Village folklore

Epics are the memory of the people about their past. The word epic was used in the meaning of the past, the past. In this sense, it occurs, for example, in the "Word about Igor’s regiment" ("According to the epics of this time"), and entered the literature as the name of Russian epic songs in the middle of the XIX century. In the south of Russia, there was another term for these songs, "starina" (old-fashioned). In recent centuries, epics have not been performed to music, but in ancient Russia they were sung (or retold) to the accompaniment of gusli. Often, the epic is identified with "byvalschina" (a story about meeting famous people, for example, a soldier and Peter the Great, a soldier and Suvorov, etc.) or with a legend (a story about a person or an event of the past). In Siberia, there were epics about Ermak Timofeevich (in them the legendary chieftain is called "the younger brother of Ilya Muromets") and his campaign. They were told by folk storytellers. Ethnographers and folklorists were lucky enough to communicate with the last storytellers of the Tobolsk province in the Tavda region.

Proverbs are folk sayings, aphorisms. They have both a literal and figurative (figurative) meaning. According to its content, the proverb corresponds to the judgment. Sayings describe the properties of people and phenomena ("this is good, and this is bad"), gives them an assessment or prescribes a course of action ("one should or should not act this way").

Sayings are folk sayings that are more concise than proverbs. Sayings, unlike proverbs, are not edifying and educational in nature.

Most proverbs and sayings are directly related to a person. Some characterize him, others teach and instruct him, and others criticize him. They treat a person as he is: even or dishonest, generous or stingy, handsome or ugly. Proverbs and sayings speak about human life. Life is a difficult and complicated thing, there are sorrows and hardships in it that must be overcome. They talk about human relationships: love, friendship, camaraderie.

Children occupy a lot of space in proverbs and sayings. They give parents not only joy, but also trouble. They need to be taken care of, they need to be educated.

And one of the favorite themes of proverbs and sayings is labor. The hard work of the grain farmer is reflected in proverbs and sayings about the seasons.

Everyone has heard fairy tales since childhood. At least, each of us can remember a few fairy tales. What is a "fairy tale"? Is it an empty game or something more? If you choose the same root words (in Russuian) for the word "fairy tale", you will get a chain: a fairy tale ("skazka") — to tell ("skazivat"). That is, a fairy tale is what is being told. However, not everything that is told can be considered a fairy tale. A fairy tale is often a story about incredible events. In a fairy tale, there are fantastic characters (Baba Yaga, Koschei the Immortal, etc.), magical objects (an airplane carpet, an invisible hat) and magical assistants (a Siva Burka, a pike). And it seems that this is all fiction, fiction. The fairy tale is a lie. But in fact, the fairy tale turns out to be the real truth: it tells us about the extremely important things in life, it teaches us to be kind and fair, to resist evil, to despise cunning and flatterers, to hate villains.

Almost all the customs that we encounter in everyday life implement the norms of behavior accepted in every society. Custom is a way to perform an action. For example, porridge should be eaten with a spoon, not with your hands. However, there are some actions that you can do without, but people sometimes attach great importance to them. We are talking about rituals.

A man and a woman, having fallen in love with each other, can simply settle down together, but they still arrange a wedding. A wedding is a rite of passage. It is necessary to "meet" the newborn and "see off" the deceased, and this is also arranged in the form of rituals. Many superstitions and beliefs have settled around the simple rituals of the human life cycle. A black cat ran across the road — there will be trouble. Howling in the chimney — the soul of the deceased came to the living. To see a brownie in a hat is for the worse. Russian superstitions are real poetry and the mystery of age-old folk wisdom. Belief in brownies and goblins, omens and superstitions formed an important part of the life of peasants, because townspeople do not need to chop firewood in the forest or go to the river for water.

Do folk beliefs exist now? Sure. We are people of the XXI century, as our village ancestors continue to believe in corruption and the evil eye, omens, spit over our left shoulder, knock on wood, etc. It turns out that among other areas of oral creativity, they turned out to be the most "tenacious". Although we no longer remember the meaning of many beliefs, we perform these actions "just in case."

