Rites and rituals of the ancient Slavs. Beliefs, Traditions and Rites of the Eastern Slavs in the Pre-Christian Period: Guidelines. Rites of the ancient Slavs - traditions and beliefs

Many, if not all, famous fairy tales and epics are actually just an ancient retelling, so to speak, just a popular retelling of myths and legends created in Slavic antiquity. The pagan gods of the ancient Slavs, about whom we know inexcusably little, were, like the gods of ancient Greece, subject to passions and indulged own desires and sometimes, and vices. If you carefully and thoughtfully look at the depiction of any of them, then in addition to the “social” role, or professional affiliation (good-evil, reality-nav, light-darkness), they themselves were far from ambiguous personalities. Noble deeds were performed by representatives dark forces, at the same time, strange and not too decent deeds were also carried out for the bright, good ancient Slavic gods. Actually, there was no difference between them and their relatives from other parts of the earth. In addition, the true events, and the reasons why these events took place, are also distorted in fairy tales and adjusted to Christian morality, which requires a strict division into good and evil. And the heroes themselves, having migrated from ancient Slavic paganism to Russian- folk tales, retold after the baptism of Rus', appear before us far from their true form. This happened with Baba Yaga, whom I have already talked about before. The same thing happened with Kashchei the Immortal. Rather, it happened with the famous love triangle which is found in many fairy tales. An evil, skeletal-thin, bald and lustful old man who steals beauties on the eve of the wedding, and often right from the crown. This is how we know Kashchei the Immortal. And then, Ivan Tsarevich goes to save the beauty. He finds the same egg and, having killed Kashchei, returns his beloved. The true story looked somewhat different. And so, heroes. Kashchei Immortal Vievich, in fairy tales the kidnapper of other people's brides. Beauty Princess, Vasilisa the Beautiful, Marya Morevna is none other than the ancient Slavic goddess of death and winter Morena. Ancient Slavic death is not a skeleton with a scythe in a black cloak, but beautiful woman in a white robe. A good fellow, Ivan Tsarevich is the bright god Dazhdbog, who, having lost his first wife, the giant maiden Maya Zlatogorka, inflamed with an unhealthy obsessive passion for Morena. At the end of our story, another heroine appears, with the help of which, in fact, the triangle ceases to exist. My story will not be short, and therefore only those who are really interested in it will read it. You can’t just briefly tell the whole truth, and it’s difficult to omit some details so as not to distort the retelling of what is already quite distorted by time and people. The black prince Navi Kashchei was certainly not a kind man and not an angel. At this point, the profession obliged, there was nowhere to go. He was of very noble origin. Father - Viy Gorynovich, Tsar underworld. Mother - Mother Earth Cheese. Viy himself, thanks to such heredity, was very powerful and formidable (wherever he looked, everything dries up and dies) and succeeded in dark deeds, as he was supposed to. However, if you imagine him, then he is more likely a young hero, an attractive man, rich and in business-profession. It is unlikely that he was handsome, the root of his name is verbosity, so he was most likely thin and pale. But it's not for beauty that we, women, choose our companions in life. If he was Immortal, why would he suddenly become an old man? And the fact that he was a representative of the dark forces - so after all, someone had to deal with this. When it was time for Kashchei to start a family and offspring, he chose the beautiful Morena, the daughter of Svarog and Leda. It was her that he loved all his life, while most of the bright gods not only married more than once, but also had many mistresses. Kashchei was also familiar with Dazhdbog, and they were, if not friends, then certainly not enemies. Dazhdbog somehow saved the life of Kashchei, when during a quarrel he was almost killed by the same young, daring god Veles, the same as these two, the mighty patron of cattle, animals, magical powers. In gratitude, Kashchei took a vow to forgive Dazhdbog for this three insults, if any. Having wooed Morena, Kashchei Vievich waited for some time for the answer of the beauty. During the courtship of Kashcheev, the intoxicated Dazhdbog wandered into the tower to Morena, who that day was a guest at a feast with her parents. Returning home, Dazhdbog decided to walk through the heavenly garden of Iriysky, apparently to freshen up, where he stumbled upon the painted maiden tower of the owner's daughter. And at Morena there was a feast with harpists and songbirds. She met guests from the kingdom of the Underground - Kashchei Vievich with his brothers. Since she had not yet given the word to Kashchei, the flirtatious girl decided to flirt and flirt with Dazhdbog. Treat him with intoxicated Surya and hint that he would come to her somehow when she has no guests. Dazhdbog took all this coquetry at face value and flared up for Morena with a manic passion. Of course, Dazhdbog also liked Morena, but her choice fell on Kashchei. The choice was right. In addition to the fact that she liked him, this marriage was supposed to be very harmonious. Both are representatives of the dark forces. In addition, he is Immortal, she is the goddess of death. Complete fusion of professional interests, spiritual closeness. And on the other hand, Kashchei is the king realms of the dead , the son of the mighty Viy, and Dazhdbog, although he was the son of Perun, was illegitimate, from a connection