Yarilo is the sun god. Meaning and photo of Slavic talismans - Sun, Yarilo, Yarovit, Solar Knot

Yarilo(Yarovit, Ardent Whirlwind, Ardent God, Wolf Shepherd) - Slavic God of the Spring Sun, revered by the Slavs as the God of Fertility and passion, a skilled warrior and the first farmer. Yarilo is revered as the Wolf Shepherd. Shepherds turn to God Yarilo with requests to protect livestock from wild animals. Farmers turn to Yarilo during the festival of the first furrow. Warriors also honor him. We can say that the Slavic God of the Spring Sun is revered by everyone.

Along with Yarilo comes the revival of earthly life, the awakening of feelings, and an influx of strength. It is Yarilo who brings Lelya, the Goddess of Spring, to the people on the day of the vernal equinox.

Yarilo is the God of the Spring Sun, the son of Veles, the God of the Three Worlds, and Diva-Dodola, the Goddess of Heavenly Moisture. Slavic myths They say that the God of young passion was born precisely from unexpected strong feelings. Veles once liked the beautiful Diva Dodola, but the wayward Goddess preferred Perun the Thunderer to him. Then Veles turned into a magic lily of the valley, which the Goddess Diva Dodola saw and could not resist smelling the magic flower. This is how the young God of the Spring Sun appeared.

From his father Veles, Yarilo adopted masculine strength and werewolf abilities. Therefore, Yarilo became the patron saint of wolves, the Wolf Shepherd. From his mother Diva Dodola, he adopted his attractiveness and lively character, which is why Yarilo is revered as the God of Passion.

Legends and myths about the Slavic God Yarilo

Many myths and legends have been preserved about the Slavic God of the Spring Sun, Yarilo. In many tales, Yarilo is described as an assistant to lovers or as the patron of Wolves and other wild animals. Most famous myth o Yarilo is associated with him as with the God of Fertility.

According to this myth, the Slavs did not always cultivate the land and grow bread. For a long time the ability to grow rye, make flour and bake bread from it. For the first time, God Yarilo tried wonderful cakes in an overseas country, and later he learned to make them himself. The people with whom Yarilo was visiting taught him how to make bread, and the God of the Spring Sun brought this knowledge to the Slavs. First, Yarilo gave the Gods a taste of the bread, and then everyone decided together how to teach people to sow grain. The Slavs considered the body of the Mother of the Raw Earth inviolable and would not agree to cause her pain. But the Earth Goddess herself agreed that her son Mikula Selyanovich make the first furrow, and Yarilo sow the first grains. Since then, Yarilo has been revered as the God of Fertility.

Zelen Yarilo came to us -

Ardent God on a green horse,

Green like grass

Dewy like dew.

Brought grain of grain

And good news from the Sun!

Amulet - symbol of God Yarilo

The amulet of the Slavic God Yarilo is called Yarovik. This is a swastastic, solar, four-ray symbol. The sign looks like an oblique cross ending in four crescent-shaped rays. The Yarovik symbol used to be not only worn as a personal amulet, but was drawn on barns with grain and on the gates of the yard where there were livestock. So Yarilo was asked to protect grain and livestock from wild animals that obey this Slavic God.

As a personal amulet, the symbol of God Yarilo worn for confidence, courage, receiving vitality, vigor, for joy and happiness, for the birth of new love.

Attributes of God Yarilo

Animal- wolf, hare.

Heraldry, objects- ear, wreath, branch with young leaves.

Treba (offering)- pancakes, grain, porridge, pies, eggs, honey.

Yarilo - Patron God

Yarilo can become a patron god for those who are similar in character to him. These are people sociable, emotional, charming. They love to say kind, pleasant things to others, they know how to lift their spirits and cheer them up. Those who are close to God Yarilo are always ready to help those who are in trouble: they can give good advice or find a way out. difficult situation. People similar in character to Yarilo are bright, creative, but quickly cool down, begin to get bored and are looking for a new business or a new lover.

In the character of those for whom Yarilo can become a patron, there are such quality:

optimism;
goodwill;
sociability;
emotionality;
mood addiction;
dislike of order and schedule.

Yarilo in the northern tradition of fortune telling and magic

The Slavic Rez of God Yarilo depicts a sign Yarovik.

Reza number – 25.

Reza Yarilo falls out, when “spring” comes in a person’s life - a time of bright feelings, emotions, enjoyment of life in its earthly, obvious manifestation. This is the time when you should put aside calculations and trust your feelings, not be afraid to live boldly and open up to people. However, at the same time, sometimes unpleasant things are revealed that a person had not noticed before and did not find the strength to face.

Read more about the meaning of Reza God Yarilo in fortune telling in the article Reza Rod Yarilo

Holidays where Yarilo, God of the Slavs, is honored

Several holidays are dedicated to the Slavic God Yarilo:

March 20-21 (date varies from year to year)– Spring Solstice, Yarilo brings Lelya-Spring into the world of Reveal.

In the system of religious beliefs of our ancestors, Yarilo, God became the embodiment of the spring sun, which had just left the unkind embrace of winter. That's why distinctive features The character of this god was fury, sincerity, purity. He personified the reborn sun, full of life-giving energy necessary for all earthly creatures. Of course, the statement that Yarilo is the sun god is also absolutely true. It’s just that, unlike Khors and Dazhbog, Yarilo was the embodiment of the spring sun. At the same time, Yarila’s arrows turned like the sun’s rays and, in accordance with some sacred symbolism of this god, could be regarded as arrows of love.

But Yarila’s most stable association is spring. In all its beauty and splendor. And as we see, it was not for nothing that the Slavs called crops planted in spring “spring crops.” And a sown wheat field was called “yaritsa”.

