Magic birds. What birds were considered unclean in Rus'? What bird in Rus' brought trouble or

12.03.2024 Traditional treatment

This pitch-black bird is familiar to each of us - both residents of rural settlements and city dwellers. We are so accustomed to the sight of these birds that we don’t even notice them when we pass by. But just recently, crows were treated with respect, they were even afraid of them! In medieval Europe, these birds were considered harbingers of bad events, shocks, famine and death.

However, one should not assume that black birds were associated exclusively with negativity. In the old days, the raven was considered a symbol of wisdom, and the crow acted as a kind of “logo” of practical magic. By the way, these birds really have a very developed intelligence. Scientists have found that their intellectual development is at the level of a seven-year-old child.

There are many superstitions about crows. Some of them predict unlucky events and disasters, while other beliefs predict happiness, fame and long life. Do you want to understand the signs and signs of fate that our feathered neighbors on the planet are trying to convey to us?

If a crow attacked a person

In the old days, it was believed that if a person was attacked by a crow, then this was a sign of impending misfortune. You need to prepare for serious changes in life, and they are unlikely to be positive. However, there is a way to ward off possible trouble from yourself and your loved ones. To do this, you should visit the temple, light candles and order a prayer service for the health of yourself and your household.

It must be borne in mind that a crow attack can be considered as a sign only if it was unmotivated. If you provoked a bird (for example, you tried to pick up a chick that had fallen from the nest), then its aggression does not carry any mystical meaning.

What does a crow's caw mean?

There are also many superstitions associated with the hoarse “voice” of birds. For example, if a crow croaks overhead, the sign tells you to prepare to receive long-awaited news. A whole flock of birds croaking loudly on the roof of a house portends an imminent wedding. The crows “talking” with each other suddenly fell silent and flew away as if on command? This means that the weather will change soon - usually you should prepare for precipitation and cold weather.

You should expect trouble if a crow croaks under your window for a long time in the early morning. For a long time, people have noticed that in places where crows behave restlessly, various incidents occur. These could be fires, epidemics or famine. There was a sign that if corvids often circle and croak over a field, then this field belongs to a witch.

Raven sat on his head

It is believed that birds and some animals (in particular) are able to sense the disease. Based on this idea, a sign appeared that if a crow sat on its head, it meant a serious illness. Or, worse, to death. But there is another, positive interpretation of the sign. There is a version that the crow sits on the head only of exceptional people who are destined to become rich, influential and famous.

If you are alarmed by the negative interpretation of the superstition about a raven landing on your head, then know that the effect of the sign can be “cancelled.” To do this, you should place it on the handle of the front door of your house. Each family member should do the same. To be on the safe side, you can read a prayer, but this is not necessary.

Meet a bird on the road

A crow sitting motionless on a stone warns that you will meet a dangerous travel companion on the road. If you see several birds sitting, count them. An odd number of birds predicts a quarrel. Is the bird flying after you? In some countries there is a belief that this is a sign of wealth!

A bad sign is a flock of birds flying out of the forest. Our ancestors noticed that soon after this there would be a bad harvest, loss of livestock, and famine. But it’s even worse if two flocks of crows fly towards each other. In this case, it was necessary to prepare for an imminent war.

Corvids can point a traveler to a bad or bad place. If you are about to set up a tent in the forest and notice that a crow is flying and cawing above you, then it is better to move the camp further away. Otherwise, you can become seriously ill or die without a trace. It is interesting that this belief is found not only in Slavic myths and legends, but also in the books of the mystic and anthropologist Carlos Castaneda. His teacher, don Juan, argued that a croaking crow never expresses agreement with the world, but warns of danger.

Meet a crow near the house

A black bird that can be seen near a home only brings bad news if it can be seen every day. If a crow flies in and knocks on the window, this indicates imminent changes in the house, as well as the possibility of robbery or problems with the law. If she can often be seen on the roof, then the head of the house is in danger of ruin.