with a simple mermaid Rosa. But, literally on the eve of the wedding, Dazhdbog stole Morena and, observing all the formalities and rituals necessary at that time, made him his wife. Mad with grief, Kashchei rushed after them. When he found them, a lot of time passed and Morena managed to give birth to Dazhdbog a bunch of children. Little is known about the cohabitation of Mary and Dazhdbog. Most likely, it was not easy for Dazhdbog and Mara. Painfully different natures. However, you can understand Dazhdbog: Mara, according to all descriptions, is a maiden of incredible beauty. Yes, and she was not sweet, so she gladly ran away from her husband. From a purely human point of view, it can be assumed that, in general, the whole thing is in Morena herself. Apparently she really liked both of them, and although she chose the dark, cold, but very faithful and reliable Kashchei for herself, it’s very difficult to refuse the god of passion, life and love of the brutal handsome Dazhdbog if you are given eternity, and you have lived just yet some not full 200 years. That is why she did not really resist the first kidnapping. How did this mistake come back to haunt her in life! The passion passed, her unloved husband tired her to death and was drawn to a reliable, spiritually very close to her Kashchei. And a centuries-old story of kidnappings began. If for the first time Morena unquestioningly allowed herself to be kidnapped, then later she used all her strength turning Dazhdbog, then into a Deer, then into a drake, then dousing him with wine (which he never refused) and when the bored hubby fell into a dream, she asked Kashchei to kill Dazhdbog. However, Kashchei kept his word to forgive three insults. Moreover, He did not kill anyone, but only reigned over the dead. Dazhdbog every time more and more furiously pursued the couple in love. But Koschei and Mara did not grieve, they gave birth to children. The first was Frost, then his brothers - Son and Moroz. And the sisters are just like a selection - listen to their names: Resentment, Msta, Karna (Kruchina), Zhelya (Sorrow), Laziness, Sandman. Here is after all what harmony in family. Full unity of interests and values! But they did not have peace. Dazhdbog used in pursuit not only his own strength, but also actively used the help of friends. Among his assistants was the goddess of spring Zhiva, who was in love with him, whom I, purely as a woman, do not understand at all. Why help a loved one in his persecution of another woman, when it is better to help him forget about her. But that's why I'm not a goddess. Zhiva decided that if she forgets, she can also remember, and therefore it is better to destroy her physically, in which she succeeded. Like this She is beautiful, the ever-young goddess of spring! In the end, tired of this whole story with two men, Morena decided to put an end to it herself. Realizing that Kashchei, with his chistoply observance of the “word of honor”, ​​would never kill Dazhdbog, and he, in turn, would never get rid of them, she drugged the bright god with wine and chained him to the Alatyrsky mountains. The rescued Living Dazhdbog became furious, found the oak tree where the egg of Kashchei's death was kept and again appeared to the couple tired of him. Morena offered him a drink of wine, wanting to Once again drink Dazhdbog. And after all again would drink, the word of honour! How many troubles he has because of this, but this time he did not refuse and took the cup in his hands. But then Zhiva knocked this cup out of the hands of her beloved drunkard, Dazhdbog fell into a rage, broke an egg and, like Karandyshev from the Dowry (so don’t get it to anyone!) Slashed Morena in half with a sword. The dying Kashchei, with his last strength, cut off Dazhdbog's head and, it would seem, everyone died. However, Zhiva saved her beloved by splashing her with Living Water. And the great gods revived Mara and Kashchei. The death of Kashchei brought a terrible flood to the earth, because the egg was not just the death of Kashcheev. With his death, the harmonious structure of the world was disturbed, in which there should have been evil and good, darkness and light. The great gods decided that it was impossible to leave everything like that. It is necessary to restore the violated Lad of the World. It was decided that "... half of the year of Svarog Koshchey with Mara will reign, and the remaining half - Dazhdbog with the Living", who bore him a son, Orey, who, accordingly, produced a son named Rus. By the way, this is how the first Slavic man appeared, whose descendants became Russians .. Like this .. Everything is fair: night and winter - to the Black gods, day and summer - to the Light ones. Svarog even forged a second sun for the Blacks - the Moon, so that they, too, would have everything like decent rulers. I want to emphasize that the Adult Great Gods did not force Morena to return to Dazhdbog, but left her with Kashchei!
So it turns out that Ivan Tsarevich stole the bride from Kashchei, and not vice versa, as it is told in fairy tales. But, you can’t sew feelings to the case, but the facts are as follows - Although contrary to desire, Dazhdbog was Morena’s husband, and therefore Christian morality and the prohibition of adultery oblige her to remain the wife of the kidnapper. Yes, and dark Kashchei could not become a positive hero of a fairy tale, although in his entire life he did not kill a single living creature, he did not break his word. was a faithful husband and good father and grandfather. Among his children, it is worth paying attention to the son of Frost. The same one that still comes to us in new year's eve with his Snow Maiden, and puts gifts under the tree. But that's a completely different story, which I'll tell another time.

