Hall of the Horse - what do representatives of the fire element possess? The Slavic holiday was steeped in its traditions and history.

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Kupala is the twin brother of Kostorma in Slavic mythology. Both of them are children of the goddess of the Night Bathing Suit and Semargl. Slavic myths say that one day, when Kupala and her sister were still little, they ran to the pure pole to listen to the bird of death Sirin and a misfortune happened there. The Sirin bird carried Kupala to the Dark Kingdom. Many years passed, and then Kostroma (sister) walked along the river bank and wove a wreath. The wind tore the wreath from his head and carried it into the water, where Kupala picked it up while sailing past in a boat. Kupala and Kostroma fell in love with each other and got married without knowing that they were brother and sister, and when they found out they decided to drown themselves. Kostorma became a mermaid or Mavka. But the gods decided to take pity on the brother and sister and turned them into a flower that we now know as Ivan da Marya.

They celebrated the holiday of Kupala (the holiday of the summer solstice on the night of June 23-24). Presumably on this day the Slavs celebrated the holiday of the solar deity. The holiday of Kupala was also associated with the veneration of fire. It was believed that the connection between fire and water personified the dependence of fertility on bright sun and good watering.

Kupala is the Summer God, according to the Gustinian Chronicle: “The fifth (idol) Kupala, as I imagine, was the god of abundance, like the Hellenic Ceres, who was insane for giving thanks to the niche at that time, when the harvest was about to arrive.” In “On the Idols of Vladimirov” - “the god of the fruits of the earth.”

It gained unusual popularity among the Eastern Slavs; on the night of Ivan Kupala, fire and water combine (with the obligatory appearance of life-giving steam and boiling water) and miracles happen: “This Kupala, the demon, is still commemorated in some countries by crazy people, starting on the 23rd day of June , on the evening of the Nativity of John the Baptist, even before the harvest and beyond... “, reports the Gustino Chronicle. - “In the evening, simple children of both sexes gather and weave themselves crowns from a poisonous potion, or koretya, and, having girded themselves, light a fire, and then they put up a green branch, and, holding hands nearby, turn around that fire, singing their own songs, admiring the Kupala ; then they jump through the fire, offering this sacrifice to the demon. "

In addition to the section, some songs of the festival are given. K.M. Galkovsky cites teachings against paganism containing the names of Kupala, Kolyada, Lelya and Lado from as far back as the 18th century; the description of the holiday is almost identical, which indicates the stability of the folk tradition.

The message of the abbot of the Pskov Eleazarov monastery Panfil to the Pskov prince Dmitry Vladimirovich of Rostov (according to the Pskov chronicles, 15 05) says that on the eve of the Nativity of John the Baptist, “enchantresses” - men and women in the meadows, swamps, forests, fields are supposedly looking for -then mortal herbs “for destruction by man and cattle”, “here they dig divia rooting for the indulgence of their husbands: and all this they do with the action of the devil on the day of the Forerunners with the sentences of Sotanin.” And on the very feast of the Forerunners, coinciding with the summer solstice, actually with Kupala, “on that holy night, not all of the city will be in turmoil, and in the villages there will be a riot with tambourines, and sniffles, and the humming of strings, and all sorts of inappropriate Sotonin games, splashing and splashing , but wives and maidens and heads nod, and their lips are hostile to the cry, all the nasty demonic songs, and their wobbles are wobbling, and their feet are jumping and trampling; The same is the great fall of men and boys, the same is the prodigal view of women and girls, the same is defilement for husbands’ wives and corruption for virgins. What happened quickly in towns and villages in that year - soton flaunts the idol celebration, the joy and joy of Sotonin, but there is rejoicing in it... as if it were a reproach and dishonor to the Birth of the Baptist and in laughter and in disgrace his days, who do not know the truth, as if he were idolaters celebrate this demonic holiday”... “For every summer, as an idol, the official custom of Soton calls upon him, as a sacrifice to the bringer of all filth and lawlessness, a God-given offering; like the day of birth, the Forerunners of the great celebrate, but in their ancient custom.”

In East Slavic mythology, Kupala is the main character at the center of ritual actions and performances of the summer solstice holiday, which was celebrated on the night of June 23-24 according to the old style. The name of Kupala remained only in the names of the folk holiday “Ivan Kupala” and a ritual attribute - a decorated tree or scarecrow. The indication that Kupala is a deity is contained only in fairly late written sources. Thus, the Gustyn Chronicle (17th century) condemns the celebrations in honor of Kupala:

"Semu Kupala<…>commemoration is celebrated on the eve of the Nativity of John the Baptist<…>in a gray way: in the evening, simple children, of both sexes, gather and weave crowns of poisonous potion or bark for themselves, and, girded with the former, they light a fire, and sometimes they supply a green branch, and, eating by the hand, they turn around this fire, singing their songs<…>then they will gallop through this fire<…>Bathed, his god of the fruits of the earth was born to me, and to him, with demonic charm, thanksgiving and sacrifices were offered to the Shah, at the beginning of the harvest, the same god bathed, or more truly a demon, and to this day the memory remains in the Russian countries, especially in the eve of the Nativity of John the Baptist<…>through the fire, jumping over themselves to the same demon, Kupala is sacrificed<…>And whenever they pass by at night, then they retreat to the river with great shouting<…>wash with water." Condemnation of the Kupala rites themselves is also contained in earlier Slavic manuscripts: for example, in the “Synodik” of the Bulgarian Tsar Boril (XIII century), in the denunciations of the abbot of the Pskov Eleazar Monastery Pamphilus (1505). In particular, Abbot Pamphilus wrote:

“When the holiday comes, on that holy night not all of the city will be in turmoil, and in the villages they will go wild, with tambourines and sniffles and stringed humming, splashing and dancing; But wives and girls are disgusted by the nodding of their heads and their lips, the shouting, all the nasty songs, and the wobbling of their spines, and the jumping and trampling of their feet; that is, the great fall of man and boy, the whispering of men, women and girls, their fornication, the desecration of married women, and the corruption of virgins.”

Linguistic researchers trace the name Kupala to the Indo-European root kir- with the meaning “to boil, boil, passionately desire.” Words with this root are known to many peoples, including those neighboring the Eastern Slavs. So, in the Lithuanian language there is a verb kire, meaning “to boil, to foam,” and in Latvian kire - “to smoke, to smoke.” The name of the Slavic seasonal character Kupala is also related to the name of the Roman god of love Cupid, which is derived from the Latin verb eirYu - ere - “to desire, to crave,” which goes back to the same Indo-European root. The meaning of this root, associated with the concept of fire, is contained in the Polesie words “kupala” (bonfire) and “merchant” (smolder, burn poorly), and the Simbirsk local words “kupalnitsa” and “kupalenka” (bonfire in the field, fire overnight). Thus, the name Kupala was originally associated with the idea of ​​fire. This is also indirectly confirmed by the presence in East Slavic languages ​​of the same root names for various plants, the characteristics of which are correlated with fire. In some local traditions among Russians, wildflowers were called “bathing suit” or “kupavka”: pungent buttercup, that is, burning like fire; carnation and Ivan-da-Marya, which are similar to fire based on color - pink (red) and blue-yellow. “Kupenya”, or “bought”, in Pskov, Kursk, and Tula berniyas was the name for lily of the valley, the berries of which - orange-red, like fire - were used as blush. “Kupala” and “vitriol” were popularly called ferns - a plant that occupies an important place in beliefs relating specifically to the holiday of Ivan Kupala: according to traditional beliefs, the fern blooms only once a year and has a special flower - golden in color with a fiery red tint .

