fertility and the birth of a large number of children were revered.

Amulet

A talisman with the Makosh symbol has the following powers:

• helps you decide your destiny and not give up when faced with problems;
• protects against failure and disaster, provided that the person is hardworking and does not lose heart;
• helps develop intuition and magical abilities (if any).

The amulet reminds you not to give up. Just as the threads of fate can change direction and intertwine in the most unpredictable ways, so a person must look for a way out of any situation.

The Slavic goddess of fate perceives life as a whole, taking into account the past, present and future. Each person will face a test in the form of dark stripes and a reward in the form of light stripes. Every action has its reflection on the canvas of fate. If a person has committed evil, there is a high probability that it will return to him in the future.

Talisman embroidery

Makosh protective embroidery is performed on paintings, clothes or handbrake. It should be performed on the waxing moon and on the full moon. Such a talisman attracts wealth and good luck to the home.

Important. You should create a talisman in good mood. Embroidery created in despondency and discontent will have no power.

The goddess herself should be embroidered; the sign of a field (or a sown field) is depicted instead of the face or above the head. The spindle is a mandatory attribute of embroidery. It is advisable to depict ears of corn - a symbol of fertility.

Amulet color:

• background - white with a green frame or green;
• the image of Makosh and her attributes is in red;
• flowers can be embroidered in blue.

After making the amulet, you can sprinkle it with water from a well or spring, which will increase the power of the talisman. If it is a painting, it is hung in a prominent place. Clothes with Mokosh embroidery have protective powers.

Who is the amulet suitable for?

The Makosh amulet was originally intended for women. She patronizes femininity, motherhood and magic.

For children, the amulet provides protection from negative energy and strengthens the connection with the family.

However, it may be suitable for a man to acquire inner peace, balance, or to develop the skills of an intuitive sense, to master magical rituals.

If a person gives up, the mother of cheese earth becomes despondent and can send a dashing one-eyed person or failure.

Amulet doll – Makosh. A required attribute is a tangle of fate.

To protect your home, you can use a talisman in the form of a Makosh doll. a mandatory attribute of which is a spindle and tow.

Amulet Makosh and Lunnitsa

Makosh is also considered the main amulets for women. Both Slavic symbols help maintain women's health and attractiveness. A pregnant girl can carry and give birth to a healthy baby. These Slavic amulets protect the family hearth and all family members from negative energy. They attract good luck and prosperity to the home.

The combination of these amulets enhances the effect, but does not give a new meaning.

Holidays

Goddess female destiny celebrated every Friday. It was especially revered on Friday during the full moon. IN modern world the tradition has not been preserved. The image of the patroness of needlework was projected onto the Christian Paraskeva Friday.

Mokosh (Makosh) is an East Slavic goddess. Mokosh was the only deity feminine, whose idol was in the Kiev temple before Prince Vladimir adopted Christianity.
V.V. Ivanov and V.N. Toporov, in their joint work “Toward the reconstruction of Mokosh as a female character in the Slavic version of the main myth,” put forward the theory that Mokosh was originally the wife of the thunder god Perun. After Mokosha’s betrayal of her husband with his opponent (Serpent-Veles), Perun deprives the traitorous wife of her divine and marital status, exiles her from heaven to earth, to the underworld, to the chthonic waters. It is no coincidence that Mokosh, partially deprived of divine status, is mentioned last in the list of gods in the Tale of Bygone Years, after the sacred dog Simargl. In the dialects of the Moscow region, the word “mokosya” is known, meaning a woman of easy virtue. This is another evidence in favor of the above theory about Mokosha’s betrayal of Perun. In some sources, Mokosh is called the wife of Veles (Volos), this is explained by the fact that Mokosh, overthrown from the kingdom of Perun (heaven) to the kingdom of Veles (underworld), shared with him part of his functions, being responsible for fertility, water, livestock and trade. If in pagan times the most revered gods among the people were Veles and Mokosh (Perun was not the god of the people, but of the princely squad), then after the adoption of Christianity, the functions of Veles passed to Saint Nicholas, and the functions of Mokosh to Paraskeva Pyatnitsa. Friday was Mokoshi's holy day, because... followed the holy day of her husband Perun - Thursday.

