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Slavic paganism, encompassing its religious beliefs and practices, primarily refers to the period after the Christianization of the Slavs, specifically from the 14th century onwards.
Answer: False
Explanation: Slavic paganism refers to the religious beliefs and practices of the Slavs *before* their Christianization, which occurred between the 8th and 13th centuries, not after the 14th century.
Procopius of Caesarea, a 6th-century Byzantine historian, observed that the Slavs and Antes believed in fate and did not worship rivers or nymphs.
Answer: False
Explanation: Procopius of Caesarea noted that the Slavs and Antes did *not* believe in fate and *did* worship rivers and nymphs, offering sacrifices to them.
Al-Masudi, an Arab historian, characterized the paganism of the Slavs and Rus' as being aligned with reason.
Answer: True
Explanation: Al-Masudi, an Arab historian, explicitly equated the paganism of the Slavs and Rus' with reason, observing its application in legal judgments.
Modern scholars primarily rely on original Slavic mythological texts to understand and reconstruct Slavic paganism.
Answer: False
Explanation: Modern scholars primarily rely on secondary sources, archaeological findings, and comparative methods to reconstruct Slavic paganism, due to the absence of original Slavic mythological texts.
Boris Rybakov is known for his work synthesizing medieval ecclesiastical texts with archaeological data and folk practices to create a coherent picture of ancient Slavic religion.
Answer: True
Explanation: Boris Rybakov is recognized for his significant contribution to the study of ancient Slavic religion through his synthesis of medieval ecclesiastical texts, archaeological data, and folk practices.
The linguistic unity and minimal dialectal differentiation of the Slavs before the first millennium CE suggest a consistent early Slavic religion.
Answer: True
Explanation: The linguistic unity and minimal dialectal differentiation among Slavs until the end of the first millennium CE, along with lexical uniformity in religious vocabulary, serve as evidence for a consistent early Slavic religion.
Slavic religion is considered less conservative and further removed from the Proto-Indo-European religion compared to other Indo-European traditions.
Answer: False
Explanation: Slavic religion is considered *more* conservative and closer to the purported original Proto-Indo-European religion than other Indo-European traditions, largely because it remained a popular religion rather than being re-elaborated by intellectual elites.
Which historical period does Slavic paganism primarily encompass?
Answer: Between the 8th and 13th centuries, before Christianization
Explanation: Slavic paganism primarily encompasses the religious beliefs and practices of the Slavs before their Christianization, which occurred in various stages between the 8th and 13th centuries.
Which Byzantine historian from the 6th century described the Slavs and Antes as believing in one god, the creator of lightning?
Answer: Procopius of Caesarea
Explanation: Procopius of Caesarea, a 6th-century Byzantine historian, described the Slavs and Antes as believing in one god, the creator of lightning.
Which of the following is NOT an ancient Russian literary source produced against paganism?
Answer: 'Paganism of the Ancient Slavs'
Explanation: 'Paganism of the Ancient Slavs' is a modern scholarly work by Boris Rybakov, not an ancient Russian literary source produced against paganism. The other options are listed as such sources.
Which scholar is noted for synthesizing medieval ecclesiastical texts with archaeological data and folk practices to elaborate a coherent picture of ancient Slavic religion?
Answer: Boris Rybakov
Explanation: Boris Rybakov is specifically noted for his comprehensive synthesis of medieval ecclesiastical texts, archaeological data, and folk practices to construct a coherent understanding of ancient Slavic religion.
What evidence suggests a consistent early Slavic religion?
Answer: Linguistic unity and lexical uniformity of religious vocabulary
Explanation: The linguistic unity and minimal dialectal differentiation of the Slavs until the end of the first millennium CE, along with the lexical uniformity of religious vocabulary, serve as evidence for a consistent early Slavic religion.
Slavic religion is considered valuable for understanding other Indo-European beliefs because it is thought to be:
Answer: More conservative and closer to the original Proto-Indo-European religion
Explanation: Slavic religion is considered more conservative and closer to the purported original Proto-Indo-European religion than other Indo-European traditions, making it invaluable for understanding broader Indo-European beliefs.