A flock of black birds circling over a home indicates black witchcraft. One of the household members became a victim of a witch or a powerful sorcerer. This belief was reflected in the episode about the witchcraft funnel from the film “Night Watch”. If a raven makes a nest under your window, then you don’t have to be afraid of witchcraft. The magical bird has decided to take you under its protection.

Birds have been loved and welcomed in the North since ancient times. Even such frightening ones as a black raven or a crow. Black-winged birds arrive in April - it’s time to celebrate the crow holiday, to honor the prophetic raven, the bird of Chernobog. How did you celebrate the crow's day, the holiday of the Knowers, those who are not afraid of the world of Navi?

The notoriety of the prophetic raven

The prophetic raven is a magical bird. They say he knows the secrets of life and death, knows the way to the source of dead water, and serves the ruler of Navi Chernobog. Or even Chernobog himself may appear in the form of a huge bird at the crow festival. Should we be afraid of the prophetic raven? He does not attack people, he does not harm anyone. And, they say, this bird’s appearance is not good. Few people are happy with the news from the world of Navi. Only the Knowing Ones, those who are ready to talk with the Naval Gods and Ancestors, welcome the prophetic raven, the rest are afraid.

In songs, fairy tales and conspiracies, the raven is spoken of as a bird associated with death. An example of this is in a sad song in which a mother mourns her dead son:

“I have no son - the falcon is clear,
My sad man in his old age...
The dark grave snatched him away.
Like an evil black crow...
He didn’t leave me talentless
Neither the daughter-in-law of the poor swan,
No cheerful, frisky birds -
Little children, dear granddaughters for me..."

Notice anything unusual about this song? Before that, we talked about the prophetic raven, but here the crow is mentioned - the bird is similar in appearance, but still different. The prophetic raven is a rare guest in our region; crows return to the shores of the White Sea every spring, in April. With their arrival there will be a crow holiday!

Crow Day: Feast of the Chernobog Bird

Have you really been frightened by the notoriety of the prophetic raven and the black crow? Let's not intimidate further. Let us remember that in the old days the world of spirits, ancestors, was next to the world of the living. If so, you need to be able to conduct a conversation with your ancestors, convey the message to them, and receive an answer. That’s why they were afraid of crows and ravens, but respected them.

We celebrated the crow holiday around April 14th. Today we say this date for convenience. In the old days, Crow Day, a holiday, began with the arrival of black birds. A crow flew over the sea, and so it returned as a crow! That's what they said in the old days. The crows arrive early, when not all the snow has melted, and the earth and young grass have not appeared everywhere.

Crow Day is a holiday when both rare ravens and ravens, which are more common in our area, are treated.

The Crow Holiday is celebrated everywhere in a special way. We know what they prepared on Crow's Day, the holiday of birds' things, treats. They took the tables outside the village, to the outskirts of the forest. They themselves had fun and celebrated, and did not forget to throw treats towards the forest. They fed black crows, the spirits of the Ancestors, the warm spring sun, and lured a fruitful summer.

On the crow's day they paid special attention to the signs associated with the prophetic raven and the crow. And there were a lot of them!

Signs on a raven day

They knew a lot about the prophetic raven and the raven. They are especially significant if you meet a raven - a rare bird. About crows, they often say that the whole flock is significant, and not just one black-winged bird.

Hearing a crow cawing from a hollow and being afraid of it means danger. However, if the cry of a bird does not make you suddenly flinch, troubles are not terrible.

A prophetic raven or a croaking crow on the roof is considered a bad omen, but only if the bird sits against the sunlight. Then household members are threatened with illness, theft, and diseases of livestock in the yard. If the bird does not sit against the sun, or even walks on the roof, expect an addition to the family. This is how the spirits of the ancestors let you know that a new person will soon come to the Family.

Meeting two ravens on the crow holiday is a sign of love and happiness.