Name "Mokosh" V.V. Ivanov and V.N. Axes are associated with the root “wet”, “get wet”, at the same time noting a possible connection with *mokos, “spinning”. B. Rybakov holds a different opinion on the interpretation of the name of the goddess in the book “Paganism of the Ancient Slavs”, preferring the variant of the name “Makosh” and interpreting it as “mother of a good harvest” / “mother of happiness” (“ma” - mother, “kosh” - lot , fate, as well as a measure for storing grain). Rybakov brings Makosh closer to the Greek moira goddesses, weaving the line of fate.

The motif of spinning passed on to Mokosha’s successor, Paraskeva Pyatnitsa: They sacrificed to Pyatnitsa by throwing yarn into a well (the name of this ritual is “mokrida”). Parakeva forbade spinning on Friday (the holy day of Mokoshi): she walked around pricked with needles and torn by spindles, because wicked women sew and spin on the day dedicated to her. Also on Friday, there was another ban - on sexual intercourse between a woman and her husband (a hint at the separation of Mokosha and Perun).
In the Russian North, there was an idea of ​​​​an unclean spirit named Mokosha, who was represented as a woman with a large head and long arms, secretly shearing sheep, spinning at night in huts (unless a prayer is said over the yarn) and forbidding spinning in holidays.
The most reduced image of Mokoshi is Kikimora (Shishimora). If Mokosh was punished by the fire of the Thunderer and thrown into the water, then Kikimora also lives in a damp place and is afraid of fire. Kikimora also borrowed from Mokoshi the connection with yarn (Kikimora confuses the yarn).

Former member of the Melnitsa group Alevtina Leontyeva recorded the song “Mokosh” in 2008. Later, in a modified form, this song was included in Alevtina’s album “Dance of Transition.” You can listen further original version song "Mokosh" and read its lyrics.

Lyrics of the song "Mokosh":

Only the dawns rose above the forests
The Slavs had not yet found light and glory.
It was the beginning of days
And they prayed as if they were their mother.

Yaki light Yarilo,
We need you too!
We repay the sacrifices,
Mokosh, Mokosh!

I bow to you,
Tissue and water guardian,
I repay the sacrifices
Mokosh, Mokosh!

Descendants were driven into the Dnieper with spears
Idols were overthrown, the boar prince raged
They covered with steel and a cross
A fire was lit above the Water Goddess.

Yaki light-Yarilo,
We need you too!
We repay the sacrifices,
Mokosh, Mokosh!

I bow to you,
Tissue and water guardian,
I repay the sacrifices
Mokosh, Mokosh!

Through the centuries you have sprouted like threads.
She became Paraskevna, she was Mokosh.
End the flow of difficult days!
We pray for our Friday.

Yaki light-Yarilo,
We need you too!
We repay the sacrifices,
Mokosh, Mokosh!

I bow to you,
Tissue and water guardian,
I repay the sacrifices
Mokosh, Mokosh!

On May 5-11, the Slavs celebrate the Strecha of Dazhdbog; in the series of these holidays, May 9 is the day of Mother Earth Cheese. Its essence is in honoring the Earth, which, according to legend, was created by the Family on this very day. And this wonderful holiday! But why was I invited today to honor the Goddess Makosh?! I can't remain silent! It should not be confused: the Slavic Makosh is not Mother Earth! These are different hypostases of the Great Feminine Principle! Completely different! Now I'll prove it!

The Great Mother Goddess is the Earth. The basis of the universe

Living, thinking, primordial, the source of life, the primary element of the universe - this is her! “Hey, you are the hardened, raw earth! You gave birth to us all, our dear mother.” Generous Mother of Harvests, Patroness of Female Fertility, Great Midwife of Pregnant Women, Mistress of Nature, Giver of Wealth and Abundance, Midgard Itself - Earth! Everything is born and lives on Earth, and feeds from it!

Mother of the Russian people

All my life the Mother of cheese, the Earth, grows and nourishes for the good folk bread vital, calms midnight winds with clouds, restrains “frosts and blizzards”, absorbs evil spirits. She always remains a mother for the people who live on her and on her. Just as ant grass cannot grow without soil, so to the Slavic people cannot live without land - a breadwinner. Just as without a plowman - the owner and the good land - a bitter orphan, so he is without land - like without a living soul in his heroic body!

