How and when is Veles Day celebrated? Veles Day - what do we know about this holiday? february 11 day of god veles glorification
Veles day is one of the main Slavic holidays. On February 24, our ancestors performed rituals for prosperity and well-being. IN modern world This time can also be used to attract wealth and good luck.
Veles day was considered the middle of winter, when cold and cold fettered the Earth, preventing it from waking up from a long winter hibernation. The god Veles began his procession, driving away Marena, the ruler of the cold, who sends diseases to cattle. He awakened people from winter passivity, gave protection and patronage to all life on Earth, and especially to livestock. On February 11, according to the old style, people performed special ceremonies to appease the stern God.
Rite to protect livestock
Traditionally, on this day, misfortunes and diseases that overcome cattle were driven away. The men stayed at home, and their wives went out into the street with loose hair and loose shirts. One of the women walked ahead of the crowd, knocking on a tin basin or frying pan, while the rest armed themselves with household utensils. The crowd with loud cries went through the whole village, driving away Marena, who sent diseases to the cattle. Also, this rite helped drive away negativity and misfortune from the whole village.
In the modern world, Veles is called to the defense, going around his home. You should take holy water or salt and leave them on your way. Having closed the circle, they return home, where they also sprinkle all the dwellings with holy water with the words:
“Veles, take away the winter. Protect me, my house and all who live in it."
Rite for the prosperity of the family
In order to bring the strong protective energy of Veles into the house, amulets were made with his sign. It was believed that a bone product in the form of a fang had the best protective qualities, which averted troubles and failures. The amulet was hung at home front door with words:
"Veles, protect, but save from troubles."
Now you can also make a charm with your own hands and hang it near the door or carry it with you for good luck.
Rite of Prosperity
At the village feast, after the women chased Marena away, beef was banned. On Veles Day, February 24, the patron of livestock could get angry with people and deprive families of prosperity. Therefore, the girls at the celebration drank strong honey, saying:
"So that the cow was affectionate, gave a lot of milk, calved regularly, did not get sick."
As a gift to God, butter, whipped the day before, was taken to the temple.
Now you can also enlist the support of Veles by asking him for financial well-being. At a family lunch or dinner, raise a glass of mead or red wine and say your desire out loud. If possible, you can go out of town and leave a piece of butter under the spruce with the words: "Eat, Veles, our offering, grant us prosperity and wealth, prosperity and happiness."
Slavic rituals aimed at well-being, from time immemorial were considered the key to a happy life. And in the modern world, many people remember pagan gods. It is known that the deity lives as long as he is remembered. Therefore, remembering Veles, bringing him gifts and asking for patronage, we do not allow him to leave our world in 2017 either. We wish you prosperity and prosperity, and do not forget to press the buttons and
23.02.2017 04:05
In ancient times, each newborn person was assigned a hall according to the Slavic astrological calendar. It reflected not only...
Velesov Day(Day of Veles, Day of Blasius) is a Slavic holiday on February 11, dedicated to God Veles as the patron saint of livestock. In the old days, for the Slavs, who live in harmony with nature and gain prosperity through their own labors, wealth was associated with cattle in the courtyard. Therefore, on Veles Day, they turn to the Slavic God Veles as a God who helps to gain and increase wealth.
Veles Day comes immediately after the Small Veles Yuletide. You can read more about this holiday in our article "Veles Christmas time - mysterious days dedicated to God Veles".
Slavic myths say that once Morena, the Goddess of Winter and Death, decided to kill all the cows in the villages and created a terrible spirit of cow death. It was in February, when it's time for winter to retreat. From the beginning of the Small Veles Christmas time, cow death walks around the yards and only after Veles Day does it leave the world of Reveal.
When cow death appeared for the first time, Veles found out about it, consulted with the Goddess Makosh and other Gods, and taught village women how to drive away cow death. Since then, it has become customary that the Small Veles Christmas time and Veles Day are celebrated in the villages, they perform rituals to protect livestock, drive away cow death, and they say that “Veles knocks down the horn of winter” - the winter cold will soon end.
