| Svetovit | |
|---|---|
God of abundance, war | |
 Svetovit inBritannia Antiqua Illustrata | |
| Venerated in | Polabian religion |
| Major cult centre | Cape Arkona,Rügen |
| Weapon | sword |
| Artifacts | horn of plenty,saddle,bit, flag |
| Animals | white stallion, eagles |
| Texts | Chronica Slavorum,Gesta Danorum,Knýtlinga saga |
Svetovit, also known asSventovit andSvantovit amongst other variants, is the god of abundance and war, and the chief god of theSlavic tribe of theRani, and later of all thePolabian Slavs. His organized cult was located on the island ofRügen, atCape Arkona, where his main temple was also located. According to the descriptions of medieval chroniclers, the statue representing this god had four heads and held a horn and a sword. Dedicated to the deity were a white horse, a saddle, abit, a flag, and eagles. Once a year, after theharvest, a large festival was held in his honor. With the help of a horn and a horse belonging to the god, the priests carried out divinations, and at night the god himself rode a horse to fight his enemies. His name can be translated as "Strong Lord" or "Holy Lord". In the past it was often mistakenly believed that the cult of Svetovit originated fromSt. Vitus. Among scholars of Slavic mythology, Svetovit is often regarded as a Polabianhypostasis of Pan-Slavic godPerun. His cult was destroyed in 1168.
InLatin records, this theonym is notated asSuantouitus,Suantouith,Suantuitho,Szuentevit,Suantevit,Zuantevith, and others,[1] and inOld Icelandic asSvanraviz[2] andSvanteviz.[3]
Scholars agree on the reading of the Latin records;[4] thedigraphs ⟨an⟩ and ⟨en⟩ indicate a Slavicnasal vowel.[4] In the first part of the theonym, there is anOld Polabian continuation of theProto-Slavic adjective*svętъ (with a nasal [e]). At the Old Polabian stage, at least in northern dialects, as a result of the transition of [ę] into [ą] (nasal [a][a][b]),*svętъ passed into Old Polabian dialectal*svąt-. On this basis, the Old Polabian dialectal theonym is reconstructed as*Svątevit.[4]
In English publications god's name is being transcribed asSvantovit (from reconstructed Old Polabian*Svątevit),Sventovit orSvetovit (from hypothetical Common Slavic*Svętovitъ).
The prevailing[4] view in the literature is that*svętъ in Proto-Slavic language meant "strong, mighty", and only under the influence ofChristianity did it acquire the religious meaning of "holy, sacred". Such a view was held byAleksander Brückner,[c][6]Stanisław Rospond[7] and many others.
Nowadays, however, this view is sometimes criticized[4] and it is suggested that the meaning of "holy, sacred" should be considered original, Proto-Slavic.[8] Against the influence of Christianity on the meaning of the word is contradicted primarily by its etymology:[9] the closestcognates areLithuanianšventas andOld Prussianswints "holy, sacred",[10][8][9] which, like PS*svętъ, are derived from theProto-Balto-Slavic*śwentas.[11] Also closely related is theAvestanspəṇta "holy, sacred"[10][8] andSanskritśvānta.[9] Also further related are theProto-Germanic*hunsla "offering, sacrifice",[12] and possiblyThracian *θιντ andProto-Celtic*penta.[9] The Slavic word and words related to it ultimately come from theProto-Indo-European root*ḱwen- "to celebrate".[9]Rick Derksen reconstructs PS meaning of*svętъ as "holy, sacred",[8]Wiesław Boryś as "being the object of religious reverence, worship".[13]
In academic literature, the theonym is traditionally[14] dividedmorphologically asSveto-vit – in the second part there is supposed to be a suffix-vit (hypothetical PS*-vitъ) meaning "lord, ruler, hero".[15] The suffix is supposed to derive from*vitędzь "warrior, hero" of Germanic etymology.[16] Some researchers, however, have rejected the connection of the suffix with*vitędzь precisely because of the Germanic origin of the word;[17][18] some scholars have linked the suffix to the word*vitati "to invite, to wish health",[19] or the hypothetical verb*viti.[d] Depending on which original meaning of the word*svętъ a given scholar takes, the theonym is translated, for example, as "Strong hero",[21] "Strong ruler and lord",[17] or "Holy victor",[22] "Holy lord".[22] Some scholars also divide the theonym asSvet-ovit,[23] where the suffix-ovit means "one who has much (of something)", "characterized by (something)", and the theonym Svetovit is supposed to mean "The one with much that is holy".[24]
