Tell about spring rituals and how spring is welcomed. Spring ritual traditions in the ancient world. Christ is risen, son of God

05.03.2020

Calendar rituals and songs can be divided into two cycles: spring-summer and autumn-winter. In the first cycle, the central place is occupied by the image of the sun and blossoming vegetation.

The Russian calendar opens with the meeting of spring. The performance of stoneflies was usually associated with calendar dates marking the arrival of birds. The main dates of the "clique of spring" in the Smolensk region were: March 1/14 (Evdokia day), March 9/22 (the feast of the forty martyrs, among the people - the Magpies), and March 25 (April 7) - the Annunciation, when, as the people say , "Spring overcame winter."

Spring calendar - ritual songs (vesnyanka) were performed to bring the arrival of spring closer. They were called by climbing on roofs or hills, calling for spring. The arrival of birds meant the arrival of spring, therefore, an integral part of the spring rituals were appeals to birds, larks:

Larks, larks!
Come to us,
Bring us a warm summer,
Take the cold winter away from us.
The cold winter has bored us
Hands, feet froze.

Chuvil-ville-ville,
Come to us,
Bring us
Warm time
New bread!

On this day, "waders" are baked - rye cakes with curved edges, depicting wings and a spherical head, in the middle of which, from right to left, there is a comb, without a neck, with dimples instead of eyes. Children find them very beautiful, and before they eat them, they call them.

Sandpiper-samorot,
I flew to the city
Broke a stick
Killed the daw
Jackdaw is crying
Kulik gallops. Then the children began to cry out for spring:
"Spring is red,
What did you come with? " -
"On the bipod, on the harrow,
On an oatmeal
On a spikelet of rye. "

Having shouted enough and admired their "waders", children, not without regret, breaking them, begin to have breakfast.

Chuvil-ville-ville,
Lark,
Bring spring
On your tail
On a plow, harrow,
On a rye mop,
On a sheaf of oats.

The custom of being the first to welcome spring was universally assigned to children. They were given larks (waders, rooks) baked in the form of birds with wings, a tuft, and children with joyful exclamations ran to the hills, climbed onto the roofs of huts, barns, baths to click the spring. Larks were thrown up or, so that they were higher, strengthened on poles. In rare local traditions, larks were buried in the ground. This custom is clearly connected with the ancient ritual representations of spring treats to the earth.

In vesniankas (chants), they turned not only to the images of birds announcing the approach of spring, but also directly to the main condition for its arrival - to the flaring sun. At the same time, the warmth of the sun was identified with the warmth - "pity" of his own mother ("Spring is red, climb the mountain ..."). Spring in songs is endowed with anthropomorphic features. She appears in the image of a creature on which the well-being of the collective of farmers depends to a large extent; she, like a good peasant woman-mistress, carries with her a "box of life", oats for horses and grass for cows, "one testicle" for village children.

People welcomed spring not only because of economic expectations. The beauty of the spring awakening of nature awakened aesthetic feelings, emotional and psychological experiences of a person. The economic hopes expected from the life-giving sun are combined with the joy caused by the beauty of spring nature.

Spring ritual songs for the Annunciation

On the Annunciation, children cry out in the spring: "Spring is red, What has you come with?" -

"On the perch,
On a thin one
On the dostochka,
On a nice one,
With abundant bread,
With high flax ”.

Spring, spring red
Come spring with joy
With joy, with joy
With great mercy,
With high flax,
With a deep root,
With abundant bread.

One of the biggest spring holidays of the Slavs - Yegor Veshniy (Yuryev's Day), performed the ritual of the first pasture of cattle. The cattle were decorated with ribbons, flowers, they sang about the coming of summer. Since ancient times, St. George's Day was perceived by the people as one of the boundaries between winter and summer, an important date in the agricultural calendar, and therefore many works were timed to it, accompanied by various rituals. On Yegoriev Day, children go home and sing a spring ritual song:

We walked around the field
Egoria was called,
Makarya was called:
“Yegory you are our brave,
Saint Macarius!
Save our cattle
In the field and beyond the field,
In the forest and beyond the forest,
Under the bright month
Under the red sun
From the predatory wolf,
From a fierce bear
From the evil beast! "

Father Egori,
Save our cattle
Every animal
In the field and beyond the field,
In the forest and beyond the forest.
To a wolf and a bear -
Stump and deck,
Crow, crow -
Gritty pebble.
Father Egoriy - a candle,
We, well done, - on the testicle.

