Pagan rites and rituals of the ancient Slavs. Pagan traditions of pre-Christian Rus': description, rites, rituals and interesting facts

If you are here, then you were brought here by the desire to learn about your own culture and the past of your ancestors. This is commendable, because in fact, we are all like branches of one big tree, and the deeper our roots grow into the ground, the higher we can reach for the sun. Without knowing our own culture, without paying tribute to our own past, we will never have enough spirituality to live a decent life. We are the centuries lived by our ancestors, their heritage and their sacrifices for the sake of our future. Know how to appreciate and be proud of it. Never be ashamed of your roots, wear your title with pride Slavic man. Believe me, even today, when the technological world never ceases to amaze us with more and more fantastic inventions and innovations, we have something to learn from the past. This is, first of all, wisdom. Build your present based on the rich experience of the past, and you will see how easy it is sometimes to solve even the most difficult problems. complex problems. You can believe in anything, profess any religion, but the traditions of the past, all Slavic rituals are all ours, echoing in our blood. Remember this and teach this to your children. When we talk about the paganism of the Slavs, many do not understand what kind of phenomenon this is. To begin with, perhaps it is worth talking about

originality of Slavic pagan culture. It arose independently, without the initial influence of any other culture.
Of course, as the Slavic tribes and peoples advanced into different sides continent, inhabited new lands that bordered other peoples, our primary culture underwent some changes. But, initially, the culture, religion and rituals of our ancestors arose on a soil completely free from outside influence. Slavic paganism was nevertheless part of an ancient Indo-European religion that arose in the first millennium.

Slavic paganism, with all its rituals and beliefs, is not just historical stage the development of the Slavic worldview, which existed before the advent of Christianity. It is rather a special form of culture that continued to exist even after the Slavs adopted Christianity, in folk culture. Here we are already talking about the ethnic characteristics of the Slavic people, which implies not just belief in some gods, but the very essence and character of the Slavic ethnos.

Absolutely nothing is known for certain about the first origins of Slavic pagan culture. The first written descriptions, which could more or less give an idea of ​​the paganism of our ancestors, appeared only in the sixth century. Such a late appearance of historical evidence about our culture can be explained by the fact that it was during this era that the Slavic tribes advanced and began to coexist with the borders Byzantine Empire.

In the course of a modern attempt to reconstruct the origins and features of Slavic pagan culture, researchers were able to reveal that such concepts as soul, spirit, paradise, religious services and much more are originally Proto-Slavic. You should not correlate or try to compare the Slavic concepts of spirit and soul with Christian ones. In all the rituals of our ancestors, the human spirit is, first of all, not an incorporeal entity, but the very personality of the person. This subtle division is very significant. Spirituality, in general, was the most distinctive feature of Slavic paganism. This implies not only the desire to do good deeds in order to get to heaven. No, the spirituality of our ancestors meant the need to simply be good and kind initially and unconsciously, without expecting any afterlife rewards.

The main features of Slavic paganism and rituals are the belief that everything that surrounds a person is alive and spiritual. There is also a cult of ancestors and belief in supernatural forces that constantly influence a person and his the world. As you get acquainted and delve into the descriptions of Slavic rituals, you will notice one very important distinctive feature. In the ideas of the ancient Slavs, man himself was the center of the Universe and the cause of everything that happens. In scientific language this phenomenon called anthropocentrism. That is, to put it more simply and
accessible language, in the minds of our ancestors, all the secrets of the universe were hidden in man himself. Man was the key to understanding everything, and a part of his creators. The presence of the divine component in man gave the ancient Slavs the belief that, according to their desires, it was possible to influence matter and their own destiny. The cosmic understanding of human essence, however, did not give our ancestors the freedom to exalt man above the gods. Harmony was the central idea of ​​the entire Slavic worldview. All Slavic rituals were designed to balance the human spirit with the universe and bring it to complete harmony.

