Nikandr Semyonovich, what do you think about the fact that by magical actions a person can be sent “to the next world”?
- According to believers, this is quite possible.
- Does this happen?
- It happens.
With the famous Mari ethnographer Nikandr Popov, we are sitting in one of the establishments of Yoshkar-Ola, drinking beer and talking about the worldview of the Mari.
- How serious is it?
- Very seriously. In this case, of course, one cannot exclude an accidental factor, a coincidence.
Each person also has a conscience that can torment him for what he said “wrong” or “wrong” acted. And this, too, cannot be ruled out.
But it also happens that when a person makes a wrong decision, deviates from all that is holy, he is punished for this not by a human, but by some other, unknown force.
- How can you explain the fact that practicing magic has become a part of the way of life of many Mari?
- Actually, only a small part of people are engaged in magic. Meanwhile, for some reason, it is believed that all Mari know magic tricks. This is not entirely true. Although it is reliably known that the belief in magic among the Mari is still preserved.
Why do people turn to magic? In all likelihood, because in life they do not have other, more effective ways to achieve what they want, self-defense.
Seeking help from God or performing magical practices is an expression of the last hope for a miracle.
The Mari peasants constantly felt their dependence on the formidable natural elements. Risk, danger lay in wait for them during hunting, fishing, fishing activities.
Only by turning to God, the revered forces of nature, or by performing magical actions, a person, even in his imagination, could count on success and believe in his security.
In tsarist Russia, the Mari who lived on their land were officially considered "foreigners" and constantly felt their unequal position.
Due to their ignorance of Russian laws, they, as a rule, had to constantly endure bureaucratic arbitrariness. For the same reason, they often lost litigation.
What remained to be done in such conditions? How could you achieve justice, punish the offender?
Only turning to the gods, using magical actions for fair retribution!
The Mari had and still have such a custom: in order to punish a person who grossly violated generally accepted norms and thereby challenged society, people made a sacrifice in the grove and turned to deities or spirits with a request to punish the guilty.
It was believed and is believed that soon after such a prayer, the guilty person begins to get very sick and dies ...
- How do you separate the concepts of "religion" and "magic"?
- Traditionally, it is believed that religious prayers cannot be addressed to the forces of evil. By worshiping spirits, deities of nature, God, people hope to achieve general prosperity. By prayers, universal tranquility, peace, harmony, and happiness are achieved.
In the Grove, the Mari pray for themselves, their relatives, relatives, acquaintances, for the inhabitants of the surrounding villages and villages and for the entire Mari people, and even for people of other nationalities living with them in close proximity.
Magic is based on ideas about the supernatural abilities of a person to subordinate natural forces to his will, to make him do what he wants by performing magical actions.
It is not general human interests that are expressed here, but personal, rather selfish ones.
Therefore, magical actions are carried out secretly, hidden from others. The one who performs such actions knows that he is not doing very well, turning to unknown, harmful forces, pushing out only his own interests.
- They say God is one. Is there then a difference between praying in the Grove and in the church?
- Of course there is a difference. Each nation has its own Patron. Even though he is called the One God.
Look: the pagan tradition is a very ancient religion that was formed long before Christianity.
And this traditional religion gave impetus to the formation of other, so-called "class" religions. Including Christianity.
Their basis is very ancient: God, personifying nature, personifying the whole universe.
In different religions, the representative of this ancient God is seen in different ways. Islam, for example, sees in the face of Allah, Christians see in the face of Christ. Buddhists have Buddha.
You see, they are all the same. We say that the Mari worship the fundamental principle, and in other, "world" religions that have formed in our era, they worship teachers from among the people who presented new divine truths that made it possible to understand and realize the spiritual principle in the context of changed social relations.
- Nikandr Semyonovich, what is the meaning of the sacrifice of domestic animals by the Mari in the sacred groves?
- It means that the sacrifices are carried out with the aim of renewing the relationship between the revered deity and people.
People gathered for prayer, with their spiritual attitude, faith, prayers raised to the deity, form, in the language of physics, a powerful spiritual (energy) field invisible to the eye and imperceptible to the human body, directed to the sky-high heights, allowing to tune human life in unison with the rhythm of the life of nature ...
Believers call this the establishment of invisible contact with the divine Patron.
The sacrificial animal, according to the views of the Mari, is the personification of the revered living nature. It is also located within the energy field formed in the grove, therefore it becomes part of the accumulated spiritual energy.
In addition, the soul of the sacrificial animal in the process of sacrifice, according to believers, passes into the power of the revered deity.
- What, then, is passed on to God in the sacrifice process?
- In the process of sacrifice to God, first of all, the soul is transferred - the embodiment of the image of the animal, as well as the personification of the vital forces of the animal: parts of the heart, liver, other organs, ligaments, cartilage, which in the form of a special gift to the deities are thrown into the fire.
All parts of the animal remaining after the sacrifice are burned in the fire.
It is believed that fire is able to convey not only the requests of people, but also the sacrificed animal, its life force.
The victim appears in heaven safe and sound!
- Praying in the Grove: is it obligatory for the Mari? Or is it possible to perform traditional rituals at home?
- Currently, prayers are held not only in the Sacred Groves, but also at home. In general, a person can pray everywhere if he is in a clean place.
Prayer in the Grove is different in that it is carried out with the participation of a large number of people. Joint prayers, according to the Mari, have a more effective impact. Prayers on behalf of the people reach God faster.
But the main thing I still see is that a person has a core, an understanding that he is the son or daughter of the people, whom he watches over, who is helped by this or that Patron God!
Any person, whether an Orthodox believer or a believer of the Mari Traditional Faith, or another religion, if he believes in his God, he will always feel hope.
Hope that there is such a force behind him that will always and in any situation will help!
- At what age can you go to pray in the Sacred Grove?
- It is believed that one should go to the Grove to pray at a conscious age. It all depends on the preparedness of the person to participate in such a responsible event.
From childhood, village children know how to slaughter geese, chickens, ducks and other domestic animals.
This is part of the agricultural culture. Urban children may not know all this.
But prayers are held even without sacrifices of domestic animals.
- Will the book for children "Fundamentals of Mari Traditional Culture" see the light of day?
- I believe that this will happen. Today there are no obstacles to this.
We have a myth that bilingual children may have problems with the Russian language and it will be difficult for them to study somewhere in the future.
