The beginning of time (as we know it)

People in many ways retell the story of creation of the world. The old Croats imagined that at first there was nothing but God. He slept profoundly for many thousands of years. When the time came for God to wake up, every look he took became a flash of light and every glimpse of his became a glowing star in the blue sky. Nowhere the beginning nor the end, everywhere infinity and the deep, wide sea. Then God came down and dove into the depths of the sea; when he came out, under his nail a grain of sea sand remained. When he dropped the sand the earth begun to develop. This is how – according to this story – our country came to be. And indeed our country is like a grain of sand in the infinity and immensity of the universe.

Another story says that God himself, who was called Svarog according to the old Croats, ordered Crnobog to dive and bring him some of that magnificent sand and then poured it over the water surface. As he was naming things, they were coming to life out of dust. First, hills and valleys formed and began to spread into the distance. For plant and animal life on earth to grow, procreate and live in abundance, he placed the sun, the source of life, in the daytime sky, and the moon on the night sky, the mysterious brother of the sun, the driving force of tide and fertility. Each time he observed the world, a star would appear in the sky. He is also the ruler of Svitogor, the city of gods, goddesses and their heroes. He is the father of all other gods and magical creatures. The supreme place in Svitogor belongs to him, it is called Vidova Svitogorska gora, rising to the highest heavens. If this name sounds familiar, you have probably already visited Croatia as the highest mountain of all Croatian islands is Vidova gora on the island of Brač standing proudly 778 meters above the sea level. It was named after the church of St. Vid dating from the 13th or 14th century AD, which used to rise on top of the hill, and today is in ruins. The people of Brač have long connected this mountain, interwoven in many fantastic stories, with this old Slavic god who sees everything and who rules this whole world from his high throne.

A powerful dream

When Svarog finished creating the world, he descended from heaven to earth accompanied by his wife, Božena Vida, old Croatian goddess and the protector of marital harmony, to show her his creation. He was satisfied that everything was beautifully created. Vida, tired from the long journey, fell asleep under a nearby tree. As she had a strange dream, she saw divine-looking beings living a joyful and full life. After waking up she said to him:

“The world is beautiful, but only animals, giants and magical creatures live on it. Maybe it would have more purpose if there were beings who would have a divine appearance, and somewhere deep within a divine significance?”

Svarog, a little taken aback by his omission, looked uneasily at the goddess and spoke in a loud voice:

"Well, that's exactly what came to my mind while you were dreaming." I was watching nature blooming, flourishing and growing and I thought to myself there needs to be another purpose added to it. We will create creatures that will rule the world, it will be my gift to you, as well as a memory of our first stay together on earth. From these two trees that grow here without purpose, let them become people who will resemble us!”

Therefore, from the oak tree (hrast in Croatian), the first man was born, and from the mighty linden tree (lipa in Croatian) the first woman was born. The fragrance of the linden flower gave rise to a woman's fondness for scents, and the canopy of the oak tree gave rise to a man's reverence for strength and stability. Since then, linden and oak are considered noble trees that were worshiped by our ancestors who performed magical rites under their canopies and held their assemblies and trials. The old Croatian word for oak is dub, hence the name of the city of Dubrovnik and numerous Dubrava, and oak and linden are the two holiest old Croatian trees.

As life originated from the trees, it is believed that the human soul after death returns to the tree in which it remains until rebirth, and sometimes for all eternity. Humans, though the last of all beings to come into the world, very quickly found their place on the Tree of Life, worshiping the gods and taking from nature the goods intended for them by the divine Svarog. In this story, we can clearly recognize Christian God in Svarog, and Adam and Eve in the characters of the first man and woman on earth.