Before the baptism of Rus', the Eastern Slavs worshiped numerous pagan deities. Their religion and mythology left their imprint on everyday life. The Slavs practiced a large number of rites and rituals, one way or another connected with the pantheon of deities or the spirits of their ancestors.

History of Slavic pagan rites

ancient pagan traditions pre-Christian Rus' had religious roots. At Eastern Slavs had its own pantheon. It included many deities who can generally be described as powerful spirits of nature. and the customs of the Slavs corresponded to the cults of these creatures.

Another important measure of folk habits was the calendar. The pagan traditions of pre-Christian Rus' most often correlated with a specific date. It could be a holiday or a day of worship of some deity. A similar calendar was compiled over many generations. Gradually, it began to correspond to the economic cycles by which the peasants of Rus' lived.

When in 988 Grand Duke Vladimir Svyatoslavovich baptized his country, the population began to gradually forget about their former pagan rites. Of course, this process of Christianization did not go smoothly everywhere. Often people defended their former faith with weapons in their hands. However, already XII century paganism became the lot of marginals and outcasts. On the other hand, some of the old holidays and rituals were able to get along with Christianity and take on a new form.

naming

What were the pagan rites and rituals and how can they help? The Slavs gave them a deep practical meaning. Rites surrounded every inhabitant of Rus' all his life, regardless of which tribal union he belonged to.

Any newborn immediately after his birth went through the ritual of naming. For pagans, choosing what to name their child was vital. depended on the name further fate person, so parents could decide on the option for quite a long time. This rite had another meaning. The name established the connection of a person with his family. Often it was possible to determine from it where the Slav was from.

The pagan traditions of pre-Christian Rus' have always had a religious background. Therefore, the adoption of a name by a newborn could not take place without the participation of the sorcerer. These sorcerers, according to the beliefs of the Slavs, could communicate with spirits. It was they who fixed the choice of parents, as if "coordinating" it with the deities of the pagan pantheon. Among other things, the naming finally made the newborn initiated into the ancient Slavic faith.

baptism

Naming was the first obligatory rite through which every member of the Slavic family passed. But this ritual was far from the last and not the only one. What other pagan traditions of pre-Christian Rus' were there? In short, since they were all based on religious beliefs, it means that there was another rite that allowed a person to return to the bosom of his native faith. Historians have called this ritual baptism.

