maradcyr: slavic deities: morena Morena, also known as Morė in Lithuanian and Marzanna in Polis

maradcyr:

slavic deities:morena

Morena, also known as Morė in Lithuanian and Marzanna in Polish, is the Slavic goddess of sorcery, death, winter and nightmares. The end of winter was celebrated using an effigy of Morena, which was burned along with herbs and cast into a river on first spring day in March. It was believed that touching the effigy once it was in the water, looking back at the effigy or falling on your way home would bring sickness and plague. The ritual represented the end of the dark days of winter, the victory over death, and the welcoming of the spring rebirth.