Shrine mother - damp earth

The Slavs tirelessly thanked Mother Earth every month, especially on her birthday, May 9, sang songs in honor of her, embroidered her image in the form of a moose cow - Rozhenets, in the form of a figurine with “horns”, or simply a female figurine surrounded by deer and ducks, honored and thanked, in exchange for mother's love Earth - Mother.

Sacred, demanding compliance with the rules of conduct with her and punishing for violating prescribed prohibitions. You cannot disturb Mother - the raw Earth - on this day - dig, break clods, drive stakes into it. The inevitable punishment for this ban is drought, crop failure, famine and death!

“Northern Tale” - Mother of the Slavic Earth

This is how she is, the Great Goddess Mother - the Earth of cheese!

Now try to spit on Mother Earth!

Great Goddess Mother Makosh Slavic

Makosh, Makesh, Mokosh, Mokusha, Makesh, Makusha, Mokusha, Makusha, De Metra, Ma-Divia, Ma-Kosh, De Metra, Ma-Kosh, Goddess of magic and sorcery, witchcraft, Goddess of Fate, Mistress of the Transition from this world to the Other world, Goddess of magic and enchantment, witchcraft, Holder of the Pokutny Threads, Possessing the secret of Rule and the secret of Kolo Svarog, Spinner of destinies, Mother Makosh of the Slavic - this is all about her. The Slavs have always believed that exactly .

“Northern Tale” - Goddess Makosh

Slavic Makosh, the Goddess, turning to whom, all fortune-telling is carried out on desires.

The First Goddess, whose cult persisted even then, stopped building a temple for Veles when they forgot Rod himself, when the idol of Perun was overthrown and he floated down the Great River, they stopped building a temple for Veles, and no longer turned to Pereplut with a request to help him return home to the shore , when it was just the Sun rolling across the sky, and not Horses on their hot horses.

Everything changed, but the cult of the Mother Goddess Makosh held on! During Christian times, she hid under the name of Paraskeva Pyatnitsa, and all secret Epiphany fortune-telling, which the Russian Orthodox Church does not like so much, takes place under the invisible blessing of Makosh, the Heavenly Mother, who possesses the secret of Rule and the secret of Kolo Svarog. Do you know about this?

Changing Fates Makosh Slavic Goddess

An amazing feature of the worldview of our ancestors, the Slavs, was the absence of fatalism - our ancestors believed that man.

It was believed that the basis of life is the divine thread of Mokosh, from which day after day a person weaves his own lace. What ultimately happens depends only on the person himself. Day after day, day after day, we ourselves weave the lace of our lives. In the Old Slavonic language, the measure of time “day” sounded like “weaving,” which reflected the attitude towards life as weaving. To live means to weave the lace of your life... It was to Makosh that our ancestors turned, weaving sciences, changing the course of their lives.

Makosh goddess helping people

Here is another northern fairy tale from the book “Gods and People”, where the gods of the ancient Slavs live, fall into different stories, behave almost like people:

- Fathers - lights! Where am I? - Goryunya was alarmed.

He sits on a bench in a rich mansion, all the walls are hung with handicrafts, embroidered with poppies and various patterns. The cat is sitting on the bench, staring at Goryunya with cat-like green eyes, but just doesn’t say out loud:

Who called you here, boy?

Goryunya became embarrassed and completely wilted. But still he glances here and there with his eyes. He blinked, and right in front of him was no longer a cat, but a stately, beautiful woman. The eyes are green and look, they see right through everything. A woman is spinning yarn, the spindle is spinning so hard you can’t see it with the eye, there are multi-colored balls all around, and two women, sort of like servants, are winding these threads, which ball is big, bright, and which ball is small, dark. In one moment, Goryunya looked at all this and immediately realized that in front of him was the great Goddess of Fate Makosh, who knows the entire Past, rules the Present and has power over the Future. He was blown off the bench like the wind! He fell at the feet of the goddess and begs for mercy. She understands that there is no need to tell her about her life, she already knows everything.