After Matins on Easter, the children go to "Christ". Crowds of 10 - 20 people gather. The owners give the children colored eggs, sometimes the children say:

I'm a little boy
Climbed up on a column
I play a pipe
I amuse Christ.
Christ laughed
Shackled to a pipe.

The spring cycle includes the so-called hair-like songs. They were usually performed as festive, congratulatory and the first days of the church holiday of Easter. The main ritual situation in which the wolf songs were performed was the Easter tour of the courtyards (the wolf ritual). Residents of the villages called the participants in the Easter walks volochets, Christos, etc.

However, the songs performed during this period cannot be considered generated by the Christian religion alone. Bright in their intonation structure, with an emphatically dancing rhythm, behind which there is a joyful festive procession, these songs are the oldest in the spring cycle and reflect the purely earthly joy of the perception of the sun and awakened nature. Useful refrain "Christ is Risen, Son of God", the mention of the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ, participation as characters in the unfolding song plot of numerous Christian saints - all this is just a surface layer formed in the process of the struggle that Christianity introduced by the Church has been waging for a number of centuries with folk religion.

Volochechny songs (ritual Easter)

Christ is risen, son of God ...

Christ is risen, son of God.
To that yard
Have tried.
Christ is risen, son of God.
To the master's, To the hero's.
Christ is risen, son of God.
His wife
I went for water
Christ is risen, son of God.
I went for water
To the Danube River.
Christ is risen, son of God.
Swung
Widely.
Christ is risen, son of God.
Got it deeply.
Christ is risen, son of God.
Put
On the bench
Christ is risen, son of God.
She went to wake her husband.
Christ is risen, son of God.
- Ay you husband,
Do not sleep bow.
Christ is risen, son of God.
Let us be
Thought to think.
Christ is risen, son of God.
I think to think -
To build a church.
Christ is risen, son of God.
To build a church,
The cathedral is new.
Christ is risen, son of God.
And in the cathedral
On the throne ...
Christ is risen, son of God.
Mother of the purest
Crying tearfully.
Christ is risen, son of God.
Yurya, Egoria
Calms.
Christ is risen, the son of God.
- Don't cry, don't cry,
Most pure mother.
Christ is risen, son of God.
- Ay, what about me
Not a poster.
Christ is risen, son of God.
My son
aspirate.
Christ is risen, son of God.
Nail your hand
They pierce.
Christ is risen, son of God.
And hit
All the ringing.
Christ is risen, son of God.
All ringing - Bells.
Christ is risen, son of God.
Cheese land
She shuddered.
Christ is risen, son of God.
All people
Greetings.
Christ is risen, son of God.
With a red egg
Kissing.
Christ is risen, son of God.

The textbooks dragged along ...

The textbooks dragged along.
My garden is green, cherry.
Dragged - got wet.
My garden is green, cherry.
We passed the river and found a candle.
My garden is green, cherry.
Passed another - lost thuja.
My garden is green, cherry.

Down the street along the wide ...

Down the street down the wide
Christ is risen, son of God.
No noise is noisy, no thunder is thundering,
Christ is risen, son of God.
Volochebniks (and) ki are noisy, thundering.
Christ is risen, the son of God.
Volochechnich (s) ki are kind people.
Christ is risen, son of God.
Not prying, not prying.
Christ is risen, the son of God.

The page uses the texts of the calendar - ritual spring songs from the books:

SOUTH. Kruglov "Russian ritual songs"
Nursery rhymes. Readers. Fables. / Comp., Ed. entry articles and notes. A.N. Martynov. - M .: Sovremennik, 1989. p. 212
"Smolensk Land in the Monuments of Russian Literature" Edited by V.V. Ilyin.

