The relationship between the holidays of the solar and annual cycles naturally raises a number of questions. We owe the emergence of these questions to the previously mentioned discrepancy between the annual solar and lunar cycles.

From a modern point of view, the solar annual circle is more stable, while the lunar year is mobile and in this sense, the events associated with it have, so to speak, an occasional character.

If we turn to earlier information about the views on this matter of our distant Indo-European relatives, we will see how under the Venerable Bede (the first third of the 700s) in the British Isles, ancient pagan and Christian ideas fought in the calendar:

"V. XXI.<…>I will only say that by the spring equinox you can always accurately determine which month is the first and which is the last in accordance with the movement of the moon. According to all eastern peoples and especially the Egyptians, who hold the palm among all scientists in calculations, the equinox usually falls on the twenty-first of March, as shown by sundial observations. The moon that becomes full before the equinox, that is, on the fourteenth or fifteenth day of the moon, belongs to the last month of the previous year and is not suitable for the celebration of Easter. But the moon, which becomes full after the equinox or on its day itself, belongs already to the first month, and on this day, as we know for sure, the ancients celebrated Easter; we must celebrate it next Sunday. The reason for this is indicated in Genesis: “And God created two great lights: the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night,” or in another version: “the greater light begins the day, and the lesser light begins the night.” Just as the sun, rising in the east, first announces the equinox with its appearance, and at sunset the moon also appears from the east, so year after year the first lunar month follows in the same order, and the full moon in it does not occur before the equinox, but on the day itself equinox, as it was at the beginning, or after it. But if the full moon precedes the equinox by even one day, then the reasons we have given clearly show that this full moon does not fall in the first month of the new year, but in the last month of the old one and, as we said, is not suitable for celebrating Easter. If you also want to know the mystical reason for this, then we celebrate Easter in the first month of the year, which is also called the month of the new, because we celebrate the mystery of the Resurrection of the Lord and our liberation, when our souls and hearts are renewed by heavenly love...” (Venerable Beda, 2003) .

The extensive quotation indirectly serves as an additional explanation of the topic raised above about the correlation between the pagan and Christian calendars, once again convincing us that the similar astronomical foundations of the festivals once served as the reason for their overlap and combination. The further development of events is quite understandable: a religion intolerant of dissent demanded from its servants a tireless struggle against manifestations of “demonicism” and “devil worship.” Thus, understanding of the basis of the ancient faith was gradually lost.

We dare to suggest that memorial days, now better known under the Belarusian name “Grandfathers”, were once closely connected with the lunar calendar. The rationale for this idea lies on the surface: the most ancient forms of pagan beliefs of the Slavs are associated with the veneration of ancestors and their deification. The oldest calendar is most likely lunar (no matter what the “new romantics” of Tradition say, who completely deny the existence of the cult of the Moon or the Month in Slavic paganism).

Nowadays there is no such dependence and it is difficult to trace its traces. Memorial days were partly Christianized, partly their rituals were “spread out” over various days of the year under the influence of the church.

Today we are forced to live according to the general civil calendar, whether we like it or not. Only those who are associated with agriculture (even if they are the owner of an ordinary summer cottage and plant several beds of greenery on it) tend to take into account the influence of the Moon and the lunar calendar. Well, perhaps also “advanced” (or not very healthy) people who pay attention to their well-being and its dependence on the phases of the Earth’s satellite. When it comes to traditional holidays, we adhere to the point of view that the surviving ideas about the holidays of the “strong” and “weak” should be taken into account regardless of your daily activities.

The holiday will be “strong” when the corresponding lunar phase falls on a holiday on the solar calendar. So, for Kupala it will be a full moon, and for Kolyada (Korochun), on the contrary, it will be a new moon. The further this phase is from the date of the solar holiday, the weaker the event will be. In this case, it should be expected that more effort will be required to achieve the desired consequences for the participants in the ritual action.

It is by no means impossible to exclude the possibility that the described circumstance once formed the basis for ongoing holidays. After all, tradition assumes that the holiday lasts more than one day (days) and that it is necessary to prepare for it from the eve, from Christmas Eve, at the latest.

In fact, it is well known that even a few days before the holiday itself, folk custom required the performance of various strictly ritualized preparatory actions. Here we can talk about ritual restrictions, the preparation of ritual drinks or food, etc. In the language of modern psychology, we can say that the holiday required “entry” into it. In a similar way, the custom also implied a “exit” from the holiday, a return to everyday life. If the reader takes the trouble to carefully study the folk calendar of signs and customs (even if it is a church calendar or a “two-faith” ethnographic calendar), he will easily discover such days.

“In the folk way of life, every significant celebration is not only an “emotional release” from everyday work, but it is also a kind of “result” of the lived period of time, and at the same time “preparation” for the next period. Both the “result” and “preparation” were carried out through very specific rituals and ritual actions” (Tultseva, 2000, p. 128).

Usually preparations began 3-4 days before the holiday, and the exit took place 3-4 days later. And we believe that this is absolutely correct, because “entry” implies, first of all, the preparation of consciousness, spirit, entering a special state, and “exit,” in turn, on the contrary, a return to normal life. If this did not exist, it would be worth inventing it today.

Moreover, the point here is not at all a hangover syndrome, as some wits might think; drunkenness (at least everyday, not ritual) was something that the real folk custom did not respect at all, but condemned in every possible way; they could even “fight” with drunkards with the whole world . At least this was the case before the destruction of the traditional rural community.

Before moving on to consider the main holidays of the annual cycle, it is useful to make a few general considerations. Let us repeat: we deliberately limit the list given, considering most of the other events not only not the most important, but also some that never existed in the Slavic archaic. Some of them are new borrowings from dubious sources or original copies of the rituals of the Orthodox Church, while others appeared as a result of Christianization, “breaking away” from the original principle and moving to another date without connection with the calendar basis - the annual movement of the Sun and Moon in the sky. In folk tradition, a number of these days were called "half-holidays", which very accurately reflected their essence. However, despite all the efforts of the clergy,

“On a holiday, after a Christian service, the ancient Russian people retired to fields, groves or river banks and began to perform rituals of a mysterious pagan nature. The holiday day was thus divided into two halves - the morning was dedicated to the triumph of Christian concepts of the day, and the evening to the rest of the pagan ones. And to this day, ancient religious views and rituals in some places are still firmly held among the masses of our people. Much, especially in the area of ​​ritual, has lost its ancient meaning and has descended to the level of simple folk games.<…>; Much is allowed and tolerated in our country due to its indifferent nature, not hostile to the spirit of the Christian religion, such as carols,<…>entertainment in cemeteries, various use of passion and Easter candles, etc. But besides these small<…>there are still many ordinary rituals that directly and clearly indicate the time and source of their non-Christian origin; These are, for example, the rituals on Trinity Day, on the day of John the Baptist, Yuri of the spring, etc.<…>"(Pospelov, 1870, p. 344).

Ethnography considers ritual as a type of custom, “the purpose and meaning of which is the expression (mostly symbolic) of an idea, action, or the replacement of direct influence on an object with an imaginary (symbolic) influence” (S. A. Tokarev). For those readers who prefer to take a purely materialistic position, this definition will most likely be sufficient. Supporters of natural beliefs should think carefully about what kind of meaning, idea, understanding they are going to put into this or that ritual action. Otherwise, participation in holidays and observance of customs is completely devoid of any content, even if a person takes for himself the most Slavic name and sews the most authentic traditional ritual clothing. It is not the appearance that determines the content...

"Ritual (from lat. ritualis- ritual, from ritual- a religious rite, a solemn ceremony), a type of ritual, a historically established form of complex symbolic behavior, a codified system of actions (including speech) that serve to express certain social and cultural relationships (recognition of any values ​​or authorities, maintenance of a social-normative system and so on.). In the most ancient religions, ritual served as the main expression of cult relations. Subsequently, with the development of mythological and then religious-philosophical systems, mythological interpretations of ritual and ritual means of “dramatizing” myth are formed.

In any ritual there is an invariant block of rituals that constitute the so-called ritual minimum, without which the ritual cannot exist as a symbolic, ritual text. Rituals not only objectively vary (formally and functionally) within one cycle, but also jump from one ritual cycle to another. The same applies to ritual actions within the rite” (Klopyzhnikova, 2008).

The authors completely agree with the possibility of the existence of various variants of festive rituals, however, they consider the above-mentioned “ritual minimum” to be very significant, which in our understanding is the most ancient layer of the holiday and following which is key to achieving the goals that participants in the action can set for themselves. From our point of view, this should include both the actual ritual elements of the action and other components of ritual behavior, such as compliance with gender and age differences, requirements for the place and time of the action, for ritual food, etc.

The following description of the holidays of the annual circle is intended to highlight the main features of such a minimum. Some of it is forced to be a reconstruction. Historical and ethnographic evidence has been selected in such a way as to show currently little-known features of the holidays.

We hope that the lists we provide are not only the keys to understanding the semantic side of the holidays, but also provide (if they are observed and the personal efforts of the participants are present) that same health-improving result of a proper holiday event.

Nowadays, both in the circles of scientists and among followers of the natural faith, it can be said that it has become a generally accepted canon that the day of the vernal equinox is celebrated and/or compared with Maslenitsa, and the oldest name of this holiday is considered Komoeditsy. However, not everything is so simple and unambiguous. A number of researchers have long expressed well-founded doubts about the understanding once proposed by B. A. Rybakov. Thus, the name “Komoeditsa”, which is interpreted as “Bear Holiday”, is distributed exclusively in the territory of Belarus and is not common Slavic. It appears in sources starting from the 17th–18th centuries, and it seems very likely that it goes back to the Greek "comodia".

According to the Dictionary of Brockhaus and Efron,

“comedy, Greek, type of drama, depiction on stage of the unreasonable, petty, vulgar, arousing laughter; developed in Greece from performances at the festivals of Dionysus. In Athens in the 5th century. K. presents a caricature-fantastic depiction of modern social events and the topic of the day (Aristophanes). After the ban on touching on the personality of societies on stage. figures, K. gradually turned into a picture of typical phenomena of everyday life (Menander; Roman imitators Plautus and Terence). The culture of new peoples grew out of the Roman ones. samples (Italian) commedia dell'arte XVI-XVIII centuries traveling actors with permanent types and without written text), and from everyday humorous. interludes inserted into religious mysteries of the Middle Ages (folk farces); is usually divided into K. of intrigue (Lope de Vega, Scribe, Freytag, etc.) and K. of characters (Shakespeare, Moliere, Golberg, etc.), depending on what comes to the fore - characters or comic. provisions. – K. in Russia begins with folk rituals and amusements, as well as school interludes in the West. Rus', but these rudiments did not receive further development.”

Maslenitsa performances with their ritual outrages could well be compared with comedies as an art form, especially if we take into account the relationship of the latter with Western European carnivals. The word "carnival" (from the medieval Latin carnevale- “meat-farewell”) in the countries of Catholic Europe they called the time from Epiphany (January 6) to Wednesday in the first week of Lent. However, it is more common to call only the last 7–10 days before Clean Wednesday carnival. These days are accompanied by folk festivals, processions, masquerades, etc. They are the remnants of pagan festivals that mark the transition from winter to spring. For example, at the Lithuanian winter “carnivals” they depicted the “war” of winter and spring.

It is now difficult to establish the ancient time of such ritual actions. The influence of Christianity and Lent, introduced under its influence, turned out to be so significant that we may not be able to decide whether Maslenitsa festivities should be compared with the Great Day (the spring equinox, the beginning of the ancient agricultural New Year) or with an earlier meeting of spring. After all, Great Day is actually the highest point of spring, the day of its and life’s final victory over winter and death. The holiday took something from the completely pagan custom of invoking spring three times (the first invocations are the beginning of March (in some places the first invocations are considered to be the February Gromnitsa, which will be discussed further), modern Magpies, the second invocations - the beginning of April, the modern Annunciation, the third invocations - Red slide, the final arrival of spring), for example:

Galushka-keykeeper,

Fly out from across the sea

Bring out two keys

Two gold keys:

Lock out the cold winter,

Unlock summer

Wake up the warm summer,

Release the silk grass,

Spread pearly dew...

(Tultseva, 2000, p. 159)

The late name for the spring equinox, one might think, is the word Maslenitsa itself. It appears only in the 16th century. (Kapitsa, 2003, p. 156). In Orthodoxy it is called “cheese” or “meat week”. Today is the “official” Maslenitsa - a moving holiday. It begins 56 days before Easter, which is tied to the first Sunday after the first full moon after the spring equinox.

In the monograph by A. S. Kotlyarchuk there is an interesting name for the holiday of this time, taken from Belarusian material: Volochenye:

“The connection between the peasant and urban culture of the Belarusians is confirmed by the celebration in the cities of the 17th century. Volochenya. According to V.K. Sokolova, the volochny rite gave Easter to the Belarusians “ethnic specificity.” Widespread throughout the ethnic territory of Belarusians, the holiday was a ritual action similar in form to the carol, which took place on the first Easter evening. Groups of volcanoes (from 10 to 20 people) with an obligatory violinist (“music”) walked around the nearby courtyards of their parish. Summing up the results of the year (!), the volochniks played special wish songs with the characters of the “holy holidays” - the patrons of certain economic spheres.<...>In the house, the witches asked the owners to look out the window at the miracle that happened in their yard: “And there are oak tables, all covered with Chinese cloth, ... on those tables there are gold cups. At the table is God himself and all the holy holidays.” According to each “saint,” the family was guaranteed protection in all economic matters. To refuse remuneration to volcanoes meant dooming oneself to misfortune” (Kotlyarchuk, 2001, pp. 191–192).

Maslenitsa. A group of girls with a scarecrow of Marzanna, symbolizing winter and death (village of Sudol, Opole Voivodeship, Poland, 1976) (after Fris-Pietraszkowa E., Kunczynska-Iracka F., Pokropek V. Sztuka ludowa w Polsce. – Warszawa, 1988)

Here are some parallels to the Great Day and individual days of Maslenitsa (let’s keep this name as a working name for now) in the pagan calendars of Europe:

21.02 – in Ancient Rome Feralia (the day when the souls of the dead left the world of the living).

End of February – Lithuanians U?zgavenes, Farewell to winter.

19.03 – in ancient Greece, celebrations in honor of Athena. In ancient Rome, Minerva's birthday was celebrated.

21.03 – Vernal equinox; Ostara among the Celts and Germans.

21.03 – Panasario League, celebration of the vernal equinox, the arrival of spring and the rebirth of life among Lithuanians.

23.03 – in northern Europe they celebrated the victory of light over darkness.

25.03 - in Scandinavia, Heimdall, the Guardian of the Rainbow - the heavenly gates is honored.

All these events are clearly divided into two semantic blocks. One gravitates towards the Celtic Imbolc and really marks the change of season, the second is closer to the Great Day and, very interestingly, carries a different sacred meaning. Thus, N. Pennick (1989, p. 37), considering Imbolc and Ostara, points out that the northern Tradition sees in the first holiday the beginning of spring, and in the second... a sacred marriage that leads to the birth of a child on the winter solstice...

Maslenitsa postcard from the late 19th – early 20th centuries. Perhaps it is still very relevant today...

Let us try to list the main features of the festive customs of the Maslenitsa cycle:

– meeting of the old and farewell to the new (war of winter and spring) in the form of the creation and subsequent “funeral” of a ritual symbol (Maslenitsa effigy), the capture of a snowy town;

- veneration of deceased ancestors and living parents (in later times as “mother-in-law Saturday” and “forgiveness Sunday”, visiting cemeteries, mummering and volitional songs);

- veneration of the Sun in the form of lighting ritual bonfires in elevated places, where old things and utensils that were out of use were burned, and a wheel was placed in the center, lighting a “new fire” by friction, sledding and horseback riding from icy mountains (possibly because the horse is a pan-European symbol of the Sun);

– incantatory and protective actions designed to ensure a good harvest, for example, fist fights (but in general their elements are present in all Maslenitsa customs);

– ritual meals during Maslenitsa week (including attributes of the solar cult and veneration of ancestors);

The ancient mythological basis of Maslenitsa (?) is interpreted today as a confrontation between Winter and Spring, which turns into a battle, which inevitably ends in the victory of new life.