Which Arab historian equated the paganism of the Slavs and Rus' with reason?
Answer: Al-Masudi
Explanation: The Arab historian Al-Masudi is noted for characterizing the paganism of the Slavs and Rus' as being aligned with reason.
Which of the following scholars is NOT listed as having significantly contributed to the study of ancient Slavic religion in the 20th century?
Answer: Vladimir Putin
Explanation: The provided source lists numerous 20th-century scholars who contributed to the study of ancient Slavic religion, but Vladimir Putin is not among them.
The 'Tale of Bygone Years' indicates that Vladimir Svyatoslavich's pagan sanctuary in Kiev included idols of Perun, Khors Dazhbog, Stribog, Simargl, and Mokosh.
Answer: True
Explanation: According to the 'Tale of Bygone Years,' Vladimir Svyatoslavich's pagan sanctuary in Kiev featured idols of Perun, Khors Dazhbog, Stribog, Simargl, and Mokosh.
The Indo-European term for the supreme God of Heaven, *Dyeus*, was preserved and widely used in Slavic religious vocabulary.
Answer: False
Explanation: The Indo-European term for the supreme God of Heaven, *Dyeus*, was eliminated in Slavic religious vocabulary, replaced by the term for 'sky' (Nebo).
Marija Gimbutas proposed that Slavic religion exhibited a clear overlap of Indo-European themes with ancient religious themes, particularly the devotion to Mat Syra Zemlya.
Answer: True
Explanation: Marija Gimbutas proposed that Slavic religion demonstrated a clear overlap of Indo-European themes with ancient religious themes, particularly the widespread devotion to Mat Syra Zemlya, the 'Damp Mother Earth.'
Helmold's 'Chronica Slavorum' states that Slavs believed in multiple supreme gods, each governing a specific aspect of nature.
Answer: False
Explanation: Helmold's 'Chronica Slavorum' attested that the Slavs believed in a *single* heavenly God who begot all lesser spirits, not multiple supreme gods.
Boris Rybakov identified the 'six-petaled rose inside a circle' as a symbol of the supreme life-giver Rod.
Answer: True
Explanation: Boris Rybakov's studies indicated that the 'six-petaled rose inside a circle,' along with 'thunder marks,' were symbols of the supreme life-giver Rod.
Belobog and Chernobog represented a cosmic duality of good and evil, with Belobog being the 'Black God' and Chernobog the 'White God'.
Answer: False
Explanation: Belobog ('White God') and Chernobog ('Black God') represented a cosmic duality, but Belobog was the 'White God' and Chernobog was the 'Black God,' not the other way around.
The Slavs believed the world was inhabited solely by household spirits like the *domovoy*, with no belief in spirits of waters or forests.
Answer: False
Explanation: The Slavs believed the world was inhabited by a variety of spirits, including those of waters (mavka, rusalka), forests (lisovyk), fields (polyovyk), households (domovoy), and others associated with illnesses, luck, and ancestors.
The Leshy, a woodland spirit, was believed to distribute food to hunters, and its worship persisted into the early 20th century in Russia.
Answer: True
Explanation: The Leshy, an important woodland spirit, was believed to distribute food to hunters and later became a god of flocks and herds, with its worship enduring in Russia into the early 20th century.
Ancestral worship, or 'manism,' was a minor aspect of Slavic religion, as Slavs did not keep genealogical records.
Answer: False
Explanation: Ancestral worship, or 'manism,' was a highly significant aspect of Slavic religion, despite the absence of formal genealogical records.
The moon (Mesyats) was regarded as a female star-god, while the sun (Solntse) was considered male in Slavic belief.
Answer: False
Explanation: In Slavic belief, the moon (Mesyats) was regarded as a male star-god, and the sun (Solntse) was considered female, which is the opposite of the statement.
Perun's name derives from an Indo-European root meaning 'to strike' or 'splinter,' signifying its association with thunder.
Answer: True
Explanation: The name Perun originates from the Indo-European root *per or *perkʷ, meaning 'to strike' or 'splinter,' directly linking it to thunder and lightning.