Some historians believe that initially our ancestors used the word “yarilo” to mean rapidly spreading light, hence the tirelessness and rage of this god, which according to legend he inherited from his father Veles. Other scientists believe that “yar” among the Slavs meant a fast-moving water stream. There is also logic in this statement, if we take as a basis the image of inexorable spring melt waters.

The sun Yarilo was also considered the god of youth and carnal pleasures. He was always depicted as a young, tall and blue-eyed guy, naked to the waist. According to one legend, Lelya, the goddess of the dawn, fell in love with the handsome Yarila and told him about her feelings. Yarila honestly admitted that he also loves Lelya, Mara and Lada. And also all women in the world, both heavenly and earthly.

In the vision of the ancient Slavs, the indomitable and reckless god Yarilo acted as the ruler of feelings not subject to reason. At the same time, he was the light and warmth of the universe and in this respect was somewhat similar to Semargl.

The symbol of Yarila is an equilateral five-pointed star or the Oud rune, which is an allegory of male creative energy. Yarila's number is five. Yarila’s amulet as such does not exist, but the role of such an element most likely could have been an ordinary swastika, some of its varieties, as well as an equilateral cross in a circle.

Yarilo - sun god

Before the adoption of Christianity, the Slavs were pagans. This means that in their view, man and nature were closely connected. They perceived the world as a living and wise being, having its own soul and living according to certain laws. This sense of the surrounding world contributed to the emergence of myths about gods and spirits that control human life.

Patron gods of the ancient Slavs

All Slavic pagan gods in one way or another acted as patrons of either some kind of activity or a certain social group. Thus, Veles is considered the patron of animals and trade, Perun of princes and warriors, Svarog of fertility, the goddess Lada is the patroness of peace and harmony, Alive - of youth and love, Makosh of fate and women's needlework, etc. This is due to the fact that each deity was responsible for a certain natural phenomenon and sphere of human activity, and therefore could contribute to success or failure in it.

To strengthen the connection with their patron, the Slavs made amulets with the symbols of the deity and carved idols. They also sent prayers to the Slavic gods.

The Slavic sun god had four hypostases in accordance with the four seasons, as well as the cycles of human life:

winter sun Kolyada, newborn baby;
spring sun Yarilo, a strong young man full of life;
summer sun Kupail, a mature strong man;
autumn sun Sventovit, a wise, fading old man.

This understanding of the structure of the annual cycle embodies the pagan idea of the infinity of the cycle of birth and death. So, old man Sventovit dies before the Winter Solstice, and the next morning the newborn Kolyada appears.

Yarilo is the Slavic god of the spring sun, youthful strength, passion, and unbridled thirst for life. This god is distinguished by purity, sincerity and fury. Yarilo let down to the ground Sun rays, which in some cases are interpreted as love arrows. The Slavs imagined God as the life-giving force of the spring sun, which fills the earth with life and joy after a long winter, awakening it from hibernation.

The Slavic god Yarilo is considered the patron saint of people with kind, pure, bright and heartfelt thoughts. People turned to him for help in conceiving children. He was also responsible for fertility and was considered the embodiment of rage in the most sublime sense.

Every year, April among the Slavs began with the spring holidays of the rebirth of life. A young red-haired horseman on a white horse appeared in Slavic villages. He was dressed in a white robe, with a wreath of spring flowers on his head, in his left hand he held ears of rye, and urged his horse with his bare feet. This is the Slavic god of joyful light, spring and warmth, Yarilo. His name, derived from the word “yar”, has several meanings:

The second time Yarila was honored closer to mid-summer. Young people gathered outside the village, in a special place - “Yarilina’s pleshka”. There was noisy festivities here all day long, people treated themselves, sang, danced and celebrated the young man and girl in white clothes, decorated with bells and bright ribbons - Yarila and Yarilikha.

During Yarilina week, all kinds of love spells- for dryness and dryness, for sweetness and in the heat. Dashing people, plotting malice against their neighbor, “take the trail” from him these days, and, according to popular legend, this is a particularly effective means.

Many people were and remain namesakes of the young, reckless and reckless god of spring. These are Yaropolk, Jaromir, Yaroslav and Yaroslava, Yarina.

It is very typical that Yarilo participates in Belarusian holidays either in the form of Yara-Yarilikha or in the form of a man with a huge phallus. Meanwhile, the root yar is present in such specifically feminine words: spring sheep - bright, yoke, spring wheat, spring bread, but the use given root in the feminine gender: rage, milkmaid, yar, yarina, yara.

We consider Yarila as a dying and resurrected son or the reality of Veles, who appears as Frost in winter, and in spring as Yarila. His day is Tuesday. Its month is March, named after the god of war - Mars, its metal is iron, stones are amber, ruby, garnet, hematite.

It seems interesting to us that this god had its analogues among a number of peoples. And, although a number of researchers hastily write Yarila into late medieval fiction, this cannot be so since the root Yar is the oldest common Slavic and even Indo-Aryan root. Let us recall that etymologically and functionally the Slavic Yaril corresponds to the Roman Eril, who has several lives, like Mars, the god of the ardent force of the revival of nature, the Hittite-Hurrian god of war Yarri, the Akkadian god of war Erra, greek god Ares-Arey wars.

The celebration of Yarila, firstly, falls on March 21, the beginning of the first month of the pagan year, this is due to the fact that the bestial god lifts Winter on his horns. Perhaps on the same day the gods who awaken life were honored - Zhiva, Dazhdbog and Svarog. Yarila is also honored on Yuri the Winter - December 9, together with Dazhdbog.

Yarilo is the god of spring and sunlight. Outwardly, Yarilo looks like a young man with red hair, dressed in white clothes with a flower wreath on his head. This god moves around the world riding a white horse.