In connection with the idea of ​​fire in relation to the holiday of Ivan Kupala, one cannot help but notice that it fell on the day of the summer solstice, that is, at the turn of two periods of the solar annual cycle, which underlies the ancient agricultural calendar. This was the time of the highest activity of the sun, which then, as people said, “turned to winter” and gradually began to “fade”, causing the days to become shorter and the nights longer. It was in connection with these ideas that the ancient Slavs on this day honored the sun, perceived as a life-giving heavenly fire, watching its appearance at dawn and lighting bonfires.

Along with the veneration of the sun and the natural element of fire, the archaic ritual and mythological complex of the Kupala holiday included numerous actions associated with the opposite element of water. Therefore, over time, the name Kupala began to correlate with the verb “to bathe,” which is similar in sound to it. This perception of the name of a mythological seasonal character was also facilitated by the layering on the pagan Kupala ritual of the Christian celebration of the Nativity of John the Baptist, whose image was clearly associated with water. According to the Gospel, John, proclaiming the appearance of the Savior and the approach of the Kingdom of God, called on people to repent of their sins; those who repented underwent a purification ceremony in the waters of the Jordan River, which was called “baptism by water” or “full immersion.” The meaning of Kupala festivities in the popular consciousness was rethought over time and began to be perceived as ritual bathing. The influence of the pagan basis of the holiday was reflected in the fact that in the Russian tradition John the Baptist is better known as Ivan Kupala, that is, in fact, the Christian saint received the nickname of a pagan deity.

God Kupalo isson of the God of Fire, Semargl and the Goddess of the Night, Bathing Suit. He is twin brother of Kostroma, Patroness of lovers. Kupalo is one of the solar Gods, therefore he is also understood as the Summer hypostasis of the God Khors.

Appearance.

Kupala was revered as the God of the warm time of Summer, wild flowers and wild fruits.

Kupala is a cheerful and beautiful God, dressing in light white robes decorated with flowers. On the head of God Kupala there is a wreath of beautiful flowers.

Legends and myths about the Slavic God Kupala

After the Goddess of the Night, the Bathing Lady, gave birth to children from the God of Fire Semargl - two twins, a brother and a sister, the boy was named in honor of his mother - Kupalo, and the girl was named Kostroma for her unprecedented beauty. The children grew up in affection and maternal love. The son was a good, flexible and cheerful little boy. The daughter grew up disobedient, self-willed, apparently, she took after her Father. Only brother Kupalo could soften her unexpected antics.

One day Kostroma wanted to listen to the forbidden voice of the bird Sirin - the messenger of the dark World. Kupala, in the simplicity of his soul, said that the bird sings sweeter than Kostroma. The sister became angry, cursed the bird, and threw sand at it. The prophetic bird is not simple, magical. She was offended, but cast a spell on the children, and dragged the little boy Kupala along with her. As for where the boy grew up, the legends remain silent, but Kupalo grew up into a tall and smart guy. The spell only continued to work - he did not remember the past of himself and his relatives.

And Kostroma grew up with her mother, and she grew up to be a capricious, proud girl with a willful character. Once, when they made fun of her simple wreath in Green Rusalia, she declared that she would not even give her wreath to the Gods. Immediately the spell of the Sirin bird came to life - a playful breeze tore the wreath from Kostroma’s head and threw it straight into Kupalo’s hands. Out of malicious intent, he was sailing along the river in a boat at that time. He went ashore to Kupalo, presented a wreath to Kostroma, and everyone immediately sang songs of praise to both the bride and groom.

The sister and brother did not even recognize each other, thinking that they were strangers to each other. That's why they fell in love with just one glance. And after that, even the mother did not recognize her son in Kupala - the witchcraft of the vindictive bird Sirin was so strong. And on the day when it was the longest of the year, the wedding of Kupalo and Kostroma took place. The evil bird Sirin announced the whole truth with her singing only after the wedding of the newlyweds.

From such a violation of harmony, the Laws of Rule and the Universe, everyone had a hard time. Especially Kostroma - after all, it was constantly showered with ridicule. The proud beauty threw herself into the water out of shame, and her brother into the fire. Yes, only the Gods and Goddesses are immortal, so none of them died, but were only cleansed from the black spell. Afterwards, Kupalo became the God of the Summer Sun, gaining power over the world on the shortest night.

Honoring God Kupala.

June 20-22 the great holiday "God Kupala" is celebrated on the day of the summer solstice (solstice) . Solstice is the point in time in the Earth's annual rotation around the Sun when the shortest day or shortest night is observed. GOD KUPALA (Kupalo) - God who gives a person the opportunity to perform all sorts of Ablutions and conducts Rituals of Cleansing the Body, Soul and Spirit from various ailments and diseases. God who guides you to a joyful and happy life.

This holiday symbolizes the eternal triumph of light over darkness and is considered a day of reverence for the Sun. To help the Sun, on the night of Kupala they burn huge bonfires and jump over them. This night is called differently: the night of bonfires, the night of ferns, the night of lovers, etc. In order for there to be peace and prosperity in the house, to protect it from evil forces on this day, you need to hang a birch twig over the threshold - a talisman until the next summer Solstice.

This day symbolizes the highest point, maximum peak, rise, takeoff, ecstasy, both in nature and in human life. The holiday embodies fertility, abundance, glory, triumph, generosity, fullness of life, happiness. Love of life and fun reign on this shortest of earthly nights. From a mystical point of view, this holiday combines all four elements at once - fire, water, earth, air. Therefore, the Spirits of these elements rejoice and have fun with people.

On the holiday, the Slavs throw their prayers into the fire of the Holy Swastika Altar, so that everything sacrificed appears on the festive tables of the Gods and Ancestors. After making bloodless sacrifices, candles and firelights are lit from living fire, which are attached to wreaths and rafts and sent down the rivers. At the same time, on a candle or firelighter, they say their innermost desire or request for deliverance from illnesses, all sorts of failures, various problems, etc.

However, the main essence of this holiday is that people learn to enjoy life, love it, and enjoy it. This helps your heart open up and feel happiness. On this holiday it is customary to go to nature, closer to the water. Until dawn, fires blaze, laughter is heard, and cheerful songs ring. Ritual bathing, flower wreaths, dancing around the fire - all this is the summer Solstice. This day is filled with rituals associated with water, fire and herbs.