Slavic rites on Veles Day
On the morning of Veles Day, a rite of expulsion from the village of cow death can be performed, sometimes this rite is performed earlier, on one of the days of the Small Veles Yuletide. Only women participate in the ceremony, men and children do not leave the hut until the women return home after the ceremony. The village is plowed up, creating a snow furrow around it, which the death of a cow cannot cross.
On Veles Day, rituals are performed for the health of livestock. Be sure to give the cattle the best food. Often they bake special bread, which they dedicate to God Veles, and feed the cattle to them. A little grain from the ears of Veles's beard, a special sheaf that is dedicated to Veles at harvest, can be mixed into the flour for baking this bread. At the same time they said:
Veles, be happy on smooth heifers, on fat bulls, so that they go from the yard - they play, and they go from the field - they jump.
Sometimes on Veles Day, the remaining ears from the “Veles beard” were exposed to frost in the morning, so that later, when sowing grain, add them to the rest of the grain. The Slavs believed that this way the harvest would be richer. Women also exposed unspun flax to frost to make the yarn smoother and thinner.
On Velesov Day, housewives bake rich donuts in milk and serve them with fresh butter. Such a dish appears on the table for the first time during the winter, because only at the beginning of February cows give birth to calves and fresh milk appears.
On Veles Day itself, they do not perform work, except for caring for livestock. The Slavs believed that work on Veles Day could bring diseases to cows.
Signs on Veles Day
About the day of Veles, there are such signs and sayings among the people:
- Veles also has a beard in oil (in early February, cows begin to give birth to calves, fresh milk and butter appear).
- Veles will spill oil on the roads, it's time to clean the legs in winter.
- If there is a thaw on the day of Veles, there will be no more severe frosts.
- Veles horn knocks down in winter.
- Veles will not deceive, he will save from any hole! (they said, going to the auction, the sale of livestock began from Veles Day).
(GREAT VELES DAY) - A holy day dedicated to Veles Sivom Yar (Winter Veles). About this time, Veles “knocks down the horn of Winter”, the Cow Festival is celebrated in the villages (for Veles is not only the God of Wisdom, but also the Cattle God - the Lord of every belly), they create amulets for cattle and the yard, they ask Veles for protection and protection, and for cattle yes good to everyone - offspring. Prophetic sorcerers, inspired storytellers, violent buffoons honor Veles - the All-Wise God, their Highest Patron - especially: with sorcery and divination, chanting and glorification, and even more so - spiritual insights acquired in zeal ... At the time of dual faith in Rus', 11 lute / February was celebrated the day of St. Blaise - the patron saint of cattle, the "Cow God".
The people said about this: “Vlasiy’s day is the Cow’s holiday”, “Vlasiy - knock off the horn from Winter”, “Vlasiy has a beard in oil”. Immediately after Blasius, severe Vlasiev frosts began. Shortly after Blasius, Onisim Zimobor (Onisim Ovchar) was celebrated on 15 lute/February. On this day, "winter time to turn back"; at night, the stars “called out” so that the sheep would better lamb, and in the morning the women “zorned the yarn” - they put out the first skein of yarn “at dawn”, so that all the yarn (as well as the fate that the Goddess Makosh “spins”) is white, clean and strong .
Oil (as well as milk) from ancient times was included in the requirements brought to Veles.
Veles days of lute month/February
- Lute month - Veles's lot
In Summer Rotation, the lute month (February) is patronized by Veles - the Prophetic God. About this time, two Veles Holy Days are distinguished:
Big (Great) Veles day - 11 lute;
The Small Veles day preceding it is 3 lute.
Seven days are also dedicated to Veles - the second Veles, or Wolf, Christmas time (Small Winter Christmas time) - between Veles the Small (3 lutes) and Veles the Great (11 lutes):
3 lute - Veles Veles Wolf Matchmaker (or Veles Sbruynik),
4 lute - Veles Studeny,
5 lute - Veles Korovich (or Veles Korovyatnik),
6 lute - Veles Calf,
7 lute - Veles the Sly,
8 lute - Veles Serpovidets,
9 lute - Veles Zhitny Grandfather,
10 lute - Veles Zimobor,
11 lute - Veles knock off the horn from Winter.
