Our ancestors perceived fate not only as an inevitable sequence of events, but also as a force that manifested itself through deities and magical beings, guarding the grace and constant flow of time and the repetition of cyclical processes. The Slavs believed that their lives were woven into the fabric of the Universe and guided by powerful forces that determined not only their happiness and unhappiness, but also the natural order of the world.
In the religious ideas of the Slavic ancestors, the two goddesses DOLYA and NEDOLYA are often depicted, associated with the belief in a predetermined course or the fulfillment of a long-determined fate or action, simply with fate.
Dolya, otherwise known as Sercha – Happygirl - Fortune, was a beautiful maiden dressed in golden clothes, who brought luck, success, abundance and joy.
On the contrary, Nedolya, that is, Nesercha - Misfortune, appeared in the form of a hideous old woman and brought misfortune, anxiety and sorrow, often accompanied by plagues of diseases, misfortunes and accidents.
These two sisters were the daughters of the god USUD, who was perceived by the Slavs in the form of an old gray-haired grandfather with a long white beard, dressed in a brown-green robe, leaning on a stick and holding a thick book or a weaving boat in the other hand. Usud, the son of the goddess Mokosh, knows how and what was, but also how and what will happen, because he is the one who weaves the endless tapestry of life and writes the books of fate.
According to Slavic beliefs, the tapestry of fate was woven from threads spun by Dolya, Nedolya, and Mokosh herself, the three Slavic fate goddesses known as the ROZHANICAS - judges. Fate woven into such a tapestry was generally unchangeable, though it was believed that on rare occasions, the rozhanicas could rearrange the threads of fate, causing what was woven in advance does not happen in the end.
. Other goddesses, such as Lada, Zhiva, and even Morena, were also considered to be rozhanicas – judges and fate deities. It was believed that these three, seven, or even twelve fate goddesses would come after the birth of a child to assign its characteristics and destiny. To ensure their prophecy was favorable, a feast was arranged after the the cleansing ceremony ritual, where a table with a ceremonial feast was prepared for them.
At the head of the rozhanicas stood the goddess Mokosh herself, whom the Slavs regarded not only as the goddess of the Earth but also of fate and prophecy. Mokosh was the keeper of the eternal cycle of planting, ripening, and harvest and was also closely tied to time and destiny.
