Kresnik (deity)

Kresnik (or rarely Kersnik and Krsnik) is a Slavic god associated with fire, the summer solstice, and storms. His mythical home, a sacred mountain at the top of the world, represents the axis mundi.

Kresnik was worshiped among the Slavic population of the eastern Alps. He is probably the same deity as Svarožič, son of the Slavic sun god, Svarog, described as having golden hair and golden hands. He gradually evolved into a Slovenian national hero who lives on a golden mountain, sometimes as a deer with golden antlers, associated with the summer solstice. He became known as a mythical king with strong magic, yet still a farmer.

Etymology

The name of Kresnik has no clear etymology. Connections with Russian Khors and Indian Krishna have been proposed in the past. The name could be connected with old Nordic hress with the meaning »fresh, fiery, alive, vivid« (by Jeza, F.), but also with IE *ker-/kre- with the meaning »to grow, to feed« (by Gluhak, A.), perhaps with the Iranian root *krs-/kars-, and also with Slavic *krst- »cross« (by Bošković-Stulli and Merku). As Mikhailov has shown, the name of Kresnik could be derived from Balto-Slavic linguistic heritage: festival of Kresze is known among Balts and an old Slavic word *krěsδ has the meaning of »fire«. For Mikhailov there are three possible connections with the root *krês: Sun, Solstice or blow.