Indeed, the Slavs had the opportunity to abandon Christianity and return to the religion of their ancestors. In order to be cleansed of an alien faith, it was necessary to go to the temple. This was the name of the part of the pagan temple, intended for the ceremony. These places were hidden in the deepest forests of Rus' or small groves in the steppe zone. It was believed that here, far from civilization and large settlements, the connection of the Magi with the deities is especially strong.

A person who wanted to renounce the new Greek foreign faith had to bring with him three witnesses. This was required by the pagan traditions of pre-Christian Rus'. Grade 6 at school, according to the standard program, superficially studies just the realities of that time. The Slav knelt down, and the sorcerer read a spell - an appeal to the spirits and deities with a request to cleanse the errant tribesman from filth. At the end of the ceremony, it was necessary to swim in the nearby river (or go to the bath) in order to complete the ritual in accordance with all the rules. Such were the then traditions and rituals. Pagan faith, spirits, sacred places - all this had great importance for every Slav. Therefore, baptism was a frequent occurrence in the X-XI centuries. Then people protested in this way against the official state policy of Kyiv, aimed at replacing paganism with Orthodox Christianity.

Wedding

Among the ancient Slavs in Rus', the wedding was considered an event that finally confirmed the entry young man or girls in adulthood. Moreover, a childless life was a sign of inferiority, because in this case, a man or woman did not continue his race. The elders treated such relatives with undisguised condemnation.

The pagan traditions of pre-Christian Rus' differed from each other in some details depending on the region and tribal union. Nevertheless, songs were an important wedding attribute everywhere. They were performed right under the windows of the house in which the newlyweds were supposed to start living. On holiday table there were always kalachi, gingerbread, eggs, beer and wine. The main treat was a wedding loaf, which, among other things, was a symbol of the abundance and wealth of the future family. Therefore, they baked it on a special scale. A lengthy wedding ceremony began with matchmaking. In the end, the groom had to pay the bride's father a ransom.

housewarming

Each young family moved to its own hut. The choice of housing among the ancient Slavs was an important ritual. The then mythology included many evil creatures who knew how to inflict damage on the hut. Therefore, the place for the house was chosen with great care. For this, magic divination was used. The whole ritual can be called a housewarming ritual, without which it was impossible to imagine the beginning of a full-fledged life for a newly appeared family.

The Christian culture and pagan traditions of Rus' were closely intertwined with each other over time. Therefore, it can be said with certainty that some of the former rites existed in the outback and provinces until the 19th century. There were several ways to determine whether a site is suitable for building a hut. They could leave a pot with a spider inside for the night. If the arthropod weaved a web, then the place was suitable. Safety was also tested with cows. This was done in the following way. The animal was released into a spacious area. The place where the cow lay down was considered happy for a new hut.

caroling

The Slavs had a separate group of so-called bypass rites. The most famous of them was caroling. This ritual was performed annually along with the beginning of a new annual cycle. Some pagan holidays (holidays in Rus') survived the Christianization of the country. So was caroling. It retained many features of the former pagan rite, although they began to coincide with the Orthodox Christmas Eve.

But even the most ancient Slavs used to gather on this day in small groups, starting to bypass their native settlement in search of gifts. As a rule, only young people took part in such gatherings. Among other things, it was also a fun festival. The carolers dressed up in buffoon costumes and walked around the neighboring houses, announcing their owners about the upcoming holiday of the new birth of the Sun. This metaphor meant the end of the old annual cycle. They usually dressed up in wild animals or funny costumes.

Kalinov bridge

The key to pagan culture was the burial rite. He completed earthly life person, and his relatives, thus, said goodbye to the deceased. Depending on the region, the essence of the funeral among the Slavs changed. Most often, a person was buried in a coffin, in which, in addition to the body, the personal belongings of the deceased were placed so that they could serve him in afterlife. However, among the tribal unions of the Krivichi and Vyatichi, on the contrary, the ritual burning of the deceased at the stake was widespread.

The culture of pre-Christian Rus' was based on numerous mythological subjects. For example, the funeral was carried out according to the belief about the Kalinov Bridge (or the Star Bridge). IN Slavic mythology this was the name of the path from the world of the living to the world of the dead, which the soul of a person passed after his death. The bridge became impassable for murderers, criminals, deceivers and rapists.

