According to the religious beliefs of the Slavs, power over time, the changing of seasons, and the order of the movement of celestial bodies was entrusted to a deity named Planetary. This deity was perceived as a bald old man with a long white beard, cloaked in a black coat. He often held an hourglass or a lantern in his hands. He was also commonly called POREBOG or Timegod. It was he who determined when the equinoxes, solstices, and all significant sacred days would occur.
His helpers are the so-called TWELVE MONTHS. These twelve elders, according to legend, sit atop the sacred mountain Altyr and take turns on the throne, ensuring the constant cycle of the year.
Porebog ensured that one of the THREE SOLAR RIDERS appeared in the sky at the right time. The first, the guardian of dawn, SAINTVITUS, rode a white horse; the second, DAZHBOG himself, rode a golden horse; and the third rider DIY, bringing darkness, rode a black horse.
He was also responsible for the phases of the moon to give the right rhythm to life. He passed the scepter to the goddesses ZHIVA – for summer, and MORENA – for winter. Over time, two more seasons were added, so the scepter was also passed to the goddesses VESNA – for spring, and OSENH – for autumn.
In addition to female deities, these solar periods were also associated with the divine incarnations of the sun god Dazhbog. KOYADA is his incarnation as the infant god of the winter sun. As the spring sun, Dazhbog incarnates in a divine young man named YARILO. When the year culminates in the summer solstice, his next incarnation, the god KUPALO, emerges. Before winter comes, SAINTVITUS, who is also his incarnation, sits on the solar throne.
For Slavic ancestors, the day began with the appearance of a goddess ZORA, sometimes also called Zorniczka or Morning star. This beautiful daughter of the dark god of the night, Diya, used to be dressed in a glowing yellow-red robes.
Dawn is often the time by which heroic tasks must be completed Dawn is often the time to complete or dark forces overcome. Sunset, on the other hand, was the time when dark beings began to come to life. In the past, children were terrified that if they wandered after dark, TWILIGHT HAG - SUMRACZNICZA would come for them. Though she is as beautiful and similarly dressed as Zora, but she has an evil and dark nature.
Another magical moment was the appearance of the first star in the night sky. She was personified by another daughter of Diy called EVENING STAR - VECZERNICZA. She was described as a beautiful being, embodying feminine beauty. She used to be gentle and helpful to people.
In contrast, one of the magical beings called NIGHT HAG, her sister MIDNIGHT HAG - POLNOCZNICZA, dressed in a black dress embroidered with silver threads, personified the magical moment when the power of darkness peaked – midnight. Like Twilight hag, Midnight hag is not friendly to humans. Often, as the wife of Death, her appearance signaled the arrival of the moment of death.
Her time counterpart is a magical being called NOON HAG - POLUDNICA, who, although she is the daughter of Dazhbog, was not the embodiment of good. It was said that she appeared in the field as a as a hunchbacked old woman, sometimes transformed into a beautiful maiden with a sickle in her hand, meant to punish those working at noon. She used to be accompanied by a pack of seven black dogs.
A bad omen was also the appearance of her son as a pale, haggard figure of a boy dressed only in a white tattered shirt, called WARLOCK of NOON - POLUDNICZOK.