Temples in honor of Yarila were built on the top of hills covered with trees. The tops of the hills were cleared of vegetation and an idol was erected in this place, in front of which a large white stone was placed, which could sometimes be located at the foot of the hill. Unlike most other gods, there were no sacrifices in honor of the god of spring. Usually the deity was worshiped with songs and dances at the temple. At the same time, one of the participants in the action was certainly dressed up as Yarila. after which he became the center of the entire celebration. Sometimes special figurines in the image of people were made, they were brought to the temple, and then smashed against a white stone installed there; it is believed that this brings Yarila’s blessing. from which the harvest will be larger and the sexual energy will be higher.

Yarilo is responsible for awakening the earth from sleep after winter; another of its functions is the generation of sexual attraction and passion in all living beings. This applies not only to animals, but also to plants. In fact, the deity stimulates reproduction in nature, but this influence extends only to Reality and its inhabitants.

Sources: radogost.ru, fb.ru, godsbay.ru, slawa.su, bestiaria.ru

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IV. System of Slavic mythology. 3. Personifications of the sun among the Eastern Slavs. Yarilo - god of the spring sun.

The cycle of solar deities should also include a deity, in general opinion, not attested by the chronicle of Nestor and other ancient monuments, but deeply rooted in the religious consciousness of the Russian people - a deity, both in name and in its meaning, representing a close similarity with Yarovit and Radegast of the Baltic Slavs - Russian YARIL. « Similar to Sanskrit root ar, – notes Efimenko, – the Slavic root yar also retained the meaning of swiftness, speed, ardor, strength, light, spring or rising sun... Spring and morning sunlight awakens a regenerating force throughout nature; therefore, the root yar is used to mean the fruitful power of spring and morning sunlight. What exactly is under the root yar it is necessary to understand the light of the spring or rising sun, as can be seen from the names of spring: Czech garo, Little Russian Yar - “Yar is our father and mother: whoever has not sowed, will not reap” - say the Galician Rusyns. [Z.R. Geogr. O. (ethnic) II. 362].

From here name of bread sown in spring: Little Russian yarynya, Great Russian egg , Czech gar Slovenian garice , Polish jarzyna , and adjectives: spring, jary, ardent.. . Spring and morning are the time of the appearance of light and warmth of the sun, arousing lust in humans and animals and the desire for fertilization in plants. Hence the new The meaning of the root is animal lust, carnal love and fertilizing power. To be angry is to have lust. In addition to lust, spring light excites strength and courage; That's why yar root in our country, as in Sanskrit, it means strength, courage, ardent – strong, courageous, Czech jarost – freshness, youthful strength. Judging by the above word production,– adds Efimenko, – the word Yarilo will mean the rapidly spreading spring light or morning sunlight, awakening plant power in herbs and trees, and carnal love in people and animals, then youthful freshness, strength and courage in man. It follows that Yarilo, as a deity, must be the god of the rising or spring sun, the god of lust and love, God growing and patron of animals, plant producer, god of strength and courage. In this sense, our Yarilo is identical with Yarovit of the Gavolians.". In Arkhangelsk province. vehemently means: strongly, very quickly. [Region v.-rus. words.] – The Czech name comes from another form of the same root yar - yas.[Efimenko. About Yaril. 80-81. Sreznevsky. About deification. sun. 46.].

Yarilo or Yarylo, in the sense of the god of the spring sun, still lives in the consciousness of Belarusians, who have generally preserved many very ancient features and motifs in their rituals and beliefs. Belarusians imagine “Yaryla” young, handsome, riding a white horse, in a white robe, with a wreath of flowers on his head; V in his right hand he holds human head, and on the left - small sheaves of rye ears. In his honor Belarusian girls they organize a holiday around the time of the first spring sowings - April 27, that is, approximately at the same time as it was sent celebration in honor of Yarovit in Havelberg. Having dressed one of his friends as “Yaryl”, in a white robe, and having decorated it with a wreath of wild flowers, she is mounted on a white horse tied to a pole . Around Yaryl there are maidens, also decorated with wreaths, They dance, dance and sing. In case of favorable weather, this ritual is performed on the sown fields. While dancing, the girls sing honor Yarila song, in which he is depicted walking along the earth and bringing with him the fertility of cornfields and fields. This song starts like this:

And where is the naked ion -
There's a lot of life there,
And where will he look (i.e., look),
There is Kolas Zatsvitse.

According to Drevlyansky, it is very long, but he gave only this stanza [Drevlyansky. Belarusian folk legends 20-21].

All signs of Belarusian Yarila require its inclusion in the series sun deities, moreover, as a representative spring sun: 1) he is given White horse- a common characteristic attribute of the sun god, 2) a holiday takes place in his honor at the beginning of spring, 3) it is similar, both in name and in its properties with Yarovit Baltic Slavs, who, however, have, in addition to a peaceful nature revitalization of nature and fruit grower, what properties exhaust the nature of the Belarusian Yaril, also the character the southern scorching sun, representative of the god of war, being identified in this regard with Ares and Mars. IN military In relation to the Baltic Slavs, the name Yarovit also takes into account the well-known meaning of the root in Russian yap in the sense of anger, passion, belligerence: yaryu is called in the popular language, for example, snake bite. In a conspiracy against a snake bite they say: “Underground reptile (snake), underground reptile, take your yar (bite)”. [Maikov. Great Russian spells 73]. An ardent person is an angry, hot-tempered, strong, inflamed with anger, cruel person. " Don't be you yar, be merciful"– is sung in a song about the wedding of Ivan the Terrible. [Vostokov. Experience of the regional Great Russian dictionary See this next. - Buslaev. East. Very good I, 428] Rage, according to Berynda’s explanation – , according to L. Zizania’s interpretation = anger, impatience.[Sakharov. Tales of the Russian people. II. V, 111, 134].