Symbols and amulets of Kupalo

These symbols can give people:

• powerful protection against any dark force;
• protect from damage, the evil eye and disease;
• treasure hidden in the ground;
• internal self-confidence;
• fulfillment of a cherished dream;
• profitable work;
• happiness and success in life.

KUPALO FIREBLOWER FERN COLOR

Chury Kupalo

Attributes of God Kupala

Bird- cuckoo, tit, jay, robin, lark, woodcock.

Totem bird- a fiery rooster, symbolizing tongues of fiery flame and the element of fire.

Heraldry, symbolism- the sun, with bright flashes and numerous rays.

Holiday paraphernalia- embroidered towels, tablecloths, scarves, clothes.

Ritual holiday paraphernalia- a high bonfire - Kupalets, a fiery wheel that needs to be thrown into the water, wreaths with candles, launched on flowing water.

Flower- fern color .

Treba, (offering)- symbolic sacrifice - rooster feathers, loaf of bread, flowers and herbs, symbolizing love.

Slavic Holiday Kupala (Kupailo, Kupalo) - the day of the summer solstice. The longest day and shortest night of the year. This is one of the four main holidays of the ancient Slavs, dedicated to the positions of the Sun (, Kupala,). The last day of Rusal Week or Rusalia. Kupala is one of the oldest holidays, which has kept many traditions and customs of our ancestors unchanged to this day, for example: seeing off Yarila, who is replaced by the God of the summer sun Kupala, collecting medicinal herbs, searching for fern flowers, etc. Kupala is also a great holiday, which is now replaced by the church on the birthday of John the Baptist.

Let's try to unbiasedly figure out what kind of day this is, bearing the name Kupala, which was revered and celebrated by the ancestors of the Rus strictly at the same time of the year, long before our times, the main customs and traditions of which, which suit the Soul even now (precisely according to Soul, and not according to some canons), have reached us from the depths of centuries.

On what day is Kupala celebrated?

The date of the celebration itself is not accidental and is associated with an astronomical event, like many other celebrated days, which may indicate the advanced knowledge of the Rus' ancestors in matters of astronomy. Kupala Day marks an astronomical event called the summer solstice. Now it is absolutely known that the trajectory of our planet around Yarila the Sun is far from an ideal circle. During one revolution of our planet around Yarila-Sun, the distance between them changes from minimally close to maximally distant, which is repeated from year to year and from century to century. On the day of the summer solstice, our planet occupies the farthest position from Yarila the Sun, and in our hemisphere at this time there is the longest day and the shortest night of the year - the triumph of light over darkness. This astronomical event does not depend on any religions, faiths, political views and, in general, people. The sun shines equally for everyone, and this event occurs at the same time from year to year, regardless of any calendars and their styles, and it cannot be canceled or postponed to please anyone, but it is quite possible to replace concepts.

In 2019, the Slavic holiday Kupala falls on June 21

Thus, the summer solstice, according to the widely used calendar today, falls from June 19 to June 25.

Where did the names of the holiday Kupala, Kupailo, Kupala or Ivan Kupala come from?

We've sorted out the date, now let's try to understand what meaning was put into the name of the Kupala Day holiday. If in the case of the date everything is clear, where the conditions are determined by an astronomical event, then with the name we will have to leave the question open, since we do not have reliable information today, and the Heritage of the Ancestors, passed on from mouth to mouth, has reached us very distorted. There are many versions of the origin of this name, but not all are accepted by the Soul unambiguously enough to be perceived as truth. At the end of the article there is a legend dedicated to the origin of the name of the summer solstice festival. Take courage and, after reading it, form your own opinion whether your Soul accepts such an interpretation, whether this is a version close to reality, and do not blindly follow any beliefs.

Today, the Holiday is better known as Ivan Kupala or Midsummer's Day, named after the Christian Saint John the Baptist. Ivan Kupala, unlike the real Feast of Kupala or Kupala, is not timed to coincide with the solstice, but is celebrated on the date of birth of John the Baptist on July 7. Celebrating Kupala on July 7 according to pagan traditions with bonfires, wreaths, and searching for ferns makes no sense, since the solstice is long behind us. In fact, this holiday does not belong to John the Baptist or some incomprehensible Ivan Kupala, but to the pagan God Kupala (Kupailo).

This holiday was once celebrated not only in Rus', but throughout Europe. Hills, fields, meadows, and valleys were covered with the lights of Kupala bonfires. Nowadays, of course, you won’t find this anymore, but many people, pagan communities continue to support the tradition, and anyone can visit the Kupala Festival as it really is. It is believed that at the dawn of Kupala Day the sun rejoices, shimmers with all the colors of the rainbow, dances and bathes. The solstice day itself is always hot, this is explained by the fact that the sun on its last day roasts the earth with all its might, but, defeated, goes away for the winter. On Kupala, the sun reaches its climax, heats with incredible force, and according to tradition, people must ask it to moderate its ardor.

Folk rituals and traditions for the Kupala holiday

The day of the summer solstice is still widely celebrated in different parts of our planet, and in many places on its true astronomical date. This holiday is common among peoples whose roots are closely connected with the roots of the Rus. Having different names among different nationalities, its essence is the same: all rituals are associated with fire, which usually appears in two forms - earthly and heavenly (Sun), and water.

The celebration of Kupala Day was preceded by Rusal Week. These days are dedicated to the Goddesses of rivers, lakes and reservoirs. During Rusal Week they did not swim unless absolutely necessary, so as not to disturb the water deities preparing for the summer festival, and from that day on they began to swim in the rivers every day. It was customary to watch the meeting of the month with the sun on the night of the solstice, stay up and watch the Sun play. Kupala night is a time when the magical power of fire, water, earth, plants reaches its highest strength, and the water in rivers and lakes acquires special life-giving and cleansing properties. The belief about the color of the fern blooming with fiery color on the Kupala night exists in all Slavic peoples, in search of which the most courageous went.

The idea of ​​the holiday is cleansing, affecting the three bodies of the human essence - the three-dimensional shell, soul and spirit. Fundamental natural elements - water and fire - are used as cleansing elements. That is why the famous bathing fires are always made on the banks of rivers.

The celebration begins with a round dance. The round dance is built from three circles of people holding hands and moving in different directions. The outer circle is made up of people of mature and old age, the middle circle is young and full of strength boys and girls, and the smallest circle, which is closest to the fire, is made up of small children .

During the celebration, our Ancestors jumped over bonfires and then ran into the arms of the river. The important point is that it should be a river with moving water, when an analogy can be drawn with the river of time, the flow of which everything is washed away one day, changes are constantly occurring. And if water cleanses the body, then fire cleanses the Soul.

It is believed that the bonfires lit for the Kupala Festival have a unique, cleansing power. On bathing night, according to the beliefs of our Ancestors, these bonfires burned in three worlds at once - in Reveal, Navi and Prav. Therefore, any fire on this night is a conductor, powerful and irresistible. A guide to the human and the divine, the dark and the light, the earthly and the heavenly.

