The Slavic Myths

by Noah Charney, Noah Charney

A Pulitzer-nominated author and one of the great public intellectuals of Slavic culture bring to life the unfamiliar myths and legends of the Slavic world. In the first collection of Slavic myths for an international readership, Noah Charney and Svetlana Slapšak expertly weave together the ancient stories with nuanced analysis to illuminate their place at the heart of Slavic tradition. While Slavic cultures are far-ranging, comprised of East Slavs (Russia, Ukraine, Belarus), West Slavs (the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland), and South Slavs (the countries of former Yugoslavia plus Bulgaria), they are connected by tales of adventure and magic with roots in a common lore. In the world of Slavic mythology we find petulant deities, demons and fairies, witches, and a supreme god who can hurl thunderbolts. Gods gather under the World Tree, reminiscent of Norse mythology’s Yggdrasill. The vampire―usually the only Serbo-Croatian word in any foreign-language dictionary―and the werewolf both emerge from Slavic belief. In their careful analysis and sensitive reconstructions of the myths, Charney and Slapšak unearth the Slavic beliefs before their distortion first by Christian chroniclers and then by nineteenth-century scholars seeking origin stories for their newborn nation states. They reveal links not only to the neighboring pantheons of Greece, Rome, Egypt, and Scandinavia, but also the belief systems of indigenous peoples of Australia, the Americas, Africa, and Asia. Specially commissioned illustrations inspired by traditional Eastern and European folk art bring the stories and their cultural landscape to life. 30 black-and-white illustrations

Genres: Mythology, Nonfiction, Folklore, History, Polish Literature

240 pages, Paperback

Expected publication June 30, 2026

About the author

Noah Charney holds degrees in art history from the Courtauld Institute of Art and Cambridge University. He is the founding director of the Association for Research into Crimes against Art (ARCA), the first international think tank on art crime. He divides his time between New Haven, Connecticut; Cambridge, England; and Rome, Italy.

Reviews

[Kate O'Shea · Rating 4 out of 5]

This fascinating book was a gift -- and a most welcome one.

I'm fascinated by myths, legends, folklore and fairytales and this book manages to divide itself beautifully into the myths themselves married with an essay explaining possible origins.

I confess I'm more interested in the actual stories but then I'm a fantasist so that's inevitable.

So with this collection there are more well known myths - vampires, werewolves, Baba Yaga alongside ones I've never heard of like Libuše, Perun and the Firebird.

The Firebird was my favourite because its been written in a very amusing way but the rest of the book was equally interesting in that it is always a challenge to find the similarities as well as the differences in the stories that you were brought up with.

So thankyou Zuzana for this lovely gift. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it.

[Katarzyna Kasprzyk · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book tries to be several things at once, but it fails at each od them. Some characters and myths are only mentioned, but not described -why? And some are not even mentioned at all. It focus mostly on south Slaves myths and stories - nothing wrong about that, but it could be mentioned more clearly.

[Joshua Cox · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very interesting read. It really is a shame that so many of the Slavic myths have been forgotten or edited by the growing presence of the church during that period. I was also amused by the description of Baba Yaga the witch as a short stumpy fat woman with limp breasts as in the John Wick films John wick is often referred to as Baba Yaga which now feels a strange comparison.

This book just wasn't quite what I expected with a lot of it being analysis of the myths themselves. I can see why some would give it a 5 star and some of the analysis was very interesting and thought provoking. I however prefer perhaps the predictable format of myth after myth.

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoy the stories and the commentaries, and it seems to be well-researched (huge bibliography as well as a notes section). However, the definition of myth is very broad here, and so I was surprised to realize that stories I would consider folklore or fairy tales were included as well. The authors do discuss the reasoning for this, but I was obviously expecting something else from the title.

I was disappointed that so many of the gods and stories were mentioned in commentary, but not featured. I got the sense that maybe these exist more as fragments than fully fleshed stories, but it would have been nice to get at least some of them included.

All that being said, the stories are beautifully told in a strong narrative voice. They're absolutely worth reading and the commentary is helpful. I also love the art. I wish the authors included a suggested reading list as the bibliography is too expansive to tackle and the book is, based on their own words, meant as a starting point.

Again, definitely worth a read, just not what I was expecting. 3.5 stars, but rounding up.

[Zala · Rating 3 out of 5]

great but i wish it included more of the gods (vesna, zorya, veles..)

[Lilli · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing intro into Slavic mythology!! The fairy tales were vibey, and the analyses were interesting and thorough. Highly recommend if you’re interested in mythology/folklore!!

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐️ and a really enjoyable read!

