Triglav (mythology)

Triglaw, also called Triglav, Triglaf or the Three-Headed, is a Slavic war and tribal god, who was later worshiped by the Pomeranians particularly in Pomerania and Stettin, and in Brandenburg. About the Cult of Triglaw report mainly three biographies of Bishop Otto of Bamberg, the 1124 and 1128 two mission trips undertaken over the years in the field of Pomeranians. In the older literature Triglaw was also depicted as a female deity.

Triglaw cult in Wollin and Stettin

The main temple was dedicated to him in Szczecin. His three heads ( sometimes blindfolded and mouth so that the sins of the people he neither see, nor could tell of them ) represent heaven, earth and hell; in his hands he held a horned moon. With the help of a gold- decorated horse, which must exceed lances, gave Triglaw information on the outcome of an upcoming battle. His places of worship were funded in large part by the spoils of war, after each campaign a tenth of the booty was given as a tribute to the temple.

As Stettin was Christianized in 1127 in the course of turning Crusade, Bishop Otto of Bamberg was destroy the places of worship and topple the statue of Triglaw. The three heads were chopped off, one of which was sent to the Pope in Rome. Another Triglaw statue, situated near the island of Wolin, was hidden by the priests and thus saved from destruction.

Triglaw cult in Brandenburg

With the Christianization of the Mark Brandenburg, the Triglav sanctuary on the Harlungerberg, today Marienberg in the city of Brandenburg, was replaced by the new building of the four-towered St Mary's Church. In this sacred building, which was laid down in 1722 by order of King Friedrich Wilhelm I of Prussia command, said to have been preserved from the 16th century into the Triglav statue of Brandenburg. According to contemporary chroniclers, it was, like the Brandenburg town historian Otto Tschirch reported in 1526 donated to the Danish King Christian II. More recent research, however, still led to no concrete evidence points to remain culturally and historically significant gods figure.

Triglaw cult in Westphalia

The historian Hermann Stangefol reported in 1656 on the Drüggelter Chapel:

Origin of the name

The name probably derives from the two Slavic words tri ( Three ) and golowa, glaw, glawnyi ~ (main ) from. Another theory states that the name Triglav is of Greek origin; the Greeks called the goddess Hecate namely also Tricephalos ( the Three-Headed ), therefore Triclaf and Triglav were to be regarded as the equivalent of this Greek name. It would also be possible that in the chronicles of the monks chose a them known Greek names to describe this deity, similar to previously Roman authors Germanic deities always with Roman gods names marked ( in Tacitus, for example, Mercurius instead of Wodan ). So it is unsecured, " if this ( Triglav ) an original name or only the attribute of a differently named God, who was given this name due to its later Dreiköpfigkeit ".

Swell

• Vitae Ottonis Episcopi Bambergensis. MGH SS 12, from page 721 Ebonis vita sancti Ottonis episcopi Babenbergensis
• Vita Ottonis auctore SWM Prufeningensi
• Herbordi Dialogus de vita Ottonis episcopi Babenbergensis