Life and customs of ancient Rus'

16.10.2019

Russian spirituality, language and Slavic culture laid down at the time of development, this is one of the main milestones in history. Becoming ancient Russian culture occurred along with the formation of the state system in Rus'; it was during this period that society intensively developed in three directions: economic, cultural and political. The culture of a people is determined largely by its way of life. Old Russian traditions were formed in constant coordination with the culture of neighboring states. Religion, which determined the moral foundations of the people and their ideas about the world, had a great impact on culture. At that time, the Slavs were, that is, they believed in gods personifying natural phenomena. Basically, traditions came into everyday life from pagan rituals. After all, pagan rituals and holidays stood out for their diversity and were generally recognized. And later, with the adoption, thanks to the union with Constantinople and inclusion in the Christian world, cultural ties expanded. All the unique, primitive cultural baggage of ancient Russian traditions and customs is the property of Russian culture.

Holidays.

Holidays, games, feasts not only brightened everyday life people of Ancient Rus' (see article), but also made the surrounding world and temporary changes (for example, the change of seasons or a certain favorable time for the harvest) more understandable and making some sense. Before the adoption of Christianity, the Slavs had their own calendar, which was associated with cyclicity natural phenomena, from holidays such days as
— Christmastide (the main winter holiday, which marked the beginning of the new year and the end of the old one);
- Kolyada (birthday of the god of light and warmth, during this period people invited spring);
— Maslenitsa (farewell to winter, anticipation of a fertile summer);
— Kupalo (the holiday is associated with the summer solstice).
The main features of all celebrations in everyday life: rituals are associated with the gods of Ancient Rus' and nature, the sun is the main deity, the important role of women in rituals, fortune telling, ritual meals. The goals of these festivals were often determined by the various needs of the people, which were of an everyday nature, for example, asking for fertility or rain, protecting one’s family from evil spirits, diseases, and so on.

Family foundations and customs.

Family and marriage relations were regulated folk customs and social norms. Household features of the family:
— Collective property,
— General management,
- The head of the family is the eldest man, who is the bearer of unquestioning power, the representative of the entire family, the main worker, on whom the material condition and moral position in the society of his relatives depend;
— The eldest woman is the manager of family supplies and all household chores, who, in the long absence of the head of the family, took over his functions.
IN family education In addition to their parents, the younger generation was attended by grandparents who devoted the rest of their lives to their grandchildren.
Many ancient Russian traditions are associated with weddings. Marriage was carried out either by agreement and agreement of older relatives, or by “kidnapping,” that is, by stealing the bride. The wedding was a sequential performance of rituals determined by traditions:
— Matchmaking (negotiations between the parties about the possibility of marriage, the proposal always came from the young man’s family);

A glance (a visit by the girl’s relatives to the wooer’s family);

Smotriny (presentation of the betrothed girl to the relatives of the young man);

Conspiracy (the final decision on marriage and the wedding itself, the conspiracy ended with a traditional hand-waving, that is, the fathers of the betrothed children struck their hands with a flourish, wrapping them in scarves or sheepskin; after this, the bride had to mourn her girlhood, wore formal clothes and a headscarf, little she said; the groom, on the contrary, was having a party with his friends);

Loaf ritual (baking a loaf as a symbol of the birth of a new life, wealth and prosperity in everyday life; this ritual was performed by young women who were happy in their family life and had healthy children; guests were treated to the loaf itself after their wedding night);
- Podvenyokha (hen party, was a series of rituals on the eve of the wedding, marking the transition of the girl into life married woman);
— Wedding train (the bride and groom go to church for the wedding);

Wedding (marriage in church, the main wedding ceremony);

Prince's table (wedding feast);
— Wedding night (It was customary to spend the night in another house. This tradition arose due to the belief about an evil force that was sent to the house in which the wedding itself was celebrated.) ;
— Weaving the young (changing girl’s hairstyles and headdresses for women’s ones);

Otvodiny (feast for the newlyweds in the house of the young wife).

There were also many rituals and traditions associated with the birth of children, the purpose of which was to protect the child from evil spirits and arrange his future as best as possible.

Military traditions.