However, Western European analogies force us to look at this somewhat differently.

The rituals of Russian Maslenitsa have evolved over the centuries; the holiday gradually absorbed individual ritual actions and customs, apparently dating back to different periods. Today, highlighting the most ancient elements of the New Year or the transition from winter to spring requires some effort. Thoughtless mixing of customs even of neighboring peoples (Russian, Ukrainian and Belarusian) will inevitably lead to eclectic mixing. Let's say that Ukrainian and Belarusian rituals, due to their greater proximity to Western Europe, are close to European (especially West Slavic). Russian Maslenitsa (perhaps together with the adoption of Christianity from Byzantium and Bulgaria) adopted a number of features close to the South Slavic tradition (the large role of festive lights, etc.).

Comparing this time with human life, one can imagine how complex in ancient times the ritual of a person’s growing up (possibly his adoption into the family) was seen - after all, Maslenitsa in the circle of life is quite comparable to the rituals that were performed on children 3-7 years old (the first tonsure, crawling under a bench, mounting a horse, etc. (initiatory actions). From that moment on, a person was considered a human being, sometimes received his first name, and became not a sexless “child,” but a boy or girl. Direct parallels are completely lost today, but you can try to trace something by carefully looking at Maslenitsa rituals...

The revelry of Maslenitsa feasts is comparable to Oseniny or Bogach (Tausen) - the holiday of the autumn equinox. The abundance of ritual feasts inherent in these events, although they mirror each other, are of a different nature. We dare to suggest that in pagan times, during the months of February and March there could have been ritual restrictions on certain types of food. According to the curious assumption of N. N. Speransky (Velimir), spring restrictions on meat consumption may be due to the fact that the cow, one of the main domestic animals, gives birth to offspring at this time. Before calving, her milk disappears. Moreover, people of the past could limit themselves to meat for fear of harming animals in a sympathetic way (similarity magic). Thus, it was as if they ate enough meat and milk for future use.

However, under the influence of the same Lent, many rules and customs were lost, which resulted in the absence of the 19th century in Russia. a special Maslenitsa meal on a certain day and time and with a set of certain dishes. The historian N.I. Kostomarov noted, for example: “Pancakes were not part of Maslenitsa, as they are now; the symbol of Maslenitsa was pies with cheese and brushwood with butter.” Local historian N. Titov wrote the same in the Vologda Provincial Gazette: “30 years ago<…>pancakes here... were not used at all on Maslanitsa” (Titov N., 1852, p. 52); preparation for the celebration consisted of “spinning” various “cakes”: cheese cakes, ovaries, berry cakes, crosses, whips, roses, brushwood, etc. Since the Orthodox Church considered the cheese week as a time of preparation for Lent, the priests prohibited meat food, the main place dedicated to fish and dairy dishes. However, cheese, butter, cottage cheese and other dairy products should be considered first of all as “ahvyaravalnaya ezhu apekun syalyanskaya gaspadarki Bog Vyales” (Sysoў, 1997, p. 70).

And there is an obvious parallel in this Happy February holidays...

The end of April - the first days of May, in general, is the time of the final formation (arrival) of Spring. The world in the northern hemisphere is turning to summer. Perhaps it is on these days (depending on local weather conditions or customs) that the summer, female part of the annual cycle begins.

“The name Red Hill reflects the state of nature at this time of year: the snow has already melted, but not everywhere is dry, and the hills and hills are warmed by the sun - children and youth gather here to play. In the ritual life of people close to nature, such places played a special role throughout the year” (Tultseva, 2000, p. 175).

In Western Europe it is also the beginning of the warm (light) half of the year. Something similar happened in very distant times, presumably, in our country.

Here is a short list of Western European holidays that can be considered the closest “relatives” of our Red Hill:

14.04 – In the north of Europe – Sommarsbute, holiday of the beginning of the warm season

12–19.04 – in ancient Rome Cerealia, celebrations in honor of the goddess of the Earth, young shoots and maternal love of Ceres

April 15 - in ancient Rome, the holiday of Mother Earth, when it was supposed to ask the gods for the rebirth of her fertile power

18.04 – the ancient Greeks celebrated in honor of Maya, daughter of Atlas and Pleione, goddess of the earth

23.04 - in ancient Rome, celebrations in honor of Jupiter and Venus, among the Germans - in honor of Sigurd the dragon slayer

End of April – Lithuanians Jore, the final victory of the coming spring

Painted eggs for the ceremonies of spring and early summer. Top two rows: ethnographic samples with ancient subjects; the two lower ones are ceramic eggs with glaze from archaeological excavations in ancient Russian cities. By the way, such “pysanka” in the Middle Ages were exported to Western Europe (according to B. A. Rybakov)

1.05 – among the Celts Beltane, a holiday in honor of the god Bel (?), the day of spring bonfires, at one time the Celtic New Year

2.05 - among the Celts, the day of veneration of Helen, or Helen (Elain in the Arthurian cycle), the Welsh Sarn Helen, mistress of the sacred roads

9–13.05 – in ancient Rome Lemuria, when the hungry spirits of deceased ancestors returned to their former homes at night.

“The holidays on May 1–2 were held in honor of the goddess, whose name is “ Maja”, “Zywie” leads us to deep Indo-European antiquity.

Cretan-Mycenaean inscriptions know the goddess “ Ma”, mother of the gods, archaic mistress of the world; she is also called “ Zivja” (form coming from Proto-Indo-European “ Deiwo"). This is also where the West Slavic comes from. Ziwie and Old Russian Diva, Divia" (Rybakov, 1987).

The most striking European parallel to Krasnaya Gorka, as is commonly believed, is the Celtic Beltane. In the distant past, the Celtic festival of spring lights was somewhat similar to Easter in that its celebration was tied to the full moon and spring equinox, rather than to a specific date. This allows us to confidently classify the holiday as primarily an agricultural holiday. We see the same thing in Rus'. Red Hill was once celebrated mainly by women who invoked it on this day, performing rituals for love, a happy marriage and ensuring a good harvest in the coming summer. At a later time in Russia, the holiday took on the appearance of May Days - spring festivities in open areas, accompanied by songs, round dances and other fun. Throughout Europe on these days, since ancient times, holiday lights were lit, arrows were shot...

“In Ukrainian folklore, Boris and Gleb are often associated with an ancient agricultural Dnieper legend about the origin of the so-called “Snake Shafts.” Boris and Gleb (and sometimes Kuzma and Demyan) are depicted in it as fairy-tale heroes defeating the dragon. Boris and Gleb harness the defeated Serpent to a plow and plow hundreds of miles of furrows on it - the “Serpentine Ramparts” of the Kiev and Pereyaslav regions, which still exist today.

I think that Vladimir Monomakh, in establishing a Russian national holiday in defiance of the Greek Church, deliberately moved away from all real dates and chose one of those days on which some ancient folk holiday fell, a holiday of sprouts of spring crops that had just emerged into the light" (Rybakov, 1987, p. 187).

In Christian times, Red Hill began to be celebrated on Sunday of St. Thomas Week (the first week after Easter). Since ancient times, the holiday, one must think, had an independent meaning, but later the ritual of the “third call of spring” was combined with Radunitsa - especially since their innermost meaning had much in common: the final establishment of the power of spring on Krasnaya Gorka could not have happened without the support of the duly venerable souls of the ancestors.

“The ritual holiday of the Belarusians, reflected in the sources, was also the holiday of the “Maypole” (May). The festive action consisted of round dances (“karagodas”) near a maypole installed near the house and decorated with multi-colored ribbons. In the Middle Ages and early modern times, the holiday was known to a number of European peoples, including the Poles, Czechs, and Lusatian Serbs. The Christianization of the ritual led to the fact that the date of May celebration among Belarusians was moved from May 1 to the Orthodox Trinity. This is how the second name for the maypole arose - “Trinity birch”. On May, shooting competitions of Belarusian townspeople and a gathering of the feudal militia (“paspalitae rushanne”) of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania traditionally took place. Records of the purchase and installation of a maypole near the town halls of Belarusian cities (they bought the maypole before the town hall) are common in sources of the 17th century.” (Kotlyarchuk, 2001, p. 192).

Several noteworthy most interesting circumstances that somehow pass by researchers and followers of traditional culture. First of all, it is important to indicate the shift in the ritual of the May holidays to Trinity. This statement may seem too bold, but it has a right to exist if we proceed from the totality of all the evidence cited by the author. The message about the gathering of the feudal militia is very interesting, which allows us to put forward a far-reaching hypothesis that this is a kind of memory of the sacred nature of such a gathering. The end of April and the beginning of May are days of special veneration of Yarila, compared with the Western Slavic Yarovit, whom we consider as a god, including war (Ermakov, Gavrilov, 2009).

The refrain, which existed until the 1950s and 60s in the Moscow and Smolensk regions, is also unique in this sense. It basically says it all:

“Soon, soon Trinity, the green leaf will open. “Soon the little one will come, my heart will calm down.”

Ritual minimum of Krasnaya Gorka:

- meeting the finally arrived spring, honoring the spring life-giving Sun by lighting bonfires, fire fun, etc.;

– memorial events (visiting cemeteries on Radonitsa);

– incantatory actions to ensure a good harvest in the coming summer (greetings to the first spring rain, other rituals, including erotic or even orgiastic in nature, games, decorating the maypole);

– veneration of the World Tree in the form of a maypole;

– ritual feasts, in which an important place is given to food with solar and productive symbolism (colored eggs, pancakes, funeral kutia on Radonitsa).

In fact, one can also assume a connection between Krasnaya Gorka (a holiday that, according to rituals, is mostly for women) with the celebration of Yarilok, which at a later time falls on the last week of April. As has just been said, Yarila is the embodiment of productive force (yari), close to the Western Slavic Yarovit and Roman Mars, who in fact was primarily the god of fertility and youth. Today Yarila is often considered the god of the spring sun, which is incorrect (Gavrilov, Ermakov, 2009).

Krasnaya Gorka/Radunitsa is a mystery holiday, which may have taken a lot from ancient agricultural New Year rituals. In the modern version of Maslenitsa there is not much of it left, except for fortune telling and volitional songs. But fortune telling and getting rid of old things are accepted in Europe and partly among the Eastern Slavs even these days...

The mythology of the holiday may be connected with the bride’s anticipation of her groom (young husband?). It is no coincidence that after Krasnaya Gorka the custom allowed for weddings to be held, despite the busy daily worries of a farmer’s life. The world has “firmly embarked” on the path of revival, everything is just beginning. Yarila recently arrived (was born), and the girls welcomed spring, that is, the time after which a fertile summer will certainly come. Bewitching suitors, calling them, and casting a spell constituted an essential part of the women's rituals of Krasnaya Gorka, known from ethnography. The event is associated with the spring surge of vitality. It is possible that the ancient myth was associated with the dragon-slaying motif, with the victory of the forces of life over the forces of destruction...

“Radunitsa is celebrated on the mountain. People come here, as if to a common cemetery, to remember the dead, to walk with relatives and friends and to feast for the repose of their parents, which God sent them with” (P. Shein).

Radonitsa is a day of honoring the dead, originally intended to ensure the arrival of the souls of ancestors, who provide fertility to fields, orchards, and vegetable gardens. On this day (which later became celebrated on the second day of St. Thomas Week - the first week after Easter) it was customary to visit cemeteries, tidy up the graves, and arrange ritual feasts for the “parents” on them. Visits to cemeteries were accompanied by the distribution of alms in the form of holiday food. Part of the food was sure to be left on the graves for the birds, which acted as embodiments of the souls of their ancestors. Let us dare to think that the distribution of alms is nothing more than a unique version of the sacrifice, the ritual feeding of aliens from the Other World - similar to what happens on Kolyada and Maslenitsa.

The beginning of May symbolically corresponds to the first lunar quarter, morning, and the transition of a person to the stage of puberty.

The holiday in the name of the Trinity was introduced into church use at the beginning of the 15th century. Venerable Sergius of Radonezh. Researchers are unanimous in their opinion about the pre-Christian nature of the holiday. It takes place over the course of a week and includes a wide variety of activities aimed primarily at honoring wildlife and ensuring the harvest.

Semik can be considered as the threshold of Kupala, but this is the only major holiday of the annual cycle that does not “fit” neatly into the solar year. However, despite all the joyful nature of the action, the memorial ritual is very clearly expressed, which has a curious feature: on this day it is customary to remember all the deceased, including those who died an incorrect (from the point of view of custom) death, even suicides. The memorial day of Semikov week is also closely connected with the image of mermaids, in which some tend to see the incarnation of the spirits of nature, while others are the souls of ancestors. In fact, in the ideas of the Slavs there may have been no such difference at all.

Procession with a “mermaid” to Semik (Voronezh province, Ostrozh district, Oskino village, 1926) (Encyclopedia “Russian Holiday”, 2001)

Rusalia - games in honor of mermaids - are closely intertwined with Yarila and the funeral of Yarila. One can even assume their genetic relationship if we consider mermaids to be female creatures, while Yarilo is undoubtedly the embodiment of masculinity. In general, the Trinity-Semitic ritual and the difficulties of its interpretation are discussed in detail in the work of A. S. Boyko, a member of the North Wind Society (Boiko, 2008, pp. 90–117).

Dance to the pity near the “mermaid” in Semik (Voronezh province, Ostrozh district, Oskino village, 1926) (Encyclopedia “Russian Holiday”, 2001)

So, the ritual minimum of Semik:

– protective actions aimed at ensuring the harvest (demands for fields, water, forest, and, according to custom, in a pronounced sexual-erotic form);

– reverence for vegetation and the forces of nature, farewell to spring and welcome to summer itself;

- veneration of ancestors, and also of those souls of the deceased from whom one can expect trouble and harm (mortgaged dead).

We believe that in its modern form, Semik is a complex interweaving of not one, but a whole series of holidays, both Christian and pagan. By now, it has organically intertwined occasional rituals of welcoming/farewelling spring and welcoming summer (the timing of which depended on local conditions, if not on the year), preparation for the celebration of Kupala and memorial rituals, the purpose of which was to honor the souls of ancestors.

Women dancing on Green Christmastide (photo from the beginning of the 20th century)

In addition, Trinity and Spiritual Day were the last time when any actions that could disturb or somehow offend mother earth were prohibited: it was forbidden to drive stakes, hit the ground with a stick, scold, and especially “swear.” Among the regional beliefs there were those according to which it was believed that in Semik the name day was celebrated by the Most Holy Theotokos herself, who replaced the image of the Mother of the Raw Earth. It is no coincidence that after Semik there came three great days, when people honored three great forces: water, earth, forest, which were also revered by birthday people.

The image of the pagan roots of the Trinity appears in the following text:

"III. 1. (1093) ...As before, in his youth, Břetislav pinned all his hopes on God’s protection, so now, at the very beginning of his reign, he cared about the Christian religion. He expelled all soothsayers, wizards and soothsayers from his kingdom, and also in many places uprooted and set on fire groves that were considered sacred by the common people. He declared war against the superstitious rituals that were observed by the peasants, still half-pagans, on Tuesdays or Wednesdays of Trinity week, when they killed animals at the springs and sacrificed them to evil spirits. He forbade burials that they performed in the forest or in the field, and games that, according to pagan custom, they staged at crossroads and road crossroads, as if to conjure spirits, and wicked jokes on the dead, when, in vain trying to evoke the souls of [the deceased ], they put masks on their faces and feasted. The good prince [Brzetislav] destroyed all these vile customs and sacrilegious undertakings, so that henceforth they would have no place among God’s people. Since the prince sincerely and deeply revered the one and true God, he himself was pleasing to all who professed God. Břetislav was a wonderful prince, every warrior loved his leader; when the matter was decided with weapons, he boldly rushed into battle like a knight. Every time he invaded Poland, he returned with a great victory. In the summer of Christ 1093, the first of his reign, with his frequent invasions he devastated Poland so much that on this side of the Odra River, from the city of Rechen to the city of Glotov, not a single inhabitant remained.” (Kozma Prazhsky, 1962.)"

