? days of Slavic mythology:
Gods of the Polab pantheon: Radgost
Radgost was the supreme deity in the ancient city of Retra. A huge temple was there, dedicated to him, and Slavs from different parts of the world would go to Retra to visit. Divinations were done inside the temple, with very specific rituals. The temple was described as extremely beautiful, and it stood for 66 years until in 1066. it was burned down by the Catholics. He was sometimes portrayed as a god with two heads - one of a human and the other of a lion. This further proves just how old this deity is, because lions were long gone from Slavic territories, in the time of Alexander the Great. In one hand he held an ax, and in the other he held bread and salt. That is because Radgost was a god of hospitality. Bread and salt were a symbol of hospitality among the Slavs, and they were known as a very hospitable folk, taking in those in need for meals and a bed for the night, and sometimes even sharing the bed in a different sense. Radgost was also the god of merriment. Slavs sacrificed big animals to him, such as bears, but a case of human sacrifice is also known. Bishop Jovan was sacrificed because he refused to denounce Christianity, which was basically revenge for the killing of all the Slavic pagan priests by Catholics.
