ABSTRACT
Multi-headed images of gods were common among the Western Slavs: Helmold of Bosau and Saxo Grammaticus mentioned two-, three-, four-, five-, and seven-headed gods. However, only one god that the Pomeranians worshipped in Szczecin carries a name that explicitly means "three heads"—Triglav. This god, his temple, image, and cult are described in St. Otto of Bamberg's hagiographies. In his account of St. Otto's second missionary journey, this saint's earliest hagiographer, Ebo, also explains the three-headed nature of Triglav as the lord of three worlds—heaven, earth, and the netherworld: Stettin, their most extensive town, which was larger than Julin, included three hills in its circuit. The middle one of these, which was the highest, was dedicated to Triglav, the chief god of the pagans; its image had a triple head and its eyes and lips were covered with golden diadem. In the forged Book of Veles, Triglav occupies the position of the supreme "pan-Slavic" god, replacing in practice the Christian Trinity.