Trinity Saturday. Remembering "parents" Leningrad region, Lodeynopolsky district (1927) (Encyclopedia “Russian Holiday”, 2001)

The ritual cuisine of Semik includes eggs dyed green and yellow (as opposed to red in spring), scrambled eggs, bread, butter, drinking honey, mash, buza (a drink made from buckwheat flour, a kind of young beer), loaves, muffins, drachena and scrambled eggs , juicers and cheesecakes. The peculiarity of Semik is the requirement of the custom of doing it all by sharing, and organizing the feast in a field or forest.

Semik and Semitic rituals are a reason to draw the attention of readers to a circumstance about which very little is said in ethnography (primarily in popular publications). The pagan rituals of the past are very revealing. We tend to share the point of view of those researchers who believe that profanity, which has now become rude swearing and in this form has filled the speech of many people, was once classified as forbidden, ritual words and had the properties of a talisman. Only “non-time”, “other time” (that is, a holiday), when people’s behavior was supposed to violate the rules of everyday life, made it possible to break the prohibitions. Folk customs are generally extremely sexual; many quite ordinary ritual actions, by today's standards, are not just rude, but completely obscene. This is the reason that they are very silent about them today, distorting historical reality. But the question is not about “sex”, but about the attitude towards it. All ancient peoples who lived by custom were guided by different standards of morality, standards of behavior and morality than we are used to thinking and trying on ourselves. In addition, there was no debauchery in the modern sense in folk custom and there never could have been. And there is no need to idealize the past in the spirit of the romantic nobles, who created in their dreams the image of “peaceful and meek pious peasants.” Such things have never existed anywhere except in the imagination of dreamers.

The “naughty” content serves as an excellent illustration of how people actually felt about “piquant” topics. They were not evidence of unbridled morals, but sounded precisely in ritual conditions, when people’s behavior, games, dances, songs were of a ritual nature and could not sound in other conditions. The pagan worldview, conditioned by the need to ensure the harvest and procreation, simply could not ignore “these” issues. Obscene expressions were allowed to be used, again, for magical purposes, and not in everyday life, and isn’t it better to talk honestly with your children about issues of gender and childbirth than to act as hypocrites, raising inferior people?

The holiday of the summer solstice, Kupala (in the Russian North the name “Yarilin’s Day” is also found, but there Yarila is not buried before the event), was widely celebrated by all the inhabitants

Kupala games. Reconstruction of the Scientific and Research Institute “North Wind” (June 2008). Photo by D. Gavrilov

Europe, or whatever – the northern hemisphere in general.

Among all European peoples, the components of the ritual action were very similar. This indicates a very ancient basis for the holiday. Such general features include celebrating it throughout the night, lighting fires, singing and dancing around them, jumping over fires, ritual ablutions, collecting herbs for healing and witchcraft purposes or weaving wreaths.

The day of the summer solstice is the apotheosis of the triumph of light in the northern hemisphere. The short European summer reaches its peak. The day is long, and the night is very short: Kupalinka, the night is small,

The girl didn't get enough sleep

(Belarusian folk song).

The summer solstice is the time for the flowering of the productive forces of Nature; ahead lies the ripening of both wild “gifts of nature” and fruits and grains grown by farmers. The time of harvest is approaching.

For the pagan of antiquity, the time was coming on which the future of him and his family depended. The development of productive forces did not allow the creation of large reserves of food; therefore, in the Kupala ritual, a significant place was given to protective actions. The machinations of the enemies of the human race were stopped by the performance of many protective rites.

A generalization of the abundant East Slavic ethnographic collections regarding Kupala allows us to highlight a number of characteristic ancient ritual features of the holiday:

– veneration of vegetation in the form of collecting herbs and weaving wreaths, as well as in the form of making a ritual tree (which is subsequently destroyed or burned), leading round dances around it;

– veneration of ancestors (this may also include the making of a doll from straw or herbs, as well as its ritual funeral);

- veneration of the Sun in its highest fertile power (building and lighting a Kupala fire, starting a new fire using the ancient method of friction, lighting fires under trees, rolling the sun wheel, etc.);

- protective actions aimed at ensuring a good harvest, the general health of the participants of the holiday and the preservation of fertility in general (jumping over the fire, round dances around the fire, songs and dances, “chasing” witches, conspiracies of livestock and crops, ritual and erotic actions, going around the courtyards with the purpose of their magical protection, fortune telling for the harvest and marriage);

– ritual feasts, which can also be considered as a kind of sacrifice to the gods and spirits of ancestors; At the same time, the symbolism of Kupala ritual cuisine indicates the veneration of the Sun, funeral rituals and ensuring a good harvest.

Researchers understand the mythology of the holiday quite contradictorily. It is generally accepted that the basis of the holiday legend is the motive of an incestuous marriage between a brother (fire) and sister (water). It is very archaic and dates back to the distant Proto-Slavic centuries. It must be assumed that the Slavs (like most other ancient peoples) understood perfectly well that incest, taken literally, entails very definite biological consequences for the race. Consequently, before us, most likely, is an image - a poetic, dramatic image, which in no way should be interpreted “according to the letter” of the legend, but only according to the “spirit”.

To understand the “spirit” of the holiday, we should remember that the symbol of Kupala in many areas inhabited by the Eastern Slavs is Ivan da Marya. This unique-looking flower with yellow inflorescences and purple leaves (they were also considered flowers) actually blooms shortly before the summer solstice and, according to one version of the legend, grew on the grave of a seductress sister killed by her own brother.

Making live fire (ancient drawing). It is usually believed that this was done only on Kupala, but this is incorrect. It was customary to renew the fire on almost all major holidays. So, in Western Europe, the same action took place on Beltane (all the festive rituals of which are very reminiscent of the rituals of Kupala)

However, N. Pennick sees in the celebration of the summer solstice the ritual death of Balder, in the Scandinavian tradition - the god of sunlight, part of the agricultural mystery (which, if you think about it, is not without deep meaning).

Scary stories can appear for two reasons. The first thing that comes to mind is a kind of protection “against the opposite”. They say that evil forces will hear terrible legends and songs corresponding to them, decide that everything is already very bad for people, it can’t be worse, and will give up the desire to do more harm. We see something similar in wedding rituals, the motives of which, as already mentioned, are present in Kupala.

The second point of view is related to the idea of ​​a cosmic turning point that is happening these days. The sun passes its annual maximum and rises to its highest point on the celestial sphere. After this, the earth's warmth gradually begins to fade and weaken. Summer is rushing to an end. The world has turned to winter.

Similar ideas can be traced among other Indo-European peoples. This holiday, called among the Lithuanians Rasa, among the Druids Alban Hefi n, among the Anglo-Saxons Lita(later Quoterday), among the Germans Sonnenwende, from the Swedes Midsommar, associated with weddings and the turn of the year.

As a desire to avoid the onset of the coming winter and to protect oneself and the harvest, one can also consider the custom of burning an effigy of Mary (Madder, Marya, Kostroma) - one of the embodiments of death.

In order to protect crops, gardens, and livestock from damage, they made special walks around the fields, planting aspen branches, nettles, burdocks, and bitter (silver) wormwood among the crops. The same plants were hung in cowsheds and grain fields. There is information that in order to increase the number of livestock, they tried to carry a bear’s head through the fire before sunrise, which was then placed in the middle of the yard. This information clearly refers to Veles and (indirectly, however) indicates that during the Kupala period many or all gods could be worshiped, depending on necessity and need.

However, the veneration of the “cattle god” in precisely this form may also be associated with the remains of the most ancient hunting cults. Let us recall that at this time of the beginning of the greatest rise in the vital forces of nature, it is the bear (among other sacred animals of Europe) that is in a state of rut. The rut begins in May and ends by July, when the female bears become pregnant. Mustelids are also in the rut. Representatives of this family, as is known, were kept in Rus' and in Europe in general in houses instead of cats (which appeared here later). Such animals were endowed with the ability to belong to This and This world at the same time, which again brings us back to Veles and the special qualities of holidays in folk tradition (see above). Let us also note that mustelid skins served as money in ancient times.

The ritual cuisine of the Kupala holidays includes jointly purchased or raised pork and lamb, which are prepared in different ways, as well as pancakes, porridge from a mixture of different cereals (grains), eggs or scrambled eggs.

What is confidently reconstructed in relation to this holiday on the basis of numerous collections of folk customs, apparently, will not really please the many modern followers of the natural faith. Nowadays, the idea of ​​Perun as a warrior god, a kind of “jock-extremist”, who is called to reign over everyone and is certainly depicted in the guise of a warrior, with weapons and armor in his hands, has become established. This idea was greatly influenced by V. Ivanov’s talented book, but containing many historical inaccuracies, “Primordial Rus',” as well as modern romantic fantasy works. Yes, Perun is the thunderer, he is the patron god of power... But power is Not only, or rather, not so much army. M. L. Seryakov (2005) convincingly showed the role of Perun as the guardian of the heavenly waters and the Universal Law. Perun is a judge god, a guardian of justice, including the highest. By and large, if he patronizes any power structures, it is more likely to be the security and internal affairs services, rather than the army. For the Slavs, Perun is the protector of crops. The biblical Elijah the prophet, who, as is known, adopted many of the qualities of Perun, was revered by the peasants as “the guardian of the grain harvest” (Pomerantseva, 1975, pp. 127–130).

That is why it is quite strange to read about modern reconstructions of very fantastic military games. This is unlikely both within the framework of myth and historically. In this case, to paraphrase a well-known saying, “friendship is friendship, but the truth is more expensive.”

The honoring of Perun seems to be connected with the fact that, according to the ancient thunder myth in the reconstruction of Ivanov and Toporov, he returns the cows stolen by Veles the Lizard to the heavenly meadows. This is what causes rain. In our previous study (Gavrilov, Ermakov, 2009) we showed the dubiousness of this hypothesis, as well as the debatability of the identification of Veles and Lizard. But, apparently, due to the peculiarities of our thinking, which presuppose an indispensable confrontation of images, which are the so-called binary opposition, this very controversial hypothesis has taken an important place in the modern modern (let's not be afraid of this word) mythology of Perunov's day.

Our historical skepticism is even more obvious: if Perun is the god of warriors, revered by appropriate actions, this means that the dedicated warriors as such must have existed for a very long time. But the holiday is very ancient, moreover, it has obvious agricultural signs. What “selected” warriors could we be talking about at that time? This seems very doubtful. Every Slavic farmer, in the event of a military threat, became a warrior, while warriors in peacetime also engaged in arable farming, or at best, a craft. Summer, the time of suffering - what kind of military holidays can we talk about when during the time of suffering “the day feeds the year”? They may object to us that, they say, squads went to fight Byzantium, that Prince Svyatoslav celebrated Perun’s Day by sacrificing prisoners. However, the questions are natural: what proportion of the population of Rus' took part in the campaign and how much can we reliably say about the meaning and content of that festive ritual?

“Ilyinsky zazhinki was a festival of first fruits: village housewives baked Ilyinsky nov (new, new) - bread from freshly harvested sheaves; the peasants treated themselves to Ilyinsky prayer kus (sacrificial meat that was carried to church for consecration); the first Ilyinsky honeycomb was breaking; sleeping bags were filled with fresh straw. In churches on this day, prayer services were performed over bowls of grain - for fertility” (Tultseva, 2000, pp. 196–197).

We are forced, at best, to admit the duality of Perunov's Day, and the agricultural component of the holiday, most likely, was still dominant. Perun here rather resembles a god - the giver of blessings, and from this point of view, the holiday can be compared rather with the upcoming harvest festivals.

Perhaps for some reason such an overlap actually occurred. Then the division of the holiday into several components and the difference in emphasis is associated with the establishment of ancient Russian statehood, which was by no means a peaceful matter. The struggle for recognition of Perun as the supreme deity was started by Prince Oleg, who worshiped Perun, “our god,” and according to V.N. Tatishchev, when a comet appeared in the sky (in July 912), he made many sacrifices. However, today quite sensible opinions are being expressed about the falsification of information about the abundance of human sacrifices to Perun, including studies that the story from the “Tale of Bygone Years” about the murder by lot of a Christian Varangian and his son is a late insertion.

This does not, of course, serve as a basis for denying the fact of the existence of ritual murders among the pagan Slavs. But we must remember that, firstly, they were not atrocities. Secondly, they could be partly voluntary and stemmed from the mythological picture of the world that existed among different peoples of the world. But the Slavs apparently abandoned this practice quite early...

East Slavic harvest festivals and the rituals associated with them have undergone significant changes over the centuries and have been largely lost. However, the surviving materials show their deep internal kinship with the ancient holidays of other Indo-Europeans. As the same E. A. Sherwood writes,

“August 1 was celebrated as the day of Lughnasadh (Lugnasad –“meeting in honor of Lug”, or, according to another version, “Lug’s marriage”). According to Celtic belief, Lugh on this day acted as a fertility deity, distributing his wealth. It is a holiday of autumn and harvest. In Gaul, during the period of Roman rule, it was replaced by the Assembly of the Gauls (Concilium Galliarum) in Lyon, where it was not the god Lugh, but the emperor who was glorified" (Sherwood, 1993).

The harvest wreath is an element of the “Dozhinka” ritual. Czech Republic, 1981 (according to: Stankova J. Lidove umeni z Cech, Moravy a Slezska. – Prague, 1987. – s. 8)

Setting up the pillar of Dazhdbog (modern reconstruction). Moscow region, 2004

The first harvest festivals of the eastern Slavs, later celebrated throughout August, fall at the beginning of the transition period. The short northern summer is ending. August in central Russia already usually brings cold nights (and sometimes frosts). August 1 is a day equidistant from Kupala (summer solstice) and from Osenin (autumn equinox). A short period of not only intense work, but also a rich, well-fed life begins.

As already mentioned, ethnographic evidence suggests that a significant part of the original righteous customs “smeared out”, spreading to the next significant dates of the calendar.

At the same time, however, two important components of the ritual of the “Poppy” or “Wet” Savior (and the entire group of holidays in general) are clearly visible:

- protective actions related to the protection of animals, people and crops from damage, poisoning, etc. They are usually expressed in ritual bathing or dousing livestock and festival participants with water. Perhaps, in such a custom it is worth seeing the following meaning: now, we are already wet, and therefore stop pouring rain on us. Such reasoning, based on the preventive magic of similarity, fits well within the framework of the traditional worldview;

– gratitude to the gods and nature for already ripened fruits (for example, grains). A spell for the upcoming harvest, so that it does not perish and is abundant.

“Beard” are the last ears of corn left in the field after the end of the harvest. Podlasie, Poland, 1962 (after: Fris-Pietraszkowa E., Kunczynska-Iracka F., Pokropek V. Sztuka ludowa w Polsce. – Warszawa, 1988)

The Meadow Festival was celebrated for at least a week. Close contacts of the Proto-Slavs and early Slavs with the Celts (Western Europe, the modern territory of Belarus and Ukraine (the so-called Zarubinets culture)) and comparison of a number of customs allow us to draw many parallels in the festive rituals of these peoples.

The complete identification of Mercury and Lug raises natural doubts. Mercury performs the tasks of a mediator between worlds and a guide of souls to the kingdom of the dead, while also patronizing the magical arts. At the same time, Mercury is also a Trickster, and if it somehow contributes to productivity (in the sense of the fertility of the Earth), it is only because it enters the Lower World. But Lug, being “skilled in many crafts” and “a skilled hand,” rather has the functions of a culture hero and God of light (Celty..., 2000).

Caesar also compares a certain god of the Gauls with Mercury (but, perhaps, we are talking about Teutates or Cernunnos):

“Of the gods they worship Mercury most. He has more images than all other gods; he is considered the inventor of all arts, he is also recognized as a road guide and travel guide; They also think that he is very helpful in making money and trading. Following him, they worship Apollo, Mars, Jupiter and Minevra, about these deities they have approximately the same ideas as other peoples” (Caesar, Notes on the Gallic War).

In Greek mythology, the predecessor of Mercury bore the name of Hermes (Hermia) and his functions as the owner of magical arts and crafts, and indeed the god of magic in general, were duplicated by the god Apollo. At the same time, Apollo acted primarily as the God of Light, a cultural hero, and not a trickster (Gavrilov, 2001, pp. 18–23; Gavrilov, 2006b).