Brückner found the interpretation of the name problematic. He eventually suggested a possible connection with the hypotheticalOld Polish wordświętowity "holy, sacred", but this interpretation was rejected byStanisław Urbańczyk.[25] The source material, however, confirms the existence of this type of words in Slavic languages, cf.Belarusian dialectalsvyatovyy,Russiansvyatovyy,Ukrainian*svyatovoy "holy, sacred", also probably Old Polish*świętowa "holy, sacred", all from Slavic*svętovy.[e] If this etymology is correct, the theonym consists of the adjective*svętovy, and the suffix*-itъ(jь).[26]
It has also been proposed that the meaning of the first part of the theonym should be translated, for example, as "world", or "light" (PS*světъ), but this interpretation has been rejected by linguists.[27][5] A completely incorrect reading isSviatovid /Svietovid (PolishŚwiatowid) "God seeing thefour directions of the world" invented by 19th centuryPolish Romantics, where the suffix is supposed to be-vid "to see" (cf. Polishwidzieć "to see").[5][18]
Svetovit is mentioned by three sources: the main information is given byHelmold'sChronica Slavorum andSaxo Grammaticus’sGesta Danorum;[28] he is also mentioned byKnýtlinga saga.[2] Saxo writes most extensively about Svetovit,[29] his description of this god is the longest known text on the beliefs of theSlavs.[30][31] Excerpt from Saxo's description:
In the city center there was a flat space, where a temple made of wood could be found, which was very elegantly crafted, worthy of veneration not only because of the magnificence of its decorations, but also because of the divinity of the image placed inside. The outside perimeter of the building gleamed with a well-maintained covering, which consisted of shapes of different things painted in a crude, primitive style. Only one entry door could be seen. However, the temple itself was closed off by two enclosures, of whose walls the outside set was covered by a red roof; the interior, on the other hand, which was supported over four pillars, shone with wall hangings instead of walls, and did not share any structure with the exterior except the roof and a few beams.
In the temple, an enormous statue, which exceeded any type of human body in size, left one stunned, with its four heads and equal number of necks, of which two seemed to look at the chest and another two at the back. And of the two located on the front as well as the two on the back, one seemed to be gazing to the right and the other to the left. They had close-shaved beards and very short hair, such that one could think that the maker had imitated the Rani’s style of doing their hair. In its right hand it held a horn decorated with several types of metal, that the priest who was an expert in their rites would fill each year with pure wine, in order to make predictions about the coming year’s harvest through the state of the liquor itself. On the left there was a bow in the arm turned towards the side. There was a sculpted tunic that fell to its feet, which, made of different types of wood, connected to the knees with a junction that was so invisible that the point of union could only be discovered after a very careful examination. The feet were at ground level, with the base hidden below the floor. Not very far away were some bridles and a chair for the statue, and many emblems of the deity. The admiration for these things was further increased by a sword of an astonishing size, whose scabbard and hilt, in addition to excellent embossed decorations, were also covered in splendid silver.
Every year, every man and woman paid a coin as a donation for the worship of this idol. The idol was also given a third of the loot and the results of plundering, as if they had been attained and taken for his protection. This same god had three hundred horses and the same number of men who served as warriors on them, and all of their earnings, obtained through arms or robbery, were given to the custody of the priest, who, using the profits from these things, would create different types of emblems and various adornmentsfor the temple, and store them in tightly closed chests, in which, in addition to abundant money, a large amount of purple cloth had accumulated, eaten by time. There could also be seen an enormous amount of public and private donations, given by the fervent offerings of those who asked the deity for favors.
