Editing Svarog (section)

== Interpretations ==
[[File:Swarog (2013).jpg|thumb|''Svarog'', Marek Hapon, 2013]]Because it is unclear to what extent the fragmentary translation of the ''Chronography'' can be used, and because of only a single source about Svarog, as well as uncertain clues in folklore, the interpretation of this god is problematic. Some scholars have even suggested that Svarog was created from the figure of Svarozhits and never existed in the beliefs of the Slavs.{{Sfn|Dynda|2019|p=60-64}}

=== God of fire, blacksmithing, sun ===
Czech historians Martin Pitro and Petr Vokáč believe that Svarog is a god who receded into the background after the creation of the world, but at the same time is a celestial smith and sun god.{{Sfn|Pitro|Vokáč|p=15|2002}}

It is possible that Svarog echoes the mythology of northern Europe: the smith in [[Norse mythology|Norse]] and [[Baltic mythology|Baltic]] mythology forges weapons for the Thunderer, and as in Finnish mythology, the smith god [[Ilmarinen]] is the creator of the Sun, the sky, and many wondrous objects. The smith god also fights the powers of chaos in defense of his creation.{{Sfn|Szyjewski|2003|p=106-107}}

[[Aleksander Gieysztor]] interpreted Svarog as celestial fire (the sun), Perun as atmospheric fire (the thunderbolt), and Svarozhits-Dazhbog as earthly fire (fire).{{Sfn|Gieysztor|2006|p=308-309}}

[[Jiří Dynda]] rejects the understanding of Svarog as a sovereign deity of heaven or a ''[[Deus otiosus|deus otiousus]]'' type deity, and points out that in the source Svarog, or rather his prefiguration, does not bear the characteristics of such a deity, except for the paternity of the solar deity, which he considers a secondary feature. Instead, he compares him to the figure of the magician and hero [[Volga Svyatoslavich|Volkh Vseslavyevich]] from Russian bylines, and to the ancient blacksmiths who, in Russian folklore, make weapons for heroes and weld the hair of men and women symbolically uniting them into marriage, which include, for example, the blind father of the hero [[Svyatogor]].{{Sfn|Dynda|2019|p=60-64}}

It is possible that Svarog is related in some way to mythological bird [[Raróg|Rarog]] ([[saker falcon]]), perhaps on the taboo basis pointed out by [[Roman Jakobson]]. In Vedism [[Indra]] is sometimes called ''Indra Vritrahan'', "Indra the victor of [[Vritra]]". In the Iranian version of this motif, [[Verethragna|Veretragna]] is transformed into the falcon ''Varhagan'' during his duel with Vritra. Czech ''Raroh'', ''Rarach'' is a generous yet vengeful demonic being associated with the campfire, taking the form of a bird or dragon, with a body and hair of flame, who flies out through the chimney as a ball of fire or whirlwind. He indicates a Balto-Slavic motif: the names ''raróg'', ''rarok'' in Polish, ''jarog'' in Czech, and ''raragas'' or ''vanagas'' in Lithuanian refer to a bird with glowing eyes.{{Sfn|Gieysztor|2006|p=177-178}}

=== Sky god ===
On the basis of solar and celestial etymology, Svarog is often interpreted as a celestial [[creator deity]] whose role in cult mythology has been overlooked. Svarog would have been the heir of a hypothetical Proto-Indo-European [[Dyēus|''*Dyḗus'']]. In this case, he would correspond to deities such as the Vedic [[Dyaus]] or the Baltic [[Dievas|Dievs]], but also to the Greek [[Zeus]] or the Roman [[Jupiter (mythology)|Jupiter]] – the latter two deities, however, took on thunderer characteristics and occupied an important place in their respective pantheons.

Michal Téra interprets Svarog as the counterpart of the Vedic sky-god Dyaus, who according to some accounts is the father of the fire-god [[Agni]]-Svarozhits and of the sun-god [[Surya]]-Dazhbog. He also links him to the mystical figure [[Svyatogor]], whose place in the [[bylina]]s is taken by [[Ilya Muromets]], Perun's heir – according to Téra described as tired, whose weight the earth cannot bear, and he compares this last motif to the mythical separation of Heaven and Earth which is necessary to put the world in order. He also believes that Svarog appears in the [[Slavic creation myth|myths of the creation of the world]].{{Sfn|Téra|2009|p=310-324}}

[[Henryk Łowmiański|Łowmiański]] developed a theory that the cult of the Proto-Indo-European god ''*Dyḗus'' developed among the Slavs in two forms: in the form of Svarog among the [[West Slavs]], and in the form of [[Perun]] among the [[East Slavs]]. Subsequently, the cult of Svarog was to be transported in the 6th century by [[Serbs]] and [[Croats]] from West Slavs to the [[Balkans]].{{Sfn|Łowmiański|1979|p=99}}