Each ritual and rite in pagan Slavic culture had its own, strictly defined time. Typically, each ritual was timed to specific solar cycles. Such special time zones for carrying out all sorts of rituals were, for example, the solstice, the spring and autumn equinoxes, and much more. Note that these are all important natural phenomena. The consciousness of our ancestors reacted to all changes in nature, and believed that they symbolized a certain approach to supernatural matters. That is, after realizing oneself and the emergence of an elementary
culture, our ancestors began to study the world around them and observe it. Nature was the immediate habitat for humans, and it also provided the opportunity to get food. Therefore, nature was a priori considered spiritualized. Observing the movement of heavenly bodies, changes in seasons and other other changes in nature, the Slavs noted what was most key and important. Thus, some natural phenomena acquired paramount importance for our ancestors. Each similar phenomenon was then compared with an appropriate ritual, which was strictly forbidden to perform at other times. This is a feature of Slavic rituals - dependence on natural phenomena.

In their rituals and rites, the ancient Slavs always addressed someone. Depending on the ritual, our ancestors could turn to the gods, to the natural elements and to their own ancestors. The appeal was based on a request for help in some matter, and if you delve into the essence of the rituals themselves, then the ancient Slavs did not ask for manna from heaven. Most important goal carrying out any ritual was spiritual enlightenment, which would help to see the true essence of things and accept the most correct solution of the possible. The fact is that our ancestors believed in the existence three worlds- Reveal, Navi and Rule. Hence the first world was obvious, that is, the one in which man himself resided. The remaining two worlds already belonged to the gods and other supernatural forces. During its stay in the manifest world, the Spirit lost its connection with the Navy world and the world of the gods. The spirit was devoid of higher wisdom and knowledge. It was in order to gain access to this lost knowledge that Slavic rituals were performed. It was important to achieve spiritual enlightenment, and for this it was necessary for forces from outside to intervene, since the Spirit was chained in flesh and was unable to obtain the necessary knowledge on its own. So, our ancestors didn't ask for someone to come and just give them candy, they asked for wisdom and enlightenment.

Rituals were worn different character. Some of them were, so to speak, domestic. That is, we could be talking about some real little things that directly related to the very life of the ancient Slavs. Well, for example, so that the cattle don’t get sick, and so on. Here we are talking about more material benefits, so such “everyday” rituals ordinary people They could have done it themselves. But there were other rituals that belonged to the highest circle, based on their sacred meaning. It was then that people with special knowledge and wisdom came to the aid of ordinary Slavs. These were magicians and sorcerers who, from childhood, comprehended secret knowledge, and could interact directly with both the Spirit and other worlds. All rituals that required opening the consciousness in order to free spiritual currents were conducted exclusively by the Magi. Only they knew the true essence of the ritual, all its rules and nuances. The ancient Slavs did not joke with such things, and highly valued the skills of magicians and sorcerers. As a rule, such people enjoyed great honor and respect in ancient Slavic society.

The sacred element was also an integral part of each ritual. We have already said that our ancestors considered nature to be spiritual and alive. According to the belief of the ancient Slavs, our world was created from divine flame. Water was also considered the fundamental element. The settlements of the ancient Slavic tribes were determined by their proximity to water resources. In particular, it was these two elements that became participants in Slavic rituals. They were called upon to purify man, to open his consciousness and spiritual flows. Although, no one forgot about mother earth. She was especially revered in agricultural rituals designed to bring a rich harvest and fertility.

Today we can observe how public interest in Old Slavonic rituals is awakening. The neo-pagan movement is gaining momentum in different ends our vast homeland. What dictated this trend? The root cause is modernity, which simply breaks moral principles and distorts the truth of many things. It is becoming increasingly difficult for people to understand themselves and the world around them, where everything is mostly fake. Substitute values ​​cause demoralization and degradation of society. This is probably why, in search of the right guidelines in life, people increasingly began to turn to the experience of their ancestors. Strong roots allow branches to grow higher.

Rituals

The gods speak to people, guide them, human destinies weave the fabric. People are weak in their flesh, which can destroy their souls and cut off their connection with everything on high. Human life is like an endless battle, with demons and temptation. The gods, in order to destroy the children of their mortals, gave them a wondrous weapon in which they imprisoned their will and strength. That was a talisman, each with its own meaning, its own meaning. You put on your amulet, and your darling, as if filled with the warmth of the clear sun...