IN Great Rus' name and cult of Yaril, undoubtedly, they were very widespread, especially in the middle and eastern provinces, leaving indelible traces in the names of localities, fairs, games and festivities. But here Yarilo although he is a representative spring sun, as in Belarus, however has a completely different character: it honors mainly hotness, and, moreover, fruitfully, usefully warming, the “hot”, lustful, phallic side of the deity, similar to the Greek Priapus, with South Slavic Bronton-Anxur, with Baltic-Slavic With a baker. Consequently, Yarilin games and festivities happen, n e at the beginning, but at the end of spring, or even in summer, that is at farewell to the passing spring, exactly at the end of May or in June, immediately before the start and on the first day of Peter's fast, in more rare cases - even immediately after fasting. The game itself now in some places, and in the old days, perhaps everywhere, consists a rite of burial for a god who is dying out, along with spring. Serving exclusively as the personification of the “hot” side of the sun, causing lust (yar) in nature, a combination of genders and abundant fertility, Great Russian, decrepit by the end of spring, Yarilo was depicted as an old man or a doll with an excessively large phallus : the dear god was honored, carried in procession, songs sung in his praise and in conclusion, with lamentations, crying and howls, they buried .

At Yarilin's games reproduced in a dramatic, although in a more primitive rustic form than in ancient Greece, the same idea of the death of the representative of spring fertility, who returned all nature to new life after winter sleep, and then, with the onset of the highest solstice, moving away, dying, giving way to the returning winter.

Let's remember myths about Persephone, Adonis, Attis, Dionysus, dying in the prime of their lives with the end of spring.

And according to Russian folk belief, Mother Sun, on the holiday of Kolyada (Christmas) directs her horses to the summer, on Midsummer's Day she turns them back to the winter. The reason is that Yarilin funeral festival does not depart at the very time of the highest solstice, as one might expect, it serves, without a doubt, the Peter the Great Fast, which prevents such a game. From this Yarilin's games usually start on All Saints' Week, just before Peter's fast, and ends on the first day of fasting, if they leave later, then immediately after Peter’s Day, at the end of the inconvenient fasting time for the game.

Yarilo, as a myth, it is known, except for Belarus, in the Tver, Kostroma, Vladimir, Nizhny Novgorod, Ryazan, Tambov and Voronezh provinces. On behalf of Yaril numerous geographical names localities and in other provinces: Yarilovychi in Tikhvin and Valdai districts, also in Chernigov province, Yarilov field in Kostroma, Yarilov grove near Kineshma, Yerilov in Dorogobuzh district, Yerilov ravine in Pereyaslavl-Zalessky district, Yarilov valley near Vladimir. In the Yarilova Valley, according to Mr. Buslaev, there happens annually, on the day of the descent of the Holy Spirit, a common folk festival, which, according to Snegirev, bears the name “ to Yarilova" with round dances, in which, especially on this day, a pagan song is sung: “And we sowed millet, sowed - Oh, Did Lado! They sowed, they sowed!..” Fairs in the Orenburg and Penza provinces are known as Yaril or Eril, Yarilin's day accompanied by auctions and fairs in the provinces of Tambov, Ryazan and Moscow (Mozhaisk district); these trades are known as to Yarilina.[Snegirev. Russian common holidays and superstitious rituals. IV, 52, 60-61. - Sakharov. Tales of the Russian people. II. VII, 91 et seq. - Shepping. Myths of glory. 60. – Khodakovsky. Comp. Words 187. – Buslaev. Local tale 8. – Vostokov. Experience of the regional Great Russian dictionary See words: “Erila”, “Yarilo”].

Deep roots, which, apparently, have taken root in different places Russia name Yarila, and the memory of his honor undoubtedly testify to his great fame and popularity in pagan Rus'.
Even quite recently, in some places it was performed annually. burial rite of Yaril. In Kostroma on this day people gathered in the square after mass. From among the crowd an old man was elected, they dressed him in rags and gave it into his hands coffin with a stuffed figure - Yarila, representing man with his natural accessories. After that, the procession began from the city to the field. Women at this time howls and lamentations expressed grief and despair; men sang songs and danced ; the children ran back and forth. In the field they dug out a grave with sticks and buried the coffin containing Yaril in the ground, crying and screaming. The game ended with dancing and games. All Saints' Prayer, the festivities, and after the destruction of the described ritual, retained the name Yarilo. A similar ritual was performed at the beginning of this century in Kalyazinsky district (Tver province). under the old pine tree, where later, when the ritual had already disappeared, people gathered out of habit, for a festivities. In Galich (Kostroma province) at the beginning of this century they got some old man drunk, joked and amused him as if he were a representative of Yaril. The old man was taken to the meadow, where round dances and games were held. Each young woman or girl who took part in the round dance first bowed to “Yarila” at the waist. According to an old legend, near the city of Galich, on Poklonnaya Hill, stood idol of Yaril, where Galicians continued to gather annually on All Saints' Week to celebrate three-day celebration. The same game took place in Kineshma.

"In Voronezh,– we read in the biography of His Grace Tikhon, Bishop of Voronezh, – from ancient times and, probably, following some ancient pagan Slavic festival, there was a certain holiday called Yarilo and leaving annually before the beginning of Petrov's Lent until Tuesday of Lent itself. In these days, the entire city, as well as the surrounding rural people, gathered on the square that used to be behind the old Moscow gates in Voronezh, forming a family trade fairs, and in houses throughout the city preparations were made for these days, as if for some famous festival. A man was chosen for this gathering, who was tied with all sorts of flowers, different ribbons and bells; they put a high cap on their head, made of paper, painted and also tied with ribbons; they smeared rouge on his face; vertebrae were given into the hands. In this outfit he walked around the square dancing, accompanied by crowds of people. of both sexes, and was called Yaril. Were also visible everywhere games, dancing, delicacy and drunkenness and terrible fist fights, from which we often commemorate this holiday with the killing and mutilation of people.” Rev. himself Tikhon, who destroyed this holiday in Voronezh, in his “exhortation” to the residents of the city presents a picture of the disorderly, riotous fun of the people during the celebration of Yaril and adds: “ From all the circumstances of this holiday it is clear that a certain ancient idol, called named Yarilo, who in these countries was revered as God, while there was no Christian piety. And some people call this holiday, as I hear from people here, play. How long ago did this holiday begin, I asked the same old people? They told me that it had been around for a long time; and then they said that it multiplies from year to year, and so people expect it, like an annual celebration, and when it arrives, those celebrating it dress up in their best clothes, and little by little in it start to get angry where even small children are asked with great effort from their fathers and mothers. It begins like you tell me every time, on Wednesday or Thursday after the descent of the Holy Spirit and multiplied through next days. And on Monday, the first day of this (Petrovsky) fast, he will die; only with great disorder and increase in wickedness, as I myself noticed with regret«.

