Živa: The Pillar of Life Energy
August is the time of harvest, a time for gathering fruits. Our ancestors associated this period with the goddess Živa as the pillar of our life energy.
During this time, the goddess Živa appeared – the goddess of life and water. She was depicted as a beautiful woman with a lush bosom and long hair. Her attributes are the apple, wheat, and the grapevine. In folk tradition, we know of rituals where an apple, a symbol of fertility and health, is offered to the water. The goddess is also known as the protector of children; her depictions with children are often reflected today in the image of the Virgin Mary with the infant Jesus.
In folklore, we find many fairy tales where parallels between the goddess Živa and the "Bela Žena" (White Woman) are visible:
A Fairy Tale from Bohinj: "A White Woman sits on one of the peaks in the Julian Alps. She wears a snow-white dress scattered with glittering jewels. If a hunter climbs the steep and rocky path to her, he stands enchanted by her beauty, and she waves a greeting with her hand. But if he dares to come closer, he is destined to die. The moment he reaches out his hand toward her, a rockslide pulls him into the depths. The virginal White Woman weeps, full of longing for faithful love and full of sadness because it will always be denied to her. Her tears drop onto the frozen stony ground, from which a beautiful white flower grows, called the Edelweiss (planika)."
A Story from Bistriška Planina: "Many years ago, on Christmas Eve, a pious woman went to the spring for water. At midnight, when she reached the stream, she saw a woman of unusual size sitting on a steep rock, washing her feet in the clear water. She was as white as snow. The woman became so frightened that there was hardly a drop of blood left in her. When she raised her eyes again, there was no sign of the White Woman. The woman grabbed the water and rushed home in fear. How surprised they were when, instead of the water she had drawn, they began to drink the finest wine from the pitcher."
A Tale from Carinthia: "A young farmer was dissatisfied with everything – his wife, the harvest. Once, returning home by moonlight, he heard a kind female voice behind him: 'Beans, beans!' He looked over his left shoulder and saw a beautiful woman... The very next afternoon, he went to the field and sowed beans, even though there was still snow and people laughed at him. But his beans grew wonderfully. Once, in the field, he heard her voice again and followed it, but the voice moved away. When the moon finally rose, he saw a beautiful woman before him. The young farmer realized he stood before the White Woman, the most beautiful creature on earth. 'I will give you everything I have!' he murmured. She replied: 'What will you give me, when you have nothing! Without me, there would be nothing...' Then she instructed him to answer every question at home only with: 'I'. Even if it was difficult. If he passed the test, he could visit her again. But he failed. Nevertheless, he went to look for her, wandering the fields. When the moon rose from behind the mountains, he found himself in a forest, in a completely strange place. The moonlight was now as bright as sunlight. From somewhere, birds began to sing so beautifully that the farmer's heart stopped in his chest. Then he came to a stream and saw her, the beautiful woman, bathing in the clear, cold water... 'Oh, that I might come near you!' 'You promised this morning. If you come with me, it will be a misfortune for you.' In that moment, the beauty was shrouded in mist."
May the eighth month of the year be full of gratitude to the earth and good energy.