Walking on coals is the next part of the holiday. This is a moment of purification or, rather, even hardening of the spirit. Through heat, a powerful thermal energy flow and small painful sparks, a person leaves false thoughts, unfair aspirations, demons and larvae, pushing him towards a dark path.

Also, the Slavic holiday Kupala Day includes weaving wreaths and fireweed. As for wreaths, traditionally wreaths are woven by girls for boys. Of course, if we are talking about an established couple, then the girl weaves a wreath for her man or husband; any other option is simply unacceptable. In all other cases, single girls give their wreaths to those guys who arouse their greatest sympathy. Wreaths are woven from field herbs and flowers. Ognevitsa are small “boats”, most often made from wooden planks. A candle is placed in the center of such a boat, and a “fence” is made of grass and leaves around it so that the wind does not accidentally extinguish the flame. Fireboxes with lit candles are launched into the river. If a person does not have a partner, he can start the fireball on his own, but more often this moment is not of an individual nature. After all, a harmonious state is achieved only in the unity of opposites, therefore, ideally, the fire should be launched by a couple - the bride and groom or husband and wife. At the moment when the guy and the girl put the fireweed on the water, they make wishes.

One of the biggest misconceptions about the Kupala Festival, which Christians gave us, is that during the festival fornication and all sorts of outrages happen. Our Slavic ancestors were the purest, both spiritually and materially.

Preachers and missionaries who came to our country from afar saw an incomprehensible celebration with fun, games, and dancing. They thought it was simply disgusting, and instead of sitting on their knees and begging for eternal forgiveness, people rejoice in life.

The fact is that on Kupala, as a holiday of the maximum sun, when the unusually powerful magical powers of heaven and earth are activated, it was considered a good sign to conceive a child. According to legend, those conceived on the day of the sun on Kupala absorbed all its energy and became either the best warriors , or wise women. It was also considered unlikely that a child conceived on Kupala would have supernatural abilities.

The Baptists probably witnessed how, on a holiday when the forces of nature were at their peak, many young people, secluded in quiet groves and meadows, tried to conceive new offspring. As a result, in order to try to take away one of the most significant holidays from the Slavs, a fast was imposed on him (Petrov's fast). In pre-Christian times, naturally, there was no fasting, and the festivities were not a celebration of the belly and spirit before long abstinence, but a celebration of Kupala Sun Day and the end of Rusal Week.

The legend of how the Kupala Holiday appeared

How the twins Kupala and Kostroma were born to the Goddess Bathing Suit

Meanwhile, in the kingdom of Rule, everything moved on as usual. Everything moved in its own way in our earthly kingdom of Reveal. In the Irian Garden, the fire god Semargl was about to go again to protect the world from dark forces. He sharpened his fiery sword, turned into a winged dog and flew across the night sky to disperse the Chernobog's great-grandchildren.

That night turned out to be difficult - time was the reason for this. The time has come for the summer solstice, the time of celebration of many dark forces, when the sun turns towards winter. Khors is still shining brightly, full of strength, but Veles’ hands are already lying on the great Svarog wheel, on the great wheel of time.

Very soon the sun will decline - little by little, minute by minute, and then it will not shine as it does now: then the cold Morena will become the mistress of the forests and fields. Even Khorsa will be covered with cold: on the day of the autumn equinox, when day and night become equal, he will extinguish his life-giving rays.

That is why the dark forces rejoice, but they still cannot defeat the sun. These days, Khors shines with all its might, and Dazhbog brings bright light to the whole earth, and at night Semargl guards the world - he taught people to light fires, and now on the night of the summer solstice they burn like eyes of light, driving away the darkness of the night. And then the earth, like a mirror, reflects the starry sky.

At this time, the wonderful Bathing-Night, a helper of fertile forces, shines with such amazing beauty that the fire god Semargl finally decided - he came up, flew up to the Bathing-suit and spoke about his ardent love. He told me how he yearns for her in heaven. And then the beautiful Goddess responded to Semargl’s love, and their love was hotter than a flame and gentler than the night air.

And, as it was destined by fate, intertwined as it was by the wise Makosh, as Nedoleya and Dolya were tied, twins were born to Semargl and Bathing Suit - two, a boy and a girl.

The boy was given the name Kupala, he was bright and white, his gaze, like water, was transparent and gentle. They began to call the girl Kostroma, and she was bright, like fire, with a hot soul and heart. The brother and sister were inseparable; they ran through the fields and meadows together and marveled at the earthly world, and the fields, and meadows, and groves. Together they marveled at the beasts of the earth and watched the flight of the birds of heaven.

Kupala and Kostroma were equal in their beauty and skills, the only difference between them was that Kostroma loved to look at the fire, she had fun jumping over the fire, and Kupala loved lake water more, he loved river waves and swam every day.

Kostroma once said to Kupala:

Light-winged birds told me yesterday that far, far away, by the Smorodina River, magical songs, the world’s wonderful birds, are singing. Tomorrow morning, you and I will go to that cherished place to hear unprecedented songs.

Kupala immediately agreed to this; he also liked the birdsong.

They did not say anything to their father and mother, and the next morning they went to the Smorodina River, to the huge World Oak, where the bird Alkonost sat on the right and sang about life and joy, and on the left the sweet-voiced Sirin sat and sang songs about the kingdom of the dead.

And Kupala listened to the sad songs of the Sirin bird, which flowed like the murmuring of a stream. Kupala forgot about everything in the world, closed his eyes, and then the bird Sirin took him to the dark, dead kingdom, and hid him there for many years. And Kostroma Alkonost listened to the bird, as if the flashes of a bright flame were her enchanting songs. Kostroma didn’t notice how brother Kupala disappeared, and when she looked around, no one was around anymore. She began to call her dear brother, but Kupala did not answer her; he was in a dark, distant place under the wing of the bird Sirin.

Many years have passed since then, and more than once white, fierce blizzards covered the pure pole with snow, and more than once then lush grasses grew through the winter’s malice. Many times since then the red sun has passed its annual circle. Troubles gave way to joy many times.

Since then, Kostroma has grown up and become a beautiful girl. Suitors often wooed Kostroma, even Veles, the wisest God, often looked at her, but none of them loved Kostroma.

“There is none of them to match me,” she often said to her mother, “among them there is no equal for me.” I am a maiden, born of the Gods, not immortal, but beautiful. Who can compare with me in skills? I won’t go for God for just anyone! Hairy old men are no match for me. Hairy and married...

And Night Swimsuit sighed in response. "Quiet!" - I told my daughter. Be afraid, they say, of trouble, they say, your beauty is equal to pride, no matter how angry the Gods are. But the lively Kostroma mother did not listen, she kept laughing, braiding her red curls. Together with other girls she wove wreaths, but one day the carminative Stribog suddenly tore the wreath from her head. He blew harder, threw it into the water, and the wreath floated downstream. And then proud Kostroma wished that she would find a wreath for a groom equal to her. Let the wreath float, looking for a betrothed, so that he will be exactly like her in everything!