Soon after they are celebrated:
15 lute - Veles Ovchar,
Luten 16 - Yarilo-s-Vilami and Kikimora's Name Day (Marine Day).
- Celebration of Veles Days in the era of dual faith
In the era of dual faith in Rus', they noted:
3 lutes - Simeon and Anna, as well as Small Vlasiy (“Semyon and Anna mend the harness”, “Vlasiy saddles the horses”) - according to legend, horses “ride” Vlasiy Domovoy, and in order to prevent this, they tied the horse to the horse at night whip, mittens and onuchi;
4 lutes - Nikola Studyonny (“A mountain will pile up snow on Studyonny Nikola”, “Nikola Studny - Wolf Matchmaker, poppy sunset”) - the time of “animal weddings”;
5 lute - Agafya Korovyatnitsa ("Agafya Cow Death walks through the villages") - in the villages they made amulets for livestock;
6 lute - Vukol Calf ("Beetles calve on Vukol");
7 lute - St. Luke (“Luke came - bake thresholds with a bow”) - they drove away diseases and all evil spirits with the onion spirit;
8 lute - Zechariah the Sickle-Seer (“Look sickles at Zacharias the Sickle-Seer for the summer”, “Women-reapers pray to Zacharias the Sickle-Seer”);
9 lute - Nikifor-Pankrats (“Pankrat came - he is not rich in bread”, “Winter runs away on Pankrat on dark nights”, “Basts are weaved on Nikifor”);
10 lute - Prokhor (“Winter groaned at Prokhor”, “Prokhor and Vlas came - no way, spring is coming to us”).
11 lute - the day of St. Blaise - the patron saint of cattle ("Vlas'ev day is a cow holiday", "Vlasiy - knock off the horn from Winter", "Vlasiy has a beard in oil"). Immediately after Blasius, severe Vlasiev frosts began.
Soon - 15 lute - celebrated Onesim Zimobor, or Onesim Ovchar - the patron saint of sheep ("On Onesim Ovcharnik, Winter becomes hornless", "On Onesim Zimobor - Winter turns back time").
16 lute - celebrated Maremyana the Righteous, or Meremyana-Kikimora, as she was called by the people. On this day, they tried to appease Kikimora with special offerings so that she would not confuse the yarn and misbehave at night. The same people said: "To Maremyana Yarilo - with a pitchfork." For, according to popular beliefs, about this time, Young Yarilo - the Son of Veles - "raises Winter on the pitchfork."
- Celebration of Veles Days in Modern Rodnoverie
Big Veles Day - lute 11 - is widely celebrated by most modern Rodnoverie Communities. This is one of the most significant Holy Days of the year, and a lot has already been written about it. For more information about the Order of celebrating Veles Day - see, for example, ours: “Kolo of the Year”, “Veles Day”, “Glorification of Veles”, etc. Small Veles Day - 3 lute - is celebrated more narrowly and mainly by those Communities that revere the Prophetic God as your Supreme Protector.
Each person who honors the customs of the Ancestors and lives according to the Ancestral Origin, standing before Veles on His Holy Day, can first of all turn to that Face of the Prophetic Lord, which most corresponds to the disposition of his soul. So, for example, for people who live mainly in carnal interests (the Laboring Estate), Veles - the Cattle God - is, first of all, the Lord of Living Nature, as well as the Patron of the animal ("cattle") beginning in the person himself, associated with physical survival, extension his kind, etc. For those “business” people whose vital interests are focused mainly on gaining wealth and worldly gain (the Merchant Estate), Veles is, first of all, the God-Giver of wealth, the Patron of trade, profitable deals, etc. As one of the largest researchers of Slavic paganism and culture wrote Ancient Rus' Academician B.A. Rybakov: “Until the Middle Ages, the word “cattle” meant not only domestic animals, but also property, money, wealth. The word "bestiality" meant "greed"; "cattleman" - a financial official, standing between the mayor and the headman; "Cowgirl" - treasury.