Both authors keep silent about the final action of this holiday, namely about the act of burial of Yaril. However, perhaps at that time the custom of burying Yaril had already disappeared, just as in many other places even the figure of Yaril disappeared from the celebration, although the festivities celebrated to this day, on the appropriate days, are still called by his name: Yarilo, to Yarilina. On these later festivities, often lasted the whole night, sometimes the custom still persisted dance and sing songs in honor of Yaril, as, for example, in Chistopol district (Kazan province). In Tver, the ancient festival of Yarile or Yarule, destroyed in the 19th century, began from the first Sunday after Peter's Day - July 12. Subsequently, in this so-called "Yarilin's Day" young people from the townspeople and settlements gathered to dance and have fun in the evening. Local townsfolk sent their daughters to this fun "get married." [Snegirev. Russian common holidays and superstitious rituals. IV, 55, 57, 58. – Sakharov. Tale R. adv. P. VII, 91, 92. – Encycl. lex. XIII, 177. – Description. life and life Ave. Quiet 22-23. - Etc. Tikhon. Rest op. 55].

In the Tula province at the same time they were sent "Seeing off spring" in the person of a man who put on a birch wreath on the head, sewed ribbons onto the caftan, gave tree branches and flowers into the hands; his they treated and saw off with songs and dances.[Sakharov. Tale R. And. P. VII, 93]. This guy probably served here too representative of Yaril, This is indicated, regardless of its similarity with the old men just described - the main participants in the Yarilin festival in Kostroma, Galich and Kalyazin district - a folk song recorded in the Tula province, showing that the Yarilin game is not unknown in the Tula province:

What was the name of the young man?
They called the daredevil
Look at the game
Look at Yarila… [Shane. Russian folk songs.I, 186.]

A version of the same song was recorded at the beginning of this century by Makarov in the Ryazan province. [O old. R. Praz. 115] In the villages of Ryazan and Tambov provinces. in Yarilin's games, according to Sakharov, has always excelled the person chosen by the world, like in Voronezh.

Burial of a stuffed animal dressed, like Yarila, in a man's dress, is also known in Little Rus'. After the All Saints prayer, according to Tereshchenko, who was an eyewitness to the ritual described below, the afternoon women and Cossacks to take a walk at the tavern. There sang and danced until the evening, after sunset they took it out into the street male straw effigy, with all its natural parts and put it in a coffin. The drunken women came up to him and sobbed: “He’s dead, he’s dead!” The men lifted and shook the doll, as if trying to wake up the deceased Yaril. The women continued to grieve and lament: “What a good wine! Don't get up anymore! Oh, how can we part with you? And what kind of life is there if you don’t have one! Stand up for at least an hour! But you won’t get up and you won’t get up!” After long and varied lamentations, the effigy was carried away and buried. The burial was snack and drinking. Maksimovich calls this a straw man in a small fire and adds that his funeral took place in the old days in Ukraine while singing a song in which a mournful melody alternated with a cheerful one. This song began like this:

Kostrubonko died, died,
Grey, dear little blue![Tereshchenko. Life of the Russian people. V, 100-101. - Maksimovich. Days and months III, 105]

Semargl. St. George's Cathedral - 1234, Yuryev Polskoy, Vladimir region

The above demigod Yaril , a representative of the spring solar heat that causes lust and fertility in nature, Nestor undoubtedly had in mind when, next to Perun, Horse Dazhbog and Stribog, he named Simargla. This strange-sounding name is undoubtedly two words, merged into one by the scribe of the chronicle. Lover of Christ, repeating his message in the “Word” Nestor about the pagan gods, divided the mentioned title as follows: “ Believe- he writes, - in Perun... and in Sima, and in Rigla" (according to a list from the 14th century).
Let us compare the name of this god, over which we have racked our brains for so long and in vain, in the forms in which it is found in chronicles and other ancient monuments. At the same time, one should not lose sight of the accusative case, in which this name is given in most cases. We find the following forms: Simargla, Semargla, Sima Rigla, Sima Regla, Simaergla, Simaergla and so on. Misunderstood, incorrectly written in the oldest copies of the chronicle that have reached us, this name was subject to natural further distortions by later scribes.
I believe that the most correct of all readings of this mysterious name would be Sima Ergla (or Sema Ergla). Replacing bg letter s – and replacement, during correspondence, letters s two letters bg, obviously, it could very easily happen - we will get Sima Eryl or Sema Eryl, that is, the accusative case of Sim or Sem Eryl or Yerylo.

Name Yerylo, Yerilo, Yarylo, Yarilo still lives in the mouths of the people and sounds, as shown above, in numerous names of places, games, celebrations, fairs in Russia. The word Shem or Sem, can be explained Semo, what did it mean genius or demigod which it really is priapo-o figurative (from Priapus) Yarilo in the above-described cults that persisted until recently in the middle and eastern Great Russian provinces.