The spring holiday is celebrated in different ways in different countries of the world, however, the ancient spring ritual traditions of many peoples of Europe are very similar.

Since ancient times, Russia has always been eagerly awaiting the arrival of the beautiful Spring. Calling for Spring, people sang ritual pagan songs - hailing spring, inviting warmth, hailing, accompanying them with rituals of appeasing the sun.

On the day of the vernal equinox, an ancient Slavic holiday was celebrated in Ancient Russia Larks on the day of the vernal equinox - March 22. It was believed that spring comes for the first larks, and all migratory birds return home. The hostesses baked lark birds from the dough and treated all the relatives. Children sang funny songs, attracting larks and spring.
Larks, come fly!
Drive the cold winter away!
Bring warmth in the spring!
We are tired of winter
I ate all the bread with us!
Songs called for spring, so that it would come with warmth, with good weather, with bread, with a rich harvest.

The celebration of the meeting of Spring in Ancient Russia spent at the spring ceremonial tree, decorated with ribbons, spring primroses, ringing bells. each fellow villager could decorate a ceremonial tree, carried it around the village and went together to a hill or hillock, from where they all together called out a song for spring. Young people danced in circles and played the old ritual game "Stream", which symbolized the melting of snow and the approach of spring warmth.

For the third time in Russia they called Spring on April 7, on a beautiful holiday of freeing birds from captivity. Together with the free life and the sonorous singing of birds, renewal took place in all nature and spring came into its own. The ancient custom of letting birds go free meant the liberation of nature from the winter cold.

When releasing the birds, they said:
Titmouses-sisters,
Tap-dancing aunts,
Red-throated bullfinches,
Fine fellows,
Thieves sparrows!
Fly at will
You will live on freedom,
Bring the spring to us as soon as possible!

Pelica with a swallow - Euphronius

In ancient Greece the first spring swallows were the symbol of the arrival of spring. Early in the morning of May 1, children go in search of the first swallow of spring, walk along the houses and sing songs, calling on the swallow, which will bring spring on its wings. On May 1, fellow villagers treat singing children with fruits, nuts and pies.

In ancient times, the first day of May was one of the most important holidays of the Celtic herding calendar year. On the night of April 31 to May 1 ancient celts celebrated Beltane (Beltane, Beltaine) in translation means "Merry bonfire".

In the pagan beliefs of the ancient Celts, it was a holiday of the first pasture of livestock on spring pastures. The central ritual of the Beltane Festival was the lighting of large bonfires on top of a hill or mountain near the village. The Celts gathered dry branches and firewood for the sacred May Day fires, piled them on the hills and set them on fire at dawn on May 1, for the first time drove cattle to pastures. Herds of domestic animals were carried out between flaming bonfires, paying tribute to the sun, asking for mercy from the forces of nature and, saving animals from diseases and cleansing them with fire from the corruption of evil spirits.

On the night of April 30 to May 1, Walpurgis Night is celebrated in many Scandinavian countries and Germany. It was believed that at the foot of Mount Brocken on Walpurgis Night one hundred thousand witches, devils, kikimors and sorcerers gather for a Sabbath for a rampant of evil spirits, from which one must be sure to defend themselves. Children and schoolchildren of modern Germany draw and mold witches. The ancient Germans considered dew, milk, butter to be a talisman against evil spirits.

In Germany girls at dawn on May 1 and washed themselves with dew to get rid of freckles, with the words: “Good morning, Walpurgia! I brought you my freckles. Freckles will come to you, but they will disappear from me! " German youths on the morning of May 1 secretly plant a maypole under the window of their beloved girl.
Trade unions and left-wing political parties organize traditional processions and demonstrations in Germany on May 1, which often end in fights with police officers, smashing windows, setting fire to cars and other hooligan actions.