The military art of the Slavs of Ancient Rus' (see article) was reflected in the history of Russia. Most of existence Old Russian state spent in raids and wars, as a result of which a wealth of experience in military skill was accumulated. Old Russian traditions have long begun to take shape, which are associated with awareness of one’s own dignity and honor, mandatory knowledge of military affairs, military courage and mutual assistance. Weapons were an obligatory subject of warrior rituals, and the dance with weapons (war dance) had a cult character and was passed down from generation to generation, becoming a military tradition. A warrior had to be able not only to use weapons, but also to repair them. Even military equipment necessarily included tools for repairs. In addition to training in the squad, the warriors themselves organized ritual games and fist fights on holidays, which became traditional for the people. An important period in the life of a young man was initiation into a warrior; for this it was necessary to gain knowledge and skills, pass tests, which was also a military tradition in Rus'. Military initiation took place in several stages (circles):
— Testing for physical and moral resistance to various tests;
— Testing by fire, earth and water. (this involved walking barefoot along a path of hot coals, the ability to swim and hide under water, spending several days in a pit without food);
— Testing military skill and mastery (fighting with experienced warriors, the ability to hide from persecution and pursue yourself).
Since the formation of Ancient Rus' as a state, the Russian people have guarded and bravely defended their homeland from enemies. Over the course of many centuries, military traditions developed that determined the outcome of bloody battles and became the basis for the military skill of the ancient Slavs.

Russian people - representatives of the East Slavic ethnic group, indigenous inhabitants of Russia (110 million people - 80% of the population Russian Federation), the most numerous ethnic group in Europe. The Russian diaspora numbers about 30 million people and is concentrated in countries such as Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Belarus, and former USSR, in the USA and EU countries. As a result of sociological research, it was found that 75% of the Russian population of Russia are followers of Orthodoxy, and a significant part of the population does not consider itself to be a member of any particular religion. The national language of the Russian people is Russian.

Each country and its people have their own importance in modern world, the concepts of folk culture and history of the nation, their formation and development are very important. Each nation and its culture are unique in their own way, the flavor and uniqueness of each nationality should not be lost or dissolved in assimilation with other peoples, the younger generation should always remember who they really are. For Russia, which is a multinational power and home to 190 peoples, the issue of national culture is quite acute, due to the fact that in recent years its erasure has been especially noticeable against the background of the cultures of other nationalities.

Culture and life of the Russian people

(Russian folk costume)

The first associations that arise with the concept of “Russian people” are, of course, breadth of soul and strength of spirit. But national culture formed by people, it is these character traits that have a huge impact on its formation and development.

One of distinctive features the Russian people have always had and still have simplicity, in former times Slavic houses and property was very often subjected to looting and complete destruction, hence the simplified attitude towards everyday issues. And of course, these trials that befell the long-suffering Russian people only strengthened their character, made them stronger and taught them to get out of any life situations with their heads held high.

Another trait that prevails in the character of the Russian ethnic group can be called kindness. The whole world is well aware of the concept of Russian hospitality, when “they feed you, give you something to drink, and put you to bed.” A unique combination of such qualities as cordiality, mercy, compassion, generosity, tolerance and, again, simplicity, very rarely found among other peoples of the world, all this is fully manifested in the very breadth of the Russian soul.

Hard work is another one of the main traits of the Russian character, although many historians in the study of the Russian people note both its love of work and enormous potential, as well as its laziness, as well as complete lack of initiative (remember Oblomov in Goncharov’s novel). But still, the efficiency and endurance of the Russian people is an indisputable fact that is difficult to argue against. And no matter how much scientists around the world want to understand the “mysterious Russian soul,” it is unlikely that any of them can do it, because it is so unique and multifaceted that its “zest” will forever remain a secret to everyone.

Traditions and customs of the Russian people

(Russian meal)

Folk traditions and customs represent a unique connection, a kind of “bridge of times” connecting the distant past with the present. Some of them have their roots in the pagan past of the Russian people, even before the baptism of Rus'; little by little their sacred meaning was lost and forgotten, but the main points have been preserved and are still observed. In villages and towns, Russian traditions and customs are honored and remembered in to a greater extent than in cities, which is due to the more isolated lifestyle of city residents.

A large number of rituals and traditions are associated with family life(this includes matchmaking, wedding celebrations, and baptism of children). Carrying out ancient rites and rituals guaranteed successful and happy life, the health of descendants and the general well-being of the family.

(Colorized photograph of a Russian family at the beginning of the 20th century)

Since ancient times, Slavic families were distinguished by a large number of family members (up to 20 people); adult children, having already gotten married, remained to live in home, the head of the family was the father or older brother, everyone had to obey them and unquestioningly carry out all their orders. Typically, wedding celebrations were held either in the fall, after the harvest, or in the winter after the Epiphany holiday (January 19). Then the first week after Easter, the so-called “Red Hill,” began to be considered a very successful time for a wedding. The wedding itself was preceded by a matchmaking ceremony, when the groom's parents came to the bride's family together with his godparents, if the parents agreed to give their daughter in marriage, then a bridesmaid ceremony was held (meeting the future newlyweds), then there was a ceremony of collusion and hand-waving (the parents decided on the dowry and the date of the wedding festivities ).

