Veles has long been linked to the occult as the ruler of the dead. The ancient world’s witch doctors, sorcerers, shamans, and magicians worshipped him. Shepherds and their flocks had Veles to thank for their safety, and Veles was a god they worshipped for that exact reason. Veles used the song to transport himself and others between dimensions. Like modern shamans, he employed chants, melodies, and mantras to induce trance-like states where consenting souls may cross into other realms and experience other realities. Modern-day Slavs can maintain ties to their predecessors’ traditions and knowledge by singing these hymns repeatedly.
Few people know that the English word “sorcerer” comes from the word “source,” which was used to describe someone who deeply understood the tremendous cosmic power and might channel it. The lay patterns of an Earth that mark her electrical currents may have inspired the Slovak term chary, yet its exact etymology remains a mystery. Priests and high priests of the old world were individuals who deeply understood nature and the laws that controlled the world. This includes witches, sorcerers, and healers. They understood the interplay between the elements and the earth’s electromagnetic field and could use this knowledge to channel, harness, and manipulate these subtle forces to achieve their ends.
However, as Christianity spread over the region, individuals who could see past the veil earned a bad reputation. The ancient world’s seers were frequently regarded as evil sorcerers and witches. After the spread of Christianity, the true intent of Veles was transformed. Natural disorder and death’s part in a life’s metamorphosis were concepts too nuanced for the Christian worldview. According to the new mono belief system, all forms of destruction are wrong (i.e. anti-order). Therefore, the God of the underworld was recast as the Devil. In all likelihood, Veles was portrayed as a terrifying horned god did not help matters. Finally, his cult was outlawed, and his symbols, icons, and archetype disappeared from public and private settings over several centuries.
Veles, a god in the eyes of the Slavic people, is frequently shown as a bear, though he can take the appearance of any animal. Later texts, however, depict this God as a demon, abandoning his former roles and becoming associated with the Devil and the Underworld. The early Slavs’ mythology evolved alongside their tumultuous lives, so it’s logical that the gods themselves would undergo shifts in popularity and significance throughout time. The people of Veles made up a fable about how Veles kidnapped the celestial cows and caused the rains to cease whenever their crops failed to flourish because of a prolonged drought. Veles was undoubtedly viewed as a “mischievous” God, although he was nevertheless revered and honoured. It was he who saved the farmers’ cows from the disease and increased the yield of their crops. The common folk did not wish to intervene in the mythological battles between Linearly with Rising and Perun, but they revere both as great forces in this world, often depending on their own needs.
Veles was born to cows Zemun and Rod, and he is their son. He is depicted as a horned, powerful young man and a grizzled old shepherd. Slavs revered Veles because he represented a protective god. Whether wild or domestic, he was responsible for their care. Veles was the lynchpin of the entire neighbourhood. Veles, the Slavic God of Beasts, took the appearance of a bear because of the bear’s status as forest ruler in Slavic mythology. Veles was born to cows Zemun and Rod, and he is their son. He is depicted as a horned, powerful young man and a grizzled old shepherd. Slavs revered Veles because he represented a protective god. Whether wild or domestic, he was responsible for their care. Veles was the lynchpin of the entire neighbourhood. Veles, the Slavic God of Beasts, took the appearance of a bear because of the bear’s status as forest ruler in Slavic mythology. The unidentified shepherd has made several commitments to Veles, including sacrificing his best cow. Then, he creates a barrier between the human realm and the wild underworld Veles rules over, which may be a furrow ploughed by Veles or a groove from across the road carved by a shepherd with such a knife the evil powers cannot cross.
Many myths and tales portray Veles as the mortal antagonist of Perun. According to one legend, hostilities broke out when the Veles stole flocks, women, or followers from the Perun. Another myth states that Veles had eyes for Perun’s wife, Dodol. It is clear from such two legends alone that Veles tends to mislead. According to a third tale, since Veles dwells on the ground and Perun soars through the air, their conflict symbolizes the eternal struggle between the two realms. Despite Perun’s victories, Veles keeps making a comeback. After Perun’s victory, Veles was supposedly exiled to an underworld, where he still rules. The battle between the Veles & Perun is said to herald the onset of chaos and its subsequent triumph. According to popular myth, Veles’ power increases each winter, only to be defeated and sent back to the underworld by the beginning of summer.
All Slavic countries are Christian now, yet their ancient pagan customs and beliefs still permeate their current ones. This is particularly true for Veles, whose ideas and rituals draw from various mythologies and traditions. Veles’s most immediate and clear parallel is the Christian concept of the Devil. Veles, a characteristically horned god of death who also transforms into the snake, was rapidly identified with Satan with the advent of Christianity in Eastern Europe. Similarly, Saint-Pascal, a Christian victim and saint from Armenia who defended animals, compared to Veles because of his shepherd role.
Because of his reputation as a giver of money and a trickster, Veles was swiftly identified with and overtaken by St. Nicholas, the original Santa Claus, across Eastern Europe. Many customs that began with Veles are still observed, despite his deification’s relative obsolescence in favour of Christian saints and mythology. Many bands, especially folk who play at weddings, other special occasions, and holidays, wait for the host to give a toast and spill the first sip of his drink before beginning to play. This was a sacrifice unto Veles for his favour on the concert and the musicians performing there. The Veles sect may be extinct, but rituals like this live on.
At first glance, Veles’ symbology may seem random, yet upon more inspection, a pattern emerges. Since Veles is the earth’s patron deity, it seems to reason that he would preside over anything having to do with or originating from the planet. Veles is well known as Perun’s sworn enemy. The ground and the sky are worshipped and respected in Slavic mythology, even though one is considered “good” and the other “evil.” Also, Veles is a god of death and a guardian of the dead. For this reason, we can’t categorize him as a genuinely evil person. Myths about him torturing or otherwise mistreating the dead don’t seem to exist; instead, he only acts as a guardian and shepherd for the deceased after death. Some accounts even paint a picture of Veles’ Underworld as lush and verdant.