It is certainly the secret of power over fire that has moved man in his development. Fire became an integral part of his life and, like earth, water and air, became sacred. Our Slavic ancestors held fire in great reverence and considered it alive and magical.
Like many other ancient peoples, the element of fire was associated with the sun, and thus with the sun god Svarozhich Dazhbog, but, the true origin of fire was SVAROG, the celestial blacksmith and creator of the Universe. Svarog, appearing as a robust flaming man dressed in a blacksmith's apron, wielding enormous blacksmith's hammers and tongs, handed over power and dominion over earthly fire to Svarozhich Simarigl.
SIMARIGL, the two-headed god or twin god, is described as a powerful warrior with wild red hair and beard, clad in red armor, armed with a flaming sword. He rode a fiery steed with a blazing mane and silver coat and was constantly accompanied by a firebird. His duality symbolizes the unpredictability of fire and its dual nature, both good and bad.
The fire element, in addition to the gift of light and heat, was considered protective, cleansing, as well as healing. Naturally, it was used for conjuring, divination and inducing ecstatic states. For the ancestors, fire was an integral part of almost all rituals and religious ceremonies. The flames, whether bonfires, torches or candle flames, were lit as protectors against the arrival of dark forces and against devastating natural disasters. Protective flames also burned on the coffins of the deceased and during wedding rituals.
Our ancestors showed reverence to sacred fire and everyday fire in the home hearth by offering sacrifices to the flames. By throwing a offerings into the flames, respect was shown not only to the fire itself, but also to gain the affection of fiery magical beings or the gods themselves. The sacrifice for the fire most often took the form of bread or other food, but also weapons and and precious items.
During the winter solstice, an offering called BADIK was prepared for the fire, which was a log coated in honey, sprinkled with poppy seeds and nuts, and adorned with dried fruit or pieces of sweet pastry.
The magical power of fire came from its dual nature - ferocity and hunger, but also the ability to transmit the powers of heat and light. The ability of fire to absorb disease, curse, darkness, evil and at the same time transform these forces into healing, cleansing, protective and strengthening ones was used in magical ceremonies. These rituals aimed to remove hostile forces or spells, ensure health, abundance, and protection from attacks by dark magical beings, witches, and sorcerers, as well as from various other misfortunes or thefts.
The most famous purification and protection ceremonies, which have been preserved to this day, are jumping over the flames of the sacred fire and going around the fields and farms with burning torches.
Another common way of using the magical powers of fire was fuming, where the smoke of the sacred fire had the same properties as the flame itself. In addition to flames and smoke, glowing coals were also used. Walking or dancing barefoot on embers was both a cleansing and initiation ritual. Glowing coals thrown into water, combining the magical power of fire and water, were believed to remove curses. This practice has transformed in modern times into throwing matchstick coals into water.
One magical practice of our ancestors to transfer the properties of fire to various objects was to symbolically depict flames, sparks, or smoke on them. Often, this was achieved simply by using the color red. The red embroidery on the garment was supposed to provide firepower and protection to its wearer.
