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Slavic Tradition
Slavic Tradition
Slavic Tradition
Slavic religion was practiced until the 9th–10th centuries CE across vast areas of Central, Southern, and Eastern Europe. From the late Middle Ages onward, belief in the ancient deities and nature spirits gradually weakened; nevertheless, well into the 19th century and the first decades of the 20th, numerous elements of the pre Christian tradition remained clearly recognizable among rural communities in Slavic speaking regions. Thanks to the work of ethnographers, many components of the ancient Slavic religious system have been reconstructed. Building on this research, the 20th century—especially its final decades—witnessed a revival of groups throughout the Slavic world dedicated to revitalizing these ancient beliefs.
The seminar aims to present the main theories concerning the religious system of the ancient Slavs and to examine how contemporary rodnover groups reinterpret and put these reconstructions into practice.
The presentation will also explore several characteristic elements of the Slavic religious imagination, such as vampirism and the relationship with the dead and with death. As a counterpoint to this analysis, an in depth discussion of the sexual customs of the ancient Slavs will be offered.
Finally, the seminar will address the symbolism of the kolo, the circular dance that continues to be performed in many parts of the Slavic world—not only within contemporary Slavic communities, but also in village traditions across Central Europe and, in the case of the southern Balkans, even in urban settings.
prof. Giuseppe Maiello
prof. Giuseppe Maiello
Giuseppe Maiello holds a PhD in Slavic Philology from Charles University in Prague and a PhD in International Studies from the University “L’Orientale” of Naples. He also holds the title of docent in Ethnology from Masaryk University in Brno. His academic trajectory combines philological expertise, ethnological methodology, and a long-standing engagement with the study of religious traditions in Central and Eastern Europe.
In 1998, he was among the founding members of the Czech Rodná víra and of the World Congress of Ethnic Religions (WCER), the predecessor of the European Congress of Ethnic Religions (ECER). He remains actively involved in this field of research and advocacy and currently serves as a board member of ECER. His work has contributed to the documentation, interpretation, and contextualization of contemporary revitalizations of pre Christian religious traditions across the Slavic world.
At present, he serves as Publication Officer on the Board of the European Association for the Study of Religions (EASR), where he oversees editorial coordination and supports the association’s communication and dissemination strategies. He is also a member of the International Study of Religion in Eastern and Central Europe Association (ISORECEA) and of the International Society for Ethnology and Folklore (SIEF), reflecting his sustained engagement with interdisciplinary and international research networks.
His scholarly interests include Slavic pre Christian religions, contemporary ethnic and revivalist movements, ritual studies, and the ethnography of Central and Eastern Europe. Over the years, he has combined academic research with fieldwork, editorial work, and active participation in international scholarly associations, contributing to the broader understanding of religious diversity, cultural heritage, and identity formation in Europe.
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