Veneration of Didukh
Religious Fables, Folklore, Legends, and Stories
From All Creatures Articles Archive

Submitted by Yuri Klitsenko

Veneration of pagan god Didukh in Ukraine is now connected with anti-Russian propaganda, depicting ethnic Russians as "public enemies" (this is how political agitation uses ancient traditions).

[Ed. Note] It is our opinion that when human beings use their religions. whether orthodox or pagan, to further violence or a political agenda, it is proof that it is not from God.  It's time we wake up to this fact and speak out.

The Lord our God wants us to love Him with every part of our being, which includes loving the whole of His creation (our fellow human beings, the animals, and the world in which we all live).  We are to be peacemaking children of God.

Didukh is sheaf of wheat which represents the importance of the ancient and rich wheat crops of Ukraine, the staff of life through the centuries. A sheaf of wheat is saved from the harvest. Didukh means literally "forefathers spirit" so it symbolizes the family's spirits and ancestors. , “The word “didukh” combines two words — “did”, that is “grandfather, ancestor” and “dukh”, that is “spirit.” In the times of old, people used to believe that the spirits of their ancestors protected them from the evil spirits and helped them in running their households. Small figurines of didukhy, which represented old men with long mustache and bushy brows, were used as “oberehy,” that is charms. They were presented to those you cared for on religious holidays such as the Feast of the Holy Trinity. In spring, these oberehy were put into the ground during the sowing season to help with a good harvest.

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