Ritual songs for the main Slavic holidays

2024 Author: Seth Attwood | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 15:55

In the old days they worked harmoniously, amicably. Here the song comes to the rescue - adjusts to the general mood, sets the speed of work. When working in the field, the song gives strength, helps to feel the help of the Mother of the Raw Earth and the support of the comrades nearby. That is why the songs here are perky, sonorous. The girls and girls on the sidewalks have other ritual songs - calm, slow, attuning to the slow spinning of the spindle.

Slavic songs are good not only by the rhythm. They also keep in themselves the strength of the aspirations of a person who dreams of seeing soon the fruits of his labor. In the songs, people described a rich harvest that awaits in the fall, prosperity in the house, a large family that certainly lives in harmony and in harmony with each other.

The soul grows with the song

The songs of the Slavs at national holidays are especially important. Each day has its own ritual song: in the spring they sing about the awakening of nature and honor God Yarilo, on the Kupalo holiday songs about love, in the fall - about the rich gifts of the earth, in winter on Kolyada and now we remember the custom of carols, song wishes for prosperity and happiness.

The very essence of folk holidays is preserved in the Slavic song: an uplifting of the soul, faith in a better future, unity with native nature. You can talk about this in words, but the song and the beautiful Slavic rite revive the thought, make it clear, visible … and now, spinning in a round dance, you already feel the uplift, which is enhanced by joint singing.

Ritual songs for the main Slavic holidays

Let's share now ritual songs and descriptions of the celebration of the meeting with the four Solar Gods.

Kolyada:

“And from the ground a song was already heard calling to Kolyada:

Kolyada-Solstice, Stand at our gate.

Disperse the darkness

Bring back the red day to Yav.

Ignite with fire, Colo sigh, take away, Kolo, woe, and give the light to the pain!

Goy! Kolyada! Glory!

Sunny turn around

Red fire up!

Take the road

Drive the winter!

Goy! Kolyada! Glory!

In the afternoon they prepared a big bonfire - "The Steal", in which by nightfall they lit not even logs, but whole logs. One such log was specially prepared for a special event. He had to be dragged around the entire village on fire and returned back to the Krada.

This time the log, "Balda", as the villagers called it, was safely dragged along the snow path, also arranged in advance, and returned to the fire burning.

- Glory! Glory! - joyful shouts were heard, - the year will be successful!"

Yarilo:

“And so, one day the day of Yarilina Strecha came. Yarilu, the god of the fiery spring sun, passion of love and fertility, was greatly honored in our village. The whole village in the morning took part in the holiday - both young and old. They go to Yarilina Gorka, each owner carries bread and salt, piles it up, and a specially chosen owner bows three times on three sides and pronounces an appeal to Yarila:

Goy you, Yarila fiery Power!

Coming from the sky, take the keys

Open you Mother to the Damp Earth, Let the warmth dew go for the whole spring, For a dry summer and a vigorous livelihood!

Goy! Glory!

And all the people repeat this after him and also bow to three sides. Then they go to the fields, walk around them three times and sing:

Jarilo dragged around the whole world, He gave birth to the field, He bred children for people.

And where he is with his foot - There is a heap of livelihood, And where will he look, There the ear blooms.

And in the evening they chose the most handsome guy, put a wreath on his head, gave him a bird cherry branch, and danced around him, singing songs.

And we have Yarilin's day, I will trample the grass-ant, I will hold you young …

Only young boys and girls were allowed to these evening games. After the round dance, they split into pairs and scattered, some in the field, some in the forest."

Kupalo:

“There were three days left until the night in honor of Kupalo. Towards evening, the girls and boys again reached for the birch trees. Now they carried outfits for birch trees and gifts for mermaids. Birch trees were dressed up in so many ways - and in scarves, ribbons, beads, and even in women's clothing! And again they held round dances, in which they conjured the rain to come and that the harvest was good.

They sang “You succeed, succeed my flax”, accompanying the singing with movements, as if they were sowing flax, collecting it, soaking it, beating it off, spinning it, weaving it and bleaching it. But they especially liked to portray "And we sowed millet", because at the end of the song the girls ran away, and the guys caught them and even kissed them stealthily.

Lyrics of the song "And we sowed millet"

Two choirs - male and female

1. And we sowed millet, sowed;

Oh, Did Lado, sowed, sowed!

2. And we trample millet, trample;

Oh, Did Lado, trample, trample!

1. And how can you trample, trample?

Oh, Did Lado, trample, trample?

2. And we will release the horses, release;

Oh, Did Lado, let's release, release!

1. And we will take the horses prisoner, we will take them prisoner;

Oh, Did Lado, we will take prisoner, we will take prisoner!

2. And we will redeem the horses, redeem them;

Oh, Did Lado, redeem, redeem!

1. And how can you buy back, buy back?

Oh, Did Lado, redeem, redeem!

2. And we will give one hundred rubles, one hundred rubles;

Oh, Did Lado, one hundred rubles, one hundred rubles!

1. What do you need, need?

Oh, Did Lado, must, must!

2. We need a damsel, a damsel;

Oh, Did Lado, damsel, damsel!

1. What kind of girl do you need?

Oh, Did Lado, you need a girl!

2. We need this girl!

Oh, Did Lado, you need a girl!

1. Our regiment has lost, decreased;

Oh, Did Lado, departed, departed!

2. Our regiment has arrived, it has arrived;

Oh, Did Lado, arrived, arrived!

Avsen:

“The holiday of Avsen - Osenina has come. It's a big holiday - the whole village is doing it! Together we were harvesting the rye, and now they are happy together that the bins are full for the winter.

A big fair was started right in the village itself - the marketplace in the middle was large, just designed for locals and arrivals. They arrived not only from the neighboring villages, but even waited for overseas guests, they loved to go across the sea at the mouth of the Onega River on their ships, there was enough depth here to get up and not worry about shallows.

The last day of the fair has come. The celebration began with round dances, in which many people stood up and were led by special knowledgeable:

Weave, weave, weave, Turn up the golden pipe

Around the oak pillar, Around the sacred green.

Here the fence is braided, here it is braided, The golden pipe curled up.

Unwind the wattle …

Here the wattle is unraveled …"

Will you also now remember Slavic songs for the celebration of Avsen, and after winter on Kolyada? If so, we are glad that the ancient tradition is still alive today! May joyful songs reminiscent of bygone times continue to be heard on our land.