–Sim, according to the interpretation of Pavel Berynda, means "glory, dignity ". An ancient alphabet book translates Sim in a word: " committed«. [Wed. Preller. Rom. Myth. I, 90 et seq. Sakharov. Tale R. adv. II. V, 92, 183.] The use of the ancient Italian term here should not surprise us, if we take into account the close relationship I have already indicated more than once above Slavic mythology in general with, which will be confirmed below by a number of striking analogies; For now, it is enough to recall the cases of similar similarities already encountered above: Svyatovit = Semo Sanсus, Jupiter Sancus, Hercules sanctus, Dy (Diy) = Diespiter, Svarozhich = Apollo Soranus = Sauranus, Yarovig = Garanus, Horse = Horso, exactly the same and Sim (Sem) = Semo.
So, unfairly suspected, denied, indigenous Russian god Yarilo saved for Slavic mythology!

But what will those who deny it say when they remember that name Yarila, literally in the form that Nestor calls it, namely Herilus or Etilus , many centuries before Christianity it was known in Italy, and in Sicily Hercules was called Greek. again literally like Nestorov Eryl ? I spoke about the priapic nature of the Great Russian Yaril, coinciding with the nature of the Baltic-Slavic I was baking, which in the district letters of the Polabian bishops of the 12th century is compared with Priapus.

But who was Priapus(Ancient Greek Πρίαπος, Latin Priapus) ? – Son of Dionysus and Aphrodite, he served as a representative animal lust and fertility, and therefore belonged to Bacchic cult, and, like Yarilo, always depicted with outstanding genitals. In ancient Italy it was known Herilus = Herilus or Erilus = Erilus, son of Feronia -goddess of spring , like Aphrodite, in turn combined either with Apollo of Soranus, or with the solar god - Jupiter Anxur ; hence Italian Herilus = Herilus , in its origin, corresponded to the Greek Priapus, identical with our Yaril. But even fewer definite memories have been preserved about him in Italy than about Feronia herself and her spouses mentioned above. It is mentioned Herilus = Herilus « tsar ", who received from his mother, Feronia, “three souls” , in Virgil, who retained some vague memory of this Slavic knight.. In Virgil, despite his similar genealogy to Priapus, he has a completely different character and dies at the hands of Evander.

But who was Feronia herself? Varro directly calls Feronia, Sabine goddess.. The name "Feronia" may be derived from the same root as Here, Hersilia, Herentas, like Feronia, are identified with Venus, and the letters f and h often mutually replaced (for example, fircus and hircus, foedus and hoedus). About all these deities or semi-deities in Roman mythology, only the darkest, vague concepts were preserved, as about something ancient, rooted in ancient times, but which had lost its precise, clear meaning. . In this case, the Sabine goddess Feronia would be called Heronia , speaks in favor of this her son's name is Herilus. . If we recognize this form of the name of the goddess, then Mount Sorakte (Svarakte) and in connection with it there will be a whole colony of gods identical with the Slavic ones: Apollo of Soran = Svarozhich, Jupiter Anxur = Pripekala, Feronia (Heronia) = Gerunya or Yarunya (cf. Gerovit or Yarovit: goddesses of Yarunya we do not know in Slavic mythology, but by the name Yarun is called in the Pereyaslavl Chronicle a god who is undoubtedly identical with Yarila , and finally son of Feronia – Herilus = Yarilo. I have already noted above that by name Ἡρακλῆς —Hercules = Eryl called in Sicily Hercules , which, according to a very widespread legend throughout the ancient world, is like representative of solar heat and light, is a victorious champion of monsters that bring darkness and cold, such as Geryon and Alcyone, in a word, Hercules - the Sun, conquering winter.

According to Mommsen(Unterital. Dial. 262), Herius And Herennius belonged to the most beloved names of the most important people Sabine tribe, Samnites. Roots Her - Her And Har — Har among the Slavs they find an analogy in Ger And Gar , and identical to them Jer (Er) And Jar (Yar), also very often sounding in Slavic proper names and common nouns: Gero — Gero(Cf. Herius - Herius) - a name often found among the Lusatian Serbs (Scr. heg. Lusat.: Jndex. See this name); garo, jaro(Czech), yar - spring, Yarovit, also called Gerovit(through G or N), Yarilo, also called Yerilo, Yarun- In the 13th century, the governors of Rzhev and Polotsk were called by this name. (Karamzin. East. State. Russia. III, 144, etc. 164. Cf. above Herenius); Erunovo, Erishchi, Erinya, Erinevo etc. etc. geographical names in different places of Russia (Khodakovsky. Comparative words. 186-187); Garany in Hungary, Garassen in the Czech Republic, Garaszewo in Poznan, Jaruše or Jeruše in Croatia, Jaruge and many. etc.; personal names: Yaroslav, Yaropolk, Jaromir etc. It is interesting that the name of the goddess of the bright sky, Hera(Greek Ήρα, Hera - Yar, in the sense of brilliance, brightness, whiteness [Dal. Explanatory dictionary: “Ardent”]) is already recognized Herodotus for the name of Pelasgian origin(II, 50). The name is Hercules(Greek Ήρακλής), usually related to the name Hera, also closely related to Slavic names in "Yar" and can even be equated To Yaroslav: Ήρα - yar, κλίω - glorify, τό κλές - glory, rumor. From here we conclude that the identity of the Sicilian name for Hercules: Ήρυλλος, with the Slavic Yeryl- not accidental. On the contrary, it throws new light on the close relationship between ancient Italian and Slavic peoples.

