Editing Chernobog and Belobog (section)

== Interpretations ==
There is no consensus in the academic community about the status of Chernobog and Belobog in Slavic mythology, or whether the two gods existed at all in Slavic mythology. Some researchers completely reject the existence of Belobog due to his non-appearance in the sources.{{Sfn|Ivanov|Toporov|1990a|p=672}}{{Sfn|Łuczyński|2020|p=181}} At least four views have developed in scholarship:{{Sfn|Łuczyński|2020|p=182}}

# Chernobog is an epithet of Satan, and Belobog arose secondarily in later literature
# Chernobog and Belobog are Slavic deities (actual theonyms or epithets of other deities)
# Chernobog and Belobog are names of Christian figures with pre-Christian origin
# Chernobog and Belobog are pseudo-deities, they did not exist in either the Christian or pagan vocabulary

=== As deities ===
Helmold's information led to the 19th century concept according to which there was supposed to be [[Dualism in cosmology|dualism]] in Slavic religion, which reached the Slavs from the [[Iranian peoples]] ([[Scythians]], [[Sarmatians]] or [[Bogomilism|Bogomils]]); Chernobog and the hypothetical Belobog were compared to [[Ahriman]] and [[Ormuzd]], the eternal enemies in [[Zoroastrianism|Zoroastrian]] mythology.{{Sfn|Szyjewski|2003|p=40}} In this spirit, Chernobog was interpreted by Alexander Hilferding. Later, [[Alexander Afanasyev]] and [[Alexander Famitsin]] considered the eastern counterpart of Belobog to be [[Belun]] (field spirit). None of these scholars, however, considered dualism an important element of Slavic religion; such a view was expressed only by {{ill|Nikolay Kvashnin-Samarin|lt=Nikolay Kvashnin-Samarin|ru|Квашнин-Самарин, Николай Дмитриевич|WD=}} in his amateur work {{Lang|ru|Очерке славянской мифологии}} (1872), but his work is not considered important.{{Sfn|Klejn|2004|p=36}} Franciszek Slawski, in his {{Tooltip|''Słownik prasłowiański''|Proto-Slavic dictionary}}, reconstructed the [[Proto-Slavic language|Proto-Slavic]] ''*bělъ bogъ'' "white, bright deity"{{Sfn|Sławski|1974|p=238}} and Proto-Slavic {{Tooltip|dial.|dialectal}} ''*čŕ̥nъ bogъ'' "black deity, dark deity", for the latter the main attestation is supposed to be Helmold's account.{{Sfn|Sławski|1976|p=243}} Such dualism was advocated, for example, by [[Aleksander Gieysztor]],{{Sfn|Gieysztor|2006|p=159}} [[Vyacheslav Ivanov (philologist)|Vyacheslav Ivanov]] and [[Vladimir Toporov]] considered Chernobog to be a god who brings misfortune.{{Sfn|Ivanov|Toporov|1990b|p=672}} Some authors have tried to prove the cult of Chernobog with the names of the ''[[Czorneboh]]'' and ''[[Bieleboh]]'' mountains in [[Upper Lusatia]], where the gods are said to have been worshipped, but these names were not created until the modern era due to the popularity of the gods in the culture of those areas.{{Sfn|Gorbachov|2017|p=}}{{Sfn|Strzelczyk|1998|p=57–58}} When considering the authenticity of the gods, place names that are said to refer to Chernobog and Belobog are also mentioned as arguments, such as the village of {{Tooltip|''Chernobozhye''|Чернобожье}} in [[Russia]] or the village of {{Tooltip|''Chernobozhna''|Чернобожна}} in [[Ukraine]], also the neighboring villages of [[Černíkovice (Plzeň-North District)|''Černíkovice'']] and {{ill|Bělbožice|lt=''Bělbožice''|cs|Bělbožice|WD=}} in the [[Czech Republic]] are said to be evidence of the authenticity of the cult of Chernobog and Belobog;{{Sfn|Gorbachov|2017|p=}}{{Sfn|Kulišić|Petrović|p=28–29|Pantelić|1970}} however, the former actually comes from a personal name, likely of the founder.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Vokatá|first=Lenka|title=Specifika některých českých oikonym|url=https://theses.cz/id/8wngoi/26412518|language=cs|page=27}}</ref>

=== As pseudo-deities ===
On the other hand, many researchers considered Chernobog merely a personification of bad luck, some mistake by Helmold or a pseudo deity in general. [[Andrzej Szyjewski]] considered Chernobog only a pejorative epithet for the devil,{{Sfn|Szyjewski|2003|p=47}} [[Stanisław Urbańczyk]] said:
{{cquote|
It is likely that Helmold heard something about the Slavs' belief in malevolent spirits, in personified fate, and combined it with Christian depictions, which, by the way, may have already permeated among the Slavs. This, in my opinion, is the kernel of his story; the connections with the Iranians must be abandoned in this case, because the basis is too fragile. The Slavic name for evil spirits were the words [[bies]] and [[chort|czart]]; glaringly different from Chernobog.{{Sfn|Urbańczyk|1991|p=26}}
}}