In Great Britain the end of winter is celebrated on Walpurgis Night, at the Festival of Fire - Beltane Fire Festival Beltlane). The word "Beltlane" translated from Irish means early May when people greeted spring by lighting mystical fires and arranging dances and mummers' processions. There was a belief that a person who passes on Walpurgis night between the fires of two fires will be cleansed and not be healthy all year round. The tradition of celebrating Walpurgis Night is associated with Celtic culture.

The Walpurgis Night Festival was named in honor of the Abbess Walpurgia, who lived in 710-779 in the monastery of Heidenheim, canonized on May 1. During the crossing of the Channel from England to France, the Abbess of Walpurgis managed by the power of her prayer to save the ship from death during a severe storm. Abbess Walpurgis managed not only to pacify the storms, but also to save people from evil spirits, from rabies, plague epidemics and other diseases.

In 1988, the pagan traditions of Walpurgis Night were revived again, and more and more tourists come to the Beltlane Fire Festival, ordering a tourist or business visa to the UK. At the Festival of Fire on this pagan night, tourists have fun and perform rituals to expel the evil forces of nature, drive away winter and celebrate the onset of summer.

In ancient rome on the first day of the last month of spring, the Romans worshiped Flora, the goddess of flowers and spring, and held the Floria festivals dedicated to Flora. In every house, the ancient Romans decorated a small statue of the young goddess of spring and awakening nature Flora with garlands and wreaths of spring primroses. A procession of singers and dancers paraded through the city with a statue of the goddess Flora in flowers and worshiped blooming maypole. On the day of the goddess Flora, young men sing serenades under the windows of their beloved girls, declaring their love, put a green branch on the threshold of the door. If a girl picks up the branch in the house in the morning, it means that she agrees to get married, and if she throws the branch on the road, it means a refusal.
On the island of Sicily on May Day, it is customary to collect meadow flowers, buttercups, poppies, chamomiles, which are believed to bring happiness to the house.

In the traditions of Ancient Rome that have survived to this day, there is a custom to decorate a living May Day tree with wreaths of the first flowers and garlands and to lead round dances with songs and merry dances. May Day tree must be guarded on Walpurgis Night, otherwise it can be kidnapped by evil spirits, and the holiday of spring will be overshadowed. On the evening of May 1, the first spring festive fireworks are held.
Workers' unions and left-wing parties in modern Italy organize mass rallies on May 1 in Rome, Milan, Turin and Naples.

Our ancestors were distinguished by a very peculiar perception of the world around them. The change of day and night, and even more so the change of seasons, did not seem to them such unshakable laws of nature. Watching the sunset, a person was not at all sure that it would rise again in the morning, and in winter people were worried whether spring would come this year, and if it did, it would not bypass their edge. But what people were sure about was their ability to influence the forces of nature. Many generations of our ancestors were firmly convinced: spring comes because they call it, conducting the correct rituals and observing traditions.

They began to "click", to call for spring in March, when it was still snowing and it was cold. The main role in this responsible business was assigned to girls. It was they who, having climbed onto the roof, stood in a circle near the ice-hole, at the top of the hill or in a round dance around the fire, sang spring flowers. In these songs, they plaintively called for spring to come, promising her all kinds of riches and entertainment. There was also a custom - young people gathered in a field prepared for spring sowing. A large fire was lit in the center of the field. The most beautiful and hardworking girl in the village was put on a harrow and carried around the fire with songs. Then, on this field, a feast and festivities were organized for the entire village.

In order to speed up the arrival of spring, the custom was widespread everywhere to bake "zhaivoronki" - bread in the form of birds, not necessarily larks. Each hostess portrayed that migratory bird for which she had enough skill and artistic ability. In some places, it was customary to bake buns in the form of storks - with their characteristic beaks, crests and legs. The kids climbed onto the roofs of the sheds and sang spring flowers, throwing their "zhaivorons" into the air. The hostess must have thrown one loaf into the oven.

