Norse
Odin
wisdom, poetry, war
Svantevit
Also: Sventovit, Svetovid
Slavic tradition. See the whole pantheon.
- Domains
- war, fertility, divination
- Symbols and attributes
- Four heads; horn; white horse
Key myth
At Arkona on Rügen, Saxo says the temple held a huge four-headed statue holding a horn of mead, which priests used to predict the harvest. The Danish king Valdemar destroyed the temple in 1168.
Where sources differ or caution applies. Whether Svantevit was a sun god or war god is argued; Saxo links him to St Vitus.
Primary sources
- Saxo Grammaticus, Gesta Danorum XIV
- Helmold, Chronica Slavorum
Place in the family graph
More traditions
Elsewhere in the world
Deities in other traditions who share a theme with Svantevit: war and fighting, the sun and light, earth, harvest and fertility. This is overlap in one area only.