Was there a snake? Mysterious places "The Tale of Peter and Fevronia of Murom. Disembodied spirit and bodily disease

Mysterious places "The Tale of Peter and Fevronia of Murom"

The fact that Saints Peter and Fevronia of Murom are the patrons of the family and marriage, and the day of their memory is declared a federal holiday of family, love and fidelity, is known to almost every inhabitant of Russia. And this is good news. But since a special holiday was established in their honor and the veneration of Peter and Fevronia has gained a wide scope, disputes around their names have not ceased. Most of the confusion and questions are caused not by their canonical life, included in the Menaion of St. Demetrius of Rostov, but by the famous "The Tale of Peter and Fevronia of Murom." Some consider it the only and unconditional source of information about the noble princes, others consider it a fiction and a beautiful legend that has nothing to do with their real biography. Let's try to figure out whether this wonderful monument of Russian writing is so legendary and folklore. By the way, even completely secular researchers consider The Tale ... to be one of the best examples of ancient Russian creativity, the pinnacle of domestic literature of the 16th century.
This legend is the creation of the cathedral priest Yermolai-Erasmus, written by him by order of Metropolitan Macarius after the canonization of the holy faithful Peter and Fevronia at the Moscow Cathedral of 1547. However, Metropolitan Macarius did not include this work in his famous Great Menaion. Apparently, he considered it not quite suitable in style and content to the usual hagiographic genre.

How much can we trust The Tale of Peter and Fevronia? The fact is that Father Yermolai was not at all some kind of storyteller, laboring in the artistic and literary genre. He was an outstanding theologian, writer, publicist, highly educated person. At that time, he had already written a significant number of works, so Saint Macarius, himself a very learned man, instructed him to compile the lives of the Murom miracle workers. The fact that he, of course, did not invent this legend himself, but only processed the existing legends about the faithful Peter and Fevronia, is not doubted even by the harshest critics of the Tale .... Unfortunately, Ermolai-Erasmus, apparently, really relied in his research only on oral folk traditions about the Murom prince and his wife. But how far did he go from the annals, and can the "Tale of Peter and Fevronia" be considered a real source of information about their lives?

The fact is that popular veneration and testimonies about the life and miracles of saints are still a very serious source in compiling the lives of canonized saints. And in the 16th century, and, of course, in more early period oral art was the most important source of information. Tsar Ivan Vasilyevich the Terrible decided to canonize the faithful Peter and Fevronia, but it is known that the popular veneration of these saints began long before their church glorification. For the compiler of the lives of saints, folk oral stories, traditions about the life of ascetics of piety are the same source as chronicles. We learn about many saints almost exclusively from their lives, others written sources it just didn't survive.

The Lives of the Saints is a special genre, very close to the literary one. Thus, St. Demetrius of Rostov includes in his multi-volume collection the Lives of the Martyrs, written on the basis of the martyrdoms that were conducted in the Roman Empire, but we see that at the same time, these biographies also include numerous dialogues and details that could not have been contained in dry court documents.

The merit of Priest Yermolai is that he carefully collected all, in his opinion, reliable legends and legends about Saints Peter and Fevronia and, having edited them, conveyed to the reader. It is thanks to him that we have not only chronicle data about them, but also preserved oral information about the holy Murom couple. And for this, many thanks to him from grateful descendants. The error of this ancient writer is that he did not combine oral traditions with the data of annalistic historical documents.

In addition to the very brief canonical life included in the Menaion of St. Demetrius, in addition to other later, but much more complete lives, and directly to the “Tale ...” of Yermolai-Erasmus itself, there is another life of Peter and Fevronia. In my opinion, it is the most objective and historically verified source. This biography was compiled by St. Philaret (Gumilevsky), a brilliant theologian, a very authoritative historian of the 19th century, and included by him in the book Selected Lives of the Saints. Why is the work of St. Philaret especially valuable for us? He, as a professional historian, relies on historical sources: Russian chronicles (Nikonovskaya, chronicles of Pereslavl of Suzdal and others), the genealogy of the Murom princes, the history of the Ryazan and Murom principalities, the Prologue, the works of historians Tatishchev and Karamzin. Therefore, his life can be called the most reliable from a historical point of view.

But back to the "Tale ..." Yermolai. The fact that this work is also a source of information about the life of the most beloved Russian saints is beyond doubt, because even St. Philaret (Gumilevsky), despite the fact that he approaches the “Tale ...” critically, nevertheless widely uses it when writing his version of life. He corrects some places and removes everything, from his point of view, unnecessary.

But it is time to turn to the Tale of Peter and Fevronia itself. It will be very interesting to figure out what in this legend can be recognized as quite reliable from the spiritual and hagiographic points of view, and what is in doubt. It is not possible to check some events and moments from a historical point of view due to the prescription of years and the lack of documentary sources. But since the "Tale ..." has become so firmly established in our Orthodox everyday life and enjoys such fame and respect among the church people, we cannot but recognize its right to be a source of information about the earthly life of the heavenly patrons of marriage. Let's see what mysterious places immediately catch the eye in Ermolaev's "Tale ...".

Princely names

In The Tale of Peter and Fevronia, the princes of Murom have the baptismal names Peter and Fevronia, and at the end of their lives they become monks with the names David and Euphrosyne. This is, of course, a clear mistake. According to the annals and genealogies of the princes of Murom, from 1205 to 1228, the princely couple David Yuryevich and his wife, Princess Euphrosyne, ruled in Murom from 1205 to 1228. St. Philaret (Gumilevsky), relying on the “Genealogical Book of Russian Princes and Nobles and Emigrants” and other sources, writes: Fevronia". In the notes to his work, St. Philaret says that in the "Tale ..." the secular names of the saints are confused with the monastic ones, and that this error has also passed into the printed "Complete Menology".

Why did Father Yermolai make this inaccuracy? Without consulting the chronicle, he trusted more oral stories who could not remember the exact name of the princes. Among the people they were better known as Peter and Fevronia, so the popular consciousness decided that the saints had such names before monasticism. I think that this mistake is quite forgivable, especially for ancient Russian man. After all, in Rus' many people, and princes in particular, sometimes had several names. For example, the holy baptist of Rus' Equal-to-the-Apostles Vladimir is glorified with his Slavic name, and his baptismal name - Vasily - is not known to everyone. There were princes who went down in history under a double name, for example, the eldest grandson of Vladimir Monomakh, the holy noble prince Vsevolod Mstislavich, who is often called Vsevolod-Gabriel.
Generally speaking, if a saint takes tonsure, then, as a rule, we glorify him already with a monastic name (although there are also exceptions to this rule). We pray to St. Sergius of Radonezh, and not to Bartholomew, to St. Seraphim of Sarov, and not to Prokhor Moshnin. So, I think, the popular veneration, which began long before the canonization of the 16th century, adopted precisely the monastic names of the righteous of Murom. Another princely name raises a question in The Tale of Peter and Fevronia. According to her, in Murom, before Prince Peter (David), his brother Pavel reigned. Chronicle sources, indeed, say that Prince David accepted the throne of Murom after the death of his older brother, whom he respected very much. But there he is called not Paul, but Vladimir. What can be said here? Most likely, here again we are faced with the princely custom of giving and using several names at once in everyday life. The name Vladimir is purely Slavic, meaning "owning the world." Apparently, at birth he was given exactly this, a well-known and glorious name in Rus'. And at baptism, he already accepted the second, in honor of his heavenly patron, the Apostle Paul.

winged serpent

From the "Tale ..." we learn that Prince Paul (Vladimir) had a wife. And so “the devil, from time immemorial, hating the good of the human race, sent the prince’s wife an evil winged serpent for the fornication” (hereinafter, “The Tale ...” is quoted in Russian translation. - Archpriest P.G.). For some reason, this snake is seen by some researchers as the most fantastic and unrealistic character in this legend. Skeptical, they immediately begin to see here the tales of the Fire Serpent and draw parallels with some completely non-Slavic myths.

The serpent mentioned in the “Tale…” is, of course, just a kind of virtual hassle, a disguise assumed by the enemy of the human race, whom the Holy Scripture calls “the great dragon, the ancient serpent…” ( open 12:9). The devil is known fallen Angel, an incorporeal spirit, but it can take the form of any animate being or inanimate object. In ancient times, the devil liked to appear to our ancestors (and to other peoples too) in the form of a monstrous, often fire-breathing lizard. That is why in epics the image of a snake, a dragon, with three heads or one is so common.

This monster in the minds of the people of the past was the personification of evil, evil spirits. It is not for nothing that goblin, mermaids, all kinds of grandmother-hedgehogs, snakes-gorynychi, other fiery snakes were briefly called evil spirits - as representatives of the infernal world. And for a man of antiquity, this whole world was the same reality as for us the poltergeist and other otherworldly paranormal, dark phenomena.

So, an unclean spirit in the form of a serpent flies to the wife of the prince and commits fornication with her. That this is not just some kind of reptile, but a dark spiritual entity, is evident from the fact that the serpent appears in two guises: as a lizard and as a man. He takes the form of Prince Paul. Moreover, the snake soon became so insolent that he no longer hides his vile appearance in front of the princess, but in front of others, for the purpose of conspiracy, he appears in the form of a prince. “And it seemed to strangers that it was the prince himself with his wife sitting.” Finally, the princess cannot stand it and tells everything to her husband. He advises his wife to find out from the serpent by cunning what can cause his death. In a moment of frankness, the villain blurted out that "death is destined for me from Peter's shoulder, from Agrikov's sword."

Paul shares his grief with his brother, Peter. Some time later, during a prayer, a certain youth appears (probably an angel) and points out in the cleft of the wall of the altar of the Church of the Vozdvizhensky Monastery the place where the sword is hidden. Peter takes Agrikov's weapon, finds a convenient time, breaks into the princess's chambers and kills the insidious snake. But before he retired to his underworld, the serpent splashed Prince Peter with his blood. The prince falls seriously ill: ulcers appear all over his body.

Let's dwell on this point for now and consider whether such a story could actually happen. If we abstract a little from the undoubtedly epic, poetic description the miracle with the serpent, which is given to us by "The Tale ...", we do not see anything mythological in this episode from the point of view of hagiography and the spiritual experience of the Church. The prince's wife, apparently, was separated from her husband for a long time. The princes then fought all the time and, going on long campaigns, left their wives alone for a long time.
Taking advantage of this, the devil gives her the temptation of fornication. The enemy always first finds a weak link in a person in order to make a hole in his soul and then destroy him, captivating him with some passion. In this case, he apparently took advantage of the longing for her husband and the prodigal dreams associated with it. Having mastered the mind of a woman, he proceeds to virtual fornication with her, as he can take the form of not only a snake, but also her lawful spouse. And although the "Tale ..." says that "the serpent took possession of her by force", but such an enemy influence cannot occur without the person himself not succumbing to temptation. How could this happen? Can the devil, a disembodied spirit, commit such fornication? Yes, the devil has no flesh, but he can invade our material world and perform certain actions here. He can even inflict real beatings on people, which is described in many lives, he can turn into a horse and carry a person over great distances, as is told in the life of St. John of Novgorod, and he is capable of much more. Is it possible that Satan, who has been practicing deceit and evil for many millennia, dumber than a man? Now, when modern technology allows you to create the illusion of complete presence, we cannot be surprised by such tricks. For example, films in 4DX format, when you, sitting in a cinema chair, get a completely real feeling that you are in the thick of events taking place on the screen. Satan learned to create various three-dimensional models with the full effect of the presence a long time ago. The episode of the seduction of the princess by the serpent contains several very important points that indicate the reality of this event. This, as they say, you can’t imagine on purpose. The fact is that the experience of the Church and patristic literature testify that the devil, when seducing people, can appear in human form and perform almost real fornication with them. The prodigal demon can take the form of both a man and a woman. As an example, we can cite the case described in Lavsaik, a work of the 5th century, which tells about the life of holy ascetics. Here is what Abba Pachomius says: “The enemy took the form of an Ethiopian girl whom I saw in my youth when she was collecting straw in the summer. It seemed to me that she was sitting with me, and the demon brought me to such an extent that I thought that I had already sinned with her. In a frenzy I slapped her and she disappeared. Believe me, for two years I could not endure the unbearable stench from my hand.
It is interesting that the idea of ​​a fiery serpent - an unclean spirit that is able to take on the form of a dragon, then the appearance of a man and seduce women into fornication - we really find in ancient East Slavic legends. According to them, the serpent is those women who violated the prohibition to grieve strongly for the dead or yearn for their husband who is away. The serpent also gained access to a woman who had lost her virginity before marriage. Of course, someone can call these legends remnants of paganism. But demons very often appeared to our ancestors in those images that have been known since pagan times.

In Western Christian demonology, the demon of fornication that tempts women was called an incubus. If the demon, on the contrary, took the form of a woman, he was called a succubus. By the way, medieval Catholic treatises say that the demon incubus, in addition to human form, also takes the form of a goat, dog, deer, bull, snake and other animals.

But I will give two examples not from the Middle Ages, but from our modern reality. One of my friends, a middle-aged woman, lost her husband. Some time after the death of her husband, she told me that her husband began to come to her and even lies with her on the bed. This widow was a church person, she often confessed and took communion. But she had some kind of demonic stupefaction. She seemed to be well aware that the one who came to her was not her late husband at all. Especially since then she told me absolutely terrible things. She told me that this imaginary husband could then turn into a dog with burning eyes and, jumping onto the balcony railing, jump down. But seeing all these nightmares in reality, realizing with her mind that something was wrong, she did not feel fear at all, moreover, she seemed to be lured by all these visions.

Other story. One elderly lady asked me to bless the apartment. Her husband had died shortly before. Arriving at her home, I saw that she was not a very religious person, and therefore I asked: “Why did you decide to consecrate your home?” And she admitted that after her death her husband began to appear to her: “I go into the room, and he is sitting in this chair. It happens that he will ask him to cook something, for example, fry fish. “But a strange thing,” she added, “his legs are somehow different, not like those of people, but like those of a horse, covered with wool and with hooves.” To be honest, after all these revelations, a very noticeable chill went down my back. But, most surprisingly, the woman told all these horrors in a completely calm voice, as if something already familiar to her. However, thank God, she felt the danger of such phenomena and asked the priest to bless the apartment.

I should note that both the first woman I knew and the second were at that time in their right mind and sober memory. Nothing they saw could be a painful hallucination. For myself, I noted an interesting detail: people, communicating with a demon that took the form of their husband, did not experience fear. Although, of course, they were aware of the abnormality of everything that was happening. Note: in The Tale of Peter and Fevronia, the wife of Prince Paul also does not experience much fear, despite the fact that she is well aware of who is to her and seduces her into fornication. Remember, the serpent had already taken power over the unfortunate princess so much that he did not hide in front of her, appearing in his satanic guise? She calmly talks with him to find out how to defeat him. The demon also appeared to women familiar to me, almost without hiding, either turning into a dog with fiery eyes, or showing its hooves. A sort of "Satan's laugh". Having captivated a person, the devil no longer hides, but openly mocks his victim. At the moment of this demonic captivity, even the fear inherent in us from God, the instinct of self-preservation are turned off. So let everyone decide for himself whether the story about the seduction of the princess by the snake is plausible or not. Personally, I do not see anything fabulous in this story. If we read the lives of the already repeatedly mentioned Saint Demetrius of Rostov, then there we can find no less wonderful phenomena of the other world.

Now a little about the mysterious "Agrikov's sword" and how Peter could kill with the help of some kind of sword an incorporeal and immortal dark spirit. It must be said that St. Philaret (Gumilevsky) considered the episode with Agrik's sword "a fiction of the people's imagination", since this sword is also mentioned in the famous epic about Dobrynya. Apparently, for the same reason, the saint is careful and does not include the story of the serpent in the life compiled by him. However, about the fact that the serpent also fairy tale character and fiction, he writes nothing.

The fact that the story of the confrontation between the faithful Peter and the serpent is an integral part of the biography of the saints of Murom wonderworkers is evidenced by another fact. In the service to Saints Peter and Fevronia on June 25 (July 8, according to the new style), the fact of the victory of the faithful Peter over the serpent is repeatedly mentioned. For example, in the second troparion of the third song of the canon at Matins: “As if sometimes you killed a snake, you betrayed it to final obscurity, so now the fatherland of those who fight victory, treblebless, let us glorify you.” Any enlightened church person knows that liturgical, liturgical texts are part of Sacred Tradition. Unlike Protestants, we Orthodox have a firm foundation not only in Holy Scripture, but also in Holy Tradition. What does it include? Canons and rules of the apostles and holy councils, works of the holy fathers, lives of the saints and liturgical tradition, liturgical texts. Since the Church considered it necessary almost immediately after canonization to include an episode about the serpent in the text of the service to Saints Peter and Fevronia, then so be it - this is part of the Orthodox Church Tradition.