The West Slavs, particularly those of the Baltic region, prominently worshipped Perun, while the East Slavs focused on Svetovid.
Answer: False
Explanation: The West Slavs, especially in the Baltic region, prominently worshipped Svetovid, while the East Slavs primarily venerated Perun, particularly after Vladimir's reforms.
Slavic cosmology was visualized as a two-tiered horizontal structure, with no concept of a netherworld.
Answer: False
Explanation: Ancient Slavic cosmology was visualized as a *three-tiered vertical* structure, often called a 'world tree,' which explicitly included a netherworld as its bottom tier.
The Zbruch Idol visually represents Slavic theo-cosmology with its three-layered effigy, including deities, a human community, and a chthonic god.
Answer: True
Explanation: The Zbruch Idol is a three-layered effigy that visually represents Slavic theo-cosmology, depicting major deities on the top, a human ritual community in the middle, and a chthonic god (Veles) at the bottom.
Jiří Dynda interpreted Triglav and Svetovid as distinct deities with no relation to the concept of an axis mundi.
Answer: False
Explanation: Jiří Dynda interpreted Triglav and Svetovid as multi-headed representations of the *axis mundi*, or world axis, symbolizing the supreme God and embodying connections between cosmic realms.
Vladimir's official pantheon in Kiev included Perun, Xors Dazhbog, Stribog, Simargl, and Mokosh.
Answer: True
Explanation: As recorded in the 'Primary Chronicle,' Vladimir's official pantheon in Kiev consisted of Perun, Xors Dazhbog, Stribog, Simargl, and Mokosh.
Perun and Veles represented a complementary cosmic duality, with Perun as the god of the underworld and Veles as the god of thunder.
Answer: False
Explanation: Perun was the god of thunder, law, and war, while Veles was the god of horned livestock, wealth, and the underworld. They represented a complementary cosmic duality, but their roles were reversed in the statement.
According to the 'Tale of Bygone Years', which deity was NOT part of Vladimir Svyatoslavich's pagan sanctuary in Kiev in 980 AD?
Answer: Veles
Explanation: The 'Tale of Bygone Years' lists Perun, Khors Dazhbog, Stribog, Simargl, and Mokosh as part of Vladimir's pagan sanctuary in Kiev. Veles was notably excluded, likely due to the cosmic duality he represented in opposition to Perun.
Which concept did Marija Gimbutas propose as a significant theme in Slavic religion, overlapping with Indo-European themes?
Answer: Widespread devotion to Mat Syra Zemlya, the 'Damp Mother Earth'
Explanation: Marija Gimbutas proposed that a significant theme in Slavic religion, overlapping with Indo-European themes, was the widespread devotion to Mat Syra Zemlya, the 'Damp Mother Earth.'
According to Helmold, what was the Slavs' belief regarding a supreme heavenly God?
Answer: They believed in a single heavenly God who begot all lesser spirits.
Explanation: Helmold's 'Chronica Slavorum' attested that the Slavs believed in a single heavenly God who begot all the lesser spirits governing nature.
Which symbols did Boris Rybakov identify as representing the supreme life-giver Rod?
Answer: Wheel symbols like 'thunder marks' and the 'six-petaled rose'
Explanation: Boris Rybakov's studies identified wheel symbols, such as 'thunder marks' and the 'six-petaled rose inside a circle,' as representations of the supreme life-giver Rod.
What cosmic duality emerged from the supreme God in Slavic belief, representing heavenly-masculine and earthly-feminine deities?
Answer: Belobog and Chernobog
Explanation: In Slavic belief, a cosmic duality emerged from the supreme God, represented by Belobog ('White God') and Chernobog ('Black God'), embodying heavenly-masculine and earthly-feminine deities, respectively.
Which of the following was NOT a category of spirits believed to inhabit the world according to Slavic religion?
Answer: Spirits of the sun (solnechnik)
Explanation: Slavic religion encompassed beliefs in spirits of waters (mavka, rusalka), forests (lisovyk), fields (polyovyk), and households (domovoy), but not specifically 'spirits of the sun' as a distinct category.
