An early Polish settlement featuring an allocated place of pagan worship, which is located near the ancient complex of Poganowo not far from the Polish coast of the Baltic Sea, was unearthed and examined archaeologically as first of its kind only recently, by the scientists from the Wojciech Kętrzyński Museum in Kętrzyn. It is the only find of this type on the entire south-eastern coast of the Baltic so far. Other places of pagan cult and ritual by Slavs and Scandinavians are known from prior analysis of early inhabitation of Eastern Europe, however, these specific areas inhabited by early Polish tribes were not studied until recently.
The worshiped statue discovered in Poganowo constituted one of elements of a stone circle, inside of which the little mound of loose stone was built and a hearth nearby. According to the analyses of fragments of bones, they constitute the remains of horses, deer, and much more rarely cows which were sacrificed as animals devoted to deities.
Over the millennia the Poles had to face up to mythologies of stronger nations which have often painted Poland's tribes – and their influence – in a negative way. For example in the Russian mythology the Poles are often cast in the role of their eternal enemy from the West, foreign invaders in pan-Slavic lands; or, as their own religious opponents plotting for the invasion of great Russia and for trampling down her traditional values. Nevertheless, the Polish pantheon of pagan gods exists in direct relation to many Slavic supernatural beings found among the peoples inhabiting Central and Eastern Europe as well as the Balkans, including Rus people.
The Polish pantheon
- Major gods
- Dadźbóg
- Yarilo
- Piorun
- The Zorya
- Marzanna
- Świętowit
- Swaróg
- Triglav
- Weles
- Zaria
- Other gods
- Białobóg
- Czarnobóg
- Dziewona
- Dzydzilelya
- Baba Jaga
- Kupala
- Lada and Lado
- Marzyana
- Matka Gabia
- Mokosz
- Oynyena Maria
- Percunatel
- Porvata
- Rodzanica
- Siliniez
- Sorrowful God
- Stribog
- Sudz
- Syrenka
- Tawals
- Zewana
- Złota Baba
- Zwezda Dnieca
- Zwezda Wieczoniaia
- Zwezda Polnoca
- Zywie
- Polish supernatural beings
- Bannik
- Boginki
- Djabelek
- Dogoda
- Dola
- Domowije
- Kikimora
- Lakanica
- Leshy
- Mamuna
- Mamony
- Mora
- Naw
- Neuri
- Nocnitsa
- Odmieńce
- Polewiki
- Południca
- Psotnik
- Raróg
- Rusałka
- Sky Women
- Smiercia - the spirit of death
- Strzyga
- Sudice
- Topielec
- Treasurer/Karzelek
- Wila
- Wodjanoj
- Zors