Divination was one of the amusements of young people. In Siberia, as in all of Russia, they were timed to coincide with Yuletide and mainly with the Holy Week that lasted until Epiphany. According to popular beliefs, at this time the entire heavenly host praises Christ, and various evil spirits and ghosts are allowed to walk on earth.

The best time for fortune-telling is the dead of midnight, when evil spirits are in full possession of the earth.

Before divination, they let down their hair, untied their belts and laces, and took off the cross. Before divination, one does not pray to God and is not baptized. Man completely subordinates himself to the unclean.

In the old days, girls went to listen under the windows and determined their fate by this. Sometimes they went to listen at the door of the church or to the cemetery. The bells they heard meant a wedding, moaning or crying — an imminent death this year.

A felt boot was thrown out of the gate. Which way he points with his toe, that’s where the groom lives. A broom-golik was thrown from the bathhouse, if it lay down with a lump to the cemetery, it meant death this year.

They burned paper crumpled in a lump near the wall, and determined their future fate by the shadow. If it becomes a crown or a church, get married, if it becomes a coffin, die. Molten wax was poured into the water and the shadows similarly determined what the future held.

They also guessed on the cards. The cards were laid out in a cross. Then, what would lie "in the heads" meant the future, in the middle — the present, "at the feet" - the past. Each card has its own meaning: six means the road, seven means a date, eight means conversation, nine means cordiality, ten means interest; jack means trouble, lady means a woman, king means a man, ace means paper (letter, money), government house (court, prison, office), wine or marriage the bed.

During divination, these cards are laid out in seven piles, "face down". The first pile is "for the house" (what will happen at home), the second is "for the king or the lady" (depending on who was guessing), the third is "for the heart", the fourth is "what will happen", the fifth is "what will happen", the sixth is "how it will end", the seventh is "than the heart will calm down."

There were other ways of guessing on the cards. For example, the cards were laid out in nine piles "face down". Then they made a wish, turned over the cards and put away the same ones. If there are no cards left, the plan will come true, if there are any, then no.

On the night before the Baptism, the girls were guessing at the castle. A closed lock was placed under the pillow, if you are destined to get married this year, then the betrothed will come in a dream with the keys. For the same purpose, they made a well of matches. The betrothed will come to ask for water.

On the eve of the feast of the Epiphany, women put a bowl of water in the mouth of the oven, having previously measured the amount of water with spoons. If there is water in a bowl in the morning, someone will be born. If it loses, someone will die.

They were guessing with a mirror and two candles or with two mirrors and a candle. Two mirrors, a large one and a small one, were installed so as to create a mirrored corridor. The shape of a betrothed or a coffin should appear from this corridor. As soon as the groom appears, you need to say "Fuck me" or "Amen", otherwise there will be misfortune.

The brownie

The brownie in the folk tradition is the spirit of the house. The brownie is more virtuous than other evil spirits, as the people say: "he fell behind the devil, but did not stick to people." They called him "domovushka", "grandfather susedko" or simply "susedko". The brownie lives underground, behind the stove or in the attic.

The brownie was represented as a person, often on the same face as the owner of the house, or as a small old man with a face overgrown with white hair.

He likes some tenants, but not others. The loved ones are always accompanied by success – in household chores, in trade; the other are always unlucky. Those whom he loves curling his hair and beards at night. He strangles those he doesn't like in his sleep, leaning on his chest in the guise of a large smoky cat.

For the "worst", the brownie cries, for the good – sings songs, for the quarrel – rattles dishes.

If the brownie is naughty, then he needs to put cards or a doll. Sometimes small loaves were cooked for this purpose. If this did not help, the brownie was chased with holy water and chalk crosses were placed everywhere.