It’s bad if on a crow’s day a flock of black birds flies out of the forest croaking. The summer will not be fruitful, the winter will be hungry. If two black flocks fly towards each other screaming, in the old days they expected war.

Yes, black birds were not always a bad omen! If two crows feed each other, it foretells happiness in love and a quick wedding. Two crows flying over the house on a wedding day - to good luck, happiness and the imminent birth of a child.

How to celebrate the crow's day today?

Much has changed on earth, but in April we still meet prophetic ravens and black crows. Don't be afraid of these birds today! It’s better to prepare a treat for them, even a small one, something you have on hand: just crumble a cookie or a piece of bread for the crows. Then the birds of Chernobog will certainly bring you only good news!

Alkonost– a bird of joy and love from the Heavenly World. She has a human face (half-woman, half-bird), with large, rainbow-colored feathers. She is kind to a person, helps him, warns him of trouble. Alkonost’s singing is so beautiful that those who hear it forget about all their troubles and worries. Sometimes it flies to Heavenly Iriy for the winter, returning from there in the spring to earth with divine, amazingly beautiful flowers. Khors himself, the god of the winter sun, patronizes Alkonost, captivated by his singing and beauty. Happy is the person who sees this bird, since it is easy to frighten away (like success and luck), and it is so fast that it disappears instantly. This bird appears very rarely now. Modern people take it for a mirage and an obsession, afraid to believe in a fleeting vision of heavenly beauty and happiness.

Sirin- bird of sadness, messenger of the ruler of the underworld. Her singing is captivating and sad; meeting her for any creature means imminent disaster. Sirin has the body of a bird, and the head of a beautiful woman. This bird is also a servant and executor of the will of the highest Gods - endowed by them with the gift of foresight, the gift of consolation in sadness and grief. Often travels with Alkonost; then, when meeting a person, each of the birds sings to him their songs about his fate.

Sirin appeared to many royals before difficult trials for their countries and families. But if you know how to listen to this bird, you can always find the right way out in any difficult circumstances.

Finist (Phoenix) – the immortal bird of happiness and eternal youth. This is a bird with fiery feathers
red and gold colors, fast as light or lightning. In Russian fairy tales, this is Finist the Clear Falcon - an image of the rebirth and renewal of man, Nature, and Russia. During the day, the fabulous Finist turns into a bird, at night into a beautiful prince. Sometimes in fairy tales the Finist-Falcon falls asleep for a long time in order to wake up from the tears of his beloved and dispel the witchcraft spell. This is an eternally young and victorious warrior bird, a defender of Rus', the covenants of ancestors and justice. Messenger of the gods of Heavenly Russia. Finist is patronized by God Rod himself, and Perun and Svarog help him.

In Greek legends, in old age, the Phoenix burns itself in its own fire and rises from the ashes even more beautiful and youthful.

In Russian songs and fairy tales, good red fellows are called “young and clear falcon.” Fairy-tale princes turn into falcons when they need to instantly overcome vast distances, suddenly strike an enemy from the sky, or appear unnoticed in front of a red maiden. The falcon is considered the embodiment of the heavenly elements - Fire and Air, the personification of a brave and strong masculine principle.

« In ancient times, good people sailed on a ship to a distant land - for the Phoenix, the bird of happiness. The sea was deserted and quiet. And suddenly two rocks facing each other appeared ahead. A clear, wonderfully beautiful whistle came from their tops. Hearing him, the shipmen forgot about everything in the world. And their boat rushed with the rudder abandoned into a narrow strait between the rocks, where inevitable death awaited everyone. But they did not think about death, but only looked at the birds with human faces that made captivating sounds. These were the birds of Sirin, the birds of sadness; meeting them means trouble. Suddenly, other sounds flying from above touched the ears of the shipmen and forced them to raise their heads. Another bird with a human face sat on the top of the mast and sang a song about a distant homeland, where mothers and fathers, wives and children are waiting for them, a warm hearth and a roof in their home, rivers and fields, forests and mountain paths. Hearts rose: people remembered the danger and rushed to the yards. In the last moments, the ship managed to turn away from the deadly rocks and go on its own course. The bird, having taken off the mast, flew over the sea and disappeared over the horizon. It was Alkonost - the bird of joy». (“Fairytale ABC”)

