Since ancient times, pagan beliefs were widespread in Russia, placing above all the relationship between man and nature. People believed and worshiped various Gods, spirits and other beings. And of course, this belief was accompanied by countless rituals, holidays and sacred events, the most interesting and unusual of which we have collected in this collection.
1. Name
Our ancestors approached the choice of a name very seriously. It was believed that the name is both the amulet and the fate of a person. In a person's life, the rite of naming could occur several times. For the first time, the father is giving a name to a born baby. At the same time, everyone understands that this name is temporary, childish. During initiation, when a child turns 12, a naming ceremony is performed, during which the priests of the old faith wash their old baby names in sacred waters. The name was also changed during life: to girls who were getting married, or to soldiers, on the verge of life and death, or when a person did something supernatural, heroic or outstanding.
The naming ceremony for young men took place only in flowing water (river, stream). Girls could undergo this rite both in flowing water and in still water (lake, backwater), or in temples, in sanctuaries and other places. The ceremony was performed as follows: the named takes a wax candle in his right hand. After the words uttered by the priest in a state of trance, the dubbed must plunge his head into the water, holding a burning candle above the water. Little children entered the sacred waters, and nameless, renewed, pure and immaculate people came out, ready to receive adult names from the priests, starting a completely new independent life, in accordance with the laws of the ancient heavenly gods and their families.
2. Bath rite
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The bath ritual should always begin with a greeting from the Master of the Bath, or the spirit of the bath - Bannik. This greeting is also a kind of conspiracy, a conspiracy of space and environment in which the bath ceremony will be held. Usually, immediately after reading such a greeting conspiracy, a ladle of hot water is fed onto the stone and the steam rising from the stove is evenly distributed by circular movements of a broom or towel throughout the steam room. This is the creation of light steam. And the bath broom was called in the bath the lord, or the most important (the most important), from century to century they repeated: "The bath broom is older than the king, if the king is steaming"; "The broom in the bath is all the boss"; “In the bathhouse, a broom is more valuable than money”; "A bathhouse without a broom is like a table without salt."
3. Trizna
Trizna is a funeral military rite among the ancient Slavs, which consists of games, dances and competitions in honor of the deceased; mourning for the deceased and a memorial feast. Initially, the feast consisted of an extensive ritual complex of sacrifices, war games, songs, dances and groans in honor of the deceased, mourning, lamentations and a memorial feast both before and after the burning.
After the adoption of Christianity in Russia, for a long time, the funeral service was preserved in the form of memorial songs and a feast, and later this ancient pagan term replaced the name "commemoration". During sincere prayer for the dead, in the souls of those who pray, there is always a deep feeling of unity with the clan and ancestors, which directly testifies to our constant connection with them. This ceremony helps to find peace of mind for the living and the dead, contributes to their beneficial interaction and mutual assistance.
4. Laundering of land
According to legend, Yegoriy Veshniy possesses magic keys, which he unlocks the spring earth. In many villages, ceremonies were held, during which the saint was asked to "open" the land - to give fertility to the fields, to protect livestock. The ritual act itself looked something like this. First, they chose a guy named "Yury", gave him a lighted torch, decorated with greenery and put a round pie on his head.
Then the procession, led by "Yury", circled the winter fields three times. Then they made a fire and asked for a prayer to the saint.
In some places, women lay naked on the ground, saying: "As we roll across the field, let the bread grow into a tube." Sometimes a prayer service was held, after which all those present rode on winter crops - so that the bread would grow well. Saint George released dew on the ground, which was considered healing "from seven ailments and from the evil eye." Sometimes people rode on "St. George's dew" to get health, it was not for nothing that they wished: "Be healthy as St. George's dew!" This dew was considered beneficial for the sick and the weak, and about the hopeless they said: "Can't they go out to St. George's dew?" On the day of Yegori Veshniy, the blessing of rivers and other sources was performed in many places. Crops and pastures were sprinkled with this water.
5. Start building a house
The beginning of the construction of a house among the ancient Slavs was associated with a whole complex of ritual actions and rituals, preventing possible opposition from evil spirits. Moving to a new hut and the beginning of life in it was considered the most dangerous period. It was assumed that "evil spirits" will seek to interfere with the future well-being of the new settlers. Therefore, until the middle of the 19th century, in many places in Russia, the ancient protective housewarming ritual was preserved and carried out.
It all started with finding a place and building materials. Sometimes a pot with a spider was placed on the site. And if he began to weave a web during the night, then this was considered a good sign. In some places on the proposed site, a vessel with honey was placed in a small hole. And if goose bumps got into it - the place was considered happy. Choosing a safe place for a construction site, often at first they let go of the cow and waited for it to lie on the ground. The place where she went to bed was considered successful for the future home. And in some places, the future owner had to collect four stones from different fields and spread them on the ground in the form of a quadrangle, inside which he put a hat on the ground and read the plot. After that, it was necessary to wait three days, and if the stones remained intact, then the place was considered well chosen. It should also be noted that the house was never built on the same place,where human bones were found or where someone cut an arm or leg.
6. Merry week
According to popular belief, the whole week before Trinity, mermaids were on the ground, settled in forests, groves and lived not far from people. The rest of the time they stayed at the bottom of water bodies or underground. It was believed that deceased unbaptized babies, girls who passed away of their own free will, as well as those who died before marriage or during pregnancy became mermaids. The image of a mermaid with a fish tail instead of legs was first described in the literature.
The restless souls of the dead, returning to earth, could destroy the growing bread, send disease to livestock, harm the people themselves and their economy.
These days it was unsafe for people to spend a lot of time in the fields, to go far from home. It was not allowed to go to the forest alone, to swim (this was of a special nature). Even livestock was not allowed out on pastures. On Trinity week, women tried not to engage in their daily chores, such as washing clothes, sewing, weaving and other work. The whole week was considered a festive one, so they organized general festivities, dances, danced in circles, mummers in mermaid costumes sneaked up to the gape, scared and tickled them.
7. Funeral rites
The burial customs of the ancient Slavs, especially the Vyatichi, Radimichi, Northerners, Krivichi, are described in detail by Nestor. A funeral feast was performed over the deceased - they showed their strength in military games, equestrian competitions, songs, dances in honor of the deceased, they made sacrifices, the body was burned on a large fire - theft. Among the Krivichi and Vyatichi, the ashes were contained in an urn and placed on a pillar in the vicinity of the roads in order to support the warlike spirit of the people - not to be afraid of death and immediately get used to the thought of the corruption of human life. The pillar is a small burial house, log house, domina. Such dominoes survived in Russia until the beginning of the 20th century. As for the Slavs of Kiev and Volyn, they buried the dead in the ground since ancient times. Together with the body, special ladders were buried, woven from belts.
An interesting addition about the funeral rite of the Vyatichi can be found in the story of an unknown traveler, set forth in one of Rybakov's works. “When someone dies with them, his corpse is burned. Women, when a dead man happens to them, scratch their hands and faces with a knife. When the deceased is burned, they indulge in noisy fun, expressing joy at the mercy shown to him by God."