And June, the month of Cherven, ended on earth, and was replaced by July, the month of Lipen. And the day of the solstice was getting closer: until sunset the sun shines for a long time, brighter than bright, and then the short night comes - a strange, bad time.

At this time, the world freezes in anticipation: something will happen ahead, how will everything work out? Water spirits and mermaids, subjects of the mistress Mokosh, loudly celebrate their wild holiday a week before the solstice. Mavkas, waterworts, ragworts and other aquatic inhabitants put wreaths of water lilies on their heads, and then get out of the lakes and rivers and start having fun along the banks. Unbelted, in white shirts, Slavic mermaids frolic, sing, laugh, swing in the trees, or even just sit on the grass and comb their long hair.

Slavic mermaids never had tails, but they have playful legs, and therefore they like to dance in circles, but not salted, from left to right, towards the Right, as living guys and girls do in honor of the Round Horse, and salted, against the arrow sentry, from right to left, from world to world Navi.

Water is an amazing element, it gives life to the whole world, but water can also destroy. Through rivers and lakes there is a path to the underground kingdom, and therefore many spirits of the waters listen, except for Mokosh, the many-wise Veles, especially those who came from the dead, from drowned people. Water spirits, moist, can help the crop grow, or they can drown everything at the root, and if a person has offended them with something or met them at an unkind hour, they will tickle them to death and drag them to their underwater world.

More than others, ragworts love to tickle everyone they meet, and in order to protect themselves from them in Rusalia - the holiday of all mermaids, people alone in the coastal forests and water meadows tried not to appear, and if they went, they took garlic and wormwood with them - scare away the rags.

The ragworts used to run away from the wormwood, but the Mavkas didn’t care. They are not even afraid to step through the circle, through the iron protective chain! The main thing is not to anger the mavoks, to laugh them off, that’s all the living have hope for. If they ask for a comb to comb their hair, give it to them, otherwise it will get worse. True, then you will have to throw away the comb, otherwise you will go bald yourself, but if you don’t give it, you become greedy, and the Mavkas will torture you to death.

In appearance they are such beauties as the world has never seen before: a sweet face, slender legs - everything is like those of the living. Only beauty is not alive among mavoks, it is dead. From the back you can see an unbeatable heart, lungs turned green without air, and entrails soaked in water. They received facial beauty as a reward for unrequited love on earth. After all, drowned women usually become mavkas, ugly, offended by life, because they threw themselves into the water out of unhappy love.

The most evil among the mermaids are lobastes; they like to hide in the coastal reeds. Older than the young maks, cunning, stronger, more experienced. They crawl out of the water like undead, with scary, old woman faces. On whomever the lobasts attack, death will be a deliverance.

And Vodyana rules over all the mermaids - on the days of the summer solstice he even feels like a birthday boy. He is the master of the waters, grazing his herds of fish in silence at the bottom of rivers and lakes - carp, catfish, bream - like a shepherd of cows in a field. He himself is entangled in mud, with a big belly and a tail. Instead of hands - goose paws, goggle-eyed, like a fish, with a thick beard and a green mustache. All the girls are water-like, transparent, and obey him strictly. Only his daughters, water girls, play pranks on the sly from their father: they confuse fishing gear and invite fishermen under the water with sweet songs.

During the day the Vodyanoy sleeps in the silence of deep pools or under a water mill, and at night he commands the drowned. In general, Vodyanoy is a kind grandfather, but if he gets angry or agitated, he can break the nets, flood houses, or even destroy the dam completely. Most of all, he loves to indulge himself out of boredom - he will drag some unwary boy from the shore to the bottom and let him live with him so that he can entertain him in the underwater silence.

And the most cheerful and nimble merman live in springs with clean spring water - “rattling springs” that arose on earth from lightning strikes of the Perunovs.

It was in such an unkind time, when Light and Darkness were measuring their strength, that a wreath fell into the water of Kostroma and floated out to look for her betrothed - with beauty and skills like her. Exactly. A wreath of blue flowers, like water, and red flowers, like fire, swayed on the waves.

Whichever fellow catches him will be the groom of Kostroma. Only no one is given a wreath in his hands; it floats down the river, down the river, into unknown lands.

The mermaids follow him along the water, the Mavkas and the waterworts whisper quietly. Like, our Water Master should have told about that wreath, and Lord Veles himself should have known about the maiden’s wreath. But in vain do the water maidens worry; Veles the Lord learned about everything long ago. For a girl’s whim, for pride, for words that were offensive to the Gods, he decided to punish the maiden Kostroma.

By order of the underground Veles, in the dark kingdom, the bird Sirin released Kupapa from under her wing, put Kupapa in a boat and sent him sailing along a river-lake. He was carried out of the underground kingdom by water, carried along the rivers to his native side, and then carried by an unprecedented current up the Volga River - straight towards his fate.

While the bird Sirin was Kupala, he grew up, matured, became a fine fellow, a handsome man - with blue eyes, like two lakes, and blond, boiling hair.

He began to look around Kupala, standing in the boat, and suddenly saw a girl’s wreath floating towards him, sparkling on the water with bright colors - blue and light blue, yellow and scarlet. “Apparently, the clever beauty wove that wreath,” Kupala thinks, “and sent it along the river to quickly find her betrothed. If the girl is as beautiful as these flowers, I would like to marry her right away!”

Kupala bent down and picked up the wreath - those flowers smelled of an unearthly smell, they smelled of forest, fire and mermaids. And water lilies and herbs.

At that same moment, the boat carried Kupapa straight to the one who had thrown the wonderful wreath. Here Kupala floats, floats in a boat, looks and recognizes her native places - those fields and meadows, groves and forests where she and Kostroma ran together. And then Kupala looks, the girl is standing on the shore, looking at him with all her eyes joyfully.

The boat carried him straight to that girl, and he went out onto the shore of Kupala, holding a wreath in his hands.

Is this your wreath, dear beauty?

“Mine,” Kostroma answered quietly.

So they stood, looking at each other. And they fell madly in love with each other, fell in love as soon as they saw each other. They were a match for each other, like fire and water, which cannot be without each other, but which cannot be together forever...

Kupala and Kostroma did not recognize each other - to know, Veles had a secret idea. That same night, without asking anyone about anything, Kupala and Kostroma got married, and the Water Mavkas were witnesses to that unprecedented wedding. They had fun, rejoicing in the happiness of the newlyweds, and swam with them. They swam with Kostroma, and then on the shore they jumped over a bright fire.

Only the next morning did the Bathing Lady learn that a great misfortune had happened to her beloved children. After all, it is impossible for twins, siblings, to love each other in a married way! This is what Svarogov’s Law tells people, and this is what human law says.

The Bathing Lady came to the children with tears and told them the bitter truth. And, as soon as the truth was revealed, in that terrible moment their happiness ended. Now there was no more place for them on earth. They couldn’t live in marriage, but they couldn’t live apart either.

Out of grief, Kupala jumped into the dying fire and disappeared, as if it had never existed, and Kostroma threw herself into the forest lake, and the blue-green waters closed over her head. Cheerful Kostroma has become a sad Mavka.