This deity also had in many other places other temples, which were governed by priests of a lower rank with less power. In addition to this, it had in its possession its own private horse, which was white, and whose mane and tail hair it was considered a bad omen to cut. Only one priest was allowed to feed it and ride it, so that the use of the divine animal was not seen as less valuable by being more frequent. In the opinion of the Rani, it was believed that Svetovit—that was the name of the idol—waged war against the enemies of his cult on this horse. The most important argument supporting this was that, when the horse remained in the stable the entire night, very often he would appear in the morning covered with sweat and mud, as if, returning from exercising, he had traveled long distances.[32]
According to some scholars, the theonymSvetovit allegedly derives fromSaint Vitus, because in Slavic languages both names sound very similar.[f] Supporters of this theory cite Helmold, who cites the so-called "Corvey legend" in two versions (in the first version, he calls it an"old relation", in the second, he calls it a"vague account") according to which the tribe of theRani living on the island ofRügen wasChristianized in the ninth century, and then abandoned Christianity and idolized Saint Vitus:[33]
For an old relation of our ancestors tells that in times ofLudovicus II[g] a group of monks famous for their holiness leftCorvey. Hungry for the salvation of the Slavs, they insisted on suffering dangers and death in order to preach the word of God. After passing through many provinces, they arrived at those who were called Rani or Rujani and lived in the middle of the sea. That is the home of error and the seat of idolatry. After faithfully preaching the word of God, they won over the entire island, where they even founded an oratory in honor of Our Lord and SaviorJesus Christ and in memory of Saint Vitus, who is the patron saint of Corvey. Later, the situation having changed with permission from God, the Rani moved away from the faith and, immediately driving out the priests and the Christians, changed religion for superstition. For they worshiped Saint Vitus, who we revere as a martyr and servant of Christ, as a god, setting creatures over the creator. There is no other barbarism under heaven more horrifying to Christians and priests; they only rejoiced in the name o Saint Vitus, to whom they even dedicated a temple and a statue with a very significant cult and they attribute especially to him the primacy of the gods. They ask of him prophetic answers regarding all the provinces of the Slavs, and pay sacrificial tribute annually. Not even the traders who coincidentally arrive at those places can sell or buy anything if they do not first make an offering of some precious object from their wares to the god and only then can they make their goods available to the public at the market. They honor their high priest no less than they would a king. And thus, from the time that they renounced their first faith, this superstition perseveres among the Rani until the present.[35]
Such a view was expressed byEvelino Gasparini,[36] orHenryk Łowmiański, but Łowmiański rejected the authenticity of the legend.[37] Instead, he proposed a hypothesis according to which the cult of St Vitus was supposed to have spread fromPrague toBrenna – from there cameDrahomira, the mother ofWenceslaus I, the founder ofSt. Vitus' Church in Prague – where it was accepted as a deity by tolerant Slavs, and after the fall of Brenna it was supposed to have reached Rügen.[38]
The view of the Christian origin of Svetovit is rejected by most scholars and historians.[h][i] It is generally believed that this legend was invented in the 12th century[40][41][37] to justify political claims to Rügen,[40][5][39] already known since the mid-11th century.[42] First of all, it is impossible that there was a Christianization ofPolabia in the ninth century, let alone of Rügen in the ninth century[37] – the first documents attesting the Christianization of Rügen appear only after the fall of the SlavicArkona in1168, although chroniclers of the time were eager to describe the Christianization of any pagans – the Christianization of Rügen is not mentioned byWidukind of Corvey (The Deeds of the Saxons), nor byAdam of Bremen (Gesta Hammaburgensis ecclesiae pontificum).[43] There is also an argument against such borrowing by given names of similar construction, e.g.Milovit,Radovit,Siemovit, etc.[42] It is also unclear why the Slavs would consider an unpopular saint as a chief deity.[22] The cult of St. Vitus itself was transferred to the Polabian region from Prague, not from Corvey.[44]
