Morning Myth - Ragana the cannibal

OK, not specifically a cannibal. Ragana is a Slavic deity though many aspects of her appearance and actions are found throughout the entire northeastern region of ancient Europe (perhaps today as well). She is a delightful witch. And by delightful I mean one that should be appeased, avoided, and generally treated with a great deal of respect. The consequences otherwise can be quite horrific.

Ragana is, more often than not, described as an ugly, even hideous goddess, with long teeth, gnarled skin, and a generally malignant appearance. However, as with many deities, her appearance can change as she desires. She can appear as a beautiful woman and take the shape of many animals. Her appearance has probably changed over the centuries as the Baltic region adopted Indo-European religious tenants and later Christianized. Ragana has been relegated to being just an ugly witch. Her original incarnation was likely less frightful.

This deity lives in the woods and far away from the prying eyes of other deities and humans alike. She eschews the civilized. Ragana's powers are varied. She is associated with healing and causing sickness, menopause, death, destruction, birth, regeneration, stopping the sun's ascent in the summer and allowing it to come back in the winter. She seems more a goddess celebrating the natural order of creation and destruction though she in particular is associated with winter and her holy day is the winter solstice. 

Some interesting things to note about the goddess is that she like her privacy. Should any male happen upon her, it is said she transforms into a beautiful women and seduces them. After having consummated the seduction, she eats that unfortunate soul. Ragana does not like to walk so often changes into a bird when traveling. She carries a red wand with at all times and casts her magic with or through the wand. 

Though it is not known, she may travel with servants of lesser power also called Ragana(s). Old haggard women are currently referred to as Ragana. The latter two point to the likelyhood of an order devoted to her worship. Shrines were built to Ragana and placed in the forest. One really cool aspect of worship involves allowing frost to form on one's hair and then combing out the frost during a ritual. 

Ragana is depicted in our mythic line of books the Codex Slavorum.