1170. They have a fusion (syncretism) of pagan and Christian there. They pray to Nikola yumo (they call Nikola Nikola yumo), they pray with three fingers. As if Christian symbols, but they ask ... They ask the vidava for pagan deliverance from diseases, so they give her pagan sacrifices. My legs hurt - socks, my hands - mittens, my head - a hat, my neck - a scarf there, my body ...
1171. The Mari are just as Orthodox as we are, but the Tatars are completely different. If a Mari marries a Russian, it is possible, but it is impossible with the Tatars: not of our faith, they are somehow different. This is not welcome.
1172. Mari - they are closer to the Russians than the Tatars. Some of them believe in our God. Although, of course, they can do anything. Here the Mari put their keels under their bosoms.
1173. They are churchmen. They go to church.<...>Go-ko - half a church of some Mari: they revere him like that, this Nikola.
1174. I noticed that the Mari have no awareness of sin: that I committed a sin. And in the church they try to appease, bring a goose, that is, give a bribe from God. And the realization of sin - they won’t hurt their foreheads. Here even communicating with them, you can see that they are trying to justify themselves. Here is the realization that I am sinful, that I am bad, I realize this - this is not there. I'll give it to you.
1175. Both Russians and Mari lived in this village of Vareno. And then one day a Mari comes to a Russian neighbor and says: "Ivan, what are you doing?" He says: "Well, I'm dragging manure from the barn." - "Let me carry manure, and you help me with this. A birch has grown in my garden." And what about the birch for the Mari? Sacred tree. birch suit. Mariets cannot cut a birch. And she interferes. So he came: "Ivan, you cut down a birch for me in my garden, and I'll carry manure from your barn." That's how they changed: the Russian went to cut the birch in the Mari garden, and the Mari went to the Russian manure to wear from a barn, that is, these traditions are kept.
1176. I tried to attribute the pantheon of the Mari gods. The mountain Mari have seven dozen of them, the meadow ones have ninety, and we have about a hundred and twenty.<...>And there is one feature. We have some Mari deities; in my opinion, they correspond to the Ud-Murt Vorshuds. We, for example, have worship, for example, of a swan. The pagan Mari have never worshiped a swan. And just this is the territory that the Udmurts and Mari lived in contact. We have such features.
1177. In contrast to the mountain and meadow Mari, our Mari have the most gods and gods. That is, they have four levels of gods. Here is the main god there, for example, Kugu yumo. This is a big Kugu Yumo. There, or, say, Ava Kugu yumo, his mother is always present, or Yudava there, or Kugurcha yumo there, there are a lot of gods. The second, third and fourth levels they are Karmakaya gods. This is, for example, Kapkaval kirimet, the gate spirit. Or Munchalza there or, let's say, Kudovadysh with them<...>. We have something ... So I counted one hundred and seventy such gods in my pantheon. And they, the mountains, the meadows, at most there are ninety-three. We are lucky: here is polytheism.
1178. God of the sun, god of the solar shadow, Mlandova - earthen mother, shadow of the earth, Moonlight, starlight, star shadow, water mother, wind god, god of lightning and thunder, meadow wealth, forest flowers, cattle god, birds. Nikola Yumo - God Nicholas the Wonderworker.
How God Yumo Distributed Faith
1179. In ancient times, Yumo gathered a council, where he ordered an Udmurt, a Tatar, a Russian, a Mari with their wives and children to come. Russian and
295 Tatars came to Yumo and introduced their families. Yumo was hi-liv with them, so he gave the Russian Christian faith, commanded to pray in the church; gave the Tatar the Mohammedan faith, commanded to worship the moon in the mosque. Then he called the Udmurt. And he was ashamed to show his family to God, so he was angry with him. I told him: "Until death, offer sacrifices to your children. And let your children turn into charred stumps." After that, "the Udmurts, like the Mari, began to make sacrifices to the Keremet. Until now, some Udmurts sacrifice a goat to him.