- This myth exists not only in the Mari villages. All of Russia knows this myth. We have an “opinion” that in Russia, with your native language, not Russian, you will not achieve social success.
And in the world, for example, English is recognized as an international language, without knowing which it is difficult to secure your future.
Life itself makes us learn Russian, English, and our native Mari languages.
In addition, people who speak two languages \u200b\u200bsince childhood, for example, Mari and Russian, have developed logic and thinking. They can easily master English, Finnish and other languages.
There are hundreds of examples confirming this position!
- Nikandr Semenovich, what will happen to the Mari in twenty years? Will the people survive?
- I believe in the future. Why first of all? Here we say: the Mari are a people who pray to God Yumo. If he prays to Yumo, he will keep it. Because we were formed, appeared as a people, precisely by the will of God. Without this, the people would not have formed. There would be a merya or a murom, or a meschera. And the cheremis would have disappeared.
But it turned out differently. Cheremis remained, while other peoples disappeared.
Why? Because we had faith. If the faith persists, and in twenty years the faith does not disappear, that's for sure, the Mari will remain!
- How can a people survive in the era of globalization, when borders between states are disappearing?
- It is impossible for the people to survive in modern conditions without their own ideology.
The only core that can keep the people from assimilation is religion and traditions.
- And what about culture, songs, music?
- And they are very important. But religion provides more opportunities for rallying, preserving customs, traditions, and language. Without such a factor uniting the people, we can very quickly merge with other peoples.
- What is the main work you have written in your fifty-eight years?
- I have written several books and more than one hundred and fifty articles. But the most useful for the people is the book "Yumyn Yula", written jointly with Alexander Ivanovich Tanygin.
I will also note the collection of prayers "Mari kumaltysh mut".
- What are these prayers about?
- These are traditional prayers of the Mari, preserved from ancient times. They set forth the innermost aspirations and thoughts of the people, their bright faith in a peaceful, happy life.
Prayers give figurative ideas about the meaning of life, ideals, values \u200b\u200bof the spiritual unity of the people with God.
These are common truths. How can a person preserve himself, secure his future. These are, first of all, such principles on which the whole life is built.
At the heart of everything is the position that everything that a person does is done according to the will of God!
- Nikandr Semyonovich, what would you wish the readers of the Mariyskiy Mir newspaper?
- Mari, if we want to live with dignity in the twenty-first century, to survive as a people in subsequent centuries, we need to learn, keep pace with life, move forward!
Mari, study!
But do not forget who you are, what your name is, who your parents are, where you are from. Studying is not only about getting a higher education.
This is the development, preservation and augmentation of what has been given to us for centuries!
Yuri Yusupov
This is how religions came into being. From the point of view of physics, this is even somehow explained by the fact that some prayers increase in strength from their repeated repetition from decade to decade.
Also, places of power or prayer places arose - old churches, former temples, and so on of the same kind.
Both from the point of view of history and religious studies, and just out of human curiosity, any religions are interesting. But there are also forces that people are accustomed to addressing, moreover, with which they, in their opinion, can interact. In this case, we are talking about magic. If everyone does not know, then at least they have heard that this is an appeal to the forces of evil or good, respectively, black or white magic. But there is the magic of the elements, individual spirits and other things, because the concepts of good and evil are generally conditional in the magical sense.
Mari magic is quite interesting in its originality, as well as its age. The Mari are one of the most ancient peoples who inhabited the earth. Initially, they honored many gods, calling them all yumu, but there was also a supreme, so to speak, god of all gods, whom they call whom yumu. All these deities are divided in the understanding of the people into three groups and each of the groups has its own sphere of action.
So, the Mari conspiracies for prosperity, fertility and peace in general, coupled with prosperity, should be turned to Yulian Yumo - the life-giving god, Agavayrem Yumo - to the god of everything creative. These are the gods of the elements of light.
If someone from the Mari is at a crossroads in a life situation, he has a difficult choice and he is at a loss, it is necessary to carry out rituals dedicated to the gods who are responsible for destiny, for the passage of time and for luck. Mari rituals to help in making a decision and resolving a difficult situation are addressed to Prysh yumo and Mer yumo, who is their god of consent. You can also ask for help from the god of all mercies and goodness, whose name is Kugu Sergalysh.
Mari magic is special in that its rituals supposedly allow you to choose not only the gender, the fate of your child even before his birth. True, not everyone can ask for this, but only the initiated. However, the entire population transmits requests of this kind through them. As a rule, this is a request that the child be pious or modest, less often, that he be endowed with some abilities and skills. The religion of the Mari says that the fate of every child is written in heaven long before his birth. Once a baby is born, little can be changed. This statement is a kind of echo of the time when people considered themselves helpless and completely dependent on the gods. It made it easier to explain failures, accidents and other unfavorable circumstances. This is, in fact, a property of all ancient religions. As with all forms of magic, the one who asks for something pays the price.
So if you ask for something not good, the reckoning is not something that will not keep you waiting, but will come doubly and very soon. Although it can wait and break out as a punishment for the sins of life in the afterlife.
In contrast to the monotheistic religions created by one or another founder and his followers, the Mari traditional religion developed on the basis of an ancient folk worldview, including religious and mythological ideas related to the relationship of man to the surrounding nature and its elemental forces, reverence for ancestors and patrons of agricultural activities. The formation and development of the traditional religion of the Mari was influenced by the religious views of the neighboring peoples of the Volga and Ural regions, the foundations of the doctrine of Islam and Orthodoxy.
Admirers of the traditional Mari religion recognize the One God T ?? Osh Kugu Yumo and his nine assistants (manifestations) read a prayer three times daily, once a year take part in a collective or family prayer, during their life they conduct family prayer with sacrifice at least seven times, and regularly hold traditional commemorations in honor of deceased ancestors , observe Mari holidays, customs and rituals.
Before the spread of monotheistic teachings, the Mari worshiped many gods known as Yumo, while recognizing the supremacy of the Supreme God (Kugu Yumo). In the 19th century, the image of the One God T ?? was revived. Osh Kugu Yumo (One Light Great God). One God (God - the Universe) is considered eternal, omnipotent, omnipresent, omniscient, and all-righteous God. He manifests itself in both material and spiritual guises, appears in the form of nine deities-hypostases. These deities can be conditionally subdivided into three groups, each of which is responsible for:
* tranquility, prosperity and energizing all living things - the god of the light world (T? nya yumo), the life-giving god (Ilyan yumo), the deity of creative energy (Agavayrem yumo);
* mercy, righteousness and harmony: the god of fate and the predetermination of life (P? rsh? yumo), the all-merciful god (Kugu Serlagysh yumo), the god of harmony and reconciliation (Mer yumo);
* all-goodness, rebirth and inexhaustible life: the goddess of birth (Shochin Ava), the goddess of the earth (Mland Ava) and the goddess of abundance (Perke Ava).