In the mythology of the Eastern Slavs, the god of sunlight is Dazhdbog, who during the period of dual faith could have received the name of the Savior and whose holiday falls in the first half of August as the Honey and Apple Savior.

Indeed, if we take the signs of the folk calendar with a two-week run, we will see (dates are given in the new style):

August 1. Macrin's day. Macrids. Look at autumn according to Macrids. Macrida is wet - and autumn is wet, dry - and autumn is the same. Summer work ends, autumn work begins. “Makrid equips autumn, and Anna (August 7) ​​- winter.” Macrida Day is also considered important for the next year: “If it rains on Macrina, rye will grow next year.”

August 2(in the understanding of the pagan, July 20 is Perun’s Day, the holiday of the Thunderer, the patron of justice). Elijah the Prophet. Elijah's day. For Ilya it’s summer before lunch, autumn after lunch. Note: if it’s dry on Elijah’s day, then it will be dry for six weeks; if it rains on that day, it will be dry for six weeks. They stop swimming in the river. From Ilya's day there is a turn to autumn, although summer with its heat will still last a long time. The haymaking ends, the harvest begins (its first stage ends).

August 2. Mary Magdalene. “If there is strong dew on Marya, the flax will be gray and braids.” “Flower bulbs are taken out for Mary.” This day also has another name - Maria Yagodnitsa (in the forests and vegetable gardens at this time black and red currants and blueberries are being collected with might and main).

August 7. Anna is a cold-weather, winter guide. If the matinee is cold, then the winter is cold. What is the weather like before lunch, such is winter until December; what is the weather after lunch, such is winter after December.

August 9. Panteleimon the healer. Panteleimon Zazhnivny, it’s time for the pre-autumn collection of medicinal herbs. Nikola Kochansky – the forks are curling into the head of cabbage.

11th August. Kalinnik. Peasants in the northern provinces said: “Lord, sweep away Kalinnik with darkness (fog), and not with frost.” Gloomy, foggy times are not good for bees. The beekeepers remark: “The bee has no choice in trouble.”

12th of August. D the essence of Strength and Siluyan. The best time for sowing winter crops is that rye sown on Sila and Siluyan will be born strongly. “Holy Strength will add strength to a man.” “The powerless hero lives on Strength (from hearty food, new bread).”

August 13. Evdokim. Evdokimov’s prayer before the Assumption Fast, about which people say: “The Assumption Fast is not a hungry one.” There is a lot of everything at this time: new bread, vegetables, fruits, berries.

August 14(which, taking into account the difference between the Gregorian and Julian calendar styles, corresponds to August 1, because Kupala is June 22–24, and not Ivan Kupala July 5–7!) - First Spas.

It's time to see off our short northern summer.

At Honey Spas they break (cut) honeycombs.

Roses are fading, good dew is falling.

Swallows and swifts begin to fly away to warmer climes.

“On the first day of the Savior, even a beggar will try the medicine” - for those who asked for alms on this day should have been given honey. “Swallows fly off to three Spas (August 14, 19 and 29).” “The first is Spas Honey, the second is Apple, the third is Spozhinki.”

The first Savior is “Wet”, “Honey” or Savior-Makovei, which, due to its “strange” consonance, coincides in the Orthodox church calendar with the day of remembrance of the namesake martyrs. The Russian name of the holiday (“Savior”), according to church tradition, supposedly goes back to the events of 1164, when the soldiers of Prince Andrei Bogolyubsky were blessed with an icon of the Savior before the battle with the Volga Bulgars... But we must not forget that this time was also the time of intense forced Christianization of Rus'. It is quite possible to allow for the adjustment of facts and dates, as well as the interpretation of events in the “correct” sense.

Dazhdbog is mentioned among the main gods of the Kyiv pantheon of Prince Vladimir (baptized Vasily):

“And Volodimer began to live alone in Kiev, and placed an idol on a hill in the courtyard of the tower: Perun was made of wood, and his head was silver, and his mustache was gilded, and Khors, and Dazheb (o)g, and Stribog, and Semargl, and Mokosh. And I devoured them, calling them gods, and brought my sons and daughters, and devoured the demon, and desecrated the earth with my demands. And the Russian land and that hill were defiled with blood” (Radzivilov’s chronicler). The most memorable mention of his name is associated with the epic “The Tale of Igor’s Host...” (1185):

“Then, under Olza, Gorislavlichi will sow and spread strife, destroy the life of Dazhdbozh’s grandson, and in the princely sedition, the people will be reduced.”

“Resentment arose in the forces of Dazhdbozh’s grandson, a maiden entered the land of Troyan, splashed her swan wings on the blue sea near the Don: splash, let go of the fat times.” Here, the heirs of Dazhdbog are certain princes, and power among the Eastern Slavs is traditionally identified with the red sun.

Earlier, an excerpt from the Slavic translation of the “Chronicle” of John Malala was inserted into the Hypatiev Chronicle, which mentions the same Dazhdbog as the son of Svarog-Hephaestus, compared with the sun god Helios:

(Per year 6622 (1114)). “...And after the flood and after the division of languages ​​“first Maistrom, from the family of Ham, began to reign, after him Jeremiah [i.e. e. Hermes. - Author], then Theost [i.e. e. Hephaestus. – Auto.], whom the Egyptians called Svarog. During the reign of this Theostos, pincers fell from the sky in Egypt, and people began to forge weapons, and before that they fought with clubs and stones. The same Theosta issued a law that women should marry one man and lead an abstinent lifestyle, and ordered that those who fall into adultery be executed. That’s why they called him the god Svarog”... “Before, women got along with whoever they wanted, like cattle. When a woman gave birth to a child, she gave it to the one she loved: “This is your child,” and he arranged a holiday and took the child for himself. Theosta destroyed this custom and decreed that one man should have one wife and that a wife should marry one husband; if anyone breaks this law, let him be thrown into a fiery furnace”... “For this reason they called him Svarog, and the Egyptians honored him. And after him, his son reigned, named the Sun, who is called Dazhdbog, for 7470 days, which is twenty lunar years and a half. The Egyptians did not know how to count differently: some counted by the moon, while others<… >The years were counted by days; The number of twelve months was learned later, when people began to give tribute to the kings. The Sun Tsar, the son of Svarog, that is, Dazhdbog, was a strong man; Having heard from someone about a certain rich and noble Egyptian woman and about a certain man who wanted to get along with her, he looked for her, wanting to capture her (at the scene of the crime) and not wanting to break his father’s law, Svarog. Taking with her several of her husbands, knowing the hour at which she would commit adultery, at night, in the absence of her husband, he caught her lying with another man whom she had fallen in love with. He grabbed her, tortured her and sent her to lead her through the land of Egypt in shame, and beheaded that adulterer. And there came a blameless life throughout the whole land of Egypt, and everyone praised him.<…>But we will not continue the story, but we will say together with David: “Everything that the Lord wished, the Lord did in heaven and on earth, in the sea, in all the abysses, lifting up the clouds from the ends of the earth” (PSRL, vol. II).

There is no doubt that Dazhdbog is Svet-Svarozhich. For comparison, we note that in his writings Cicero calls the god Vulcan, that is, the Greek Hephaestus, the father of the radiant Apollo. We are, of course, talking about Apollo Thargelia (the progenitor of the Scythian-Scolots), and not about Apollo the Hyperborean (Sventovite or Belobog in the Western Slavic worldview).

In the teachings against paganism we find a complaint that among the people “to eat an idol’s sacrifice... they believe in Stribog, Dazhdbog and Pereplut, who are like him to drink in roses” (Let. Russian lit. 99, 108-9). In addition, “in a Ukrainian folk song from Volyn, Dazhbog sends the nightingale to close winter and open summer” (ibid., pp. 208-209). Here the motive of excessive heat is also revealed - a fire that burned the chicks. Perhaps he was originally associated with the Sun-Dazhdbog (cf. in Yaroslavna’s lament: “Bright and bright sun!... To which, sir, spread your hot ray in the way of war...").

This is all the more meaningful since, according to Vasmer, the Russian “zhgu” goes back to the proto-Slavic *ego from *gego cognate lit. degu, degti –“burn”, ltsh. degu, degt –“burn”, Old Indian dahati –“burns, burns”, Avest. dazaiti, alb. djek“I burn”, aor. dogja, Breton. devi –“burn”, etc. This also includes lit. dгas –"heat, heat, harvest" dagas"fire", daga -"harvest", Goth. dags -"day".

So, in the first days of August, the god of the harvest, the generous Dazhdbog, the giver of blessings and harvests, was celebrated!

Dazhdbog was a pan-Eastern Slavic deity, as evidenced by both the mentioned Ukrainian songs and Northern Russian proverbs and sayings: “If you flock to Dazhbog, he will rule little by little,” “It’s enough to yearn, Dazhbog will blow everything” (Russian mythology, 2005).

In the East Slavic tradition of the holiday, much attention is paid to honey - its collection previously began immediately after the first harvest festivals or before them, so it is quite natural that it was honey that gave the name to this day, Honey Savior.

Honey generally occupies a special place in the minds of the Slavs and their Indo-European relatives. If you also think about the fact that honey and milk are perhaps the only things in the world that were originally intended for human consumption, then this attitude is quite understandable. In addition, honey has been associated with creativity and a poetic state since ancient times.

Dozhinochny sheaf. Leningrad region. Lodeynopolsky district, village of Shoksh Lake (1927) (Encyclopedia “Russian Holiday”. - St. Petersburg, 2001)

The Language of Poetry tells of a miraculous drink that sets the spirit in motion. It is made from the blood of the wisest man in all of Midgard named Kvasir. Born from the saliva of the reconciled Aesir and Vanir, Kvasir was vilely killed by two dwarfs. When honey was mixed with his blood, “the result was a honey drink, such that anyone who drinks it will become a skald or a scientist.” Because of this, poetry is often called the blood of Kvasir, and the drink is the honey of poetry. This story is told by the ace Bragi, answering the question of the sea sorcerer Aegir: “Where did this art come from that is called poetry?” According to the Prose Edda by Snorri Sturluson, the action takes place at a feast in Asgard. In “The Speeches of the High One,” Odin himself recalls how he obtained this magical honey from the giant Suttung, who hid Odrerir inside the rock. The Younger Edda, through the mouth of Braga, tells about this feat. “Suttunga Odin gave the honey to the aesirs and to those people who know how to compose poetry. That’s why we call poetry “the prey or find of Odin,” his “drink” and “gift,” or “the drink of the Aesir.” The Ases then drink this honey at a feast at Aegir, where the famous “quarrel of Loki” takes place. Honey is the food of the gods. And people, eating divine food, in myth acquire the powers, knowledge and skills of God.

What do you want? Why are you torturing?

I know, Odin

where is yours laid

eye - Mimir's

in pure source

wise Mimir drinks

honey every morning

from Odin’s mortgage.”

Should I broadcast more?

Or is that enough?

(“Divination of the Velva”, 28, Elder Edda, trans. V. Tikhomirov)

140. I learned nine songs [One]

from the son of Belthorn,

Bestley's father,

tasted honey

magnificent,

what is poured into Odrerir.

(“Speeches of the High One”, trans. A. Korsun)

At one time, D. A. Gavrilov suggested that “during the mysteries of Odin, the priest (magician, eril, kavi...) took a drink of the soma-haoma-kvasira-kvasura type, setting the spirit in motion, thereby achieving the emancipation of consciousness that is necessary to perform magic” (Gavrilov, 2006a, pp. 156–157.). Intoxicating drinks awakened vitality (Mimir feeds Odin with his magnificent honey), liberated consciousness, and also, apparently, served as a replacement for shed sacrificial blood.

141. I began to mature

and increase knowledge,

grow, prosper;

word from word

the word gave birth;

matter of fact

the matter was born.

They treated the drink as if it were alive and awarded it with all sorts of flattering epithets:

Himinbjerg - Skymountains -

Eighth Court where Heimdall is

known to rule temples;

in a well-groomed mansion

God's guardian is cheerful

drinks his good honey.

(“Speeches of Grimnir”, 13, Elder Edda, trans. V. Tikhomirov)

Sigurd takes a horn full of honey (“drink of memory”) from the Valkyrie he awakened (1–4, “Speeches of Sigrdriva”, Elder Edda, trans. V. Tikhomirov)

A sheaf of bread in the red corner of a Belarusian hut. A sheaf or an uncompressed furrow was left on the field (sometimes saying “for the beard of Veles/Vlas/Nikola”), and then in many places it was transferred to the house, where it was placed in the red corner (exhibition of the Museum of Folk Architecture and Life of the Republic of Belarus). Photo by S. Ermakov (2006)

Since time immemorial, honey has served as a component of ritual requirements (cf. Russian “kutya” - porridge made from whole grains on a honey base) and contributed to the establishment of good relations with the natural world throughout the year. Perhaps this is due to the fact that, according to Slavic beliefs, flying insects (butterflies, bees) were associated with the world of their ancestors, they came from there in the spring, went to it in the fall, and sometimes they themselves were regarded as the incarnations of these souls.

This role of honey apparently dates back to the time of Indo-European unity. Odysseus, according to Homer, also receives the following instructions to help him appease the shadows of those who descended into the kingdom of Hades:

...Dig a hole so that it is a cubit wide and long,

And at its edge offer a libation to all the dead -

Previously a honey drink, then honey-sweet wine

And finally - water...

(Odyssey, X, 517–521)

In Apuleius’ Metamorphoses (V, 16–19), Psyche uses the following requirement to descend into the kingdom of Orca-Dita:

"18. Not far from here is Lacedaemon, the famous city of Achaia; next to it, find Tenar, hidden among deserted places. There is a chasm called Dita, and through the gaping gate one can see an impassable road; As soon as you trust her and cross the threshold, you will reach the Orc kingdom in a direct way. But you must not enter this darkness empty-handed: in each one, hold a barley cake mixed with honey and wine, and carry two coins in your mouth...

19. When, having crossed the river, you go a little further, you will see old weavers busy with weaving; they will ask you to have a hand in their work, but this should not concern you. After all, all this and much more will arise through the cunning of Venus, so that you let go of at least one cake. Don’t think that losing these barley cakes is an empty, insignificant matter: if you lose even one, you won’t see the white light again.”

The commonality of the myth about the sacred intoxicating drink for the Indo-Europeans has long been noted. The Scandinavian Odrerir stands “on a par with the Haoma of the ancient Iranians (Avesta), the Soma and Sura of the Indians (Rigveda), the ambrosia and nectar of the Greeks, and, finally, the living and dead water of the Slavs.” M.I. Steblin-Kamensky points out:

“This motif is based on the method of preparing a plant drink using fermented saliva, common among primitive peoples. Kvasir is a word of the same root as the Russian “kvass”” (Younger Edda).

As A.E. Nagovitsyn noted, honey was considered a cleansing agent that could drive out evil spirits, and a bee or ant sting could cure paralysis of the limbs. A similar plot is widespread in the folklore of the peoples of the world, and this is understandable: the medicinal properties of honey and treatment for numbness of the limbs through bee and ant venom are well known in folk medicine.

We also find a connection with a bee, capable of reviving, in the Finno-Karelian epic “Kalevala”, where the hero Lemminkäinen, killed by enemies from the chthonic world, is resurrected by wonderful honey brought by a bee from the ninth heaven from the Supreme God Ukko at the request of the hero’s mother (Kalevala, 15 ). A bee flies to Ukko:

“I flew to the cellar to God, to the Almighty in the closets.

The remedy was prepared there, the ointments were boiled there;

there in silver jugs, in golden cauldrons of the rich

in the middle there was honey boiling, on the sides there was softer ointment ... "

“This is the ointment I was waiting for; here is the mysterious remedy;

the great God himself anoints them, the creator soothes the pain.”

The door of a house with the image of apotropaic signs - chalk crosses after the “rite of the cross” (Republic of Belarus, Osovaya village, Malorita district, Brest region). Photo by O. A. Ternovskaya (Polessk Archive of the Institute of Slavic Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow)

The Council of the Hundred Heads (1551) noted, among other things, that rituals associated with the preparation of kvass, beer, and wine were widespread among the people: “Kvass is called upon and the taste is delighted and drunkenness is exalted,” like “the ancient custom of Hellenic delights, the Hellenic god Dionysus, teacher's drunkenness."