The rite of baptism in Rus' was also interesting and unique, the child had to be baptized immediately after birth, for this purpose godparents were chosen, who would be responsible for the life and well-being of the godson all his life. When the baby was one year old, they sat him on the inside of a sheep's coat and cut his hair, cutting a cross on the crown, with such meaning that evil spirits would not be able to penetrate his head and would not have power over him. Every Christmas Eve (January 6), a slightly older godson should bring kutia (wheat porridge with honey and poppy seeds) to his godparents, and they, in turn, should give him sweets.

Traditional holidays of the Russian people

Russia is truly a unique state where, along with the highly developed culture of the modern world, they carefully honor the ancient traditions of their grandfathers and great-grandfathers, going back centuries and preserving the memory of not only Orthodox vows and canons, but also the most ancient pagan rites and sacraments. To this day, pagan holidays are celebrated, people listen to signs and age-old traditions, remember and tell their children and grandchildren ancient traditions and legends.

Main national holidays:

Christmas January 7
Christmastide January 6 - 9
Baptism January 19
Carnival from 20 to 26 February

Forgiveness Sunday ( before the onset of Lent)
Palm Sunday (on the Sunday before Easter)
Easter ( the first Sunday after the full moon, which occurs no earlier than the day of the conventional vernal equinox on March 21)
Red Hill ( first Sunday after Easter)

Trinity ( on Sunday on the day of Pentecost - the 50th day after Easter)
Ivan Kupala July 7
Peter and Fevronia Day July 8
Elijah's day August 2

Honey Spas August 14
Apple Spas August 19
Third (Khlebny) Spas August 29
Pokrov day October 14

There is a belief that on the night of Ivan Kupala (July 6-7), once a year a fern flower blooms in the forest, and whoever finds it will gain untold wealth. In the evening, large bonfires are lit near rivers and lakes, people dressed in festive ancient Russian attires lead round dances, sing ritual chants, jump over the fire, and let wreaths float downstream, in the hope of finding their soul mate.

Maslenitsa - traditional holiday Russian people, celebrated during the week before Great Lent. A very long time ago, Maslenitsa was more likely not a holiday, but a ritual when the memory of departed ancestors was honored, placating them with pancakes, asking them for a fertile year, and spending the winter by burning a straw effigy. Time passed, and the Russian people, thirsty for fun and positive emotions in the cold and dull season, turned a sad holiday into a more cheerful and daring celebration, which began to symbolize the joy of the imminent end of winter and the arrival of long-awaited warmth. The meaning has changed, but the tradition of baking pancakes remains, exciting winter activities: sledding and horse-drawn rides, a straw effigy of Winter was burned, throughout Maslenitsa week relatives went to pancakes either with their mother-in-law or sister-in-law, an atmosphere of celebration and fun reigned everywhere, various theatrical and puppet shows were held on the streets with the participation of Parsley and others folklore characters. One of the very colorful and dangerous entertainments on Maslenitsa was fist fights; the male population took part in them, for whom it was an honor to take part in a kind of “military affair” that tested their courage, boldness and dexterity.

Christmas and Easter are considered especially revered Christian holidays among the Russian people.

The Nativity of Christ is not only a bright holiday of Orthodoxy, it also symbolizes the rebirth and return to life, the traditions and customs of this holiday, filled with kindness and humanity, high moral ideals and the triumph of the spirit over worldly concerns, in the modern world they are rediscovered by society and rethought by it. The day before Christmas (January 6) is called Christmas Eve, because the main dish of the festive table, which should consist of 12 dishes, is a special porridge “sochivo”, consisting of boiled cereal, drizzled with honey, sprinkled with poppy seeds and nuts. You can sit down at the table only after the first star appears in the sky, Christmas (January 7) - family holiday, when everyone gathered at one table, ate a festive treat and gave each other gifts. The 12 days after the holiday (until January 19) are called Christmastide. Previously, at this time, girls in Rus' held various gatherings with fortune telling and rituals to attract suitors.

Easter has long been considered a great holiday in Rus', which people associated with the day of general equality, forgiveness and mercy. On the eve of Easter celebrations, Russian women usually bake kulichi (festive rich Easter bread) and Easter bread, clean and decorate their homes, youth and children paint eggs, which, according to ancient legend, symbolize drops of the blood of Jesus Christ crucified on the cross. On the day of Holy Easter, smartly dressed people, when meeting, say “Christ is Risen!”, answer “Truly He is Risen!”, followed by a three-time kiss and an exchange of festive Easter eggs.