When there is a big trouble, the brownie notifies of its appearance, telling the dogs to dig holes in the yard and howl at the whole village. Before the epidemic, fire and war, the brownies come out of the village and howl in the pastures.

When moving to a new house, it is customary to invite a brownie with you. First, a cat, a shovel, a stick (poker), bread and salt were transferred to the new house. Then they crossed over themselves.

Water spirit (Vodyanoi)

The most dangerous spirit that can be encountered outside of human habitation is a water spirit. The merman was represented as a naked old man with a large swollen belly and a swollen face. He often looks like a hairy devil with horns, or like a gray monster. The water can turn into a fish, horse, cow, pig, dog. He lives in deep places, pools, especially likes to settle under a watermill, near the wheel.

According to peasant ideas, drowned people become water spirit. Water has a mysterious power over those people who are destined to drown. The most dangerous time for swimming is considered to be the time after sunset. After the day of Elijah the Prophet, according to popular beliefs, the water becomes cold and it is forbidden to swim in it, even if it is hot. If a bather enters the river without a cross, and even at an unspecified time, especially in autumn, he may drown. The wather spirit himself is not averse to drowning a child or a woman while bathing. It was said about the drowned beautiful woman that she was "married by a water spirit."

The water spirits were catered to by fishermen and millers. The fishermen tried to appease the water spirit. The first fish caught was released back into the river – it was sacrificed to a watery one. Tobacco was thrown into the river with the words: "Here's some tobacco for you, Grandpa, for a housewarming party, love and complain to our family!" The millers were friends with the water spirit, otherwise he could ruin the wheel, ruin the dam. Water tribute will be taken from every new mill, that is, it will drown a person.

Leshiy

Leshiy (leshak) is the spirit incarnation of the forest. The Leshiy can be shaggy, with horns and hooves, or take the form of a human. It was believed that the Siberian peasant expression "On, leshak!" It can attract a Leshiy. In human form, the Leshiy is endowed with negative attributes: clothes are wrapped on the left side, the left boot is worn on the right foot. In the epics, a goblin is either a cursed man, or a pawned dead man. Leshiy can laugh, smile, whistle and cry like a human.

A meeting with a Leshiy does not bring anything good, however, the peasants did not consider it shameful to tell their doctors: "Crush you, Leshiy!" or "Leshiy take you!". The Leshiy "circle" a person picking mushrooms or berries, that is, they knock them off the road and lead them to a place from which they cannot get out.

So that the Leshiy does not bypass, you need to put on the opposite (the right shoe on the left foot) and go "back-heel" (backwards). Sometimes it was advised to go around a tree clockwise. The prayers "Living Help" and "Sunday" also helped against the devil.

Since the feast of the Intercession, the Leshiy stop mischievous in the forests. Parting with their will, they break trees, chase animals, until on St. Yerofey’s day (October 4/17) they fell underground until spring.

There are also ideas about the female spirit of the forest — Leshachikha. The peasant imagination pictured her in the form of a terrible shaggy woman and huge saggy breasts, which the peasant woman throws behind her back when walking.

The bannik

Bannik (bainushko) is the spirit inhabitant of the bathhouse. A bannik can be invisible (has an invisible hat) or is shown as a naked old man covered with dirt and leaves from brooms. According to legend, the bannik will appear in the bathhouse after the woman in labor has been there.

The bathhouse is an unclean place, although it is associated with washing. An owner will never put a house on the site of a burned-out bathhouse: then the bugs will overcome, then the mouse will gnaw all the belongings, and then wait for a new fire.

There are no icons in the bathhouse and people do not go there with a cross. To heat the bathhouse, you need to ask the permission of the bannik. After washing, he should leave water, soap and a broom. Leaving the bathhouse, the bannik should be thanked.

People should go to the bathhouse in three shifts (three steams). In the first steam, the strongest, the men go, as if to compete in the fortress with the bannik. The second pair includes women with young children. The old and sick wash up in the third shift. And in the fourth shift, the owner of the bathhouse washes himself and invites brownies, goblins, and watermen to himself.