The first lights in the village were lit, which means night is near. Yarina is restless in her soul, rushing around her upper room like an animal in a cage. And after all, any other girl in her place would go crazy with happiness, and would roll her eyes languidly. Today they will come to Yarina to get married, but she doesn’t know what to do. On the one hand, you look and Gorislav is dear to her. The first fellow in the village, broad in the shoulders, and with hair...

Everyone has heard at least something about this holiday. Someone has heard about a magical fern flower that blooms only on the night of Ivan Kupala, and with its help you can find real treasures. Someone may remember the wreaths that the beautiful girls lowered into the water accompanied by friendly songs. Maybe about youth games, and about jumping over a fire. In any case, we associate this holiday with the village, but not with the stone ones...

Autumn came with a quiet tread, covering the house with a shawl of sorrow. Vlasta can’t find a place for herself, it seems like she needs to cry, but her eyes are dry - there are no tears left. She no longer has a father, although she is completely grown up, but she remains an orphan. Tomorrow a ritual fire will be lit in the village, the father’s body will be burned, and the ashes will be scattered over the river and in a clean field. And then the funeral feast will begin, all the good fellows will fight, they will come together in battle...

The winter howls with cold and prickly blizzards, and the snow crunches underfoot. The sun is high, it is old and does not warm anything at all. People are freezing and wrapping themselves in all sorts of shawls in order to keep warm and not completely fall into the grip of the cold. Little children frolic, play every day, make snowballs, they don’t know how much fear there is in winter nights, when there is no light, and evil can break out at any moment. Tomorrow a new sun must be born and in...

Summer is hot and fragrant with the smell of flowers. The sun is radiant, frolicking in the sky with clouds. Serenity is everywhere, even the children are lazily fiddling around in the yard, they want to sleep. Yes, not only were they overcome by the heat, the men were strong and toiled and couldn’t find a place for themselves. But they work by the sweat of their brow to support their families with honest labor. Blessed by the gods is everyone who overcomes their laziness, takes a tool in their hands, and works no matter what...

The forces of nature are perhaps the only thing that I have not yet been able to cope with in to the fullest Human. The world has learned to treat complex diseases, clone living organisms, conquer space and the endless depths of the ocean, but still remains defenseless against droughts and tsunamis, earthquakes and glacier collapses.

An ancient ritual dedicated to the forces of nature, gave a person a certain unity with the nature of the world, the opportunity to curb it. The amazing, inexplicable power of nature has always interested humanity - it has tried to comprehend this mystery, join it, and make it part of its own life. This is how ancient rituals appeared, the rudiments of which have survived to this day.

Man of the metropolis

If you approach a modern person and say: “Name the ancient rituals dedicated to the forces of nature,” he will hardly be able to remember at least one name, describe at least any sacrament that was sacred to distant ancestors. Of course, the world has changed significantly, objects have lost their magical properties in a world where there is practically no room for mystery among skyscrapers, airplanes, the Internet and banal hand dryers. However, this was not always the case.

The Power of the Ancients

In almost every culture there is a place for people who are able to come into contact with natural phenomena: Magi, shamans, sorcerers, clairvoyants, priests and simply elders. Ancient rituals dedicated to the forces of nature were far from uncommon in the past. People had more faith then, and the world itself, as they say in old legends, responded much more willingly to human requests.

Paganism is characteristic of almost all cultures of the world. Of course, there were significant differences between the beliefs of representatives of different races and territories, which was naturally due to the difference in the environments in which they were immersed. Nevertheless key aspects were almost identical. For example, in all cultures there was a cult of sun worship.

Why nature

In fact, why exactly water, air or fire were worshiped, rites dedicated to the forces of nature did not arise out of nowhere. If we think logically, then in ancient times man was directly dependent on the harvest, weather conditions, and the whims of the climate. Naturally, he tried with all his might to appease the elements, make friends with the rains, and tame the winds and snowstorms.

