American gods history primer: czernobog, a.k.a. chernobog
That Old Gods in American Gods have roots previously as well as in mythology. Basically we might be aware of intricacies from the New Gods, like Media and Technical Boy, there’s most likely a great deal we are able to still find out about the earlier versions. For individuals individuals wishing to obtain a better knowledge of these figures before you decide to move on with American Gods, we’ve your back. Become familiar with a brief history that inspires the figures within our American Gods History Primer series.
Who
Czernobog, a.k.a. Chernobog, Chernabog, Tchernobog, or Black God
Within the Series
The Slavic deity we meet in American Gods has experienced better occasions. By doing so, he’s having the same problem as the majority of that old Gods we’ll encounter as Shadow and Mr. Wednesday drive around America. To settle the bills and also to exercise his ferocious hammer, Czernobog required each day job. He labored in a slaughterhouse, taking cows for their deaths as rapidly as you possibly can with one effective blow for their heads.
But there, his work and meaning was devalued by the appearance of new technology. A big change towards the kill process didn’t require any finesse or skill. Czernobog could no more are proud of his work, and you may tell pride is extremely important to him. This Old God who had been already scrapping to outlive via belief can’t appear to trap a rest.
In Mythology
When I pointed out, Czernobog has roots in Slavic mythology. Because the black god, he was assumed is the bad god, using the white-colored god Belobog theoretically occupying the function of excellent god. Chronica Slavorum, a medieval chronicle by historian and Saxon priest Helmold, was designed in the twelfth century and it has information from Slavic tribes. It mentions Czernobog as Zcerneboch, the Black God:
“The Slavs, too, possess a strange delusion. In their feasts and carousals they pass in regards to a bowl that they utter words, I ought to not say of consecration but of execration, in the specific gods — from the great one, in addition to from the bad one — professing that propitious fortune is arranged through the good god, adverse, through the bad god. Hence, also, within their language they call unhealthy god Diabol, or Zcerneboch, that’s, the Black God.” – Converted in Studying the Dark Ages: Sources from Europe, Byzantium, and also the Islamic World
The thought of light and darkness is a very common theme in Slavic mytholog–well, in lots of mythologies and religions, to tell the truth. They’re usually incompatible with one another or on opposite sides instead of balanced harmoniously. Thus Chernobog claims the dark half of the season, winter, while Belobog has got the summer time.
Chernobog is renowned for to be the god of misfortune and misfortune the god of dying, darkness, and destruction. He was stated to become intentionally malicious and corruptor of all things enjoyable. He’s the kind of guy who’d knock the frozen treats from the cone with you. So, he is not exactly a contented type of god–which suits the person we meet in American Gods. Czernobog results in as gruff and harmful, however i don’t read him being an outright villain… that also plays in to the mythology of Chernobog. There is not a lot been aware of Chernobog–the historic sources are Christian ones, so not individuals who really supported him, therefore it’s possible he wasn’t really the worst from the worst.
In Other Tales
I am not going to indicate other popular culture references towards the Old Gods, however with Czernobog, I believe a few are particularly notable. You realize Chernabog, the huge winged gargoyle-like creature in Disney’s Fantasia? Yep, he’s a nod to Chernobog. Also, the Off-shore Rim Jaeger known as Cherno Alpha was named for Chernobog.
Did we churn up a desire for learning more? Tell us in comments!
1987MartinT: Peter Stormare as Czernobog. Perfect casting.
ansaree97: 1987MartinT ikr
ITakNieZnasz: Kinda like how westerners misinterpret god of light, strength and fathership as god of evil, merely by seeing word "black" in his name and thus thinking about darkness.\n\nEven more ironic is that both he and his counterpart, who is white goddess of darkness, are an example that such things as good and evil does not exist.\n\nI find it quite funny.
Holden Mcgroine: that makes sense. white represents good in christianity. but if you think about it, that isn't the conclusion you'd come to on your own. a white piece of fabric is very easy to stain, corruptible, must be watched carefully or it will be ruined. so yeah you can associate innocence with that, but just fleeting innocence.
Cyberium: I believe there was a tradition of checking white bed sheet to see if the girl was indeed virgin, kinda ironic, consider many cultures also see female's period as contamination, all these white and pureness only use to champion shaming.
Primarch Rainier of the Starmarks: Mr World should just hire John Wick to kill him
He Richard: if you have watched the movie "Constantine " you will see its going to be another way around
John Doe: Czernobog means black god. his "worship" was to curse him if anything bad happened
