Kresnik (deity)
| Kresnik | |
|---|---|
God of sun, summer solstice, fire, sky, thunderbolt, fertility | |
| Abode | World's Mountain |
| Symbol | bonfire, east |
| Parents | Higher sky god |
| Consort | Alenčica / Marjetica / Vesina |
| Equivalents | |
| Christian | John the Baptist |
| Roman | Iupiter Depulsor ("Jupiter, Averter of Evil") of Noricum (?) |
| Slavic | Perun, Yarilo, Dazhbog |
Kresnik (or rarely Kersnik and Krsnik) is a Slavic god associated with fire, the summer solstice, and storms. His mythical home, a sacred mountain at the top of the world, represents the axis mundi.
Kresnik was worshiped among the Slavic population of the eastern Alps. He is probably the same deity as Svarožič, son of the Slavic sun god, Svarog, described as having golden hair and golden hands. He gradually evolved into a Slovenian national hero who lives on a golden mountain, sometimes as a deer with golden antlers, associated with the summer solstice. He became known as a mythical king with strong magic, yet still a farmer.