Also known as: Dažbog, Dabog
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The sun god, son of Svarog. He carries the sun across the sky in a chariot pulled by white horses. His name means "giving god," and he represents prosperity and the life-giving power of the sun.
Dazhbog's name means "the giving god" or "god who gives"—and what greater gift is there than the sun itself? He is the personification of sunlight, warmth, and the life it brings. Each morning he sets out across the sky in his diamond chariot pulled by white horses with golden manes, bringing light to the world and driving away the darkness.
Dazhbog is the son of Svarog, the celestial smith, who forged the sun and gave it to his son to carry. Some traditions call him Svarozhich—"son of Svarog." He represents the active, warming aspect of celestial fire, as opposed to his father's creative forge-fire. Where Svarog made the sun, Dazhbog carries it across the heavens daily.
The medieval text Tale of Igor's Campaign calls the Slavic people "Dazhbog's grandchildren." This suggests Dazhbog was considered an ancestor deity—a solar god who fathered the royal lines or perhaps humanity itself. To be children of the sun meant to share in his brightness, his generosity, and his life-giving nature.
As the giving god, Dazhbog represents abundance, prosperity, and good fortune. Sunlight makes crops grow, drives away disease, and warms the homes of the people. Prayers to Dazhbog asked for good harvests, health, and success. His generosity was unconditional—the sun shines on rich and poor alike.
Dazhbog's journey across the sky mirrors the human journey through life. He is born each morning in the east, young and bright. He grows strong at noon, then ages as he descends toward the west. At night, he travels through the underworld, past the realm of Veles, to be reborn again at dawn. His cycle is the eternal promise that darkness never lasts.
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