At the beginning there was darkness… only darkness.
Creator Rod escaped from his prison by using his magical powers. He created the entire Universe, and three worlds within it – Jav, Prav and Nav, filling them with everything living. Then, by breathing out his Divine Spirit, he created the Bird Mater Sva and Svarog, the Heavenly Father.
Svarog lifted his hammer, and the world bowed to his will.
Svarog created the sky and twelve columns that support it, and then Rod created the water and Great Ocean and the Alatyr Stone, the Stone of all stones, the first Stone.
In the beginning, it was small and hidden deep in waters. But Svarog saw it, was amazed at its beauty and raised it from the deep. He spoke magical words and Alatyr grew larger and larger – thus Mountain Alatyrskaya was created.
Alatyr contains the entire knowledge of Veda, mediator between gods and humans. Veda can be small and big, light and heavy, someone you know and a stranger… he simply exists.
Svarog got tired of being alone, and he smote Alatyr with his magical hammer, striking it with infinite strength. Flying sparks lit up the warm surface of the stone, and joined together to form the bodies of fiery Semargl, and Svarog Warriors, known as Ratichi.
Semargl’s smoke is his flag, and fire is his horse. His path in the world is marked with a long path of black ashes.
The Great Black Snake, born from the Darkness where Rod was imprisoned, looked at the world, smiled at Svarog’s heaven and decided to imitate him.
He slithered towards Alatyr stone, and smote it with his black hammer. And from this demons were born, known as Dasuni.
Semargl immediately felt the evil presence of the Snake and ordered Svarog to fight the evil Snake.
When Rod saw the battle, he was afraid that this conflict will cause the destruction of the world, and he decided to cut the world in half – and those halves were called Avi and Navi.
Svarog and Semargl settled in Avi, and the Black Snake in Navi.
And on the mountain Alatyrskaya, the place of this battle, grew a sacred tree. Its roots connected the two worlds as though with a chain.
Two magical birds built their nests on this tree – Bird Alkonost on the east side of the tree, Sirin Bird on the west.
But the Black Snake desired more lives and souls, and he created his soldiers and settled them over the entire world.
To battle the Black Snake, Svarog created humans, but in this he made a mistake. Humans were not brave or powerful enough to conquer the Snake’s army.
Then Svarog created Giants, and give them strong bodies and mighty spirits.
And so the War began….