And Bathing-Night has since become even blacker and since then she has been dropping her bitter tears-dew on the grass in the morning. He doesn’t want to see anyone anymore, even Semargl won’t let his beloved on the doorstep anymore. Since then, Night-Bather has been walking around the world alone, always yearning, sad and sad.

The Irian Gods also became sad, and Veles’ revenge was cruel. And Veles himself was spinning; he did not feel any joy from revenge. But it is no longer possible to correct what was done, it is impossible to reverse the circle of Svarog. And then the cunning Veles decided with his wisdom to breathe life into past suffering: he decided to turn the twins into a flower, so that they would be inseparable forever. So that they are born again, grow together, so that they become intertwined in a single flower. So that both shine in a single flower with blue and yellow-orange.

And by the will of Veles, a wonderful miracle happened in a forest clearing: yellow-blue flowers grew, bright and mysterious flowers. “Kupala-da-mavka” - people began to call them. And since then, those flowers have grown in the meadows and forests with red flames and blue water. To this day they grow in forests.

You, of course, have seen them, dear girls and boys, they are called Ivan da Marya now - according to Orthodox customs. But the flowers are the same, ancient flowers, born by Veles - in memory of the twins. And people began to reverence Kupapa himself as the God of summer, wild flowers and forest fruits, the God of purification and redemption.

You, of course, have heard about the night on Kupapa - a magical, incomprehensible night on the day of the summer solstice. She has not yet been forgotten. Since the misfortune happened to the twins, since they died and were reborn in a flower, our distant ancestors began to celebrate a holiday in honor of Kupapa and the immortal Gods of Iria - a holiday of life and death, dying and rebirth. Since then, people and Gods began to celebrate the holiday of the sun, water and fire. Since then, the Slavs began to call this night of the summer solstice Kupala.

Strange things happen on Kupala night! Even the trees move from place to place, rustle their leaves, and talk to each other. Animals, birds and even grass talk to each other this night, and forest flowers are filled with unprecedented power - miraculous, magical power. On this night, people collect treasured herbs, which help in divination, heal, become love spells, and protect from misfortunes and misfortunes.

Only on this night of timelessness does a fern flower bloom in the forests, a plant dedicated to the thunderer Perun - “Perun’s color”. The sorcerers told our ancestors that if you go into the forest that night, take with you a white tablecloth, canvas and a knife. Draw a circle around the fern bush with a knife or a burnt splinter, spread a tablecloth and sit in the circle, not taking your eyes off the fern bush. They say that various monsters and spirits, subjects of Morena, will instill horror and sleep in you, and if you get scared and step out of the circle, they will tear you apart at the same moment.

Exactly at midnight, a flower bud will appear on the fern, burst with a bang, and an unusually bright, fiery red flower will open. We must pick it quickly, before someone else’s invisible hand grabs the flower. Evil spirits will scream in a terrible voice, the earth will shake, thunder will rumble and lightning will flash, the wind will rustle, and a terrible roar will be heard, covering you with flames and a suffocating smell. But if you are lucky and take possession of the flower, cover yourself with the tablecloth and run to the village without looking back. If you look back, the flower will disappear, and if not, if you pass all the tests, then the flower will reveal to you the past, present and future, teach you to look for treasures, introduce you to the secrets of the Gods, teach people's thoughts to guess and understand the language of birds, animals and plants.

However, people also said that it was all a fiction, an obsession of evil spirits who want to destroy people, that in fact ferns never bloom in the forest, which means there is no point in going after them...

On Kupapa, boys and girls doused each other with water mixed with mud, and then they bathed together and sang songs to wash away everything unclean from their souls and bodies; they organized baths. In the morning they collected life-giving dew and washed themselves with that dew in order to be healthy. The Slavs believed that at this time the heavens could open up for a short moment, and then every wish made would come true.

On this night, after sunset, the sun also bathes in the waters to bring fertility to the earth, and therefore in honor of the mighty sun - in honor of the round Horse, and the bright Dazhbog, and the ardent Yarila - they lit straw-tied wheels on Kupala night, an ancient solar symbol, with a dot -a hub in the center and spokes. And then they launched these burning wheels down the hills so that they would roll, scattering fire, towards the river all the way to the water. To this day, some villages still celebrate the Kupala holiday this way.

They also played burners - a fun game in honor of the sun with songs and catch-up games. It was from the burners that modern tag, which you still play with pleasure, came into being, dear girls and boys.

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And there a misfortune happened. The Sirin bird carried Kupala to the Dark Kingdom. Many years passed, and then Kostroma (sister) walked along the river bank and wove a wreath. The wind tore the wreath from his head and carried it into the water, where Kupala picked it up while sailing past in a boat. Kupala and Kostroma fell in love with each other and got married without knowing that they were brother and sister, and when they found out they decided to drown themselves. Kostorma became a mermaid or Mavka. But the gods decided to take pity on the brother and sister and turned them into a flower which we now know as Ivan da Marya.
They celebrated the holiday of Kupala (the holiday of the summer solstice on the night of June 23-24). Presumably on this day the Slavs celebrated the holiday of the solar deity. The holiday of Kupala was also associated with the veneration of fire. It was believed that the connection between fire and water personified the dependence of fertility on bright sun and good watering.