The universe, the world, space in the spiritual understanding of the Mari are presented as a continuously developing, spiritualizing and transforming from century to century, from era to era, a system of different worlds, spiritual and material natural forces, natural phenomena, steadily striving towards its spiritual goal - unity with the Universal God maintaining an inextricable physical and spiritual connection with space, the world, nature.
T ?? Osh Kugu Yumo is an endless source of being. Like the universe, the One Light Great God is constantly changing, developing, improving, involving the entire universe, the entire surrounding world, including humanity itself, in these changes. From time to time, every 22 thousand years, and sometimes even earlier, by the will of God, some part of the old world is destroyed and a new world is created, accompanied by a complete renewal of life on earth.
The last creation of the world took place 7512 years ago. After each new creation of the world, life on earth improves qualitatively, and humanity changes for the better. With the development of mankind, the expansion of human consciousness takes place, the boundaries of the world and God perception are expanded, the possibility of enriching knowledge about the universe, the world, objects and phenomena of the surrounding nature, about man and his essence, about the ways of improving human life is facilitated.
All this ultimately led to the formation of a false idea among people about the omnipotence of man and his independence from God. The change in value priorities, the rejection of the God-established principles of community life demanded divine intervention in the life of people through suggestions, revelations, and sometimes punishment. In the interpretation of the foundations of knowledge of God and worldview, an important role began to be played by saints and righteous people, prophets and God's chosen ones, who in the traditional beliefs of the Mari are revered as elders - terrestrial deities. Having the opportunity to periodically communicate with God, to receive His revelation, they became conductors of knowledge, invaluable for human society. However, they often communicated not only the words of revelation, but also their own figurative interpretation. The divine information obtained in this way became the basis for the emerging ethnic (folk), state and world religions. There was also a rethinking of the image of the One God of the Universe, the feelings of connectedness and direct dependence of people on Him were gradually smoothed out. A disrespectful, utilitarian - economic attitude towards nature or, conversely, reverent reverence for elemental forces and natural phenomena, represented in the form of independent deities and spirits, was asserted.
Among the Mari, echoes of a dualistic worldview have survived, in which an important place was occupied by belief in the deities of the forces and phenomena of nature, in the animality and spirituality of the world around them and the existence in them of a rational, independent, materialized being - a master - a double (waterj), a soul (chon,? Rt ), spiritual hypostasis (shirt). However, the Mari believed that the deities, everything around in the world and man himself are part of the one God (T ?? Yumo), his image.
Deities of nature in popular beliefs, with rare exceptions, were not endowed with anthropomorphic features. The Mari understood the importance of the active participation of man in the affairs of God, aimed at preserving and developing the surrounding nature, and constantly sought to involve the gods in the process of spiritual ennobling and harmonization of everyday life. Some leaders of the Mari traditional rituals, possessing heightened inner vision, by an effort of their will, could receive spiritual enlightenment and restore at the beginning of the 19th century the image of the forgotten one God T ?? Yumo.
One God - the Universe embraces all living things and the whole world, expresses itself in revered nature. The living nature closest to man is his image, but not God himself. A person is able to form only a general idea of \u200b\u200bthe Universe or its part, on the basis and with the help of faith, having cognized it in himself, experiencing a living sensation of the divine incomprehensible reality, passing through his own "I" the world of spiritual beings. However, to fully cognize T ?? Osh Kugu Yumo - the absolute truth is impossible. The Mari traditional religion, like all religions, has only an approximate knowledge of God. Only the wisdom of the Omniscient One embraces the entire sum of truths in itself.
The Mari religion, being more ancient, turned out to be closer to God and absolute truth. It has little influence from subjective moments, it has undergone less social modification. Taking into account the steadfastness and patience in preserving the ancient religion transmitted by the ancestors, selflessness while observing customs and rituals, T ?? Osh Kugu Yumo helped the Mari to preserve true religious beliefs, protected them from erosion and rash changes under the influence of all kinds of innovations. This allowed the Mari to preserve their unity, national identity, survive in the conditions of social and political oppression of the Khazar Kaganate, Volga Bulgaria, the Tatar-Mongol invasion, the Kazan Khanate and defend their religious cults during the years of active missionary propaganda in the 18th - 19th centuries.
The Mari are distinguished not only by divinity, but also by their kind-heartedness, responsiveness and openness, their readiness to come to the aid of each other and those in need at any time. The Mari, at the same time, are a freedom-loving people who love justice in everything, accustomed to living a calm measured life, like the nature around us.
The traditional Mari religion directly influences the formation of the personality of each person. The creation of the world, as well as of man, is carried out on the basis and under the influence of the spiritual principles of the One God. Man is an inseparable part of the Cosmos, grows and develops under the influence of the same cosmic laws, endowed with the image of God, in him, as in all of Nature, the bodily and divine principles are combined, kinship with nature is manifested.
The life of every child, long before his birth, begins from the celestial zone of the Universe. Initially, it does not have an anthropomorphic form. God sends life to earth in a materialized form. Together with a person, his spirit angels develop - patrons, represented in the image of the deity Vui? Mbal yumo, a bodily soul (chon, ya?) And doubles - figurative incarnations of a person? Rt and shyrt.
All people equally possess human dignity, strength of mind and freedom, human virtue, they contain all the qualitative fullness of the world. A person is given the opportunity to regulate his feelings, control behavior, realize his position in the world, lead a refined lifestyle, actively create and create, take care of the higher parts of the Universe, protect the flora and fauna, surrounding nature from extinction.
Being an intelligent part of the Cosmos, a person, like the constantly improving one God, in the name of his self-preservation is forced to constantly work on self-improvement. Guided by the dictates of conscience (ar), correlating his actions and deeds with the surrounding nature, achieving the unity of his thoughts with the co-creation of material and spiritual cosmic principles, a person, as a worthy owner of his land, strengthens and diligently conducts his economy with his tireless daily work, inexhaustible creativity, ennobles the world around him, thereby improving himself. This is the meaning and purpose of human life.