The spirit of a people can be recognized by studying its traditions and rituals. Passed on from ancestors to descendants, they are a connecting bridge between the past and the future. Customs do not arise just like that, but contain within them sacred meaning. Many of them today are almost erased from human memory, but are preserved with trepidation by serious art historians.

Expeditions of enthusiasts traveling to remote corners seek to resurrect the half-forgotten memories of the elders. But there are rituals that are so entrenched in people's memory, which have become an integral part of the life of modern Russians. To this day, they never cease to bring fun into life, amusing not only the old people, but also the younger generation.

Rituals associated with religious holidays

Russia is the land of a vibrant and original culture, intertwined with connecting threads with Orthodoxy, which came from Byzantium about a thousand years ago. But the shadow of pagan beliefs, the worship of Slavic deities, from the moment of the baptism of Rus', was preserved in the traditions of the people for centuries. Even in the religious rituals of Christianity, pagan features are visible.

Easter

This is the most important church holiday, symbolizing rebirth from death to life, designed to bring light to the souls of believers rejoicing in the resurrection of Christ. The eve of the celebration is accompanied by an all-night vigil in churches and a religious procession around the church.

Easter is the day when it ends Lent, That's why festive table bursting with abundance of deliciousness. The first place is occupied by treats of a ritual nature. For this day, it is customary to paint eggs scarlet and other shades. The general background is often complemented by symbolic designs and ornaments. Easter cannot do without Easter cakes, which represent the body of Christ and are decorated with the image of a cross.

On a holiday, from the very morning it is customary to go to neighbors and acquaintances with congratulations and treats. People greet those they meet with the words: “Christ is risen!” And in response they expect to hear: “In truth he is risen!” On this day in the old days, gifts were given to the poor, the poor, orphans, the sick, and prisoners. Exact date holiday is calculated every year in a new way according to the lunisolar calendar, falling on one of Sundays April or May.

IN pre-Christian era Easter cakes and eggs were customary Slavic peoples worship the god of fertility. The first of the delicious symbols, covered with glaze and sprinkled with grain, represented the abundance of the harvest. Even before the appearance of Christ, the egg was considered the prototype of the Universe. It symbolized the awakening of nature after a long, harsh winter.

Christmas

The Orthodox holiday in honor of the birth of the baby Jesus is celebrated on December 25th. Julian calendar. Christians believe that Almighty God became a man on this day to save the world and people from their sins. By Gregorian calendar The date of the celebrations falls on January 7. On the eve of Christmas Eve until the first star, customs require strict fasting. As a sign that the Virgin Mary gave the world a Divine Son on the night before the festival, it is customary to place lighted candles on the windowsill.

According to legend, Jesus was born not in a palace, but in a cave where there was a cattle stall. The baby was swaddled and placed in a manger on hard straw, but the Divine radiance illuminated the future Savior. At that moment, a bright star lit up over Bethlehem, the city where he was born. Seeing her, the wise men from the East hastened from distant lands to bring their gifts to the great baby.

This beautiful legend formed the basis of songs called carols, which people sang loudly on the streets of villages and cities that night. There were no simple texts famous authors, but the songs seemed sincere, and with them the spirit of joy filled the Christmas night.

In the pre-Christian era, December 25 was also a sacred day and was considered a holiday in various pagan cults. In ancient times, many peoples associated this date of the winter solstice with the birth of the Sun God. Starting from this astronomical moment until the spring solstice, it was customary for the Slavs to honor the patron of the winter sun - the deity Khorsa, in whose praise the ancients also sang songs.

Wedding traditions of the Russian people

The marriage ceremony of young people was built from a number of serious, cheerful, and sometimes a little sad events, the order of which finally took shape in Rus' in the 14th century, born from Slavic customs. In the 17th century, traditions in the spirit of Orthodoxy were added to the ancient actions.

The marriage of the young began to be supported by parental blessings and weddings. In different lands, regions and regions of boundless Rus', colorful events associated with marriage differed in their own characteristics, but some common features can be noticed.

Matchmaking

Wedding efforts began with matchmaking, which was negotiations between the families of the bride and groom with the obligatory presence of godparents and close relatives. The ceremony was not complete without matchmakers, on whom the outcome of the event often depended. Compliance with certain signs was considered strict mandatory requirement, in order to protect the future family from the machinations of evil spirits.

