Pagan traditions of pre-Christian Russia: description, rituals, rituals and interesting facts

Before the baptism of Rus, the Eastern Slavs worshiped numerous pagan deities. Their religion and mythology left their mark on everyday life. Slavs practiced a large number of rituals and rituals, somehow related to the pantheon of deities or the spirits of ancestors.

History of Slavic pagan rites

The ancient pagan traditions of pre-Christian Russia had religious roots. The Eastern Slavs had their own pantheon. He included many deities, which in general can be described as mighty spirits of nature. Rituals, rituals and customs of the Slavs corresponded to the cults of these creatures.

Another important measure of people's habits was the calendar. Pagan traditions of pre-Christian Russia were most often correlated with a certain date. It could be a holiday or a day of worship to some deity. A similar calendar was made for many generations. Gradually, it began to correspond to the economic cycles through which the peasants of Rus lived.

When in 988 the Grand Duke Vladimir Svyatoslavovich baptized his country, the population gradually began to forget about their former pagan rites. Of course, this process of Christianization went smoothly not everywhere. Often people defended their former faith with weapons in their hands. Nevertheless, by the 12th century paganism had become the lot of marginalized and outcasts. On the other hand, some former holidays and ceremonies were able to get along with Christianity and take a new form.

NameName

What were the pagan rites and rituals and how can they help? The Slavs gave them a deep practical meaning. Rites surrounded every inhabitant of Russia his whole life, regardless of what tribal alliance he belonged to.

Any newborn immediately after his birth was passed through the ritual of naming. For the Gentiles, the choice of how to name your child was vital. On behalf of the future fate of man depended, so parents could be determined with the option for quite some time. This rite had a different meaning. The name established the relationship of a person with his family. Often on it it was possible to determine where a Slav comes from.

Pagan traditions of pre-Christian Russia always had a religious background. Therefore, the adoption of the name by the newborn could not take place without the participation of the Magi. These sorcerers, according to the beliefs of the Slavs, could communicate with spirits. It was they who enshrined the choice of parents, as if "coordinating" it with the deities of the pagan pantheon. Among other things, the name of the nun finally made a newborn dedicated to the Old Slavic faith.

Disintegration

Naming is the first obligatory rite, through which every member of the Slavic race passed. But this ritual was far from the last and not the only one. What were the pagan traditions of pre-Christian Russia? To put it briefly, since they were all based on religious beliefs, there was another rite that allowed a person to return to the fold of his faith. This ritual historians called the crossing.

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

A man who wanted to renounce the new Greek foreign faith had to bring three witnesses with him. This was required by the pagan traditions of pre-Christian Russia. 6th grade in school, according to the standard program, superficially studies just the realities of that time. The Slav knelt, and the sorcerer recited a spell - an appeal to spirits and deities with a request to clear the erring tribesman from filth. At the end of the rite, it was necessary to swim in the nearby river (or go to the bathhouse) to complete the ritual according to all the rules. These were the traditions and rituals of that time. Pagan faith, spirits, sacred places - all this had great significance for every Slav. Therefore, the crossing was a frequent occurrence in the 10th-11th centuries. Then people so protested against the official state Kyiv policy aimed at replacing paganism with Orthodox Christianity.

Wedding

In ancient Slavs in Russia, the wedding was considered an event that finally confirmed the entry of a young man or girl into adulthood. Moreover, a childless life was a sign of inferiority, because in this case a man or a woman did not continue their kind. To such relatives the elders treated with undisguised condemnation.

Pagan traditions of pre-Christian Russia differed in some details depending on the region and the tribal alliance. Nevertheless, everywhere an important wedding attribute were the songs. They were executed right under the windows of the house, in which the newlyweds were supposed to start living. On the festive table, there were necessarily rolls, cakes, eggs, beer and wine. The main treat was a wedding loaf, which, among other things, was a symbol of abundance and wealth of the future family. Therefore, bake it with a special scale. A long wedding ceremony began with matchmaking. In the end, the groom must necessarily pay the bride's father a ransom.

Housewarming

Every young family moved to their own house. The choice of housing for the ancient Slavs was an important ritual. The mythology of those days included a host of evil creatures who could spoil the hut. Therefore, the place for the house was chosen with great care. For this, a magic spell was used. The whole ritual can be called a ritual of housewarming, without which it was impossible to imagine the beginning of a full-fledged life of a family that has just appeared.

Christian culture and pagan traditions of Rus have closely intertwined with each other over time. Therefore, we can say with certainty that some of the old rituals existed in the provinces and provinces until the XIX century. There were several ways to determine if the site was suitable for building a hut. It could leave a pot with a spider inside for the night. If the arthropod was spider web, then the place was suitable. Also safety was checked with the help of cows. This was done as follows. The animal was released on a large plot. The place where the cow was lying down, and considered happy for the new hut.