But what about the Agric Sword? With all my great respect for St. Philaret, I still allow myself to disagree with him. The fact that the same sword is mentioned in the epic about Dobryn means absolutely nothing. In epics, quite real historical figures and events were often mentioned. The most famous hero of Russian epics, Ilya Muromets, actually existed, and some legends about him have a historical basis. Although, of course, most of them have little in common with his real life. Even the hero Dobrynya is sometimes identified with the governor Dobrynya, the uncle of the holy prince Vladimir.

What is "Agrikov's sword", no one really knows. Most likely, this is just a symbol of spiritual strength, which is given after a prayer to Prince Peter to defeat the serpent. Maybe this sword really belonged to some unknown holy person. Well, it is no secret for us that not only the relics of the saints, but also their personal belongings are endowed with special spiritual energy, the power of God, and through them the Lord works miracles and grants victory over enemies.

Disembodied spirit and bodily disease

Now about whether Peter could kill the devil with a sword. Yes, in the "Tale ..." it is said that the serpent died from the sword of Peter. But, as already mentioned at the beginning, this work is a poetic, literary work. Of course, the demon is immortal, but it is quite possible to defeat him, make him safe, drive him away from the person and send him back to the "father of lies". And there are many examples of this.

Can representatives different worlds– spiritual and material – to fight each other? Yes they can. And the most famous example is the miracle of the great martyr George about the snake. True, there we see a mirror situation: after his death, St. George appears to save the king's daughter from a terrible lizard, to whom human sacrifices were made. And this monstrous reptile, apparently, had not an infernal, but a completely earthly origin. Some researchers consider it one of the surviving dinosaurs. We know that St. George pierced the serpent with a spear, after which the great martyr ordered the serpent to be taken to the city, where he was shown to the inhabitants and beheaded with the sword of the same George.

During the battle, the serpent inflicts wounds on Peter: where his blood has fallen, ulcers appear, from which the prince experiences severe suffering - he is afflicted with a disease similar to leprosy. Is it possible? Can an incorporeal spirit damage flesh? How else can! And "we hear a lot of examples of this in history." The Apostle Paul himself says: “A thorn in the flesh, O angel of Satan, has been given to me to oppress me, so that I will not be exalted” ( 2 Cor. 12:7). One day the devil armed himself with Saint Anthony Great and subjected him to such terrible beatings that he lay motionless for a long time after that, unable to say a word. He himself said that the torment inflicted on him exceeded all human suffering. Saint Epiphanius of Cyprus was beaten by demons for ten days. In the lives of the saints, we often read about the grave consequences of demonic influences. By the permission of God, demons can inflict not only spiritual, but bodily wounds and ulcers on a person.

Let's continue the study of "The Tale of Peter and Fevronia of Murom" and from the fight of the prince with the serpent we will move on to the most important moment of this monument - the acquaintance of the future spouses. This meeting of Peter (David) and Fevronia (Euphrosyne) also haunts the critics of the "Tale ...".

So, we remember that Peter is seriously ill. He was able to overcome the enemy, but, by the permission of God, the demon inflicts bodily ulcers on him, which spread throughout the body in scabs like leprosy.

The prince sought help from many doctors, but no one could heal him. Hearing that there are many good healers in the Ryazan land, the Murom ruler orders him to be taken there. In search of doctors, one of the prince's servants (lads) wandered into the village of Laskovo and went into the house of a certain "dart frog", that is, a collector of wild honey. Here he met unusual girl: she wove a canvas, and a hare jumped at her feet. At first, the lad did not take her seriously and said that he wanted to talk with the owners of the house. The girl, seeing such an attitude towards herself, did not give direct answers - she spoke to the guest in riddles. Togo was struck by her wisdom, and he finally told that he had been sent to the Ryazan Territory to find a doctor for his ill master.

Fevronia (I will call both the prince and the princess by their generally accepted hagiographic names) answered the youth: “If someone took your prince for himself, he could cure him.” (In another translation of the “Tale…” it is not said “took”, but “demanded”, which is closer to the ancient Russian source.) “What are you talking about ?! - cried the lad. Who can take my prince for himself? If anyone cures him, the prince will richly reward him. But tell me the name of the doctor who he is and where his house is. She answered: “Bring your prince here. If he is sincere and humble in his words, he will be healthy.”

“The young man quickly returned to his prince and told him in detail about everything he had seen and heard. Blessed Prince Peter commanded: "Take me to where this girl is." And they brought him to the house where the girl lived. And he sent one of his servants to ask: “Tell me, girl, who wants to cure me? May he heal and receive a rich reward.” She answered bluntly: “I want to cure him, but I don’t demand any reward from him. Here is my word to him: if I do not become his wife, then it is not fitting for me to treat him. And the man returned and told his prince what the girl had said to him.

Prince Peter, however, treated her words with disdain and thought: “Well, how is it possible for the prince to take the daughter of a poison dart frog as his wife!” And he sent to her, saying: “Tell her - let her heal as best she can. If she cures me, I will take her as my wife.”

This is how the Tale of Peter and Fevronia describes the background to the healing of the prince.

Let's reflect on the mysteries of Fevronia and on her no less mysterious words about the method of healing the ailing prince.

Riddles of the wise maiden

I will not quote verbatim the very interesting and poetic riddles of the wise maiden; I think that everyone who is interested should familiarize themselves with them in the very text of the Tale .... Our task is different: to understand what is an undoubted historical fact in the great monument of ancient Russian writing, what can be recognized as quite reliable, and what can be attributed to folk element. So, for many researchers, it is the riddles of Fevronia that seem to be one of the most folklore, fabulous components of the Tale. Indeed, there is a clear echo with folk oral art: with sayings, proverbs, riddles, which we find in abundance in Russian fairy tales and epics. But it is important to understand whether the words of the maiden Fevronia are “folklore”, or whether the future princess simply actively uses the figurative folk word in her speech.

Let's start with the fact that the life of the old Russian peasant of the XIII century was simply inseparable from everything that we now call folklore. Young peasant girls spent their leisure time singing songs, telling fairy tales, and guessing riddles. Russian people sang lingering, fabulous songs while they were working. Even classic literature XIX century constantly puts sayings, proverbs, jokes into the mouths of the villagers. Fevronia, of course, was very familiar with all this. Hence her manner of constantly using proverbs, parables and riddles in her speech, many of which are also known to us from other folklore sources.

Second point: Fevronia is not a simple girl. She is a person not of this world, if you like - a little holy fool. Her behavior is extraordinary. Even the fact that she keeps a forest dweller, a hare, in her room is unusual. But all this is not surprising to us: holy people often behaved strangely, unusually for those around them, and their words sometimes had a mysterious, enigmatic meaning, which was revealed later. By the way, the hare tamed by Fevronia should not cause much surprise, because many holy people, living in harmony with nature, were friends with wild animals. Let us remember how St. Sergius of Radonezh and Father Seraphim of Sarov fed bears bread, and St. Gerasim of Jordan tamed a lion and even carried water on it for the monastery.

Adherence to folklore was characteristic not only of Saint Fevronia. Some of our Russian ascetics also loved him extremely. Optina elder Ambrose in letters to different people not only constantly used winged expressions of the Russian language, but he himself came up with sayings and proverbs. Saint Theophan the Recluse also often resorts to folk phraseological units in his teachings.

Saint Fevronia was the flesh of the flesh of the simple Russian people, and the fact that she knew oral folk art and loved him, no wonder.

Forced marriage or knowing the will of God?

But a more difficult riddle is not the allegories that Fevronia speaks with the prince's youth, but her words that only the one who takes or even demands the prince for himself can cure the prince. Of course, this is not just about the fact that the doctor took the patient to his house and treated him, so to speak, permanently. This was already implied, because in the “Tale ...” it is said that the prince was already so weak that he could not sit on a horse: he was brought to the Ryazan lands on a cart. In addition, the text does not say "to itself", but "to itself". No, it's much deeper than that.

I am very close to the explanation of these words of the wise maiden, which is given by the famous philologist, researcher of ancient Russian writing Anna Arkhangelskaya. According to her, Fevronia says with this allegory: “Healing is an intervention in someone else's body. “If I am not his wife, then how can I treat him?” She's not a professional doctor." Indeed, nowhere is it said that Fevronia was engaged in healing. The princely envoy came across her dwelling, as it seems to him, by accident. He just wants to ask for directions to the well-known doctors in this area. And those who see in Fevronia some kind of practicing folk healer are completely wrong.

But in fact, this meeting is not at all accidental. And its goal is not even the cure of the prince, but the fulfillment of the will of God. It is not known whether Fevronia had the gift of healing or it was simply revealed to her from God that the Lord would heal Peter through her, but it is certain that she knows the will of God. And the will of God always leads a person to salvation. The girl knew - it was revealed to her from the Lord - that the prince would recover only if he promised to become her husband. It was revealed to her that she was chosen for this path. By the way, in the lives of the saints, the theme of being chosen, the knowledge of the saint himself or his relatives about his special life path, is quite common.

So, Fevronia did not at all take advantage of the moment to successfully marry a rich and noble groom, as it may seem to many. She is submissive to the will of God, which was revealed to her. And the Lord revealed to her that it was this path that would lead both her and the prince to holiness and salvation. Therefore, the idea that Fevronia somehow manipulates Peter, blackmails him and forces him to marry her is simply blasphemous.

One more thing: yes, the righteous married life of Saints Peter and Fevronia is a model of family life for us. But in no case should we blindly copy the experience of the saints, without any reasoning, imitate them in everything. Saints are special people who were sometimes revealed to have very great knowledge about their future life. In some ways, we, of course, should follow them, but some moments of their lives are their personal, unique feat. As an example, I will cite the life of St. Alexis, a man of God. After his marriage, he left home on his wedding night, leaving his young wife and parents behind. Having spent many years in great deeds and wanderings, Alexy returned to his home, but already in a completely unrecognizable guise of a beggar. He was sheltered in the entrance hall, where he lived for several years, unrecognized by anyone, and only before his death wrote a letter to his parents, where he spoke about his life. Why did he do this? For us it is a secret. But one thing is clear: the Lord revealed His will to him, and he followed this path. Is it worth it for us, who do not know the mysteries of God's Providence, to act in this way? Of course not.

But back to the "Tale ...". So, Prince Peter, although outwardly he accepted the condition of Fevronia and promised to take her as his wife if he was healed, was not at all going to keep his word. But the wise maiden warned: “If he is sincere and humble in his words, he will be healthy!” Further, the legend once again shows that Fevronia knew everything that should happen later. She sends the patient to take a steam bath, and at this time she prepares an ointment from sourdough bread. At the command of the girl, the prince smears all the scabs with this remedy, except for one. The next morning his whole body was healthy. Peter sends gifts to the beekeeper's daughter, but he does not want to fulfill his promise to marry her. Shortly after the arrival of the prince in Murom, his body again becomes covered with ulcers. He returns to Fevronia, repents and shamefully asks for forgiveness. “She, not in the least angry, said:“ If she becomes my husband, she will be healed. He gave her a firm word that he would take her as his wife, ”says“ The Tale ... ”. The treatment is repeated, and the prince marries a commoner. This is such an instructive story. As folk wisdom says: “Without giving a word, be strong; and davshi - hold on.

By the way, the prince, as a person endowed with power from God, and therefore a purely responsible person, doubly should not break his word. The sin of the prince also lies in the fact that he goes against the will of God, although he understands that Fevronia is endowed with the knowledge of this will. His servant told him about this, and before taking the treatment, he himself arranged a test for his healer, marveling at her wisdom later.

Boyar rebellion

Some time after the wedding, Peter's older brother died, and the prince became the ruler of Murom. But not everyone liked the young wife of the new prince, and not everyone liked him either. The power-hungry boyars conceived a "palace coup". The reason was the marriage of their ruler to a simple peasant woman. "The Tale ..." describes this episode, of course, very artistically.

At the instigation of their wives, the boyars first began to turn the prince against his wife. They blamed her for the thrifty peasant habit of picking up crumbs from the table after a meal in her hand. Peter, having decided to check the words of the nobles, somehow after dinner opened the palm of Fevronia and ... saw grains of fragrant incense. To many, this plot may remind you of the well-known fairy tale about the Frog Princess. Remember how Vasilisa the Wise poured drinks from the table into her sleeve and collected bones? Yes, there are certain similarities. But Vasilisa did it on purpose, and not out of the habit of thrift. And the wives of the senior princes even began to imitate her, trying to repeat the miracle of turning the remnants of food into a lake with swans, but nothing came of them.

Apparently, having caught too obvious consonance with folklore in this place of the biography of the holy princes, St. Philaret (Gumilevsky) did not include it in his life of the faithful Peter and Fevronia. As he did not use another episode from the history of the boyar turmoil:

“A considerable time passed, and then one day the boyars came to the prince in anger and said: “Prince, we are all ready to faithfully serve you and have you as autocrat, but we do not want Princess Fevronia to command our wives. If you want to remain an autocrat, you will have another princess on your way. Fevronia, taking wealth as much as she wants, let her go wherever she wants! Blessed Peter, in whose habit it was not to be angry at anything, meekly answered: “Tell Fevronia about this, let's hear what she will say.”

Furious boyars, having lost their shame, decided to arrange a feast. They began to feast, and when they got drunk, they began to conduct their shameless speeches, like barking dogs, depriving the saint of God's gift, which God promised to keep her even after death. And they say: “Madam Princess Fevronia! The whole city and the boyars are asking you: give us whom we will ask you!” She replied: “Take whoever you ask!” They, as with one mouth, said: “We, madam, all want Prince Peter to rule over us, but our wives do not want you to rule over them. Having taken as much wealth as you need, go wherever you wish!” Then she said: “I promised you that whatever you ask, you will receive. Now I tell you: promise to give me whom I ask of you.” They, the villains, rejoiced, not knowing what awaits them, and swore: “Whatever you name, you will immediately receive without question.” Then she says: “I don’t ask for anything else, only my wife, Prince Peter!” They answered: “If he wants to, we won’t say a word to you.” The enemy clouded their minds - everyone thought that if there was no Prince Peter, they would put another autocrat: and yet in their hearts each of the boyars hoped to become an autocrat.

Blessed Prince Peter did not want to break God's commandments for the sake of reigning in this life, he lived according to God's commandments, observing them, as the God-voiced Matthew prophesies in his Gospel. For it is said that if a man drives away his wife who is not accused of adultery, and marries another, he himself commits adultery. This blessed prince acted according to the Gospel: he equated his property to manure, so as not to violate the commandments of God.

It is interesting that St. Philaret, with his characteristic historical accuracy, notes that the Murom boyars, in their desire to overthrow the prince, were incited by his closest relatives who claimed to reign: younger brother and nephew. St. Philaret describes the story of the expulsion of noble princes very briefly. The boyars approach the prince and put forward an ultimatum to him: “either let him let go of his wife, who offends noble wives with her origin, or leave Murom. The prince firmly remembered the words of the Lord: “What God has combined, let no man separate. Whoever lets go of his wife and marries another, he is an adulterer” (see: Matt. 19:6, 9). Therefore, faithful to the duty of a Christian spouse, the prince agreed to renounce the principality. He was left after that with poor means of subsistence, and sad thoughts involuntarily came to his mind. But the clever princess told him: “Do not be sad, prince, the merciful God will not leave us in poverty.” In Murom, irreconcilable strife soon opened up, seekers of power grabbed their swords, and many of the nobles lost their lives. The Murom boyars were forced to ask Prince David and Princess Euphrosyne to return to Murom. So the prince, true to his duty, triumphed over his enemies.

Why does St. Philaret greatly shorten the story of the rebellion of the boyars? I think not only because he sees in it some parallels with Russian fairy tales. Indeed, the details of this story are described quite folklore. Although the story of turning crumbs into incense, in my opinion, is quite acceptable for the life of the saints. Yes, Fevronia's trick, thanks to which she takes the prince with her, has very similar analogues in Russian folk tales: when a wife is forced to part with her husband, she asks to take the most precious thing from home and, of course, takes her beloved. But, as we know, Fevronia is a connoisseur of folklore, so is it any wonder if she acts "in a fabulous way." In addition, the plot “about the most expensive” is not only Russian, but, so to speak, universal. What should be the most precious thing for a woman? Of course, beloved man. The wives of the German city of Weinsberg did the same: when the besiegers allowed them to leave and take with them as much as they could carry on their shoulders, they, of course, took - carried - their husbands.