Winter rites

For our ancestors, perhaps the most long-awaited season was spring, on which the future harvest directly depended. Ancient rituals dedicated to the forces of nature were in in this case especially important - it was necessary to appease the pretty beauty. And this process began with a holiday called Komoeditsa, which later became familiar to us Maslenitsa. On this day, our ancestors dressed in bearskins, sang songs, and performed ritual dances. The awakening of the clubfooted forest dweller signaled the arrival of spring for our ancestors.

Another traditional winter ritual was the burning of badnyak - a ritual log that was burned on Christmas Eve. Sentencing ritual formulas while striking sparks guaranteed the ancestors not only a successful change of seasons, but also an increase in livestock, which was no less important. By the way, there is a similar ritual in Indo-European culture, where the deity Agi Bukhnya acted as a badnyak.

Slavic rituals

In order to find out how the ancient Slavs used magic, you should turn to history. First of all, distinctive feature Slavic culture we can say that human sacrifice has been unacceptable here since ancient times. But there were still animal sacrifices. For example, in order to appease the water element, our ancestors threw a rooster to the bottom, which was supposed to entertain the sea owner, putting him in a good mood.

In order to appease Yarila with light and fertility, the Slavs organized another ancient ritual dedicated to the forces of nature - noisy celebrations with jumping over a fire. These actions had the function of a ritual - the fun of the people in honor of Yarila’s meeting promised people a rich harvest, gentle sunshine and speedy procreation.

The rituals and ceremonies of the ancient Slavs cannot but delight with their beauty and purity. Together with Yarila in the spring, for example, Svarog and Dazhdbog were honored, in whose honor the girls dressed up in the most best clothes, led round dances.

Farewell to the sun during Ivan Kupala was accompanied by the ritual rolling of a burning wheel into a clear field. The ritual attribute symbolized the transition of the sun to its decline, the reduction of the circle.

Then, on Kupala night, they ritually addressed water element and young girls preparing to become brides. After performing round dances and songs in honor of Rod, Mokosh, Mother Earth, Water, and Rozhanitsy, the girls stripped naked, unraveled their braids and entered the water, addressing it as an element that took away their old life and gave them a new one.

Rites of the earth

Of course, our ancestors could not help but turn to Mother Earth. Characteristic in this regard is the ritual of sowing and harvesting fields. Only the man had to pour the grain into the field - in this case, the parallel with procreation and the gift of seed is clearly seen.

Initially, naked women were supposed to take care of the fields and harvest the crops, who in this case personified the maternal principle of the earth. From them, power was supposed to be transferred to the fields for the continuers of the family. Harvesting, thus, turned into the birth of new life by the earth.

In fact, ancient rituals dedicated to the forces of nature have survived rudimentarily to this day. Bonfires are still lit on Kupala holidays, New Year celebrations are still associated with sparkling lights, and the scarecrow of Maslenitsa and the subsequent eating of pancakes is still considered perhaps the most beloved winter holiday.

Introduction

I chose this topic in order to try to identify the features of Slavic traditional culture, trace the process of its formation and development, identify the factors that influenced this process, and also consider the traditional customs and rituals of the Slavic ethnic group, since every Russian person should know the past of his people.

The word “culture” comes from the word “cult” - the faith, customs and traditions of ancestors. National culture is what distinguishes a given people from others, allows them to feel the connection of times and generations, receive spiritual support and support in life.

Modern people look at the world through the prism of science. Even the most amazing manifestations of the elements, such as earthquakes, floods, volcanic eruptions, solar and lunar eclipses, do not evoke in us that horror of the unknown that once possessed our ancestors. Modern man sees himself as the ruler of nature rather than its victim. However, in ancient times, people perceived the world completely differently. He was mysterious and enigmatic. And since the reasons for everything that happened to them and around them were inaccessible to their understanding, they unwittingly attributed all these phenomena, events and blows of fate to dark forces: gods, demigods, fairies, elves, devils, demons, ghosts, restless souls who lived in the sky, underground or in the water. People imagined themselves to be prey to these omnipresent spirits, because happiness or misfortune, health or illness, life or death could depend on their mercy or anger. Every religion originates from the fear of the unknown, paganism is no exception.

