On the question of the cult of the goddess Morena in medieval Novgorod

Based on the analysis of Novgorod birch bark letters and ancient Russian teachings against paganism, a historical analysis of the religious beliefs of Novgorodians of the pagan and early Christian eras associated with the goddess Morena was carried out. The authors demonstrated the inconsistency of B.A. Rybakov's hypothesis that Morena is the name of a ritual doll used during Maslenitsa festivities. They also refuted L.R. Prozorov's assumption that the cult of Morena survived in ancient Novgorod until the second half of the 12th century. According to the researchers, the Novgorod Slavs revered the common Slavic goddess of death Morena in the pagan era. After the introduction of Christianity, there was a syncretism of the pagan cult of the goddess Morena with the image of the Virgin Mary.