Fulfilling his destiny, a person reveals his spiritual essence, ascends to new levels of being. Through self-improvement, the fulfillment of the intended goal, a person improves the world, achieves the inner beauty of the soul. The traditional religion of the Mari teaches that for such an activity a person receives a worthy reward: he greatly facilitates his life in this world and his fate in the afterlife. For a righteous life, deities can endow a person with an additional guardian angel, that is, confirm the beingness of a person in God, thereby ensuring the ability to contemplate and experience God, the harmony of divine energy (shulyk) and the human soul.
A person is free to choose his actions and deeds. He can lead life both in the direction of God, harmonization of his efforts and aspirations of the soul, and in the opposite, destructive direction. Man's choice is predetermined not only by divine or human will, but also by the intervention of the forces of evil.
The right choice in any life situation can be made only by knowing yourself, by measuring your life, everyday affairs and actions with the Universe - the One God. Having such a spiritual orientation, the believer becomes the true master of his life, gains independence and spiritual freedom, calmness, confidence, insight, prudence and measured feelings, steadfastness and perseverance in achieving the set goal. He is not worried about the hardships of life, social vices, envy, self-interest, selfishness, the desire for self-affirmation in the eyes of others. Being truly free, a person gains prosperity, tranquility, an intelligent life, and protects himself from any encroachment on the part of ill-wishers and evil forces. He will not be frightened by the dark tragic sides of material life, the bonds of inhuman torment and suffering, hidden dangers. They will not prevent him from continuing to love the world, earthly existence, rejoice and admire the beauty of nature and culture.
In everyday life, believers of the traditional Mari religion adhere to such principles as:
* constant self-improvement by strengthening the inextricable connection with God, his regular involvement in all the most important events in life and active participation in divine affairs;
* focus on ennobling the world around and social relations, strengthening human health through the constant search for and gaining divine energy in the process of creative labor;
* harmonization of relations in society, strengthening of collectivism and cohesion, mutual support and unity in upholding religious ideals and traditions;
* unanimous support of their spiritual mentors.
* the obligation to preserve and transfer to future generations the best achievements: progressive ideas, exemplary products, elite varieties of grain and livestock breeds, etc.
The traditional religion of the Mari considers all manifestations of life to be the main value in this world and calls for the sake of its preservation to show mercy even in relation to wild animals, criminals. Kindness, kindness, harmony in relationships (mutual help, mutual respect and support for friendly relations), respect for nature, self-sufficiency and self-restraint in the use of natural resources, the pursuit of knowledge are also considered important values \u200b\u200bin the life of society and in regulating the relationship of believers with God.
In public life, the traditional religion of the Mari strives to maintain and improve social harmony.
The Mari traditional religion unites believers of the ancient Mari (Chimari) faith, admirers of traditional beliefs and rituals who were baptized and attending church services (marla vera) and adherents of the Kugu Sorta religious sect. These ethno-confessional differences were formed under the influence and as a result of the spread of the Orthodox religion in the region. The Kugu Sorta religious sect took shape in the second half of the 19th century. Certain discrepancies in beliefs and ritual practices existing between religious groups do not play a significant impact in the daily life of the Mari. These forms of the traditional Mari religion form the basis of the spiritual values \u200b\u200bof the Mari people.
The religious life of adherents of the traditional Mari religion takes place within the village community, one or several village councils (secular community). All Mari can take part in the All-Mari prayers with sacrifice, thereby forming a temporary religious community of the Mari people (national community).
Until the beginning of the 20th century, the Mari traditional religion acted as the only social institution for rallying and uniting the Mari people, strengthening their national identity, and establishing a national distinctive culture. At the same time, the popular religion never called for artificially separating peoples, did not incite confrontation and confrontation between them, did not affirm the exclusivity of any people.
The current generation of believers, recognizing the cult of the One God of the Universe, is convinced that this God can be worshiped by all people, representatives of any nationality. Therefore, they consider it possible to introduce to their faith any person who believes in his omnipotence.
Any person, regardless of nationality and religion, is part of the Cosmos, the Universal God. In this respect, all people are equal and worthy of respect and fair treatment. The Mari have always been distinguished by their tolerance and respect for the religious feelings of the Gentiles. They believed that the religion of every nation has a right to exist, is worthy of veneration, since all religious rituals are aimed at ennobling earthly life, improving its quality, expanding the possibilities of people and contributing to the introduction of divine powers and divine mercy to everyday needs.
A clear evidence of this is the lifestyle of adherents of the ethno-confessional group "Marla Vera", who observe both traditional customs and rituals and Orthodox cults, visit the temple, chapels and Mari sacred groves. Often they hold traditional prayers with sacrifices in front of an Orthodox icon specially brought for this occasion.
Admirers of the Mari traditional religion, respecting the rights and freedoms of representatives of other confessions, expect the same respectful attitude towards themselves and the cult actions performed. They believe that worship of the One God - the Universe in our time is very timely and attractive enough for the modern generation of people interested in the spread of the ecological movement, in the preservation of the pristine nature.
The traditional religion of the Mari, including in its world outlook and practice the positive experience of centuries-old history, sets as its immediate goals the establishment of truly fraternal relations in society and the upbringing of a person with an ennobled image, defends itself with righteousness, devotion to a common cause. She will continue to defend the rights and interests of her believers, to protect their honor and dignity from any encroachment on the basis of the legislation adopted in the country.
Popov N.S., Tanygin A.I. "Yumyn y? La" ("Foundations of the traditional Mari religion")
Posharyme (poshartysh) is a type of corruption that causes a breakdown, general malaise, and takes away the ability to resist. There are 12 varieties of pochryme. One of the conspiracies for guiding the gossip:
When he can lift and place a pine tree that has fallen and has lain for 77 years, only then may he be able to lift his body!
When he can lift and erect an oak that has fallen and has lain for 77 years, only then may he be able to lift his body!
When he can lift and erect a ridge that has lain for 77 years, only then may he be able to lift his body!
Conspiracy to remove the shame:
When the heretic sorcerer can, having made a red ball out of the morning sun, play with it, throwing it up, only then let him be able to spoil N.! Ugh!
When the heretic sorcerer can, having made a white ball out of the dining sun, play with it, throwing it up, only then let him spoil N.! Ugh!
