The Slavic Myths

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A Pulitzer-nominated author and one of the great public intellectuals of Slavic culture bring to life the unfamiliar myths and legends of the Slavic world

As night draws in, a werewolf stalks the hills, a rusalka emerges from a shimmering lake and the feathers of a firebird glow, flicker and burst into flames...

Slavic cultures are far-ranging, yet they are connected by tales of adventure and magic with deep roots in a common lore. In this collection of Slavic myths, Noah Charney and Svetlana Slapšak expertly weave together a retelling of the ancient stories with nuanced analysis that not only illuminates their place at the heart of Slavic tradition, but also draws out the universalities that cut across cultures in the stories we tell ourselves.

Within the myths we find a cast of characters to rival Greek and Roman mythology, from the divine lovers Rozanica and Rod, who created the world, to the supreme god Perun, who summons the power of storms to hurl lightning bolts from the sky. Here are the origins of the vampire and the werewolf, and the sinister veštica, or witch – the most famous of whom, Baba Yaga, prowls the plains in her chicken-footed house, spoiling crops and stealing children.
Extent: 240 pp
Format: Paperback
Illustrations: 38
Publication date: 2025-07-03
Size: 19.8 x 12.9 cm
ISBN: 9780500298626
Introduction: The Slav Epic: How the 19th Century Established Slavic Mythology
“Black Butterfly” • Vampires • “At Stake” • Werewolves • “Threshold” • Libuse and Women at the Threshold • “Do Not Weep” • Don’t Mess with a Goddess: Three Versions of the Great Goddess Among the Slavs • “Ilya Muromets in Defense of Kiev” • Perun: The Supreme God in Heaven and the Heroes on Earth • “The Waterman” • Creatures of the Waters • “Firebird” • Slavic Magic: Spells, Magicians, Enchanted Animals, Plants and Treasures • Conclusion

Press Reviews

Combines analysis with celebration, context with storytelling, academic debate with new versions of some of the great folktales which emerged long, long ago from the crucible of the Carpathian Mountains ... a welcome entree into the intricate world of Slavic mythology, with plenty of esoteric facts to get your teeth into, stories to be read aloud at the witching hour, and memorable back-and-white woodcut illustrations
Sir Christopher Frayling

Delightfully dark and whimsical, this collection of eight folk tales from Slavic mythology unearths the bones of the original stories, boldly forcing us to question what we know about a mostly oral tradition that has been silenced for far too long
Olesya Salnikova Gilmore, author of THE WITCH AND THE TSAR

A compelling and illuminating introduction to Slavic mythology, through a rich medley of stories, discussion and striking illustrations
Sophie Anderson, author of THE HOUSE WITH CHICKEN LEGS

[An] elegant work of folklore and ethnography ... enhanced by ominous woodcut-style illustrations
Wall Street Journal

About the Authors

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.

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