In ancient Italy, Hercules - Herculēs - Hercules , in the original, rural view, was revered as good a genius that brings contentment and prosperity, and therefore compared with Ceres and Silvanus. . Of course, she was also honored was glorified above all by his sunny nature Hercules. So, ancient Italic Garanus-Hercules and the identical ancient Sicilian - Hercules in its basic meaning, both in name and in essence, coincide with Slavic Eryl - Pripekal. Now it is even more plausible to assume that Vladimir brought idols of the gods, erected by him in Kyiv, from the Baltic-Slavic Pomorie. Mentioned by Nestor Sim Eryl, notorious Simargl was none other than one of the Slavic Hercules, one of the sun-like deified knights: Svyatovit, Svarozhich (Radegast), Ruievit, Yarovit, probably – the last one, or, and this is even more likely – Radegast Bodrichi, whose name, if understood in the sense military or zealous, , even matches with the name Yarovita. However, another explanation of this name will be offered below (See “Kupalo”).

Let's remember that Svyatovit corresponded, both in name and in meaning, Sabine Semo Sancus = Shem Holy; by analogy and Yarovit, or Gerovit = Sim Yar, Sim Ger or Sim Ep. When transferring Yarovit or Sima Yar, Sima Er to Kyiv, Vladimir involuntarily had to turn up and even suggest the form of this name: Sim Yaryl or Eryl, identical with the names: ancient Italian - Herilus or Erilus and ancient Sicilian - which, in turn, sound so familiar to Russian ears. In Russia, brought from afar by Vladimir, Sim Eryl, respectively peaceful disposition of the Russian people, his exclusively agricultural way of life, corresponding to that generally inherent in the peoples of the middle and northern latitudes looking at the sun not as a bloodthirsty warrior, but as a good, beneficent god, trustee and guardian of the people's welfare, - in Russia Sim Eryl retained only the value of the good genius of the rural population; he naturally, easily merged with the popular idea of warming, scorching and defiant in all nature lust and fertility in the spring sun, which is personified by the people in White Rus', as a recently reborn luminary coming into its own, in the form of Yaryla - girls on a white (sun) horse, in a festival at the beginning of spring. And in the Great Rus' Yarila appears in the guise of one who has fulfilled his purpose, who is outliving his life, decrepit old man , ready to retire again, participates in national holiday in the image colorfully decorated and decorated, equipped with a large phallus old man - Yaryl, celebrated at the end of spring.

Priapus

It is interesting to compare the appearance of our old man - Yaril with a very similar image of Priapus among the Greeks: Priapus was presented as a pampered (weichlich), dressed in Asian style old man, with a sparse beard, with a scarf on his head, in a colorful caftan; in the raised front flaps of the caftan one could see the fruits of the earth, and from under them - characteristic feature Priapus, exorbitant size phallus. .

However, perhaps the name of Yaril was known in Rus' even before Vladimir; in this case, this god could naturally be erected by Vladimir in Kyiv, built on the model of one of the Baltic-Slavic gods closest to him, and these were: Yarovit, Radegast, Pripekalo.

According to the departure time of the celebration in honor of Yaril in Belaya Rus' - April 27) almost coincides with the holiday of Yarovit of Havelberg, who was celebrated around April 15. Yarilins celebrations timed in Great Rus' to the time immediately preceding or following Peter's fast, with amazing accuracy coincide with the holidays in honor of Hercules according to the Roman calendar. For clarity, I will present a comparative table of holidays in honor of Hercules and the corresponding celebrations of the Slavic peoples.
Hercules Gustos was honored on June 4 (Hercules the guard). In Nizhny Novgorod province. On June 4th, the celebration of Yaril took place, combined with the fair. [Snegirev. Russian common holidays and superstitious rituals. IV, 57].
June 4 in 1121 AD A Baltic Pomorie, near Piritsa, took place where up to 4,000 people gathered: intoxicated with drinks and festive fun, they celebrated the holiday "games, voluptuous movements, songs and loud screams." Due to the riotous nature of this festival and the exact coincidence of the day of its departure Happy holiday of Hercules in Italy and Yaril in Nizhny Novgorod lips., one cannot help but recognize it as a holiday Baltic Hercules - Yaril, that is, Pripekal, whom modern Christian writers have compared to "Priapus and the shameless Baal of Pegor" . – Perhaps the same celebration in honor was the celebration in Pomeranian Volyn, which, according to Ebon, “the people had the custom of celebrating at the beginning of summer in honor of some deity”; for this holiday “A lot of people gathered to play and dance.”
June 30 was celebrated Hercules Musarum = Hercules - leader of the muses. In the villages of Ryazan and Tambov provinces. Yarilin's holiday was celebrated either on All Saints' Day or on another day after Peter's fast, namely, June 30.
Around the same time, namely June 24 celebrations occur almost everywhere Svyatoyanskoe or Ivana Kupala, associated in places with the beginning of the harvest, called in Rus' "snatches".