Especially many rituals were associated with Maundy Thursday (the last week of Great Lent). Perhaps because this period in ancient times was considered the beginning of the year. On this day, it was customary to call on their deceased ancestors. A bathhouse was heated for them, a treat was prepared. The Ukrainians called Maundy Thursday "Navskiy great day", that is, Easter for the undead. They believed that on this day the dead are released from the afterlife so that they may serve Mass and repent of their sins.

On Maundy Thursday, a variety of cleansing, as well as rituals aimed at increasing wealth and protecting from evil spirits were carried out. Until now, we have preserved the tradition of spring general cleaning on Maundy Thursday. And yet, many believe that if you count all the money in the house seven times on this day, it will bring prosperity.

To protect themselves from evil spirits, from the evening service in the church, they carried a lighted candle and burned a cross on the door lintel for it.

The holiday of the Trinity in the folk tradition is also associated with the undead. Namely with mermaids. According to legend, young girls who died not by their own death become mermaids. They settle in water bodies, forests, and fields. It was believed that the mermaid could predict fate. In order to find out about their share, the girls “idolized” with the mermaids. To pryamo carried out "baptism of the cuckoo", which represented a bunch of grass. This nepotism or "sisterhood" lasted for three days, and then was terminated by the rite of reckoning.

To appease the mermaids, to protect themselves from their intrigues, wreaths of birch branches were woven for them, tying the tops of nearby birch trees, which served as swings for them. The wreath on which the mermaid godfather swayed was thrown into the water. According to whether he comes up or sinks, they predicted the future. The rest of the wreaths were untwisted, urging the mermaids to go away from people into the woods.

On Trinity and before it, they remembered not only those deceased who became mermaids, but also others who died not by their own death. A very cheerful commemoration was arranged for them with refreshments, songs and always with a whistle, which frightened off evil spirits. A purely Ukrainian tradition - on Trinity, eggs were painted yellow and distributed to children in memory of stillborn and drowned babies. At such merry commemorations, pipes and clay whistles were traditionally sold - a kind of sacrifice to the dead.

In the spring, it was not accepted to sing sad songs. As a rule, they sang about incipient love, about mutual feelings, about the flowering of love. The flowering of nature accompanied the flowering of feelings.

The cycle of spring festivities was completed by Midsummer's Day. In fact, this is already the first summer holiday, and about it in the next article.

Borislava Bilyavskaya based on the book by DK Zelenin "East Slavic Ethnography".

March 22, according to the national calendar, is the day of the Lark. According to popular beliefs, the first forty birds arrive on this day and bring spring on their wings.
Spring

In Russia, they have always been very serious about the time preceding the summer - the beautiful Spring. Spring was always expected, met, called out, hooted, so that it would come with warmth, with good weather, with bread, with a rich harvest.

Spring was called several times. Often, the call of Spring was first begun when nature itself showed it: the snow is melting, dripping from the roofs, birds come and start singing like spring.
The Russian people say that birds bring a real, warm spring on their wings. Forty different birds fly from warm countries, and the first of them is the lark or sandpiper. But, nevertheless, there are dates that are considered the most suitable for the call. One of these dates is March 22nd. The second time Spring was called and called on this very day.

March 22 chants
March 22 - this day coincides with the astronomical day of the vernal equinox - the day when Spring comes, the day when the length of the daytime is equal to the length of the dark time of the day.

Ritual tree
The Spring Festival was held at the ceremonial tree, which was decorated with ribbons, paper flowers, and bells. The ceremonial tree was carried around the village so that everyone could decorate it, and then the decorated tree was brought to where the spring is called.

Baking larks
To bring the arrival of spring closer, the housewives on this day baked from fresh or sour dough birds - "larks", which were called children or brothers of migratory birds, they were seated on thawed patches, roofs, trees and haystacks.

Round dance "Stream"
The round dance game "Stream" is an old ritual game that symbolized the melting of snow. The sun warmed the earth, the snow melted, babbling streams ran everywhere.

The rite of letting birds go
Another holiday associated with birds falls on April 7, when Spring was called for the third (last) time. In Russia, spring was awaited with great impatience and believed that birds could speed up its arrival.

Of course Shrovetide