u/under_the_ash

In 1975, during the clearing of the Dnieper Riverbed just below the mouth of the Desna, an ancient submerged oak was raised from the river, into which nine wild boar jaws were embedded with the tusks facing outward. By the time archaeologists arrived, the boar jaws had been removed as souvenirs. Archaeologists managed to recover eight of the nine jaws. The oak trunk also showed well-preserved rectangular holes where the jaws had been inserted. The oak was nearly completely preserved (except for the upper branches) along with its roots. The trunk showed signs of fire damage. The wild boar jaws, placed at a considerable height in the correct order, as well as the fire marks (possibly from a ritual bonfire), suggest that this oak was a sacred tree used for rituals. Another similar find occurred in 1910, when an oak was raised from the bottom of the Desna River between Ostrov and Chernigov, into which four wild boar tusks had been inserted. This fact is noted in several works concerning Slavic pagan mythology.

From the book by G.Yu. Ivakin, The Sacred Oak of Pagan Slavs // Soviet Ethnography

Traditionally, there has long been a widespread belief that mirrors serve as portals to other worlds. And, frankly speaking, this idea is not entirely unfounded. It is also believed that mirrors store and accumulate information, which likewise corresponds to reality. However, this does not apply to every mirror. Mirrors produced by traditional methods using silvering (meaning they contain a silver component in their physical structure) tend to possess this quality to a greater degree. Mirrors can also reflect the energies present within a home. For this reason, in Slavic tradition it is said that when a deceased person lies in the house, mirrors should be covered so they do not absorb “deceased” energy or reflect it back to the living. When the deceased is carried through the space, mirrors are covered, and similar customs are observed.

Traditionally, there has long been a widespread belief that mirrors serve as portals to other worlds. And, frankly speaking, this idea is not entirely unfounded. It is also believed that mirrors store and accumulate information, which likewise corresponds to reality. However, this does not apply to every mirror. Mirrors produced by traditional methods using silvering (meaning they contain a silver component in their physical structure) tend to possess this quality to a greater degree. Mirrors can also reflect the energies present within a home. For this reason, in Slavic tradition it is said that when a deceased person lies in the house, mirrors should be covered so they do not absorb “deceased” energy or reflect it back to the living. When the deceased is carried through the space, mirrors are covered, and similar customs are observed.

Traditionally, there has long been a widespread belief that mirrors serve as portals to other worlds. And, frankly speaking, this idea is not entirely unfounded. It is also believed that mirrors store and accumulate information, which likewise corresponds to reality. However, this does not apply to every mirror. Mirrors produced by traditional methods using silvering (meaning they contain a silver component in their physical structure) tend to possess this quality to a greater degree. Mirrors can also reflect the energies present within a home. For this reason, it is traditionally said that when a deceased person lies in the house, mirrors should be covered so they do not absorb “deceased” energy or reflect it back to the living. When the deceased is carried through the space, mirrors are covered, and similar customs are observed.