Editing Chernobog and Belobog (section)

=== 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>