The Zorya are guardian goddesses, three sisters:
• Zorya Utrennaya, Lady of the Morning Star
• Zorya Vechernyaya, Lady of the Evening Star
• Zorya Polunochnaya, Lady of the Midnight Star
Every morning Zorya Utrennaya opens the celestial gates so the chariot of the sun can emerge and ride through the sky. When the sun returns home in the evening, Zorya Vechernyaya is waiting to close the gates. Zorya Polunochnaya is the sun’s secret lover: she is the reason he returns home at the end of each day. After the sun sets, he retires to Zorya Polunochnaya’s bed. Every night he dies orgasmically in her arms, but each morning she revives him so the sun can once again ride through the sky.
Sometimes only two, not three, Zorya are depicted. Zorya Polunochnaya is the secret sister, the one who sometimes goes unmentioned. Zorya Utrennaya is also worshipped independently as a warrior goddess who protects soldiers from injury and death in battle.
In addition to caring for the sun, the Zorya’s other role is to guard the doomsday hound that perpetually menaces the constellation Ursa Minor, the Little Bear. Should the dog ever break free from his chain and succeed in devouring the little bear, then the entire universe as we know it is doomed. The Zorya guard individual people, too: Utrennaya and Polunochnaya in particular are venerated independently as love goddesses. They may be appealed to for romantic assistance.
• The Zorya play a significant role in Neil Gaiman’s novel American Gods.
ALSO KNOWN AS:
The Auroras; Zaria; Zarya
ORIGIN:
Slavic
ELEMENT
Water
ANIMAL:
Horse
PLANET:
Venus
SEE ALSO:
SOURCE:
Encyclopedia of Spirits: The Ultimate Guide to the Magic of Fairies, Genies, Demons, Ghosts, Gods & Goddesses– Written by Judika Illes Copyright © 2009 by Judika Illes.