The origin of this legend is unclear. Helmold mentions a Christianizing mission to Rügen, but makes no mention of a tribute, and the monastery makes no mention of a mission, but mentions the right to collect a tribute from Rügen. The first to mention the loss of Corvey's right to Rügen wasAbbotSaracho [de] (d. 1071), but this is probably a laterinterpolation. The first reliable, albeit indirect, information about the Rügen tribute was given by theAnnales Corbeienses, which describe the expedition of DukeLotar III in 1114 against theLutici union. The defeatedCircipanians tribe admitted that they had once paid tribute in the form of fox skins or coins to St. Vitus in Corvey (where his relics had been located since 836[43]). According to Łowmiański, this confession to paying tribute was a fabrication to appease Lotar's wrath, since there is no evidence whatsoever that the Circipanians paid tribute before that date.[45] According to Roman Zaroff, however, this information is also a forgery;[39] according to Janisław Osięgłowski, the legend originated around 1110-1114 and was started by monks from Corvey who knew the Slavic language and participated in Lotar's war expedition. When they learned about the island and the benefits that could be derived from its possession, the similarity of the wordsSvetovit andSaint Vitus prompted them to create the legend,[46]Jacek Soszyński [pl] claims, however, that the legend may have originated even earlier, but it was not practically applied for the first time until 1114.[47] According toStanisław Rosik [pl], the information about Svetovit, whose cult prevailed among the Pomeranian Slavs after the fall ofRethra, may have reached Corvey through merchants charged with donations to Svetovit, or returning prisoners of war who were kidnapped bySlavic pirates [pl]. The person who translated the theonym was able to translate the first part of the theonym as corresponding to Latinsanctus, but was unable to translate the second part (-vit), which, with the medieval tendency toward etymologization, resulted in a legendary identification.[48]
Some publications claim that Svetovit was also worshipped inSerbia (andCroatia), as evidenced by the holiday ofVidovdan (literally "St. Vitus Day"). This holiday, which was originally associated with St. Vitus, was forgotten over time and began to regain its popularity in 1818 after the publication ofVuk Karadžić'sSrpski rječnik, where Vidovdan is mentioned as the day of theBattle of Kosovo. Since the mid-19th century, with the rise of Serbian romanticism, this holiday among all Serbs began to symbolize the nation's heroism in the fight against theOttoman Empire. In 1864 the holiday returned to the church calendar, but at that time the holiday was mainly treated as a day to commemorate the battle of Kosovo and the death ofPrince Lazar. For this reason, there were even claims in the scholarly literature that Vidovdan is not related to St. Vitus at all.[49]
At the end of the 19th century, in his bookNatko Nodilo attributes the cult of Svetovit to all Slavs, whose cult was to be deliberately replaced by a saint with a similar name to facilitate Christianization. Based on this book,Miodrag Popović argues for the pagan origin of the holiday. Popović is later referred to byMile Nedeljković [sr], according to whom Vidovdan is a festival of the deityVid, and the Kosovo myth developed alongside the cult of this deity, as well as ethnologists Dušan Bandić and Mila Bosić. Even today, the view of the cult of Svetovit amongSerbs andCroats comes up for discussion; his name is often stylized asSvetovid orVid to make the name similar to toponymy and other proper names (e.g.Vidova Gora[50]), which are supposed to be remnants of his cult. However, the theory of the knowledge of the god Svetovit in theSouth Slavs cannot be accepted – it is widely believed in the scholarly community that the god Svetovit was known only to thePolabian Slavs and did not have a pan-Slavic range, and the Serbo-Croatian toponymy and proper names refer to St. Vitus (Serbian:Свети Вид,romanized: Sveti Vid).[49]
Once a year there was a big feast in honor of the god. The day before, the priest would clean the temple, taking care not to let out any breath inside the temple, so as not to defile the presence of the god with human breath. The feast was held after theharvest. After the crowd gathered in front of the temple, animals were sacrificed and then a feast was held. The next day the crowd gathered in front of the temple and the priest checked the amount of alcohol in thehorn situated in the statue of the god – if there was a lack of alcohol poured earlier, it predicted a crop failure and the priest ordered them to make provisions; if there was no lack the priest predicted a good harvest for the next year. Then the priest poured out the liquor from the horn under the statue's feet and poured fresh liquor asking for prosperity for himself and the people. The priest would finish the ritual by taking a large gulp from the horn, then refilling it again and placing it in the statue.[51]
There is also a well known ritual connected with a largeround cake seasoned with honey, which the priest would put in front of him and ask the people gathered in front of him if they could see him. When the crowd answered that they could, the priest wished them that they would not be able to see him the following year, which amounted to a wish for a larger harvest.[51]
The priest admonished the people to offer sacrifices to the god to ensure prosperity.[51] The Slavs voluntarily gave onecoin a year to Svetovit. The god was also given ⅓ of the captured armor of enemies.[52] Neighboring kings were also said to have made gifts to the deity, such as a Danish king namedSwen, probablySweyn III of Denmark, who offered him a precious cup.[53] Merchants who came to trade on the island of Rügen were taxed in honour of Svetovit.[54]
