Last week we talked about the dark Zmora/Mora/Kikimora, but this Slavic Saturday, it’s the day before Valentine’s Day. That calls for a lighter topic. So, we’re going over the goddess of love in Slavic mythology: Łada (also known as Lada – not the car – or Лада).
(June 2021 Updated) Note: If you enjoy Slavic mythology, check out A Dagger in the Winds, the first book in my Slavic fantasy series called The Frostmarked Chronicles. You can also join my monthly newsletter for updates and free novellas (such as the prequel, The Rider in the Night) set in the world of the series.
Łada’s Role and Doubts About Her
In Slavic mythology, it is often spring that is talked about as the important turning point of the year. Whether it was Vesna, Żywia, Jaryło/Jarilo, or Dziewanna, there were various gods connected to the coming of spring and the defeat of the winter goddess, Marzanna/Morana. The focus is so heavily on the conflict between spring and winter that summer is less frequently mentioned.
This makes Łada’s role as goddess of summer an interesting one. Her primary roles are much more as the goddess of love and fertility, but she is sometimes shown with a sun-like element. In some regions of Russia and then also the Baltic areas, she was also compared to Freyja – the Norse goddess of love. This connection between summer and love makes sense within the Slavic pagan calendar, as there were many spring and summer fertility festivals, such as Kupala Night/Noc Kupały.
Folk songs also mention Łada, particularly in Russia, and debates have occurred over whether her name is simply part of those folk songs or whether she is an actual goddess. I won’t dive into those debates, as they aren’t quite settled, though there are some who say she did have cults throughout Slavic tribes.
Connections with Other Gods
Primarily, Łada is thought to be the wife of Swaróg/Svarog, the eldest god in Slavic mythology. By such a marriage, she is often considered the mother of Perun – god of thunder – but familial relations in Slavic mythology vary heavily by region, and it is even claimed she is Perun’s wife (though far less commonly).
Along with her role of summer, some tales say she is like many gods of spring, going to the underworld of Nawia/Nav in winter and returning in the spring. In her case, this is said to be because of the infidelity of Swaróg, which is a similar tale to that of Marzanna and Jaryło. She goes to Weles/Veles, god of the underworld, during this time.
Some folk songs that mention Łada include another name, “Lado,” and assumptions have resulted about such a god as her divine twin. Such a god, however, is even more debatable than the worship of Łada.
There are also tales in Poland of Łada being the mother of divine twins named Lel and Polel. The existence of a regional cult dedicated to this pair seems more likely, but there, again, is debate and a lack of primary sources.
Appearance
Łada is like most fertility goddesses in appearance. She is shown as a full-bodied mother, sometimes similarly to Mokosz/Mokosh (the Great Mother). Folk songs describe her with golden blonde hair, braided like a wreath crown on her head.
In The Frostmarked Chronicles
Because of Łada’s appearance in Polish mythology (which is the core root of my Slavic fantasy series), the goddess appears as the wife of Swaróg in my books. She, like her husband, is more removed in the stories, allowing younger generations of gods to fulfill many of the roles she holds. That being said, her role of love is crucial around the festivals of the story’s tribes, and, later on, she may decide to become more involved as her grandchildren quarrel.
That’s all for this week’s Slavic Saturday. Be sure to keep a lookout for more posts next week, and if you haven’t seen the full series of posts, be sure to check them out.
*As always just a quick disclaimer. Slavic mythology is broad and not written in many if any primary sources, so there’s a variety of interpretations. The interpretations I’m using here are from the sources I’ve found to be reliable.