Get up, sit down and listen - voice Makosh is strict, but not angry.
- You drank your share to your heart's content, but you did not give up, did not lose faith, did not betray the dream of happiness, and did not give up on everything - they say, Krivaya will take you out, so I will help you. You must do everything yourself, you must, having stepped on this path, go through it to the end. But do not reject the help of friends and do not become isolated in your own destiny...

This is how she is, the Great Goddess Makosh!
So they turn to her if they need fulfillment of desires,
And it is to her that fortune-telling of wishes is addressed!
Now try to say that Fate does not exist!

Two Goddesses

Meet:

On May 5-11, the Slavs celebrate the Strecha of Dazhdbog; in the series of these holidays, May 9 is the day of the Mother of Cheese Earth. Its essence is to honor the Earth, which, according to legend, was created by the Family on this very day.">

The features of the original Slavic gods are clearly visible in many Christian saints. One of these “reborn” is Paraskeva Pyatnitsa, a strict and fair patroness of women, handicrafts and any women’s craft. And the one from which Christians copied almost everything characteristic features- the ancient goddess of the Slavs, Makosh.

It is not known for certain how the cult of worship of Mokosh was formed, nor is the origin of her name known. There are two interpretations. The first states that the name of the goddess consists of two parts: “ma” (mother) and “kosh” (fate). The thesis is based on the fact that in addition to her many “responsibilities,” Makosh was also the goddess of fate. Together with her younger sisters, Dolya and Nedolya, Makosh cut and reshaped human destinies, distributing happiness and unhappiness. The ancient Greek Moiras and the ancient Germanic norns acted in a similar way: spinning goddesses, in charge of the threads of fate, existed in the pantheons of many nations.
The second version of the formation of the name goes back to the word “kosh” - “basket”. We can conclude that the goddess of fate patronized the harvest and harvest; Moreover, Makosh was considered the mother of the other gods. But this did not stop some tribes from seeing her in the male guise of Veles-Mokosh - maybe that’s why many idols of the goddess on the temples have a small, neat beard?

The degree of “reverence” of the goddess was already indicated by the fact that she was the only goddess for whom a place was allocated in the princely pantheon; and also that as many as 12 holidays a year were dedicated to Mokosh. But the demand from her was greater than from an ordinary deity. Of course, the Slavs asked for a good harvest, but at the same time they understood perfectly well that the priest-chance was of great importance; and therefore Makosh was also considered the goddess of chance.
But most of all they revered the goddess of women, since she embodied everything feminine principles. Any work performed by a Slavic woman. “supervised” by Makosh. The personification of the ideal housewife, the goddess is now remembered precisely in this form. All household chores, handicrafts, field work - all this was under her protection. Like any strict woman, Makosh did not tolerate careless workers, and roughly punished those who were guilty. In Belarusian legends there is such a belief that if you leave a tow overnight, the goddess will re-spun it - and leave the quality at her discretion. And woe to the woman who was too lazy to finish the lesson on time - the next morning the tow turned out to be terribly tangled, and it took a long time to comb it again.

The Slavs had their own idea of ​​how Makosh distributes fate. No one would have suspected a deity in the young, simple-haired woman, and she calmly walked around the villages. I looked closely at the dexterity and hard work of the Slavs, and noticed who endured the difficulties. Makosh favors those who, even in an unbearable situation, do not think of giving up, but still go forward. Makosh sends his beloved to such people younger sister, Srecha. Otherwise, a person will never meet the goddess of happiness: Makosh will deprive him of his protection and turn away. At that very moment he will be in the power of Likh and Nedolya, and will be accompanied by them until his death.
From the same legend we can conclude that Makosh is in charge of the Transition, through which souls from Reveal go to other worlds. It is believed that one of the lower forms of the goddess is Baba Yaga, known to everyone, and Makosh has all her qualities.

In popular perception, the goddess looks like a tall, portly woman with a kika on her head. The embroideries preserved her stylized images, in which Rozhanitsy in the guise of moose cows stands on either side of Mokosh. The goddess always holds a cornucopia in her hands. An interesting fact is that there was a strict ban on depicting the face of the goddess. This is connected with the fateful image of Mokosh - no one should see even an approximate appearance of him.