Subject Slavic traditions and customs has attracted the attention of researchers for several centuries. They were interested in who the Slavs were? How did the Slavic ethnic group develop? What living conditions and external factors influenced their way of life, way of life, character? What are their traditions, rituals and customs? And other equally important questions. Both Russian and foreign researchers tried to answer these questions.

I. About the Slavs

The ancient history of the Slavs has not yet been fully elucidated by historians; their origin and ancestral home have not been established. The origins of the historical fate of the Slavs go nowhere. It is not even known exactly when the Slavs learned writing. Many researchers associate the emergence of Slavic writing with the adoption of Christianity. All information about the ancient Slavs of the preliterate era was extracted by historians from the meager lines of historical and geographical works belonging to ancient Roman and Byzantine authors. Archaeological finds have shed light on some events, but how difficult it can be to correctly interpret each of them! Archaeologists often argue among themselves, determining which of the objects they found belonged to the Slavs and which did not.

No exact information has yet been found about where the Slavs came to Europe and from what peoples they come. Scientists believe that in the 1st millennium AD. the Slavs occupied a vast territory: from the Balkans to modern Belarus and from the Dnieper to the regions Central Europe. In those distant times, there were no Slavic tribes within the modern borders of Russia.

Byzantine historians of the 6th century. The Slavs were called Antes and Sklavins. The Antes were distinguished by their belligerence. Initially they were not a Slavic people, but, for a long time Living side by side with the Slavs, they became Slavic and, in the minds of their neighbors who wrote about them, became the most powerful of the Slavic tribes.

From about the 6th century. from the pan-Slavic unity, the separation of three branches begins: southern, western and Eastern Slavs. The South Slavic peoples (Serbs, Montenegrins, etc.) were subsequently formed from those Slavs who settled within the Byzantine Empire, gradually merging with its population. The Western Slavs were those who occupied the lands of modern Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and part of Germany. As for the Eastern Slavs, they inherited a huge territory between three seas: the Black, White and Baltic. Their descendants are modern Belarusians, Ukrainians and Russians.

The Slavs cultivated wheat, barley, rye, millet, peas, and buckwheat. We have received evidence of the use by our ancestors of pits - storage facilities that could hold up to 5 tons of grain. If the export of grain to the Roman Empire stimulated the development of agriculture, then the local market contributed to the emergence of a new method of grinding grain in flour mills with millstones. Special bread ovens began to be built. The Slavs bred large cattle and pigs, as well as horses, were engaged in hunting and fishing. In everyday life, the Slavs widely used the so-called ritual calendar, associated with agricultural magic. It marked the days of the spring-summer agricultural season from seed germination to harvest and especially highlighted the days of pagan prayers for rain in four different periods. The indicated four periods of rain were considered optimal for the Kiev region in agronomic manuals of the late 19th century, which indicated that the Slavs had 4th century rainfall. reliable agrotechnical observations.

II . Traditions and customs

Rod and man.

In ancient times, all generations of a family usually lived under one roof. There was also a family cemetery nearby, so that long-dead ancestors invisibly took part in the life of the family. Many more children were born than now. Back in the 19th century, under monogamy, ten or more children were common. And among the pagans, it was not considered shameful for a rich and wealthy man to bring into his house as many wives as he could feed. Four or five brothers usually lived in one house with their wives, children, parents, grandparents, uncles, aunts, cousins, second cousins... that is, all relatives!

Every person who lived in big family, I felt, first of all, that I was not an individual with my own needs and capabilities, as we are now. He viewed himself primarily as a member of the clan. Any Slav could name his ancestors several centuries ago and tell in detail about each of them. Numerous holidays were associated with the ancestors, many of which have survived to this day (Radunitsa, parent's day).

