On May 1 (travenia), all the tribes, now called Slavic, celebrated Zhivin's day. Alive - short for Zhiven, one of the three daughters of Lada, born not from her husband Svarog, but after, in accordance with the prophecy of Makosha, Lada ate the sacred pike caught in the Sour Cream Lake.
Zhivena (in the cultures of different tribes, has different names: - Jiva, Diva, Siwa, Zhivonia) is one of the most revered immortals among the ancestors of the Slavs. The embodiment of life, spring, which is responsible for a bountiful harvest of livestock, more precisely all cereals. She is a mediator that carries the spirit of life from Rod into the world of Reveal, where mortals live.
Alive - the patroness of the Life-giving forces of nature, young girls and young wives. When Slavic children were told about the basics of family relations, girls were taught by the example of devotion and loyalty, the willingness to sacrifice their wives in the name of their husband, by the example of Zhiva. She saved Dazhdbog, chained to a high rock, with iron chains. The husband of her sister Mara Koschei did this to him. But unlike the Greek analogue of this myth, the hero of which was Prometheus, the eagles did not peck out Dazhdbog's liver thanks to Zhiva, who later became his faithful wife. Christians adapted I Live to their religion, and replaced it with the cult of Paraskeva Friday.
In my opinion, the ritual side of the celebration of the Living Day is very curious. It is clear that the men are Alive at this holiday, they were mainly helpers and observers. As in most Slavic rites, fire was the main place. A large bonfire was lit, around which girls and young wives gathered, and began a round dance. But the round dance is unusual. Each of the participants, in the hands of the ball … Broom. Dances with brooms symbolized the complete cleansing of obsessions after a long winter.
One can only guess how the Christians could perceive such a holiday. Especially Catholics, with their irrepressible passion for witch hunts. Indeed, from the outside, this ritual looks in full accordance with the myths of the witches' sabbats.
Another important point: - the heads of all the participants in the festive round dance must certainly be tied with red scarves! And now let us recall one of the most important attributes of the communist holiday - the Day of International Workers' Solidarity, which, by a "coincidence" coincidence, is also celebrated on May 1. This is a red kerchief:
Alexander Sokolov. Woman in a red scarf.
The round dance was performed to musical accompaniment performed on tambourines, bells, flutes, kugikles, and bagpipes. In some localities, mainly in the Russian north, the jew's harp was also a familiar instrument.
Promotional video:
One of Zhiva's hymns that have come down to us sounds like this:
“Mother is alive! Guardian shower!
You, the Patroness of all our Clans!
We call on you, we glorify you, We call Thee the giver of Light Souls!
Give people all consolation
and our ancient genera reproduction.
And you will arrive, forever in our hearts, now and ever and from Circle to Circle.
Taco byst, taco you, taco Budi!"
And here's another:
“Skylarks, fly! We are tired of winter. I ate a lot of bread! You fly and carry the Red Spring, the summer is hot”!
"Kolo yari light with light Maru borem, thank Yarilo, Yarilo, show your strength!"
The ceremony ended, as usual, with jumping over the fire:
"Who will jump high, for that death is far away."
At the end of the ceremony, one was supposed to rest all day. But everyone spent time in one place. They cooked food on bonfires built on the banks of rivers or lakes, treated themselves abundantly with food and drinks, and at the end they performed ablution with icy spring water.
Author: kadykchanskiy