The funeral procession passed a long way, which symbolized the journey of the soul of the deceased to afterworld. Then the body was laid on the steal. That was the name of the funeral pyre. It was filled with branches and straw. The deceased was dressed in white clothes. In addition to him, they also burned various gifts, including funeral dishes. The body must necessarily lie with its feet towards the west. The fire was set on fire by a priest or an elder of the clan.

Trizna

Listing what pagan traditions were in pre-Christian Rus', one cannot but mention the feast. That was the name of the second part of the funeral. It consisted of a funeral feast, accompanied by dances, games and competitions. Sacrifices were also practiced to the spirits of ancestors. They helped find solace for the survivors.

The feast was especially solemn in the event of the funeral of soldiers who defended their native lands from enemies and foreigners. Many pre-Christian Slavic traditions, rituals and customs were based on the cult of strength. Therefore, the warriors in this pagan society were especially respected by both ordinary residents and the Magi, who knew how to communicate with the spirits of their ancestors. During the feast, the feats and courage of heroes and knights were glorified.

divination

Ancient Slavic divination was numerous and varied. Christian culture and pagan traditions, mixed with each other in the X-XI centuries, have left many rituals and customs of this kind today. But at the same time, many divinations of the inhabitants of Rus' were lost and forgotten. Some of them were saved people's memory thanks to the careful work of folklorists over the past few decades.

Fortune-telling was based on the veneration of the many-sided Slavs natural world- trees, stones, water, fire, rain, sun, wind, etc. Other similar rituals, necessary in order to find out one's future, were performed as an appeal to the spirits of dead ancestors. Gradually, a unique one based on natural cycles developed, according to which they checked when it was best to go guessing.

Magical rites were necessary in order to find out what the health of relatives, crops, offspring will be like. livestock, well-being, etc. The most common were fortune-telling about marriage and the upcoming groom or bride. In order to carry out such a ritual, the Slavs climbed into the most remote and unsociable places - abandoned houses, forest groves, cemeteries, etc. This was done because it was there that the spirits lived, from whom they learned the future.

Night on Ivan Kupala

Due to fragmentation and incompleteness historical sources of that time, the pagan traditions of pre-Christian Rus', in short, have been little studied. Moreover, today they have become an excellent breeding ground for speculation and low-quality "research" by various writers. But there are exceptions to this rule. One of them is the feast of the night on Ivan Kupala.

This national celebration had its strictly defined date - June 24th. This day (more precisely, night) corresponds to summer solstice - short period when daylight reaches its annual longest record. It is important to understand what Ivan Kupala meant for the Slavs in order to realize what pagan traditions were in pre-Christian Rus'. The description of this holiday is found in several chronicles (for example, in Gustynskaya).

The holiday began with the preparation of memorial dishes, which became sacrifices in memory of the departed ancestors. Another important attribute of the night was mass bathing in a river or lake, in which local youth took part. It was believed that on Ivanov's day the water received magical and healing powers. Often, holy springs were used for bathing. This was due to the fact that, according to the beliefs of the ancient Slavs, some areas on ordinary rivers were teeming with mermaids and others. evil spirits, ready at any moment to drag a person to the bottom.

The main rite of the Kupala Night was the kindling of a ritual fire. All rural youth gathered brushwood in the evening so that there would be enough fuel until the morning. Round dances were made around the fire, people jumped over it. According to beliefs, such a fire was not simple, but cleansing from evil spirits. All the women were supposed to be around the fire. Those who did not come to the holiday and did not take part in the ceremony were considered witches.

Kupala night could not be imagined without ritual excesses. With the onset of the holiday, the usual taboos were lifted in the community. Celebrating young people could steal things in other people's yards with impunity, take them away native village or throw it on rooftops. Comic barricades were erected on the streets, which interfered with the rest of the inhabitants. The youth overturned carts, plugged chimneys, etc. According to the traditions of that time, such ritual behavior symbolized the festive revelry of evil spirits. The bans were lifted for one night only. With the end of the holiday, the community returned to its usual measured life.