But this is not what confuses in the story of the princely exile. Peter does not make a decision himself - he sends the unbridled nobles to his wife: they say, ask her what she thinks about it. Could this be in the XIII century, and even in the family of the prince? Of course not. For the Russian Middle Ages, such a situation is absolutely unbelievable. I think it was precisely for this reason, and not because of its folklore nature, that this episode was not included in the life of both St. Demetrius of Rostov and St. Philaret (Gumilevsky). It can be assumed that such a not very plausible version of the story about the expulsion of the noble princes ended up in the Tale ... because it was written according to oral folk traditions about the holy couple: its main author was the simple Russian people. Therefore, the peasant woman Fevronia appears as her most important character. And the prince, bowing before her wisdom, consults with her in everything.

I like Filaret's version of the prince's conversation with the boyars much more than the same dialogue in "The Tale ...". Peter firmly remembers the words of the Gospel about the indissolubility of marriage and, true to Christian marital duty, prefers to renounce the principality. But the old Russian princes often forgot about their family duty. Ivan Vasilyevich the Terrible, under whom the faithful Peter and Fevronia were canonized, imprisoned two of his wives in a monastery. His father, Vasily III, tonsured his legal wife Solomonia Saburova as a nun for her infertility and married Elena Glinskaya. It should also not be forgotten that in the 13th century, siblings killed each other in order to add another allotment to their lands. So to give up reigning for the sake of preserving the family and love for his wife is the greatest feat for the ruler of that time. And they also say that in the life of Peter and Fevronia nowhere is it said about their love. That's true love! And for this feat of love, the Lord returns the principality to Peter.

Saint Philaret, as if to confirm the story of Peter's exile, gives another example of his humility. Based on the chronicles, he tells that the noble Murom prince helps to restore justice to the Grand Duke Vsevolod and participates with him in the struggle against the Pronsk and Ryazan princes. As a reward for this, Peter received from Vsevolod the rich Principality of Pronsk. When the former princes of Pronsk went to war against him, meek Peter “sent to say to them: “Brothers! I did not occupy Pronsk by myself: Vsevolod put me here. Pronsk is yours.” And calmly returned to Murom. What high disinterestedness! What deep respect for the duty of love and honor!” exclaims St. Philaret. Such disinterestedness was, indeed, a great rarity in times of princely civil strife. But Peter was not at all some kind of pacifist. According to the chronicles, he was a brave warrior, took part in several military operations. And in 1220 his troops were on a glorious campaign against the Volga Bulgars.

Filaret includes in his biography of the holy princes and the case of a man who, forgetting about his wife, stared at the beauty of Fevronia. This episode is given in full, along with the answers of the wise princess, but for some reason the saint refers it not to the time of the exile of the princes, but already to their peaceful reign, which followed after their return.

It is interesting that when you are in Murom, you cannot get rid of the feeling of the reality of everything that is described in the "Tale ...". This small town simply breathes with antiquity, "there is a Russian spirit, there it smells of Russia." Of course, the buildings of the times of Peter and Fevronia have not been preserved, but all the same, in their hometown you quite noticeably touch their life. And when you pray at the relics of the blessed couple, and when you just wander along the streets of Murom, and when you stand on the Oka embankment and look at the church of Saints Cosmas and Damian, erected by Ivan the Terrible ... And it seems that now the boats are sliding down the river, carrying the prince and princess to the other side, away from the rebellious boyars.

St. Philaret, speaking of the pious life and wise Christian rule of the saints after their return to Murom, writes that it “was truthful, but without harsh severity, merciful, but without weakness. The intelligent and pious princess helped her husband with advice and charity. Both lived according to the commandments of the Lord, loved everyone and did not love either pride or unrighteous self-interest; rested the wanderers, alleviated the fate of the unfortunate, honored the monastic and priestly rank, protecting him from needs.

Children of the "childless couple"

Another stumbling block, and, by the way, not only for secular critics, but also for some Orthodox, is the lack of mention of their children in the Tale of Peter and Fevronia. Even in the works of modern theologians, one has to come across the idea that Saints Peter and Fevronia allegedly deliberately renounced bodily marital communion for the sake of the purely feat of abstinence and chastity. And hostile critics use the lack of information about the children of the couple in the life as a counterargument in polemics with the Orthodox: they say, what kind of family patrons are they if they deliberately refused to have children?

Let's start with the fact that for a medieval Russian ruler, childlessness was great tragedy. Above, I mentioned that some rulers even went against the conscience and canons of the Church for the sake of the birth of an heir. A particularly difficult problem was childlessness for the prince during the feudal fragmentation. Each prince wanted his sons and grandsons to continue to manage his allotment. Otherwise, after the death of the prince, the principality could pass to his relatives, who were sometimes his enemies. None of the princes, even out of a sense of responsibility to the people and the lands entrusted to them, would consciously refuse to procreate - even for the sake of feats of chastity. It is very unlikely that St. Peter of Murom would have agreed to this.

Note: the fact that the pious Murom couple had children, which for some reason even some church writers deny, is completely irrefutable from a historical point of view.

In the first part of the article, I already spoke about the historical identification of Saints Peter and Fevronia, and the historicity of these Murom princes is confirmed by a large number of very authoritative sources.

The Genealogy of the Princes of Murom, and the Genealogy of the Princes of Vladimir and Suzdal, and the Laurentian Chronicle, and the lives of the Blessed Prince Svyatoslav of Vladimir and his son, the Blessed Prince Demetrius, testify about the children of the noble princes of Murom ... By the way, the holy prince Svyatoslav was the son-in-law of Peter and Fevronia, and the right-believing Prince Dimitri - their grandson.

Peter and Fevronia had three children: the eldest son Yuri, who inherited his throne after the death of his father, Svyatoslav and daughter Evdokia. The names of their grandchildren are also known: Yaroslav - the son of Yuri; John and Vasily - the children of Svyatoslav - and the son of Evdokia Dimitri.

Prince Yuri accepted the Principality of Murom in 1228, was a brave warrior, fought against the Mordovians, according to the Novgorod Chronicle, fought with Batu. In 1230 he died fighting the Mongols.

Svyatoslav in 1220, together with his father, participated in a campaign against the Volga Bulgars. The Laurentian Chronicle says that he died in 1228, on Easter week, a few days before the righteous death of his parents.

The daughter of Peter and Fevronia Evdokia married the son of Vsevolod the Big Nest - Prince Svyatoslav. By the way, the chronicle says that her father, Prince Murom, was at this wedding. Evdokia had a son, Dimitri, who, after the death of his father, became Prince Yuryev-Polsky. I managed to visit this wonderful little town, now a little neglected, but still beautiful, with ancient monasteries, temples and other ancient monuments. And there they keep the memory of the Yuriev prince Dimitri - the grandson of Peter and Fevronia.

Both the son-in-law of Peter and Fevronia, Svyatoslav, and the grandson Dimitri were glorified by the Church as holy noble princes.

Why, then, does The Tale of Peter and Fevronia not give us information about the children of the holy princes, despite the fact that their names were very well known at the time of its writing? I think this gap is explained quite simply. The lives of the saints, as a rule, tell about the children of ascetics when they somehow took part in their feat or were themselves saints. In the life of Peter and Fevronia, compiled by St. Demetrius of Rostov, their children are not mentioned, most likely also for the same reason. And St. Philaret writes about only one son of the Murom couple - Svyatoslav; it can be assumed that he is of interest to the compiler of the life because he died on the same Easter week with his parents.

Day of death or name day?

As we know from the Tale of Peter and Fevronia, from all their lives, as well as from chronicle sources, the noble princes passed away to the Lord on the same day. Saint Philaret, leaning on historical documents, says that they reposed in April, on the Easter week of 1228, and, according to their will, were buried in one coffin. He does not mention that foolish people wanted to break the testament of the saints and put them in separate coffins, and each time they ended up together again. But this does not mean at all that this episode is fictional: in the lives of the saints we find descriptions of much greater and incomprehensible miracles. The life compiled by St. Philaret is rather short; his task was to subject Yermolai-Erasmus' Tale to critical historical analysis and, if possible, to select verified and most reliable facts.

Why do we celebrate the day of the repose of the faithful Murom princes not in the spring, in April, but on June 25 according to the old style (respectively, July 8 in a new way)? The saint writes: “If, according to the chronicle, they died in April, then the 25th day of June must be recognized as the day of the discovery of the relics.” That is, he believes that the day of the celebration of the death of the holy couple (so as not to make it a passing day because of the Easter week) was simply timed to coincide with the day of finding the relics. But this is only an assumption. Neither in the time of St. Philaret, nor even more so in our days, was it found out on what exact day the relics were opened.

Regarding the memory of Saints Peter and Fevronia, it is on June 25 (July 8) that I have my own version. Very often, when the exact day of the memory of the saint is unknown to us, the celebration of his death is set on the name day. In the church calendar, we can find many saints with the same name, but who lived in completely different different time whose memory falls on the same day. June 25 is the day of the Martyr Fevronia the Virgin, a saint of the 4th century. She is the heavenly patroness of the faithful Fevronia of Murom - there is no other Fevronia in the calendar. But there are a lot of saints with the name Peter. Therefore, not knowing the exact day of the death of the Murom miracle workers, they set the day of their memory to be celebrated on June 25th.

The days of church holidays are far from always the exact date of some historical event. We know that even the date of the Nativity of Christ is conditional, and Easter is generally a passing holiday.

There is an absolutely false opinion that the day of veneration of Saints Peter and Fevronia as the heavenly patrons of the family and marriage is a completely new, modern trend. Say, they wanted to come up with a Russian analogue of Valentine's Day, so they established in 2008 the Day of Family, Love and Fidelity. Yes, in our time, the day of Saints Peter and Fevronia has acquired special significance. New churches are being built to these saints, monuments are being erected, more and more people are celebrating their memory, and most importantly, they are beginning to pray to them. But Peter and Fevronia have been revered as patrons of the family for a long time. In the 19th century, St. Philaret wrote that the holy princes “in their lives were a model of Christian marriage, ready for all hardships for the gospel commandment of indestructible union. And now, with their prayers, they bring down a heavenly blessing on those entering into marriage. So many experiments show afterlife their". And they turned to Saints Peter and Fevronia for help in family life long before the 19th century.

More about legends and myths

Some researchers, mainly philologists and cultural scientists, like to compare The Tale of Peter and Fevronia with Celtic and other Western European legends, especially with the novel about Tristan and Isolde. And indeed, if you wish, you can find in the Old Russian "Tale ..." something similar to this chivalric legend. What is this? Did Yermolai-Erasmus' Tale really incorporate European legends that somehow penetrated Rus', or is it just a coincidence?

Let's start with the fact that the priest Yermolai collected materials for writing the life of the holy noble princes in the Murom and Ryazan regions, that is, in the Central Russian zone. These are legends not even of Kievan, but of Vladimir Rus. It is very difficult to assume that at a time when the penetration of foreigners into the central part of Russia was minimal, some Western legends were brought to the Vladimir region.

There are many works that provide a comparative analysis of "The Tale ..." and the novel about Tristan and Isolde. I have read quite a few articles on the subject, but none of them have explained these coincidences. Academician D.S. Likhachev in his work "The Tale of Peter and Fevronia of Murom" does not at all insist on any borrowing Western legends. He admires The Tale..., its amazing poetic language, images, and writes that "there is something in common... with the Western European medieval story of Tristan and Isolde." But are these two stories so similar?

I re-read the novel about Tristan and Iseult as presented by Joseph Bedier. To be honest, if you do not set the task of finding parallels in it with Erasmus' Tale ..., you may not notice any commonality between these two works at all. In the whole novel, I see only two episodes similar to those in the biography of the Murom princes. Tristan also defeats the dragon and becomes ill from its poison, putting the dragon's tongue in his pocket. He is found unconscious, brought to Isolde's house, but it is not she who heals him, but her mother, the queen: it is she who prepares the potion, and Isolde only helps her. And the second similar moment is the death of Tristan and Isolde: they also die on the same day. At the same time, Bedier's novel is a rather voluminous work, several times larger than The Tale .... Tristan performs various feats (killing the dragon is not the most important of them), a lot of events happen to him and Isolde, completely different from the events in the life of Peter and Fevronia. The plot of the legend is very cunningly gossip, and Isolde is not alone at all - there are two Isolde in the novel. And most importantly: "The Tale of Peter and Fevronia" is a hymn to marital love and fidelity. Spouses carry their love through the whole earthly life, and then have its continuation in eternity. And the chivalric novel about Tristan and Isolde is quite the opposite: it is a story about adultery, about adultery. About two lovers who cannot be together and unite, dying on the same day. By the way, there are versions of the novel from which this sad ending has been removed.

We will not dwell on the dragon in detail. Legends about snakes and serpent fighters are among many, many peoples. Dragons were fought not only in Rus' and Western Europe, but also in Iran, Babylon, Greece, not to mention China, Japan and India. With whom they just did not compare, for example, St. George, who defeated the snake! Where legends about dragons come from, we have already discussed in the first part of the article. The serpent, the dragon is the favorite mask of the devil in ancient times, therefore, among many peoples, the dragon is the embodiment of evil (although not everywhere; in some countries, dragons were deified, but, nevertheless, they fought with them). There is also a theory that dragons are preserved ancient lizards.

It is much more important to explain the similarity of the death of the characters of the Celtic legend and Russian saints. But first of all, let's not forget that, unlike the fictional characters of the novel, Peter and Fevronia are real people, and their death on the same day is not fiction, but a historical fact. Further: in Bedier's novel, Tristan and Iseult are placed to the right and left of the chapel, and then a thorn bush grows that connects their two graves. And if here it is just a beautiful poetic image, then the joint burial of Peter and Fevronia is, again, a reality: they really were buried together. By order of Ivan the Terrible, the Church of the Nativity of the Virgin was built over the graves of the saints. They lay together under the south side of the church. Later, their relics were opened and transferred to the temple itself. Now they rest in the women's Trinity Monastery, where they were transferred in our time.

As for the motive of death hotly loving friend friend of people in one day, then he is not European and not Russian, but universal. K.G. Jung called this the "collective unconscious". There is a "collective unconscious" inherent in a separate ethnic group, and there is a universal human unconscious. All humanity was created by God as a single human race, and with all the ethnic and cultural differences, all peoples have a lot in common. Therefore, it is not surprising that in similar situations we think in the same way and very close images emerge in our minds. In support of the fact that the motif of death on the same day is common to completely different peoples, we can cite the poem of the 15th-century Turkic author Alisher Navoi about two lovers "Leyli and Majnun". Here are the lines from it, telling about their death: “The beloved raised her hands, / she gave her soul to her beloved. / The beloved bowed without breathing, / his soul went to his beloved.

We know that Peter and Fevronia had an ardent desire to leave together and asked God "to die by them at the same time." And the Lord fulfilled the petition of two loving hearts.

A little more about amazing coincidences, universal images and the collective unconscious. There are works on the study of the origin of myths, in which one can find very interesting comparisons. Here is a European legend about King Arthur: in London, in the center of the city, there was a chapel; near it lay a stone with a sword sticking out of it; the sword, which no one could draw, was drawn by the young man Arthur; after some time, the hand of the Lady of the Lake, appearing above the waters, will give him the sword Excalibur. And now the Vietnamese legend: the spirits commanded the nobleman Le Loi to lead an uprising against the Chinese invaders; from the lake near which he lived, a giant tortoise swam out with a sword in his mouth. The hero takes this sword, drives off the Chinese with the help of a wonderful weapon and becomes king. It seems? It will be cooler than Tristan and Isolde.

Let's sum up some results. "The Tale of Peter and Fevronia of Murom" is a wonderful and very instructive work of ancient Russian literature. Over the centuries, "The Tale ..." has firmly entered into church life and enjoys great popularity and authority among Orthodox people. Yes, it was not included in Makaryev's Cheti-Minei, but was included in other collections of lives, such as Godunov's and Milyutin's Menaia.

We do not find in it any obvious absurdities and distortions of church teaching. It can be said that the only factual error of the "Tale ..." is the confusion with princely names.

The Church is a living organism, she herself rejects everything that is harmful and accepts what is beneficial.

Compiling the biographies of the saints, no one has ever strived for absolute, documentary accuracy. Something else was important: the spiritual authenticity of life. There is a lot of literary content in Father Erasmus' "Tale...", but the famous "Lives of the Saints" by St. Demetrius of Rostov are also very literary. Lyrical digressions, details, dialogues, prayers that he puts into the lips of the saints are clearly artistic in nature. In addition to historical data, folk tales about ascetics are also widely used in his lives.

Many generations of our Orthodox ancestors were brought up on Dimitriev's Menaia. People have been reading hagiographic literature for centuries and have received spiritual benefits. "The Tale of Peter and Fevronia" also brings edification to many, spiritual consolation and serves as a textbook of marital love and fidelity.

Archpriest Pavel Gumerov

Bites from poisonous snakes are deadly, but there are people who prove by their own example that there are exceptions to every rule. American Bill Haast He became famous for opening his own serpentarium in Miami, where he kept rattlesnakes. From his wards, he suffered more than 170 bites in his life, but died at the age of 100 years.