Kupala - Summer god, according to the Gustin Chronicle: “The fifth (idol) Kupala, as I remember, was the god of abundance, like the Hellenic Ceres, who was insane for giving thanks to the nishahu at that time, when the harvest was about to arrive.” In “On Idols” Vladimirov" - "god of the fruits of the earth."
It became unusually widespread among the Eastern Slavs; on the night of Ivan Kupala, fire and water combine (with the obligatory appearance of life-giving steam and boiling water) and miracles happen: “This Kupala, the demon, is still commemorated in some countries by crazy people, beginning on the 23rd day of June , on the evening of the Nativity of John the Baptist, even before the harvest and beyond...", reports the Gustino Chronicle. - “In the evening, simple children of both sexes gather and weave crowns of poisonous potion, or koretya, and, having girded themselves, light the fire, and then they put up a green branch, and, holding hands nearby, turn around the fire, singing their own songs, admiring the Kupala; Then they jump over the fire, offering this sacrifice to the demon.”
In addition to the section, some songs of the festival are given. K.M. Galkovsky cites teachings against paganism containing the names of Kupala, Kolyada, Lelya and Lado from as far back as the 18th century; the description of the holiday is almost identical, which indicates the stability of the folk tradition.
The message of the abbot of the Pskov Eleazar Monastery, Panfil, to the Pskov prince Dmitry Vladimirovich of Rostov (according to the Pskov Chronicles, 15 05) says that on the eve of the Nativity of John the Baptist, “enchantresses” - men and women in the meadows, swamps, forests, fields are supposedly looking for what -then mortal herbs “for destruction by man and cattle”, “here they dig divia rooting for the indulgence of their husbands: and all this they do with the action of the devil on the day of the Forerunners with the sentences of Sotanin.” And on the very holiday of the Baptist, which coincides with the summer solstice, actually with Kupala, “On that holy night, not the whole city will be in turmoil, and in the villages there will be a disturbance with tambourines, and sniffles, and the humming of strings, and all sorts of inappropriate Sotonin games, splashing and splashing, but the wives and maidens and the heads will nod, and their lips will hate the cry, all the nasty demonic songs, and the wobbling of their legs, and the jumping and trampling of their feet; the same is the great fall of the husband and the youth, the same is the prodigal view of women and girls, and the same is defilement for the married women and corruption for the virgins. quickly in towns and villages in that year - Soton flaunts the idol celebration, the joy and joy of Sotonin, but there is rejoicing in it... as if in desecration and dishonor to the Birth of the Baptist and in laughter and in disgrace his days, who do not know the truth, as if he is idolaters celebrate this demonic holiday "... "For every summer, the Soton calls upon him as an idol, as the sacrifice of the bringer of all defilement and lawlessness, as the day of the birth of the great Forerunners, but in their ancient custom."
In East Slavic mythology, Kupala is the main character at the center of ritual actions and performances of the summer solstice holiday, which was celebrated on the night of June 23-24 according to the old style. The name of Kupala remained only in the names of the folk holiday “Ivan Kupala” and a ritual attribute - a decorated tree or scarecrow. The indication that Kupala is a deity is contained only in fairly late written sources. Thus, the Gustyn Chronicle (17th century) condemns the celebrations in honor of Kupala:
"Semu Kupala<...>commemoration is celebrated on the eve of the Nativity of John the Baptist<...>in a gray way: in the evening, simple children, of both sexes, gather and weave crowns of poisonous potion or bark for themselves, and, girded with the former, they light a fire, and sometimes they supply a green branch, and, eating by the hand, they turn around this fire, singing their songs<...>then they will gallop through this fire<...>Bathed, his god of the fruits of the earth was born to me, and to him, with demonic charm, thanksgiving and sacrifices were offered to the Shah, at the beginning of the harvest, the same god bathed, or more truly a demon, and to this day the memory remains in the Russian countries, especially in the eve of the Nativity of John the Baptist<...>through the fire, jumping over themselves to the same demon, Kupala is sacrificed<...>And whenever they pass by at night, then they retreat to the river with great shouting<...>wash with water." Condemnation of the Kupala rites themselves is also contained in earlier Slavic manuscripts: for example, in the “Synodik” of the Bulgarian Tsar Boril (XIII century), in the denunciations of the abbot of the Pskov Eleazar Monastery Pamphilus (1505). In particular, Abbot Pamphilus wrote:
“When the holiday comes, on that holy night not all of the city will be in turmoil, and in the villages they will go wild, with tambourines and sniffles and stringed humming, splashing and dancing; But wives and girls are disgusted by the nodding of their heads and their lips, the shouting, all the nasty songs, and the wobbling of their spines, and the jumping and trampling of their feet; that is, the great fall of man and boy, the whispering of men, women and girls, their fornication, the desecration of married women, and the corruption of virgins.”
Linguistic researchers trace the name Kupala to the Indo-European root kir- with the meaning “to boil, boil, passionately desire.” Words with this root are known to many peoples, including those neighboring the Eastern Slavs. So, in the Lithuanian language there is a verb kire, meaning “to boil, to foam,” and in Latvian kire - “to smoke, to smoke.” The name of the Slavic seasonal character Kupala is also related to the name of the Roman god of love Cupid, which is derived from the Latin verb eirYu - ere - “to desire, to crave,” which goes back to the same Indo-European root. The meaning of this root, associated with the concept of fire, is contained in the Polesie words “kupala” (bonfire) and “merchant” (smolder, burn poorly), and the Simbirsk local words “kupalnitsa” and “kupalenka” (bonfire in the field, fire overnight). Thus, the name Kupala was originally associated with the idea of ​​fire. This is also indirectly confirmed by the presence in East Slavic languages ​​of the same root names for various plants, the characteristics of which are correlated with fire. In some local traditions among Russians, wildflowers were called “bathing suit” or “kupavka”: pungent buttercup, that is, burning like fire; carnation and Ivan-da-Marya, which are similar to fire based on color - pink (red) and blue-yellow. “Kupenya”, or “bought”, in Pskov, Kursk, and Tula berniyas was the name for lily of the valley, the berries of which - orange-red, like fire - were used as blush. “Kupala” and “vitriol” were popularly called ferns - a plant that occupies an important place in beliefs relating specifically to the holiday of Ivan Kupala: according to traditional beliefs, the fern blooms only once a year and has a special flower - golden in color with a fiery red tint .
In connection with the idea of ​​fire in relation to the holiday of Ivan Kupala, one cannot help but notice that it fell on the day of the summer solstice, that is, at the turn of two periods of the solar annual cycle, which underlies the ancient agricultural calendar. This was the time of the highest activity of the sun, which then, as people said, “turned to winter” and gradually began to “fade”, causing the days to become shorter and the nights longer. It was in connection with these ideas that the ancient Slavs on this day honored the sun, perceived as a life-giving heavenly fire, watching its appearance at dawn and lighting bonfires.
Along with the veneration of the sun and the natural element of fire, the archaic ritual and mythological complex of the Kupala holiday included numerous actions associated with the opposite element of water. Therefore, over time, the name Kupala began to correlate with the verb “to bathe,” which is similar in sound to it. This perception of the name of a mythological seasonal character was also facilitated by the layering on the pagan Kupala ritual of the Christian celebration of the Nativity of John the Baptist, whose image was clearly associated with water. According to the Gospel, John, proclaiming the appearance of the Savior and the approach of the Kingdom of God, called on people to repent of their sins; those who repented underwent a purification ceremony in the waters of the Jordan River, which was called “baptism by water” or “full immersion.” The meaning of Kupala festivities in the popular consciousness was rethought over time and began to be perceived as ritual bathing. The influence of the pagan basis of the holiday was reflected in the fact that in the Russian tradition John the Baptist is better known as Ivan Kupala, that is, in fact, the Christian saint received the nickname of a pagan deity.

" is timed to coincide with the day of the summer solstice (solstice).

Solstice is the moment in time in the Earth's annual rotation around the Sun when the shortest day or shortest night is observed. There are two solstices in the year - winter and summer. GOD KUPALA (Kupalo) - God who gives a person the opportunity to perform all sorts of Ablutions and conducts Rituals of Cleansing the Body, Soul and Spirit from various ailments and diseases. God who guides you to a joyful and happy life.

Kupala is a cheerful and beautiful God, dressing in light white robes decorated with flowers. On the head of God Kupala there is a wreath of beautiful flowers. Kupala was revered as the God of the warm time of Summer, wild flowers and wild fruits.

