VELES
East Slavic Underworld God
Also known as Volos, Volus, Weles, Wolos
God of Cattle and God of the Underworld
Now there’s a strange combination. He started his career as a mix-and-match Warrior and Shepherd God. Did he fight sheep? Lead lambs to the slaughter? No, he protected flocks — and was liable to get quite assertive about it.
As time went on, people began to depict him with the horns of a ram or bull. This seemed to sum up his demeanor quite nicely. Meanwhile, it seems his down-to-earth nature had made him the ideal candidate for Underworld Management.
Now this is the purest speculation, but we wonder if he shared the same fate as Pan when Christianity came along. You can just imagine the missionaries thinking: “hmm... horns... associating with animals... lots of fighting... the Underworld... It’s Satan trying to disguise himself as a shepherd again.”
Veles Facts and Figures
Name: Veles
Pronunciation: Coming soon
Alternative names: Volos, Volus, Weles, Wolos
Gender: Male
Type: God
Celebration or Feast Day: Unknown at present
Role:
In charge of: the Underworld
Area of expertise: Underworld
Good/Evil Rating: Unknown at present
Popularity index: 7858
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Article last revised on May 25, 2019 by Rowan Allen.
Editors: Peter J. Allen, Chas Saunders
References: Coming soon.