The Haast Serpentarium is perhaps the most famous attraction in Florida. Every year more than 50 thousand tourists visited Haast's performances, they looked with bated breath at the fact that the serpentologist took his wards with his bare hands, not being afraid of bites, and began to milk them.

For many years, Haast tried to prove that by developing immunity to snake venom and using it as a medicine, one could be cured of various diseases, including multiple sclerosis and lupus, arthritis and Parkinson's disease. Haast suggested using a "cocktail" of the venom of five snakes - cobra, water muzzle, krait, mamba and rattlesnake. Needless to say, no state body would approve such experiments.

To develop immunity, Bill Haast regularly made injections containing snake venom, gradually increasing the dose. Bill had been handling snakes his entire adult life, so milking them was commonplace. He started collecting snakes at the age of 16, as soon as he graduated from school, by the age of 19 he was already doing it quite professionally. During the war years, Bill served in aviation, he traveled to South America, Africa and India, and, taking the opportunity, brought several snakes to America, including his first cobra. In those years, the law did not yet prohibit the transportation of snakes on an airplane, however, the crew members were not at all happy about the neighborhood with reptiles.

The Serpentarium was founded in 1947. For the first five years, only the Haast family took care of it - himself, his wife and young son. Bill Jr. fell victim to snakes four times and soon completely lost interest in his father's business. Haast himself set a record that got into the Guinness Book: by mid-2008, he had already received 172 bites. This was reminiscent of the absence of several fingers on the hands. One of the cobra bites that Haast received in the 1950s turned out to be critical. Then he went to the hospital, they ordered the strongest vaccine from India for him, but the serpentologist refused to use it and soon recovered himself.

Haast often acted as a blood donor in cases where it was necessary to urgently save patients from snake bites. In total, about 20 lives were saved thanks to him. In the 1950s, Haast donated blood to researchers at the University of Miami to develop a polio vaccine.

In the Haast Serpentarium, everyone could get up close and personal with the snakes. It is worth noting that strict safety rules were introduced after a six-year-old child fell into a hole with a 12-pound crocodile named Cookie in 1977. The incident ended in the death of a child, although before that, for 20 years, the crocodile had not tarnished his reputation. What happened so shocked Haast that the next day he shot the pet.

About the fact that the saints Peter and Feb-ro-niya Mu-rom-sky are-la-yut-sya in the blood-vi-te-la-mi of the family and su-prud-zhestvo, and the day of their pa-my-ti was declared a fe-de-ral holiday of family, love and fidelity, from-west-but almost every-do- mu zhi-te-lu Russia. And this can not but ra-do-vat. But since a special holiday was established in their honor and in-chi-ta-nie Peter and Feb-ro-ni p-ob-re-lo shi-ro-ki swing, do not stop arguing around their names. More of all mis-skills and questions about owls, you-zy-va-et are not them, included in Che-tyi-Mi-nei holy-ti-te-la, but you know - me-ni-tay. Some consider it to be the only and oh-so-roch-ny source of information about the good-faithful princes, others gie - you are a thought and a beautiful legend, having nothing in common with their real bio-gra-fi-her. Come on, let’s try to sort it out, is it such a le-gen-dar-nym and folk-lor-nym is this for-me-cha-tel -ny memory-nickname of Russian writing-men-no-sti. By the way, go-in-rya, yes, so-ver-shen-but secular is-sled-before-you-th-they consider “In-the-news ...” one of the best of the best examples of ancient Russian creativity, the top of the fatherly li-te-ra-tu-ry of the 16th century.

This saying is your-re-so-bor-no-ho-priest-no-ka Er-mo-baring-Eraz-ma, on-pi-san-noe to them for-ka-zu mit-ro-po-li-ta Ma-ka-riya after the ka-but-no-for-tion of the blessed saints Peter and Feb-ro-nii on Mos-kov- skom So-bo-re 1547. One-on-one, mit-ro-po-lit Ma-ka-riy did not include this pro-of-ve-de-tion in his well-known Great Che- thi-mi-nei. Vi-di-mo, he considered it not with-everything to-do-dya-schey in style and content to the calculation of agio-gra-fi-che-sko- mu genre.

How much can we believe in the “Test of Peter and Feb-ro-nii”? The fact is that the father of Yer-mo-lai was not at all some kind of say-zi-te-lem, under-vis-for-yu-schi-sya in the worst -but-whether-te-ra-tour-nom genre-re. He was you-y-y-y-y-o-o-o-o-o-o-o, pi-sa-te-lem, pub-li-tsi-stom, che-lo-ve-com you-so-co-ob- ra-zo-van-nym. At that moment, he had already written a significant number of pro-from-ve-de-ny, that’s why Saint Ma-ka- riy, himself a very learned man, and instructed him to compose the life of mu-rom-sky miracle-creators. In the fact that, of course, he didn’t himself think the given saying, but only -tions about the blessed Peter and Feb-ro-niya, don’t with-me-va-yut-sya even the most tough kri-ti-ki “In-ve-sti ... ". Unfortunately, Yer-mo-lay-Erasmus, vi-di-mo, really-but-op-r-sya in his-their research-to-va-ni-yah only on the oral folk pre-da-tions about the Mu-Rom prince and his wi-pr-ge. But is it so yes-le-ko he left let-to-pi-this, and is it possible to consider "The Tale of Peter and Feb-ro-ni" a valid -toch-no one knows about their life?

The point is that the people are chi-ta-nie and testimonies about the life and miracles of the saints now a very serious source of toch-no-one when compiling the lives of ka-no-ni-zi-ro-van-ny saints. And in the 16th century, and, of course, in the earlier period, oral creativity was the most important source information. Tsar Ivan Vasi-lye-vich the Terrible decided to pro-ve-sti ka-but-no-for-the-tion of the b-go-faithful Peter and Feb-ro-nii, but from the West -but, what is the-native-of-the-chi-ta-thing of these saints for-a-moose still a long time before their pro-glorification churches. For co-hundred-vi-te-la of the lives of the saints on the native oral stories, legends about the life of the movement of the good honesty is the same source as the le-to-pi-si. We learn about many saints almost exclusively from their lives, other written sources, just do not store-no-moose.

The Lives of the Saints is a special genre, very close to li-te-ra-tour-no-mu. So, St. Di-mit-riy Rostov-sky includes in his many-volume collection of life mu-che-ni-kov, na-pi-san -nye on the basis of the os-no-va-nii of the mu-che-ni-che-acts, some were in the Roman Empire, but we see that together with that, in these lives-do-not-describe-sa-niya include also many-numbers-dia-lo-gi and in fractional-no-sti, some no way could he keep it in su-hih su-deb-ny do-ku-men-tah.

For the servant of the priest Yer-mo-lai is that he carefully collected everything, in his opinion, reliable sayings and pre -da-niya about saints Peter and Feb-ro-nii and, from-re-dak-ti-ro-vav them, brought them to chi-ta-te-la. It is thanks to him that we have not only written data about them, but also preserved oral information about holy mu-rom-sky che-te. And for this, he has a big spa-si-bo from the b-g-dar-ny-th-th-th-kov. The mistake of this ancient pi-sa-te-la is that he did not combine the oral pre-da-tions with the given le-to-pi- nyh is-to-ri-che-sky do-ku-men-tov.

In addition to the whole short-to-ko-go ka-but-no-che-th-go-th life, included-no-go in Mi-nei holy-te-la Di-mit-ria, besides other more later ones, but much more full lives and directly my own “In-ve-sti ...” Yer-mo-barking -Eraz-ma there is one more life of Peter and Feb-ro-nii. In my opinion, it is the most objective and is-the-ri-che-ski you-ver-ren-nym-exact-no-one. This is a life-not-description-sa-tion with-becoming-le-but holy-te-lem Fila-re-tom (Gu-milevsky), a brilliant god-word, very authoritative is-to-ri-com of the 19th century, and included in the book “Selected Lives of the Saints”. Why is the work of St. ti-la Fila-re-ta especially valuable for us? He, like a pro-professional is-to-rik, opi-ra-et-sya on is-to-ri-che-is-toch-no-ki: Russian let-to- pi-si (Ni-ko-nov-skaya, le-to-pi-si Pe-re-slav-la Suz-dal-sko-go and others), ro-to-word-nuyu Mu-rom- princes, history of Ryazan-go and Mu-rom-go-principalities, “Pro-log”, co-chi-non-nia is-to-ri-kov Ta -ti-shche-va and Ka-ram-zi-na. In this way, his life can be called the most trustworthy from a historical point of view.

But let’s get back to “In-ve-sti ...” Yer-mo-barking. The fact that this is about-from-ve-de-ny yav-la-et-sya is also from-exactly-to-no-one-of-one-of-one about the lives of any-be-me-my Russian saints -tyh, no doubt, but, yes, St. Phila-ret (Gu-milevsky), despite the fact that it goes to “In-ve-sti ...” kri-ti-che-ski, yet shi-ro-ko uses it when na-pi-sa-nii of his version of life. He cor-rek-ti-ru-et some-ry places and kills everything, from his point of view, superfluous.

But it’s time to turn to my own “Let’s talk about Peter and Feb-ro-nii”. Very in-te-res-but it will be different in the fact that in this saying you can recognize it as quite reliable with spiritual and agio- gra-fi-che-sky then-check of sight, and what are you-zy-va-et with me. To-verify certain events and mo-men-you from an is-it-ri-che-sight point of view can’t imagine -ny for a long time of years and a lack of stat-com to-ku-men-tal-nyh is-toch-no-kov. But since the "Test of ..." so firmly entered into our right-to-glorious ob-way and the use of such a news-no-stu and respect- we don’t eat at the churches, but we can’t help recognizing her right to be the source of knowledge about the earth life-no heaven-nyh in-kro-vi-te-lei bra-ka. Let’s see, some for-ga-daughter places immediately bro-sa-yut-sya in the eyes in Yer-mo-la-ev-skaya “In-ve-sti ... ".

Princely names

In the “Test of Peter and Feb-ro-niya”, the Mu-Rom princes have the baptismal names of Peter and Feb-ro-niya, and at the end life-no-no-ma-yut mo-na-she-stvo with the name-on-mi Yes-view and Eu-phro-si-niya. This, of course, is a clear mistake. According to the voice, but le-to-pi-syam and ro-do-slo-vi-yam of the Mu-rom-sky princes, in Mu-ro-me from 1205 to 1228 the great-vi-la prince-same -sky che-ta Da-vid Yury-vich and his wi-pr-ga prince-gi-nya Ev-fro-sy-nya. St. Fila-ret (Gu-milevsky), opi-ra-yas on the “Ro-do-verbal-book of the princes and nobles of the Russian-si-skys and exits living ”and other sources, writes:“ When the prince and the prince-gi-nya reached a deep old age, then time they dressed in other clothes, one with the name of Peter, the other with the name of Feb-ro-nii. In pri-me-cha-ni-yah to his work, St. Phila-ret says that in “In-ve-sti ...” worldly names -ty pe-re-pu-ta-na with mo-na-she-ski-mi and that this mistake went to the print “Full me-sya-tse-words ".

Why did Father Yer-mo-lai do-pu-styl this inaccuracy? Not checking with the le-to-pee-sue, he more trusted the oral tales, someone could not mention the thread exactly th name of the prince. In na-ro-de they would be more known as Peter and Feb-ro-niya, here is the national consciousness and re-shi-lo that they have -for the saints had before mo-na-she-stva. I think that this mistake is quite free, but pro-sti-tel-on, especially for the ancient-Russian-th-lo-ve-ka. After all, in Russia there are many people, and the princes, especially the ben-no-sti, sometimes had several names. For example, the holy baptist of Rus-si equal-noap-o-so-ny Vla-di-world pro-slav-len with his Slavic name, and his baptismal name - Va-si-liy - from-west-but yes-le-ko not to everyone. Were there princes who entered history under a double name, for example, the eldest grandson of Vla-di-mi-ra Mo-no- ma-ha holy b-go-faithful prince All-in-lod Revenge-slav-vich, someone-ro-of-a-hundred-zy-va-yut All-in-lod-Gav- ri-il.

In general, go-in-rya, if the saint takes-no-ma-et in-shear, then, as right, we glorify him already with in-she-name-it (ho-tya is-key-che-niya from this great-vi-la the same meet-cha-ut-sya). We pray pre-do-be-no-mu Ser-giu Ra-to-nezh-sko-mu, and not Var-fo-lo-mei, holy-to-mu Se-ra-fi-mu Sa-rov-sko-mu, not Pro-ho-ru Mosh-ni-nu. So, I think, and folk-noe in-chi-ta-nie, someone-swarm for-cha-moose still long before the ka-but-no-for-tion of the 16th century , re-pri-nya-lo names-but mo-on-she-names-on mu-rom-sky great-ved-no-kov.

One more princely name you-y-va-et asks in “In the news about Peter and Feb-ro-nii”. According to her, in Mu-ro-me, before Prince Peter (Da-vi-da), the prince lived his brother Pa-vel. The old-written sources, in fact, they say that Prince Da-vid accepted the mu-rom throne by death you respected your eldest brother very much. But there he is not called Pavel, but Vla-di-mir. What can be said here? Sooner than anything, here we again became-ki-va-em-sya with the princely habit of giving and using in obi-ho-de right away several names. The name Vla-di-mir is chi-one hundred slav-vyan-skoe, it means “vla-de-yu-shchy world”. Vi-di-mo, at birth-de-ni he was-lo yes-but names-but this is a well-known and glorious name in Russia. And at the baptism, he already accepted the second swarm, in honor of his heaven-no-go in the blood-vi-te-la of the apo-sto-la Pavel.

Winged serpent

From “In-ve-sti ...” we learn that Prince Pav-la (Vla-di-mi-ra) had a su-pru-ha. And so “the devil, from-on-con ve-ku hate-see-dya-shchi-go-go-lo-ve-che-of-kind, sent the prince’s wife for fornication- noe de-lo of the evil wing-la-th-th-th-serpent ”(here and further on“ The message ... ”qi-ti-ru-et-sya in Russian trans-re-vo-de. - prot. P.G.). This kite, in a way, seems to be some kind of research-after-to-va-te-lyam with-my fan-ta-sty-che-sky and unre-al-ny per- so-on-press given-no-go-say-for-niya. Skep-ti-che-ski on-strong-en-nye, they immediately on-chi-on-yut see here the tales of the Fire-n-n-nom snake and see the para-ral-le -whether with ka-ki-mi already with-everything is not s-vyan-ski-mi mi-fa-mi.

The serpent, mentioned in “In-ve-sti ...”, ko-nech-but, just a certain vir-tu-al-ny mo-rock, li-chi-na, pri-ni -ma-e-may on myself an enemy ro-yes che-lo-ve-che-so-go, someone-ro-go Sacred Pi-sa-nie on-zy-va -et “great dragon, ancient serpent ...” (). The devil, as from-the-west, is a fallen an-gel, a demon-carnal spirit, but he can take on the appearance of any ode-shev-len-no-go su-stu-stva or neo-soul-shev-len-no-th pre-me-ta. In ancient times, the devil loved to appear to our ancestors (and to others on-ro-dames the same) in the form of a miracle -no-go, often og-not-dy-sha-shche-th lizard-ra. For this-mu-something, in would-be-nah, the image of a snake, a dragon, with three heads or with one, would be so.

This is a monster in the representation of people of the past, it would have been oli-tse-your-re-no-eat of evil, unclean forces. Not for nothing, le-shee, ru-sal-ki, all-possible bab-ki-hedgehogs, snakes-go-ry-ny-chi, other fiery snakes briefly im-but-wa-li-evil-stu - as before-a-hundred-vi-te-whether in-fer-nal-no-go world-ra. And for the people of antiquity, this whole world was the same real-al-no-stu, as for us the pol-tergeist and others on the other side nie pa-ra-nor-small, dark phenomena.

So, an unclean spirit in the form of a serpent comes to the prince’s su-spring and commits fornication with her. That this is not just some kind of rep-ti-liya, but a dark spiritual entity, apparently from the fact that the serpent is in two -li-chi-yah: like a lizard and like a man. He takes on the appearance of Prince Pavel. Moreover, the serpent soon became so insolent that it no longer hides its ugly appearance in front of the prince, but others for the purpose of con-spi-ra-tion yav-la-et-sya in the form of a prince. “And on the other hand, it seemed to people that it was the prince himself with his wife who was sitting.” At the end of the prince-gi-nya, don’t you-hold-zh-va-et and tell-say-zy-va-et everything to your husband. That co-ve-tu-et to his wife with a hit-ro-styu you-ve-give from the serpent, which can serve as a cause of his death. In mi-well-tu from-kro-ven-no-sti the evil-dey pro-bol-tal-sya, that “death is judged by me from Pet-ro-va shoulder-cha, from Ag-ri- Ko-va me-cha.

