Veles: Patron of Knowledge
Veles is a Slavic deity. He is the King of the Underworld, God of magic, alchemy, the forces of earth and water, livestock, song, wealth, health, vegetation, trade, wisdom, and travel. He is the patron of witchcraft and trickery. He is a shapeshifter. He is the eternal opponent and balancing force for Perun. He is known as the Cattle-God or Horned Deity. He is a symbol of wealth. He is the Punisher of Oathbreakers, punishing them with awful diseases.
He has many symbols:
• Bears
• Dragons (In Slavic folklore, dragons often had snake bodies and bear heads)
• Wolves
• Snakes
• Cattle
• Sheep
• Goats
• Deers
• Other forest and farm animals
• Willow
There are many things that are appropriate to offer to Him/put on His altar:
• Cooked corn
• Bread
• Herbs (especially basil, mistletoe, hollyberry, thyme, catnip, and willow)
• Wooden flutes
• Any stringed instrument
• Imagery of His symbols/sacred animals
• Black wool or fur
• Cow bells
• Wood-carved art or wood carvings
• Opal, obsidian, onyx, moss agate, amber, garnet, jet, snowflake obsidian, serpentine, and bloodstone (while gemstones and crystals weren’t typically offered in Slavic worship, they can still be used)
• Gold, silver, bronze, etc.
• Coins and money
• Bear skin (ethically sourced)
• Rabbit hide/foot/bones/etc. (ethically sourced)
• Snake shed (ethically sourced)
• Cow horns
• River water
• Practicing one’s claire___ skills
• Whiskey
• Pinecones
• Feathers (especially owl)
• Meats (especially beef)
• Garlic
• Apples
• Peppermint tea
• Milk and honey
• Dark chocolate
• Umbrellas/umbrella imagery
There are many more tidbits of information available:
He lives in caves and hollow trees. The forms of rebirth in humanity is represented in The Battle Between Perun and Veles, where Perun kills Veles and then revives. Because of this, Veles often represents our forebears, and is a part of traditional Slavic ancestor veneration.
