- published: 14 Sep 2009
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Sventevith, Sventovid (Russian and Bulgarian, and alternative name in Serbo-Croatian), incorrectly, Światowit among other names, is the Slavic deity of war, fertility and abundance, sometimes referred to as Beli (or Byali) Vid, Beli = white, bright, shining.
He always carries his sword (sometimes bow) in one hand, and in the other a drinking horn. Svetovid had a white horse which was kept in his temple and taken care of by priests. It was believed Svantevit rode this horse in battle. The horse was used for divination. Victory in battle, merchant travels and a successful harvest all depended on Svantevit.
Many of modern researchers see Svetovid as a Rugian counterpart of the all-Slavic Perun common in Slavic mythology.
Svetovid is associated with war and divination and depicted as a four-headed god with two heads looking forward and two back. A statue portraying the god shows him with four heads, each one looking in a separate direction, a symbolical representation of the four directions of the compass, and also perhaps the four seasons of the year. Each face had a specific colour. The northern face of this totem was white (hence Byelorus and the White Sea), the western, red (hence Chervona Rus'), the southern, black (hence the Black Sea) and the eastern, green (hence Zelenyj klyn).