They lit the first fires in the village, which means the night is close. Yarina is restless in her soul, rushing around her room, like a beast in a cage. And after all, any other girl in her place would go crazy with happiness, and she would roll her eyes languidly. Today they will come to Yarina to marry, but she does not know what to do. On the one hand, look and Gorislav is dear to her. The first fellow in the village, broad in the shoulders, but with hair ...

Everyone has heard something about this holiday. Someone heard about the magic fern flower that blooms only on the night of Ivan Kupala, and with the help of it you can find real treasures. Someone may remember the wreaths that the girls are red under friendly songs, lowered into the water. Maybe about the games of youth, but about jumping over the fire is mentioned. In any case, we associate this holiday with the village, but not like with stone ...

Autumn came with a quiet tread, covering the house with a shawl of sorrow. The authorities can’t find a place for themselves, it seems like it’s necessary to cry, but only her eyes are dry - there are no tears left. She no longer has a father, although she is quite an adult, but she remained an orphan. Tomorrow, a ritual fire will be lit in the village, the body of the father will be burned, and the ashes will be scattered over the river, but in a clean field. And then the feast will begin, all the good fellows will fight, they will converge in battle ...

Zimushka howls in cold and prickly blizzards, and snow crunches underfoot. The sun is high, it is old and does not heat anything at all. People get cold and wrap themselves in all sorts of shawls to keep warm, and finally not fall into the power of the cold. Small children frolic, play every day, make snowballs, they do not know how much fear there is in winter nights, when there is no light, and evil can break out at any moment. Tomorrow a new sun must be born and in...

The customs of the ancient Slavs were very different from other peoples who lived and developed at the same time. The Slavs were not cruel and bloodthirsty. Even in war, they remained humane towards others. And this is confirmed by numerous written sources.

In everyday life, the main condition for the ancient Slavs was always cleanliness. Probably, many of you remember descriptions from history books, how in Europe all the garbage and slop was thrown out of the window right into the street. In addition, those who bathed and kept their body and clothes clean were considered to be associated with the devil and evil spirit. And the Slavs had baths. They arranged special bath days. Perhaps that is why there have never been major outbreaks among the Slavic population. infectious diseases like the plague in Europe.

The customs of the ancient Slavs were very peculiar:

• Firstly, they were in direct connection with their beliefs (paganism), which assumed the worship of nature, its deification.
• Secondly, the ancient Slavs were unusually industrious. Nobody was left idle.
• Third, feature theirs was compassion, helping each other in difficult situations. Perhaps it was these qualities that made the Slavs such a strong and united people who were able to survive so much war and suffering.

The customs, customs, traditions of the Slavs were expressed in their way of life. This applies to every aspect of their lives. And holidays, and cooking, and caring for a child, and sewing clothes, and a craft ... You can continue endlessly. Our ancestors took special care to protect themselves and their families, their homes from evil spirits and the evil eye. To do this, they decorated their clothes, their homes, household items with amulets, various protective signs.

Also, much attention was paid to a good harvest, livestock health, land fertility. To do this, rituals were held at almost every holiday, conspiracies were read. And yet the ancient Slavs never forgot about their kind, about their ancestors (eyes and ancestors). They believed that ancestors always help in difficult times, and also guide a person on the true path. Therefore, special memorial days were organized for them.

The first Slavs arose in BC, having separated from the Indo-European community. They have their own language, their own culture. After isolation, the Slavs began to migrate across the territory modern Europe and Russia. So there was their division into three branches: eastern, western and southern.

The customs and traditions of the Slavs, in general, were closely connected with their pagan religion. There were a lot of customs. They literally shrouded every holiday, every harvest, every new season. All Slavic rituals were aimed at well-being, good luck, happy life. And they were passed down from generation to generation.

Life and customs, beliefs of the Eastern Slavs

Eastern Slavs, like many peoples in the beginning new era, were adherents of paganism. They worshiped nature, praised the gods. We know the pantheon of Slavic pagan gods. It has a certain hierarchy. The most famous deities are Svarog, Veles, Perun, Makosh, Lada, Yarilo. Each of them had their own "functions". For their gods, the Slavs built special temples - temples and sanctuaries. Sacrifices (requirements) were made to the gods in order to appease them or thank them.

