Kupalo/Kupala is a Slavic deity representing joy, mid-summer, peace, magic, water, and herbs. Alongside his sister Kostroma, they represented fertility. Kupalo/Kupala is celebrated at a festival called Kupala Night with rituals of purification through water and fire.
The name Kupala or Kupalo is etymologically related to the verb kupati, "to wet" or "to bathe."
Myths & Legends[]
Kupalo and Kostroma were born as twins. Their parents were Simargl, the god of fire, and Kupalnitsa, goddess of night.
The Birds of Sorrow and Joy[]
As children, despite their mother's warning, they ran into a field to listen to the song birds Sirin (bird of sorrow), and Alkonost (bird of joy). Both birds were dangerous. While Kostromo listened to Alkonost, Kupalo listed to Sirin's song. By the order of Chernobog, Sirin and a Magic Swan kidnapped Kupalo and took him to the Underworld (known as Nav).
Marriage and Death[]
Kostroma grew up alone and became a beautiful woman. She wove a wreath, which the wind tore from her head and put it in the water. Kupalo was passing by in a boat and picked up the wreath, which was a tradition of engagement. When he returned the wreath to her, they did not recongnize each other, and she fell in love at first sight. They were married, but then the gods informed them that they were brother and sister.
Due to the shame of this, they both commited suicide. Kupalo jumped into the fire and died. Kostroma ran to the forest, threw herself into the forest lake and drowned. But she did not die and rather became a monstrous water spirit known as a Mavka.
The gods, regretful for the cruel punishment they had given the siblings, returned Kupalo and Kostromo to life as flowers, as they could not give them back their human form. The Slavs gave the name Kupalo-da-Mavka (Kupalo-and-Mavka) to the flower. Later, in the time of Christianization in Rus, the flower was renamed to the Ivan-da-Marya (Ivan-and-Marya).
Depiction of the female goddess Kupala
The Goddess Kupala[]
Kupala (sometimes called Kupalnitsu like her mother) was the female personification of Kupalo. In many myths, this diety is often represented as the female Kupala, rather than the myths just described where Kupalo is male.