It can be summarized like this:

1. Makosh is a goddess who distributes human destinies.
2. Mother deity, patron of fertility, and is honored 12 times a year or every full moon.
3. Magic in all its manifestations and the Passage between the worlds of Rule, Reveal and Navi - all this is subject to Mokosh.
4. Considered to be the wife of Veles; wise and skillful housewife.
5. She patronized and protected diligent women who did all their work well.
6. The lower hypostasis of Mokosh is Baba Yaga, who, according to some beliefs, commands life and death.
7. The entire animal world obeyed the goddess.

One of the rituals dedicated to Mokosh is throwing skeins of spun thread into springs or wells. This ritual was mainly popular among young girls who sought to attract the attention of the goddess and come under her special protection.
The cult of Mokosh is one of the strongest in Rus'. Apparently, thanks to his power, the goddess was not forgotten, but simply merged with a Christian character in the person of Paraskeva Pyatnitsa, considered by Christians to be the patroness of women. A reverse analogy can also be drawn: if Paraskeva has all the features of Mokosh, it means that the image of the ancient Slavic goddess also contains the features of Paraskeva. For example, the latter is considered the benefactor of trade - is this why Friday is considered the best day for making transactions?
The only difference between Mokosh and Paraskeva is the date of the day of veneration. For the Christian saint it is October 28, but for Mokosh there is no “fixed” day - festivities in her honor were held on the Friday closest to April 8.

Makosh loves silver, rock crystal, moonstone and cats. The gifts that the Slavs brought to her idol at the temple were most often wool, balls, spindles and other “women’s little things.” The idol itself was made from “female” wood, but for some reason they preferred aspen to birch. The idol always stood in a prominent place, and the masters always decorated his head with a stylized kick.

Makosh (Makosh, Mokosha, Mokusha) is a Slavic goddess. Occupies one of the most important and significant places in the pagan pantheon of the Slavs. It is worth saying that the idol of Mokosh was among others in the Kiev temple, which was erected and then destroyed by Prince Vladimir. The fact that Makosh was awarded such an honor as an idol on the main princely temple speaks of her extraordinary significance in the beliefs and ideas of our ancestors. Among other idols, Makosh was the only female deity.

Makosh is the goddess of earth and rain, harvest, spinning, weaving, patroness of crafts, patroness of women, goddess of fate. The very name “Mokosh” or “Makosh” is associated with several versions of its origin. One of the versions put forward by M. Vasmer is that Mokosh comes from the word “to get wet,” and in ancient times this goddess was directly associated with rain and the harvest. Other researchers - V.V. Ivanov and V.N. Toporov, suggested that Mokosh comes from the word mokos, which can be translated as “spinning.” That this goddess was closely associated with weaving and spinning is not in doubt. There are still beliefs that one should not spin or do handicrafts on Friday, since this day is dedicated to Mokoshi and the goddess can punish for such an offense. For the same reason, Mokosh was often depicted as “punctured with needles and twisted with spindles,” because wicked women do not obey, they sew and spin on Fridays. As sacrifices, Mokoshi brought yarn, tow, and threads, which were thrown into the well. This ritual is called mokrids. Surprisingly, in one ritual two aspects of this goddess are emphasized - the patroness of needlewomen and the goddess of rain and harvest. According to a famous researcher, the name Makosh comes from the phrase “ma” - mother and “kosh” - lot. This phrase can be translated as - Mother of Fate. In ancient times, “kosh” also meant a basket for grain, a barn, a pen for livestock, a cart for sheaves, and from this we can conclude that Makosh is the mother of the harvest. None of the names of the goddess are erroneous, that is, you can call her both Makosh and Mokosh, but later in the article, so that there is no confusion, we will call her Mokosh.

Like a spinner who spins divine threads, Makosh appears and goddess of fate. According to the beliefs of the pagan Slavs, it is she who spins the threads of life (pokuta, pokutnye threads). The assistants of this goddess are Dolya and Nedolya (Srecha and Nesrecha).