Thank-you to Thames and Hudson for the hardcopy!

The Slavic Myths by historian Noah Charney and anthropologist and historian Svetlana Slapšak is a wonderfully written and beautifully illustrated book delving into various Slavic myths, gods, and supernatural figures and the history behind them. The Slavic Myths is structured in eight chapters, including the introduction to the book, and the Slav Epic. Each chapter includes a new retelling of a myth, reimagined by Noah and Svetlana, followed by a section on the history of the myth and numerous important features within it. This is not a compilation of everything we know about Slavic mythology, but instead, seven hand-picked stories accompanied by accessible academic analysis, allowing the reader, whether they be well versed in Slavic myth or brand new to the corpus of tales, to enjoy the stories, and if they wish, develop their understanding of the myths and history further. Readers of The Slavic Myths can read the book from cover to cover, or they can jump in and just read a chapter at a time — they can just stick to the compelling reimaginings of the chosen myths, or they can dive into the historical analysis of each section. Either way, with the book being a combination of retelling and non-fiction, it can be enjoyed by all!

Slavic mythology is not as clear cut as classical Greek and Roman mythology, there is no equating the Greek king of the gods Zeus with any king of the gods figure in Slavic traditions. Noah and Svetlana had a huge task ahead of them with this book, with Slavic mythology originating first as an oral tradition, and then only being written down in the 19th century, but with specific goals for lending authority and adding history to new cities, and overlain with Christian morals and motifs. As mentioned in the book, a ninth-century Slav would not necessarily recognise their myths today in the form they now take — however, Noah and Svetlana have essentially added a new layer to this ever-developing and rich corpus of stories, deities, and creatures.

This book was a wonderful introduction to Slavic mythology. Upon picking it up, I had a vague familiarity with Baba Yaga, her house with chicken legs, and the creatures of firebirds. Beyond that, I was completely unfamiliar with the Slavic pantheon, or the history behind the myths and tales. What really captured my attention (beyond the stunning woodcut imagery throughout the book), was the first creature, the vampire, which has its roots in Slavic myth. And not only that but in Slavic tradition, the vampire and the werewolf were intrinsically linked creatures! I learnt so much about the history and development of Slavic myths, and particularly enjoyed the analysis of folklore versus fairytales versus mythology, and the creation of myths with ‘mythurgy.’ I was intrigued to find parallels with classical Greek tales such as Jason and the Argonauts, to find hints of well-known fairytales such as Cinderella and her horrible stepmother and stepsisters, and aspects of Ovid’s Metamorphosis with the trials Venus has Psyche complete, all solidly within the world of Slavic mythology. I didn’t know that throwing a coin over my shoulder into a fountain or body of water originated as a Slavic ritual in fear of the dead — did you?

I could not recommend this book enough for those looking to dip their toe into some new myths, or for those who are looking to read a new version of their old favourite Slavic myth.

[Dee Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I actually expected this book to be more about gods and lesser deities, but although it focuses more on folk tales and legendary creatures - I am not disappointed. It's clear every page is drawn from strong research on culture, history and academic sources. The stories told in detail leverage a somewhat sentimental, but also more contemporary, style of narration, which I don't find exactly pleasing. However, I appreciate there's probably no better style to tell these stories to grown ups outside a novel. What mystified me though is the place of dragons - exclusively male and aquatic. Perhaps a "zmei/zmej" is considered something different by the author, as well as the "hala" - its female counterpart, which I believe was only briefly mentioned. Neither of these are aquatic and make up for a wonderful part of Balkan/Slavic folklore.

Overall, the book made a wonderful, entertaining and balanced read.

[Braňo · Rating 4 out of 5]

I looked forward to reading this book for a few months and it didn't disappoint. Although I didn't learn as much as I hoped, my takeaway is that we don't know nearly as much about the Slavic pantheon or culture as we know about most other pantheons and mythologies.

The book offered a nice mix of academic and non-academic content with a good split between the tales and discussions of the myths which were just the right length so the book flowed very well. In some parts, especially towards the end, it felt like the authors tried to quickly list many different creatures and concepts without having the space to explore them deeper, giving the impression of a half-cooked chapter.

I give The Slavic Myths 4/5 stars.

[angela · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5. i admire the authors' goal of introducing slavic myths to the anglophone world; many stories apparently remain untranslated, despite that creatures originating in slavic mythology predominate in recent media (vampires and werewolves in particular -- although in traditional slavic mythology, the two creatures are one and the same. so much for #TeamEdward and #TeamJacob).

some of the stories were retold humorously and with some beautiful prose. i enjoyed the woodblock art prints throughout and appreciated the short analyses that followed each myth -- although i probably would've enjoyed those analyses more if they were more detailed.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was so excited to find this book as someone of Slovak/Hungarian background. I didn’t realize how many mythologies actually originated from Slavic culture and the cultural impact it has had. A great read for anyone interested folklore/ mythology.

