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For centuries, Slavic cultures have woven rich tales where dogs are much more than pets, they are spiritual guardians, shape-shifting beings, and guides between worlds.
These fascinating dog myths in Slavic folklore reveal how our ancestors viewed the loyal canines by their sides, seeing in them a connection to divine forces and the mysterious underworld.
š Read the full article at Doggozila Magazine on the link below: š
https://doggozila.com/dog-myths-in-slavic-folklore/
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0:00
You know that feeling you get with your
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dog that the bond you have is special,
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almost magical? Well, what if it
0:07
actually was? Today, we're going to dive
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deep into Slavic folklore, a world where
0:12
dogs were so much more than pets. They
0:14
were guardians of the spirit realm
0:16
itself. All right, let's just jump right
0:19
in with a question. I bet this has
0:20
happened to a lot of you. You're at
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home, everything's quiet, and all of a
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sudden, your dog starts barking at well,
0:27
nothing. an empty corner, a blank wall.
0:31
Kind of weird, right? We usually just
0:33
write it off. You know, maybe they heard
0:34
something we didn't. But what if it was
0:36
something more? You see, for ancient
0:40
Slavic people, that bark wasn't random
0:42
at all. It was a signal. And this quote
0:44
really sums it up perfectly. It was a
0:47
warning from the spirit realm. This is
0:49
the whole idea we're unpacking today.
0:51
That dogs have one paw in our world and
0:53
another in a world we can't even see.
0:56
So, let's start right there. inside the
0:58
home. Because the first huge role for
1:00
dogs in these myths wasn't just as a
1:03
physical guard against burglars, but as
1:05
a spiritual protector against forces
1:07
humans couldn't even perceive. And this
1:10
really gets to the core of it. It's all
1:11
about perspective. We see a dog acting
1:14
weird. Our Slavic ancestors, they saw a
1:17
high-tech spiritual alarm system going
1:19
off. The belief was that dogs had this
1:22
kind of sixth sense, an ability to see
1:24
malevolent spirits or bad vibes long
1:26
before they could cause any harm. And
1:28
this wasn't just some vague idea. It was
1:30
a job description with real duties. Your
1:33
dog was there to sense these threats and
1:35
actively fight them off. They were a
1:37
living, breathing security system
1:39
against the invisible. And I think it's
1:41
fascinating that they were seen as
1:42
special protectors for the most
1:44
vulnerable people like pregnant women
1:46
and babies who were believed to be extra
1:48
susceptible to dark forces. This belief
1:51
was so real it was woven into huge life
1:53
events like moving. There was an actual
1:55
ritual for it. You wouldn't even step
1:57
inside your new home until the dog gave
1:59
it the all clear. If the dog went in and
2:01
was totally relaxed, great. The house
2:03
was safe. But if it whined or straight
2:05
up refused to go in, whoa, that was a
2:07
huge red flag that the place had some
2:09
bad juju. It just shows you how much
2:11
they trusted their dog's instincts. And
2:14
the dog wasn't working alone. In a lot
2:16
of Russian and Ukrainian folklore, you
2:18
have the doavoy. This was a friendly
2:20
spirit that lived in the house and
2:22
protected the family. And here's the
2:23
cool part. The doavoy and the family dog
2:25
were seen as buddies, as allies. So if
2:28
your dog was happy and chill, that was a
2:30
good sign that your household spirit was
2:32
happy, too. and that the whole spiritual
2:33
vibe of your home was in perfect
2:35
balance. Okay, so from protecting the
2:38
home, the dog's role gets even bigger.
2:40
We're going from the household right up
2:42
to the heavens. We're talking about the
2:43
Slavic gods themselves and even into the
2:46
wild world of shape-shifting warriors.
2:48
So, first, let's meet Simmerglow. Now,
2:51
this was not just any spirit hound. This
2:53
was a literal god, a divine winged dog
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that was a key player in the Slavic
2:58
pantheon. Just picture that for a
3:00
second. A creature with all the loyalty
3:01
and faithfulness of a dog, but with the
3:03
divine power of the heavens. That just
3:05
shows you the level of respect they had
3:07
for the canine spirit. And Simmerg's job
3:10
was, well, cosmic. It guarded the world
3:13
tree, the very center of the universe.
3:16
It acted as a messenger between the gods
3:17
and humanity. Its protection was even
3:20
tied to making sure crops grew. I mean,
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to be worshiped right alongside huge
3:24
gods like Peroon, the god of thunder,
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that tells you everything you need to
3:28
know about how important this dog deity
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was. And this isn't just a cool story.
