Rus

Here are the main groups of customs and beliefs associated with the supernatural in Rus':

1. Brownies and spirits-"masters"

These were, perhaps, the most “everyday” supernatural creatures.

· Domovoi – the guardian spirit of the home. It was believed that every home had its own domovoi. Customs: People tried to appease him by leaving him a bowl of milk or porridge, or throwing a coin in the corner. When moving to a new house, they would "invite" him along, for example, by sweeping the trash out of the old house and into the new one and saying, "Domovoi, domovoi, come with me!" An angry domovoi could make noise, hide things, and strangle people at night. Bannik – the spirit of the bathhouse. The bathhouse was considered an unclean place, inhabited by evil spirits. Customs: People went to the bathhouse wearing a cross, didn't wash after midnight, and never washed alone. People asked the bathhouse spirit for permission to wash and thanked him afterwards. It was believed that he could scald someone with boiling water or steam them to death. · Ovinnik – the spirit of the threshing floor and barn (the place where sheaves were dried). He was regarded with particular fear, as he could start a fire. · Leshy is the spirit of the forest, the “master” of the forest. Customs: Before entering the forest, people asked his permission, didn't swear, and didn't make noise. To avoid getting lost, they dressed their clothes inside out. The Leshy could weave paths, create fog, steal a child, or lead a hunter into the thicket.

2. Mermaids and water spirits

· Vodyanoy – the spirit master of rivers and lakes. Depicted as an old man with a fish tail, covered in mud. Customs: Fishermen and millers brought him sacrifices (tobacco, bread, the first fish they caught). He was believed to drown careless swimmers, especially after sunset and during Rusal Week. Rusalki are the souls of drowned women or unbaptized infants. Contrary to modern image, in Rus', rusalki were often depicted not with fish tails, but as pale-skinned girls with long green hair. Customs: Rusalka Week (after Trinity) was the time when mermaids came ashore. During this time, swimming, walking alone in the forest, and washing clothes in the river were prohibited. To appease them, towels or clothes were hung on trees.

1. "Magic" circles around a tree. There was an interesting adoption custom: if an orphan or a stranger's child was to be adopted into a family, they would symbolically "pull" the child through a special hole in the oak trunk or through a split trunk, and then carry it around the tree three times. After this, the child was considered part of the family.

2. Why shouldn't you whistle in the house? This superstition originates from Ancient Rus'. Whistling was believed to be the language of evil spirits (winds, whirlwinds, and the domovoi). Whistling in the house could "whistle" all the money and prosperity out of the house, as well as anger the domovoi.

3. The headscarf as a symbol of marriage. Girls could go bareheaded, displaying their braided hair—a maiden's beauty. But after marriage, a woman was obliged to always cover her hair with a headscarf (povoinik). Being seen in public bareheaded was considered a great disgrace for the entire family, as it was believed to bring misfortune.

4. When a loved one died, all the mirrors in the house had to be covered with cloth, and for the next 40 days they couldn't be removed or looked at. It was believed that a ghost could inhabit these mirrors. People in Rus' were very superstitious.

History and origin: Master of the forest, patron spirit of animals and plants. Personified the soul of the forest—both generous and dangerous. Appearance: He could change shape. He appeared as a tall giant, a short old man, or a bear or a tree. He was often described as a man wearing a sheepskin coat inside out (buttoned the wrong way), without a belt, and with a green beard. One leg could be a goat's. Attitude toward people: Neutral, but guards his domain. He could lead a mushroom picker out of the forest if they behaved respectfully, or, conversely, "twist" them and lead them astray to their death if they behaved badly (swearing, hunting excessively). To deceive him, you had to put all your clothes on inside out.

In Rus', there was a spectrum of social and religious roles whose responsibilities included combating supernatural evil:

1. Magus (pagan period) - a magician-intermediary.
2. Priest/monk (Christian period) - official "exorcist" through prayer and sacraments.
3. The saint is the ideal example of a "demonslayer".
4. A healer/witch doctor (folk tradition) is a practitioner of household magic to protect against "damage".
5. The holy fool is a marginal prophet and denouncer of evil.
6. Herbalists/Herbalists – women and men, their job was to brew potions and decoctions from herbs and berries (There were also witches and warlocks, who usually lived far from people, usually in forests or mountains.) There were also priests, who, according to legend, could communicate with the dead.

Peasants The basis of the men's attire was a kosovorotka shirt with or without a low collar and narrow trousers made of canvas or dyed linen. The shirt was made of white or colored canvas and worn over the trousers, cinched with a belt. The shirt was decorated with embroidery—a pattern along the hem, sleeves, and neckline. Outerwear consisted of a zipun or caftan made of homespun cloth, which was wrapped on the left side and fastened with hooks or buttons. In winter, sheepskin coats were worn. Footwear: During the warmer months, most peasants wore bast shoes. They also wore onuchi (foot wraps)—pieces of fabric wrapped around the feet—on their feet. In the winter, they wore valenki (felt boots). Images of traditional peasant clothing of Rus': shirts, trousers, zipuns, bast shoes Boyars The foundation of a boyar's wardrobe consisted of long shirts, caftans, trousers, and shoes. Shirts were made from expensive fabrics such as silk, linen, and brocade. Trim was an important element, especially on the collar and sleeves, which were adorned with embroidery, beads, precious stones, and gold thread. A caftan could be worn for both everyday and formal occasions. Casual caftans were made from heavier fabrics, such as broadcloth or wool, while formal ones were made from brocade, velvet, and silk. Caftans had long sleeves, often had a stand-up collar, and covered the chest. Footwear: During the warmer months, boyars wore soft leather boots decorated with gold and silver threads. In winter, footwear was made of thicker, warmer materials, often including fur. Decor - embroidery on clothes was done with gold and silver threads, sometimes pearls and precious stones were used

old woman

A water spirit is a character in Slavic mythology, a spirit that lives in water and is considered the master of bodies of water.

