Morana

Morana is a figure in Slavic folklore commonly described as the personification or goddess of winter and death, linked to the annual cycle and the transition from winter to spring. In different traditions she is known by several names, including Morena, Morena, Marzanna, or Mora, with regional variations in how she is imagined—sometimes as a maiden, other times as a more menacing force or as a symbolic representation of winter.

In seasonal rites across parts of Central and Eastern Europe, Morana is celebrated through a spring festival in which an effigy representing winter is prepared from straw or cloth and dressed. The procession or ritual culminates with the destruction of the effigy, often by burning or casting it into a river or well, to symbolize the departure of winter and the arrival of warmer weather. Songs, dances, and expressions of mourning for winter are commonly part of these practices, though the exact form varies by locality.

Historically, Morana is associated with pre-Christian Slavic beliefs and has carried through into later folklore as a symbol tied to death and the changing of the seasons. Scholarly interpretations emphasize her role as a cultural representation of winter’s severity and spring’s renewal, rather than a single uniform deity across all Slavic peoples.

In modern usage, Morana appears in literature, media, and as a given name in several Slavic-speaking regions. Related forms include Morena and Marzanna, reflecting similar origins and myths.