[Ivo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting?

The structure was for me, all over the place. Can that be a criticism of the book if slavic mythology is just as chaotic?

I did enjoy the retelling of the stories and learning how these old beliefs impact (south) slavic culture to this day.

[doowopapocalypse · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting collection but I would have preferred more stories.

[Kev · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.0 or maybe a little bit higher. I found this to be a really nice introduction to Slavic mythology. I picked it up in Bratislava as I've been meaning to dig deeper into this topic and, let's be honest, it's just a really nice looking book (the illustrations are quite fantastic).

I loved the format of the book: it provides a fairytale-like story, then dives deeper from an anthropological and historical perspective. And I think their analysis was handled quite well, although the authors did at time use broad brushstrokes that blurred the lines between things. While I know little on the subject, this seemed to happen a bit when connecting mythical characters to pagan religious figures. Just my impression though, I could be wrong.

At times, figures are just mentioned or listed, and I would have really liked to learn more. However this is a book for the general public, and in some cases, there just isn't that much information available, so I understand why they did this.

But speaking of these mythical characters or creatures, from the beginning I was really hoping to learn more about the Leshy or particular pagan demons that I've come across in travel, books, movies and games, but was a bit disappointing to see the beginning focus on vampires and werewolves. My disappointment quickly vanished, because I feel like they handled these topics incredibly well. I had no idea that there was such a strong connection between Serbia and these legends. So in the end, no major complaints about the chosen topics.

And on this note, the book focuses on the Balkans, as that's where both the authors reside. I see no problem with this. If this is their region of expertise, then please, teach us!

And speaking of geography, one thing annoyed me. In the introduction, the authors give a range of geographical areas of Slavs, and they include Latvia (and by association Lithuania). Correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm quite certain these Baltic countries are not Slavic and they have their own unique languages and cultures. That's not to say there isn't a Slavic minority in these countries and that Slavic pagan religion and myths didn't cross invisible borders in pre-modern times. Idk, could be an error on the authors part, or I'm missing something here, nonetheless when I read that line it bugged me.

Regardless, in a big picture view, that sentence isn't important. I really enjoyed this book and actually flew through it. Everything was written and researched quite well and presented in an accessible way. I do wish they went deeper into certain areas, and covered a few different topics, but at the end of the day it's just an introduction, therefore one shouldn't be too hard on them. Hopefully they can give us a part 2 and cover these other topics!

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a wonderful entry point to Slavic myths!
I started reading this a week ago and then devoured the remaining 2/3rds of this in one sitting (today.)

It features vampires, werewolves, water demons and Queen Libuše (who founded Prague.)
Black and white woodcut illustrations are in every single chapter - pairing beautifully with the stories within.

I’ll end my review with the parting words of Svetlana and Noah, the authors of this brilliant book:

‘…Remember to keep a sharpened hawthorn stake close by your side, just in case you hear the distant howl of a vukodlak echoing through the darkling forest.’

[Michael Dowlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Has one of the best Vampire and Werewolf stories I've read along with a Cinderella-esque story while interspersing historical context in-between. But at the end it feels like you've barely dipped your toes into the material

[Nándor Trendl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you Svetlana and Noah for this great book!
Its really stacked with a lot of information about the slavic folklore, and also academic explanations. I also learnt a lot about crazy new things ( Milovan Glisic, zoophagia, lycanthropy etc. ). The artwork also top tier, it fits the book really well. Bonus points for mentioning Propp and the series Preacher :)

[Magdalena Jelec · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book! Recommending it to everyone who wants to learn about and understand Slavic mythology and culture!

[sasha manojlovic · Rating 3 out of 5]

3/5 ⭐️
Loved learning about how pagan rituals were adapted to fit Christian beliefs. However, I will say that the analyzes of folklore and myths felt like a bit of a brain dump.

[Dan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really beautifully presented book with captivating illustrations and a great way of laying out the myths and then the analysis and historical context.
Really pleasant to read and fascinating to discover origins of certain things!

[Chris]

A good “primer” for the world of Slavic myths. I like the analysis of the history of these myths and how they passed from oral tradition to written, though the latter occurring with the rise of Slavic nationalism so many of the myths were recorded with an added political or nationalistic emphasis. I guess that can be true in any nation and with any story.
The Slavic lands are so vast and its people so multitudinous, that capturing all myths comprehensively would take volumes, not 230 pages. The authors acknowledge this and provide the cornerstones of the Slavic mythology.
So, I liked this overview. I thought that a pronunciation guide for some of the Slavic names would have been helpful.