3:33
This is history. We have real context.
3:36
Around the year 980 AD, Prince Vladimir
3:39
the Great of Keev put up these big
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statues to the most important Slavic
3:42
gods. And guess who was right there with
3:44
them? Simaral. That act pretty much
3:47
cemented the winged hounds place at the
3:49
top of the spiritual ladder. But if
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Simargo was the divine heavenly side of
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the dog, the god Velis was its primal
3:58
wild side. Vellis was this powerful
4:01
complicated god of the underworld and
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magic. And he was a master shape-
4:05
shifter who often appeared as a wolf.
4:07
And right there you have the direct link
4:09
to werewolf legends and that raw untamed
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canine spirit. And this idea of
4:14
transformation, it wasn't just a myth,
4:17
it was a real practice. Archaeologists
4:19
have found evidence, especially at a
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site called Kresno Samarco, that
4:23
suggests young warriors went through
4:25
these intense initiation rituals to
4:28
essentially become wolves. The goal was
4:30
to tap into that wolf-like ferocity and
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primal instinct for battle, blurring the
4:34
line between man and beast to become the
4:36
ultimate protectors of their people. So,
4:38
we've gone from the home to the heavens,
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and now we arrive at what might be the
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most profound role of all. The dog is a
4:45
guide for the soul on its final journey
4:47
to the afterlife. The fancy term for
4:50
this is a psychop, which just means a
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guide of souls. And it makes so much
4:54
sense, right? Dogs are our guides in
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this life. They're loyal and they lead
4:58
the way. So, it was a totally natural
5:00
belief that they would do the same in
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the spiritual world, providing comfort
5:04
and a sense of direction when we need it
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most. This connection to death showed up
5:08
in all sorts of ways. A dog howling
5:10
right at the moment someone passed away,
5:12
that wasn't a coincidence. It was the
5:14
dog reacting to the soul leaving its
5:16
body. We even have historical records
5:18
from the 10th century from writers like
5:20
Iben Fodlon describing dogs being part
5:23
of funeral rituals. And get this, if a
5:25
random unknown dog joined a funeral
5:27
procession, it was seen as an incredibly
5:29
good omen, a sign that the soul was
5:31
being guided safely. Now, some dog
5:34
behaviors were also seen as omens that a
5:36
death was coming. But, and this is
5:39
really important, the dog was never
5:40
blamed. It was never seen as the cause.
5:43
It was just the messenger. The idea was
5:45
that its super sharp senses could
5:47
perceive the invisible processes of life
5:49
and death, and it was just trying to
5:50
warn its family about what it already
5:52
knew was on the way. Okay, so guardians,
5:56
gods, and guides. That's a lot of
5:58
ancient history, but what does it have
6:00
to do with the pup that might be
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sleeping at your feet right now? Well,
6:04
it turns out these ancient ideas are
6:07
still echoing today in some really
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surprising ways. You can literally draw
6:12
a straight line from these ancient
6:14
beliefs to modern culture. That myth of
6:16
the powerful guardian dog, it's alive
6:18
and well in the popularity of fierce
6:20
protector breeds like the Caucasian
6:22
Shepherd. The whole idea of dog sensing
6:24
monsters and spirits, it's a massive
6:27
part of the folklore in something as
6:28
huge as the Witcher books and games. And
6:30
the dog is a spiritual barometer. Well,
6:33
that's just our modern gut feeling when
6:35
our dog acts strange and we just know
6:37
something is off. And that's really the
6:39
bottom line, isn't it? Even if we don't
6:42
consciously believe in house spirits or
6:43
winged dog gods anymore, we still act on
6:46
that same intuition. We trust our dogs
6:49
senses. When they start acting strange,
6:51
we pay attention because some ancient
6:53
part of us still believes they can see
6:55
things that we can't. Ultimately, this
6:57
quote just says it all. Slavic folklore
7:00
wasn't just telling cool stories. It was
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creating a way to honor the deep
7:04
spiritual connection between us and our
7:06
dogs. They weren't just animals. They
7:08
were partners, companions, and
7:10
protectors in this world and in the
7:12
next. Which brings us right back to
7:14
where we began. The next time your dog
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just stops and stares intently into an
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empty corner, maybe don't just write it
7:20
off. Just for a second, pause and wonder
7:23
if these ancient myths were true. What
7:26
secrets does it know that you don't?
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Because whether you explain it through
7:30
science or through folklore, one thing
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feels absolutely true. Our dogs are more
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than just our pets. They are a living
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link to a very ancient and very magical
7:41
bond.