GAMAYUN - A prophetic bird-talker with a human head, a messenger of Heaven, a herald of the gods. Folk legends say that Gamayun was born along with our world. Therefore, he knows everything about the origin of our Earth and Sky, mountains and rivers, gods and people, animals and birds. Can predict the future. People come to the bird Gamayun for advice, since the bird knows the wisdom of all times, all peoples. They say that the gods even told Gamayun what happened before the creation of our world.

He often lives near the sea, and likes to relax on Buyan Island. They say that when Gamayun flies, he raises a storm with his wings. And he flies to Rus' with news from Heavenly Iriy - the abode of the bright Slavic gods. The prophetic bird Gamayun is patronized by the god Veles; he takes care of people, sending them divine messages through the messenger bird. According to ancient belief, the cry of the bird Gamayun foretells happiness. But she broadcasts only to those who know how to ask her and who are ready to listen to secret things. Gamayun sings divine praises to people, in which he reminds people of the highest values of the world, the glorious deeds of the gods and ancestors, and he also sings to people the Deep (Dove) book with the commandments of the god Svarog about how the world works and how to live correctly.

In the ancient “Book of verb Kosmography” with a description of the Earth, the map shows a round plain washed on all sides by a river-ocean. On the eastern side is marked “the island of Macarius, the first under the very east of the sun, near the blessed paradise; That’s why it’s so popular that the birds of paradise Gamayun and Phoenix fly into this island and smell wonderful.”

FIREBIRD - A magical, luminous solar bird from the upper world - Iria of the Heavenly, monastery
gods of the Slavs and Aryans. The light emanating from its plumage illuminates the entire area: “A wonderful light flows all around, but does not warm, does not smoke...”. The shine of her feathers blinds the eyes as much as the light of the sun or the flash of lightning. In one fairy tale about the Firebird it is written: “She has golden feathers, and her eyes are like oriental crystal.”

She sings wonderfully, sometimes speaks in a girl’s voice and takes on a girl’s image. Can fascinate a person with his gaze and singing. But she rarely sings in captivity, she is sad and may even die if she is put in a cage.

Its color is golden, the color of solar fire and lightning. She eats golden rejuvenating apples, which give immortality, eternal youth and beauty. Some fairy tales say that when the Firebird sings a menacing song, brilliant lightning rains down from its open beak and thunder rolls sound. In other fairy tales it is written that her singing is so beautiful and joyful that it enchants and bewitches a person, and at this time stingray pearls fall from her beak. And even the gods love to look at her and listen to the singing of the Firebird, since she is the embodied image of the purity of solar fire and perfection.

The singing of the Firebird is like living water - those who listen to it gain health and youth, quarrels stop, grievances are forgotten. This magical bird can make wishes come true, and its power has not been fully explored by people. Even one of her feathers brings great happiness to the person who takes possession of it; Many earthly kings and rulers dreamed about this. Its price is a whole kingdom, but the bird itself has no price at all. But for those who use this feather for personal gain, it brings disaster.

In fairy tales, she flies to our world from the distant kingdom, that is, from the Heavenly Iriy - the abode of the gods, where she lives in the “Garden of Eden” surrounding the tower of the Tsar Maiden (Thunderstorm Maidens, Perunitsa). The Tree of Life with its rejuvenating apples grows in this garden. The protector of this bird is the god of thunder and lightning himself, Perun. Sometimes the Firebird is an image of the Sun God, Dazhdbog.

