Old Slavic Pagan Religion: Problems of Systematization of the Primary Sources

Abstract

The article examines the state of primary sources on the early medieval Slavic paganism and the prospects for its reconstruction. The cultural and social reasons for the skeptical attitude in the research community towards such reconstructions are identified. The weaknesses of the reconstructions themselves are also noted, primarily the problematic nature of the very perception of “Old Slavic paganism” as an integral system widespread throughout the Slavic world. It’s pointed out that there is need to systematize the available primary source material, primarily in the form of creating a scientific annotated corpus of all available medieval sources. As an example, the latest experience of a such publication undertaken by Spanish researchers is considered and its shortcomings are pointed out. It’s emphasized that there is the need to work on similar publications in the Slavic countries themselves. The fragmentation of primary sources about the Slavic pre-Christian religion is illustrated by a detailed review of source data from the 5th-8th centuries, the only period when we can talk about a “common Slavic” culture. The sources of this period create an idea of a rather complex system of religious ideas, which, however, is doomed to remain mostly unknown to science.