There are no primary written sources concerning Slavic mythology–no myths written in the original languages, no poems, or songs, or tales of gods and heroes. The first people to write about the Slavic faith were Christian proselytizer, and their accounts are naturally hostile to the pagan faith. This means that we know tantalizing hints about Slavic deities from archaeology and we have some hair raising accounts from Christian sources (which are probably slander), but we actually know very little. One of the deities who has gained the most mileage from this dearth of information is the dark accursed god Chernobog (aka Crnobog, Czernobóg, Černobog, Црнобог, Zernebog and Чернобог).
A German priest traveling among unconverted Wendish and Polabian tribes wrote about Chernobog as a god of woe whose name meant “black god”. The name also shows up in a smattering of other sources which reveal little–but other than that Chernobog is largely unknown. While this would be a big problem for a harvest god or a love goddess, Chernobog is an underworld deity and his mysterious nature has made him popular with artists, movie makers, and video game producers looking for a big scary guy who doesn’t talk too much.
Chernabog from Walt Disney's "Fantasia"
The most famous Chernobog appearance was in the Walt Disney film Fantasia, where he starred (as “Chernabog”) in the animated “Night on Bald Mountain” sequence. As Modest Mussorgsky’s wild tempestuous music plays, Chernabog, a huge winged demon of blackness, summons forth evil spirits and the restless undead to a lightning scarred mountain top (only to be banished by dawn and the ringing of a church bell). The sequence made a huge impact on me when I saw it on VHS in music class in elementary school and apparently I am not alone, Wikipedia had a long list of fantasy writers who have since used the character as a villain (the most intriguing-sounding of which was an alternate history of Russia where a comet impact had caused widespread famine and cannibalism and Chernobog was worshipped as a major deity!).
"Chernobog" (artwork by by Cristopher Erik Thompson)
Perspicacious readers will probably notice I have just written a post concerning deities of the underworld based on almost no real information other than modern fantasy/entertainment–but there is a useful lesson here. If you are stuck for material Chernobog is your man–his fearsome aura of mystery and dreadful (albeit ambiguous) name will do your work for you.
Aaargh!
ferrebeekeeper 
6 comments
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March 9, 2012 at 5:38 AM
twixraider
The archetype for Tolkien’s Balrog? Is there a translation for Cherno-bog? “Bog” means “God”, but I couldn’t find “Cherno” as a prefix, just as a (bad since 1986) name. And what came first, Chernobog or the Catholic devil?
March 13, 2012 at 3:08 PM
Wayne
According to an uncited quote from Wikipedia which is (allegedly) from Helmold the historian,
“The Slavs, they say, have one peculiar custom: during feasts, they pass a goblet amongst them in circle, for purpose not to praise, but rather to curse in the names of gods, good and evil, for every good thing praising a good god, and for every bad thing cursing an evil god. This god of woe in their language is called Diabolous or Zherneboh, meaning black god.”
Who knows whether any of that is right?
I think your speculation is probably good that there are pieces of Chernobog in the devil–and vice-versa. Walt Disney apparently wanted his animators to make Fantasia’s Chernabog as satanic as possible.
March 10, 2012 at 11:19 AM
jenny
Two things:
You probably know that Slavs had no written language (no alphabet) until those missionaries, Cyril and poor Methodius (who didn’t get an alphabet named for him) created one precisely so they could proselytize. No surprise, then, that we have no written sources for Slavic mythology.
Next, the vocative case remains in Russian only in a couple of phrases, most notably “Bozhe moi,” which anyone with a grandma from Russia has heard over and over. Why, then, has nobody thought to exclaim “chernobozhe moi!”? I’m on it.
March 13, 2012 at 3:14 PM
Wayne
The Gothic alphabet has a similar origin (having been crafted for the Gothic tongue by Bishop Wulfila). I mentioned the missionaries as a reminder that the bits we know about Slavic myth are probably twisted.
I don’t have a Russian grandmother–what does “Bozhe moi” mean?
March 17, 2012 at 11:40 AM
jenny
Wayne, you’ve really never heard “Bozhe moi!”?
All I can say is: “My God!” And I would put “God” in the vocative case, if we had one.
October 5, 2012 at 2:14 PM
Supkrovi Mimi
jenny, you have generated very smart, nice and funny phrase “chernobozhe moi”!)) I will use it in my lexis. Thanks. And we (russians) often say “bozhe moi” (my god). “Bozhe” is archaic version of “Bog” (god). But its common phrase here. Or just the word “boje” apart of “moi”. For example “Boje, kak ya ustal” (God, I’m so tired) etc.