On August 12, Hercules Invictus = Hercules - invincible was honored. Around the same time, the famous post-harvest event took place. celebration at the temple.
On August 10, Czechs celebrate the memory of St. Lavrentia, highly respected by the people. St. Lawrence in the old days was considered the patron of the guild "masters and cooks of all three Prague cities" (mistruv a kucharu vsech tri mest Prazskych) or “brotherhood of St. Lavrentiya" (bratrstv Sv. Lavrince). . In this peculiar veneration, a memory is clearly visible about Hercules - Yeryl, to whose cult, as stated above, they necessarily belonged feasts with ritual, so to speak, overeating. Let's remember epithet of Hercules - “eating a bull”, let's remember the proverbial Lucullan feasts in honor of Hercules, let us remember, finally, after the sacrificial feasts at the sanctuary of the Arkonian Hercules - Svyatovit, in which, according to Saxo Grammaticus, “Intemperance was a virtue, and abstinence was a shame.” The cooks could not have chosen a better patron. Among the Christian saints whose memory is celebrated around On August 12, the most popular was St. Lavrenty, which the Prague people took possession of "masters and cooks" choosing him as his patron.
On December 21, sacrifices took place in honor of Hercules and Ceres. Bulgarians 20th of December beat the pigs being cooked for the Christmas meal.[Karavelov. Pam. Bulgarian 276]. – The same thing happens in Montenegro December 23; this day is called there "Tuchin Dan" . . - In White Rus' (Vilna province), every wealthy owner slaughters the fattened wild boar, which in local parlance means: “beat a carol.” [Afanasyev. Poetic views of the Slavs on nature. I, 780]. – Among the Slovaks slaughtering pigs - “svinske kary” occurs during the period from the last days of November to Christmas, and from 21 December they begin to prepare ritual cookies for the Christmas holiday: kolaches, guardians, etc. This table, in view of everything stated earlier, undoubtedly proves that fundamentally Svyatovit, Great Russian Yaril (Nestorov Sim Yeryl) and Sicilian Yeryl – the same mythological face , received, under the influence of various local conditions, different unique development and character, and one cannot help but notice that Svyatovit becomes close to Hercules - a warlike hero, famous throughout the world, and Yarilo with Garan - Hercules, the peaceful, kind genius of the rural population.
While in the person of Svyatovit, a national hero in its apotheosis is elevated to the dignity of the highest, heavenly god, in Yaril Belarusian and Great Russian we only see demigod representative spring fertility, like Priapus, which is even fully confirmed by the words of Nestor, who calls Eryl "Sim" - genius, demigod . With the onset of the moment of the highest solstice, Yarilo naturally dies until next spring.

Famintsyn Alexander Sergeevich. IV. System of Slavic mythology. 3. Personifications of the sun among the Eastern Slavs.

Yarilo is the God of the Spring Sun, the son of Veles, the God of the Three Worlds, and Diva-Dodola, the Goddess of Heavenly Moisture. Slavic myths say that the God of young passion was born precisely from unexpected strong feelings. Veles once liked the beautiful Diva Dodola, but the wayward Goddess preferred Perun the Thunderer to him. Then Veles turned into a magic lily of the valley, which the Goddess Diva Dodola saw and could not resist smelling the magic flower. This is how the young God of the Spring Sun appeared.

Legends and myths about the Slavic God Yarilo

Many myths and legends have been preserved about the Slavic God of the Spring Sun, Yarilo. In many tales, Yarilo is described as an assistant to lovers or as the patron of Wolves and other wild animals. The most famous myth about Yarilo is associated with him as the God of Fertility.

According to this myth, the Slavs did not always cultivate the land and grow bread. For a long time, the ability to grow rye, make flour and bake bread from it. For the first time, God Yarilo tried wonderful cakes in an overseas country, and later he learned to make them himself. The people with whom Yarilo was visiting taught him how to make bread, and the God of the Spring Sun brought this knowledge to the Slavs. First, Yarilo gave the Gods a taste of the bread, and then everyone decided together how to teach people to sow grain. The Slavs considered the body of the Mother of the Raw Earth inviolable and would not agree to cause her pain. But the Earth Goddess herself agreed that her son Mikula Selyanovich make the first furrow, and Yarilo sow the first grains. Since then, Yarilo has been revered as the God of Fertility.

Zelen Yarilo came to us -

Ardent God on a green horse,

Green like grass

Dewy like dew.

Brought grain of grain

And good news from the Sun!

Amulet - symbol of God Yarilo

As a personal amulet, the symbol of God Yarilo worn for confidence, courage, vitality, vigor, for joy and happiness, for the birth of new love.

Attributes of God Yarilo

Animal- wolf, hare.

Heraldry, objects- ear, wreath, branch with young leaves.

Treba (offering)- pancakes, grain, porridge, pies, eggs, honey.

Yarilo - Patron God

Yarilo can become a patron god for those who are similar in character to him. These are people sociable, emotional, charming. They love to say kind, pleasant things to others, they know how to lift their spirits and cheer them up. Those who are close to God Yarilo are always ready to help those who are in trouble: they can give good advice or find a way out of a difficult situation. People similar in character to Yarilo are bright, creative, but quickly cool down, begin to get bored and are looking for a new business or a new lover.

In the character of those for whom Yarilo can become a patron, there are such quality:

optimism;
goodwill;
sociability;
emotionality;
mood addiction;
dislike of order and schedule.

Yarilo in the northern tradition of fortune telling and magic

The Slavic Rez of God Yarilo depicts a sign Yarovik.

Reza number – 25.

Read more about the meaning of Reza God Yarilo in fortune telling in the article Reza Rod Yarilo

Holidays where Yarilo, God of the Slavs, is honored

Several holidays are dedicated to the Slavic God Yarilo:

March 20-21 (date varies from year to year)– Spring Solstice, Yarilo brings Lelya-Spring into the world of Reveal.

You will find out who Yarilo is by reading the story about Yarilo.

Who is Yarilo?

Yarilo is one of the attributive names of God in ancient Rus. This pagan god sun, fertility, love. He is considered the guardian of fields, pastures, and meadows. Women prayed to him to send them good husband, helped to conceive children and overcome infertility. Yarilo was also the God of War due to his warlike nature.

The word Yarilo means “hot”, “fierce” and “bright”. He was often depicted as a young man who wore white linen clothing and rode barefoot on a horse. He always wore a flower wreath on his head as a symbol of heaven and eternity. In his left hand Yarilo holds a bunch of rye ears, symbolizing life, happiness, good harvest, prosperity. And in his right hand he holds a severed male head, which signifies death and serves as a reminder to live fiercely.

In honor of Yaril, heaven and the eternity of human existence, on the day of Saint Urai - the day of the first cattle drive to pasture - the bulls were decorated with white ribbons and flowers and led around the village.

When did the cult of Yaril exist?

The cult of Yaril was widespread during the existence of Kievan Rus before its baptism by Vladimir the Great. With the baptism of Rus', he switched to the Christian tradition. The Sun God began to be called Saint George. Although on the territory of Podolia the cult of God Yarila has survived to this day.