Stara vjera Srba i Hrvata

In his work The Old Faith of Serbs and Croats, Natko Nodilo attempts to reconstruct a complex system of pre-Christian Slavic beliefs based on the remains of myths, folk traditions, linguistic traces, and medieval records. He starts from the assumption that Serbs and Croats have preserved essential elements of a common Slavic religious heritage, and therefore analyzes deities such as Perun, Veles, Mokoša, and other figures that are manifested in folklore, toponymy, and customs. The work traces the dualistic structure of the Slavic pantheon, contrasting celestial and subterranean deities, and explains how these mythological patterns reflect the understanding of natural cycles, social relations, and moral principles.

Nodilo also pays attention to the process of Christianization, emphasizing how many elements of the old faith survived in folk customs, holiday practices, and symbolism, transformed into syncretistic forms within Christian culture. In his interpretation, he uses comparative methods, connecting Slavic myths with Indo-European models and comparing them with Greek, Germanic and Baltic traditions.

The afterword by Radoslav Katičić, included in the reprint, brings a contemporary philological and mythological update, correcting certain of Nodil's assumptions, especially where the author was limited by the sources of his time. Katičić strengthens the thesis of a unique Slavic mythological matrix and adds insight into later Slavic and Indo-European studies, emphasizing the rhythm of annual rituals, the mythical narrative of divine conflict, and continuities in Croatian and Serbian traditions.

The book, together with the afterword, remains one of the fundamental works for understanding the old Slavic religion, its structure, symbolism and traces in the cultural heritage of the South Slavs.