For example, people came to get married on any day of the week except Monday and Friday. Guests, entering the house, took off their hats as a sign of politeness and first of all crossed themselves to the icons. Only after this did negotiations begin, dissatisfaction or agreement about the marriage itself and other issues were expressed, and the size of the dowry was discussed.

Bride

The arrival of the girl’s family at the groom’s house was intended to get acquainted with the financial and property situation. During a return visit to the chosen one’s place of residence, the elegant bride was introduced to the groom’s family and boyfriend. The action was accompanied by singing, dancing, and jokes. If everything went smoothly, the newlyweds walked through the house arm in arm, kissed, and said vows.

The decision on the upcoming marriage was completed by a conspiracy, after which the couple was officially declared to be entering into marriage. Next, a carnival ceremony took place, where treats were generously distributed: fresh rosy pastries. The oven personified the mother's womb, the dough - the seed, the loaf - a prosperous healthy offspring.

Rituals preceding the wedding

The concepts: “bachelorette party” and “bachelor party” are very familiar to modern Russians, especially young people. For our ancestors, holding such events essentially had the same goal: saying goodbye to a free, single life before getting married. However, there were also a number of differences. The groom met with friends on the last day before the wedding or immediately before the wedding early in the morning at a youth party. At the same time, treats were distributed, farewell speeches were heard, and songs were sung.

But the bride cried and was sad about her passing girlhood for much longer, beginning to show sadness immediately after the agreement. There was no particular joy in the actions performed. In the villages, the girl was taken outside the outskirts, where she walked to the accompaniment of sad chants, and in her hands carried a Christmas tree decorated with ribbons, or a bouquet of paper flowers. The ceremony was accompanied by a bride price, during which the girl's hair was braided, tied with cords and ribbons. And after getting what they wanted, the hair began to flow.

Wedding ceremony

The departure of the newlyweds for the wedding was called the “wedding train”, which was usually sprinkled with grain. In winter they rode on decorated sleighs drawn by three horses with bells. At another time vehicle britzkas could serve. The procession was led by the groom (friend of the groom). On the way to the bride, the good fellow blocked the road in all sorts of cunning ways and the villagers plotted, demanding a ransom.

Most often, their efforts were rewarded with fragrant gingerbread cookies, sweet candies, tasty nuts and juicy fruits; sometimes the friend tried to pay off with wine.

The girlfriends in the chosen one’s hut sang songs where they complained about the groom separating them from the girl. And at that time the friend was walking in front of the guy’s procession, waving a whip. In this way, it was believed that he drove away the evil spirits who wanted to harm the young. Often the hidden bride had to be found. Then the newlyweds hurried in different carts to the church, where the wedding ceremony took place. Then the whole procession, with joy and songs, solemnly set off for the wedding feast.

Yuletide fortune telling

At any time, people have sought to find out their fate and guess the events of the future. That's why Christmas fortune telling, which have become one of the brightest Russian traditions, are extremely popular to this day. Mysterious rituals, each of which is carried out strictly at the prescribed time of day, began to be performed on January 6, continuing funny, exciting, slightly frightening actions until January 19 - Orthodox holiday Baptism.

Mostly girls who dreamed of grooms, upcoming marriage and future children asked unknown forces about their fate. Our contemporaries, bypassing ancient customs, often rush to tell fortunes from December 25th on Catholic Christmas. The rituals, according to the order, in some cases are performed in the evening, sometimes before bedtime or after midnight.

Fortune telling with a shoe

This ritual was intended to find out where the intended groom lived. For this purpose, the girls threw their shoes through the gate in order to find out the direction of the search. The toe of the shoe indicated it, since the future husband should have been looked for there.

Fortune telling with a ring

To perform the ritual at midnight, it was necessary to place a sheet of paper on a smooth horizontal surface, which was then sprinkled with ashes. Then they put it on the sheet glass jar filled with clean well water. They threw a ring into the jar and looked inside. It was believed that in the water, if you look carefully, you can definitely see the image of the betrothed.

Folk magic

In Rus', every village necessarily had its own grandmother-healer, who after death passed on her healing gift to one of her loved ones. The healers treated mainly with spells. By reading ancient prayers, the text of which was passed down from ancestors to descendants, they saved people from illnesses, damage and other misfortunes. Magic rituals were also performed.

Ritual to improve the health of a newborn

There was a belief that the baby would be healthy if it was passed through the mother's nightgown. Often, having wrapped a newborn in a shirt, they first covered him with dough, believing that it absorbs all sorrows and illnesses, then they placed the child in a warm oven - a symbolic womb. The ritual endowed the little man with powerful energy.

