Significant in initiation terms is the ritual of greeting. So from the form of the greeting, you can understand whether the interlocutor is respected or not, you can understand the gender and social status of the person to whom the greeting is assigned. This custom conceals many mysterious and interesting things. Among the Slavs of the past and present, here, too, not everything is clear. But, it's worth telling about something. So the main, pivotal, is the wish of health to the interlocutor. So let's say, the most famous greeting "goy you". This is a wish of health to a Slav. Do you all remember the epic "goy thou, good fellow"?
This expression went from the epics. To explain that the word "hello" is a wish of health, we think, is not worth it. Also, the wish for health can be heard in the greetings "Good health", "Healthy Buly" and many others. A health wish to the interlocutor is a sign of good manners and respect. If they wanted to greet the house and all its relatives, they said "Peace to your home!" It seems that this goes back to the ritual of greeting the Brownie and Chur. The phrase “Peace to your home” most likely meant a greeting to the Domovoi. Brownie, not just the keeper of the hearth and order in the house, but also a late incarnation of the god Rod. It's just that the process of transformation of the Family - Ancestor - Brownie, was not fast. The family began to be forgotten in the 10th century, and in subsequent centuries Rozhanitsa was already revered. But the cult of the ancestor remained in Russia. Remember the expression when finding an ownerless item:"Chur, mine!" This is an ancient call to Rod to witness a find. The Slavs greeted not only each other, but also the Gods. From here comes the hypothesis about the self-name of the Slavs from the word "Glory". The Slavs not only praised the Gods, but also always treated the surrounding nature correctly and politely. In epics, this was preserved in the phenomenon that heroes often greet a field, forest, river. As mentioned above, the Slavs believed that the world is alive, and every living soul needs to be greeted. You were not surprised why in the villages, they still greet even a stranger, everyone, even children? The Slav may not give his true name, but he is obliged to say hello. This goes back to the phenomenon that if you wished a person health, then he will wish it to you too. And accordingly, people, even previously unknown, become psychologically closer. And this rapprochement already, as it were, exposes a protective circle. And they no longer expect bad things from a stranger.
The greeting of a respected person in the community was always accompanied by a low bow to the ground. Acquaintances and friends were greeted with a bow bow. Strangers could be greeted in different ways, but most often the hand was applied to the heart and then dropped down. A simplified version of the first two types. Although in the first two cases the hand was applied to the heart, this was how the cordiality of intentions was expressed. Also, a stranger could be met with a simple nod. It is characteristic that the movements in this greeting do not go towards the sun, as some modern native believers try to interpret it, but towards the earth. And this is more than logical, given the moment that the Slavs revered the earth as a Divine. When studying this issue, the name of the pagan Slavs by Christian clergymen as "idolaters" is characteristic and significant. They bowed to the idol, thereby expressing greetings and respect. Which is characteristic of the worldview of the Slavs, since Idols are deceased ancestors, and about them either respectfully or not. There is not a single written source describing the movement from the heart to the sky as a greeting.
The greeting was like the initiation of the interlocutor. And what does he want in return? Own or someone else's (this is about the example of "goy thou")? And today, greetings are applied strictly by distinction. So let's say, the ritual of greeting through shaking not the hand, but the wrist. In native belief, this is not just a characteristic greeting, but also self-identification. This greeting is explained by the antiquity of its use, so they checked whether there was a weapon in the sleeve. The esoteric meaning, in this form of greeting, is that when the wrists touch, the pulse is transmitted, and therefore the biorhythm of another person. This greeting is like reading another person's code. Today you can find many greetings and "Glory to the Rod!", "Good day!" and many of the above phrases. And today, native believers wish the family health and prosperity. And all the word forms of greetings,convey warmth and participation in the fate of another person. I am glad that such a variety of greetings, although partially forgotten, but still survived to this day and changed little!