Naturally, one should point out the direct semantic and phonetic similarity of the name Braga and the Russian “braga”: “I was at that feast, I drank honey and mash, it flowed down my mustache, but it didn’t get into my mouth.” The word “hawk moths” means not so much drinking buddies as people singing while drinking an intoxicating drink. And poetry - the honey of the skalds - of course, ends up in the ears, not the mouth. Drinking honey and home brew can also mean “listening, with your mouth open, to a heroic story,” which in the mouth of someone who has been to a feast or gathering will then become a fairy tale (Gavrilov, 1997).

And, be that as it may,

“everything that is poetry grows in play: in the sacred game of worship of the gods, in the festive game of courtship, in the martial game of duel with boasting, insults and ridicule, in the game of wit and resourcefulness” (Hizinga, 1997, pp. 127–128) .

The third Savior, “Nut” (late August according to the new style), is also known to tradition. Perhaps it should be considered displaced due to the Dormition Fast or an occasional holiday dedicated to the end of the harvest, which took place in different places at different times.

By the way, the triplicity of harvest festivals is also inherent in the Western European tradition - with the significant difference, however, that Samhain is considered the third harvest festival, when the grain harvest ended and the cattle were driven into stalls for the winter. Whether drawing any parallels is justified in this case is unknown.

The autumn holidays, which initially, presumably, combined the celebration of the end of the harvest and the autumn equinox, over the centuries turned out to be “blurred” and scattered almost to a greater extent than other holidays of the annual circle. It is difficult to talk about the reasons for this state of affairs. Perhaps it lies in the large number of church holidays proper at this time and the calculation of the church calendar from September, which was once intensively introduced in Rus'.

Thanks to the efforts of Helmold and Saxo Grammaticus (12th century), fairly detailed descriptions of the celebration of the autumn equinox in the sanctuary of Svyatovit on Arkona have been preserved. These texts are quite well known, we will not repeat them. Many of today's followers of natural faith adhere to these very descriptions when developing the orders of festive actions.

However, the East Slavic tradition is very different from the customs of the Baltic Slavs - at least in this case (judging by ethnography). Although very similar rituals are known among the eastern and part of the southern Slavs, they occur at the beginning of the new year. Moreover, there is still debate about the name of the holiday itself. The fact is that the postponement of the New Year greatly confused both the rituals and the song heritage. The title of this section uses the three most common names of autumn celebrations. Without insisting on any of them, we leave the choice to the readers. Here I would like to cite lesser-known ethnographic evidence about the autumn holidays and somehow organize them...

The first Osenins, also known as the third (Nut) Spas, were in September 1 (O.S.). This indiction(church new year), Autumn, or the day of Seeds of the Summer Conductor (in central Russia). As already noted, the oldest traces of the holiday are scattered, presumably because the celebration of the harvest can take place at different times and depend on the latitude of the area.

In the agricultural calendar, mid-September was called “Oseniny” or “Ospozhinki”. At this time, the harvest was ending, which was supposed to ensure prosperity for the next year. The meeting of autumn was marked by the renewal of fire: the old fire was extinguished and a new one was lit, which was mined by striking flint. There is an assumption that in pagan Rus' they praised Osenina - the embodiment of a blessed autumn, the patroness of fertility, love and marriage. It was customary to meet Osenina near the water: on the banks of rivers and lakes. Women took part in this. They sacrificed oatmeal jelly (essentially nothing more than liquid oatmeal), oat bread, etc. It is difficult to say whether the use of oats, which preceded rye and wheat in agriculture, indicates the antiquity of the ritual. Maybe... The older woman stood with an oatmeal loaf, ritual songs were sung near her. Then the bread was broken and distributed to the participants in the action. Similar events took place later, on the day of the autumnal equinox. It was also customary to see off the setting Sun with songs on the harvested field.

The predominant participation of women in such a ritual can also be interpreted as a sign that the fertile female part of the year is nearing completion.

Since around this time the collection of hops began, which was an extremely significant sacred plant: it is not without reason that B. A. Rybakov draws a successful analogy between hops and the sacred plant of the Indo-Iranians “homa” (or soma), in which, probably, one should see the same hop (Old Russian hop, lat. Humulus)" (Rybakov, 1987), then the corresponding game songs are played at the festivities:

Stay drunk, stay drunk,

To our side

There is great freedom on our side!

And the freedom is great, the men are rich!

That the men are rich, stone chambers!

What stone chambers, golden doors,

What domes are cast!

In the middle of the second ten days of September, it was customary to get rid of old things that had served their purpose, as well as to prepare for autumn weddings and arrange conspiracies.

September 21. Second Autumns. According to the church calendar - the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Some ethnologists believe that the pagan image of the fertile mother Osenina was united over time with the image of the Mother of God, therefore they turned to her: “Most Pure Mother of God, deliver me from toil and harassment, take me away from others, illuminate my life and existence!” It was the day of the autumnal equinox that was considered the day of the end of summer and the actual arrival of autumn.

Belarusians retained the characteristic names of the holiday: Bagach, Bagatnik, Bagatyr, Bagatukha, Gaspozhka rich, Zelnaya, Other Christmastide, Spozhka)... Actually, “rich man” was primarily called lubok (a kind of basket) with grain, in the middle of which a candle was inserted. The word spread to the holiday. Grain was collected from the first sheaf in each field and collected from the inhabitants of the entire village. A candle for the Bogach was prepared by playing special “dazhynka” melodies. The rich man was blessed, and after the prayer service a splint with grain and a lighted candle was carried around the village. Everyone accompanied him. It was believed that it should bring the community, and especially its keeper, good luck, prosperity, and health. A lavish ritual feast was held at the place where Bogach was kept. The rich man stood in the red corner under the icons for a whole year, in fact acting as a kind of household idol, the embodiment of wealth and good luck.

In some regions of Belarus, Bogach was surrounded by herds. This action was accompanied by fortune telling: if after the Lesser Most Pure Day the cattle hurries to the field very early, then winter will be early.

Ethnographers point out that Belarusians also preserved the most ancient customs, holding sacred ceremonies in honor of Dazhdbog on Bogach, for which they slaughtered a ram or sheep. They also did it in Russia. It was not allowed to be greedy.

September 27. The third Autumn is now linked to the church holiday of the Exaltation of the Honest Life-Giving Cross of the Lord. In fact, before us is the end of the autumn harvest festivals, the end of the week-long celebrations in honor of the end of the harvest. “Exaltation - autumn moves towards winter.”

From an astronomical point of view, the holiday is closely connected with the Milky Way and the World Tree, which in some way it is. Invisible for a significant part of the northern summer, the Milky Way is surprisingly bright in August (who among us has not admired the starry scatterings at this time of year!), but the night dawns finally fade away after the autumn equinox. The nights are getting dark. Belarusian ethnographers confidently trace the folk holidays of the end of September precisely to the veneration of the World Tree, which after Christianization took the form of a cross (Belarusian mythology, 2006). However, the cross was such a symbol much earlier than the arrival of a new religion here. It is customary to perform the so-called “rites of the cross”, since, according to popular belief, the cross these days has a special protective Power. Since this circumstance was very important on the eve of winter, the custom has come down from ancient times to cut crosses out of wood, make them from rowan branches, apply them to the walls of bins, barns, stables, etc.

Thus, the information presented suggests that the Harvest holidays (at the time of the autumn equinox) could last more than one day, judging by their ritual intensity. Most likely, in ancient times this event was celebrated for a whole week, as it happens on Maslenitsa and Kolyada, and also happened until recently on Kupala. The eves of these most important festivals of the solar year and the after-celebrations, one might say, are already designed to bring a person into a special, sacred time and take him out of it, returning him to everyday life.

Let us highlight the main ritual features of the autumn equinox holidays:

– an expression of gratitude to the gods of the upper world (solar) and earthly (lower world, chthonic?) for the given harvest (Dazhdbog’s sacrifice, Veles’s beard for dozhinki, etc.);

– veneration of the fruits of the new harvest;

– protective actions of a general and specific nature, taking magical protective measures on the eve of winter;

– farewell to the warm fertile season, personified either by the Sun, or by birds, etc., memorial actions;

– ritual feasts (community and private) using the fruits of the new harvest, taking place according to a fairly strict ritual;

From the second autumn, economic activity was transferred from the field to the garden or to the house: the collection of vegetables began (in Yaroslavl, Kostroma and Vologda sources the name “Onion Week” was preserved, starting from which it was only allowed to eat onions of the new harvest and trade them).

Osenin's ritual feast is more of a family (community) character. Only among Belarusians the celebration of the autumn equinox retains more archaic features. It was customary to brew brotherly beer and slaughter a sheep (ram), which was usually roasted. Pies with various fillings were baked from the flour of the new harvest.

The preparation of ritual dishes was accompanied by complex ritual actions of protective and cleansing properties.

According to folk tradition, cabbage parties began, girls' parties, when young people went from house to house to chop cabbage. These parties lasted two weeks. This is a kind of sacred rite: cabbage was considered a ritual food.

As an example of the magical effect of this time, we can mention the hex on pies. For him, you should bake twelve pies (or honey gingerbread), tie them in a clean napkin, go to the crossroads of a deserted street or into the forest (again, to a deserted place), put the pies on the ground, saying:

Here you are, twelve sisters,

Bread and salt from me,

Completely torment me,

Leave me alone,

Leave me.

It was believed that this way one could get rid of fever (shakes) and other ailments.

It was on these days, as is commonly believed, that snakes and other reptiles, along with birds, moved to the Other World, to an unknown country called Iriy. Therefore, they arranged a farewell for them with the order to convey a message to those who had gone to another world.

According to legend, this is the last day of snake freedom: during daylight hours, snakes bask in the sun for the last time, and by evening all of them (except snakes) must move away from human habitation and hide in earthen holes until spring. In the villages and towns near Moscow they believed that it protected people from harmful (poisonous) snakes and was generally beneficial. The goblin arranges the last inspection before winter of the creatures under his control. These days it is not recommended to go to the forest.

The time of the third quarter of the Moon and human maturity, after which fading begins. Evening is approaching...

The end of October and the beginning of November is the time of transition from autumn to winter. It’s time to take stock of the past year; it’s no coincidence that the Celts celebrated the famous Samhain, with which it was customary to start the New Year, at this time. For the Eastern Slavs, due to different weather conditions and other features of life, this is really the beginning of a long, harsh winter, which lasted much longer here than on the Atlantic or Baltic Sea coasts warmed by the Gulf Stream.

The cold is winning, the world is rapidly aging, the year is approaching its end. Comes, as the popular expression goes, “utter darkness.”

According to Western European ideas, the time of the Wild Hunt is coming. Among the Eastern Slavs, such a belief is practically unknown, although many are familiar, however, with the book of the Belarusian writer V. Korotkevich “The Wild Hunt of King Stakh”, based on Belarusian late medieval material, and A. N. Afanasyev seeks Western Slavic correspondences (among the Lusatians) (Afanasyev, 1995, vol. I).

But first Makosh comes first, and then Svarog. Of the twelve Fridays dedicated to her, the tenth, October, which falls at the end of the month, is one of the most revered.

The veneration of Mokosha as a divine spinner was expressed primarily in the preparation of flax for spinning, and in some places in ritually arranged weddings - joint knitting of mittens and stockings to songs appropriate for the occasion: How the unspinner went to the market,

I bought some curls with three money,

On Altynets I picked up the spindle...

It was also customary to guess the weather in the coming winter.

Celebrations in honor of Svarog apparently took place in the first week of November. The divine blacksmith bound rivers with ice and had the gift of binding human destinies. The time of weddings continued. It is no coincidence that the color of the holiday was considered red, corresponding in folk symbolism to the Upper World.

From this time until Kolyada, rituals were predominantly domestic in nature. Even collective actions take place in the home or community hut. Not least of all, this is, of course, a consequence of weather conditions, but it is worth comparing it with the Western European belief that on the night of Samhain and in general on the night of the wild Hunt one should not leave the space illuminated by fire.

It is curious as a probable memory of the ancient ritual of honoring Svarog the description of the ritual game “Funeral of Kuzma-Demyan” (recorded in the Gorodishchensky district of the Penza province) and a number of other customs of late autumn:

“The girls stuffed a man’s shirt and trousers with straw, attached the head and, placing it on a stretcher, carried the stuffed animal into the forest, outside the village. Here the scarecrow will be disheveled, the straw will be shaken out onto the ground and they will dance merrily on it.<…>

The described typological series also includes the ritual custom of the autumn Yegoryev Day of the village residents. Stafurlovo, Ryazan district. Here, on “autumn Yegor,” ritual cookies in the shape of a horse were baked in each courtyard, and each courtyard was supposed to give the youth two horses. After this, as the Ryazan ethnographer N.I. Lebedeva, who recorded this custom, noted in her notebooks, the collected horses are taken to the field, and there they turn to George: “Merciful Yegory, do not beat our cattle and do not eat. So we brought you horses! !” Then the brought horses were buried in a hole dug in the snow.

The custom of the autumn Egor's day in the village of Stafurlovo attracts attention already with its ritual walk around all the courtyards of the village, which was performed by the youth. This “introduction” to the ritual is of fundamental importance. Thanks to him, not a single family, not a single household with livestock was left outside the ritual, outside the ritual time of its execution. In general, the Yegoryevsky ritual of the village of Stafurlovo is multifunctional in its meaning: here is a prayer to the merciful Yegory for the preservation of domestic herds, and a certain sacrifice with baked horses, which seemed intended for wolves, but it was not scattered across the field, but was buried in the snow, closer to the ground , perhaps due to this, was dedicated to Mother Earth and to the darkest astronomical time of the year, which falls during the celebration of the autumn Yegoryev's Day.

The straw effigy appears again on the last day of Filippov’s fast: his hands are “split” and, hanging on a hook or arc, he is carried to the field, where he is burned” (Tultseva, 2000, p. 142).

A horse is an animal associated with the Sun, the sky and the Other World. Perhaps the ritual in some way echoes the veneration of the horse Sventovit in Arkona (also in autumn).

The holiday week also included a memorial holiday, known to Belarusians as Autumn Dziady. Now it falls on the Saturday preceding November 8 (the day of the Great Martyr Demetrius of Thessaloniki). Since the 14th century (according to church tradition, since the custom of commemoration was introduced allegedly at the suggestion of Sergius of Radonezh), on this Saturday, along with the general commemoration of deceased ancestors, all soldiers who died for the Fatherland are also remembered.

Let us list the main features of the festive rituals (although little is known about the rituals as such):

- honoring the patrons of crafts and handicrafts (Makosh, Svarog), primarily by performing relevant work, which is accompanied by a request to teach them (cf. the maiden prayer to Kuzma and Demyan “Teach me, Lord, to spin, and weave, and to take patterns”);

- fortune-telling and predictive actions related to marriage (for girls, cf. prayer: “Friday-Paraskovea, give the groom as soon as possible!”) and the coming winter;

– reducing the role of fire. There is no information about any rituals associated with the veneration of the sun. Perhaps the time has come to worship the home fire, which alone can warm you on cold days. Hence the next obligatory action, because the fire of the hearth (the stove is connected with the mother’s womb and the Lower World) is a mediator between the living and the dead...

– special attention is paid to the veneration of ancestors, who specially leave Iriy on this day in order to go there again, appear for a short time on Kolyada and disappear until spring;

– the main place in rituals is occupied by ritual feasts, they are quite diverse (presumably, they contain the desire to ensure fertility for the next year, although the main magical efforts in this sense are still ahead); Ritual feasts in the past and until recently were of a collective fraternal nature. At the same time, children gathered people for a fraternity, shouting under the windows: “The barn is burning, fill it with beer!”

Traditional ritual cuisine:

– Makoshi, as the patroness of fertility and women’s skills, was brought porridge from the new harvest of millet, which should be seasoned with fresh linseed oil; perhaps the veneration of sheep shepherds on the eve of the holiday (October 29) is also associated with Makosh, since wool is also spun. Then ritual cuisine also includes mash, milk, pies with vegetable filling (cabbage, carrots).