Since ancient times, pagan beliefs were widespread in Rus', placing the relationship between man and nature above all else. People believed and worshiped various Gods, spirits and other creatures. And of course, this faith was accompanied by countless rituals, holidays and sacred events, the most interesting and unusual of which we have collected in this collection.

1. Naming.

Our ancestors took the choice of a name very seriously. It was believed that a name is both a talisman and a person’s destiny. A person’s naming ceremony could occur several times during his life. The first time a newborn baby is named is done by the father. At the same time, everyone understands that this name is temporary, for children. During initiation, when a child turns 12, a naming ceremony is performed during which the priests of the old faith wash away their old childhood names in sacred waters. The name was also changed during life: for girls getting married, or for warriors 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 ritual both in flowing water and in still water (lake, creek), or in Temples, Sanctuaries and other places. The ritual was performed as follows: the person to be named takes a wax candle into right hand. After the words spoken by the priest in a state of trance, the person being named 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 emerged, 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 clans.

2. Bath ritual.

The bath ceremony should always begin with a greeting to the Master of the Bath, or the spirit of the bath - Bannik. This greeting is also a kind of conspiracy, a conspiracy of the space and environment in which the bathing ceremony will be carried out. Usually, immediately after reading such a greeting spell, a ladle of hot water is applied to the heater and the steam rising from the heater is evenly distributed in a circular motion of a broom or towel throughout the steam room. This is the creation of light steam. And in the bathhouse the bath broom was called the master, or the largest (the most important), from century to century they repeated: “The bath broom is older than the king, if the king takes a steam bath”; “The broom is the boss of everyone in the bathhouse”; “In a 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 the dead and a funeral feast. Initially, the trinitsa consisted of an extensive ritual complex of sacrifices, war games, songs, dances and ceremonies in honor of the deceased, mourning, lamentations and a memorial feast both before and after the burning. After the adoption of Christianity in Rus', the funeral feast was preserved for a long time in the form of funeral songs and feasts, and later this ancient pagan term was replaced by the name “wake”. During sincere prayer for the dead, a deep feeling of unity with family and ancestors always appears in the souls of those who pray, which directly testifies to our constant connection with them. This ritual helps to find peace of mind living and dead, promotes their beneficial interaction and mutual assistance.

4. Unlocking the ground.

According to legend, Yegoriy the Spring possesses magic keys with which he unlocks the spring land. In many villages, rituals were held during which the saint was asked to “open” the land - to give fertility to the fields, to protect livestock. The ritual action itself looked something like this. First, they chose a guy called “Yury”, gave him a lit torch, decorated him with greenery and put a round pie on his head. Then the procession, headed by “Yury,” went around the winter fields three times. After which they made a fire and asked 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 in the winter fields so that the grain would grow well. Saint George released dew onto the ground, which was considered healing “from seven ailments and from the evil eye.” Sometimes people rode along the “St. George’s Dew” to get health, it was not without reason that they wished: “Be healthy, like St. George’s Dew!” This dew was considered beneficial for the sick and infirm, and about the hopeless they said: “Shouldn’t they go out to St. George’s dew?” On the day of Yegor the Spring, the blessing of water on rivers and other sources was performed in many places. This water was sprinkled on crops and pastures.

5. Start of construction of the house.

The beginning of house construction among the ancient Slavs was associated with a whole complex of ritual actions and rituals that prevented possible opposition from evil spirits. The most dangerous period was considered to be moving to a new hut and starting life in it. 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 ritual of housewarming was preserved and carried out.

It all started with finding a place and building materials. Sometimes a cast iron pot with a spider was placed on the site. And if he began to weave a web overnight, 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 goosebumps climbed into it, the place was considered happy. When choosing a safe place for construction, they often first released the cow and waited for it to lie on the ground. The place where she lay down was considered good for a future home. And in some places, the future owner had to collect four stones from different fields and lay them out on the ground in the form of a quadrangle, inside which he placed a hat on the ground and read the spell. After this, it was necessary to wait three days, and if the stones remained untouched, then the place was considered well chosen. It should also be noted that the house was never built on the site where they were found. human bones or where someone has cut their arm or leg.

6. Mermaid week.

According to popular belief, the entire week before Trinity, mermaids were on earth, settling in forests, groves and living not far from people. The rest of the time they stayed at the bottom of reservoirs or underground. It was believed that dead unbaptized babies, girls who died 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 literature. The restless souls of the dead, returning to earth, could destroy the growing grain, send disease to livestock, and harm the people themselves and their economy.