You can’t wash in the bathhouse in the dead of night, especially with the boast that you’re not afraid of devils. As punishment, the bannik can strangle (then they will say that a person has burned) or skin him.

In some stories, the bannik protects people from other demonic creatures (the dead, ovinnik). The newborn is also under the protection of a banner.

Sometimes, instead of a bannik, his female hypostasis lives in a bathhouse — a Bannitsa. She was seen at midnight under a shelf in the form of a black cat with burning eyes and iron claws. For the slightest violation of the bath ritual, he severely punishes. If a person came from a bathhouse and his back was scratched, they said that he was touched by Bannitsa.

The birthing ceremony is a continuation of the wedding ceremony. In general, in traditional culture, the image of a pregnant woman was positive. Meeting with a pregnant woman is good luck. If a woman dreams that she is pregnant, this is a success. It was impossible to tell anyone about the onset of pregnancy until the woman’s condition was noticeable, so that the woman and the child would not be "spoiled". Certain prohibitions were imposed on the pregnant woman, the closer to childbirth, the more these prohibitions became (you can not look at scary animals, be at funerals, work on holidays, offend cattle, swear with a "black word", etc.

Childbirth in traditional culture was perceived as the most dangerous situation for a woman’s life. The maternity hospital was obliged, as before death, to ask for forgiveness from relatives and relatives for all the insults and upsets. The woman in labor was unwound, her belt, rings, and earrings were removed, leaving her in only a shirt. Women gave birth in a bathhouse, leaning on a bench with their hands. The midwives helped the women. After giving birth, the woman was considered unclean for 40 days.

For people of traditional society, a woman does not give birth to a child physically, but "goes" to the other world, where the souls of ancestors, spirits live. He finds a child there and brings it here. Therefore, there was a fear of the dead and the newborn. A newborn is a creature from another world that needed to be introduced to the human world. The first thing to do is to cut the umbilical cord. If a boy was born, the umbilical cord had to be cut with an axe, a hammer, if a girl — on a spinning wheel, a spindle. Sometimes, instead of these items, they took a log: for a girl — birch or pine, for a boy — cedar.

There was an ancient custom when, after giving birth, the midwife heated three baths, steamed and ruled the woman in labor and the child. She stayed in this house for three days, and after that the midwife was rewarded with money, gifts, given a piece of cloth for a dress and escorted home.

The newborn was wrapped in his father’s old shirt, which retained the smell of his father. Thus, the child is introduced to the human world. In the first days after giving birth, the child could not be shown to anyone, so as not to be "jinxed".

The child should not be left alone. The peasants believed that evil spirits could kidnap a child and put their imp in the cradle instead. For protection, a knife was placed in the cradle of the child.

In traditional culture, the name is associated with the fate of a person, therefore, actions related to it occupy an important place in the maternity rite.

The child was baptized on the sixth day after birth. The name was chosen according to the Saints, that is, in honor of the saint, whose memory was celebrated on this day. A spiritual birth (name day) was considered higher than a bodily one.

When naming a name, certain prohibitions were observed, for example, they were careful not to give the child the names of people living in the same house with him, so they were afraid to give their sons the name of their grandfather, otherwise one of the namesakes must die. They avoided giving the newborn the name of the deceased child, so that he would not inherit his fate.

The name was kept secret and was reported only after returning home from baptism. After that, a christening dinner (christening) was held. The guests at the christening had to guess the name; for this, the child’s father rewarded the guesser with wine, and he, in turn, presented the child with money.

In the old days, people believed that some time before the death of a person who is about to die, Death appears. She comes to both the sick and the healthy, while most often taking the form of deceased relatives or friends. Sometimes she takes the form of a bird. It is noteworthy that a bird that flew into a house marks the death of someone living in it.

Some people, anticipating death in advance, began to prepare a "mortal" dress (clothes for burial).