Pa-vel de-lit-sya his go-rem with his own brother, Peter. After some time, then, at the time of mo-lit-you, a certain ot-rock (vi-di-mo, an-gel) and decree-zy-va- there is in the race-se-line the walls of the al-ta-rya church-vi of the Voz-dvi-zhen-sko-mo-on-sta-rya place where the sword is hidden. Peter takes Ag-ri-ko-to-weapons, on-ho-dit is a convenient time, v-va-et-sya in the prince-gi-ni and kills-va-et to -var-no-go snake. But before you retire to yourself in the pre-under-nue, the serpent splashed Prince Peter with his blood. The prince is s-s-s-s-more-va-et: all over his body there are yaz-you.

Come on, let’s stay on this mo-men-those and think about whether such an is-th-riya could-be-ti in fact. If there is a little ab-stra-gi-ro-vat-sya from not-so-my-but epi-th-th-th-th-th-th-th-th-th-th-of-description of a miracle with a snake, someone gives us the “Tell…”, we don’t see in this epi-zo-de from the point of view of hagio-graphy and du- hov-no-go experience of the Church-vi no-thing mi-fo-lo-gi-che-so-go. Zhe-on the prince-zya, vi-di-mo, for a long time on-ho-di-la in times-lu-ke with her su-pru-gom. Prince-zya then all the time in-e-wa-li and, from-right-la-being in-long-living-things, leaving for a long time -whether their wives alone.

Re-use this, the devil under-bra-sy-va-et to her is-ku-she-nie fornication in-ho-tyu. The enemy always sleep-cha-la na-ho-dit in a person-lo-ve-ke is a weak-fighting link, in order to make a hole in his soul and yes-lea-to-gu-beat, ple -fields of some kind of passion. In this case, he, vi-di-mo, vos-pol-zo-val-sya longing for her husband and connected with her fornication-us-my sword-ta- no-i-mi. Ovla-dev by the mind of a woman, he re-re-ho-dit to the vir-tu-al-no-mu fornication with her, since he can take on the appearance of not only a snake , but also her con-no-go su-pru-ha. And although in the “Be-ve-sti ...” it says that “the serpent took possession of it with the power”, but such an enemy-action cannot be zhet pro-izoy-ti without that, so that the person himself does not succumb to is-ku-she-nie. How could this happen? Can the devil, a demonic forest spirit, perform similar fornication actions? Yes, the devil does not have flesh, but he can invade our ma-te-ri-al-ny world and perform certain actions here. He can, yes, na-but-sit real-al-fights for people, which is described in many lives, can transform in ko-nya and re-not-sti man-lo-ve-ka for huge distances-sto-i-niya, how about this tell-zy-va-et-sya in life connection -ti-te-la John-on-the-new-born, able-so-ben and for many other things. Is it really sa-ta-na, many you-x-che-le-tia exercises in deceit and evil, dumber than man? This hour, when modern tech-no-logies pose-in-la-ut co-create the illusion of a half-presence, we can’t -gut surprise with additional tricks. For example, we are films in the 4DX format, when you, sitting in the chair ki-no-te-at-ra, in-lu-cha-eat co-ver- shen-but re-al-noe feeling of what you find in the thick of things that are going on on the screen. Various three-dimensional mo-de-li with the full effect of the presence of sa-ta-na have learned to create for a long time already.

The episode of the meeting of the prince-gi-ni-no-smi-em contains several very important moments, pointing to re-al- the ness of a given co-being. Something like go-in-rit-sya, for-roch-but don’t come-ma-eat. The fact is that the experience of the Church-vi and the holy-father-che-li-te-ra-tu-ra testifies: the devil, co-blaspheming -dey, can appear in a person-lo-ve-che-ob-li-chii and perform almost real fornication actions with them . The prodigal de-mon can take on the appearance of both a husband-chi-na and a woman-schi-na. As an example, you can give a case, describe it in “Lav-sa-i-ke” - about-from-ve-de-nii of the 5th century, in the West vu-u-schema about the life of the saints in motion. Here's what ras-sa-zy-va-et av-va Pa-ho-miy: “The enemy took on the appearance of an Ethiopian de-vi-tsy, I saw something in mo-lo -do-sti, when she is so-bi-ra-la so-lo-mu. I imagined that she was sitting with me, and before that, the de-mon led me, that I thought small, as if I had already sinned with her. In is-stup-le-nii, I gave her po-chi-chi-well, and she disappeared. Believe me, for two years I could not bear to sing non-suffer-pi-my evil from my hand.

In-te-res-but, what is the idea of ​​a fiery serpent - an unclean spirit, someone who is able to accept-no-mother is a kind of dragon- ko-na, then the face of a man-lo-ve-ka and seduce women for fornication - we really-but we-go-dim in the ancients -slav-vyan-sky le-gen-dakh. According to them, the serpent appears-la-is-sya to those wives-schi-us, someone-ry-ru-sha-li forbids strongly-but go-re-vat on dead-she- mu or tos-to-vat on-ho-dya-shche-mu-sya in from-beam-ke to husband. The serpent also gained access to a woman, lost her innocence before marriage. Ko-nech-but, someone can call these legends pe-re-lives-ka-mi languages. But de-mo-we very often appeared to our ancestors in those forms, someone would have been known from the language of the time -men.

In the west of Christ-sti-an-sky de-mo-no-logia de-mon blu-da, is-ku-sha-yu-women, na-zy-val-sya in -ku-bom. If the demon, on the contrary, took on the appearance of a woman-schi-ny, his name is-no-wa-li souk-ku-bom. By the way, in the middle-not-ve-ko-vy ka-that-li-che-sky trak-ta-tah go-vo-rit-sya that de-mon in-cube cro-me che-lo- ve-che-go-ob-li-chia also gives the appearance of a goat-la, a so-ba-ki, a deer, a bull, a snake and other animals nyh.

But I’ll bring two examples no longer from the middle-ve-ko-vya, but from ours, modern re-al-no-sti. One of my-know-may, women-schi-on the middle-age-ra-ta, in-te-rya-la husband. Some time after the death of her husband, she told me that her husband began to come to her and even go to bed with her on the bed. This widow was a che-lo-ve-chur-kov-nym, often used-ve-do-wa-las and par-cha-scha-las. But she had some kind of demonic darkness. She seems to be beautiful, but no-ma-la, that it’s not her ex-husband who comes to her after all. All the more so since, yes, she told me all the terrible things. In-ve-da-la that this imaginary husband can somehow turn into a dog with burning eyes and, jumping on pe-ri-la bal-ko-na, jump down. But seeing in reality all these nightmares, realizing with the mind that something is wrong with yours, she is not with-you-va-la stra -ha, more than that - it’s as if for all these vi-de-nia.

Other story. One-on-a-living-da-ma in-pro-si-la consecrate me kvar-ti-ru. Her husband passed away not long before this. Arriving at her house, I saw that she was not too church-like, and therefore I asked: “Why are you shi-whether to consecrate your dwelling? And she admitted that after her death, her husband began to appear to her: “I go to someone else, and he is sitting in this chair. It happens that in-pro-sieve something-whether he’ll give him something, for example, fry fish. “But it’s strange de-lo,” she’s do-ba-vi-la, “but-gi he has some kind of not the same, not like people, but like lo-sha-di , wool-stu in-roof-you and with co-py-ta-mi. I'll be honest, after all these bleedings, a very palpable cold-dock went down my back. But, sa-my amazing-vi-tel-noe, women-schi-na ras-ska-zy-va-la all these horror-sy with-ver-shen-but in a calm voice, as something already familiar to her. However, thank God, she, in a sense-of-va-la, is a danger of similar phenomena and in-pro-si-la of the sacred how to consecrate the quarter-ti-ru.

I must note that both the first woman I know, and the second one, were at that moment in their right mind and sober howl pa-my-ti. Everything they saw by them could not possibly be a painful gall-lu-qi-on-qi-her. For myself, I from-me-til in-te-res-nuyu de-tal: people, communicating with de-mo-n, with-no-ma-shim the appearance of their husband, not is-py-you-wa-whether fear-ha. Ho-ty, no doubt, but, os-know-whether the abnormality of everything about-is-ho-dya-shche-go. Note: in the “Test of Peter and Feb-ro-niya”, the same for Prince Pavel, the same doesn’t use-py-you-va-et especially go fright, despite the fact that it is beautifully aware of who is-la-is-sya to her and seduces fornication. Remember, the serpent has already taken power over the unfortunate princess so much that he did not hide in front of her, appearing in his sa-ta-nin- com ob-li-chii? She calmly but be-se-du-et with him to find out how she can overcome him. Know-to-my-wives-we-we-we-de-mon also appeared-lyal-sya, almost without being, then turning into a dog with fire-n-we-mi eyes -za-mi, then ka-zy-vaya your co-py-ta. This cue "laugh of sa-ta-ny." Having captivated a man-lo-ve-ka, the devil no longer hides, but from-blood-veins-but mocks at his victim. At the moment of this demonic captivity, yes, there is fear in us from God, the instinct of self-preservation from -key-cha-yut-sya. So let everyone decide for himself, is it-la-is-sya right-to-be-good story about co-blaz-not-prince-gi-ni snake-eat or not. Personally, I don’t see anything in this story. If in-chi-tat life is already more than once-but-upo-me-well-that-ho-ti-te-la Di-mit-riy Rostov-sko-go, then there we can find no less miraculous phenomena on the other side of the world.

Now a little about the mysterious “Ag-ri-ko-ve-me-che” and how Peter could kill with the help of some kind of sword demon-flesh-no-th and demon-death-but-thom-no-th-spirit-ha. It is necessary to say that St. Phila-ret (Gu-milevsky) considered the episode with the Ag-ri-ko-y sword "you-thought-of-a-rod- no-go-o-o-ra-zh-niya, ”since this sword is also mentioned in the well-known by-line about Dob-ryn. See-di-mo, for the same reason, the saint is careful and does not include history with the snake in life, compiling them. However, about the fact that the serpent is the same fabulous per-so-nage and you sat down, he doesn’t write anything.

About the fact that the story about the pro-ti-in-fight of the b-go-ver-no-go Peter with the snake is-la-is-sya is inseparable-le-my cha -the life-not-describe-sa-niya of the holy mu-rom-sky mi-ro-do-creators, go-vo-rit is another fact. In the service to Saints Peter and February on June 25 (July 8, according to the new style), more than once the fact was mentioned b-dy b-go-ver-no-go Peter over the serpent. For example, in the second tro-pa-re of the third song-no ka-no-na in the morning: Thou hast betrayed the news, and now the father-of-the-suffering is be-di, treb-la-zhenna, but we pro-glory-la-em. Lu-bo-mu pro-sve-shchen-no-mu church-kov-no-mu che-lo-ve-ku from-west-but that bo-go-service, li-tour-gi -che-sky texts are part of the Holy Pre-da-tion. In contrast to the pro-the-stans, we, the great-glorious ones, have a solid smoke, but not only the Holy Pi -sa-nie, but also Sacred Pre-da-tion. What does it include? Ka-no-ny and pra-vi-la of the apo-sto-lovs and the holy So-bo-ditches, your-re-re-tion of the holy fathers, the lives of the saints and li-tour-gi -che-pre-da-tion, bo-go-service texts. Once the Church co-opted the necessary almost immediately after the ka-but-no-za-tion to include in the text of the service to St. Peter and Feb-ro-nii epi- the zod about the serpent, it means, so be it - this is part of the church-of-the-th-right-of-glorious-no-th Pre-given.

But what about Ag-ri-ko-sword? With all my great respect for St. Phil-re-tu, I still dare not agree with him. The fact that the same sword is mentioned in the byline about Dob-ryn does not mean anything at all. In would-be-nah, often mentioned co-ver-shen-but re-al-nye is-to-ri-che-de-I-the-whether and co-being . The most famous hero of the patristic would-be-lin Ilya Mu-ro-mets was in fact-actually-no-sti, and some those tales about him have an is-the-ri-che-os-no-woo. Ho-tya, of course, in most of them there is little in common with his real life. Yes, God-ga-you-rya Dob-ry-nu sometimes equate-dstva-la-yut with in-e-vo-doy Dob-ry-her, uncle of the holy prince-zya Vla-di-mi-ra.

What is the “Ag-ri-kov sword”, no one really knows. Rather, everything is just a symbol of the spirit of the spiritual power, someone-paradise, yes, after mo-lit-you prince-zyu Pet-ru for be -dy over snakes. Maybe this sword is really-but-over-le-stinged-to-something-to-my-to-my-holy-to-to-to-lo-ve-ku. Well, it’s not a secret for us that not only the relics of the saints, but also their personal belongings are on de la special spiritual energy to her, by the power of God, and through them, the Lord creates a miracle-de-sa and gives-ru-et in trouble over the enemies.

The demon-forest spirit and those-forest-sickness

Now about whether Peter could kill dia-vo-la with a sword. Yes, in “In-ve-sti ...” it is said that the serpent died from the sword of Peter. But, as it was already mentioned-me-well, vna-cha-le, co-chi-not-ie, this is-la-is-sya in-e-ti-che-sky, li-te-ra -tour-nym pro-from-ve-de-ni-eat. Ko-nech-but, de-mon is mortal-ten, but beat him, make him safe, drive him away from man-lo-ve-ka and from-right-wit about -rat-but to the "father of lies" is quite possible. And that-mu is a mass of examples.

Can there be before-hundred-vi-te-whether different worlds - du-hov-no-go and ma-te-ri-al-no-go - fight each other ? Yes they can. And the most famous example is chu-do we-li-ko-mu-che-no-ka Ge-or-gy about the snake. It’s true, there we see a mirror-kal-ny si-tu-a-tion: St. Georgiy is already after his death, in order to save the daughter of the king from the terrible lizard-ra, someone-ro-mu with-no-si-whether che-lo-ve-che-sacrifices. And this miraculous rep-ti-liya, judging by everything, had not in-fer-nal, but quite earthly pro-is-ho-de-tion. Some researchers consider him one of the so-stored-niv-shih-sya di-no-zav-ditch. We know that St. Ge-orgy pierced the serpent, we drink, after which we-whether-to-mu-che-nick at-ka-hall from-ve-sti of the serpent to the city, where he was punished by the zhi-te-lyam and beheaded with the sword of the same George.

During the battle, you are a serpent on-but-sit Peter-ra-na: there, where-yes-pa-la his blood, you-y-y-yut-yut-sya-you, from someone -Rykh prince is-py-you-va-et heavy suffering, - he is hurt by a disease, like a pro-ka-ze. Is it possible? Can a demon-carnal spirit do damage to the flesh? How else can! And "that-mu in history we hear the darkness of examples." The apostle Pa-vel himself says: “Yes, but I sting in the flesh, an-gel sa-ta-ny, afflict me so that I don’t overpower -sya" (). Once upon a time, the devil so-armed himself on pre-be-good-no-go An-to-niya Ve-li-ko-go and subjected him to such a terrible -bo-yam, that he lay for a long time after this without movement, unable to say a word. He himself said that the pains caused to him were above all human sufferings. Holy Epi-fa-niya of Cyprus-go de-mo-us from bi-va-li in those de-si-ti days. In the lives of saints, we often read about the grave consequences of demonic influences. By the permission of God, demons can-gut on-not-sti man-lo-ve-ku, not only spiritual, but those forest wounds and tongues .

Part 2

Blessed Princes Peter and
Fevronia of Murom

We continue the study of “In-vest about Peter and Feb-ro-nii Mu-rom-skikh” and from the fight between the prince and the snake, re-rei-dem to sa-mo-mu main-no-mu mo-men-tu this pa-myat-no-ka - familiarity of future b-go-faithful su-pru-gov. This meeting of Peter (Da-vi-da) and Fev-ro-nii (Ev-fro-si-nii) also does not give a way to kri-ti-kam “In-ve-sti ... ".

So, we remember that Peter is seriously ill. He was able to overcome the enemy, but, with the permission of God, de-mon na-no-sit him bodily ulcers, some races-pro-stra- ni-lis on the whole body str-pya-mi on-to-be-be-pro-ka-zy.

The prince sought help from many doctors, but no one could heal him. Hearing that in the Ryazan land there are many good doctors-che-va-te-lei, the mu-rom-sky great-vi-tel ve-lit to take him that -Yes. In a way, le-ka-rey, one of the princely servants (from-ro-kov) wandered into the village of Las-ko-vo and went into the house of a certain “ tree-in-la-za”, that is, co-bi-ra-te-la di-ko-go me-da. Here he met an unusual de-vush-ku: she wove a canvas, and at her feet a hare jumped. From-rock-sna-cha-la did not take it all seriously and said that he wanted to be-be-se-do-with ho-zya-e-va-mi do-ma. De-vi-tsa, seeing such-something to yourself from-but-she-nie, didn’t give direct from-ve-tov - go-in-ri-la with the guest for- bastard. That-ra-zi-la was her wisdom, and he finally told that he had been sent to the Ryazan region in order to find a doctor for its-th-for-bol-she-god-by-di-na.