They say that the last time people saw a wonderful bird in Rus' was in 1108, and this is even recorded in the Nikon Chronicle: “Appearing in Kiev at the Church of the Holy Archangel Michael the Golden-Domed, an unknown bird, with the majesty of a ram and shining with all sorts of flowers and songs, ceaselessly and having worn out a lot of sweetness from it: and sat on that church for six days and flew away, and no one could see it anywhere.”

Elena Kochetova
"The image of a bird in Rus'." Integrated lesson in the senior group

« The image of a bird in Rus'»

Program content:

Form in children interest in Russian history, introduce to Russian culture.

Systematize children's knowledge about the image of birds in folk tales.

Call interest and the desire to reproduce birds in a pattern, developing. artistic and creative images.

Cultivate in children a love for birds of our native land.

Encourage children to participate in songs and games.

Preliminary work: Learning songs, chants, proverbs, poems about birds; reading fairy tales, looking at illustrations birds; conversations and observations birds and their habits, drawing Dymkovo roosters.

Material to occupation: tree models, illustrations birds, hut, barnyard, chest, didactic games: "Cat, Rooster and Fox", "Swan geese", blanks for drawing Dymkovo roosters according to the number of children, handouts for drawing.

Progress of the lesson

Children, do you like to travel? (children's answers)

What can you travel with? (plane, boat, train, car). Today, you and I will travel by train, and to make the journey seem fun to us, we will sing a familiar song “Here is our train coming”

Performance of the song “Here is our train coming”

1 stop "Lesnaya".

What time of year is it now? (spring)

One of the signs of spring is a national holiday "Forty Forty". On this day forty different flocks arrive birds to our region from the south, this is a sign that the frosts have receded and a warm spring is coming. Let's, children, listen to how they sing in our forest birds.

Which did you recognize the birds?? (Cuckoo, titmouse, starlings)

Rooks, Starlings, Larks are the harbingers of spring. Let's call Spring too.

Zaklik:

“Come to us!

Clear spring

Red spring

Bring it to us!

Children you know birds which were used on Rus' with honor? (children's answers)

Good fellows were compared to a falcon. Falcon eyes are keen eyes.

The swan is a symbol of purity and beauty. “Like a white swan floating” they were talking about a girl.

The white-sided magpie is reputed to be a thief, a gossip, bringing various news on its tail.

The owl is a symbol of wisdom.

Often adults affectionately called: "My bird", “My dove, "My Swallow" Why do you think they call you that? (birds are small, cute, funny)

poem using the technique of telling poems with your hands "I want to be a bird"

I was walking down the street, forward movements with my index finger

And both middle fingers

hands indicating walking;

The jackdaw and the raven counted: Cross your hands in front of you, do

smooth hand movements,

denoting flight birds

One, two, three, four, five Bend your fingers one by one,

starting with the little finger.

I opened my mouth, I look at the sky. Open my mouth, raise my head up.

Right left. I was not there. Head turns

I wanted to become a bird, swinging my arms up and down

And he began to wave his arms downwards

Wings up and wings down

You can only hear the wind whistling.

I jumped up to fly, raise my hands up, jump

But I had to sit down on the ground.

To the music of the song “Here is our train coming”

Stop 2 - Yagodnaya Polyana village

(Audio recording of village sounds)

What is the name of the village we came to? (Berry Glade). Why do you think it is called that? (Because there are a lot of berries growing there)

Educator draws Children's attention to the house and barnyard.

Look how big, beautiful, wooden the house is, the house has a window with painted shutters and a roof.

What word do you think the word comes from? "village"? What material are the houses in the village made of? (the houses are made of wood, they are wooden)

There is a farmyard next to the house. What animals do you see? (Cow, dog, cat, rooster, pig)

Educator draws children's attention to the roof of the house

The roof of the house is held together by a wooden ledge. This ledge is always decorated with a figurine. Who knows which one? (Rooster)

Yes, children, this is Cockerel, and why exactly Cockerel? ( The image of this bird was considered a talisman, protected the family from trouble and misfortune)

What proverb do you know about the cockerel? ( “The rooster is crowing, the dark time has passed”).

