Radegast, also Radigost, Redigast, Riedegost or Radogost, is mentioned by Adam of Bremen in his Gesta Hammaburgensis Ecclesiae Pontificum as the deity worshipped in the Lutician city of Rethra. Likewise, Helmold in his Chronica Slavorum wrote of Radegast as a Lutician god. However, Thietmar of Merseburg wrote in his Chronicon that the pagan Luticians in their holy city of "Radegast" worshipped many gods, the most important of which was called Zuarasici, identified as either Svarog or Svarožič. According to Adam of Bremen, Johannes Scotus, Bishop of Mecklenburg, was sacrificed to that deity on 10 November of 1066, during a Wendish pagan rebellion against Christianity.
Since the name can easily be etymologised as meaning something like “Dear guest”, Radegast was proclaimed as the Slavic god of hospitality and as such entered the hypothetical, reconstructed Slavic pantheon of modern days. Even myths concerning him were constructed based on various folk customs of sacred hospitality. Similar customs, however, are known in many Indo-European mythologies without a distinct deity associated explicitly with them.
There is a statue dedicated to the god Radegast on top of mount Radhošť in the Czech Beskydy mountains. The name Radhošť itself is a Czech transcription of Radegast.[1]
Radegast is also a brand of Czech beer.
Radagast the Brown is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium.
Radigost is the name of a Russian black metal band formed in 1994.
Media related to [//commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Radho%C5%A1%C5%A5 Radhošť] at Wikimedia Commons
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