The customs and mores of the Eastern Slavs as a whole did not differ from those of all Slavs. Yes, there were peculiarities in agriculture and economy. But usually it was somehow connected with natural and climatic conditions.

The life and customs of the Eastern Slavs are of the greatest interest to us, because it was this branch that became the most numerous. She gave the world such peoples as Russians, Ukrainians, Belarusians.

The customs of the Eastern Slavs can be easily traced by the character traits of these peoples. They were distinguished by kindness, sincerity, mercy, generosity. Even enemy peoples spoke well of the Eastern Slavs, which was reflected in some chronicles of foreign authors.

The Eastern Slavs, their way of life and customs greatly influenced their descendants. More precisely, they were transferred to them. We still use many traditions and customs, as well as holidays. Perhaps we do not even know and do not think about it. But, if you delve into history, you can find an extraordinary similarity between modern rites and ancient Slavic ones.

One of the main customs of the ancient Slavs was that all generations of the family lived under the same roof, and somewhere not far from the house there was a family cemetery, so long-dead ancestors also invisibly took part in the life of the family.

Children in those days were born much more than in our time, i.e. according to the number of children in the family of the ancient Slavs and modern families are very different, in addition to this, among the pagans, it was not considered shameful for a man to bring as many wives to his house as he could feed. Those. approximately four or five brothers lived in such a house with their wives, children, parents, grandparents, uncles, aunts, cousins, second cousins.

Each person who lived in such a family considered himself primarily a member of the family, and not an individual. And also any Slav could name his ancestors several centuries ago and tell in detail about each of them. Numerous holidays were associated with the ancestors, many of which have survived to this day (Radunitsa, parental day).

When getting acquainted, the ancient Slavs had to mention whose son, grandson and great-grandson he was, without this people would consider that a person who did not name his father and grandfather was hiding something. Each clan had a certain reputation. In one, people were famous for honesty and nobility, in the other there were scammers, therefore, having met a representative of this kind, one should keep an eye out. The man knew that at the first meeting he would be evaluated as his family deserves. On the other hand, he himself felt responsible for the entire extended family.

In those days, the everyday clothes of every Slav represented his complete "passport". The clothes of each contained a huge number of details that spoke about its owner: what tribe he was from, what kind, etc. Looking at the clothes, it was immediately possible to determine who it was and where it came from, and therefore, how to behave with it.

In this kind, there have never been any forgotten children, or abandoned old people, i.e. human society took care of each of its members, worrying about the survival of the clan and society as a whole.

The house, which has always been a protection, a refuge, in beliefs was opposed to everything else, someone else's. He was the first concern of any peasant who decided to stand out from his former family. The place for the construction was chosen very carefully, it depended on whether there would be luck, happiness and prosperity in the house. The place where the bathhouse used to be was considered bad, the suicide was buried, where the house was on fire, etc. At the place they liked, they put water in a vessel for the night under the open sky. If by morning it remained clean and transparent, then this was considered a good sign.

Starting work, they prayed at sunrise and drank the "hand" set by the owner. Three things were placed in the front, "holy" corner: money (coin) - "for wealth", incense - "for holiness", sheep's wool - "for warmth". Above, under the roof, a carved comb with carved figures, for example, a rooster, was placed. As a prophetic bird, he was very revered by the ancient Slavs. It was believed that the rooster awakens the sun to life, returns light and warmth to the earth. In the guise of a rooster, the Slavs personified heavenly fire. He protected the house from fire and lightning. Moving to new house performed at night, on a full moon. It was accompanied by various rituals. The owners usually carried with them a rooster, a cat, an icon and bread and salt; often - a pot of porridge, coals from an old stove, garbage from a former house, etc.

Garbage in the beliefs and magic of the ancient Slavs is an attribute of the house, a receptacle for the souls of ancestors. He was transferred during the resettlement, hoping that with him the spirit would pass into the new house - the guardian of the house, good luck, wealth and prosperity. They used garbage in divination and for various magical purposes, for example, fumigated with the smoke of burning garbage from the evil eye.

