The “Star of Lada” is one of the most popular modern Slavic amulets, worn as jewellery, embroidered and tattooed. Here is what the symbol means, where it came from and what is actually known about it.
What it looks like
It is usually drawn as an eight-pointed star formed by two overlapping squares (or a square and ovals), sometimes with a circle in the centre. A related symbol, the “Ladinets”, is drawn as a cross with curved ends. Designs vary, and there is no canonical form.
Meaning
In modern tradition the Star of Lada stands for harmony, love, family, motherhood and feminine strength. The name echoes the Slavic word lad — order, concord, peace.
Where it comes from
To be honest: there are no reliable sources proving that this particular symbol is ancient. Eight-pointed stars and rhombuses are common in Ukrainian embroidery, pysanky and weaving, but the name “Star of Lada” and its interpretation spread with the modern Slavic revival and jewellery culture of the late 20th and early 21st centuries.
What about the goddess Lada?
Lada is first mentioned as a goddess in Polish sources of the 15th century, including early-15th-century sermons and Jan Długosz’s chronicle; the later Hustyn Chronicle names Lado as a god of weddings and joy. Many scholars, including Alexander Potebnja and Max Vasmer, argue that medieval scribes mistook the song refrain lado (“dear”, “spouse”) for a deity’s name, while others, such as Boris Rybakov, defended her historicity. Lada is therefore better understood as a figure of folklore and later tradition than as a well-attested ancient goddess.
The Star of Lada and Ternoshorska Lada
The rock figure near Snidavka was named after Lada in modern tradition, because people saw in it a pregnant woman, a Great Mother. Researcher Mykola Kuhutiak describes carved signs on the stones, including rhombuses and solar symbols. The modern Star of Lada is not documented as linked to these petroglyphs, but for many visitors it has become a way to take a piece of the place home.
Read more about the goddess Lada and the Ternoshora calendar sanctuary.