Ethnographical Memoir on the Nations of Slavonian Race. 55 



than that under which he was worshipped by our Saxon ancestors. The 

 figure of Vodha is so mutilated, that I have not thought it worth extracting. 



PODAGA. 



The next figures are those of 

 Podaga. As Radegast was the 

 chief god of the Obotrites, Po- 

 daga, according to Herr Masch, 

 enjoyed a high rank among the 

 Wagrians, or Wends who in- 

 habited the present Holstein. 

 His most famous temple was 

 at Ploen ; on account of which 

 Helmoldus calls him, Idolura 

 Plunense : Masch supposes him 

 to be one of the original national 

 gods of the Wends, and not 

 among those whose worship 

 was borrowed from the neigh- 

 bouring nations. 



Among the Poles and Bohe- 

 mians, this god was called Pog- 

 wist, which means weather. 

 Among the Sorabian Wends, 



he was called, not Podaga, as at Rhetra, but Pogada, Frentzel has ex- 

 plained this last name to mean a divinity who gives good weather, and 

 therefore favouring agriculture. Masch says, that Podaga has the same 

 meaning ; indicating a god who gives plenty of corn and other food. H« 

 adds, that as the AVends expected from Radegast and Vodha, to obtain 

 good luck in war, so they hoped from Podaga the blessings of peace, fair 

 weather, and fruitful seasons. Tiie image of Podaga, at Rhetra, had 

 double figures, and it is difficult to say which is the front. The head of 

 this figure is too large in proportion, and Masch says it is Impossible to 

 tell what it is meant to resemble. He says the forehead, the eyes, and the 

 upper lip, had something of the iiuman in them j but the nose resembles 

 that of an ox. He thinks it possible tliat the artist intended to make 

 Podaga, as well as Radegast, with the licad of a lion. Pyramidal rays issue 

 from the head, which are broken. 'I'he emblem of Podaga was the cornu- 

 copia, wliicli he had in common with Swantewit. Masch supposes tiiat 

 the curved line, notched, and extending down to the figure of a swine, was 

 meant (o represent a cornucopia. He supposes also, that the Runic cha- 

 racters engraved on thid statue bear allusions to the art of fishing, the use 

 of the plough, and other attributes referred by antiquarians to Podaga. It 

 would be tedious to follow him into iiis etymnlogical iiKpiiries. 