What was the gender and significance of the moon-god (Mesyats) in Slavic belief?
Answer: Male, associated with abundance, health, and progenitor of humanity
Explanation: In Slavic belief, the moon (Mesyats) was regarded as a male star-god, significant as a dispenser of abundance and health, and in some traditions, the progenitor of humanity.
What is the etymological origin of the deity Perun's name?
Answer: From the Indo-European root *per or *perkʷ, meaning 'to strike' or 'splinter'
Explanation: The name Perun derives from the Indo-European root *per or *perkʷ, meaning 'to strike' or 'splinter,' which signifies its association with thunder.
Which deity was prominently worshipped by the West Slavs, particularly those of the Baltic region?
Answer: Svetovid
Explanation: Svetovid, meaning 'Lord of Power,' was prominently worshipped by the West Slavs, particularly those in the Baltic region.
How was the cosmology of ancient Slavic religion typically visualized?
Answer: As a three-tiered vertical structure, often called a 'world tree'
Explanation: The cosmology of ancient Slavic religion was typically visualized as a three-tiered vertical structure, often referred to as a 'world tree,' representing the heavenly, earthly, and netherworld planes.
What does the bottom level of the Zbruch Idol represent in Slavic theo-cosmology?
Answer: The chthonic god Veles sustaining the structure
Explanation: The bottom level of the Zbruch Idol represents the chthonic god Veles, who is depicted sustaining the entire three-tiered cosmic structure.
Jiří Dynda interpreted Triglav as embodying the connection and mediation between which three aspects?
Answer: Heaven, Earth, and the underworld
Explanation: Jiří Dynda interpreted Triglav as embodying the connection and mediation between Heaven, Earth, and the underworld, as well as representing the three dimensions of time and three social functions.
Which two deities represented an oppositional yet complementary cosmic duality in Vladimir's pantheon, similar to Vedic Mitra and Varuna?
Answer: Perun and Veles
Explanation: Perun and Veles represented an oppositional yet complementary cosmic duality in Vladimir's pantheon, akin to the Vedic Mitra and Varuna, symbolizing the struggle between heavenly and chthonic forces.
Which of the following is a cognate of Perun in Baltic mythology?
Answer: Perkūnas
Explanation: Perkūnas is identified as a Baltic cognate of the Slavic deity Perun, both deriving from the Indo-European root *per or *perkʷ.
What was the significance of the 'Damp Mother Earth' (Mat Syra Zemlya) in Slavic religion, as proposed by Marija Gimbutas?
Answer: It was a widespread devotion overlapping Indo-European themes.
Explanation: Marija Gimbutas proposed that the 'Damp Mother Earth' (Mat Syra Zemlya) represented a widespread devotion in Slavic religion, demonstrating a clear overlap with ancient Indo-European religious themes.
Slavic temples, or *continae*, were typically stone structures built in open fields, without any inner cell for statues.
Answer: False
Explanation: Slavic temples, or *continae*, were typically wooden buildings constructed on raised platforms, often on hills or at river confluences, and featured an inner cell containing the god's statue.
The priests, known as *volkhvs*, held a low social standing and were not involved in leading rituals or festivals.
Answer: False
Explanation: The priests, or *volkhvs*, held a high degree of prestige in Slavic society and were responsible for maintaining temples and leading rituals and festivals.
Mushroom-shaped stone idols found in northeastern Slavic regions were faceless, phallic, and believed to possess healing and fertility properties, with worship persisting in some areas until the late 20th century.
Answer: True
Explanation: Mushroom-shaped stone idols of the northeastern Slavs were indeed faceless, phallic, and associated with healing and fertility, with their worship enduring in some regions until the late 20th century.
What were Slavic temples, known as *continae*, typically made of and where were they often located?
Answer: Wood, on raised platforms often on hills or at river confluences
Explanation: Slavic temples, or *continae*, were typically wooden buildings constructed on raised platforms, often situated on hills or at river confluences.
What was the role of priests, or *volkhvs*, in Slavic religion?
Answer: They were responsible for maintaining temples and leading rituals.