For those in whose life the main goals are not material gain, but Honor and Glory (Military Estate), Veles is, first of all, the Terrible Destroyer of Obstacles (Veles is the Third Face in the Great Svarog Triglav, uniting Svarog the Creator, Perun the Guardian and Veles the Destroyer of all things), the Mighty God, with Whose Name such concepts as Will, Power, Greatness, etc. are associated. And, finally, for those in whose life Spiritual goals predominate over all the others (Priestly Estate), Veles is, first of all, the Spiritual Beginning (both in the World and inside the person himself), ruling over the animal ("cattle") nature, the Prophetic Mentor, leading those who follow His Paths along the Spiritual Path of Self-Knowledge...
Glory to Rod!
Veles day
Winter Veles in a gray skin, With a turkey horn, with a white road, Keep in the field, keep in the forest, Take away grief, and give a share, In the Night of the Year - guarded the Family! Goy, Prophetic Siwe! Goy, Shepherd of winter! Veles - glory! Goy!
VELES GRAY - WINTER. It is celebrated on the 11th lute/February-month.
On this Holy Day, according to legend, Veles knocks down one horn of Winter, creates a talisman for livestock - drives Cow Death and gives people strength to survive the coming Veles (Vlasevsky) frosts (usually very, very severe), after which winter noticeably recedes. People note about this time: if a thaw comes along with Veles day, then a warm spring is expected; if not, then Morena-Winter will be strong in her right for a long time ...
Preparations for the Veles holiday begin in advance - from the evening of the previous day. Milk is poured into consecrated jugs, skins are spread around the house, on which cow horns, peeled and dried, are placed.
On the Temple (or in a place indicated especially by knowledgeable people), they begin to equip an altar, preparing skins in advance and fumigating the place with the smoke of a burning bull's hair. Sometimes bull and cow skulls are displayed on poles along the sacred fence of the Sanctuary, which personify the connection with the Other World, and are also powerful amulets from all evil spirits.
At night, the Magi go there alone and perform special sacred rites there in order to find out the will of the Prophetic God. The girls, meanwhile, are guessing, combing bull hair with combs. Before going to bed, they say a talisman-amulet for the coming dream:
Save, all Gods, and more - Veles, My sleep-rest! With a boat of quick, light thought, To rest from the labors of the righteous, Transfer me to Ino Zarechnoye. Maru da Moroka, fears, tributaries, Charms kikimora, navia, other Ties and nauzes wash away, take away. Stay in harmony, in delight with me, To wake up in health, Return to Reality! Goy!
The dreams given by Veles on this night are considered prophetic - prophetic and, according to legend, always come true ...
Wise and mighty Bull-headed Veles - Prophetic God! Every belly greets him: be glorified, our Defender! Praise be to you, Wise One! Even the incorporeal navia, wandering somewhere beyond the Edge (the border separating Yav and Nav) along the unknown paths of the Veles Pastures, rejoice, glorify the Great God - their Lord. Unlike the Light Svarozhichs, the children of Heavenly Fire, Veles is not at all hostile to the inhabitants of Navi, he does not drive them away with scorching heat sunbeams, like Dazhdbog, or with burning lightning arrows, like Perun, but not a single inhabitant of the Lower World dares to oppose the will of the Hairy Lord! ..
And finally, the day of the holiday comes. Ritual food is prepared in every house - porridge richly seasoned with oil: “Veles (Vlasiy) has a beard in oil!” - talk about this among the people; pre-cooked honeys are placed on the tables ... Only beef and veal are strictly forbidden to be eaten on the day of Veles - the Cow's Son (according to legend, born at the Dawn of the World by the Heavenly Cow Zemun).
Cooked food is illuminated on the altar, after which it is served at the table. Near the Temple, in a hut specially prepared for this, a joint meal of the community members is arranged.