His view was supported by [[Jerzy Strzelczyk]].{{Sfn|Strzelczyk|1998|p=57–58}} Chernobog was also supposed to be the personification of bad luck according to Martin Pitro and Petr Vokáč{{Sfn|Pitro|Vokáč|p=139|2002}} and [[Stanisław Rosik]].{{Sfn|Rosik|2012|p=272}}

[[Aleksander Brückner]] negated the existence of Chernobog (and Belobog) in Slavic religion and claimed that Chernobog was created under the influence of Christianity, including medieval depictions of the devil as a black demon, and compared him to the alleged Prussian god ''[[Peckols|Pikulas]]'', which ultimately derives from the Polish word {{Lang|pl|piekło}} "[[hell]]".{{Sfn|Brückner|1985|p=195, 199, 210, 213}} The view was supported by e.g. [[Henryk Łowmiański]].{{Sfn|Łowmiański|1979|p=189}}

An extended analysis of ''Chernobog'' and ''Belobog'' was made by Michał Łuczynski.{{Sfn|Łuczyński|2020|p=180–194}} He points out, first of all, that Slavic linguistic material makes it easy to conclude that words like ''black god'' and ''white god'' have a pan-Slavic range and a Proto-Slavic origin.{{Sfn|Łuczyński|2020|p=187, 189}} The attestations of the ''black god'' are as follows: [[Slovincian language|Slovincian]] ''čǻrnï bȯ́u̯g'' "devil", [[Silesian language|Silesian]] {{Lang|szl|Czorny Bóg}} "evil spirit, devil", and [[Toponymy|toponyms]]: [[Russian language|Russian]] {{ill|Chernobozhye|lt=''Chernobozhye''|ru|Чернобожье|WD=}}, [[Ukrainian language|Ukrainian]] {{Tooltip|''Chernobozhna''|Чернобожна}} and [[Serbian language|Serbian]] {{Tooltip|''Černobožeskij gorodok''|Чернобожеский городок}}; the attestations of the ''white god'': Slovincian ''bjǻu̯lï bȯ́u̯g'' "God", Silesian {{Lang|szl|Bioły Bóg}} "a good, human-friendly deity; a good spirit", Serbian {{Tooltip|dial.|dialectal}} {{Tooltip|''bel(i) bog''|бел(и) бог}} "fate", [[Bulgarian language|Bulgarian]] {{Tooltip|dial.|dialectal}} {{Tooltip|''byal bog''|бял бог}} "luck, success",{{Efn|Also in phraseology: {{tooltip|''do byala boga''|до бяла бога}} "(shout) very strongly", {{tooltip|''nyamam byala boga''|нямам бяла бога}} "I have no peace", ''videt byala boga'' "to see consolation, joy".{{Sfn|Łuczyński|2020|p=186}}}} and toponyms: Czech {{Lang|cs|Bělbog}}, {{ill|Bělbožice|lt=''Bělbožice''|cs|Bělbožice|WD=}}, Russian {{Tooltip|''Belye bogi''|Белые боги}}, {{Tooltip|''Belovozhskiy monastyr''|Беловожский монастырь}}, [[German language|German]] {{Lang|de|Belboh}}, {{Lang|de|Belbog}}, {{Lang|de|Belbuk}} and others.{{Sfn|Łuczyński|2020|p=185–186}} According to him, the above material leads him to assume that: the words ''black'' and ''white'' used in the expressions were used in their metaphorical sense, successively "bad" and "good", and the word ''god'' was used in its abstract sense of "fate, luck, fate". Accordingly, Proto-Slavic ''*čŕ̥nъ bogъ'' meant "bad fate", and ''*bělъ bogъ'' "good fate" and this was their original meaning. Evidence of this etymology is provided by analogies, e.g. Polish {{Lang|pl|czarna dola}}, Serbian {{Tooltip|''crna sreća''|црна срећа}}, {{Tooltip|''crna sudbina''|црна судбина}}, [[Croatian language|Croatian]] {{Lang|hr|crna sudba}} all meaning "bad fate", {{Tooltip|lit.|literally}} "black fate".{{Sfn|Łuczyński|2020|p=187}} Subsequently, these terms passed into personal names category and were used to describe [[God in Christianity|God]]/[[Jesus]] and the [[devil]] as figures responsible for good fate and bad fate.{{Sfn|Łuczyński|2020|p=190, 192–193}} Consequently, he considers Helmold's Chernobog to be a pseudo-deity,{{Sfn|Łuczyński|2020|p=191}} which has been misidentified by modern scholars as a deity due to Helmold's [[calque]] of ''black god'' and ''white god'' into Latin as ''niger deus'' and ''bonus deus'' which suggests that Slavic ''bog'' used in these terms = Latin ''deus'',{{Sfn|Łuczyński|2020|p=187}} and personal names ''*Čŕ̥nobogъ'' "devil" and ''*Bělobogъ'' "God/Jesus" as semantic neologisms belonging to the Christian cultural circle, not pagan, as religious, not mythological terms, as may be further indicated by the toponymy (the Christian places of worship in Bielboh and Belovozhskiy monastyr).{{Sfn|Łuczyński|2020|p=189, 192, 194}}