Feb-ro-niya (I will-du-name both the prince-zya and the prince-gi-nu of their common-with-nya-you-mi live-ty-ny-mi name-on-mi ) from-ve-cha-la from-ro-ku: “If anyone would take your-e-th prince to himself, he could heal him.” (In another re-re-vo-de “In-ve-sti ...” it said, but not “took”, but “on-re-bo-val”, which is closer to the ancient Russian-mu-first-is-toch-no-ku.) “What are you talking about ?! - screamed from rock. - Who can take my-th prince-zya se-be? If someone you-heals him, then the prince of god-ha-ha-has-dit. But give me the name of the doctor, who he is and where his house is. She is from-ve-ti-la: “Bring the prince of yours here. If he is pure-serious and humble in his words, then he will be healthy.

“The young man quickly returned to his prince and told him in detail about everything he had seen and heard. Blessed-faithful Prince Peter said: “Take me to where this girl is.” And they brought him to the house where zhi-la de-vush-ka lived. And he sent one of his servants to ask: “Tell me, devi-tsa, who wants to heal me? Let you-le-chit and-beam-chit god-ga-thuyu-to-gra-du. ” She, without obi-nya-kov, from-ve-ti-la: “I want to heal him, but I don’t require any awards from him. Here is my word to him: if I don’t become a su-pru-goy to him, then it’s not good for me to treat him either. And that man returned and re-gave the prince-zyu to his-e-mu, that de-vush-ka told him.

Prince Peter, with no-no-bre-the-no-thing, took her words to you and thought: “Well, how can this be - the prince is the daughter of an for taking yourself to wife!” And he sent to her, saying: “Tell her - let her heal as best she can. If you-le-chit, take her to yourself as a wife. ”

So describe-sy-va-et the foreshadowing of the is-tse-le-tion of the prince “The Tale of Peter and Feb-ro-nii”.

Let-we-those-on-time-think-lim over for-gad-ka-mi Feb-ro-nii and over her no less for-ga-daughter-we-mi words-va-mi about spo-so -be doctor-che-va-niya bo-la-shche-th prince-zya.

For-gad-ki wise-roy de-you

Saint Fevronia and the hare.
stigma

I won’t bring in-to-words, but all-ma in-the-res-nye and e-tich-nye-gadgets wise de-vi-tsy; du-may, every-do-mu in-te-re-su-yu-shche-mu-sya needs to be familiar with them in the text itself “In-ve- sti…”. Na-sha for-da-cha-dru-gaya: to understand that in ve-li-com-pa-myat-ni-ke of the ancient-Russian writing-men-no-sti yav-la-et- Xia is not a doubtful historical fact, which can be recognized as quite reliable, and what - from-not-sti to folklore-but- mu element-men-tu. So, for many researchers, after-to-va-te-lyam, names-but for-gad-ki Feb-ro-ni seem to be one of their most-more-folk-lore, fabulous compositions-la-yu-shchih "In-ve-sti". Indeed, here there is a feeling of a clear re-cry with folk oral art: with a thief-ka- mi, in a word-vi-tsa-mi, for-gad-ka-mi, someone we find in abundance in Russian fairy tales and would-be-nah. But it’s important to understand whether the words of the de-vi-tsy Feb-ro-nii “folk-lo-rum” are real, or the future princess-gi-nya about -one hundred actives, but uses a different native word in its speech.

Let's start with the fact that the life of the ancient Russian peasant-no-on-the-XIII-th century would-be simply not-de-li-ma from everything that we this hour on-zy-va-em folk-lo-rum. Do-sug mo-lo-dye peasant de-vush-ki pro-vo-di-li in song pe-sen, ras-ska-zy-va-ni tale, for-ga- dy-va-nii for-ga-doc. Russian people are not pro-heavy, fabulous songs and during work. Yes, the same class-si-che-sky whether-te-ra-tu-ra of the XIX century in a hundred-yan-but moisture-ga-et in the mouth of the zhi-te-lei de-rev-no-go -vor-ki, in a word-vi-tsy, p-ba-ut-ki. Feb-ro-niya, ko-nech-but, would-la very well-ro-sho know-ma-ma with all this. From-here-yes and her ma-ne-ra in a hundred-yang-but use-use in re-chi in words, parables and riddles, many some of them are known to us from the West and according to other folklore sources.

Second moment: Feb-ro-niya is not a simple de-vi-tsa. She is a person not from the world of this, if you want to-ti-te - a little Yuro-di-wai. Her way is neo-di-nar-but. Yes, the fact that she keeps in the mountains in the forest-no-go zhi-te-la - a hare, is unusual. But all this is not surprising to us: holy people often behave strangely, uncomfortably for those around them, and their words did you have, under an hour, a mysterious, mysterious, mysterious meaning, someone opened later. By the way, and the ad-ru-chen-ny Feb-ro-no-yats should not call for special surprises, because many saints -di, live in harmony with nature, be friends with di-ki-mi animals. Let's remember how the pre-excellent Ser-giy Ra-do-nezhsky and ba-tyush-ka Se-ra-fim Sa-rov-sky cor-mi-li bread-bom honey-ve- dey, and the holy Ge-ra-sim of Jordan pri-ru-chil the lion and even carried water on it for obi-te-li.

Adherence to femininity to folk-lo-ru would have been characteristic of not only one saint Feb-ro-nii. Some of our Russians in a move-no-ki also through-you-tea-but love him. Op-tin-sky old man Am-vro-siy in letters to different people, not only in a hundred-yan-but use-a-val wing-la-tye-ra -same Russian language, but he himself came-du-we-val in a go-vor-ki and in a word-tsy. Saint Fe-o-fan For-the-creator also often comes in his teachings to the people of the fra-zeo-lo -giz-mom.

Holy Feb-ro-niya was the flesh of the flesh of the pro-one hundred Russian people, and in the fact that she knew the mouth well-ro-sho noe national creativity and love it, there is nothing surprising.

The need for marriage or the knowledge of God?

Repentance of Prince Peter
Murom

But a more complex riddle is not a different-say-for-niya, someone-ry-mi-go-to-rit with the prince-same from-ro- com Feb-ro-niya, and her words that you-to-treat the prince-zya can only be the one who takes or even needs the prince-zya se-be. Of course, it’s not just about the doctor taking the sick person to his house and treating him, so to speak, sta-qi-o-nar-but. This is already sub-ra-zu-me-va-moose, because in “In-ve-sti ...” it says that the prince was already so weak that he could not sit on a horse: they brought him to the Ryazan lands on the under-water. In addition, in the text, it says-for-but not “to yourself”, but “to yourself”. No, everything here is go-once-to-deep.

I am very close to explaining these words to the pre-wise swarm de-vi-tsy, someone gives from the well-known philo-log, research-follow-to-va- the body of the ancient-Russian writing-men-no-sti An-na Ar-khan-gel-sky. According to her thoughts, Feb-ro-niya speaks with this foreign-say-for-ni-em: ha-nism. “If I am not his wife, then how can I treat him?” She is not a professional doctor.” Really, but, nowhere is it said that Feb-ro-niya is for-no-ma-las of healing. The princely slate wandered into her dwelling, as he thinks, by chance. He just wants to ask good-bye to the well-known doctors in this area. And so-ver-shen-but wrong-you are those who see in Feb-ro-nii some kind of prac-ti-ku-u-schu-na-native goal-li-tel-ni- tsu.

But at the very de-le meeting, this con-ver-shen-but is not a coincidence. And its goal, even, is not from-le-che-the prince, but the fulfillment of not-whether in God-s-her. It is not known whether Feb-ro-niya was a gift for the use of purpose or she simply had to open something from God that the State go through her heals Peter, but it is beyond doubt that she knows the will of God. And in-la-God always leads a che-lo-ve-ka to a spa-se-niyu. The de-vi-tsa knew-la - it would have been open to her from the Lord-yes, - that the prince you-health-ro-ve-is only if-whether in-both- to become her husband. She would-lo from-open and her from-brand-nothing on this path. By the way, in the lives of the saints, those are from-no-things, knowledge by the saint himself or his relatives-no-ka-mi about his special bom life-n-nom way, meet-cha-et-sya until-free-but often.

So, Feb-ro-niya in-everything didn’t-use-wa-was mo-men-tom, so that luck-but marry-ti-husband for god-so-and-no- go-no-ha, how it can be for many people. She is in-cor-na-le-God-she, someone-paradise would have been opened to her. And the Lord revealed to her that it was this path that would lead both her and the prince to holiness and salvation. In this way, it’s just ko-shun-stven-the thought that Feb-ro-niya somehow ma-ni-pu-li-ru-et Peter-rum, shan-ta-zhi-ru-et him and urges him to marry her.

One more moment: yes, the true su-pru-same life of saints Peter and Feb-ro-nii is a model for us -noy life. But in no case should we follow the experience of the saints, without any dis-judgment, under-re-press them in everything . Saints are special people, someone would, under an hour, discover very great knowledge about their future life. In some ways, we, without a doubt, must follow them, but some moments of their lives are their personal nym, not-second-ri-my in a move. As an example, bring the life of pre-good-no-go Alexy, man of God. After the same thread, on the very first wedding night, he left home, leaving mo-lo-duyu same-well and ro-di-te-lei. For many years, having spent in the most moving and ski-ta-ni-yahs, Alexy returned to his native house, but already in co-ver- shen-but unrecognizable-wa-e-mom about-whether-ke-nothing. He was welcomed in the vestibule, he lived there for several years, not recognized by anyone, and only before his death on-pi-sal ro-di-te- lam a letter, where he told me about his life. Why did he act like that? For us, it's secret. But one thing is clear: the Lord revealed His will to him, and he followed this path. Is it worth it for us, who do not know the secrets of the Pro-mys-la of God, to step in a good way? Of course not.

But let's get back to "In-ve-sti ...". So, Prince Peter, although outwardly he accepted the condition of Feb-ro-nii and promised to take her as his wife, if -ral-sya keep the word. But the wise-paradise de-wa pre-du-pre-wait-la: “If he is pure-serious and humble in his words, then will be healthy!” Yes, more say-for-nie once again shows that Feb-ro-niya knew everything that should be done in that way. She sends pain-no-go-steam-sya in the bath, and at this time she-m-wit-ointment from bread-noy-kvass-ki. According to the na-ka-zu de-vush-ki, the prince rubs all scabs with this remedy, except for one. In the morning, all his bodies became healthy. Peter po-sy-la-et to-che-ri board-no-ka-yes, but he doesn’t want to use his promise on her. Soon after the arrival of the prince in Mu-rum, his body is again in the roof-va-et-sya yaz-va-mi. He returns to Feb-ro-nii, ka-et-sya and with shame asks for forgiveness. “She, not at all, without being angry, said, “If she becomes my spouse, then it’s a purpose.” He gave her a firm word that he would take her as his wife, ”says “Tell ...”. Le-che-nie in the second-rya-et-sya, and the prince is on the same-sto-lyu-din-ke. Here is such a teaching story. How does the national wisdom say: “Do not give a word, cre-pis; and dav-shi - hold on.

By the way, prince-zyu, like a che-lo-ve-ku, on-de-len-no-mu from God with power, and that means - li-tsu su-gu-bo from-vet -stven-no-mu, it is doubly not appropriate to break the word given to them. The prince’s sin is also in the fact that he goes against the will of God, although it doesn’t matter that Feb-ro-niya is on de la ni-eat this in-whether. His servant told him about this, and he himself, before taking the treatment, arranged a test for his doctor va-tel-ni-tsy, in-di-viv-shis in that of her wisdom.

Bo-yar-sky rebellion

After some time after the wedding, the elder brother Peter would have died, and the prince became the ruler of Mu-ro-ma. But not everyone liked the young prince, and he himself did not please everyone. Vla-sto-lu-bi-vye-bo-yare for-du-ma-li "yard-tso-yy-re-re-in-mouth". In-house, serve-la-thread-ba of their great-vi-te-la on a simple cross-styan-ke. “The story is ...” this episode describes-sy-va-et, of course, all-ma hu-do-same-but.

At the instigation of their wives, the boyars of sleep-cha-la began to stray the prince against the su-pru-gi. In vi-well to her, they become-vi-li-be-rezh-li-vuubasis to collect crumbs from a hundred after a meal . Peter, having decided to check the words of the grandees, somehow after dinner, shook the palm of Feb-ro-nii and ... saw the zer-on the b-go-ear -yu-she-go la-da-na. For many, this plot may remind you of a thread from a well-known fairy tale about Tsa-jeevna-la-gush-ke. Remember how Wa-si-li-sa Pre-wise-paradise li-la se-be in ru-kav na-pit-ki from a hundred-la and co-bi-ra-la to-sti? Yes, there is a definite similarity. But Wa-si-li-sa is de la la spe-tsi-al-but, and not by way of calculation to be-rezh-li-vo-sti. And we, the elders, tsa-re-vi-whose began, yes, to sub-ra-reap to her, trying to repeat the chu-before-re-turning the remnants food in the lake-ro with le-be-dya-mi, only they didn’t succeed.

Vi-di-mo, having caught in this place the life-not-described-sa-niya of the holy princes too obvious consonance with folk-lo-rum, saints -tel Fila-ret (Gu-milevsky) did not include him in his life of the blessed Peter and Feb-ro-nii. How did he not use the other episode from the history of the Bo-Yar-sky turmoil:

“Mi-well-lo a lot of time, and then one day they came to the prince-zyu boyar in his anger and they say: “Prince, go-to -we all of you faithfully serve you-be and you-we-we-hold-tsem have, but we don’t want to have prince-gi-nya Feb-ro-niya at the command-va-la same-on-mi on-shi-mi. If you want to stay on your own, you will have another prince-gi-nya on your way. Feb-ro-niya, having taken riches, how much it is, let it go, where-yes for-ho-even! Blessed Peter, in the habit of someone-ro-go, would not be angry at anything, with a short reply: “Tell me about this Feb-ro-nii, let's hear what she will say.

Fiercely the same bo-yare, having lost shame, for-du-ma-whether to arrange a feast. Have you started to pi-ro-vat, and now, when you are drunk-not-whether, for-cha-whether to make your demon-shameful speeches, words-but dogs la-yu-shchie, whether -shaya holy God-given, someone God promised her to keep the thread even after death. And they say: “Ms. Prince Feb-ro-niya! The whole city and the boyars ask you: give us whom we ask from you!” She answered: “Take someone, pro-si-te!” They, as one mouth, pro-say-wee-whether: “We, madam, we all want Prince Peter to rule over us, but -we na-shi do not want you to rule over them. Having taken how much riches you need, go away, eat somewhere else! Then she said: “I promised you, that nothing is pro-si-those - in-lu-chi-te. Now I tell you: promise to give me, whom I ask from you. They, the evil-doers, turned around, not knowing what awaited them, and swore: “Whatever you call, then immediately the devil words-but better-chish. Then she says: “I don’t ask for anything else, only su-pr-ga my-e-go, Prince Peter!” They from-ve-ti-whether: “If it’s for-ho-even, we won’t say a word to you.” The enemy mu-til their mind - each one is thought-small, that if there is no Prince Peter, then they will put another sa-mo- holder: but in the soul, each of the boy-yar on-de-yal-sya becomes self-holder.