Caroling

The Slavs had a separate group of so-called roundabout rites. The most famous of them was caroling. This ritual was held annually with the beginning of a new annual cycle. Some pagan holidays of the Slavs (Slavic holidays in Russia) experienced the Christianization of the country. This was also caroling. It retained many of the features of the old pagan rite, although it began to coincide with the Orthodox Christmas Eve.

But even the most ancient Slavs had a custom this day to gather in small groups, starting to bypass their native settlement in search of presents. In such gatherings, as a rule, only young people took part. Among other things, it was also a fun festival. Kolyadovshchiki ryadilsya in skimoroshnye suits and bypassed the neighboring houses, announcing their owners about the upcoming holiday of the new birth of the Sun. This metaphor signified the end of the old annual cycle. Ordinary animals or comic costumes usually took place.

Kalinov Bridge

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

The culture of pre-Christian Russia was based on numerous mythological subjects. For example, the funeral was held according to the belief about Kalinov Bridge (or Star Bridge). In Slavic mythology , the way from the world of the living to the world of the dead was called, which the soul of man passed after his death. The bridge became insurmountable for murderers, criminals, deceivers and rapists.

The funeral procession went a long way, which symbolized the journey of the soul of the deceased into the next world. Then the body was put on stealing. This was the name of the funeral pyre. He was overrun with branches and straw. The deceased was dressed in white robes. In addition to it, various gifts, including funeral dishes, were also burned. The body must have been lying with legs towards the west. The fire was set on fire by the priest or the elder of the family.

Trisna

Listening, what were the pagan traditions in pre-Christian Russia, we can not fail to mention the triune. This was the name of the second part of the funeral. It consisted of a funeral feast, accompanied by dances, games and competitions. Also, sacrifices and collective prayers for the spirits of ancestors were practiced. They helped to find the consolation of the survivors.

Especially solemn was the trifle in the case of the funeral of soldiers who defended their native lands from enemies and foreigners. Many pre-Christian Slavic traditions, rituals and customs were based on the cult of power. Therefore, the soldiers enjoyed in this pagan society a special respect for both ordinary residents and magicians, who could communicate with the spirits of ancestors. During the triune glorified feats and courage heroes and knights.

Divination

Old Slavonic fortune-telling was numerous and varied. Christian culture and pagan traditions, mixed up in the X-XI centuries, left today many rites and customs of this kind. But at the same time, many divinations of the inhabitants of Rus were lost and forgotten. Some of them were saved in the national memory thanks to the careful work of folklorists of the last several decades.

Divination was based on the veneration of the Slavs of the many-faced natural world - trees, stones, water, fire, rain, sun, wind, etc. Other similar rituals necessary to learn their future were conducted as an appeal to the spirits of deceased ancestors. Gradually formed a unique Slavic calendar, based on natural cycles, which were checked when it is best to go on guessing.

Magic rituals were necessary to find out what the health of the relatives will be, the harvest, the offspring of livestock, well-being, etc. The most common were divination about marriage and the upcoming bridegroom or bride. In order to conduct such a ritual, the Slavs climbed into the most deaf and unsociable places - abandoned houses, forest groves, cemeteries, etc. It was done because it was there that the spirits inhabited, and they recognized the future.

Night at Ivan Kupala

Because of the fragmentary and incomplete historical sources of that time, pagan traditions of pre-Christian Russia, in short, have been little studied. Moreover, today they have become an excellent soil for speculation and low-quality "research" of different writers. But there are exceptions in this rule. One of them is a night's feast on Ivan Kupala.

This national celebration had its strictly certain date - June 24. This day (more precisely, the night) corresponds to the summer solstice - a brief period when the light day reaches an annual record of its duration. To understand what Ivan Kupala meant for the Slavs, it is important to realize what pagan traditions were in pre-Christian Russia. The description of this holiday is found in several annals (for example, in Gustynska).

The holiday began with the fact that the funeral meals were prepared, which became sacrifices in memory of the departed ancestors. Another important attribute of the night was mass swimming in the river or lake, in which local youth participated. It was believed that on the days of Ivan the water received magical and healing powers. Often used holy sources for bathing. This was due to the fact that, according to the beliefs of the ancient Slavs, some plots on ordinary rivers were infested with mermaids and other evil spirits, ready at any moment to drag a person to the bottom.

The main rite of the Kupala night was the roasting of a ritual bonfire. All the rural youth gathered firewood in the evening so that the fuel would last until the morning. Round the campfire, dances took place, they jumped through it. According to the beliefs, this fire was not simple, but purifying from evil spirits. Near the fire all women should have visited. Those who did not come to the feast and did not take part in the ritual were considered witches.

Kupala night could not be imagined without ritual excesses. With the onset of the holiday, the community has lifted the usual bans. Celebrating young people could steal things with impunity in foreign yards, take them to their native village or throw them on roofs. On the streets were built comic barricades, which prevented the rest of the inhabitants. Young people turned over carts, stuffed chimneys, etc. According to the traditions of that time, such ritual behavior symbolized the festive revelry of evil spirits. Prohibitions were filmed only for one night. With the end of the holiday, the community returned to the usual measured life.