hotels in Krakow

good restaurants in Krakow

museums in Krakow

Krakow Info

The World's Only Slavic Deity 

information about Krakow & attractions & entertainment & culture & business & nightlife & travel & transport & shopping & art & music & theater & museums & landmarks & curios & lifestyle & education & festivals & customs & tours & people

Krakow Info website doesn’t use cookies nor gathers personal data but advertisers and services providers may do it on their own responsibility. Privacy policy.

Krakow info logoKrakow Info home page


Krakow
for mobile
devices


facts


joys
sights
events
musts
hubs


business


food
hotels
travel
buys


tips


Your
Questions
Answered

The Swiatowit Idol at the Museum of Archeology in Krakow, Poland

Krakow boasts the world’s only known representation of a Slavonic deity. The 8-foot-tall limestone idol was found in the Zbruc river – once eastern Poland, now western Ukraine – in 1848. Brought to Krakow in 1851, nowadays it ranks among the most treasured exhibits of the Museum of Archeology in Krakow at 3 ulica Poselska Street.

 

A universe carved in stone.

Experts date the idol to the 9th century or later and believe the square column - 2.57 meters tall, 0.32 meter long, and 0.29 meter wide - shows pagan cosmology of some forgotten Slavic tribe. All four sides are sculptured, yet obscure carvings on them differ. Still they fit into four layers with the four-faced god Swiatowit on the top, the underworld at the bottom, and mortals in between. Four sides, four godheads, four levels of the universe...

Chief god of ancient Slavs.

For some Slavic tribes Swiatowit (a.k.a. Swietowit a.k.a. Svantevit) was the leading god of their pantheon, the one responsible for war and harvests. Some scholars identify him with the thunderbolt-wielding Perun of eastern Slavs. Since the religion of ancient Slavs is shrouded in mystery, Krakow’s Swiatowit idol proves both a unique curio and an invaluable if cryptic source on beliefs of peoples that once ruled over the eastern half of the European continent.

Note: a replica of the Swiatowit idol stands at the foot of the Wawel Hill east of the Royal Castle. 


Other Krakow Curios:
Prettiest Leonardo da Vinci
World's greatest medieval sculpture
Subterranean wonder world
Renaissance pearl
Giant bell
Miraculous images
8-foot golden crown
Signal trump
Nativity beauties
Krakow mummies
Ice-age rhino

 

Krakow's Swiatowit prehistoric idol of ancient Slavs

Krakow
Poland's prime tourist attraction and a must in Central Europe boasts numerous world-class monuments, charming vistas, delightful atmosphere, and the best restaurants.

Archeological Museum in Krakow


Krakow Museums

Fine Arts in Krakow

Krakow Galleries

 

Krakow Info HOME PAGE

Copyright © 2016, 2027, 2018, 2019, 2020 by MAREK STRZALA. All rights reserved.