When the heretic sorcerer can, having made a black ball out of the evening sun, play by throwing it up, only then let him spoil N.! Ugh!
When the heretic sorcerer can shear off the fluff of the old queen bee, spin a white thread out of it, sew white clothes, put them on, go out and stand in front of 77 different peoples, only then let him spoil N.! Ugh!
When the heretic sorcerer can cut the fluff of a young queen bee, spin a white thread out of it, sew white clothes, put them on, go out and stand in front of 77 different peoples, only then let him spoil N.! Ugh!
When the heretic sorcerer can make the lightning stop flashing, let only then be able to spoil N.! Ugh!
When the heretic sorcerer can make the thunder stop thundering, let him only then be able to spoil N.! Ugh!
When the heretic sorcerer can make the cloud stop floating, let him only then be able to spoil N.! Ugh!
When the heretic sorcerer will be able to stop beating 77 different springs, let him only then be able to spoil N.! Ugh!
When the heretic sorcerer can make the hurricane blow without ceasing, let him only then be able to spoil N.! Ugh!
When the heretic sorcerer can deprive 77 different birds of the opportunity to fly away from the water, let only then be able to spoil N.! Ugh! Ugh! Ugh!
After the above "separation" of damage "poshartysh", one of the "dissolution" conspiracies (shulymo) is read, for example:
As the morning dawn melts, let it melt as well (...)
As the evening dawn melts, let it melt as well (...)
As the morning fog melts, let it melt as well (...)
As the evening fog melts, let it melt as well (...)
As the morning dew melts, let it also melt (...)
As the evening dew melts, let it also melt (...)
As the morning frost melts, let it melt as well (...)
As the rainbow melts, let it melt as well (...)
As foam melts on water, let it melt as well (...)
As the foam melts on honey, let it melt in the same way (...)
As foam melts in oil, let it melt as well (...)
Conspiracies "shulyme" are slandered after "separation" (w? Rymo), they are universal, instead of "(...)" we insert what needs to be dissolved - damage, evil eye, illness (or the strength of the body, hands, legs of the enemy, of course, after conspiracy).
CALL
The salt is calcined in a frying pan, the plot is read:
Eѓ kondymo.
Kugu tul, nimo dech tale ulat! Tide shinchal shurash kuze pudeshtesh, tuge pudeshtyn only! Tul Ava, Tul Acha, Tylze Ava, Tylze Acha, Shўdyr Ava, Shўdyr Acha, shkendan pisylykta dene N. kondyza! Kugu omsam pochyn, kum castle shalalten ik kas, ik yўd, ik kecheval kugu omsam pochyn, kugu kapkam pochyn, kugu sea vўd pokshene ik kugu tumo. Tormakshe food ia-shamych, yolda den kaen, tўkda den tўken, pochda den lupshen N. kondyza!
Tul Ava, Tul Acha, Tylze Ava, Tylze Acha, Shўdyr Ava, Shўdyr Acha, shkendan pisylykta dene N.
“Great fire, you are the strongest! How this salt cracks, let N. come to me with a crash! Mother of Fire, Father of Fire, Mother of the Moon, Father of the Moon, Mother of the Star, Father of the Star, as soon as possible, as soon as you can, bring H to me!
Break three locks, open the big door, go one evening, one night, one day. Behind a large door, behind a large gate, in the middle of a large sea, stands a large oak tree. Devils sitting on all the snags, walk with your feet, push with your horns, whip your tails, bring H to me!
Mother of Fire, Father of Fire, Mother of the Moon, Father of the Moon, Mother of the Star, Father of the Star, as soon as possible, as soon as you can, bring H to me, in one minute, in one second! Do not let him calmly not one minute, not one second, neither sit nor stand! "
Mari conspiracies.
In Mari magic, conspiracies are considered the main method of influence. Sorcerers say that a conspiracy concentrates energy, it is energy itself. The conspiracy is called in Mari - Yu "energy". Sometimes the conspiracy is called sh? Vedysh "what they spit out", sh? Vedysh yu - "spitting out energy", since the person speaking at the end of the phrase exhales sharply, as if spitting out air; from the outside it looks like spitting.
A conspiracy creates a psychological imaginary connection between a person and various objects of his interest. By conspiracy, people consciously or intuitively change themselves and through themselves the world around them. The leading component of the conspiracy is the image, the imagination. The best time to start talking is in the morning and evening dawns. Treatment (removal of the evil eye, damage) is advisable for both the healer and the patient on an empty stomach. Conspiracy water or other object must not be heated, boiled, put into hot water, into a fire, otherwise the energy will evaporate. Conspiracy water or salt or other object cannot also be kept near open water, since water absorbs the energy of the conspiracy. Therefore, when a charmed object is carried across a river, lake, other bodies of water, it must be placed on the head or hidden under the left armpit, isolating it from open water.
The conspiracy is done most often in 4 poses:
1. The speaker holds a knife or scissors in his hand, which he directs at the object being spoken, with both feet steps on a knife or other object with a sharp blade (ax, saw, sickle, scythe, etc.)
2. The speaker in one hand holds a knife or scissors, which directs at the object being spoken, in the other hand - a broom. A broom means that it sweeps out diseases and damage.
3. Steps with both feet on the broom, in the hand a knife or scissors.
4. There is a knife or scissors in your hand, there is nothing under your feet.
Having taken the necessary posture, before speaking, they must call on assistants, who are called witnesses (tanyk). The call for helpers is called tanyktaryme (tanyktarash "to make a witness"). This is done in order to fill yourself with strength (energy). With light, not energy-consuming rituals, tanyktaryme is not performed.
Sorcerers adhering to the Mari religion call for help from the Mari gods, various animals, birds, trees, clouds, stars, etc. The Mari healing conspiracies themselves consist of two parts: separation and dissolution.
1. Branch (sh? Rtysh). This is the main part of the conspiracy, separating evil spells and spirits from the human body and aura.
2. Dissolution (shultysh). The separated enchantments and spirits dissolve, turn into nothing. If this is not done, they will again enter the patient, the ritual will be useless.
Instead of dissolving, sometimes they make a return "p? Rtyltysh, p? Ryktysh", if it is known who made the spell and damage, or it is known where the spirits came from.
