After last week’s post about the Dragon of Wawel Hill, we’re continuing our series of dragons this Slavic Saturday with the Żmij (also known as Zmey/Змей, Zmei, Zmaj/Змај, Zmiy Змій), a popular form of the beasts from Slavic folktales and mythology. In other posts we’ll go into more details about named Żmije from across folktales, […]
Żmij/Zmey – Dragons of Slavic Mythology – Slavic Saturday Read More »
After last week’s cover reveal of my fantasy novel A Dagger in the Winds and the previous post on a beaked dragon called the Aspid, we’re continuing our series of dragons this Slavic Saturday with one from Polish folklore: the Wawel Dragon (known in Polish as Smok Wawelski). (June 2021 Updated) Note: If you enjoy
Wawel Dragon/Smok Wawelski – Polish Legendary Dragon – Slavic Mythology Saturday Read More »
After last week’s step aside for the cover reveal of my prequel novella The Rider in the Night and the previous post on the four-headed god Svetovid/Świętowit, we’re starting a series of dragons this Slavic Saturday with one that has been depicted in multiple ways – the Aspid. (June 2021 Updated) Note: If you enjoy
Aspid – Slavic Snake & Bird-like Dragon – Slavic Mythology Saturday Read More »
After last week’s post about the three-headed god Triglav/Trzygłów, this Slavic Saturday it felt natural to add another head. Today, we’ll be talking about Svetovid/Świętowit, but like his three-headed counterpart, we’ll find that Świętowit’s story is a complex one. (Other names for the god include Sventovit, Svantovit, Svantevit, Svyentovit, Svantovit, Swietowit, Svevid, Святовит, and Световид)
Svetovid/Świętowit – Slavic Four-Headed God – Slavic Mythology Saturday Read More »
After last week’s post about the holiday Śmigus-dyngus, this week, Slavic Saturday returns to gods within Slavic mythology with one whose role (or even worship) is debated often. Trzygłów, or Triglav, is claimed to be a three-headed god (or combination of gods. We’ll talk about those stories and compare them with other parts of Slavic
Triglav/Trzygłów – Slavic Three-Headed God – Slavic Mythology Saturday Read More »
Xobas (pronounced Kohbahs) is one of the first characters we meet in A Dagger in the Winds. There was something fun about writing the first non-POV character as a foreigner to the tribe (he is a former commander with the nomadic Clan of Simuk). He brings practical opinions from the view of an outsider and
Meet Xobas – A Dagger in the Winds Read More »
Today, I wanted to share the map for A Dagger in the Winds and talk a bit about the tribes and clans that we will meet within the series. Our story in A Dagger in the Winds begins in the forested capital village of the Tribe of Krowik – Dwie Rzeki. Its name, quite literally
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After taking last week to do a Q&A, this week, Slavic Saturday returns with an early Slavic spring festival that has been brought into modern celebrations on Easter Monday – Śmigus-dyngus (known among Polish-Americans as Dyngus Day or alternately in Poland as Lany Poniedziałek). There are similar holidays throughout the Slavic nations: Oblévačka in the
Śmigus-dyngus/Dyngus Day – Polish Spring Holiday – Slavic Saturday Read More »
After last week’s post about Marzanna/Morana, the Slavic goddess of the winter, we return to demons this Slavic Saturday with the Południca – a demon of noon (also known as the Poludnitsa/Полудница, Poludnica, Noonwraith, and Lady Midday). (June 2021 Updated) Note: If you enjoy Slavic mythology, check out A Dagger in the Winds, the first
Południca/Poludnitsa/Noonwraith – Slavic Demon of Noon – Slavic Mythology Saturday Read More »
Today is the spring equinox. So after last week’s post about (one) spring goddess, Dziewanna/Devana, we’re talking this Slavic Saturday about the goddess whose death is celebrated on the equinox: Marzanna – goddess of winter, pestilence, and death (also known as Morana, Morena/Морана, Marena/Марена, Mara/Мара). (June 2021 Updated) Note: If you enjoy Slavic mythology, check