Endowed with a variety of secret knowledge and abilities, the Slavic Magi were "priests of the highest category" who widely and actively influenced both the communal and the state system at a certain historical period of time.
The caste of the chosen
According to the researchers, the word "sorcerer" may be derived from a related Old Slavic verb, which denoted an obscure, muttering speech.
The Magi belonged to a caste strictly separated from the rest of the estates, whose members mediated between the inhabitants of Prav and Navi and the inhabitants of Java. They were engaged in conducting magical rituals aimed at achieving certain goals both in relation to one person and the whole village, practicing healing, protecting from natural and mystical adversities, and attracting good luck.
The Slavs turned to them for help on almost any occasion: when they wanted to get a big harvest, to protect themselves and livestock from the tricks of evil spirits, during the upcoming birth. The warrior, who returned home after a bloody battle with enemies, always went to the sorcerer first of all. There were quite a few Magi, and often they specialized only in one magical direction. For example, the sorcerers were exclusively engaged in predicting the future by palms, water, peas, stars and the sun. Dreamers knew how to interpret a variety of dreams, and the docks healed with the help of certain rituals of illness. The zealists did the same, only with the help of medicinal herbs and roots. They turned to charms when it was necessary to establish a direct connection with deceased relatives,to send them a message or get an answer to a question of interest. There were also sorcerers, button accordions, blasphemers, rainmakers and, of course, sorcerers. The sphere of activity of the magi-blacksmiths, who were directly related to the element of fire, included taming lightning, fires and other "fiery" natural phenomena. In addition, not a single wedding was complete without their blessing.
The secret of Prince Oleg
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At a time when any body of water, hill or lowland, forest or grove was associated with divine origin, the Magi carried out their daily activities not only in specially built temples, which were also called temples, but also under sacred trees, most often oaks, and near springs spring water.
Here were their dwellings, often quite rich, and here they performed the appropriate rituals in the name of this or that god, made sacrifices to them on behalf of themselves, on behalf of an individual petitioner or a whole village. They also made weather calendars and, being able, unlike others, to make words from signs, wrote the first written documents of ancient Russia on birch bark and tablets.
The supreme leaders, and then the specific princes of the Slavs, perfectly understanding what power the pagan priests have over the people, supported them in every possible way and, at any opportunity, attracted them to pursue their line and curb discontent.
There are also known cases when even some Russian rulers were considered magi. For example, there was a steady rumor that his mother allegedly gave birth to the famous Novgorod and Kiev prince Oleg in a magical way. As a result, he acquired werewolf abilities and could, at will, turn into any beast and bird, as well as let death on the battlefield on rivals.
Each of the Magi served only one god and, depending on whether he was light or dark, he turned for help in the world of Reveal to their respective helpers. As a rule, priests, dressed in black clothes, brought bloody sacrifices to Chernobog, Morene and other deities, including prisoners captured during military conflicts. In turn, the Magi, who preached the cult of Veles, Semargl or Stribog, went exclusively in white robes and were limited to offerings in the form of food. True, there was initially no division into black and white priests as such, and the corresponding black and white magicians appeared only centuries later.
Conjure, but do not touch kings
After the arrival of Christianity in Russia, the pagan priests, for a rather long period of time, actively resisted the new faith and at the same time retained their positions among the people. And, as historical sources testify, even in the XII-XIII centuries, they organized numerous riots, at the head of which they stood.
Christian priests, in turn, no less actively fought against the "pagan contagion", completely eradicating the memory of the past and not paying attention to the fact that it was the Magi, due to their education, who played the most important role in the formation of Russian self-consciousness and kept for centuries Slavic cultural values.
However, by the 18th century, pagan priests and sorceries were gradually forgotten. The belief in magic, of course, did not disappear anywhere, but the new authorities treated it, unlike the European inquisitors, condescending. True, there have been exceptions. So, for example, the criminal process against the Nizhny Novgorod "sorcerer Dorofeyka", who, at the instigation of the courtier Andrey Bezobrazov, cast a spell on Peter I to become more supportive of his steward, received a great response in the Russian educated society. Under torture, Dorofeyka confessed that he could predict fate, cure any disease and remove damage and the evil eye. Then they cut off his heads and Bezobrazov.
Magazine: Folk Magic No. 4