The Mari was the last to come to Yumo. Yumo asked him: "Where are your wife and children?" The Mariets replied: "I was ashamed - I brought them, I left them behind a grove in the forest." “Ah! You are ashamed of God! Let your children and wife turn into charred stumps and become keremets,” God said. Mariets, hanging his head, went to the grove. The children and wife left by him behind the grove turned into charred stumps and asked their father: “Give us something to eat, donate meat! "After that, the Mari got a keremet. So the Mari began to court (sacrifice) different keremets. There were special rituals during the sacrifice.<...>When sacrificing, they used special prayers. And the prayers are as follows: "Spirit of fire! Raise with your straight rising smoke and say (you are the translator of a person). I came with a request. My words (my thought) asked: reach the spirit of the swan, bring our prayer and say: "Spirit swan! If my daughter fell ill from a sickness sent, then take our donations - a bundle of flour, a coin to buy a ram. I pray to you with porridge and salt. You just put a sick person on his feet. " Having performed such a rite, having found a place, they hang a bundle of flour on a tree. Then, if necessary, they make a sacrifice by slaughtering a ram. The rite is performed secretly.
1180. We have a special reverence for Yudave. In our country, from Vyatka, it is transferred to small rivers. Suppose I heard when I was recording in the swan side, they threw porridge into Urzhumka. These are the elements that are characteristic of the worship of Yudava. Well, also Kugu yumo. We have a few more keremets, which belong only to our county. Let's say we have our own keremet - yomshiner-keremet.<...>An evil spirit that each place can have its own. We had a lot of such keremets. We worshiped Maxe-Keremet in Maxinery Local deities. And the Keremets are evil. Their
they only tried to appease, that is, to ask them for some kind of favor, the Mari did not dare to bless, but as if bribed, appeased them: they would sacrifice this, that and that, hoping to get from them.
1181. There is such a legend among the Mari people about Ovda. Ovda - these were such gigantic people. Ovda poured sand out of the bast shoes, and a mountain appeared. And Ovda - this is a legendary tribe. Ovda Kulyk among the Mari. Now, if the old woman is smart, they say: "Smart as Ovda." Their ovda turns into a bird. Sometimes it can be a woman, sometimes a man. Ovd has twisted legs (legs turned back). Ovda loves children very much. This is only for the Mari.
1182. Iya lives in the forest... Iya is a Leshak. Bad: people turn on.<...>Ovda is. Lives in the forest. Legs back. The bird can fly. Will fly to the village. Like a big owl. Ovda above the forest. The legs are large, turned back. Ovda walked, the earth spilled out of his boots - the mountain became bigger, smaller. The mountain has become
1183. Obda or Ovda live in the forest. Our Mari have legends. This is a giant man, a giant with tangled hair, feet turned back. Sometimes Ovda is an old woman or a bird. There is a boundary Ovda. Such an old woman big breasts. <...>Obda naked fly. Obda love to rock children in cradles. Obda lived in ravines. For a bath, if anyone let them in, they paid with silver. These are only Mari legends. Russians don't know. My old grandmother didn't even know it.<...>They actually have many gods. The Mother of God exists and God exists. Yumo - light: this is the supreme god, an assistant. He does good.<...>Iya is Satan, darkness.
1184. I wrote down the legend about Ovda Sarmari in Tyum-Tyum. This tea-ka, likes fish. Flew and met two fishermen. There were Timothy and Yanakhtey fishermen. Timothy did not give fish to the ovda bird and his clan became a small clan, and Yanakhtai a large clan (there are many Yanakhtaevs).
1185. [Which of the Christian saints is more revered by the Maris?] Nikola yumo. In second place ... Well, they personify the Mother of God - yumo ava. They think she is their Mother of God. She and Kugu yumo mother and mother of Christ. That is, I have not heard that they call Christ Kugu yumo. They turn to Kugu yumo only in dire need. 1186. Ilyin's day is the most severe day. Ilya Prolov - the upper god, also yumo. They prayed to them in Kyushu. The hay burns. It hits a tree, people, a house, burns it. In a thunderstorm, tongs are thrown from the stove. Throw it in the yard. They said: "Lord, great yumo, save it for home, don't let trouble!"