Makosh was, without a doubt, one of the central figures of the pagan beliefs of the ancient Slavs. The cult of Mokosh is especially popular among women, whose direct patroness is the goddess. Makosh is mentioned in chronicles and teachings against paganism: “Bow before the invisible God: people praying to Rod and women in labor, Perun, and Apollo, and Mokosha, and Peregina, and do not approach any vile demands of gods” (XVI century, Teachings to Spiritual Children) , “For this reason, it is not appropriate for Christians to play demonic games, who eat dancing, gudba, Myr songs and the sacrifice of idols, who pray to the fire with the barn and pitchfork and Mokoshi and Sim and Ragl and Perun and Rod and Rozhanitsa” (XVI century, Word on bribery ), “...the same gods are required to create the Slovenian language: Vilam and Makoshi and Diva, Perun. Kharsu...” (XV century, The Word on Idols) and many others.

It is worth noting the fact that during the times of dual faith the image of Mokosh was transferred to the Christian saint Paraskeva Friday or Paraskeva Pnyanikha. Mokosh's Day has always been considered Friday, which is why Paraskeva is called Friday; Pnyanikha or Lyanikha - a flax spinner, also refers to the image of Mokosh. Paraskeva, translated from Greek, means “Friday”. Perhaps also for this reason, the Slavs, who had not yet lost contact with the pagan gods, saw in this name something very similar to Makosh and all the features that were inherent in the pagan goddess were transferred to the Christian saint, thus making a unique "castling". Some ancient churches, which date back to Paraskeva Pyatnitsa, stand on the site of former temples dedicated to Mokosh. The connection between Mokosh and Friday is proven by many different pieces of evidence, ranging from the tradition of holding rituals on Fridays in honor of this goddess, various Friday prohibitions, and ending with the similarity of goddesses identical to Mokosh in other traditions. For example, the German Freya, which is very similar to our Makosh, has a direct connection with the name of Friday - Freitag.

Makosh is often compared to such goddesses as Hecate (ancient Greek goddess of the moon, night visions and sorcery), Freya (Scandinavian goddess of love and beauty), Aphrodite (ancient Greek goddess of beauty and love). Makosh existed not only on the territory ancient Rus', but also in other countries. For example, among the Czechs, Makosh is the goddess of rain and dampness, to whom they resorted with prayers and sacrifices during droughts.

Paraskeva Pyatnitsa, like her pagan predecessor, is considered a dressmaker who patronizes girls engaged in manual labor. There is also a belief here that Friday prohibits all women from working on this day or doing any handicrafts. It is believed that Paraskeva Friday became especially popular in the 12th-13th centuries, when Christianity was already flourishing. In Christian times, people continued to pray to Paraskeva, seeing in her image that same archaic Makosh, for patronage in needlework, fate, and also for rain. Prayers were held for Paraskeva at wells and springs, which indicates a direct connection with ancient rites dedicated to this goddess. Another interesting comparison of the “old” and “new” goddesses was the idea that icons of Paraskeva miraculously appear near bodies of water or directly in the water of reservoirs, which is also an echo of ancient pagan myths and legends. In the first time after baptism, when pagan customs were still very strong, people brought various fruits to the icons of Paraskeva (the cornucopia is one of Mokosh’s attributes), flax, left the first compressed sheaf on the field, and so on. In order for Makosh-Paraskeva to give a good harvest of fruit trees, villages still place fruits under the icon of this saint and keep them there until next year.

For the same reason that You can't do business on Friday, the floor is swept the day before so that on the holy day the house is clean, and the goddess who comes to visit the house is pleased with what she sees. On Friday, do not leave the yarn in the spindle, threads and needlework utensils uncleaned. You cannot comb flax, wash clothes, dig, plow, harrow the ground, sweep floors, or clean manure. It is believed that the one who does such things dusts the eyes of the goddess, pricks and cuts her skin with needles and scissors. Friday among the Slavs was revered on a par with Sunday (Week).

associated with the cult of water and rain, she is considered closely related to the reverence of the earth and protects fertility. She is often depicted as a female figure with horns and also belongs to the lunar cult. As you know, in Rus' the Moon has always been considered the “star” of women and patronized women. Thus, Makosh is the goddess of the moon, the goddess of rain and earth, the patroness of women, the patroness of handicrafts, housekeeping and the eldest of the spinners - the goddess of fate. There is also an opinion that not only the Moon is the personification of Mokosh, but also the planet Venus. Venus has always been considered the patron saint of women, and therefore some researchers bring together Dennitsa, Zorya (the goddess of Venus) and Makosh.