A white horse was an intrinsic element of the Svetovit cult. The god himself was supposed to ride this horse at night to fight his enemies, which was proved by the fact that in the morning the horse was drowsy and dirty. The horse could only be ridden by a priest in order to not diminish the value of the horse, and pulling a hair from its mane or tail was considered a sin. The horse was also used for divination: the priests set up three rows of spears with the spearheads downwards, where each row of spears was crossed with each other: if the horse crossed these rows of spears with its right foot first, it meant good luck in a planned battle or attack; if with the left first, the battle was called off.[55]
Saxo states that aflag (Latin:stanitia, cf.Kashubian:stanica "flag, banner, ensign, pennant"[57]) andeagles were also dedicated to the god. Saxo does not describe what exactly theeagles were, but they were located on two sides of a flag which was on thegate tower (towards theeast) of the only entrance to thegord on Arkona, however, the chronicler describes the flag in more detail: it was supposed to be of large size and a unique color.[j] The flag was also a kind of emblem of the Rugians, and it was revered as almost divine, being sacred and belonging to a deity. According to the chronicler, the flag gave the people who possessed it the ability to plunder cities, destroy temples or houses without suffering consequences, and to execute judgments. The gate, which had a flag and eagles on it, was probably an altar of sorts. This stall was burned during thesiege of Arkona.[59]
The cult of Svetovit officially ended in June[31] 1168 after the capture of Arkona by the Danes led by KingValdemar I andBishopAbsalon.[60][61][62]
(Valdemar) caused the antique statue of Svetovit, which is venerated throughout the country of the Slavs, to be taken out and ordered that a rope be placed around its neck and it be dragged among the entire army in view of the Slavs and, once it was reduced to kindling, that it be tossed into the fire. And he destroyed the temple with all of its cultural apparatuses and looted the shrine’s rich treasure. And he ordered them to abandon the error into which they had been born and to accept the worship of the true God (…).[63]
The fortress where the temple was located was on the island ofRügen, on the northeastern peninsula ofWittow, at the edge ofCape Arkona.[61] The remains of the temple have not survived to modern times, having been swallowed up by the sea. During recent archaeological investigations (20th and 21st centuries), merchant and military objects were found, confirming the high status of the castle, as well as the remains of human sacrifices.[64]
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Horse riding is present throughout many other Slavic mythologies.[65] Rituals involvinground cake are also Pan-Slavic, and documented inUkraine,Belarus,Herzegovina, andBulgaria.[k][67] Divination by means of a horse, orhippomancy, was also known to theGermanic peoples (according toTacitus), theBalts, theRus and in theAvestrian religion.[68] Not breathing in the temple also appears inZoroastrianism, where it was done to avoid contaminating thesacred fire.[69] The eagles on either side of the flag are analogous to Polishseals, where a representation of a prince is placed between two eagles, and which were often also on the prince'shelmet to show power. The use of flags in a religious context by the Polabian was written about earlier byThietmar (the flag ofSvarozhits inRethra and the flag of an unknown goddess of theLutici).[70]
Aleksander Gieysztor made a broadcomparative mythology of Svetovit and otherIndo-European deities, which led him to consider Svetovit as the chief and thunder god, the Polabianhypostasis, the "mask" ofPerun. The four heads of Svetovit correspond to the number4, which is associated withthunder gods: in theBaltsThursday was associated withPerkun, in the Romans Thursday was calledIovis dies ("Jupiter's day"), and in the Germanic peopleDonnerstag/Thursday ("Thor's day"). In the Balts, women were not allowed to do certain jobs on Thursdays, and marriages contracted on this day would be happy. In addition, Perkun ruled the four directions of the world and had four faces. The ritual of sacrificing alcohol[l] to Svetovit is connected with the function of the chief god: theVedicIndra drank a lot ofsoma, which gave him strength, Jupiter was sacrificed a grape, and the GermanicOdin drank the best honey mead. He regards the horn of Svetovit as a symbol of power, compares the ritual of exchanging alcohol to the ritual dedicated to Jupiter in the first century BC described byMarcus Terentius Varro,[m] wine and the very rallying from the drink is supposed to be common to many Indo-Europeans. Round cakes are of Indo-European origin – in Rome round cakes were calledsummanalia, which gave rise to the nicknameJupiterSummanus, and round cakes were also used in rituals inIndia. The association of Svetovit with theharvest is also linked to the festival of Jupiter,epulum Iovis, held on September 13, associated with the end of the harvest. He compares divination predicting success in war by means of a horse and spear to the spears ofMars hidden in hissacrarium inRegia, the movement of which foretold peace or war. The declaration of war itself, however, belonged to Jupiter – his priest performed the ceremony of declaring war, which ended with the throwing of a spear (hasta ferrata) into enemy territory.[71] In addition to Svetovit, the hypostasis of Perun, according to him, is also to beYarovit andRuyevit.[72]
