Slavic Mythology

Slavs believed that the Earth was an Island floating in water that the sun was immersed in every evening. At the center of this Island stood the world tree or mountain. Wood and trees are significant in many of the world’s mythologies, and have been given deep and sacred meanings throughout the ages. Human beings, observing the growth and death of trees, and the annual death and revival of their foliage, have often seen them as powerful symbols of growth, death and rebirth. The roots of this tree extended deep into the underworld and the branches reached high up into the realm of the sky gods, Irij.

Polish and Czechoslovak mythology and folklore stem from the folklore and beliefs rooted in Slavic religion also known as Slavic paganism which was observed by the Slavs before the introduction of Christianity in the period from the 9th to the 12th century. 

As the main BA diploma project I focused on visually representing only female characters from Slavic mythology as they are the least talked about. To commemorate the beauty of Slavic heritage and paganism, I visually interpreted and represented 5 goddesses through a detailed folk inspired set of illustrations that was later carved on birch wood planks in A2 format, a wall art - mural and additional prints, such as postcards, posters and bookmarks.
The main inspiration for this project are traditional embroidery patterns performed by women across Poland, mainly used on table cloths, bed sheets, aprons and clothing, as well as paintings around windshields and used as house decorations.