Our ancestors did not read books about perinatal education, did not attend courses for expectant mothers and fathers. However, they knew very well that the child in the womb feels and understands everything that happens to his mother. Therefore, for a pregnant woman and for the people around her, there was a whole set of rules that were strictly followed.
The expectant mother was forbidden to drink alcohol, lie, steal, get angry and swear, attend funerals, look at seriously ill, crippled and beggars. If a pregnant woman gave alms, she was instructed to look away and cover her face with a headscarf.
In general, the presence of a pregnant woman in a large crowd of people, for whatever reason - festive or tragic - they gathered, was undesirable. It was believed that she herself or an unborn child could be jinxed.
However, participation in cheerful family celebrations was encouraged so that the child rejoiced. Our ancestors believed that when a mother rejoices and has fun with her family, the child establishes a bond with relatives, a cheerful and kind disposition, generosity and hospitality are formed.
After the baptism of Russia, a belief arose that a pregnant woman should do things pleasing to the Lord, since this provides the child from birth to baptism, when he is the most helpless in front of the evil eye and word, divine protection.
Before the adoption of Christianity, a pregnant woman was considered to be under the auspices of the Slavic gods, especially Makosh. The pregnant woman was considered the favorite of the gods, who found their blessing for herself. She was invited to the garden to treat herself to apples. It was believed that if the expectant mother picks and eats an apple from an apple tree that bears fruit for the first time, then the tree will give a bountiful harvest every year.
If there was a drought, then during the prayer to the gods for rain, a pregnant woman was poured with water, so that blessed moisture would descend from heaven to the earth and ensure a good harvest.
Childless women and young women of the first year of marriage brought generous gifts and bread to the pregnant woman in the hope of drawing strength from her to bear. The Slavs believed that it was in the power of a pregnant woman to share the blessing of the gods who sent her a child.
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The family, and especially the husband of the pregnant woman, should not have refused her to buy something, to give the desired gift. At the table, the best bite was offered not to the head of the family, as usual, but to the "heavy" woman.
It was forbidden to scold, insult a pregnant woman, especially "behind the back". It was believed that this would bring the wrath of the gods on the head of the offending person and his family members. In addition, it caused general condemnation and in some cases could even cause expulsion.
It was impossible to quarrel in the presence of a pregnant woman, to use abusive expressions, especially to start a fight.
It is a great sin before the gods to push or hit a pregnant woman.
It was unacceptable to bypass a pregnant woman with a gift on a holiday, not to bring her a treat, to force her to do difficult or dirty housework related to lifting weights, caring for cattle, cleaning up garbage.
It was forbidden for a pregnant woman to hang out washed linen on a rope, to bend over for fruits growing in the ground (turnips, onions, carrots) so that the child would not reach neither into the sky nor into the ground. I must say that modern science has confirmed the validity of these beliefs. The concept of heaviness, physical overload and dirty work can provoke the loss of a child or the development of complications during childbirth. The same can be said about the signs - do not step over the trees felled by the storm, do not crawl out the window …
It was strictly forbidden for a pregnant woman to sit on the threshold of the hut. It was believed that the threshold separates not only housing and the yard, but also the world of the living with the world of the dead. Therefore, in order for the child to remain among the living after birth, the mother did not have to stop at the threshold.
It was forbidden to sew, weave and spin on Friday and on Makoshin's day, because in this way it was possible to lose the blessing of the goddess, and she could send a difficult birth as punishment, or even take away the child. Hence, more modern signs arose - a mother should not prepare a dowry for a child herself, and nothing can be purchased for a baby before birth. With the adoption of Christianity, the prohibition to engage in needlework "shifted" to Christmastide and continuous weeks.
The Slavs believed that the unborn child feels the thoughts of not only the mother, but also the father. Therefore, the child's father was ordered to be restrained in words and expressions in the presence of his wife, not to be angry and not to conceal resentment. He had to protect the expectant mother from shocks, prevent her from seeing fights, slaughtering cattle, wild animals, otherwise the child will be born shy.
If a pregnant woman cried, she needed to be comforted so that the child would not be upset. If a hysteria was made with her, it was believed that it was the child's soul that was worried and could leave the mother's womb, so it was necessary to comfort the expectant mother as soon as possible, to bring her a gift or delicacy.
In Russia there was a custom of “forgiven days”. A few months before the alleged birth, her relatives came to the pregnant woman's house and asked her forgiveness for obvious and secret grievances. The pregnant woman had to forgive them and in turn ask them for forgiveness. It was a great sin not to forgive a pregnant woman. Forgiveness had to be granted from the heart on both sides, since someone's unforgiven offense could “bind” childbirth and prevent the baby from being born.
Such rules-rituals were observed right up to the birth.
The day and hour of the birth were kept secret. After giving birth, the gender of the baby and his name were not announced. It was believed that before baptism all of them - regardless of gender - were called Bogdans.
Author: Maria Ruzhenskaya