Svetovit as a hypostasis of Perun was also considered byVyacheslav Ivanov andVladimir Toporov.[73] There was a temple of Perun inPeryn. The statue of this god was in the middle of a circle, fourbonfires oriented to the four directions of the world were placed on the edges of the circle, and four additional hearths were placed between them. Each main hearth could serve as an altar dedicated to a different hypostasis of Perun; the eastern hearth had more coal than the others. According to Ivanov and Toporov, this may correspond to the four heads of Svetovit and the four columns in the temple, and the eastern orientation of the temple at Arkona.[74]
Svetovit was also recognized byRadoslav Katičić as the Polabian hypostasis of Perun. He rejected the alleged cult ofSvetovid, orVid in Serbia as unjustified, but regardless of this theory he recognizes that St. Vitus in Serbia replaced the cult of Perun, as indicated by his worship of this saint.[50]
On the other hand,Andrzej Szyjewski [pl] considered Svetovit to be the god of vegetation and fertility, who also possessed solar qualities – he was a sun-hero, possessing a white horse. With time he acquired warlike qualities.[75] According toAleksander Brückner, Svetovit,Triglav,Svarog andDazhbog are one and the same deity worshipped under different names;[76]Stanisław Urbańczyk believed that Svetovit replaced Svarog,Svarozhits or Perun.[19]
Scholars have also linked to Svetovit a figurine, the so-calledWolin Svetovit, found on the island ofWolin, on which four faces are carved looking in four directions. The figurine is 9.3 centimetres (3.7 in) tall and was found in a house, which was located near a building interpreted as a probable temple. It is dated to the second half of the 9th century.[77][78]
Some scholars see an analogy to Svetovit in anidol from Zbruch, the so-calledSviatovid.[79][80] This statue was found in 1848 from the bottom of theZbruch River, a tributary of theDniester. It is a quadrangular limestone pillar, generally dated to the 9th-10th centuries. On the top are four faces facing the four directions of the world. Below, the four sides are covered with reliefs, which are often interpreted as specific deities, which are divided into three levels, which are sometimes interpreted as a cosmological division.[79] However, there are disagreements about the interpretation of the statue,[81] as well as divergent views about its dating, the very belonging to Slavic culture[82] is also subject to criticism.
In thechurch in Altenkirchen (10 kilometres (6.2 mi) from Arkona), in the 13th-century wall of the sacristy, there is agranite slab measuring 1.19 × 1.68 m depicting a man with a moustache, wearing a cap and a long robe, holding a large horn. The slab is dated to the 10th-11th centuries, although it was not set into the wall until the 13th century or later;[28] according toDavid Chytraeus, the stone was already there in 1586 and was calledJaromirstein ("Jaromir's stone").[83] In the 18th century the slab was surrounded by the black painted inscriptionSanctus Vitus oder Svantevit ("St. Vitus or Svantevit"), nowadays almost completely erased. Chytraeus, following a local legend, believed the slab to be a representation of Svetovit – a belief that persisted in Rügen folk tradition until the 19th century.[83]
Some scholars believed that the slab was, for example, a reused tombstone[84] of some Christian, such asJaromir's brother,Tetzlav.[28] However, this is considered unlikely nowadays: the lack of Christian symbolism, the depreciative position (lying down, head down), and the horn and mustache, which were attributes of the god, indicate that this slab depicts Svetovit.[28][83]
In the context of Svetovit there is also a similar sized granite slab built into the outer wall ofSt Mary's Church in Bergen auf Rügen [Wikidata]. The slab carves a figure (the so-calledMonk) with folded arms on his chest in which he holds a cross. However, the cross is most likely located in place of a horn that had been carved earlier, analogous to the one in the Altenkirchen bas-relief.[85][83]
Nowadays there arereligious associations referring to theancient religion of the Slavs. The community that refers to the cult of Svetovit isNative Polish Church. Members of this religious association acknowledge the existence of thesupreme god (henotheism), which is Svetovit. In this context, this community refers to the words ofHelmold andProcopius according to which the Slavs knew the concept of the supreme god.[86]
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