When the agony came, a candle was lit at the icon, and a cup of clean water was placed on the window to "wash the soul." At this time, you can not disturb the dying person, neither crying nor lamenting, otherwise they will suffer for a long time. According to traditional beliefs, sinners and sorcerers cannot die for a long time.

Immediately after death, mirrors were covered with a dark cloth throughout the house so that the deceased could not look at them.

After washing the body, a "mortal" dress was put on the deceased. Girls were braided, women had their hair tucked under a headscarf. Then the deceased was moved to the front corner under the icons. A wax candle was placed in the hands of the deceased, folded crosswise.

The deceased was usually kept in the house for two days until the grave was dug and the coffin was made. Juniper trees were burned in the house where the deceased was. Its smoke was believed to ward off evil spirits and freshen the air.

It was customary to read the Psalter over the body of the deceased. The Gospel was read over the priest’s body. As a rule, it was read by priests.

In pre-Petrine times, the dead were buried in wooden hollowed-out decks (domovines). In the central part of the country, they were made from oak, in Siberia — from cedar. In the 19th century, coffins were most often made of pine, both for the rich and for the poor. Depending on the family’s wealth, they were upholstered inside and out. The pillow was stuffed with hay, grass, rags or tow. A "corolla" was put on the head of the deceased, and a "handwriting" was placed in his hand. The deceased monk was buried in full monastic attire, the deacon, priest or bishop — in full vestments.

Burial was performed, according to custom, on the third day after death. The deceased was carried out of the house feet first and carried to a cart or carriage. Relatives are not allowed to carry the deceased, so as not to think that they are glad of his death. The funeral procession was going to the church.

In the temple, the coffin was placed so that the deceased was facing the altar and his head was facing the front door. Then the funeral service of the deceased took place.

At the end of the funeral service, the priest read a farewell (permissive) prayer, which was placed in the coffin. The body of the deceased was given a last kiss, worship and honor. After the funeral service, the coffin was carried to the grave in the cemetery.

At the cemetery, they said goodbye to the deceased for the last time. When the "Eternal Memory" was finally proclaimed, the coffin was lowered into the grave. The priest was the first to take the earth with a shovel or hand and throw it on the coffin, followed by everyone else. The deceased was laid in the grave, with his head facing west, that is, "with his face turned to the east."

The cross was placed at the feet. According to legend, on the Day of the Last Judgment, the resurrected will be able to cling to it. The grave was necessarily surrounded by a fence. The fence itself represented the fence of a peasant house with a mandatory bench.

The dead were commemorated on the ninth, fortieth day after death, six months and a year later. On the ninth day, the soul appears for the second worship of the Lord. This is followed by thirty days of ordeal and torture of the soul in Hell, on the fortieth day she appears to the Lord for the third time at a private court, where she is assigned a place to wait for the Last Judgment. After that, the deceased are commemorated six months and a year later. Commemoration has also been established on parental days — the Myasopust parental Saturday, the Saturdays of the second, third and fourth weeks of Great Lent, on Radunitsa, Trinity and Intercession Saturdays. Soldiers are commemorated on Demetrius Saturday.

Superstition is a thoughts that represents a belief in some supernatural otherworldly forces. It contains the assumption, often unconsciously, that protection can be found from these forces or a compromise acceptable to a person can be reached with them. As a rule, it manifests itself at the behavioral level in simplified ritual forms: the use of talismans, tattooing, magical gestures, etc. Omens occupy a special place: certain events are attributed a predictive value.

Another explanation of the word "superstition" can be found in the Church Slavonic language. It is ordinary, empty, futile. That is, faith in something empty, ordinary.

A belief is a tradition based on superstitious sayings. For example, the belief that a brownie cannot stand whistling and can run away from home, taking wealth with him.