[Britta · Rating 3 out of 5]

An easy but enjoyable read.
This book serves as a sort of high-level view of a few of the most famous Slavic myths, with snippets to provide context in between.
I would have liked a little more depth, but as an introduction to Slavic lore it was pretty alright.

[Bella · Rating 4 out of 5]

Picked up this book while in Slovenia after hearing a few Slovenian folk tales piqued my interest in Slavic folklore and legend. A great toe-dip into the seemingly vast world of Slavic mythology. Some familiar stories with a twist and some brand new ones mixed with some history and academic analysis - a real treat:)

[Dragos · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's a really pleasant read for the most of it, although a little too brief and all over the place for my taste. Also, a huge chunk of the historical "information" they presented is so wrong it's borderline insulting. The beautiful illustrations are also quite the saving grace.

[Travis · Rating 3 out of 5]

There's a certain kind of book that one often sees displayed at the front of book stores, books which are designed to look impressive, with nice binding and attractive art (possibly something shiny on the cover), but which are fairly insubstantial in content, often a repackaging of public domain material-- like a collection of fairy tales-- or something cobbled together from such sources with little extra depth; in short, books meant to catch the eye and be bought as gifts that at least look impressive. My first impression was that this was a book of that type (it has metallic foil cover art), but I feel that it is maybe a cut above my expectations: interesting but not amazing.

Some of the good points: the art, a series of woodblock (style) prints is both attractive and atmospheric, though sometimes the subject chosen for illustration seems a bit arbitrary, or slightly misplaced relative to the text it is meant to enhance. The stories that open each chapter are interesting and well-told, apparently the work of the authors though generally based on specific literary sources they mention. And the factual information about the myths and lore is generally good, and I particularly enjoyed the time spent on vampires and werewolves and showing how they were interrelated in the original sources, and also very different from their modern incarnations.

Some things that aren't so good: as hinted at before, some of the art pieces feel kind of unnecessary, not really adding much to the material, an impression made worse by the fact that some things mentioned in the text really would benefit from an illustration and yet don't have one. There are some end notes, which I usually like, but these added little to the experience, most often being citations to sources in various foreign languages. The material also feels very uneven. The first two chapters (on vampires and werewolves) make up about half of the book, so the remaining five chapters feel relatively thin and sparse on useful or distinctive information and analysis. And, in fact, the werewolf chapter is also a bit lacking, poorly organized and lacking substance since much of what was unique was already discussed in the vampire chapter. There are some other things I could critique (like their repeating of the theory that there was an original worship focused on a single earth-based goddess, which was supplanted by the sky-based gods of warlike invaders, an idea that is not really supported by any evidence), but it is not worth getting into in this review. Overall, a fairly quick and enjoyable read that is a nice introduction to a source of myth and lore that is less well known to many in the English speaking world, but one lacking in real depth or substance, largely because (as the authors themselves note) there just aren't that many good sources, and what exists was colored by the political and religious milieu during which it was recorded.

[Alona · Rating 4 out of 5]

I appreciate the research it took to compile this book, considering how many things can be counted under the umbrella of 'Slavic', and how many of the stories didn't make it to modernity, therefore making it really hard to find the sources to support these legends. Initially what I was hoping for was a book of legends about the Slavic pagan gods, and this is not it, even though some of the gods are mentioned. However, the folklore is still interesting, and I really enjoyed the chapters on vampires and werewolves.

The chapters that gave me pause though were the ones about Baba Yaga and Ilya Muromets. These are famously fairy tale characters, so equating the witch Baba Yaga to a personification of the Great Goddess honestly felt ridiculous and far-fetched. The authors probably have the research to prove their point, but it was not presented in a convincing way. Especially when there was a Great Goddess in the pagan pantheon (at least Ukrainian/Kyivan Rus' one) - Berehynia (literally - 'the Protector'), who was the creator of all living things, protector of the hearth, etc. And I remembered this just from my very limited knowledge of Slavic pagan gods. Would have been very nice to read a legend about her, but I get it, if none of them survived.

Same goes for the chapter that combines the story of Ilya Muromets - a knight from Kyivan Rus, with Perun - the Supreme God of the Slavic pantheon. The two just don't make sense together, and again Ilya's story fits more in a book of fairy tales rather than mythology. The authors mentioned lots of legends that have Perun fighting other gods for supremacy - why not include one of those instead?