One of the sacred centers of the house was the oven. They cooked food in the oven, slept on it, in some places it was used as a bath; mostly associated with it. ethnoscience. The furnace symbolized a woman giving birth to a female womb. She was the main talisman of the family inside the house. Oaths were made at the stove, an agreement was made at the stove pillar; milk teeth of children and umbilical cords of newborns were hidden in the stove; the patron saint of the house, the brownie, lived in the undergrowth.

The table was also a subject of special reverence. When selling a house, the table was necessarily transferred to the new owner. He was usually moved only when performing certain ceremonies, for example, weddings or funerals. Then they performed a ritual round of the table, or carried a newborn around it. The table was both the starting point and the end point of any path. He was kissed before a long journey and upon returning home.

A part of the house endowed with many symbolic functions is the window. It was often used as an "unconventional way out of the house" to deceive unclean spirits, sickness, etc. For example, if children died in the house, then the newborn was passed through the window so that he would live. Windows were often perceived as a way for something holy, pure. Through the windows it was not allowed to spit, pour out slops, throw out garbage, because under them, according to legend, stands the Angel of the Lord.

If the house was a protection, a refuge, then the gate was a symbol of the border between one's own, developed space and someone else's, outside world. They were considered dangerous place where all evil spirits dwell. Icons were hung on the gate, and in the morning, leaving the house, they prayed first at the church, then at the sun, and then at the gate and on all four sides. A wedding candle was often attached to them, the teeth of a harrow were stuck into them or a scythe was hung up to protect against unclean spirits, they were plugged into the slots of the gate thorny plants as a talisman against witches. Since ancient times, various magical actions have been performed at the gate. They traditionally in early spring bonfires were kindled, which cleansed the space of the gate, and with it the entire space of the courtyard.

Initiation, funeral and marriage as the main rites

Initiation

To become a member of the tribe, the child had to undergo an initiation rite. It happened in three steps.

The first - immediately at birth, when the midwife cut the umbilical cord with the tip of a combat arrow in the case of a boy, or with scissors in the case of a girl, and swaddled the child in a diaper with signs of the family.

When the boy reached three years old, he was put under a harness - that is, they put him on a horse, girded him with a sword and took him around the yard three times. After that, they began to teach him proper masculine duties. At the age of three, a girl was given a spindle and a spinning wheel for the first time. The action is also sacred, and the mother girded her with the first thread spun by her daughter on her wedding day to protect her from spoilage. Spinning among all peoples was associated with fate, and from the age of three, girls were taught to spin fate for themselves and their home.

At the age of twelve or thirteen, upon reaching marriageable age, boys and girls were brought to the men's and women's houses, where they received a full set of sacred knowledge they needed in life. After that, the girl jumped into a poneva (a kind of skirt worn over a shirt and talking about maturity). The young man after the initiation received the right to wear military weapon and get married.

Wedding

Marriage customs among different Slavic peoples were different. The most common ritual was this.

The wedding consisted of worshiping Lada, Triglav and Rod, after which the sorcerer called for a blessing on them, and the newlyweds walked around three times sacred tree as usual around a birch), calling as witnesses the gods and the coast of the place where the ceremony took place.

Without fail, the wedding was preceded by the kidnapping of the bride or conspiracy. Generally the bride had to go to new family(genus) by force, so as not to offend the guardian spirits of their kind (“I do not betray, they lead by force”). Therefore, long sad, mournful songs of the bride and her sobs are associated with this.

The newlyweds did not drink at the feast, they were forbidden, it was believed that they would be drunk from love. The first night was spent on distant sheaves covered with furs (a wish for wealth and many children).

Funeral

The Slavs had several funeral rites. The first, during the heyday of paganism, was the rite of burning, followed by the pouring of the barrow.

The second method was used to bury the so-called "mortgaged" dead - those who died a suspicious, unclean death. The funeral of such dead was expressed in throwing the body away into a swamp or ravine, after which this body was covered with branches from above. The rite was performed in such a form so as not to defile the earth and water with an "unclean" dead person.

Burial in the ground, which is customary in our time, became widespread only after the adoption of Christianity.

Conclusion: Many traditions, customs and rituals that existed among the ancient Slavs have come down to our times.