V. I. Dahl was interested in beliefs in the XIX century. He tried to explain many of them. Breaking dishes, glass during some kind of feast or celebration, wedding, christening, etc., is a good omen. Without a doubt, this good belief was composed so that a broken glass or glass would not disturb the tranquility and pleasure of the hostess, and at the same time would not deprive the guests of a cheerful disposition. Whoever kills a snake is forgiven 40 sins. This encouragement, of course, was invented by women who are afraid of snakes. Whoever spends 40 dead people is absolved of three grave sins; the invention of hunters to carouse parties… It is a sin for a woman to cut or stab a bird, a four-legged animal, and even more so; a man should do it. In the latter, as far as we can see, we see an excuse or justification for women whose feelings resist the infliction of a mortal blow, or whose hand does not rise to a duck or chicken…".

In ordinary life, the peasant was surrounded by many superstitions:

— My forehead itches to bow.
— The left eye itches to cry, the right one to rejoice.
— The tip of the nose itches — to drink ("to look into a glass")
— My nose is stuffy — for bad weather.
— Lips or moustache itch — to be a guest.
— The beard itches to kiss.
— Ears are burning — someone is judging.
— The right palm itches to say hello, the left — to the money.
— Hiccups — someone remembers.
— Don't sit on the corner of the table — you’ll never get married.
— If you stumble on the way, someone swears at you.

And many, many others.

Beliefs and superstitions about treasures and wealth

The main source of wealth acquisition in the peasant environment was considered to be labor. Wealth has been earned over the years by hard work. Therefore, a person who suddenly became rich was looked at as a thief or a sorcerer who sold his soul to an unclean person for money. However, the peasants believed that there was a way to get rich quickly without theft and witchcraft — to find a treasure.

A treasure is a wealth hidden for the time being. All treasures are divided into "pure" and "unclean". Pure treasures are laid by the owner without a spell, so they cannot harm a person. Such a treasure is not given to unclean hands, therefore, if a person has a grave sin or is cursed, then he will never take the treasure. Because of this circumstance, treasures are most often given to children. But most of the treasures are "unclean". They are cursed and under the protection of evil spirits. Especially rich treasures are placed on a certain number of "heads", that is, while they are looking for it, so many people will die, commit suicide or go crazy. The most terrible spell is put "on forty heads."

Treasures are guarded by special demons, they are called storerooms of demons. The treasure can be guarded by a storekeeper. The treasures are also guarded by devils, cursed people and the "unclean" dead (suicides, sorcerers). It is also said that the owner of the treasure wanders around after death and guards it strictly and sensitively. To defeat the owner, folk tradition recommends finding a sorcerer who knows special spells and spells that allow you to take the treasure. The devils guarding the treasure frighten a person, drive him away from the treasures, appearing to him in various terrible images.

On the eve of Midsummer Day, the treasures are dried, that is, they come out in the form of lights. In the place where the treasure lies, a burning candle is shown, ghosts roam. From the ancient legends of the deep, we have reached the means to help us get a treasure — a fern flower, a gap-grass, an invisible cap and a lucky bone.

The flower is extracted like this. On the eve of the evening, you need to go to the forest and sit down near a fern bush, outline yourself with a knife and wait for midnight. At midnight, the flower will open with fire and crackle. Then you need to rip it off and run home without looking back. At home, cut your palm and put a flower in the wound. After that, you will "know" where the treasures are buried.

Gap-the grass that destroys all obstacles and breaks locks should also be searched for on Midsummer Day. To do this, you need to mow a forest clearing at night, on the gap-grass the scythe will fly to pieces.

To get an invisible hat on Easter Morning, you need to go to the bathhouse, find a bannik under the shelf, who is usually asleep at this time, tear off his hat and run to church without looking back. If you get there, you will have an invisible hat, otherwise the bannik will catch up and kill you. To get a lucky bone, you need to cook a black cat at night in a black bath.