History: In Slavic mythology, the vodyanoy is interpreted as a fallen angel, banished by God and finding refuge in the water element. According to legend, the soul of a "pawned" deceased, a drowned person, can transform into a vodyanoy.

Biography: The Vodyanoi was a powerful lord of the water element, controlling all natural processes in bodies of water. He controlled the behavior of rivers, could cause devastating floods, kept all fish as his own livestock, rode atop a huge catfish, and had the ability to create dangerous whirlpools and vortexes.

Appearance: The vodyanoy is depicted as an ugly man (an old man among the Eastern Slavs) with long green hair, covered in mud, algae, and moss. His image often includes certain zoomorphic features.

Abilities: The water spirit can take the form of various animals and objects, from large fish to a horse, and can also appear as a waterfowl or a log.

Family: the water spirit had a complex social organization - his own family, including a wife (a mermaid or a drowned woman) and water children.

Interaction with people: the water spirit actively interacted with people, especially with those whose lives were closely connected with the water element - fishermen, millers and raftsmen.

Biography: According to folk beliefs, mermaids were girls who died before marriage or children cursed by their mothers. Some legends said they were drowned women, while others believed they were unbaptized infants.

Appearance: Mermaids were depicted as women with long, flowing hair, dressed in white or completely naked. Perceptions of these creatures' appearance varied depending on the region: in some places, mermaids were considered young and beautiful, while in others, they resembled hideous old women with a menacing, frightening appearance.

Behavior: In most beliefs, mermaids were considered dangerous spirits, hostile to people of all ages. However, in the popular imagination, they were associated not only with danger but also with fertility.

Habitat: mermaids were not strictly tied to water; their habitat was vast and included both natural (forests, rivers, fields) and otherworldly (cemeteries, crossroads) places.

Abilities: Mermaids were said to possess the ability to shapeshift. For example, they were believed to be able to take the form of squirrels, rats, frogs, birds, or appear as cows, horses, calves, dogs, hares, and other animals.

Origin According to popular belief, young children who died without baptism or were strangled by their mothers become mavkas. A child who died during Rusalnaya Week (the week before the Holy Trinity) can also become a mavka. Less common are beliefs that children cursed by their parents or kidnapped by evil spirits turn into mavoks. It is believed that the first Mavka was Kostroma, the goddess of spring and fertility, the daughter of Semargl and Kupalnitsa, who drowned herself in a forest lake.

Appearance Mavkas appear as young maidens and children with flowing green hair and pale skin. They walk around naked, sometimes wearing long, tattered shirts. Feature: the back is transparent, revealing internal organs, including a non-beating heart. Habitat: Mavkas inhabit forests, mountains, and bodies of water. They were believed to appear in the spring, when the grass is just beginning to sprout. Behavior Mavkas are portrayed as cunning and dangerous creatures. Some behavioral characteristics include: At the sight of a man, the mavka falls into a trance, thinking that he is her lover, because of whom she once committed suicide, and pounces on him, hugs him and drags him under the water. Only under water does the mavka realize that this is not her beloved, and she lets him go, but by that time the man is already dead. Some mavkas, most often children, kill people out of a sense of revenge for their own death, which no one prevented.

The peak of activity is spring and summer, when forests and meadows are maximally covered with vegetation.

Protection According to popular belief, mavkas are afraid of iron, silver, garlic, and wormwood. mythological.fandom.com Also recommended: Avoid visiting the forest during Mermaid Week (in some regions - before, in others - after Trinity). Wear two pectoral crosses so that one is on the chest and the other on the back.

spirit of home and family The origins of the domovoi are linked to ancient ancestor cults, when deceased family members were revered as protectors of the clan. With the advent of Christianity, the image of the domovoi underwent changes: from a pagan deity, it began to be associated with fallen angels cast down from heaven by God.

According to legend, a domovoi could be the soul of a deceased ancestor or a person destined to become the guardian of the home after death. Some legends claim that these spirits were created by God himself and given to each home as a talisman. {{user}} The image of the domovoi varied, reflecting local traditions. He was depicted as an elderly man, often resembling the deceased owner of the house. His fur, long ears, and claws emphasized his connection to the other world.

The domovoi was not just a guardian spirit, but also a mediator between the world of the living and the afterlife. He was considered an assistant in household affairs and a protector of the family.

The role of the domovoy in family life varied depending on the region. In Northern Russian tales, the domovoy is portrayed as a stern and demanding master of the house, whose favor must be earned. In the southern and western regions, his image becomes less stern but more mischievous: here, he appears as a mischievous creature capable of causing no small amount of trouble with his pranks.