Researchers of this goddess pay special attention embroidery, where Makosh is presented in some detail. Here she is always depicted central figure. Makosh with raised hands means the goddess-giver of rain (prayer for warmth, light and rain - spring and early summer); the goddess with her hands down is the patroness of the earth and the fertility of the earth (prayer for the fertility of the earth - summer and autumn). Often in embroidery it is accompanied by two figures. These are the same figures that Boris Rybakov wrote so much about in his studies: the once mistresses of the universe - the heavenly moose cows or the Rozhanitsa - Lada and Lelya. In instructions against paganism, medieval clerks often placed Makosh next to Bereginya and pitchforks. You can read about Bereginya and pitchforks in the article ““. Makosh is considered their mentor, their main goddess. Vilas or Vilas-mermaids, Beregini are Mokosh’s assistants in agricultural matters, as well as in protecting and helping people. The same assistant is the sacred dog Simargl, who protects the seedlings and harvest.

Since Makosh is associated with the moon, the amulet stone of this goddess is considered to be moonstone and rock crystal. Mokosh's metal is silver. Animal: cat. At the same time, a cat can be an animal of the goddess for two reasons. Since ancient times, the cat was considered a nocturnal animal that walks under the moon and is closely associated with the night element, night spirits and night Gods. The cat is also considered the beast of Mokosh due to its consonance: Kosh-ka - Ma-kosh. The symbol can be yarn, a spindle, a ball of wool or other handicraft items. The idol often looked like female image with horns and a cornucopia in his hands. It is preferable to make an idol or an idol from female wood species, for example, from aspen. Another symbol of Mokosh is the spider and spider web. The spider, like Makosh, spins the thread (of fate). This is where the belief comes from that if you suddenly get caught in a spider’s web in the forest, it will good sign, that is, Makosh favors such a person and gives a sign that his thread will be smooth and happy. Also, its symbol can be the most famous and widespread amulet-amulet - Lunnitsa, which in ancient times was a women's decoration and amulet, and looked like a crescent with various inserts and images, such as: oblique lines of rain, stars, and so on.

Makosh was present not only in many chronicles, writings, teachings and in the courtyard of Prince Vladimir in the form of one of the idols. The image of the goddess is also found on the famous Zbruch idol. Among the other Gods who are depicted on each of the four faces, Makosh is represented on the front face with a horn (of plenty) in his hand.

Friday, aka Makosh, was considered patroness of trade. The researchers came to this conclusion, judging by the numerous names, including: the Church of Friday at Torg in Veliky Novgorod, built in 1207; Church of Friday at Torg in Chernigov, XII and XIII centuries; Church of Friday in Okhotny Ryad in Moscow and so on. In addition, since ancient times, Friday has always been considered the day of trade, bazaars, and fairs. The very name “Mokosh” was not forgotten after baptism, but was transferred to the house god (as in the case of Rod, who, after the baptism of Rus', turned from an omnipotent creator into a house god). Mokosha was now represented as a female house spirit with a large head and long arms. There are legends that the house spirit Mokosha spins at night while everyone is sleeping and if you leave the tow untidy, Mokosha can ruin it. There is also the following mention about Mokoshi, recorded in the 19th century in the Olonets region: “A sheep, no matter how the wool is sheared, will sometimes dry itself; and they say: Mokusha sheared the sheep. Otherwise: they are sleeping - the spindle is purring. They say that Mokusha was spinning. When leaving the house, she (Mokosh) will sometimes come up and click on a beam or a spindle.”

Another holiday dedicated to this goddess is Veshnee Makoshya (Earth Day) - May 10.

Makosh, together with women in labor Lada and Lelya, are the main patron goddesses of the Babi Porridge holiday, which is traditionally celebrated on January 8th.

Feasts of the Christian saint Paraskeva: Paraskeva Gryaznikha (October 14) and Paraskeva Linen (October 28).