Svantevit (or Svetovid) was an early deity with the Germanic and Slavonic peoples. He had fourfaces looking in the four directions of the wind, keeping a constant eye on whatwashappeningallovertheworld. The Wendish fortification of Arkonaon the northern tip of the Baltic island of Rügenwas Svantevit's last stand when the danish King Valdemar 'the Great' in 1168 conquered the island.
Svantevit's effigy was hauled out of the temple and, while the pagan Wends wept, turned into firewood by the conquerors.
A few of these germanic 'totem' poles still exist, like the one to the left on the ancient Arkona site of Jaromarsburg and a few in Poland and in the Ukraine.