These days, it was unsafe for people to spend a lot of time in the fields and go far from home. It was not allowed to go into the forest alone or swim (this was of a special nature). Even livestock was not allowed out to pasture. During Trinity Week, women tried not to do their daily household chores in the form of washing clothes, sewing, weaving and other work. The whole week was considered festive, so they organized general festivities, dances, danced in round dances, mummers in mermaid costumes sneaked up on the gape, frightened and tickled them.

7. Funeral rites.

The funeral customs of the ancient Slavs, especially the Vyatichi, Radimichi, Severians, and Krivichi, are described in detail by Nestor. They performed a funeral feast over the deceased - they showed their strength in military games, equestrian competitions, songs, dances in honor of the deceased, made sacrifices, and burned the body on a large bonfire - stealing. Among the Krivichi and Vyatichi, the ashes were placed in an urn and placed on a pillar in the vicinity of roads in order to support the warlike spirit of the people - not to be afraid of death and immediately get used to the idea of corruption human life. A pillar is a small funeral house, a log house, a house. Such houses survived in Russia until the beginning of the 20th century. As for the Kyiv and Volyn Slavs, from ancient times they buried the dead in the ground. Special ladders woven from belts were buried along with the body.

An interesting addition about the funeral rite of the Vyatichi can be found in the story of an unknown traveler, set out in one of Rybakov’s works. “When someone dies among them, their corpse is burned. Women, when they have a dead person, 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.”

Old Slavic holidays and customs have their origins in mythology and beliefs that are largely common to all Indo-European peoples.
However, in the process of historical development, the customs and traditions of the Slavs also acquire special features that are more inherent only to them.
These traits manifest themselves in their mentality, which is formed in the process of various everyday practices. The ordering of life through holidays, rituals, customs, and traditions in ancient societies acquires the character of a universal norm, an unwritten law, which is followed by both an individual and the entire community.

In accordance with the circle of human life and society, holidays, traditions, rites and customs of the ancient Slavs are divided into:

calendar,
wedding
,funeral.

Information about all these groups has been preserved in many sources. Partially Slavic traditions and the customs have survived to this day precisely as folk customs, and not religious ones. They were partially adopted by Christianity during the baptism of Rus', and today they are perceived as completely Christian. But many of the holidays, traditions, rituals and customs of the ancient Slavs have not survived to this day.
This applies to all the groups listed above.

Calendar holidays, traditions, rites and customs of the ancient Slavs

Associated with the agricultural cycle, they corresponded to the change of main jobs throughout the year.

Customs Eastern Slavs preserved in the most ancient evidence from the Ante period. This refers to the famous list of rituals of the 4th century. n. e. on a vessel for water (sacred?), found in the Kiev region, in the zone of settlement in the future of the Polyans. Old Slavic holidays and customs on this unique calendar are associated with the worship of gods, one way or another associated in folk beliefs with the forces of nature. For the most part, they are rain spells, distributed in time in accordance with the sowing, ripening and harvesting of grain.

On the second of May, the ceremonies of the holiday of the first shoots were performed;
in the third ten days of May, spells for rain were performed;
Yarilin's day fell on June 4;
the entire second ten days of June were spent in prayers for rain, so necessary for the grain filling in the ears;
June 24 was the holiday of Kupala, withheld folk tradition up to the present day as the holiday of Ivan Kupala (artistic reproduction;
from the fourth to the sixth of July, prayers and rituals for rain were again performed;
on the twelfth of July, preparations were made for sacrifices to honor Perun (the choice of sacrifice for Perun in Kyiv: http://slavya.ru/trad/folk/gk/perun.jpg);
in mid-July, prayers for rain were made again; the origins of this ritual may actually go back to the Trypillian culture, as evidenced by the images on the vessels
on the twentieth of July, sacrifices were made to Perun (later on this day Elijah will be celebrated); reconstruction of the sanctuary of Perun near Novgorod;
with the beginning of the harvest, on July 24, prayers are made for the rain to stop;
At the beginning of August, ceremonies and harvest festivals were performed: on the sixth of August - the holiday of “first fruits”, and on the seventh - “zazhinka”.

The pagan traditions of pre-Christian Rus' will retain the main rituals and holidays of this calendar for many centuries. In honor of Yaril, games were played - with dancing, singing, shouting and even, perhaps, with some exaltation. Much evidence of this has been preserved in the folklore of the East Slavic peoples (we are not talking about “Herborod” and other sources considered by many to be later hoaxes). The spell of rain, prayers, celebrations of the first shoots, the appearance of the first leaves, harvest festivals - all this was preserved by the rituals and customs of the Rus' for many centuries.