Having finished the plot, the witch doctor with a swing sticks the knife into the floor or, raising his hand up, releases the knife from his hand so that it pierces the floor with its tip. At the same time, mentally or aloud he says: “Let it stick into the heart-liver of the sorcerer” (Loktyzyn sh? Mousekyzh? -Mokshyshkyzho keryltshe) or “I thrust into an evil spirit” (Osal muzhysh keram).
When speaking, special breathing and thinking techniques are used.
The main thing here is continuous, very fast, even illegible, speech and the continuous creation and alternation of mental images (pictures). Breathing when speaking is different from normal breathing. If during normal breathing a person pronounces words only on exhalation, then when speaking the words are pronounced continuously and together both during inhalation and exhalation and in the pauses between inhalation and exhalation, and breathing is carried out simultaneously through the nose and mouth. This is only possible when uttering words in a whisper or mentally.
Conspiracies are pronounced in a very fast whisper, breathing is rhythmic, without delays or pauses. After completing the phrase, they sharply blow on the object being spoken, draw a cross over it, as if closing it with a lid, so that the energy does not leave the object.
The whole ritual is important in spelling: words, rhythm, breathing, and the creation of mental images, and what objects are used. There is nothing superfluous here, everything must be performed as the ritual requires.
The qualities of the person who performs the conspiracy are important. Not all people have a conspiracy. First of all, he must have a gift (talent). Such a gift is given either from God or from deceased healers at the moment when a person is unconscious, in clinical death, and his soul visits the world of the dead. To acquire a gift, a person must “die” and “rise again”, which is reminiscent of the formation of a shaman among the Siberian peoples.
Other requirements for who speaks:
1. a person must have all teeth. If there are not enough teeth, this drawback is overcome by saying “I speak with steel teeth”, “I gnaw a disease with steel teeth”, etc. before speaking, and during the conversation, you must definitely stand on a sharp iron object;
Ovda-Mari witch.
“Look at me: I am an ovada. I am mad and I am wise, I am an old woman and I am a damsel, I live, although I am dead. My hair is the wind, my eyes are the night, there is no blood in my heart, my soul is empty. Not alive, but not perishable either. I am an ovada and a song is my word, and my eyes do not know tears. My lips demand blood. The pain requires my fingers. My hair is the roots of a tree, my dress is the haze of the night. I am an ovada and I am free, I am an ovada and I am a slave ”(from the Finno-Ugric epic) Ovda - this name is known in our region even to those who do not know a single word in Mari. In a creepy way, decrepit and ruthless old women from childhood are frightened by impressionable mothers to this day, they pin a pin on the inside of their clothes to avert a bad word or look, and with a whistling whisper full of horror persuade their children to bypass little crooked old women on the streets (at least - do not look them in the eye). Even in ancient times, Slavic tribes living side by side with the ancestors of modern Mari, Mordovians, Komi, Udmurts, Sami, Khanty, Mansi and, in part, Chuvashes (the people of the Turkic language group have Finno-Ugric traditions and customs by 2/3), knew that their neighbors possess the mysterious power of nature: they know how to lure the beast, speak blood, brew a love potion, know different herbs and roots. "Chud white-eyed" - this was the name of the Pomors of stunted and thin-boned neighbors, who had a characteristic light-light gray ("watery") color of eyes and hair. "Chud" - that is, a wonderful, magical people, and therefore dangerous, like everything else and incomprehensible. And in the legends and tales of the Mari themselves there is a reason for such fears. One of the most striking characters is Ovda / Owada. She is somewhat akin to the Russian Baba Yaga. In the cultural tradition, this is a crazy old woman with foam at the mouth, who at night rushes naked with developing clumps of hair and sagging breasts on a wild horse, kidnapping babies for their blood and causing damage to "red maidens" and "good fellows". In later popular beliefs, this is a lonely old woman living on the outskirts of a village or in an abandoned village, whose age goes back centuries ("When my grandmother was still a little girl, She was already as old as the world" artist Ivan Yamberdov about one familiar to him Ovda from the Kilemarsky district of the republic). Usually, Ovda specializes in targeting damage and the evil eye, but is also able to lime an unborn fetus from the mother's womb, create a love spell or lapel. They turn to her secretly, under cover of night, since her patron is Keremet himself (the Mari devil). Of course, she can help with childbirth, heal, but the nature of her knowledge is such that for every good deed she must do three evil ones (Oh, what an interesting "balance" - it seems like you don't want to, but you need to!). She does not take money for her atrocities, of course, she will not refuse gifts, but, turning to her, a person pays his own soul - no more and no less. It is believed that Ovda from time to time takes the form of a beautiful young girl, causing an irresistible sexual attraction in any man, but at the most crucial moment, turning into a terrible old woman, sucking all the juices and vitality from her accidental lover (remember the "fire girl" or otherwise the "fire" from the Bazhov Ural tales and age-old fears of men will dissolve in an insatiable femme fatale). It is believed that before his death, Ovda must necessarily transfer his GIFT (namely a gift, and nothing else) and "evil" fate to any woman, and even better to an innocent girl, by all means taking her hand. And knowledge and skills, they say, will come later by themselves. Ovda departs to another world hard, long and terribly tormented, paying for his own and other people's sins and witchcraft. And she will not die until she either touches the future heiress, or until the frightened neighbors break a hole in the roof of her house, otherwise her "black" soul will not leave her body. Until now, almost every Mari village will tell you about where the local Ovda lives here and even show you the way for a reasonable fee. The most "kind grandmothers" live in the Sernur and Kilemarsky districts of the region. Although it has long been known that any witchcraft directed by Ovda is a double-edged sword. Yes, it will give a result, but there will be no happiness from this: a child born to a sterile woman will grow up as a drug addict, a person cured of cancer will die in a year, for example, under the wheels of a train, and a bewitched man will get drunk. But some still think the price is worth it. God will judge them! Commentary: I spoke to a lady who was born in a remote Mari village. She said that her grandmother told her that the ovda is a forest spirit, her legs and arms are turned in the opposite direction in relation to the body (ie, heels and elbows forward. Ovda is not a person.
Ovda - Mari legends about witches
“Look at me: I am an ovda. I am mad and I am wise, I am an old woman and I am a damsel, I live, although I am dead. My hair is the wind, my eyes are the night, there is no blood in my heart, my soul is empty. Not alive, but not perishable either. I am an ovada and a song is my word, and my eyes do not know tears. My lips demand blood. The pain requires my fingers. My hair is the roots of a tree, my dress is the haze of the night. I am an ovada and I am free, I am an ovada and I am a slave ”(from the Finno-Ugric epic).