When introducing themselves and identifying themselves, they always added: son of so-and-so, grandson and great-grandson of so-and-so. Without this, the name was not a name: people would consider that a person who did not name his father and grandfather was hiding something. But once they heard what kind of person you were, people immediately knew how to behave with you. Each clan had a very specific reputation. In one, people from ancient times were famous for their honesty and nobility, in the other, there were scammers and bullies: which means that, having met a representative of this kind, one had to keep one’s ears open. The man knew that at the first meeting he would be assessed as his family deserves. On the other hand, he himself felt responsible for everything big family. The whole clan was responsible for one person who smoked mischief.

In that era, every person's everyday clothing represented his complete "passport". Just like you can see from a military uniform: what rank he has, what awards he has received, where he fought, and so on. In ancient times, every person’s clothing contained a huge number of details that said a lot about its owner: what tribe he was from, what kind of family he was, and a lot of other details. Looking at the clothes, one could immediately determine who he was and where he was from. In ancient times, exactly the same orders existed in Rus'. There is still a proverb in the Russian language: “They meet you by their clothes, but they see you off by their intelligence.” Having met a person for the first time, they determined his gender “by his clothes” and decided how to behave with him.

But in any situation, a person had to act in the way that would be best for his family. And only then respect your personal interests. Scientists call such a society, in which the clan reigns supreme, traditional. The foundations of the ancient tradition are clearly aimed at the survival of the family.

The clan, which completely determined the life of each of its members, at times dictated to them its unyielding will in the most delicate matters. For example, if two clans living in the neighborhood decided to join forces, go hunting together or to the sea for fish, or fight off enemies, it seemed most natural to seal the alliance family relations. If there was an adult guy in one family and a girl in the other, relatives could simply order them to marry.

A person who found himself in those days “without clan and tribe” - it didn’t matter whether he was expelled or he left on his own - felt very uncomfortable. Individuals inevitably gathered together, and just as inevitably their partnership, initially equal, acquired an internal structure, and according to the same kind of principle.

The clan was both the very first form of social organization and the most tenacious. A man who could not imagine himself otherwise than in his family certainly wanted his father and brothers to still be nearby, ready to help. Therefore, the leader of the squad was considered the father of his people, and warriors of the same rank were considered brothers.

This means that those wishing to join military brotherhoods were appointed probation, and a very serious exam. Moreover, the exam implied a test not only purely professional qualities- dexterity, strength, possession of weapons, but also a mandatory test of spiritual qualities, as well as mystical Initiation.

The killing of a member of one clan by a member of another usually caused clan enmity. In all eras, both direct atrocities and tragic accidents occurred when a person killed a person. And, naturally, the relatives of the deceased wanted to find and punish the guilty. When something like this happens now, people turn to law enforcement. And a thousand years ago people preferred to rely on themselves. Only the leader, behind whom stood professional warriors - the Slavic squad, could restore order by force. But the leader was usually far away. And his authority as the ruler of the country, the leader of the entire people (and not just warriors) was just being established.

Slavic Vedic Rites

Hello, dear friends! On this page you will find the original Slavic rituals that were in the life of our Ancestors before the arrival of Christianity in Rus'. The rituals here are given for those who want to help themselves, but are not trained in any techniques and practices. Those who are proficient in any energy practices, for example, Reiki, do not need to use these rituals. It is enough to carry out studies various situations according to Reiki - the way your Master taught you.

Rituals are carried out in a person’s clean field, when there are no negatives: evil eye, damage and the like. If there are destructive programs in the field, rituals will not help. You must first carry out cleansing procedures, they are also described here. You yourself can easily remove weak energy information programs.

When pronouncing conspiracies and performing rituals and ceremonies, according to ancient legends, the Slavs overshadowed themselves Perunitsa, which is what the Old Believers and Rodnovers are currently doing. Three fingers for this right hand(large, nameless and small) were connected at the ends together in honor of the Great Triglav - Svarog, Perun and Sventovit, who are Conscience, Freedom and Light, and two fingers (index and middle) were connected straight together - this meant the God of the Heavenly Family and Ladu- Mother of God. Then two fingers folded in this way were placed first on the forehead, then on the eyes (on the left eye, then on the right eye), then on the lips (⚡).