Conspiracies and even prayers were also invented to search for treasures. For example, "I will get up, be blessed, go, crossing myself, from door to door, from gate to gate, into a clear field, to the east side, there is gold and silver in the ground…" or "Beyond the swamp it is necessary for me to take a little. Get away, you evil spirit, it’s not for you, it’s not for you to guard." In addition, it is impossible to take the treasure without the prayers of the "Lord" and "Theotokos".

The finder of the treasure must build a church, put money on a monastery, help the poor, otherwise the found wealth will not be useful. In addition, Siberian Tatars believe that, having found a treasure, it is necessary to put some silver coins at the place of discovery. According to popular belief, an ignorant person who takes the treasure can become seriously ill or die.

Beliefs and superstitions of hunters

The well-known saying "Hunting is worse than bondage" expresses the attitude towards hunting and hunters. The peasants believed that once they started hunting, the forest would not let go until they died and would beckon. On the other hand, hunters have always been considered brave and desperate people. They have discovered what is hidden and inaccessible to a simple reluctant peasant. They seem to know the devil, please him in every possible way, understand any animal and bird and understand their language.

Every animal and bird has its own soul and its own character. The most harmful animal is considered to be the wolverine ("forest dog"). All animals are afraid of her, even a bear does not dare to mess with her. The most cunning animal is the fox. It is too lazy to build her own burrow, preferring to survive from a badger’s burrow.

Snakes, according to peasant beliefs, are "black" and "red". The most dangerous reds (muzzle) — they "jump" at a person and you can only escape from them by running. The sacred day for walking in the forest is the feast of the Ascension — the Exaltation of the Cross of the Lord (September 14/27). On this day, snakes crawl into a pile, preparing for winter. Only the snake that bit the man remains on earth.

The most talkative bird is the magpie (according to other ideas, the cedar (ronzha). According to legend, a wayward walking girl turned into a magpie, cursed by her mother and carried away by the devils.

The dark forest is scary to the common man, picking mushrooms or chopping firewood, the peasants try to return home or go out to winter quarters before sunset. But not everyone will decide to spend the night in a rickety hunting hut. No wonder, in the absence of a person, the hut attracts various forest scum. Having come to such a hut, you must first ask permission to stay, even from an unknown owner. Otherwise, the unclean will drive out in the middle of the night or fall on his chest in a dream and begin to strangle.

According to another belief, borrowed, obviously, from the Hunts and Mansi, it is necessary to knock all the corners of the hut, saying: "Go away, now I’m going to live here!"

A hunting rifle in the eyes of a peasant had the aura of a magical and mysterious object, therefore it faithfully serves only one person and even when not loaded, it can fire once a year.

During the service at the Matins of Christ, hunters fired guns into the air, as if hitting the devil. The gun hits well all year after that. Similar properties were attributed to the gun used to kill the snake.

Beliefs and superstitions of fishermen

Water, especially in high water, in the evening or at night, produces an effect of incomprehensible fear on a person. Life near the water once led to the appearance of the image of a merman, and for the first time a fisherman obviously told about a merman.

The first fish caught was thrown (sacrificed) to the merman. But if the first fish left, then there will be no luck that day.

They prayed to St. Peter the Apostle for fishing, as well as to Alexei, the man of God who swam across the sea in a sieve. On his day (March 17/30), they spun threads for the net so that the fish would always be caught.

The bucket prepared for the fish was filled with water with the first catch, otherwise there would be no luck. Small fish were always released, telling them to bring their parents, aunt and uncle to the hook. After that, the big fish are supposedto bite.

Common signs are attributed to fish in popular culture, for example, connection with water and dumbness. Children were not allowed to eat fish until they learned to speak. A fish seen in a dream means a disease. It is no coincidence that in the ritual tradition fish is used as a memorial dish. In wedding songs, a fish caught in a net symbolizes the bride.

Like animals and birds, each fish has its own qualities and its own character. Pike is credited with a close acquaintance with evil spirits (remember the fairy tale about Emelya). Burbot is considered an unclean fish, as it collects all kinds of carrion from the bottom of the river.