In conclusion of this very long review: despite being underwhelmed by the chapters I mentioned above, the book was quite enjoyable and I would still recommend it. It can serve as a good starting point for those who don't know anything about Slavic folklore/mythology.

Thank you very much to the publisher for providing me with a proof copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Mojmir Docekal · Rating 3 out of 5]

This volume comprises a collection of folkloric narratives accompanied by scholarly commentary. While certain narratives demonstrate literary merit, the analytical framework employed in the commentary appears methodologically insufficient, particularly from ethnological and historical perspectives. A case in point is the narrative concerning Libuše, the Czech prophet. Although the tale itself possesses moderate interest—albeit less compelling than other entries, such as the opening narrative—the subsequent exegesis lacks adequate empirical substantiation. The primary sources cited are medieval chronicles of questionable reliability. Contemporary historiographical approaches, readily accessible in scholarly databases and even encyclopedic resources (e.g., https://cs.wikipedia.org/wiki/Krok_(v...), offer more rigorous analytical frameworks. Notably, Karbusický's theoretical contributions present a more coherent interpretive model than alternative approaches, yet remain unaddressed in *The Slavic Myths*. In conclusion, while the narratives themselves merit engagement as literary artifacts, readers should exercise critical caution regarding the scholarly apparatus, which requires substantial methodological refinement.

[Jelena · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this book if you want to learn more about Slavic mythology.

I enjoyed this book’s structure immensely. You start with a retelling of a famous myth, which is then followed by detailed explanations of its significance and an attempt to trace both the origins of the myth and how it has evolved or been shown in various Slavic cultures, supplemented with a wide variety of citations, should you want to do some additional reading from various literary and academic sources from which the writing is based.

The caveat is clear from the very beginning: the shared mythos spanning Slavic cultures over time is sparse and at times, like following breadcrumbs. A significantly lesser documented phenomenon when compared to other mythologies. But even within that the writers lovingly and painstakingly patch together this wonderful collection of the key myths that are most prominent in our culture today and where they likely came from. I not only enjoyed reading stories, I enjoyed learning about the stories.

It pains me that the collection is so limited, my only gripe here. I genuinely wish for more books of this nature, and for more specifically focused on Slavic mythology.

[Veronika · Rating 5 out of 5]

Všetci čitatelia so záujmom o mytológiu a históriu sem. Táto kniha je zaručený tip pre vás. V tejto krásnej publikácii sa ponoríte do sveta slovanských mýtov, kultúry a v neposlednom rade vás zaručene očarí svojim prevedením a drevorytmi, ktoré v sebe ukrýva.

Mne sa veľmi páčilo, ako bola kniha stavaná. Začítate sa do "rozprávkového" príbehu a po ňom nasleduje informačný výklad, ktorý vám zaručene rozšíri obzory aj pri tých najznámejších postavách, ktoré dozaista poznáte. Baba Jaga či upír? Samozrejme v nej musia byť, ale ste si istí, že vás pri nich už nič neprekvapí? Ja si myslím, že vás autor vyvedie z omylu.
Aj keď môže kniha miestami pôsobiť viac náučne, nedajte sa odradiť. Autorov štýl písania je pútavý, nie sú v nej bezhlavo a sucho nahádzané fakty, ale pôsobí ako veľmi príjemný celok s atmosférou. Určite by sa v nej dalo ísť viac do hľbky, venovať sa viacerým postavám, ale ja túto publikáciu beriem ako na zoznámenie sa so slovanskými mýtmi, ako taký knižný slušný základ, ktorý by som pri ich ďalšom objavovaní mala mať.

Za mňa skutočne ako graficky, tak aj obsahovo vydarené a rozhodne ju odporúčam.

[Cecily Winter · Rating 4 out of 5]

I guess we all pick up snatches of pagan and religious myth from around the world--to name a few: Greek, Roman, British, Irish, American, Lenape, Norse, Christian, Islamic, and Animist. This introduction to Slavic myth (somewhat hampered by the "imprecision and uncertainty" of records) is a surprise gem and another notch on my myth belt.
In recent years, I became enamored of several TV series with creepy themes: "The Walking Dead," "Game of Thrones" (which I also read), and even "True Blood" though I never had much use for classic or modern vampires.
However, vampires are native to Slavic fable, as are werewolves. This book delves into the folk tradition of those beings and others we are willing to scare ourselves with and illustrates them in well-written tales. (I would have enjoyed more tales!)
In a practical sense, the book provides background on the literature and allusions we may soon see soon in greater volume from Ukraine and other European nations sharing our values and their own shared mythic history from shamans to Baba Yaga to firebirds.