The Russian people consider the rooster to be like this bird, which does not sink in water and does not burn in fire. Remember how in a fairy tale “Golden comb cockerel and miracle chalk” What did the cockerel do when he was thrown into the water and then into the fire?

(the cockerel drank water from the well and put out the fire in the stove)

The figurine of a rooster not only protects the house from evil spirits and brings happiness to the family, but also protects the house from fire.

Performance of the song "Cockerel"

Which village did we visit? Why was the figure of a rooster placed on the roof of the house? (children's answers)

To the music of the song “Here is our train coming” children go on their way

3 stop "Fabulous"

We arrived at the station "Fabulous".

Children, what kind of people are you, do you know fairy tales where there is image of a bird? ("Cat, Rooster and Fox", "Zimovye", "Fox with a rolling pin", "Ryaba Hen", "Swan geese", "The Cockerel and the Bean Seed", "Zayushkina's hut")

Children, I have a magic chest for you interesting to know, what lies in it?

The teacher takes out 2 educational games from the chest "Collect a fairy tale", divides the children into 2 teams and offers them cut-out pictures

Which station were we at? What fairy tales collected? (children's answer)

train signal

To the music of the song “Here is our train coming” children go on their way

4 stop "People's Craftsman".

And now we have arrived at the workshop where we will decorate the cockerel with Dymkovo painting

The teacher looks at the children sample Dymkovo rooster with elements of painting, predominant colors, methods and techniques of drawing.

Analysis of children's works

Steam locomotive whistle. Our journey is over. Children, did you enjoy the trip? Which stations did we visit? What new have you learned? It's time to go home.

in the old days in Rus' this bird was called zegziga

Alternative descriptions

What bird lives in a clock?

Forest migratory bird that usually does not build its own nest

Forest bird, fortune teller

Feathered mother-refusenik

Bird giving due date

Poem by A. Fet

Feathered fortune teller

Alan Pakula's film "Barren..."

Bird without parental rights

We simply listen carefully to this animal; in Hindu poetry, local species play approximately the same role as the nightingale in our country: we listen to their songs

The ancient Indians called it “parapushta”, i.e. “fed by others,” but what do we call her?

According to one of the Russian beliefs, a mole was punished with blindness for digging the ground on the feast of the Annunciation, when it is impossible to work, and what bird received a different kind of punishment for daring to build a nest on this day?

Which bird in “The Tale of Igor’s Campaign” became a symbol of a yearning woman?

According to popular belief, you can add extra life to yourself if you carefully sneak up to a tree and tie it with a belt, but who should be sitting on a branch at that time?

When she fell silent, the hero of Konstantin Vanshenkin felt fear, and after a while he was already laughing, and he became too lazy to do mental calculations

The Romanians have “kuk”, the Turks have “guguk”, the Italians have “cucolo”, but what about us?

The flight over the nest of which bird is mentioned in the title of M. Foreman's film?

This bird is able to please us with “fanging”, “gurgling”, “rolling”, “fraction” and “cuckoo flight”

What kind of bird, according to Slavic beliefs, could the goddess of life Zhiva turn into?

A careless feathered mother who bought her son a hood

What were the names of the suicide snipers whom the Germans chained to a rock, and who had no choice but to shoot at their enemies until the last bullet?

A film by Alexander Rogozhkin about the relationship between a Russian soldier, a Finnish sniper and a woman from the Sami tribe

A sniper who operates alone, usually on rough terrain, is called this

Bird nesting in a clock

. "feathered" inhabitant of walkers

Forest soothsayer

Oracle bird

Forest fortune teller and chronometer

Migratory mother giving birth to foundlings

Who praises the rooster and spits on his own balls?

Bird in a clock

Bird laying eggs in other people's nests

A bird that needs to be deprived of its maternal rights