On December 9, Russian Orthodox Christians celebrate the Day of Remembrance of St. George the Victorious. In Russia, Saint George - "Yegor the Brave" was considered the patron saint and protector of not only domestic animals, but also predators, especially wolves. They were sometimes even called the "dogs" of St. George.
In folk tales, Yegory appears as a tamer of wild animals. It is believed that wolves and bears obey his will.
Oh, you are fierce wolves, fierce beasts!
You have never had your share - now obey Christ's will!
Oh you, winged birds and fierce beasts!
Eat and drink from now on commanded, blessed from me by Yegor the Brave!
There are different legends about the saint and wolves. For example, once, when Yegory was driving through the forest, a wolf ran out to meet him and grabbed his horse's leg with his teeth. The holy spear pierced the wolf, but the wounded beast spoke in a human voice: "Why are you beating me if I want to eat?" George replied: “Do you want to eat, ask me. Take that horse there, it will be enough for you for two days. " Since then, every year on the eve of the holiday, George travels around the fields and forests on horseback, gathers wild animals in the agreed place and gives them orders, determining each prey and food for a year. Therefore, the people said:
Promotional video:
What the wolf has in its teeth - that Yegoriy gave
The wolf catches its fatal sheep
Without Yuryev, I will order and the gray (wolf) will not be full
What the wolf is gray, and he lives according to the law: what Yegoriy says, everything will be decided on
If in the harsh winters the wolves began to attack the cattle too zealously, they said that "Saint Egorius dismissed them." The peasants justified the saint who gave their livestock to be devoured by the fact that George condemns to animals only animals that can be harmful to humans. In the Middle Volga region, there was a custom that allowed the peasants to recognize the doomed animal. Before the first pasture of the herd, the eldest in the family went out into the meadow and shouted: "Wolf, wolf, tell me what animal you will love, what order did you get from Yegor?" After that, he returned home, went into the sheepfold and in the dark grabbed the first sheep that came to hand. The peasants believed that this particular sheep was doomed, so they cut it, threw the severed head and legs into the field, and boiled or roasted the rest of the meat for themselves, and the shepherds were treated to it.
In the Oryol province, there was a belief that Yegoriy gave the "wolf in the teeth" only cattle, whose owners forgot to put a candle in the church to the image of the saint on the day of the holiday. In Ryazan province, on the day of autumn Yegori, on this day, the hostesses baked special cookies - "horses", which were collected from each courtyard by groups of guys walking around the village. After the round, they went to the field, where they left them with the words: “Merciful Yegory, do not beat our cattle and do not eat. Here they brought you horses!"
In spiritual folk songs, our ancestors claimed that George christened wolves and some other forest animals, and then saved Russia by taming the bloodthirsty serpent.
Oh, you fierce snake
The snake is fierce, but fierce!
Come on, snake, smart, myrrh, Become smart-meek, like a bastard!
And then a wonderful miracle happened.
The snake bowed its head,
I forgot all the evil.
And they took this snake to Mother Moscow
To kind people, surprisingly
For kids for fun.
Since then, they love Yegor the Brave
And they sing songs about him.