How the Winter Came to have a Beginning and an End

“Gather around, children, near the flame, but not too near, lest your pants catch fire and then I will hear no end of it from your mothers. Let me tell you a festive story, about why we celebrate this holiday when the night is longest and the cold hard weather begins. Let me tell you how Svarog outsmarted Morana.

Now, you may think that it is during the warm summer that Morana sleeps in her frosty castle, far, far away in the North, dreaming of endless wintertime and a world frozen over. But it is in the darkest time of the year, on this very night, when she is the strongest that Morana goes to sleep. On that night she sends forth all the snow and all the cold wind for the winter ahead, and exhausted, she reclines back in her ice throne and falls into slumber, her energy spent. That is why this is the time when our ancestors can come pay a visit to us, and we leave milk and honeycakes for them — and not for you, Jaro. And this is also when Svarog, the Sun, can leave the underworld and the sordid company of Volos to be reborn again and bring us forth a new year.

And how did this arrangement come to be, you may ask? Well, you see, Morana once ruled all the world. All rivers and lakes were frozen, and land was hard and covered with snow as high as Pribislav here. I know, that is not very high, but just imagine having that much snow all the time, and not the good snowball kind, but rather more like ice crushed and hardened into layers upon layers.

All Slavi people suffered very much during that time, and Svarog saw this, on rare days when Morana’s veil of clouds and mists was thin, and he felt pity and he sought to bring warmth to the people and drive the cold winter away.

Svarog flew to Morana’s frosty castle, and the Ice Queen welcomed him, as a host should welcome a guest, and gave him dinner, and a bed to sleep. But Svarog suggested a game of riddling, to pass the long evening. “Oh, but a game should be played for a stake, or else it is not amusing”, said Morana to that, and Svarog readily agreed. “But what should we wager?” wondered Morana. “Why not this”, said Svarog, “If I win, I ask you to relent and allow warmth back into the world — only for a day; and if you win, I will serve you every night, watching over your kingdom as you sleep.” Morana laughed and said “Agreed. I will riddle you first”, for Morana was the one who said the first riddle, and this was her favorite game, and this riddle she said to Svarog:

I am black and I am red

To every able man I’m wed

What am I?

Can you guess the answer? How about you, Pribislav? No? Anyone? Well, Svarog didn’t know the answer either! And that is how he was bound to serve Morana every night, spending time in the underworld. But you see, he was wise in his wager; whenever Morana would fall asleep, he could come out and shine his warmth on the world, and slowly thaw it, bringing forth summer, ending winter.

And that is why, when Morana seems strongest, it is the time of joy! So, eat, children, there are honey cakes for you, and tonight much meat will be served and the red blood of oxen will shine bright on Svarog’s visage! Joy!”

Can you guess the answer to this old South Slavic riddle? Ask for the answer on our Discord channel anytime during the holidays! Seasons greetings to all from the CL Team!