Wedding holidays, traditions, rites and customs of the ancient Slavs

A wedding, the rituals and customs that accompany it are always a bright spectacle. This is how it appears in ancient Russian customs. Before the baptism of Rus', they united in themselves, as usually happened in traditional societies, survival, relic behavioral models.
Today, questions about the relationship between patriarchy and matriarchy of the family in ancient Russian society are still being debated. The fact, however, is that ancient Russian customs and traditions testify to this quite definitely.

Patriarchalism is evidenced by the very position of the head of the family, the patriarch, under whose authority all family members are for several generations. The wedding ceremony assumed, according to the chronicle tradition, the symbolic purchase of wives through the payment of wives to their parents, or even their abduction, “kidnapping.”

This custom was especially widespread among the Drevlyans, who, according to Nestor the Chronicler, did not have any marriage, and “they kidnapped girls near the water.” He also condemns the Radimichi, Northerners, and Vyatichi. The entire wedding ceremony, according to the chronicler, boiled down to “games between neighboring villages,” “to demonic songs and dances,” during which men simply chose girls for themselves and simply, without any ceremony, began to live with them. And they had two and three wives,” the Tale of Bygone Years says condemningly.

Old Russian traditions and customs also retain traces of the phallic cult, widespread in ancient societies. The wedding ceremony, among other things, involved a whole ceremony with a made model of a male penis. Sacrifices are made to the “Shameful Udas,” and during the wedding, the Slovenian woman was immersed—if, again, later evidence is to be believed—a model of the phallus and garlic in buckets and bowls, they drank from them, and when they took them out, they licked and kissed her. In the same connection Some other ritual actions that accompanied weddings in pre-Christian Rus' are also associated with phallic and generally sexual symbolism. Among them are obscene words that punctuate the matchmaking ritual, shameful ditties with very explicit vocabulary.

The world-famous Russian swearing also apparently originates from ritual practices aimed at ensuring soil fertility, livestock fertility and, as during a wedding ceremony, the birth of children by newlyweds. But much more common in ancient Russian customs were wedding ceremonies in which respect and love of the newlyweds and all participants in the ceremony for each other.

Among the Polans, whom the chronicler contrasts with their northeastern relatives, the family is based on the modesty of fathers and children, husbands and wives, mothers-in-law and brothers-in-law. They also have a wedding ritual, according to which no one steals the bride, but brings her to the house on the eve of the wedding. The ritual does not provide for a dowry at all - on the next day they bring whatever they want for it.

Funeral holidays, traditions, rites and customs of the ancient Slavs

Death and the repose of loved ones is one of the biggest shocks in a person’s life. Understanding this mystery became one of the incentives for his religiosity. What is death and what will happen after death - these are the existential questions that were followed by religious answers.

Old Russian customs and rituals are also closely connected with funeral rituals, the cult of the dead, and their veneration.

The pagan traditions of pre-Christian Rus' contain many features compared to later centuries. The funeral rite itself differed significantly. From chronicle code We can highlight some of its features among the Vyatichi:

the beginning of the ritual is the funeral feast
after the funeral feast the body of the deceased is consigned to fire
the remaining bones and ashes are collected in vessels
vessels with ashes are placed on roadside poles.

By the way...

Ethnographic research allows us to fill this ritual with individual details and make it more understandable to modern people.

Thus, the funeral feast here should be understood as competitions in honor of the deceased (as the noble Achilles once organized them in memory of the deceased Patroclus) and actions of a purely ritual nature. Roadside pillars (among the ancient Slavs, often with a kind of “roof” and, for the convenience of souls gathering around them, edges) are proposed to be interpreted as a symbol of the World Tree. They connect the heavenly, otherworldly world with the earthly world. Through them, souls move to another world.

More common, however, was the funeral rite, which the chronicler talks about in connection with the burial of Prince Oleg. Instead of burning there is a burial, instead of pillars there is a high mound. The funeral feast, organized by Princess Olga, is accompanied by the crying of the widow, loved ones, and in the case of the prince, the entire people, a dinner accompanied by the drinking of honey by the Drevlyans.

Old Russian customs that have not survived to this day have left their mark in chronicles, numerous archaeological finds, folklore and in modern ritual practices. We cannot always correctly unravel their deep, sometimes incomprehensible, meaning. Sometimes they seem like prejudices to us.

"Prejudice! he's a wreck
An old truth. The temple fell;
And his ruins, descendant
I didn’t understand the language.”

This also happens. But “the ancient truth becomes closer to us and more understandable if we take into account the thickness of centuries and the darkness of centuries separating us from it.