Explanation: The priests, or *volkhvs*, in Slavic religion were responsible for maintaining temples and leading rituals and festivals, holding a high degree of social prestige.
What was the primary purpose of the ritual banquets known as bratchina, mol'ba, and kanun in Russia?
Answer: To honor ancestor-gods
Explanation: Ritual banquets such as bratchina, mol'ba, and kanun in Russia were primarily held to honor ancestor-gods, a practice that later transitioned to honoring Christian patron saints.
The Christianization of South Slavs, including Bulgaria and Great Moravia, generally occurred later than that of the East Slavs and West Slavs.
Answer: False
Explanation: The source indicates that South Slavs like Bulgaria (864 CE) and Great Moravia (863 CE) adopted Christianity relatively early, preceding the East Slavs (Kievan Rus' in 988 CE) and many West Slavs.
Popular resistance to Christianization, frequently led by *volkhvs*, was a recurring phenomenon in Russia and persisted for centuries.
Answer: True
Explanation: The source states that in Russia, popular resistance to Christianization, often spearheaded by pagan priests or shamans known as *volkhvs*, recurred periodically for centuries.
The term 'dvoeverie,' or 'double faith,' describes the complete eradication of pre-Christian beliefs following the official adoption of Christianity.
Answer: False
Explanation: The term 'dvoeverie' (double faith) refers to a syncretic phenomenon where pre-Christian beliefs coexisted with Christian ones, rather than being eradicated.
The idol of Veles in Kiev was preserved and incorporated into Christian worship during the Christianization of Kievan Rus'.
Answer: False
Explanation: During the Christianization of Kievan Rus' in 988 CE, the idol of Veles in Kiev was ordered to be thrown into the Pochaina River, indicating its destruction rather than preservation or incorporation.
Vladimir the Great's religious reforms in 980 CE aimed to decentralize power and promote diverse local pagan practices in Kievan Rus'.
Answer: False
Explanation: Vladimir the Great's religious reforms in 980 CE aimed to *unify* diverse beliefs and priestly practices and to bind Slavic peoples within a *centralized* state, not to decentralize power or promote diverse local practices.
Christianization in Kievan Rus' involved identifying Christian saints with Slavic gods, such as Saint Elias with Perun and Saint Blasius with Veles.
Answer: True
Explanation: The Christianization process in Kievan Rus' involved a policy of co-opting pre-Christian elements, including the identification of Christian saints with Slavic gods, such as Saint Elias with Perun and Saint Blasius with Veles.
According to scholars, the Christianization of the Russian countryside was largely complete by the 11th or 12th centuries.
Answer: False
Explanation: Scholars like E. V. Anichkov argue that the Christianization of the Russian countryside did not become substantial until the 15th, 16th, or even 17th centuries, due to the superficial nature of early conversions.
Patriarch Nikon's reform in 1656, which restored the sunwise ritual movement, led to the 'Raskol' schism in Russian Orthodoxy.
Answer: False
Explanation: Patriarch Nikon's reform in 1656 restored the *withershins* (counter-sunwise) ritual movement, which was a key factor leading to the 'Raskol' schism, as the Russian Orthodox Church had previously adopted the sunwise movement.
The Christianization of Poland under Mieszko I in 966 was primarily a result of German military conquest.
Answer: False
Explanation: The Christianization of Poland under Mieszko I in 966 was primarily a conscious political choice to align with the Czech state through an alliance, and was influenced by Moravian culture, rather than German military conquest.
When did Kievan Rus' officially adopt Christianity?
Answer: 988 AD
Explanation: Kievan Rus' officially adopted Christianity in 988 CE, a pivotal moment in the Christianization of the East Slavs.
What term describes the blending of pre-Christian beliefs with Christian ones among the Slavs?
Answer: Dvoeverie
Explanation: The term 'dvoeverie,' meaning 'double faith,' describes the syncretic blending where pre-Christian Slavic beliefs coexisted with Christian ones.
What were Vladimir the Great's primary objectives behind his religious reforms in Kievan Rus' circa 980 CE?
Answer: To unify diverse beliefs and bind Slavic peoples within a centralized state.