Ovda - this name is known in our region even to those who do not even know a single word in Mari. In a creepy way, decrepit and ruthless old women from childhood are frightened by impressionable mothers to this day, they pin a pin on the inside of their clothes to avert a bad word or look, and with a whistling whisper full of horror persuade their children to bypass little crooked old women on the streets (at least - do not look them in the eye).
Even in ancient times, Slavic tribes living side by side with the ancestors of modern Mari, Mordovians, Komi, Udmurts, Sami, Khanty, Mansi and, in part, Chuvashes (the people of the Turkic language group have Finno-Ugric traditions and customs by 2/3), knew that their neighbors possess the mysterious power of nature: they know how to lure the beast, speak blood, brew a love potion, know different herbs and roots. "Chud white-eyed" - this was the name of the Pomors of stunted and thin-boned neighbors, who had a characteristic light-light gray ("watery") color of eyes and hair. "Chud" - that is, a wonderful, magical people, and therefore dangerous, like everything else and incomprehensible. And in the legends and tales of the Mari themselves there is a reason for such fears.
One of the most striking characters is Ovda / Owada. She is somewhat akin to the Russian Baba Yaga. In the cultural tradition, this is a crazy old woman with foam at the mouth, who at night rushes naked with developing clumps of hair and sagging breasts on a wild horse, kidnapping babies for their blood and causing damage to "red maidens" and "good fellows". In later popular beliefs, this is a lonely old woman living on the outskirts of a village or in an abandoned village, whose age goes back centuries ("When my grandmother was still a little girl, She was already as old as the world" artist Ivan Yamberdov about one familiar to him Ovda from the Kilemarsky district of the republic).
Usually, Ovda specializes in targeting damage and the evil eye, but is also able to lime an unborn fetus from the mother's womb, create a love spell or lapel. They turn to her secretly, under cover of night, since her patron is Keremet himself (the Mari devil). Of course, she can help with childbirth, heal, but the nature of her knowledge is such that for every good deed she must do three evil ones (Oh, what an interesting "balance" - it seems like you don't want to, but you need to!). She does not take money for her atrocities, of course, she will not refuse gifts, but, turning to her, a person pays his own soul - no more and no less.
It is believed that Ovda from time to time takes the form of a beautiful young girl, causing an irresistible sexual attraction in any man, but at the most crucial moment, turning into a terrible old woman, sucking all the juices and vitality from her accidental lover (remember the "fire girl" or otherwise the "fire" from the Bazhov Ural tales and age-old fears of men will dissolve in an insatiable femme fatale).
It is believed that before his death, Ovda must necessarily transfer his GIFT (namely a gift, and nothing else) and "evil" fate to any woman, and even better to an innocent girl, by all means taking her hand. And knowledge and skills, they say, will come later by themselves. Ovda departs to another world hard, long and terribly tormented, paying for his own and other people's sins and witchcraft. And she will not die until she either touches the future heiress, or until the frightened neighbors break a hole in the roof of her house, otherwise her "black" soul will not leave her body.
Until now, almost every Mari village will tell you about where the local Ovda lives here and even show you the way for a reasonable fee. The most "kind grandmothers" live in the Sernur and Kilemarsky districts of the region. Although it has long been known that any witchcraft directed by Ovda is a double-edged sword. Yes, it will give a result, but there will be no happiness from this: a child born to a sterile woman will grow up as a drug addict, a person cured of cancer will die in a year, for example, under the wheels of a train, and a bewitched man will get drunk. But some still think the price is worth it. God will judge them!
And more about ovde ... now from the point of view of ethnography.
OVDA, G about, dial. ovda ovda, ovda kalyk ovda people. A semi-mythical aboriginal people who lived in the early Middle Ages on the territory between the Volga and Vyatka, occupied by the later Mari (the coincidence of the habitats of the Odo Udmurt people and the existence of legends about Ovda allowed Aktsorin (1967) to draw a conclusion about their identity). The way of life of the Ovda people, unusual for the Mari, contributed to its mythologization, as a result of which it acquired many features characteristic of evil spirits. So, Ovda live in places traditionally associated with evil spirits (Ovda themselves are often called unclean, keremet): in caves on a hill, under a mountain, in a ravine, in an old tree (cf. keremet), under a mill (cf. vyad ia) , in the forest (cf. targyltysh).
Sometimes Ovda spends the night under haystacks, and in the morning the whole family returns to the forest. As an unclean force, Ovda is afraid of aspen smoke. Ovda women have long, disheveled hair, long breasts, which they throw crosswise over their shoulders, feet turned back. Other distinctive features of Ovda can be huge growth, hair all over the body, a heart that is pulled out through the armpit during sleep, etc. Some, however, believe that Ovda are invisible. Sometimes Ovda are giants (that's why they are called kugu kalyk “big people”, kuzhu e “tall man”, kuzhu chapan “bigfoot”).
Where the Ovda-giants shake out bast shoes, mounds are formed (for example, Ovda kuryk "Ovda's mountain"). Ovda are able to eat a mountain of pancakes, a bowl of porridge, drink a bucket of kvass (cf. opkyn). Sometimes Ovda have wings (shuldyran aideme-shamych "winged people") or take the form of birds (kayik Ovda "Ovda-bird"). Ovda arrange weddings - Ovda syan, during which (in the morning) they fly screaming across the sky (MF 1991, 228). More often, however, they arrange weddings at night, choosing someone's house for this: at midnight they knock and ask for permission to hold the wedding. In case of refusal, the owner or the entire village is cursed (as a result, a person dies, the village dies out).
At their weddings, Ovda sing long songs in an incomprehensible language, although they generally speak Mari fluently. Ovda live in families, have children, sometimes in difficult childbirth they turn to the midwife for help, after which they generously reward her. In one little bull, Ovda kuva cannot give birth, and her husband, having turned into a man, brings the midwife to her, after which he offers her gold (230). Ovda always has a lot of money, they sell furs in the bazaar (they can be recognized by their feet turned back) and generously pay in gold or silver for any service. In another bylichka, Ovda goes into a shop to drink beer and pay, sparing no money.