To correctly perform Perunitsa, it is described in detail and clearly demonstrated in the article “Mudras”, paragraph 10 (Mudra of Life), photo 10.

This is how it was done small featherweed. Big same - forehead, left shoulder, right shoulder and navel. The sign repeated the lightning of God Perun, which sanctified the life of our Ancestors. The physical explanation of this ritual is very simple: the radial nerve passes through our hand, which bifurcates in the hand and ends in the middle and index finger. Through it, radiation occurs outside of our internal energy. When we touch our chakras with these fingers, we send energy into them and thereby activate them, forcing them to work in enhanced mode. Thus, we strengthen the body’s own protective properties and can emit a higher flow of energy. The Nikon reform of rituals carried out by Christians in the 17th century banned this ritual, introducing three-finger baptism. But, closing thumb the flow of energy in the hand, it is no longer radiated outside and thereby blocked by certain energy centers.

The rituals are carried out on that day, on that holiday and at the time indicated in the description of the ritual. If nothing is indicated, spend it at any time and on any lunar day.

Slavic Vedic Rites

The life of the Slavic peoples in ancient times, as, in general, of many other peoples, was accompanied by many different rituals. In their purpose and implementation, they are similar among many peoples. They are interesting and colorful in their content. The Slavs attached a very serious meaning to each of them.

Here are some of them:

• 1. Tonsure.
• 2. Initiation into adulthood.
• 3. Military training.
• 4. Starting a family, marriage.
• 5. Trizna.

Taking the tonsure

At the age of three, it was customary for boys to undergo the so-called “tonsure.” Hair was cut off, which was then offered as a sacrifice to the gods common in those beliefs. After this ritual was completed, the boys were transferred from their mothers to raise the male part of the tribe. The male half of the tribe began to introduce them to the basics and secrets. At the age of about seven years, the time came for them to learn to ride horses. Girls at this age were taught the ability to spin. The first ball made by the girl was to be burned, and the resulting ash was added to the water she drank.

Initiation

More serious actions accompanied the rite of initiation of boys into equal members of their clan. This date occurred approximately when he was between the ages of 9 and 11 years. Initiated boys were sent to special huts in the forest. The teenager was supposed to symbolically die and be born again as an adult, prepared for real life and difficulties. It was thanks to the existence of such unique rituals that the people began to have legends about the old woman Baba Yaga, who steals children and burns them in her own stove.

Martial arts training

Having passed this initiation, the young boys left the settlement. They had to spend several harsh years in the forest, devoting themselves to mastering the intricacies of military skill, periodically practicing in real attacks on neighboring settlements. Women were strictly prohibited from going there. Those who disobeyed this law faced serious punishment. The guys trained as defenders of their tribe from numerous enemy attacks at that time; a little later they became the backbone for the formation of princely squads.

Features of creating a family

Only a young man who had undergone such severe training had the right to marry and start his own family. According to the customs of that time, a bride from another tribe had to be either ransomed or stolen. Often this custom resulted in serious clashes between these tribes. The guys got married early, when they were 16 to 17 years old. Girls even earlier - from 12 to 14 years old. Tribal elders and princes were allowed to have two and three consorts. The marriage itself was a ritual event. It was supposed to include rich drinks and food. All this was accompanied by songs and dances, sacrifices and special rituals aimed at increasing wealth and fertility. The man was recognized as the head of the new cell of the tribe. As a sign of her unquestioning submission, the wife had to take off his shoes at the wedding. The tribal sorcerer was always present.

It is worth dwelling on such a ritual as a feast (funeral). Its holding was associated with the Slavs' belief in the afterlife. The deceased person was seen off with the necessary honor. It was believed that now he would intercede at the right moment for his fellow tribesmen before higher powers. Dishes with food, tools and weapons were placed next to him. Then the one who went to another world was burned in the fire. It was believed that the soul leaves along with puffs of smoke. As a rule, an earthen mound was poured over the funeral pyre. After this, competitions and a feast were held in memory of the deceased tribesman.

These are the main rather interesting and colorful rituals and customs of distant ancestors in ancient times. They accompanied every person throughout his existence.