– The meal in honor of Svarog has a pronounced collective, fraternal character. Food “for the feast” was collected from all houses. Youth festivities could be held separately. In general, the age division on this holiday is especially noticeable. Adults, youth and children walked separately. The special feature of the table is chicken dishes, including those made from birds specially raised for this purpose. Chicken soup with homemade noodles and a rich round chicken pie filled with chicken meat and eggs are appropriate and even mandatory.

Ritual mask made of leather, found during excavations of ancient Novgorod the Great (according to A. V. Artsikhovsky)

– The memorial meal of the Grandfathers, as in all other cases, is strictly regulated, and at this time it is especially plentiful. Among the ritual dishes are the indispensable kutya, jelly with milk and milk, pancakes, as well as pies, cakes, knishes, flat cakes, porridge, roast, soft-boiled eggs, rolls and sytniki.

This is the time when the last eighth of the year begins. A person at this age is already aging, and the Moon has already passed the third quarter... Very little remains until the Main Transition...

In science, it is almost generally accepted to trace the word “Kolyada” to the ancient Kalends, as well as the word “calendar” itself. Populist (but not scientific!) literature considers the word “Kolyada” to be one of the names of the Sun, and considers “calendar” to be a “gift” of the Sun-Kolyada. This would be a beautiful assumption if such interpreters took the trouble to get acquainted with the huge layers of historical documents and ethnographic evidence, a small fraction of which is presented below. We believe that criticizing such an approach is a waste of energy and let us express the idea that all these words may well go back to a single ancient root. We note that B. A. Rybakov thought in a similar direction:

“Acquaintance with the history of Kalends and carols suggests that this ritual reflected very archaic, in all likelihood, Indo-European, layer of ideas[emphasis added. – Auto.]. Kalends were once among the Greeks, but disappeared so long ago that the Romans, who borrowed these festivals from them, later coined the saying: “ ad Calendes Graecas”, i.e. – never. The Romans did not have the letter “k”, equivalent to the Greek kappa, but the word “calends” was originally written through the kappa: “ kalendae”; In total, in Latin, only four borrowed words were written using the Greek letter “k”” (Rybakov, 2007).

Attributes of caroling festivals among Belarusians: “Goat” and a caroler’s mask (exhibition of the Museum of Folk Architecture and Life of the Republic of Belarus). Photo by S. Ermakov (2007)

However, there is also nothing wrong with borrowing the name of a holiday.

A number of customs celebrating Korochun (the shortest day of the year) and the subsequent winter solstice are currently strongly displaced. This (like many, many other things) is paid little attention to by many of those who are engaged in the reconstruction of pre-Christian winter rituals, but in vain! In vain, because in the 16th–17th centuries. The winter solstice fell on December 12, St. Spiridon - “solstice”. As a result, no less important than the carol festivals themselves, the customs that preceded the solstice “fell out,” creating a false image of the ritual action or acquired a strange connotation in other monthly calendars.

"Jew". Ritual mask of a mummer (according to Stankova J. Lidove umeni z Cech, Moravy a Slezska. – Praha, 1987. – s. 18)

For example, in the Krasnoslobodsky district of the Penza province, it was on the Spiridon turn, with the appearance of the first rays of the Sun, that Kolyada began to be carried around the village with songs and dances. It was a girl dressed all in white. After this, throughout the day, as a sign that the sun “sets on the cart and directs its horses to the summer road,” young people rode horses, and old people visited each other. By nightfall and until the morning, fires began to be lit on the river bank.

It is important to note that at the solstice itself, in many places in Russia, it is no longer a girl who appears, but “Grandma Kolyada,” in whom one can see not so much a symbol of the obsolete year and the Sun, but rather the embodiment of the soul of the ancestors. According to Slavic ideas, they come to the world of the living, descending along the World Tree. These are exactly what well-known carolers embody.

“Girl” and “grandmother” Kolyada make us remember with some malice those guardians of primordially Slavic piety who consider it their duty to glorify “baby Kolyada” at the solstice as the new Sun being born. The sun is truly born. And not only the Sun. The whole world is being born again. He receives hope for a new life. This is what it is the deep essence of the holiday. Kolyada is the main day of transition. This is an act of creation. Everything that happened before him and everything that will happen subsequently is subordinate to him and depends on him, is determined by him...

“Star of Bethlehem”, an attribute of carolers with many pagan symbols (exhibition of the Museum of Folk Architecture and Life of the Republic of Belarus). Photo by S. Ermakov (2007)

In general, the mythology of the winter solstice is in many ways similar, but also no less different from all the holidays of the annual circle. One must think that one of the reasons for this is the emphasized state of “no-time”. At the same time, the main rituals are very similar among the vast majority of Indo-Europeans:

“Professor J. Dumezil in his work Le Probleme des Centaures analyzed the structure of the ceremony celebrating the end and beginning of the year in most of the Indo-European world (among the Slavs, Assyrians, Indians, Greco-Romans) and identified elements of the initiation rite that were preserved, thanks to mythology and folklore, almost unchanged. Studying the mythology and customs of cult secret unions and “male secret unions” among the Germans, Otto Hofler also came to the conclusion about the importance of rituals associated with the twelve intercalary days, and especially with the New Year. Waldemar Ljungman's extensive work is devoted to the custom of lighting fires at the beginning of the year and the carnival rituals of the twelve post-New Year days, but we do not completely agree with its focus and results. Let us also recall the studies of Otto Huth and J. Hertel, who, based on the study of material from Roman and Vedic times, especially insisted on the renewal of the world through the revival of fire during the winter solstice, that is, on renewal equated to a new creation. We will note only some characteristic features of the presented rituals that are important to us:

Mummers in carol masks. Modern reconstruction. Photo by S. Ermakov, 2006

1) twelve intermediate days predetermine the twelve months of the year (see also the customs mentioned above);

2). these twelve nights); often (among the Germans) this return is included in the rites of secret male unions;

3) at this time the lights are turned on and off, and finally

4) this is the time for initiation, an essential element of the ritual of which is precisely the extinguishing and lighting of the fires.

In the complex complex of myth-imitative ceremonies that accompany the end of the past year and the beginning of the new year, the following should also be highlighted:

5) ritual fights between two groups of rivals and

6) the erotic nature of some rituals (pursuit of girls, “Gandharvic” weddings, orgies<…>.

Each of these mythologically based rites emphasizes the critical importance of the days leading up to and following the first day of the New Year, although the eschato-cosmological function of the New Year (the destruction of elapsed time and the repetition of Creation) is usually not expressed explicitly, with the exception of rituals of predicting the weather in future months and putting out and starting fires. However, this function is implicitly present in each of the following myth-based actions. Isn’t, for example, the invasion of the spirits of the dead a sign of the suspension of profane time, a kind of paradox when “past” and “present” coexist at the same time? In the era of “chaos,” coexistence is universal, because all modalities coincide. The last days of the past year can be correlated with the chaos before Creation, confirmed by the coming of the dead, which annuls the laws of time, as well as the sexual excesses inherent in this period. Even when, due to several successive reforms of the calendar, the Saturnalia no longer coincided with the end of the past and the beginning of the new year, these festivals nevertheless continued to signify the abolition of all and all norms and proclaimed a change in values ​​(masters and slaves swapped places, women were treated like courtesans etc.) and general permissiveness; riots swept through the whole society, and all forms of social life merged into an indefinite unity. The fact that orgies among primitive peoples occurred mainly at turning points associated with the harvest (when the seed has already been sown) confirms the existence of symmetry between the decomposition of the “form” (seeds) in the depths of the field, and the decomposition of “social forms” in the chaos of the orgy. And whether it is plants or people, in both cases we are present at a return to the original unity, to the establishment of “night” time, when boundaries, outlines and distances become indistinguishable” (Eliade, 2000).

Early ethnographic records indicate that the Eastern Slavs were fully familiar with all of the above ritual components. At the same time, the “degeneration” of the holiday (when children and youth become the main characters) occurs relatively late: “Before, grown men walked with simple lanterns” (OLEAE archive of 1891–1892, cited in: Tultseva, 2000, p. 149).

Carol holidays are characterized by many ritual prohibitions, which change depending on which day of the “holy” or “terrible” week it is. For example, on the second or third day after the solstice, midwives are honored (the so-called “woman's porridge”). On this day, nulliparous girls were not allowed to attend church.

In many ways, Kolyada acts as the opposite of Kupala. This opposition is conditioned not only temporarily, but also figuratively. The binary opposition is a wedding (in the Russian tradition, ritually framed as death) and rebirth, which also becomes possible only after the final death. Many rituals are also mirror-parallel (for example, the custom of burning bonfires and a bathing fire on the longest night), ritual games, etc.

Hence the ritual minimum of the holiday, including straw bonfires, caroling, fortune telling and acts of a protective nature, and in some places - commemoration of ancestors (Polesie).

Ritual cuisine of the winter solstice: cookies in the form of cows, bulls, sheep, birds (kozulki), pies, boiled pork legs and tripe, pork sausages, and pork meat in general, often specially stored in advance. In general, the table is supposed to be plentiful and tasty (apparently, also because of the end of the Nativity Fast). All food has a spell meaning of fertility, growth, etc.

In folk rituals, February is a month of waiting for spring, preparing for its arrival, and also the time when livestock begin calving. It is quite natural that the “bestial god,” the navy ruler Veles, is responsible for this harsh (and in the not very distant past, half-starved) time.

It is interesting that the motives for venerating gods with similar functions at precisely this time can be traced among different Indo-European peoples. So, since the grass was already beginning to turn green in the Mediterranean, the Romans celebrated Lupercalia, the festival of shepherds who protected livestock from predators. Celtic Imbolc, celebrated on February 1, also has a similar semantic content; it is associated with the birth of lambs and the beginning of lactation in sheep. Imbolc is considered a holiday of the hearth, which closely echoes the Slavic custom of making a thunderous candle on Candlemas (February 2). The cleansing ritual of Gromnitsa finds parallels not only among the Celtic or Germanic peoples, but also among the Romans. “On Vlasiya” (February 11) it was customary to sprinkle Epiphany water on domestic animals, place willow branches in the corners of barns, and smoke with incense or “Bogorodskaya herb” (thyme). In general, Vlasiev (Velesov?) Day was celebrated as a kind of holiday of cow butter. The oil was blessed, cooked with, etc.

Researchers note that “the customs of Vlasiev’s day, especially those thanks to which, according to the proverb, “St. Blaise has a beard in oil,” were essentially a prelude to Maslenitsa, sometimes even coinciding with it in time” (Tultseva, 2000, p. 157). This may turn out to be another stone in the balance of our assumption about the earlier dates of the celebration of Maslenitsa in ancient times (or rather, its oldest prototype). By the way, it is appropriate to note here another circumstance that the carnival action, which Maslenitsa undoubtedly is, should be under the auspices of the trickster god, the patron god of magical arts, etc. Such a deity is among the Eastern and not only Eastern Slavs bears the name Veles. By the way, the prominent ethnographer of the 19th century I.M. Snegirev (1837–1839) also held a similar point of view.

Additionally, it is worth thinking about this circumstance. Maslenitsa is not so much associated with the end of winter, but (according to the logic of ritual actions and behavior of ritual participants) is intended to scare it, drive it away... Doesn’t this seem more appropriate in February, and not in March, when at the very least it becomes clear that winter is all over? does it end? And how appropriate various cleansing actions become - people get rid of winter. They will finally drive her out in March, but for now we need to prepare for this event. Cleansing is appropriate given the fact that pets are about to have offspring. It is no coincidence that Sretenskaya water was revered as healing, especially good at relieving the effects of witchcraft.

Unfortunately, in folk studies there is a widespread belief that in February there are almost no calendar dates worthy of study (Chicherov, 1957, pp. 18, 213, 218). Half a century ago, the idea led to little attention from researchers to this month and, as a result, possibly to the loss of many invaluable evidence of the past. At the same time, the February ritual as a whole is closely connected with magical concerns about ensuring fertility and protecting against evil forces that are extremely dangerous at the end of the cold season.

In any case, Gromnitsa (Veles Day) is characterized by:

– worship of fire and water (thunder candle, fireplace, cleansing water rituals);

– ritual cleansing of oneself, home and property;

- veneration of Veles in its various manifestations - both as a cattle god, and as a god of magic, and as the ruler of the Other World;

– ritual cuisine using grains and dairy products.

It was customary to bake ritual bread. In the Ryazan province they were called “hooves” or “kopyrya”. In the Oryol region, trubnitsy were baked especially for cows - round crumpets with porridge inside. One must think that this is a direct memory of exactly what kind of demands were brought in pagan times. Milk porridges were also included in the ritual dishes in February. In the southern Russian provinces, at dinner, before serving porridge, hay was placed on the table, on top of it was a pot of porridge, into which two blades of grass were stuck, one of which represented a shepherd, and the other a calf. Then they lit a candle in front of the icon and prayed. The eldest woman in the house lifted the pot of porridge and, shaking it, said: “The carts were mumbling, and the calves were kicking!” Then the hay was given to the cow, and the porridge was eaten (Selivanov, 1886, p. 110).

Cherven(June):

✅ 04/06 is celebrated as Yarilo Mokry. At the beginning of June, nature delights the eye with a riot of colors. Yarilo opens the sky, and the green grasses are filled with magical power. Spring leaves, Summer comes. Before sunrise, they wash themselves with healing dew, go around the fields with bread, illuminate houses and gates. On this day, Yarilo-Sun shows its strength. After Yarila, hot weather usually sets in for seven days. That's why this holiday is also called

✅ 19/06 From June 19 to 24, Rusal Days take place, during which an important cycle of rituals takes place associated with the “seeing off of mermaids”, “egg ritual”, “mermaid ritual”. Mermaid days take place after Semik (Yarilin Day)

✅ 24/06 the great holiday “God Kupala” is celebrated dedicated to the day of the summer solstice (solstice). The start date of the festival can also be June 21 and 22. The holiday of the Sun and Water, which gives rise to all living things, is the time when Mother Nature’s powers flourish.

✅ 25/06 Day of Friendship, Unity of the Slavs

✅ Summer Svarozhye is celebrated on June 29 (). On this day, the Heavenly (Svarog) Fire and the Sun are celebrated, usually occurring at the very height of the summer heat... This is one of those rituals and celebrations that in the bustle and fleetingness of everyday life often passes us by

Lipen(July):

✅ 03/07 Memorial Day of Prince Svyatoslav Day of glorification of Prince Svyatoslav Igorevich (circa 942-972). On this day, it was customary for the Slavs to hold ritual fights, military initiations and glorify Perun. In 964-66, Svyatoslav undertook his first independent major campaign: the liberation of the Vyatichi from the power of the Khazars and their subordination to Kyiv

✅ 05/07 marks the Name Day of the Month- a holiday dedicated to honoring the clear Moon and its highest patrons - Veles the Horned and Mary Moon-Faced.

✅12/07 is the Day of the Sheaf of Veles. The days are killing, and the heat is coming. From this day on they begin to mow and harvest hay.

✅ 20/07 marks the great military holiday -; the great holy day of all warriors-defenders of the native land, as well as all honest radar-plowmen. According to popular beliefs, rain on this day washes away evil spells - “dashing ghosts” (evil eye and damage) and many diseases

✅ 27/07 celebrates the holiday of Chura (Polykopny)- God of protection, protection of property, guardian of tribal customs, patron of borders, home. The Slavs remember their ancestors, so that they would take care of our bread, preserve not only our sheaves, but also our Rus' and the centuries-old great culture. On this day, milk is brought to Churu, a hole is dug at the boundary stone and milk is poured into it. On this Chura holiday, you cannot work away from home. The owner must be in his yard, thereby honoring Chur

✅ 19/07 is celebrated Summer Makoshe (Summer Mokridy)— Holy Day of Mokosh-Mokrina. At the time of dual faith in Rus', Makrinin (Mokrinin) day was celebrated on this day. People noted: “If Mokrida is wet, then autumn is too, Mokrida is dry - and autumn is dry”, “If it is wet on Mokrida, then there is inclement suffering”, “A bucket on Mokrida - autumn is dry”, “If it rains on Mokrida - all autumn If it’s rainy and there won’t be any nuts, everyone will get wet.” Summer Mokrid Day is also considered important for the next year: “If it rains on Mokrid, rye will grow next year.”