When arranging a wedding, Ovda is asked to heat the bath, prepare pancakes, kvass, beer for them, for which they are generously rewarded. Ovda love to go to the bathhouse with the whole family or in a crowd, they wash after men, but before women, after which they leave gold and silver coins in the cauldrons. The Mari go to visit Ovda, become related to them, Ovda men cohabit with Mari women, but their children are born ugly. Sometimes Ovda kidnap children, putting chumps wrapped in diapers instead of them (cf. moncha kuva). For those who like them, Ovda helps them get rich, promotes hunting, fertility.
If they are denied any service, do not leave them a treat, punish their children, they send a curse to a person or an entire village (Ovda's curses are always associated with a decrease in the number of people). In a bylichka, the Mari meets in the forest a naked (\u003d wild) girl sitting on a tree - Ovda yadyr "girl-Ovda". She invites him to marry her, otherwise she will curse him (236-237). In general, Ovda are seen as creatures standing at a lower stage of development in comparison with humans, they are called ir aideme, ir e ‰ "wild man", ir yadyramash "wild woman."
In another bylichka Ovda, the yadyr harms the Mari hunter, releasing the hares from the snares. Marietz catches her and intends to shoot her with a gun (cf. vover, Azyren), but she offers him to marry her. Thanks to the supernatural efficiency of Ovda, the Mari quickly grows rich. Lying down to rest, Ovda warns her husband not to spy on her. Marietz breaks the ban and sees that Ovda is asleep, pulling his heart out through his armpit. After that, Ovda dies (227-228). Ovda's favorite pastime is riding white horses (more often at night, but sometimes during the day), which they can ride to the point of exhaustion.
Since Ovda's feet are turned back, they ride horses, sitting with their backs to their heads (it is sometimes said that the horse on which Ovda rides runs backwards). The horse that Ovda jumped on is impossible to catch. Only by smearing the horse's back with resin (tar, tar) can you catch Ovda. The captured Ovda is usually beaten or killed. At the same time, she asks not to leave her children orphans. If Ovda is released, she can generously thank him (for example, with a large fish). If killed, before dying, she curses the person who caught her, or his entire village. Sometimes Ovda's children ride horses, while they sit in twos back to back.
In the small house, the children of Ovda caught and punished by the Mari complain to their parent, and he curses the village so that its inhabitants do not have children and it becomes extinct. Then the Mari goes to the old tree where Ovda lives and sets it on fire. When the tree burns down, twelve skulls are found underneath (228-229). In another bylichka, the Mari burns the underground dwellings of Ovda, after which a pit (ravine) is formed in their place. Near this ravine, Ovda is drunk in the guise of a friend and leads them astray. Only crossing yourself twice can you find the road (233-234). Ovda were good soldiers, they helped the Russians and always defeated the enemy. After the battle, Ovda was shaken out of his greatcoats by bullets, calling them peas (235).
In the image of Ovda, traits of various mythological creatures can be traced: aquatic (they live in the water, wait for treats from fishermen, reward with a large fish), brownies (they love to tickle people, especially women, leading them to hysterical laughter, which often leads to death). In a small house, a hunter finds a child with a silver horn crying in a shake in the forest, brings him home and takes good care of him. After a while, his mother, Ovda, appears, takes the child, and in gratitude leaves a large fish in the yard (238-239).
In turn, Ovda, in the guise of a woman with hair to the toes and breasts thrown over her shoulder, appears at the cry of a child forgotten in the field, rocking him, calming him. Ovda are capable of reincarnation. In the bylichka, Ovda, in the guise of a beggar, asks the Mari to give her a lift, but they pass by. After a while, Ovda catches up with them in the guise of a man in a cast-iron cap, gets into their tarantass and asks the driver to sing. When asked to sing Ovda in response, he whistles so that the whole forest is thundering.
Sometimes Ovda is seen as the main spirit of evil, the initiator of the "fall" and disunity of the Mari people. In the old days, he kidnaps two or three people from each family and takes them to the “other world”, where he teaches them to drink, smoke, and fornicate. When they come back, they teach it to the others. After that, God leaves the Mari and moves to heaven.
Since then, the Mari have been settling in separate farmsteads, burning forests for crops and raising livestock (225-227). This myth reflects the historical processes associated with the transition from hunting to agriculture and cattle breeding. Thus, Ovda acts here as a kind of cultural “antihero”. Meeting with Ovda causes misfortune (cf. targyltysh), failure in the hunt (apparently caused by the curse of Ovda herself). Sometimes Ovda appears as a creature with one leg (cf. piinereshke), so he runs on one ski in winter.
Ovda has holes under the armpits, and a person caught by Ovda can overcome her by thrusting his hands into these holes. Having deprived Ovda of strength, one should hide, treading in the footsteps of Ovda, so that she could not track down and catch up. When fighting Ovda, one should be careful not to spill a single drop of her blood, as each such drop turns into Ovda. Some believe that an unbaptized baby, born out of wedlock and killed or abandoned by the mother, becomes Ovda. Usually Ovda lives in the forest, where you can hear her clapping her hands and laughing. Often Ovda comes out of the forest to bask in the sun and comb her hair.
Ovda is afraid of the old Cheremis belt, so before going into the forest, in order to protect themselves from Ovda, they put on such a belt. In addition, Ovda is afraid of dogs, therefore, when going into the forest, they take a dog with them. Ovda can lure a person into an unfamiliar thicket by calling him by name. There she attacks a man and tickles him to death. Sometimes Ovda makes a person dance to the point of exhaustion (cf. moncha ia). Ovda frightens people who have spent the night in the forest with harsh cries, dog howls, and crows of crows.
Meeting with Ovda plunges a person into such horror that he may be speechless for several days. Sometimes, on the contrary, Ovda is afraid of meeting a person and tries to hide as soon as possible. Sometimes Ovda lives in a lake or a haystack. Ozernaya Ovda drags men (but not women) into the lake, does not allow fishing in the lake. An ovda living in a haystack gets angry when the hay is taken away and sends a curse on the village so that it never grows. Ovda often arrange weddings.
If a person, having learned where the wedding train will pass, puts a treat on his way, Ovda leaves coins in gratitude. If, knowing about the passing wedding train Ovda, there is no food to be displayed, Ovda is cursed (Sebeok 1956, 86-87). “Yaga-baba - abda or obacha can be distorted by the Tatars. [...] uyr, Chuvash. wubur, Little Russian. ghoul, Polish upior; he eats the moon in the Chuvash (moon eclipse) ”(Zolotnitsky 1877, 24). See also Ovycha, Tyatya.
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