Blessed Prince Peter didn’t want to destroy God-for-them-for-ve-dey for the sake of the kingdom-va-nia in this life, he according to Bo -zhi-them for-ve-dyam lived, observing them, like the god-voiced Mat-fey in his Bla-go-west-in-va-ni things- etc. After all, it’s said-for-but that, if anyone pro-go-nit, well, his own, not about-vin-nen-naya in pre-love-de-i-nii, and same-nit-sya on the other, he himself pre-lu-bo-acts. This blessed prince, according to the Gospel, stepped-drank: I-adjusted my worth to the nation, so that for-ve-di Bo- don’t live-it-ru-sew. ”

In-te-res-no, that St. Fila-ret, with his characteristic historical accuracy, from-me-cha-et: mu-rum- skie boyars in their aspiration to overthrow the prince -ten-do-vav-shi-mi on the prince-same-nie: younger brother and ple-myan-no-one. St. Phil-ret describes-sy-va-et is-to-ryu with out-of-growth of b-go-faithful princes all briefly. Boyar-stu-pa-yut to the prince-zyu and you-move-ga-yut to him ul-ti-ma-tum: “or let him leave su-pru-gu from himself, insult -lya-yu-schuyu-his pro-is-hozh-de-ni-em noble wives, or leave Mu-rom. The prince firmly remembered the words of the Lord: “What God has co-created, that man-lo-age does not raz-cheat. Whoever leaves his own well and marries another, that is pre-lu-bo-dey ”(see:). In a certain way, the faithful debt of christi-an-sko-go su-pru-ha, the prince agreed to from-ka-zat-sya from the prince-same. He stayed after that with the sky-ga-you-mi means of life, and sad thoughts-whether involuntarily-but came to his mind . But the smart prince-gi-nya said to him: “Do not be sad, prince, - the merciful God will not leave us in poverty.” In Mu-ro-me, the times-before-the-un-mi-ri-my were soon opened, is-ka-te-the authorities seized the swords, and many some of the greats of life. Bo-yare mu-rom-skie, if we need-de-we, would we ask the prince-zya Da-vi-da and the prince-gi-nu Ev-fro-si-nia to return to Mu-rum. So the prince, faithful to his duty, resurrects the same shaft and over his enemies.

Why is St. Phil-ret strong-but-beautiful-is-it-in-the-w-ing about bun-te bo-yar? I think, not only in the way that he sees in him some kind of par-ral-le-li with Russian tales. Really, but, in a fractional way, this is-to-rii describes-sa-na to-free-but folklore-but. Ho-ta story about the transformation of crumbs into la-dan, in my opinion, is quite acceptable for the life of the saints. Yes, the cunning of Feb-ro-nii, b-go-da-rya, she for-bi-ra-et the prince with her, has very similar ana- lo-gi in Russian folk tales: when, well, when they-become-la-yut part with her husband, she asks to take from the house sa- my do-ro-goe and, ko-nech-but, for-bi-ra-et lu-bi-mo-go. But, as we know, Feb-ro-niya is a connoisseur of folk lo-ra, so is it worth it to be surprised if she steps -zoch-no-mu. In addition, the plot “about the most expensive” is not only Russian, but, so to speak, general-che-lo-ve-che-sky. What should be the most expensive for women? Ko-nech-but, my beloved husband-chi-na. In a good way, in a stu-pi-li and the same German-go-ro-da Wein-s-ber-ga: when the wasps-waiting for him were re-shi-do they leave and take with them as much as they can carry on their shoulders, they, ra-zu-me-et-sya, take -whether - you-carried-whether - your husbands.

But this is not embarrassing in the story about the prince from exile. Peter does not take a decision himself - he from-sy-la-et races-by-I-sav-shih-sya vel-might to his su-pr-ge: de- say, ask her what she thinks about it. Could there be such a thing in the 13th century, and even in the prince's family? Of course not. For the Russian medium-not-ve-ko-vya, such a si-tu-a-tion co-ver-shen-but neve-ro-yat-na. I think, it is precisely for this reason, and not because of its folklore-no-sti, that this episode is not included in the life of St. Di-mit- Riy Rostov-sky, and St. Fila-ret (Gu-milevsky). You can presume to live that such a one is not very right-before-additional vari-ant ras-ska-because of the persecution of the b-go-faithful princes -zey fell into the "Test of ..." in the way that she wrote according to the oral folk pre-da-ni-yams about the holy one: chapters her author was a simple Russian people. In this way, the peasant Feb-ro-niya appears as her most important person. And the prince, bowing before her wisdom, co-ve-tu-is with her in everything.

Fila-re-tov-sky var-ri-ant be-se-dy prince-zya with boy-yar-mi I like it much more than the same dialogue in “Po-ve -sti…”. Peter firmly remembers the words of the Gospel of Heliya about the non-tor-m-mo-sti of marriage and, faithful christ-sti-an-sko-mu su-pru-same-sko- mu debt, pre-chi-ta-et from-ka-zat-sya from the prince-same. But the ancient Russian princes often forgot about their family debt. Ivan Vasi-lye-vich the Terrible, with someone-rum, and there would be ka-but-no-zi-ro-va-ny b-go-faithful Peter and Feb-ro-niya, two of their wives for something-chil in mo-on-stir. His father, Vasi-liy III, cut his lawful wife So-lo-mo-nia Sa-bu-ro-vu in mo-na-hi-ni for her demon fruit and married Elena Glinskaya. It’s not necessary to forget that in the 13th century, the native brothers killed each other in order to join the thread to their lands one more on-del. So from-ka-zat-sya from the prince-zhe-niya for the sake of keeping the family and loving the wife - this is a great feat for the right-vi -te-la that-th time-me-no. And they also say that in the lives of Peter and Feb-ro-nii there is no mention of their love anywhere. Here it is, for-a-hundred-I-scha-love! And for this feat of love, the Lord returns the principality to Peter.

St. Phila-ret, as if in confirmation of the history of the persecution of Peter, brings another example of his humbleness. He, opi-ra-yas on let-to-pi-si, tells-say-zy-va-et that the b-go-faithful mu-rom-sky prince is able to rise -but-to-be-right-whether-ve-whether-to-mu prince-zyu All-in-lo-du and participates with him in the fight against pron-sky and rya-zan princes. As a reward for this, Peter received from All-in-lo-yes the divine Principality of Principality. When the former Pron-sky princes went to war against him, meek Peter “sent to tell them: “Brothers! I didn’t take Pronsk myself with the battle: they planted me here All-in-lod. Pronsk is yours." And calmly but returned to Mu-rum. What-what you-with-some devil-to-ry-stie! What a deep respect for the duty of love and honor! - rises-kli-tsa-et st. Phila-ret. Such a devil-to-ry-sting was, indeed, a great rarity in the time of the princely inter-before-mustards. But Peter, after all, was not some kind of pa-chi-fi-stom. According to the voice, but le-that-pi-syam, he was a brave-eye in-i-n, with-no-small participation in several military opera-ra-qi-yah. And in 1220, his howl would be in a glorious way against the Volga Bulgars.

Fila-ret includes in his composition the life-not-describe-sa-nie of the holy princes and the case with a husband-chi-noy, someone, for - being about his su-pru-ge, looking at the beauty of Feb-ro-nii. This episode was brought in by the whole, together with the from-ve-ta-mi wise-swarm of the prince-gi-ni, but for some reason the saint from- but sits him not by the time of the persecution of the princes, but already by their world-no-rule-le-tion, after-to-vav-she-mu after the -rotation.

In-te-res-but that, when you-you-eat in Mu-ro-me, you can’t from-de-lat-sya from the feeling of re-al-no-sti everything th that describe-sa-but in "In-ve-sti ...". This small city simply breathes with antiquity, "there is a Russian spirit, there it smells of Russia." Of course, the building of the times of Peter and Feb-ro-nii did not survive, but all the same, in their native city-ro-de co-version -but feel-ti-mo attach-ca-sa-eat to their life. And when you only pray at the relics of the b-go-faithful four-you, and when you just wander along the mu-rom-sky streets, and when there are a hundred you look on the bank of the Oka and look at the church of the saints Kos-we and Da-mi-a-na, erected-well-well by Ivan the Terrible ... And it seems- Xia, that now this hour is slipping along the river of the boats, taking away the princes and the princes-gi-nu to the other bank, away from the rebellious battles .

Saint Phila-ret, telling about the blessings of life and the wise christ-an-right of the saints after the -re-turning in Mu-rom, writes that it “would be right-before-any-bi-voe, but without su-ro-howl strictness, mi-lo-sti- howl, but without weakness. Clever and blah-go-che-sti-vaya prince-gi-nya in-mo-ga-la su-pru-gu co-ve-ta-mi and de-la-mi bla-go-tvo-ri -tel-no-sti. Both lived according to the commandments of the Lord, yes, they loved everyone and didn’t love either mountain-to-sti, or unrighteous-k-ry-sti; in a way-and-whether countries-ni-kov, eased-cha-whether the fate of the unfortunate, honored a different and sacred rank, protecting him from needs."

De-ti "no-child-no-che-you"

Another stone-it-it-it-we-we-nie, and, by the way, not only for secular Cri-ti-kov, but also for some right-of-glorious . It happens to be met, even in the works of modern god-words, the idea that Saints Peter and Feb-ro-niya supposedly -qi-al-but from-ka-za-lis from te-forest-no-go su-pru-same-so-go community ra-di su-gu-bo-go in-dvi-ha voz-der-zha-niya and whole-lo-wisdom. And hostile-deb-but-strong-cri-ti-ki use-use-the-existence in the life of information-for-ma-tion about children, you as a counter -ar-gu-ment in po-le-mi-ke with right-in-glory-us: de-say, what is it in-cro-vi-te-whether family, if they co-know-tel-but from-ka-za-lis from de-birth-de-niya?

Let's start with the fact that for the middle-not-ve-ko-vo-go-go-go-go-go-go-sti-te-la, without-children-ness was a big tra-ge- di-her. Above, I mentioned that some right-wi-te-whether ra-di birth-de-niya on-the-next-no-ka-yes went against co-ve -sti and ka-no-nov Church-vi. Especially-ben-but-the-same-pro-ble-mine would be child-free for the prince of the time of fe-o-distant raz-fraction-len-no-sti. Each prince wanted his sons and grandchildren to continue to manage him on de scrap. In the opposite case, after the death of the prince, the prince-same could-lo transfer to his relatives-no-kam, some of them -la-lis his enemies-ha-mi. None of the princes, even if out of a sense of responsibility, before the house and entrusted the lands to him, did not become to co-know-tel-but from-ka-zy-vat-sya from the prolongation of the ro-da - yes, ra-di in the movement of the whole-lo-wisdom. It is very little-ve-ro-yat-but that St. Peter of Mu-rom-sky would go for it.

For-me-tim: the fact of the presence of de-tey at the b-go-che-sti-howl of the mu-rom-sky che-you, someone-ry in-something from-ri- tsa-yut, yes, some-ry church-pi-sa-te-li, yav-la-et-sya co-ver-shen-but undeniable-ver-zh-my with is-that- ri-che-sky point of view.

In the first part of the article, I already spoke about the historical identity of the saints Peter and Feb-ro-nii, and the richness of these Mu-rom princes is confirmed by a large number of - no-kov.

About the children of the b-go-faithful princes of Mu-rom-sky sw-de-tel-stu-ut and “Ro-do-verbal-naya Mu-rom-sky princes”, and “Ro -to-word-naya Vla-di-mir-sko-Suz-dal-princes", and "Lav-ren-tiev-le-to-piss", and life of bla-go-ver- but-th prince-zya Holy-glory-va Vla-di-peace-go-go and his son-on-bla-go-ver-no-go prince-zya Di-mit-ria ... By the way, holy -that prince Svyato-glory was the son-in-law of Peter and Feb-ro-nii, and the blessed prince Dimitri was their grandson.

Peter and Feb-ro-nii had three children: the eldest son Yuri, who, after the death of his father, left his pre-table, Holy -Slav and daughter Ev-do-kiya. Also from the name of their grandchildren: Yaroslav is the son of Yuri; John and Vasi-liy - de-ti Holy-glory-va - and the son of Ev-do-kii Di-mitriy.

Prince Yuri accepted the Mu-rom principality in 1228, was a bold warrior, fought against Mordovians, according to New urban le-to-pi-si, fought with Ba-you-em. In 1230, he died fighting with the mon-go-la-mi.

Holy glory in 1220, together with his father, participated in a shaft in a way against the Volga Bulgars. Lav-ren-tiev-skaya let-the-writing says that he died in 1228, on Easter week, a few days before the great chi-us of their ro-di-te-lei.

The daughter of Peter and Feb-ro-niya Ev-do-kiya married a son for a son All-in-lo-yes Big nest-up to - Prince Holy-glory-va. By the way, the letter says that her father, Prince Mu-rom-sky, was at this wedding. Ev-do-kiya had a son, Dimitri, who, after the death of his father, became Prince Yuryev-Polsky. I managed to be in this wonderful little lazy city, now a little over-pushed, but still beautiful -nom, with ancient mo-na-sta-rya-mi, temple-ma-mi and other pa-myat-ni-ka-mi old-ri-na. And there they keep the memory of the Yuriev prince Di-mit-rii - the grandson of Peter and Feb-ro-niya.

And the son-in-law of Peter and Feb-ro-nii Holy-glory, and the grandson Di-mitriy would be pro-glory-le-na Tser-ko-view as saints b-go-faithful prince-zya.

For some reason, “The Tale of Peter and Feb-ro-niya” does not give us information about the children of the holy princes, despite the fact that their name-on would it be very good-ro-sho from-west-us during the time of her pi-sa-niya? I think, such a space is explained to-y-n-y-y-to-free-but-simply. The lives of the saints, as pra-vi-lo, report about children moving-n-kov then, when they are in some way with-no-ma-whether participation in their movement, or you yourself were saints. In the life of Peter and Feb-ro-nii, with-becoming-le-n-me-the-lem Di-mit-ri-em Rostov-sky, not mention-on-et- about their children, rather than all the same for the same reason. And St. Phila-ret writes only about one son of the Mu-Rom-che-you - Holy Glory; it is possible to presume to live that he is in-te-re-sen so-sta-vi-te-lu of life in the same way that he died on one pas-chal-noy gray -mi-tse with your-and-mi ro-di-te-la-mi.

The day of the end-chi-we or the name-no-we?

Peter and Fevronia of Murom
with life. Icon. Rus. 1618

As we know from “The News about Peter and Feb-ro-nii”, from all their lives, as well as from the chronicles -kov, the blessed princes went to the Lord in one day. Saint Phila-ret, relying on is-to-ri-che-do-ku-men-you, go-vo-rit, what are they in ap-re- le, on the pas-chal-noy seven-mi-tse of 1228, and, according to their pro-ve-shcha-niyu, were we in the same coffin . He does not mention that non-zoom people want to-ru-sew for-the-things of the saints and put them in from - del coffins, and every time they again appeared together. But this is complete, but it doesn’t mean that this episode is a mouse-len-ny: in the lives of the saints we are on- go-dim describe-sa-nie go-times-to more-ve-li-kih and incomprehensible-my-my miracles. Life, composed by St. Phil-re-tom, quite briefly; his-for-yes-whose-to-subject-to “Tell…” Er-mo-barking-Yeraz-ma kri-ti-che-sko-mu is-to-ri-che-sko-mu ana -li-zu and, if possible, select pro-ve-ren-nye and max-si-mal-but-one-hundred-true facts.

Why are we celebrating the day of the death of the b-go-faithful Mu-rom princes not in the spring, in a-re-le, but on June 25 according to the old style (co-respectively, July 8, in a new way)? The holy pi-shet: “If you died in ap-re-la, then on the 25th day of June, you need to recognize the day from -covering relics. That is, he says-la-ga-et that the day of celebrating the end of the holy che-you (so as not to do it because of the pas-chal-noy week in the afternoon pe-re-ho-dya-shchim) just at-uro-chi-whether by the day of about-re-te-niya relics. But this is only pre-po-lo-same. Neither in the time of St. Fila-re-ta, nor even more so in our days, you-clear-not-but, on some exact day from the roof of the power.

According to the pa-my-ty of saints Peter and Feb-ro-ni names on June 25 (July 8), I have my own version. Very often, when the exact day of pa-my-the saint is unknown to us, celebrating his end-chi-we mouth-nav-li-va yut on the day of the name-nin. In the church ka-len-da-re, we can find a lot of saints with the same name-on-you-on-mi, but living in co - top-shen-but different times, pa-myat-ryh come-ho-dit-sya on the same day. June 25 is the day of pre-do-no-mu-che-no-tsy Feb-ro-ni de-you, saint of the IV century. She is heavenly in-kro-vi-tel-ni-tsa b-go-faithful Feb-ro-nii Mu-rom-sky - another Feb-ro-nii in me-sya-tse-slo- ve no. But there are a lot of saints with the name Peter. Therefore, not knowing the exact day of the death of the mu-rom-sky miracle-creators, get tired-but-wee-whether the day of their pa-my-ty is celebrated 25 June.

The days of church holidays are yes-le-ko not all-gda exact yes-so-so-so-so-ri-che-so-be- tiya. We know that even the date of the Nativity of Christ is conditional, and Pas-ha is, in general, a re-ho-dying holiday.

