Hunting is one of the oldest human occupations that played an important role in human evolution. We should not view it solely in the light of health and fitness activities or the wise use of renewable natural resources. It has a long history and preserves national traditions. This is a whole layer of our culture. Hunting scenes are depicted in rock art, on the horns of hoofed animals and mammoth tusks, in medal and fine arts, literature, legends and myths. The latter also includes the lives of the saints - the patrons of hunters.
If for sailors, fishermen and travelers this is Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker, then for hunters it is the Great Martyr Tryphon and Saint Hubert.
In Orthodoxy, the holy Great Martyr Tryphon is considered the heavenly patron of hunters, who is depicted sitting on a white horse with a falcon in his right hand. Hunting with birds of prey, which originated in ancient times, first in the East, later became widespread in Russia and in the countries of Western Europe. Before the widespread use of complete canine hunting, it still played an essential role in the life of society. However, later, hunting with greyhounds began to actively supplant hunting with birds of prey, which remained only the privilege of the highest court aristocracy.
According to legend, the holy great martyr Tryphon was born in 232 into a peasant family and in his youth diligently helped his parents with the housework. As a youth, Tryphon displayed the gift of working miracles: he healed and relieved the ailments of people, with his speeches converted them to the Christian faith, for which he was seized and brought to justice. He was scourged and subjected to many cruel tortures, but he refused to deny Christ and recognize the Roman gods. For this he was sentenced to beheading. Before the execution Tryphon prayed earnestly and asked the Lord to accept him into his kingdom. Heed the prayer, the Lord took his soul, and even before the sentence was carried out. Memorial Day of St. Tryphon in the Orthodox Church is celebrated on February 14.
Despite the widespread use of canine and rifle hunting in the 19th century, hunting with birds of prey continued to exist in Russia, especially in the south of the country, where birds, hares and foxes were hunted with them. Among lovers of such entertainment, large falcons, or gyrfalcons, were highly valued. To find a bird of prey that has flown away for prey, a pair of light and ringing bells are attached to its tail feathers, and before the hunt, they put on a cap-hood with a sultan attached to the top of the head. The purpose of the hood is to close the pet's eyes so that it calms down faster, does not shy away and does not rush after prey ahead of time. At the right moment, the falconer, pulling the sultan, throws off the hood and lets the bird of prey in pursuit of the game.
If in Orthodoxy the great martyr Tryphon is considered the patron saint of hunters, then in many countries of Western Europe hunters and foresters celebrate the feast of Saint Hubert. These days, on the lapels of their outerwear and on their hats, you can see the emblem in the form of a deer head with a cross and a glow between the horns. This image is called the deer of St. Hubert, bringing good luck on the hunt. People of the Catholic faith who love hunting consider Saint Hubert to be their patron. It is especially popular in Poland, Belgium, Switzerland, the Netherlands and France.
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This can be confirmed by many emblems of hunting societies, made in the form of signs, medals and commemorative tokens depicting a deer head with a holy cross between the horns. The amazing beauty and elegance of the objects under consideration from earlier times is a kind of miracle of medal art, made with great artistic taste, often on silver and using various enamels and technologies.
According to one of the legends, Francis Hubertus was born in 656. In his youth, he lived at the court of the Frankish king, and later ended up in one of the kingdoms in northern France. Hubert was a fanatical hunter and spent all his free time in the woods with hounds, excellent at working on large animals. One morning, when he was chasing a large deer, he suddenly turned around, and the amazed hunter saw the holy cross between the horns, and then heard the voice of God, which urged him to leave worldly life and by serving the Lord to atone for his sins before nature.
This meeting drastically changed the fate of the hunter, and after much deliberation, he decided to take monastic vows and subsequently became a bishop, who preached in the Ardennes and then in Liege. Despite his rank, Hubert of Liège continued to be interested in hunting and breeding of wild hunting dogs. He carried his love for them throughout his life and in all the images he always stands next to the hounds. After the death of Bishop Hubert in 727, the church canonized him, and he became the heavenly patron of hunting, the intercessor of all hunters and animals. In many European hunting clubs, on November 3, the Feast of St. Hubert is held in his honor, which, according to legend, protects dogs, hunting horses and hunting birds from diseases.
In 825, the relics of Saint Hubert were transferred by the French king Louis to a monastery in the Ardennes forest. The monks living here have always been fond of hunting and are actively engaged in breeding hunting dogs with a good instinct and amazing toughness of work. They were very popular with hunters in Europe and were named the dogs of St. Hubert. Currently, most dog breeders believe that the purebred Saint Hubert's hound has not survived, and in England closely related dogs are bred - Bloodhounds, which perfectly work on the blood trail.
In conclusion, it should be said that the myths and legends about the patron saints of hunters as part of the cultural heritage of the peoples of Europe are still alive. Legends about the great martyr Tryphon, Saint Hubert, and also about their help to hunters and hunting animals still exist today. It is believed that the image of the heroes of these myths on the emblems of hunting societies, badges and tokens brings good luck, not only to hunters, but also to their assistants (dogs, riding horses and hunting birds).