✅ 28/07 Eternal memory those who died at the hands of Christian invaders - REMEMBER WE MOURN

Serpen(August):

✅ 25/12 from December 25 to January 6 are celebrated Big- twelve holy days symbolizing the twelve months of the year (six light ones - the light half of the year, and the other six dark ones - the dark half of the year), starting from the eve of Kolyada (Kolyada itself is not included in the number of holy days) and until Turitsa (Vodokres)

✅31/12 is celebrated (Generous Evening)- the last day of Christmastide, which is famous for its generous gifts and festive feast. At the time of dual faith in Rus', Christmastide was divided into two parts: lasting from Kolyada to Shchedrets, and Terrible (Vorozhnye) evenings, lasting to Turits. Yuletide evenings (especially Scary ones) were considered by the people to be a time when desperation was rampant

The solar calendar of the Druids/Magi was always accurate because... was tied not to the number of days in the year (it, like ours now, could change), but to the astronomical events of four days - the summer and winter solstices and the spring and autumn equinoxes, which occur in nature regardless of any calendar.

The days of these 4 annual astronomical events, so important for people and all of nature, were the most important and most sacred holidays of our ancestors.

Nowadays all we have left of these Vedic holidays is the last and most magical 12th Night of Yule- now it's ours New year's night.

Little information has been preserved about that ancient Druid/Magi calendar. Somewhat later, the ancient Slavs had the following calendar:

The week consisted of nine days: Monday; Tuesday; tritray; Thursday; Friday; six; seven; octagon; a week;

IN month there were 41 and 40 days alternately.

IN summer(in a year) there were 9 months, which corresponds to 365 days.

(Since the time of Peter I, “summer” has been called “year,” which is translated from German as “god”) Every 16th summer (year) was sacred, and all the months in it had 41 days, i.e. There are 369 days in the sacred summer (year). (The word “summer” in the sense of “year” is still preserved in several Russian phrases, for example: “How many years have passed since then”, “How old are you?”.)

The four great Slavic Vedic holidays, as well as similar holidays of the European pagan religion of the Druid Magi, focused on the natural solar cycle, expressed in four annually repeated annual hypostases of the Sun god.

Among the Slavs, the annual hypostases of the Sun God had the following names::

1) born renewed in the morning after the Winter Solstice Night the Sun- baby Kolyada,

2) spring strengthening Sun - young man Yarilo,

3) summer mighty Sun- Kupail's husband,

4) aging and the weakening autumn sun - old man Svetovit, dying at sunset before the Winter Solstice.

The natural boundaries between the four Vedic hypostases of the annually born, gaining strength, then aging and dying god - the Sun (four changes of seasons) are annual astronomical events important for the life of our entire planet, on which in former times the natural calendar of the Druid Magi was built:

1) Winter Solstice Night(the longest night of the year, after which the day begins to gradually lengthen, the beginning of astronomical winter) - 2nd Night of Yule-Solstice - still weak winter sun baby Kolyada is reborn renewed at sunrise after the Night of the winter solstice and, as small childish forces grow, rises higher in the sky every day;

2) Day of spring equinox(the gradually lengthening day became equal to the night) - holiday of the long-awaited Spring Komoeditsa- gained strength spring sun-young man Yarilo melts the snow, drives away the boring Winter and gives Nature the onset of Spring ( the beginning of astronomical spring);

3) Summer Solstice Day(the longest day of the year) - summer holiday Kupail - the mighty summer sun-husband of Kupail comes into its own (beginning of astronomical summer);

4) Autumn equinox day(the gradually shortening day became equal to the night) - autumn holiday Veresen(or Tausen), the beginning of astronomical autumn,- the former summer sun-Kupaila turns into gradually losing strength wise autumn sun of old man Svetovit, then dying at sunset before the Winter Solstice ( the beginning of astronomical winter), so that the next morning after this Night he will be reborn again as the renewed sun-baby Kolyada, again gaining his solar power.

In modern tradition, these annual New Year's disappearances of the old and the birth of the new are perceived by people as a symbolic New Year's passing of the baton of renewed life from the old man of the Old Year to the baby of the New Year.

This solar cycle, the four Slavic hypostases of the Sun - Kolyada-Yarilo-Kupaila-Svetovit, repeats itself from year to year, and the entire life of people, animals, birds, plants and all earthly Nature depends on it, as well as on the daily change of day and night.

1. Komoeditsa– 2 week celebration Spring equinox(beginning of astronomical spring), farewell to Winter and burning of the effigy of Madder(Winters) solemn meeting of Spring and the beginning of the ancient Slavic New Year.

Komoeditsa (or Komoeditsy) during the time of the Druids (magi) and until the 16th century - a pagan celebration of the sacred Day of the vernal equinox (March 20 or 21 according to the modern calendar, the beginning of astronomical spring), after which the day begins to become longer than the night, the Yarilo-sun melts the snow, nature awakens with the force of spring, and the beginning of the New Year is celebrated according to the ancient Slavic solar calendar (in Rus', until 1492, March opened the account for the New Year).

Komoeditsa- one of the oldest Vedic Slavic holidays. In addition to celebrating the sacred entry of Spring into its rights, on this day they also revered the Slavic Bear God: they made “pancake sacrifices” to the great Honey Beast. The ancient Slavs called the bear Kom (hence - “the first pancake to komam”, i.e. bears).

From time immemorial, people have perceived spring as the beginning of a new life and revered the Sun, which gives life and strength to all living things. In ancient times, in honor of the sun, the Slavs baked unleavened flatbread, and when they learned to prepare leavened dough (9th century), they began to bake pancakes.

The ancients considered the pancake a symbol of the sun, because it, like the sun, is yellow, round and hot, and they believed that together with the pancake they eat a piece of its warmth and power.

The ancients also had cheesecakes as a symbol of the sun.. The 2-week Vedic holiday Komoeditsy began to celebrate a week before the spring equinox and continued the celebration a week after.

For these two weeks, relatives of each Slavic clan gathered together for many days of celebration and rituals. In pre-Christian antiquity, the holiday consisted of a variety of ritual actions of a magical-religious nature, interspersed with fun games and feasts, which, gradually changing, then passed into later traditional folk customs and rituals (burning a straw effigy of Winter, baking sacrificial bread - pancakes, dressing up and etc.).

For many centuries, Komoeditsa retained the character of a wide folk festival, accompanied by feasts, games, competitions of strength, and fast horse riding.

In those ancient times, the 2-week celebration of Komoeditsa was of great functional importance for the Slavs - after a long and cold, and often half-starved winter, when there was little work, the Slavs needed to eat up the leftover food carefully preserved after the winter, cheer up and strengthen their strength for the upcoming intense field and other work, which after the onset of astronomical spring continued continuously throughout the warm season.

Then there were no current weekly days off, and people worked incessantly throughout the short Russian summer from sunrise to sunset to provide food for themselves and their domestic animals for the entire coming long and cold Russian winter, to stock up on fuel, to repair or rebuild their homes, premises for livestock, prepare clothes, etc. (as they said, “prepare the sleigh in the summer...”).

Immediately after the holiday, people began intense agricultural work that lasted throughout the warm season.

The original pagan meaning of the ancient sacred holiday of Komoeditsa - the beginning of the Slavic New Year, which until the 14th century in Rus' began in March and was associated with the vernal equinox, when the Slavs solemnly celebrated the Holy Spring, has long been lost.

After the adoption of Christianity in Rus' and the subsequent ban on pagan customs, Christian clergy and authorities fought for a long time and unsuccessfully against the traditional pagan folk holiday. Some peacefulness towards other beliefs appeared among the Orthodox archpastors only under the firm influence of the Tatar (TarTar) rule, which equally (as and now in the Russian Federation) recognized all religions, and strictly forbade them to fight among themselves.

The Tatars punished mercilessly on the spot for interfaith struggle, simply breaking the backs of overly enthusiastic fighters of any religious fundamentalism by pulling their heels to the back of their heads.

But even after this, it was the former Slavic paganism, which represented the main competition among the Russian people to Christian churchmen, that the Orthodox Church could not stand, fighting against it in the most cruel ways.

A new surge in the brutal struggle of the church against popular Slavic paganism began after the collapse of the Great Mogul Empire of TarTaria, which until then included Rus'.

When, for several centuries, the Christian Church still did not achieve success in the forceful struggle against the wise folk tradition, which they waged in the most cruel ways, the church archpastors used the well-known Jesuit technique: " If you can't defeat your enemy, team up with him and destroy him from within".

In the 16th century, Cheese Week (Maslenitsa) was adopted by the Church to replace the forbidden Slavic Komoeditsa. And soon the people forgot their ancient Komoeditsa, but began to celebrate Maslenitsa with the same riotous pagan scope.

"SUBSTITUTE" CHRISTIAN HOLIDAYS ESTABLISHED BY THE CHURCH TO REPLACE THE GREAT PAGAN SOLAR HOLIDAYS

1) Now is Maslenitsa (cheese week)- this is one of the four holidays of the Russian Orthodox Church, introduced by Christians to replace the previous Vedic solar holidays (and “shifted” in time to varying degrees so that they do not coincide with pagan celebrations and do not fall on Christian fasts, when celebrating is prohibited). Because The day of the vernal equinox falls on the Christian Lent; Maslenitsa was moved by the clergy to the last week before Lent and lost the ancient meaning of the solemn meeting of the astronomical spring.

2) The second “replacement” holiday is the Orthodox day of Ivan Kupala, replacing Slavic Kupaila Day(the day of the entry into the rights of the mighty summer sun - Kupala), pagan celebration of the Summer Solstice Day. The ritual part of the Christian holiday of Ivan Kupala is timed to coincide with the birthday of John the Baptist - June 24th. Since the Russian Orthodox Church lives according to the old style, the date of birth of John the Baptist (June 24 according to the old style) falls on July 7 according to the new style.

3) The third is the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, which replaced the former Slavic Veresen, a pagan celebration of the entry into the rights of the aging wise autumn sun-old man Svetovit on the Day of the autumn equinox, an ancient holiday of the harvest. The Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary is celebrated on September 21 according to the new style (September 8 according to the old style), i.e. on the day of the autumn equinox.

4) Fourth - Christmas, in 273 AD. e. replacing the pagan celebration of the Nativity of the infant sun Kolyada on the morning after the Winter Solstice Night (the longest night of the year). Around the world, Christmas is celebrated on December 25th. Russian Orthodox Christians living according to the old Julian calendar celebrate this holiday also on December 25 according to Art. style, i.e. January 7, new style.

A significant “shift” to the beginning of the year of the church holiday that replaced Komoeditsa made the interpretation of the current Maslenitsa perverted in the ancient pagan way - as “seeing off winter and welcoming spring” - at this time it is too early to greet spring among the snow and winter cold, especially in Russia with its cold climate. The new church holiday began to be called “cheese” or “meat-free” week (week).

Church "cheese week" began to precede Lent. On “cheese week” the Church Charter already prohibits believers from eating meat, but allows butter, dairy products, eggs and fish. From these products permitted by the church calendar, the holiday soon, in the same 16th century, acquired its second, popular name - Maslenitsa.

But even the former folk Slavic holiday of Komoeditsa, “transferred” by the church, retained some of its pagan customs, turning into the folk Maslenitsa in the 16th century. The traditions of Russian folk Maslenitsa were finally consolidated in the 18th century through the efforts of the Russian Emperor Peter I, a great lover of all sorts of riotous festivities.

2. Kupaila- celebration of the Summer Solstice Day. Summer Solstice Day June 21 - the day of the pagan god Kupaila (summer swirl, the beginning of astronomical summer) - the great holiday of the Druids/magi. The holiday is preceded by 7 days of Rusal Week. These days are dedicated to the goddesses of rivers, lakes and reservoirs. During Rusal Week, people did not swim unless absolutely necessary, so as not to disturb the water deities preparing for the summer festival.

On the night before Kupaila, pagans throughout Europe merrily feasted and washed themselves in ponds, then solemnly greeted the dawn of the longest day of the year, the girls wove wreaths and floated them across the water. From that day on, they began to swim in the rivers every day. The celebration continued all day. The next day they started work again - the busy summer work period did not allow for long celebrations.

Slavs. The night before Kupaila Day.

Magical Night on the eve of Kupaila.

They believed that whoever found a blooming fern that night would find a treasure. And although ferns do not bloom, but reproduce by spores, it is very rare that a fern glows in the dark due to microorganisms that have settled on it (the ancients thought it was a flowering). Finding such a fern is indeed a rare success, but it will not bring any treasure.

Kupaila (Kupaila Day) - Summer Solstice Day. The Slavs' festive meeting of the rising of the summer sun, which has matured and gained full strength, and at dawn turned from the youthful Sun Yarila into the mighty Sun-husband Kupail (some Slavic tribes called Dazhbog).

Kupaila celebration day. Offering wreaths to the spirits of the river.

Because the pagan day of Kupaila fell on the Christian Peter the Great fast (you cannot celebrate during Lent), but the church was unable to defeat this folk holiday, like Maslenitsa, the Christians “moved” the holiday to the Nativity of John the Baptist - on July 7, the first day after the Peter the Great fast, and renamed it Ivan Kupala Day (the name of the church holiday was associated with the fact that John the Baptist baptized Christ by bathing in the Jordan River).

Thus, another false church “holiday” appeared, devoid of the previous deep meaning of the unity of man and all earthly nature with the great heavenly universe.

3. Veresen— 2-week celebration of the Autumn Equinox (the week before the Autumn Equinox and the week after).

"Indian Summer" is the last week of the astronomical summer, the first week of the autumn celebration.

The picture shows a reconstruction of the ancient pagan temple of the god Khors.

Veresen (Tausen, Ovsen, Avsen, Usen, Autumn, Radogoshch- the name of the holiday depending on the dialect of the area) is the great Slavic pagan holiday of the Autumnal Equinox (the beginning of astronomical autumn). On this day, the mighty Sun-husband Kupail (Dazhbog) becomes the wise, weakening Sun-old man Svetovit.

This holiday was also associated with the end of agricultural work.

The celebration began a week before the autumn equinox and continued a week after.

At this time, the harvest has been collected and counted, and supplies have already been made for next year. There is abundance in the bins from the harvest. The harvest festival was celebrated with wide hospitality.

They festively celebrated the weakening autumn Sun - the source of light, warmth, fertility, which gave the harvest.

The ancient Slavs celebrated this holiday by lighting bonfires and performing autumn round dances - saying goodbye to summer and welcoming autumn. We had fun and baked big holiday pies so that we could reap a good harvest the next year.

On the day of the Autumn Equinox, the Slavs renewed the fire in the huts - they extinguished the old one and lit a new one. Large sheaves were placed in the house. They wished each other that the next year would be fruitful.

In Christian times, a 2-week Slavic holiday Veresen was replaced by a one-day celebration Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, which is celebrated on September 21 according to the new style (September 8 according to the old style).

4. Yule-Solstice - a 2-week celebration of the Christmas of the renewed Baby Sun Kolyada, again gaining its solar power after the Night of the winter solstice (the beginning of astronomical winter).

Our modern magical New Year's Eve (concluding the 12th Night of Yule), an elegant New Year's evergreen tree shining with lights, a Yule wreath (now called the "Advent Wreath"), New Year's candles (Yule lights), almighty pagan god Santa Claus, masquerade masks and costumes, processions of mummers, confectionery cream, biscuit and chocolate "logs" (symbols of the "Yule log"), Women's Day (in those days - December 20 before the Night of the Winter Solstice) is a legacy of the traditions of the great sacred Yule, a cheerful 2-week pagan winter holiday of our ancient ancestors, with which they celebrated the birth of a renewed sun.

Yule-Solstice- the greatest and most sacred 2-week holiday of our pagan ancestors. Now we celebrate only the last, most magical 12th Night of Yule

— This is our New Year's Eve.

When the late autumn Sun-old man Svetovit becomes completely old and loses its former strength, it will die at sunset before the Night of the Winter Solstice, only to be reborn in the morning as a renewed and gradually gaining new strength as the Sun-baby Kolyada.

The mysterious longest Night of the winter solstice, when the old Sun-Svetovit has already died, and the new Sun-Kolyada has not yet been born - this, according to the beliefs of the ancients, is a fabulous mystical gap in time, a timelessness in which spirits and dark forces rule.

