Oręż zbruczańskiego Świętowita
Weapons from Zbrucz

Summary/Abstract: The stone statue, which was found in the Zbrucz River in 1848, is one of the most interesting images of an early medieval Slavic god. The weapon which he carries at his side has been variously interpreted. In the 19th century it was thought to be a sword. Current opinion inclines to the view that it is a representation of the type of sabre used by the nomads of the Great Steppe in 10th and 11th century. The early medieval Slavs used swords. The image of a sabre on this statue can be taken to indicate that the artist-sculptor was a nomad: Pecheneg or Cuman. However, he executed the statue not following+ the artistic conventions of the steppe, but from the point of view of a Slavic priest.

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