A lot of work on Veles' day falls to the lot of the Magi (whom Veles patronizes especially) and their followers. In addition to performing rites of glorification of God, sacrifices, when consecrated milk flows in a stream along the altar, in addition to bringing the requirements, performed both on behalf of the entire community and brought in private, they have the organization of the celebration itself, which is opened by the utterance of ritual blasphemers, for example:
This is the time, the winter is crackling, The sun is hidden until spring by gloom-clouds, Blaze-hazes walk and roam the earth, Crazy spirits guard the fallen forest. Fire is not red, not light-overexposure, - Winter put on an ice bracelet, Her white hands are in hoarfrost, The blue sky is bound by cold. And in the night in the forest - dances of troubles, Marushka walks like a white cloud ... And somewhere there, behind the white fields, Behind the forest supports, the ice tower stands, The white Hort runs around him, He sweeps the trail with his tail, he sings such a song: Goy you, Frost-brother, go to the bed, Unlock your locks, open your gates, Dissolve them wider and wait for the Gostyushka: The gray God is coming, leading the bear, He secretly speaks the word that people are supported, Help in the cold and road in the night! Praise God the Prophet! Goy!
Also, this Holy Day is considered very favorable for the treatment of all kinds of diseases: both human ailments and cattle ailments. It is also good for making charms from cow horns, embodying vitality Nature, and from bunches of bull's wool, which, according to legend, endow their owners with good health and wealth. It is believed that all amulets and protective rites created on Veles Day have a special power. And who, if not the Magi, the disciples of the Wise Veles, their Highest Patron, should take care that everything dedicated to the Prophetic God be done properly? ..
The holiday is unthinkable without the Veles fight, otherwise called the Bear fight (because the bear is one of the sacred animals dedicated to Veles, and also, according to legend, one of the faces of the Animal God himself is embodied in the image of the Forest Master).
In contrast to the furious military duels that take place on Perun's Day, the duel of the wrestlers of the Veles struggle is not replete with many tricks, being, for the most part, a good-natured admiration for the power that is bestowed on a person by Mother Earth herself, not for the extermination of their own kind, but for the sake of creative work on honest field. Usually, two hefty men, stripped to the waist, go around the circle in front of the Chur (the sacred statue of the Temple) of Veles, embrace each other with their hands and, groaning and resting with all their might, try to fill up the enemy in the snow. The Magi at this retell a slander on Volotov's strength:
Velese-God! Bring down to us, give Volotov's strength [name]! Goy!
Immediately, one of the spectators will certainly remember the old story about wrestlers: they say, once there lived in a neighboring village one peasant, frail in appearance, but before each duel he lay down on the ground, face down in the snow, and asked Mother Cheese to grant him at least would have the smallest fraction of her irresistible power, after which he defeated any healthy man - which caused the jubilation of all the honest people who were present at the competition ... the forces of the earth and only beginning to awaken, not yet visible with your own eyes, the spring solar yari ...
The night following the Veles day is considered favorable for the conception of children strong in body and spirit. Before lying down in a matrimonial bed made of lined skins, women comb their husbands' hair with charmed combs, which should protect them from various ailments for a year and endow Veles himself with strength and wisdom. The Magi alone go into the night, looking at them with clear stars - with the eyes of the Ancestors, into the very fortification of the forest, where they put a pole with bull horns hoisted on it and keep watch until the very morning, ringing their beats in kobna-tambourines, singing the Prophetic God, Koloslava repeating this many times:
Vele-Vele-Velese go-oh-oh, Vele-Vele-Velese goy! Vele-Vele-Velese go-oh-oh, Vele-Vele-Velese goy! Veles ese go-oh-oh, Veles ese goy! Veles ese go-oh-oh, Veles ese goy! ..
About this time, the Forest Master turns in the den on the other side, the Virgin-Spring meets on the border of Mirokolitsa with the Old Woman-Winter and gives her the first battle (2 lutes-months - on the Gromnitsa), and the Russian-Slavic Rodnoverichesky Community "Rodolyubie" (which was based on Veles Day in the summer of 1998 from N.H.L.) celebrates his birthday...
