Sviatovyt

Sviatovyt (aka Sventovit, Svantevit). A principal pagan deity of the Western Slavs in the medieval period; the god of the sun and war and the protector of crops. At the end of the harvest season each year, sacrifices were brought to him, and festivals were held in his honor. His shrine was in Arkon, on Rugen Island. Inside stood a four-faced wooden idol in the form of a warrior with an aurochs horn in one hand and a sword in the other. During a ceremony the horn was filled with wine. Some scholars consider this idol to be a version of the Zbruch idol. According to recent studies the Zbruch idol belongs to the mythology of the Eastern Slavs and does not represent Sviatovyt.