There is an ab-so-lute-but false to me that the day is according to the chi-ta-niya of the saints Peter and Feb-ro-nii as heavenly in-crown vi-te-lei of the family and su-pr-same-stva - this is a co-ver-shen-but-new, modern ve-i-nie. De-say, for-ho-te-whether p-du-mother Russian ana-log to the day of St. Va-len-ti-na, here you are, but-wee-whether in 2008 Day of Family, Love and Fidelity. Yes, in our time, the day of Saints Peter and Feb-ro-nii has acquired a special meaning. We are building new temples for these saints, we are tired of remembering, more and more people are celebrating them knead, and most importantly - na-chi-na-yut pray to them. But Peter and Feb-ro-niya have been chi-ta-yut-sya like a family for a long time already. In the 19th century, St. Phila-ret wrote that the holy princes “in their life were they a sample of Christ-sti-an-sko-go-su -pru-zhestva, go-to-to-all hardships for the gospel-for-ve-di about indestructible so-yu-ze. And now they are praying with their-and-mi-down-dat heavenly blessings on those who are getting married. So-ka-zy-va-yut many experiences after their grave life. And they turned to Saints Peter and Feb-ro-nii for help in family life even long before the 19th century.

A little more about le-gen-dah and mi-fah

Some-rye-studies-to-va-te-li, in the basis of new philo-lo-gi and cul-tu-ro-lo-gi, love to compare “Po- the news of Peter and Feb-ro-ni ”with Celtic-ski-mi and other-gi-mi for-pad-no-ev-ro-pei-ski-mi le-gen-da-mi, especially ben -but with ro-man about Tri-stan and Isol-de. And really, if you want, you can find in the ancient Russian “In-ve-sti ...” something similar to this knightly-royal saying for-no-eat. What is this? Really, but is the "Test" Er-mo-laya-Eraz-ma in-bra-la in itself ev-ro-pei-sky le-gen-dy, somehow about -ra-zom about-nick-shie to Russia, or is it just an accidental owl-pa-de-nie?

Let's start with the fact that the priest Yer-mo-lai so-bi-ral ma-te-ri-a-ly for na-pi-sa-niya of the life of the saints of bla-go -faithful princes in the Mu-Rom and Ryazan regions, that is, in the middle Russian in lo-se. These are sayings, yes, not Ki-ev-sky, but Vla-di-mir-sky Rus-si. It is very difficult, but to assume, to live, that in the time, when, when there were foreign-countries in the central part of Russia, it was mi-no-small, in the vla-di-mir-sky lands would be for-ve-ze-ny some kind of western legends.

There is a lot of work, where there is a comparative analysis of “In-ve-sti ...” and ro-ma-na about Tri-stan and Isole de. I read quite a lot of articles on this topic, but in none of them did I find an explanation of these owls-pa-de-ni-pits . Aka de mik D.S. Li-ha-chev in the work “The Tale of Peter and Feb-ro-nii Mu-rom-sky” is not at all on-and-wa-et on any -something for-im-stvo-va-nii for-pad-nyh legends. He rises-hi-scha-et-sya "In-ve-stu ...", its udi-vi-tel-nym in e-ti-che-sky language, about-ra-for-mi and pi- sheth that “there is something in common ... with the western-but-ev-ro-pey-sky-middle-not-ve-to-you in-west-in-va-ni-em about Three - stand and Isol de. But is it like these two sayings?

Once again I re-re-chi-tal ro-man about Tri-stan and Isol-de in the iz-lo-zhe-zhe-f-Be-dier. I’ll be honest: if you don’t set it for-yes-chi find-ti in it par-ral-le-whether with eraz-my-howl “In-ve-stu ...”, maybe in - in general, do not forget some kind of commonality of these two pro-of-ve-de-ny. In the whole novel, I see only two epi-so-yes, similar to those that are in the life-description of the Mu-rum princes . Tri-stan is the same way-be-yes-dra-ko-na and gets sick from his poison, the dragon-tongue is lo-alive to himself in his pocket. They find him without conscience, they bring him to Isolda’s house, but it’s not she who treats him, but her mother, the queen: she’s exactly vit sleep-before, and Isol-yes only helps her. And the second similar moment is the death of Tri-hundred and Isol-da: they also die in the same day. At the same time, Be-dier's ro-man is a rather voluminous pro-of-ve-de-nie, several times more than "In-ve-sti ...". Tri-stan co-ver-sha-et different moves (killing a dragon is not the most important of them), with him and Izol-doy pro-is-ho- dit mass of events, co-versions, but not similar to the events of the life of Peter and Feb-ro-nii. The plot of the legend is very cunning gossip, and Isol-yes, in general, is not one - there are two Isol-dy in the novel. And my most important thing: “The Tale of Peter and Feb-ro-niya” is a hymn to su-pru-same love and fidelity. The su-pru-gi pro-give their love through the whole earthly life, and then they have its continuation in eternity. And the royal ro-man about Tri-stan and Isol-de - with everything on the other side: this is the story of the su-pru-same-s-me, about the prodigal passion . About two loves, someone cannot be together and unite, die in one day. By the way, there are versions of ro-man-on, from some of them this sad end-tsov-ka has been removed.

We won’t be in a fraction, but stay on the dragon horse. Many and many peoples have stories about snakes and snake-wrestlers. With dra-ko-na-mi fought not only in Rus-si and in Western Europe, but also in Iran, V-vi-lon, Greece, not go-in-rya already about China, Japan and India. With whom just do not compare-no-va-whether, for example, St. Georgy, in a be-diving-she-th snake! From where are the stories about dragons, we are already talking in the first part of the article. Serpent, dragon-con - lu-be-may li-chi-na dia-vo-la in antiquity, that’s why many peoples have dragon-con - in-plo- evil (although it’s not lucky; in some countries there are dragon-to-new deities-la-whether, but, nevertheless, they fought with no-mi). There is also a theory that dragons are the preservation of ancient lizards.

Go-once-to-it is more important to explain-thread the similarity of the end-of-chi-we of the per-with-on-the-same Celtic legend and the Russian saints. But first of all, we won’t forget that, in contrast to the you-mice-len-heroes of the ro-man, Peter and Fev-ro- nia - re-al-nye people, and their end-chi-on in one day is not you-we-sat down, but an is-to-ri-che-sky fact. Yes-leah: in Be-dieu’s novel, Tri-hundred-na and Isol-du are put to the right and to the left of the clock, and then you-ra-ta-et ter- nov-nick, someone connects two of their mo-gi-ly. And if here it’s just a beautiful, e-ti-che-sky image, then the joint-local-gre-be-ing of Peter and Feb-ro-nii is, again-ta-ki, re-al-ness: they really-but would-whether in-ho-ro-not-us together. By order of Ivan the Groz-no-go, over the mo-gi-loy of the saints, there would be-la-la-on-the-church of the Nativity of Bo-go-ro-di-tsy . They are lying together under the south side of the church. Later, their relics were opened and transferred to the temple itself. Now they are chi-va-yut in the women's Tro-its-com mo-on-sta-re, where would they be re-re-not-se-na already in our time me.

What about ka-sa-et-sya mo-ti-va death-ti-ho-rya-cho loving each other people in one day, then he is not Jewish and not Russian, but all-che-lo-ve-che-sky. K.G. Jung na-zy-val is "a collective-lec-tiv-nym demon-with-knowing-nym." There is a “collective demon-co-knowledgeable”, inherent from del-no-mu et-no-su, but there is a general-che-lo-ve- che-sky demon-co-knowing. All human beings are co-created by God as a single human race, and for all ethnic and cultural times -li-chi-yah, all nations have a lot in common. In this way, it is not surprising that in similar si-tu-a-qi-yah we are one-to-one think-lim and in our co-knowledge very close images pop up. In confirmation of the fact that the motif of death on the same day is common for the accomplishments of different peoples, it is possible to sti in e-mu of the Turkic av-to-ra of the XV century Ali-she-ra Na-voi about two lovers “Ley-li and Mej-nun”. Here are lines from it, telling about their deaths: mu doo-shu from-da-la. / Beloved-len-ny inclined not to breathe, / his soul went to beloved-len-noy.

We know that Peter and Feb-ro-niya had a hot desire to go away together and ask God, “so that at the same time me to die with them. And the Lord fulfilled the promise of two loving hearts.

A little more about the amazing owls-pas-de-ni-yah, the general-che-lo-ve-che-o-ra-s and the collective-lec-tiv-nom demon- co-knower. There are ra-bo-you according to the research-after-before-va-tion about-is-hoj-de-mi-fov, in some you can find very in-the-res-comparisons -no-niya. Here is the European-ro-pei-sky le-gen-da about ko-ro-le Ar-tu-re: in London, in the center of the city-ro-da, there was a cha-owl-nya; near her lay a stone with a sword sticking out of it; the sword, which no one could draw, was pulled out by the young man Ar-tur; after some time, the hand of Vla-dy-chi-tsy of the lake, appearing above the waters, will give him the sword Ex-ka-li-bur. And now the Viet-nam-skai le-gen-da: court-rya-ni-nu Le Lou du-hi po-ve-le-whether lead the revolt against ki-tai -sky grip-chi-kov; from the lake, near someone he lived, you swam la gi-gant-che-re-pa-ha with a sword in his mouth. The hero takes this sword, with the help of a miracle weapon, pro-go-nya-et ki-tai-tsev and becomes-but-wit-sya-ko-ro-lem . It seems? This will be cooler than Tri-stan and Isol-da.

Under-ve-dem some-ry results. “The Tale of Peter and Feb-ro-nii Mu-rom-skikh” - beautiful and very instructive about-of-ve-de-ing ancient Russian layer-weight-no-sti. For a century, “The News ...” has firmly entered the church’s everyday life and is used by the most popular and auto-ri- te-tom at the right-of-glory-no-go on-ro-yes. Yes, she did not enter the Ma-ka-ryev-sky Che-ti-Mi-nei, but she would be included in other collections of lives, such as Go -du-nov-sky and Mi-lyu-tin-sky Mi-nei.

We do not find in it any obvious absurdities and the same church teachings. It can be said that the only factual mistake “In-ve-sti ...” is a pu-ta-ni-tsa with the prince- ski-mi name-on-mi.

The church is a living orga-nism, it itself from-tor-ga-et everything harmful and takes-no-ma-et that which brings benefit.

Compiling the lives of the saints, no one and never aspired to ab-so-lute, do-ku-men-tal- noah accuracy. Another thing would be important: the spiritual integrity of life. In the “In-ve-sti ...” Father Eraz-m there are many-te-ra-tour-no-sti, but after all, the well-known “Lives of the Saints” of saints ti-te-la Di-mit-riy Rostov-sko-go-the same all-ma-te-ra-tur-ny. Li-ri-che-from-step-le-tion, in fractional-sti, dia-lo-gi, mo-lit-you, someone he wets into the mouth tykh, they have a clearly worse character. In addition to the is-it-ri-che-data in his life, about-wide-but use-use and folk-tales about move-no-kah.

On the di-mit-ri-ev-sky Che-tyah-Mi-not-yah re-pi-ta-us many generations of our great-glorious ancestors. Lu-di ve-ka-mi chi-ta-li life-te-ra-tu-ru and lu-cha-li spiritual benefit. “The Tale of Peter and Feb-ro-nii” is the same for many-gim on-zi-da-nie, spiritual consolation and serves as an educational no su-pru-same love and fidelity.

Pro-to-i-e-rei Pa-vel Gu-me-rov

An attempt to cure cancer with the help of drugs alternative medicine significantly reduces the patient's chances of survival, according to a study by American scientists. Nevertheless, even young and educated people regularly turn to unconventional methods.

Alternative medicine methods are very popular not only in the post-Soviet space and in the outskirts of civilization, but throughout the world. According to statistics, every third resident of the United States prefers to be treated with herbs, homeopathy, acupuncture and other leeches. But if in the case of a runny nose and some other diseases, such methods sometimes turn out to be quite effective (for example, in 2015, the Chinese woman Yuyu Tu received the Nobel Prize for creating a cure for malaria based on an extract of wormwood), then in the case of serious diseases like cancer, they can cause mortal harm, Gazeta.ru warns.

Scientists from Yale University in the United States conducted a special study during which they traced the consequences of the intervention of alternative medicine in oncological diseases. The results of the work are published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

Experts analyzed data from the National Cancer Database for 2004-2013. They identified 281 patients who were diagnosed with early-stage breast, prostate, lung or colon cancer. All of these people refused treatment and turned to alternative medicine. They paid dearly for their decision.

When the researchers compared the survival rates of these patients with data from 560 patients with similar diagnoses who underwent chemotherapy, radiotherapy and/or surgery, they found that adherents of alternative treatments were 2.5 times more likely to die within five years of diagnosis.

For some types of cancer, this difference was even more impressive. Thus, breast cancer killed supporters of alternative medicine 5.68 times more often than those who sought help from conventional doctors. The probability of dying from lung cancer among followers of non-traditional methods of treatment increased by 4.57 times, from lung cancer - by 2.17 times.

A noticeable difference was not observed only in prostate cancer. But this does not indicate the effectiveness of alternative methods in the treatment of this particular oncological disease, but that this type of cancer develops slowly and in five years is not capable of bringing a person to the grave in most cases.

Scientists did not take into account exactly what non-traditional practices the desperate patients resorted to: it could be herbal medicine, homeopathy, special diets, and energy crystal treatment. The result was the same everywhere.

Researchers were amazed that the supporters of alternative medicine were not poor and uneducated people from the provinces, but quite the contrary - young educated people with a high level of income. This only emphasized the destructiveness of alternative methods of treatment, because these patients had a tangible advantage: they were generally healthier, younger, richer. With the effectiveness of alternative methods, their results could be better than in the group that underwent conventional treatment, but this did not happen, experts say.

“It scares me. They were young patients who would have been easy to cure, but instead all sorts of healers gave them snake oil,” said one of the authors of the study, James Yu.

His colleague Skyler Johnson, lead author of the study, who is a practicing oncologist, said that thanks to the work done, medical professionals "now have evidence that the use of alternative medicine methods instead of proven cancer treatments leads to death of patients." "We hope that patients and doctors will use this information when making decisions about treatment," he said.

Scientists hope that the findings will help fight misinformation about the alleged effectiveness of alternative medicine methods. At the very least, patients will be informed of the possible consequences. “If the patient makes a decision, being informed about all the possible consequences, he can do anything. We cannot force him to choose something - only advise,” said James Yu.

Serpentarium in Miami: the snake man's ambitious project.

Bites from poisonous snakes are deadly, but there are people who prove by their own example that there are exceptions to every rule. American Bill Haast He became famous for opening his own serpentarium in Miami, where he kept rattlesnakes. From his wards, he suffered more than 170 bites in his life, but died at the age of 100 years.

Bill Haast has been catching snakes since he was young.

The Haast Serpentarium is perhaps the most famous attraction in Florida. Every year more than 50 thousand tourists visited Haast's performances, they looked with bated breath at the fact that the serpentologist took his wards with his bare hands, not being afraid of bites, and began to milk them.

Bill Haast opened a serpentarium in Miami, which was very popular with tourists.

For many years, Haast tried to prove that by developing immunity to snake venom and using it as a medicine, one could be cured of various diseases, including multiple sclerosis and lupus, arthritis and Parkinson's disease. Haast suggested using a "cocktail" of the venom of five snakes - cobra, water muzzle, krait, mamba and rattlesnake. Needless to say, no state body would approve such experiments.

Bill Haast believed in the benefits of snake venom.

To develop immunity, Bill Haast regularly made injections containing snake venom, gradually increasing the dose. Bill had been handling snakes his entire adult life, so milking them was commonplace. He started collecting snakes at the age of 16, as soon as he graduated from school, by the age of 19 he was already doing it quite professionally. During the war years, Bill served in aviation, he traveled to South America, Africa and India, and, taking the opportunity, brought several snakes to America, including his first cobra. In those years, the law did not yet prohibit the transportation of snakes on an airplane, however, the crew members were not at all happy about the neighborhood with reptiles.

The entrance to the serpentarium was decorated giant figure poisonous snake.

The Serpentarium was founded in 1947. For the first five years, only the Haast family took care of it - himself, his wife and young son. Bill Jr. fell victim to snakes four times and soon completely lost interest in his father's business. Haast himself set a record that got into the Guinness Book: by mid-2008, he had already received 172 bites. This was reminiscent of the absence of several fingers on the hands. One of the cobra bites that Haast received in the 1950s turned out to be critical. Then he went to the hospital, they ordered the strongest vaccine from India for him, but the serpentologist refused to use it and soon recovered himself.

Giant pink cobra at the entrance to the serpentarium.

Haast often acted as a blood donor in cases where it was necessary to urgently save patients from snake bites. In total, about 20 lives were saved thanks to him. In the 1950s, Haast donated blood to researchers at the University of Miami to develop a polio vaccine.

Bold experiments by Bill Haast.

In the Haast Serpentarium, everyone could get up close and personal with the snakes. It is worth noting that strict safety rules were introduced after a six-year-old child fell into a hole with a 12-pound crocodile named Cookie in 1977. The incident ended in the death of a child, although before that, for 20 years, the crocodile had not tarnished his reputation. What happened so shocked Haast that the next day he shot the pet.