Life without signs, ancient holidays, mystical rites is boring and boring. After all, it is curious to know how our ancestors had fun a thousand years ago, whom they celebrated, what they believed in and what they worshiped. Some traditions have survived to this day. Even Orthodoxy welcomes the feast of Ivan Kupala.
Who is Veles?
This character came to us from our Slavic ancestors. Very few sources have been preserved by which it is now possible to determine the essence of this mythical image, its positive and negative qualities. This is the "cattle god", the patron of poets and storytellers. There is controversy and controversy: "Veles and Volos - are they different characters or not?". There are many traditions associated with this hero. One of them is to leave a few uncompressed stalks of cereal plants as a sacrifice to him. Veles penetrated culture and art.
The idols of this deity stood in the vastness of Rus' long before its baptism. But after that they began to be massively destroyed, as a "relic of the past." And in Macedonia there is a city of Veles. In the Leningrad region there is the town of Volosovo, on the coat of arms of which Veles is depicted. His eternal rival is the more famous god Perun. There is an assumption that Perun and Veles fought for the right to be the husband of the goddess Mokosh. And Perun also destroyed herds of domestic animals, the patron of which was Veles.
Heritage
Christianity has been actively spreading among the Slavs for the last millennium. But Orthodox Church was able to assimilate many pagan persons into her practice. A little perepalo and Veles. Although his image was spoiled by the priests, who identified him with demons and devils. And all his good qualities were given to Nicholas the Wonderworker. Until now, the image of Veles is more familiar to residents of the northern regions and regions. After all, there are more virgin places, civilization could not "roam" on a grand scale. Veles migrated to fairy tales, partially appears no longer in the form of a monster, but as a ferocious and dangerous bear. Neo-paganism willingly returned it to its everyday life. He became associated with wisdom. There was even a book of Veles. Veles is adored by rock stars, dedicating songs to him:
celebration
What date is this day to be celebrated? Contemporaries do this on February 28, although in the past this day fell on February 11. Perhaps the reason for this discrepancy is the old style of the calendar, the errors of chronology for 1000 years of history. Most likely - this day is not tied to natural phenomena (as in the case of Maslenitsa). Although Veles Day is celebrated almost in the middle of winter. There are many legends that connect the holiday with the exile of this god to the territory of Midgard. This is the space where people live. Veles gave blacksmithing to the people, instilled a love for art, taught fencing and rebuilding cities. It is not good to ignore such benefits. Therefore, the people celebrated the Day of Veles. The party consisted in the glorification of this deity. People danced around the fire and listened to the lectures of the Magi on esotericism. Poets competed in their art, and masters of bright deeds arranged games with fire. The holiday ended with a rich table and a cheerful meal. Very little information has survived to this day, but this holiday was considered and is considered positive, bright, positive. And all the magic, magic is presented in a good way. And the magicians performed secret ceremonies that gave strength and energy. After all, it was very difficult to survive at that time without powerful energy. In the life of our ancestors, this was one of the most important holidays.
How to be now?
In Russia, Velesov Day is not a state or church holiday. This is not even a memorable or significant date. This is a good opportunity to learn the history and customs of your ancestors, enrich yourself a little and go beyond the standard limits imposed by other cultures. Orthodoxy will easily turn a blind eye to this, but it is not necessary to listen to Jehovah's Witnesses: just take their magazines and promise to read everything carefully. How to celebrate? Not essential! More mysticism, magic and mystery. But everything must be within the rules of law. Do not make terrible sacrifices and material losses to others. And having fun and jumping around the fire is good for health.
What benefit can be derived from this mystical date:
- Learn more about the history of the ancient Slavs.
- Make good films, write interesting books.
- Distract youth from the Internet.
- Be outdoors, breathe positive.
- An occasion to communicate and relieve mental stress.
No one can stop you from honoring the memory of Veles. And you do not need to take permission from the authorities for this. You just have to follow the rules fire safety, to prevent hypothermia of the body. And remember - vodka ancient time hasn't been invented yet!
For the epigraph:
“The Slavs honor the Veles Day - and cherish the memory of their ancestors!”