Many Slavs involved in field farming revered God Kupala on a par with the Goddess Makosh, as well as the Gods Perun and Veles. Before the start of the harvest and the collection of field fruits, a holiday was celebrated in honor of God Kupala, at which bloodless sacrifices were made to God Kupala, as well as to all the Ancient Gods and Ancestors.

On the holiday, the Slavs throw their prayers into the fire of the Holy Swastika Altar, so that everything sacrificed appears on the festive tables of the Gods and Ancestors.

After making bloodless sacrifices, candles and firelights are lit from living fire, which are attached to wreaths and rafts and sent down the rivers.

At the same time, on a candle or firelighter, they say their innermost desire or request for deliverance from illnesses, all sorts of failures, various problems, etc. This ritual can be explained as follows.

A burning candle or firelight illuminates a request or desire, the river water remembers them and, evaporating, rises to Heaven, conveying all requests and desires to the Gods.

At the holiday, everyone must undergo complete cleansing in order to begin collecting the fruits of the field and the beginning of the field harvest. A complete cleanse consists of three parts:

First cleansing (Body cleansing)
Everyone present at the holiday on God's Day Kupala must wash their body in the waters (rivers, lakes, reservoirs) to wash away fatigue and dirt.

Second cleansing (Soul cleansing)
In order for those present at the holiday on the Day of God Kupala to purify their Soul, large bonfires are lit, and everyone jumps over these bonfires, for Fire burns all negativity and cleanses the aura and Soul of a person.

Third cleansing (Purification of the Spirit)
Everyone present at the holiday on the Day of God Kupala, as well as those who wish, can cleanse and strengthen their Spirit. To do this, a Circle of Fire is created from the burning coals of a large fire, along which they walk barefoot. Those who wish to walk through the coals for the first time in order to cleanse and strengthen their Spirit are led by the hand through the Circle of Fire.

Due to the fact that Kupala is the Patron God of the Heavenly Palace of the Horse in the Svarog Circle, on this day it is customary to bathe horses, braid multi-colored ribbons into their manes and decorate them with wildflowers.

Fruitful deity of summer. “Kupalo, as I remember, was the god of abundance, like the Hellenic Ceres, to whom the madman offered thanks for the abundance to the Shah at that time, when the harvest was about to arrive.” They sacrificed to him before collecting bread, on June 23, St. Agrippina, who was popularly nicknamed the Bathing Suit. Young people decorated themselves with wreaths, lit a fire, danced around it and sang Kupala. The games continued all night. In some places, on June 23, they heated bathhouses, laid grass for a bathhouse (buttercup) in them, and then swam in the river.

The summer solstice, when the Sun has its greatest northern declination, occurs on average on June 21-22, this day is considered the beginning of summer - the Sun enters the sign of Cancer. The solstice immediately begins and lasts for 3 days.

Among the Slavs, the holiday of the summer Solstice was dedicated to the pagan god Kupala, who, after the baptism of Rus', began to be called Ivan Kupala - in honor of John the Baptist. The ritual part is dedicated to the birthday of John the Baptist - June 24, old style. With the transition to the new style, the date of birth of John the Baptist moved to July 7. On the very Nativity of John the Baptist, weaving wreaths, they hung them on the roofs of houses and on barns to remove evil spirits from the home.
In this regard, the holiday lost its astronomical correspondence with the solstice. This beautiful pagan holiday is being revived in Ukraine and Belarus.

This holiday symbolizes the eternal triumph of light over darkness and is considered a day of reverence for the Sun. To help the Sun, on the night of Kupala they burn huge bonfires and jump over them. This night is called differently: the night of bonfires, the night of ferns, the night of lovers, etc.

In order for there to be peace and prosperity in the house, to protect it from evil forces on this day, you need to hang a birch twig over the threshold - a talisman until the next summer Solstice. This day symbolizes the highest point, maximum peak, rise, takeoff, ecstasy, both in nature and in human life.

The holiday embodies fertility, abundance, glory, triumph, generosity, fullness of life, happiness. Love of life and fun reign on this shortest of earthly nights. From a mystical point of view, this holiday combines all four elements at once - fire, water, earth, air. Therefore, the Spirits of these elements rejoice and have fun with people.

In ancient times, people celebrated this night in order to gain their strength and energy through rituals and ceremonies of worship of the Elements. For example, it was believed that the earth provides a solid foundation in life, self-confidence, and fertility. However, the main essence of this holiday is that people learn to enjoy life, love it, and enjoy it. This helps your heart open up and feel happiness. On this holiday it is customary to go to nature, closer to the water. Until dawn, fires blaze, laughter is heard, and cheerful songs ring. Ritual bathing, flower wreaths, dancing around the fire - all this is the summer Solstice.

This day is filled with rituals associated with water, fire and herbs.

Midsummer is a classic time for magic of all kinds. Healing, love and protective magic are especially appropriate for this day.

Many family and marriage motifs are woven into the customs of the summer solstice. On the night of June 21, there was a lot of guessing. Both girls and boys told fortunes, often using various flowers and plants for this purpose (most often St. John's wort), and sometimes some objects. On this night, lovers swore an oath of fidelity to each other, violation of which was considered a crime.

A characteristic feature of Kupala is the numerous customs and legends associated with the plant world. Herbs and flowers collected on this day are placed under the dew, dried and preserved, considering such herbs to be more healing. They fumigate the sick, fight evil spirits, throw them into a flooded oven during a thunderstorm to protect the house from a lightning strike, and use them to kindle love or to “dry it out.”

The main character of the plant world was the fern, with which legends about treasures were widely associated. With a fern flower opening for just a few moments at Kupala midnight, you can see all the treasures, no matter how deep in the ground they are.

On the night before Kupala, the maidens lower wreaths with lit splinters or candles onto the river waves; they make wreaths from Ivan da Marya, burdock, virgin grass and bear's ear. If the wreath sinks immediately, it means that the betrothed has fallen out of love and cannot marry him. The one whose wreath floats the longest will be the happiest, and the one whose wreath burns the longest will live a long, long life! On Kupala night, trees move from place to place and talk to each other through the rustling of leaves; Animals and even herbs talk to each other, which are filled with special, miraculous power that night.

Water
Swimming on Kupala is a national custom, but in some areas peasants considered such swimming dangerous, since on this day the birthday boy is a merman himself, who cannot stand it when people interfere in his kingdom, and takes revenge on them by drowning anyone unwary. On this holiday, according to popular belief, water can be “friends” with fire, and their union is considered a natural force.

Fire
The main feature of the Kupala night is the cleansing bonfires. People danced around them and jumped over them: whoever jumps more successfully and higher will be happier. In some places, livestock was driven through the Kupala fire to protect it from pestilence.

In the Kupala bonfires, mothers burned the shirts taken from their sick children, so that illnesses would be burned along with this linen. Young people and children, jumping over the fires, staged noisy fun games and races.

We definitely played burners. According to peasant beliefs, on Kupala, the shortest night, one cannot sleep, since all sorts of Spirits enter our world and become especially active - werewolves, mermaids, snakes, brownies, water creatures, goblins. witches and wizards take advantage of this.