By the way. Saint-Eustache, who is also Placid, was a general of the army of the pagan emperor Trajan, while hunting he saw a deer with a cross between the horns, or he saw between the horns of the deer the image of the Savior, Who said: “Placid, why are you pursuing me, who wants your salvation? ?”, And turned (Eustachius was his baptismal name). Accused of belonging to Christianity, he was deprived of everything, including his wife and both sons (also Christians), but after a while he was again called to active service, since Trajan needed to repel the invasion of the barbarians. Reflected; the wife and children were returned with the expectation that the whole family would sacrifice to idols, and they would take it and refuse it. Trajan ordered them to be thrown to the lions, but they did not eat them, and as a result the whole family was tortured by being burned alive in a bronze bull. St. Eustachius is one of the Fourteen Holy Helpers. Memory S. Eustachii et Sociorum Mm. - September 20, in the East - November 2.
There is a legend that under Tsar Ivan the Terrible (1533-1584), the beloved royal gyrfalcon flew away during the hunt. The tsar ordered the falconer Trifon Patrikeev to find the bird that had flown away and threatened him with death for not following the order. Falconer Trifon traveled around the surrounding forests, but to no avail. On the third day, tired of a long search, he lay down to rest, earnestly asking for help from his patron, the holy Martyr Tryphon. In a dream, he saw a young man on a white horse, holding a royal gyrfalcon in his hand. This young man said: "Take the lost bird, go with God to the king and do not grieve about anything." Waking up, the falconer saw a gyrfalcon he was looking for on a pine nearby. He immediately took him to the king and told about the miraculous help he received from the holy Martyr Tryphon. Soon, at the place where the saint's apparition was, the falconer Trifon Patrikeev built a chapel,and then the church in the name of the holy martyr Tryphon.
At present, the head of the holy martyr is kept in the city of Kotor (Montenegro), in the Cathedral of St. Tryphon. Part of the relics was brought from there to Russia in 1803. In 1819, this shrine was put in three reliquaries in the icon of the holy Martyr Tryphon, which was in the church built in his honor. Now this icon is in the church in honor of the Sign of the Most Holy Theotokos, at the Riga station in Moscow, not far from the place where St. Tryphon appeared to the falconer.
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In Kiev, in Troyeshchina, there is the church of the Holy Martyr Tryphon.
Saint Nicholas; Nikolay the Pleasant; Nicholas the Wonderworker is a Christian saint, Archbishop of Lycia (Byzantium). Revered as a miracle worker, considered the patron saint of sailors, merchants and children. In European folklore, it is depicted as the image of Santa Claus.
In the ancient biographies of Nicholas of Mirliki, they were usually confused with Nicholas of Pinars (Sinai) because of similar details of the biographies of the saints: both lived in the III-IV century, originally from Lycia, archbishops, revered saints and miracle workers. These coincidences led to the misconception that existed for many centuries that there was only one Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker in the history of the church.
Saint Nicholas is the patron saint of sailors, who is often approached by sailors who are threatened by sinking or shipwreck. In accordance with the biography, as a young man, Nikolai went to study in Alexandria, and in one of his sea voyages from Mira to Alexandria, he resurrected a sailor who fell from a piece of ship rigging in a storm and crashed to death. From another incident of life, Nikolai rescued a sailor on the way from Alexandria back to Mira and on arrival took him with him to church.
Even during his lifetime, Saint Nicholas became famous as a pacifier of those at war, a defender of the innocent condemned, and a deliverer from unnecessary death.
There is a whole Cathedral of Patron saints. Even a single icon is called that. This icon is notable primarily for the fact that it was painted in the 21st century, in 2005 with the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Russia. In the upper part of the holy image there are five icon-painting images of the Most Holy Theotokos. These are Tikhvin, Kazan, Ozeryanskaya, "Sign" and Fedorovskaya icons, especially revered by hunters and fishermen.
Each of the images is associated with genuine evidence of the gracious help of the Queen of Heaven. A little below, in prayer intercession to the Savior and the Mother of God, twenty saints of God are depicted, since ancient times considered the patrons of hunters and fishermen: St. and the Monks Paphnutius Borovsky and Barlaam of Keretsky, the great martyr Eustathius Plakis, the martyr Tryphon, the Righteous Simeon of Verkhotursky, the holy passion-bearer Tsar Nicholas, the right-believing Grand Duke Alexander Nevsky, the Great Martyr Dmitry Solunsky and St. …
And here is the representative from the pagans
Zevana (Zevonia) in Slavic mythology is the goddess of animals, birds and hunting.
She was portrayed in a rich weasel coat trimmed with a squirrel. Instead of an epancha (outerwear), a bear skin was thrown over it, the head of the beast served as a hat.
In her hands Zevana held a drawn bow and traps, at her feet lay a spear and a knife.
The best hunting dogs were kept in the temples of Zevana.
Hunters and hunters prayed to the goddess, asking her for happiness in hunting, and after a successful hunt they brought her part of their prey in gratitude. In conclusion, it should be said that the myths and legends about the patron saints of hunters as part of the cultural heritage of the peoples of Europe are still alive.
Legends about the great martyr Tryphon, Saint Hubert, and also about their help to hunters and hunting animals still exist today. It is believed that the image of the heroes of these myths on the emblems of hunting societies, badges and tokens brings good luck, not only to hunters, but also to their assistants (dogs, riding horses and hunting birds).