Explanation: Vladimir the Great's primary objective with his religious reforms in Kievan Rus' around 980 CE was to unify diverse beliefs and bind the Slavic peoples within a growing centralized state.
According to scholars like E. V. Anichkov, when did the Christianization of the Russian countryside truly become substantial?
Answer: In the 15th, 16th, or even 17th centuries
Explanation: Scholars like E. V. Anichkov contend that the Christianization of the Russian countryside became substantial much later, in the 15th, 16th, or even 17th centuries, rather than in the earlier medieval period.
What ritual change by Patriarch Nikon in 1656 contributed to the 'Raskol' schism in Russian Orthodoxy?
Answer: The restoration of the withershins (counter-sunwise) ritual movement.
Explanation: Patriarch Nikon's 1656 reform, which restored the withershins (counter-sunwise) ritual movement, was a key factor that contributed to the 'Raskol' schism in Russian Orthodoxy.
The Christianization of Poland under Mieszko I in 966 was primarily influenced by a political alliance with which state?
Answer: Czech state
Explanation: The Christianization of Poland under Mieszko I in 966 was primarily influenced by a conscious political choice to align with the Czech state through an alliance, rather than the German state.
Which famous temple-stronghold of Svetovid in Rugia finally surrendered to Danish troops in 1168, marking a significant event in West Slavic Christianization?
Answer: Cape Arkona
Explanation: The temple-stronghold of Svetovid at Cape Arkona in Rugia famously surrendered to Danish troops in 1168, marking a significant event in the forceful Christianization of the West Slavs.
What was the fate of the Veles idol in Kiev during the Christianization of Kievan Rus' in 988?
Answer: It was thrown into the Pochaina River.
Explanation: During the Christianization of Kievan Rus' in 988, the Veles idol in Kiev was ordered to be thrown into the Pochaina River, symbolizing the rejection of pagan deities.
Rodnovery is a modern movement centered on the organized reinvention and reincorporation of Slavic folk religion.
Answer: True
Explanation: Rodnovery, or Slavic Native Faith, is an organized modern movement dedicated to the reinvention and reincorporation of Slavic folk religion.
19th- and 20th-century Slavic folk religion primarily focused on abstract theological concepts rather than fertility rites.
Answer: False
Explanation: The central concern of 19th- and 20th-century Slavic folk religion was fertility, which was propitiated through rites celebrating death and resurrection, rather than abstract theological concepts.
Old Russian church architecture, or *zodchestvo*, adopted the onion dome style directly from Byzantine stone architecture.
Answer: False
Explanation: The distinctive onion dome in Old Russian church architecture, or *zodchestvo*, emerged from ancient Russian architectural thinking and was a legacy of wooden architecture, rather than being adopted directly from Byzantine stone architecture.
What was a key aspect of the Old Believers' preservation of 'ancient piety' following the Raskol?
Answer: Veneration of fire as a channel to the divine world.
Explanation: Following the Raskol, the Old Believers preserved various early Slavic pagan ideas and practices, including the veneration of fire as a channel to the divine world, as part of their 'ancient piety.'
What was the central concern of 19th- and 20th-century Slavic folk religion, expressed through rites celebrating death and resurrection?
Answer: Fertility
Explanation: The central concern of 19th- and 20th-century Slavic folk religion was fertility, which was propitiated through rites celebrating death and resurrection, reflecting the ancient pagan calendar.
Which architectural feature of Old Russian churches is noted as a unique Old Russian phenomenon, a legacy of wooden architecture from pre-Christian Slavic building styles?
Answer: Multiple domes
Explanation: Boris Grekov noted that the presence of multiple domes in Old Russian church architecture is a unique Old Russian phenomenon, a legacy of wooden architecture from pre-Christian Slavic building styles.
According to Linda J. Ivanits' reconstructed calendar for East Slavs, which festival was dedicated to Rod and Veles during the winter solstice?
Answer: Koliada (Yuletide)
Explanation: Linda J. Ivanits' reconstructed calendar for East Slavs identifies Koliada (Yuletide) during the winter solstice as a festival dedicated to Rod and Veles.