Unveiling Slavic Myths - A Conversation With Noah And Svetlana

Slavic cultures are far-ranging, comprising East Slavs (Russia, Ukraine, Belarus), West Slavs (Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland) and South Slavs (the countries of former Yugoslavia plus Bulgaria), yet they are connected by tales of adventure and magic with deep roots in a common lore. In this first collection of Slavic myths for an international readership, Noah Charney and Svetlana Slapšak expertly weave together a retelling of the ancient stories with nuanced analysis that illuminates their place at the heart of Slavic tradition.
Though less familiar to us than the legends of ancient Egypt, Greece and Scandinavia, in the world of Slavic mythology we find much that we can recognize: petulant deities, demons and faeries; witches, the sinister vestica, whose magic may harm or heal; a supreme god who can summon storms and hurl thunderbolts. Gods gather under the World Tree, reminiscent of Norse mythology’s Yggdrasill; or, after the coming of Christianity, congregate among the clouds. The vampire - usually the only Serbo-Croatian word in any foreign-language dictionary - and the werewolf emerge from the shallow graves of Slavic belief.
In their careful analysis and sensitive reconstructions of the origin stories, Charney and Slapsak unearth the Slavic beliefs before their distortion first by Christian chroniclers and then by 19th-century scholars seeking origin stories for their new-born nation states. They reveal links not only to the neighbouring pantheons of Greece, Rome, Egypt and Scandinavia but also the belief systems of indigenous peoples of Australia, the Americas, Africa and Asia. In so doing, they draw out the universalities that cut across cultures in the stories we tell ourselves.
Noah Charney is an American art historian and internationally bestselling author of fiction (The Art Thief) and non-fiction (The Art of Forgery, The Collector of Lives and The Museum of Lost Art). Svetlana Slapsak is a leading specialist in Balkan studies and award-winning essayist who has published more than eighty books. She won the American PEN Freedom of Expression Award in 1993 and was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2005. Both Charney and Slapsak live in Slovenia.
- BUY THE BOOK HERE -
Slavic Myths, written by Noah Charney & Svetlana Slapšak,
published by Thames and Hudson
thamesandhudson.com/the-slavi...
- CHAPTERS -
00:00 Intro
0:46 What Is Your Book About? Myths? Creatures? Mysteries?
4:50 What Was The Writing Process Like?
8:14 Slavic History With a New Layer
11:40 Links To Classical Myths In The Book
14:58 The History of Vampires And Werewolves
19:25 The Most Important Part Of Slavic Mythology In Daily Life
22:35 Outro
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[@user-th1ci7rx9g]

Excellent overview of Slavic mythology. Praise to the author for preparing and leading the show and to the guests for their expertise. A small addition - in order to understand the Slavic past, it is necessary to look at history from a different angle. It is necessary to look at the theory (which has more and more evidence) that the Slavs are autochthonous in the countries they still inhabit today - there were no migrations. This is the only way to solve the Slavic puzzle.

[@WorldHistoryEncyclopedia]

Thank you so much for your kind words and feedback. 😊

[@Davlavi]

Love learning about new books

[@WorldHistoryEncyclopedia]

So do we! It's always good to add new books to you 'to read' list. 😊

[@crisandwar]

This is a fascinating topic and it's a plaisure listening to you all, thank you!!😍

[@WorldHistoryEncyclopedia]

Thank you so much for your kind words. 😊

[@ForbiddenHistoryLIVE]

THANK YOU KELLY GREAT INTERVIEW & TOPIC
Peace & Enlyghtenment Alwayz
Dezert-Owl

[@WorldHistoryEncyclopedia]

Thank you for your continued support! 😊

[@katamattyon]

First

[@macunsolicitied]

Slavic myths are underrated. Greek, Irish, Welsh, Chinese and Japanese mythology get too much attention.

[@WorldHistoryEncyclopedia]

There are so many fascinating mythologies out there. We're hoping that we can explore more. Thanks for watching!