You can resist these forces only by gathering with your whole family for a joint joyful feast celebration. Dark spirits are powerless against general fun.

But woe to that relative who remains alone that night, outside his clan-tribe, without close people nearby - dark spirits will lure him and push him into all sorts of false dark thoughts.

Fire The Great Yule must burn unquenchably for 12 days, starting from the Night of the Winter Solstice.

To help the new Sun-Kolyada be born, people on the Night of the Winter Solstice (2nd Night of Great Yule, the beginning of astronomical winter) lit the sacred Yule Fire- a festive Yule bonfire, which then burned for 12 days until the end of the cheerful 2-week Yule Solstice celebration. According to tradition, in the fire of this fire they burned all the old and unnecessary things, freeing themselves from old things for a new happy life.

According to the dates of the modern calendar, the celebration of this solar holiday began at sunset on December 19 and continued until sunset on January 1.

Many millennia will pass since the emergence of the pagan celebration of Yule Solstice, and...

Christianity, which arose at the beginning of the 1st millennium in Ancient Judea in 273 AD. e. will attribute the ancient pagan solar festival of the Nativity of the baby sun Kolyada to himself, declaring it the celebration of the Nativity of the infant Christ. So that the Christian celebration does not coincide with the pagan one, the churchmen will set the Nativity of Christ 3 days later than the Nativity of Kolyada, when a noticeable increase in the length of the day begins.

Municipal Educational Institution of Children's Education "Children's Art School" Kolpashevo

Methodological development of a test lesson on the topic:

“Holidays of the solar calendar” subject: Listening to music, grade 3

Explanatory note.

The subject “Listening to Music” contributes to the formation of a child’s view of the world as a single whole: the world is one, and the art of music is an integral part. When going through musical material, children often have associations with natural phenomena, psychological states of a person, and historical events in the life of mankind. The child must learn to recognize the world of musical sounds as a special reality, which can only be entered through the sensory perception of music. It is necessary to captivate and interest the child, making the listening process a vivid emotional experience. Creative assignments, exhibitions of drawings, thematic lessons, and class hours help identify the knowledge, skills and abilities of students.

The proposed methodological development of a test lesson conducted with 3rd grade students includes the following aspects:

· learning and performing folk songs and games,

· memorizing folk holidays,

· learning sayings, riddles, tongue twisters about the seasons,

· collecting antique household items to decorate a corner of a Russian hut.

The purpose of this methodological development: to show one of the forms of conducting a test lesson on the subject “Listening to Music”.

· development and maintenance of interest in “Listening to Music” lessons,

· improvement of performing skills,

· use of interdisciplinary connections between different types of art (music, oral folk art, history),

· introducing students to independent work.

To achieve the goals and objectives outlined above, children studied the customs and traditions of folk holidays, became acquainted with the household items of our ancestors, and learned songs and games. We independently selected proverbs and sayings that reflect the change of seasons, and also prepared riddles.

From the material proposed and studied, it was necessary to choose only what related to the holidays of the Solar calendar.

Time required for class: 45 minutes (one lesson)

Lesson equipment: exhibition of peasant household items that children collected with the help of their parents; poster “Solar calendar” (it marks the days of the spring and autumn equinoxes, the days of the summer and winter solstice); a wreath (for performing a round dance), cookies in the shape of birds (for performing chants), candies for gifting carolers, grain for carolers, a music center.

Progress of the lesson.

Introductory speech from the teacher:

Dear guys, dear guests. We inherited real treasures from our ancestors - the ancient Slavs - songs, games, dances, tongue twisters, proverbs, round dances. They tell about the lives of people in ancient times, what they believed, what they feared, and who they worshiped. These traditions and customs were passed on from generation to generation. Folk art is called folklore.

Teacher's question (hereinafter U -): What does this English word mean?

Children's answer (hereinafter D-): Folk - people, ENT - knowledge, wisdom.

U - Yes, folk art is folk wisdom. The daily life of our ancestors depended on the time of year and natural phenomena, since they were mainly farmers. Folklore works often contain appeals to the forces of nature. they were treated as living beings, they were animated, endowed with human qualities, and nature was deified.

For example: Frost... - (father), Earth... - (mother), Spring... - (young lady).

Natural phenomena dependent on the sun aroused special reverence and respect among them. It was their main deity.

U. – What was the name of the sun in ancient times?

D - Yarilo.

U - Well done. Our meeting is dedicated to Yarila - the sun and holidays that depend on the movement of the Earth around the sun. Holidays are repeated year after year, in a circle. And the circle is a symbol of the sun - for many peoples the circle of the spiritual life of the people, a symbol of eternity.

U - What symbols of the sun are there in our lives?

D - Pancakes, round dance, bonfire, horseback riding in a circle...

The calendar year is also a circle. In modern life, several calendars have been combined.

U - Name these calendars?

D - Agricultural, Orthodox, state.

U - What month does the year begin in our time?

U - Notice the color of the “sun” that marked this day on the poster?

D - This color is orange, it is warm. After all, the rays of the sun are becoming warmer and warmer every day.

U - What other signs of spring do we know?

D - Birds are arriving...

U - Well done, guys. In ancient times, in order for birds to fly faster, children called to them. To do this, they baked cookies in the shape of birds, attached them to a pole, went out into the field or into the yard and sang songs.

(Performed “Oh, waders”)

Teacher: Spring has come with joy,

With great joy, rich mercy.

With tall flax, with deep roots,

With abundant bread, with heavy rain.

We're tired of winter, we've eaten all the bread.

Spring was greeted as a long-awaited guest. This time of year was called... (lyalya) - childhood of the year. Fun games and round dances began, many of which were related to spring field work.

(The game round dance song “And we sowed millet” is performed)

U – Characteristic features of this song?

D – Variable mode, participants line up in columns.

The sun is shining, the linden tree is blooming,

The rye is earing, the wheat is golden.

Who can say, who knows when this happens?

D - Summer has come, and in the old fashioned way - beauty, youth.

U - What is the name of the longest day in summer?

D – Summer salt whirlpool.

U – Why is this day marked in red on our solar calendar?

D - Day of Yarila the sun, it turns to winter, and light and warmth reach their greatest strength.

U - On the ancient holiday of Ivan Kupala, songs sounded throughout the day and night. Rituals and games were associated with water and fire. Guys and girls went to the river, swam, lit fires and jumped over them. Fire - the personification of the sun - gives strength and burns away all ailments. They came up with various games and entertainment.

(Game "Egorka")

U - Bathing night is the most mysterious: after all, on this night, according to legend, all evil spirits come to life. The goblin lures you into the forest, the mermaids drag you into the river, and the fern blooms. Whoever finds this flower will find his happiness. The girls wondered about their betrothed, lowering a wreath into the river.

(Round dance “I walk with the vine”)

U - What type of round dance did we perform?

D – Round dance “snake”.

U - After the hot summer comes the joyful time of harvesting berries and mushrooms. This is also reflected in folklore.

(Game “At the Bear in the Forest”)

U - Harvest holidays will take place - zazhinki, dozhinki - everything is cleared away, tidied up.

The rainy season has arrived.

There is frost on the grass in the morning like graying.

Leaves fall from the trees. Dank... (autumn) is coming.

(the phonogram “Autumn is on the threshold” sounds - a joke).

U - What is significant about September 22nd and why is it marked yellow on our calendar?

U - Dark nights and short days will come very soon. By the light of a torch, and later by the light of a kerosene lamp, women spun yarn, wove linen and rugs. They did handicrafts: knitted, sewed, embroidered. Near the Russian stove - they cooked food in it, slept on it, warmed frozen bones - there was always some kind of women's handicraft. Sitting without work on a weekday was considered the height of indecency. The owner of the house - a man - also did not sit idle: he repaired or sewed shoes, made household utensils, household items. He had to be a jack of all trades, he was the backbone of the family.

We look at ancient objects collected by students and the teacher: sheep shearing scissors, wooden spoons, an iron chaff, a spinning wheel, a butter churn, a tablecloth, a homespun towel and rug, a knitted tablecloth. Children notice that many things are very old<Рисунок 2,3,4>.

U - The Russian stove was the center of any village house. Adults near the stove and children nearby. Everyone notices and learns everything. Not all children could attend classes at school, and they were not always and everywhere. Therefore, children received a lot of knowledge through proverbs and sayings, epics, tongue twisters, and fairy tales.

(We tell each other ancient riddles about natural phenomena)

And grown-up boys and girls gathered for gatherings in the largest hut. The guys were looking for brides - the time was coming for autumn weddings. Great songs were often sung.

(We perform “And who is our big guest”)

U - Determine the type of round dance? (circular).

The puddles are frozen. Darkness covered.

The cold has come, it has come... (winter).

U - What was this time of year called in the old days?

D - Zyuzya. Very cold. It seems that all nature has fallen asleep.

The sun shines very sparingly, rising lower and lower above the horizon. Another significant day is marked on our solar calendar. This is... (December 21 - winter saltwater). That's right, guys. And even our sun, with which we celebrated this day, is light yellow. Certain actions of people could help the sun shine brighter and become hotter.

U - What did people do?

D - They burned fires and rolled burning wheels from the mountains. The holiday of Kolyada, the solar deity, began. Young people and children walked around the courtyards singing carols, avsenek, tausenek, schedrovok (the name depends on the chorus) congratulating the owners on the holiday. The owners gave gifts to the carolers.

(We perform “I sow, I blow, I sing”)

And they sang songs of reproach to the greedy and the stingy.

(We perform “Avsen, Avsen! Tomorrow is a new day!”)

(Each child receives a small gift.)

Teacher: The holiday of Kolyada will fly by quickly. Every day the sun shines brighter and longer. Life goes on. But before the next spring equinox there is another holiday that brings spring closer.

U - What is the name of this holiday?

D - This is Maslenitsa, a holiday of the lunar calendar.

U – But that’s another story.

Let's summarize the test lesson:

-What songs and games did you like?

-What types of round dances did you get acquainted with?

-we give marks after discussing each child’s work with the guys.

Literature.

2. A. Nekrylova, “Russian Agricultural Calendar”, Moscow, Pravda Publishing House, 1989.

3. N. Tsareva, “Listening to Music”, ROSMEN, Moscow, 1998.

4. N. Tsareva, “Lessons of Mrs. Melody”, ROSMEN, Moscow, 2002.

5. M. Shornikova, “Musical literature, 3rd year of study”, Rostov-on-Don, “Phoenix”, 2007.

Municipal Autonomous Educational Institution

Open lesson on the subject “Listening to Music”

on the topic - Winter holidays of the solar calendar (carols).

Prepared by: Kosheleva T.A.

The purpose of the lesson: To deepen students' interest in studying folk art.

Educational objectives of the lesson:

Educational:

To achieve a conscious understanding of the winter holidays of the solar calendar.

achieve accurate, emotional intonation of carol melodies.

Educational:

to intensify educational interest in folk art.

Educational:

develop self-control skills;

cultivate respect for the traditions of your people.

Winter holidays of the solar calendar.

Winter solstice -Slide number 2.

Winter... The days have become short, and the nights are long and dark. It seems that all nature has fallen asleep. But when December 24th arrives, the light begins to arrive. This day was called the day of the winter salt whirl or the winter solstice (an ancient holiday of Kolyada, the solar deity). Bonfires were lit in his honor and burning wheels were rolled down from the mountains. People believed that these rituals increased the power of the sun. The sun will now shine longer, heading towards summer.

The beginning of the holiday season falls on Christmas Eve (December 24, Old Style / January 6, New Style). It is at this moment that the strict Nativity fast ends and festivities, festivities and fun begin. One of the ancient Slavic traditions is carols, i.e. ritual songs that were used at home. Mostly young people and children caroled. This was a kind of entertainment for young people in those distant days.

Such rounds of houses were carried out three times during Christmas time: on Christmas Eve(“Christmas carol”),on New Year's Eve(on the day of Basil the Great, or Caesarea - “Vasilevskaya carol”),on the eve of Epiphany(“Epiphany carol”).

Christmastide is traditionally divided into " Holy evenings " - from December 25 (January 7) to January 1 (14) - and "Scary evenings " - from January 1 (14) to January 6 (19). Holy Evenings refer to the Nativity of Christ, and Terrible Evenings were considered a time when evil spirits raged.

Word "Kolyada" comes from Greekκαλάνδαι and Latincalendae, which means "first day of the month". Initially, the Slavs used the word “kolyada”. But in modern language the meaning has changed, now carols are understood as just entertainment rituals with songs and going around houses by “carolers”, “polazniks”, “sowers”, “generous people”.

Nativity. – Slide No. 3.

On these days of the new solar year, the entire Christian world celebrates the holiday - the Nativity of Christ.

Two thousand years ago, an event occurred that began the account of the New Time and the New Era.

The prepared story is about Christmas.

With the adoption of Christianity in Rus', the ritual of caroling was timed to coincide with the celebration . Folk carols intertwine pagan and Christian motifs. Original church carols occupy a special place.

Listening to a Christmas carol “The Son of God is born!”

1. Good evening to you,
Affectionate owner,
Rejoice, rejoice, earth,
The Son of God was born into the world.

2. We are coming to you, master,
With good news.
Rejoice, rejoice, earth,
The Son of God was born into the world.

3. With good news
From the holy city.
Rejoice, rejoice, earth,
The Son of God was born into the world.

Singing carols "A clear star has risen." – Slide No. 4

Carols, avsenki, shchedrovki, grapes. – Slide No. 5.

In Rus' they have always loved the Christmas holiday. They made a star and baked special cookies in the shape of animals. On Christmas night, young boys, girls, and children gather and go home singing songs about the Infant Christ. In front of everyone are two carolers: one with a star, and the other with a bag for gifts and treats. Approaching the house. They ask the question: “Master and hostess, should I shout a carol for you?” The answer was positive: the song began.

Slide number 6. Carols, Avsenki, Tausenki, Shchedrovki, Vinovyya - these were the names of the songs of carolers, depending on the words of the chorus. These are great songs - congratulations, in which the owners are wished prosperity, goodness, good luck, and are compared with the sun, the month, and the stars.

Singing the carol “I sow, I sow, I sing.”

Contents of the carol - Slide number 7.

The content of the carol is this: the arrival of Kolyada or the search for her. Next, a description of the owners is given: their exaltation, wishes (the carolers described the beauty of the house, the abundance of livestock, the richness of the harvest) and a request for alms.

As the carols progressed, various techniques were used, for example, showering a house with grain or knocking sparks out of a log. For such good wishes one had to pay with various goodies. The owners of the houses, of course, knew that they would come to them and prepared treats in advance. After all, if the young people who came were not treated to a treat, they could pay for it, for example, with public disgrace, which could be expressed in a song like this:

From a stingy guy
Rye is born good:
The spikelet is empty,
It's thick like straw!

Some carols towards stingy owners were real threats:

Who won't give a penny -
Let's close the loopholes.
Who won't give you some cakes -
Let's block up the windows
Who won't give pie -
Let's take the cow by the horns,
Who will not give bread -
Let's take grandfather away
Who won't give ham -
Then we will split the cast iron!

However, cases of such threats being carried out were rare, because treating carolers was a folk tradition and was taken for granted. The youth were generously presented with treats, which were then eaten together at joint gatherings. If a house was accidentally missed and not walked around, it was perceived as a bad omen, foreshadowing trouble. People did not come to caroling in houses where there had been deaths during the year.

Singing the carol "Avsen".

.

Slide number 8. Comic songs are often structured in the form of questions and answers. They are easy to remember, simple melodically and captivating with their playful character. The range of such songs is small, only a few sounds. But the simplicity here is only external - often in such tunes we cannot determine the tonic, the reference sound, a feeling of changeability of the scale (major - minor) is created.

Singing carols “Zazimka - winter”, “Who is our big guest?”

The name of the songs - subblyudnye - is associated with the game: someone would take out, without looking, a ring from a dish covered with a beautiful towel.

First they sang glory to God, the red sun and bread, and then wished well to the one who took out the ring.

Slide number 11. Singing the majestic song “Glory to God in heaven, glory!”

Slide number 12. This is how “holy” and “terrible” evenings passed, as they were called in the old days.