The Zorja (alternately: Zorya, Zarya, Zvezda, Zwezda) are three (sometimes two) guardian goddesses of the night sky in Slavic mythology; they are known as the Auroras.
They guard and watch over the doomsday hound, Simargl, who is chained to the star Polaris, and threatens to eat the constellation Ursa Minor, the “little bear”. If the chain were to ever break, the hound will devour the constellation and doomsday would unleash - the end of the universe.
The Auroras represent the Morning Star, Evening Star, and Midnight Star, although the Midnight Star is sometimes omitted
The Zorja serve the sun god, Dažbog, who in some myths is described as their father. Zorja Utrennjaja, the Morning Star, opens the gates to his palace every morning for the sun-chariot’s departure. At dusk, Zorja Vechernjaja—the Evening Star—closes the palace gates once more after his return.
The home of the Zorja was sometimes said to be on Bouyan (or Bujan), an oceanic island paradise where the Sun dwelt along with his attendants, the North, West and East winds.
Morning Star (Zorja Utrennjaja) - She is depicted as a fully armed and courageous warrior. She is the patron goddess of horses, and is associated with the planet Venus. She is invoked to protect against death in battle, and her prayers were addressed as “Defend me, O maiden, with your veil from the enemy, from the arquebus and arrow…" Slavs would pray to her each morning as the sun rose. She was known to protect those warriors she favoured against death by letting down her veil.
Evening Star (Zorja Vechernjaja) - She was associated with the planet Venus or Mercury. She closes the gates of heaven each night as the sun returns home.
Midnight Star (Zorja Polunochnaja) - Each night, the sun dies in the Midnight Zorja’s arms and is then restored to life. She is a goddess of death, rebirth, magic, mysticism, and wisdom.
The Zorja are sometimes associated with the Triple Goddess mythic archetype, with the Morning, Evening and Midnight Zorjas representing the maiden, mother, and crone.
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