Prayer groves and trees of the Mari
1187. Mari are pagans, you know? Such prayerful groves. Twenty-eight in our area. This is kysotu and yumomotu, where they go to pray. In yumomotu they go to pray to the god yum. Hume is God. And kysotu is when they are just getting rid of something. The Mari go to pray, they promise a goose. He goes to the kysota to pray and for insurance he goes and drags the second goose to our Orthodox church. They have synthetism, fusion.
1188. They went to the grove to pray. There they all prayed to the cattle. They prayed twice - in spring and autumn. This is usually the case. But if there is no rain or it does not grow, or the cattle become dead, then we are already going any day. We were getting ready. Here they promise to make a prayer service to Ivan the Warrior. Or they promise Nikol Yumo a prayer service. Or Bela Yumo promises to make a prayer service.<...>Here we go Nicol Yumo. It's in Semik on Tuesday. Until then, we're getting ready.
In a week, the whole house is washed, all the floors are washed, all the stoves are cleaned, all the sheds. And they will wash themselves in the bath. And you can’t wrap a lot, you can’t carry water back and forth. You can't carry milk back and forth. You can't spin. You can't sleep in the same place with your husband and wife. Here ... On Tuesday, everything is dressed in white, tailor. We bake pancakes, cook porridge. Everything is baked. They will give a goose, they will give a ram. And if it's bad, then they'll give you a stallion. [And what does "give" mean?] He will be taken away from others earlier and given to another place. Let it stand there. He is one week old and lives. Then they take him to Kyushu, where they cook and eat. So they pray.
There are trees in Kyushu. Each family has its own tree. There is a tree. There is a tree for everyone. Everyone is praying there. There, the cards (pop in Russian) cut them and let the blood go under the tree or under the stone. They cook and eat. And they pray. They pray on their knees. But you can't be baptized. So we pray, so we all eat. Knife is not allowed. The card has a wooden knife, all the plates are wooden. Everything is broken by hand. No iron is allowed. Only money can be thrown iron.
[And how was the kart dressed?] Is that pop? It has long been. I don't remember.
Same white whole, like all. On the head only wind something from a birch. So white... Like a hat... [From birch bark, from bark?] Yes, just about, from birch. That's how he walked there.<...>He is praying for everything. And each for himself, for the children, for the cattle. On the second day they go again. They carried boilers with them. Cattle were boiled in cauldrons and eaten. And on the Christmas tree, birch towels hung. Partuks [aprons] were hung up.
[What does a tree, a birch mean?] We have two aha-baryam. There is a tree, there is a birch. Sometimes there is pine. This tree is holy, sacred tree. They put candles on him, they hung a towel for him, they said to him: "Great Nikol Yumo, give me health, give me eyes, give me riches, give me profit from women and cattle!" [And what does "give me eyes" mean?] Here, all the old and the young also have sick eyes. Eyes flow. One grandfather faded, the other. Dark steel. I have one eye too. This in Russian is called a fuck. Everyone was always sick. It was. And they asked.<...>
It was more on the water. They go to the key where the holy water is. They go and pray to Nikol Yumo for health, for their eyes. And wash your eyes. Wash them a lot. It's not in Kyushu. And then they go to Kyushu in the fall according to the promise. They will go before Pokrovskaya. If God gives health, wealth, they carry duck according to the promise. And they eat there. In autumn, each carries wool from the yard, from one yard you need wool and everything goes there, to Kyushu. And they come from Kyushu, pray in the huts. Both spring and autumn. They will come, go to the corner and pray at the icons. Icons pray. Everything is Mari.<...>
And this food is brought from Kyushu. You can't leave anything there, everything is clean. We leave nothing there. We eat everything here. Then another week we eat at home. The food is holy, like an egg from a church. You can't give to others, you can't throw it away. Cats and dogs must not be fed. You can't pour out, you can't swear. This is still not possible. Children cannot go to school for a week, children cannot play loudly. An adult does not work, only cattle must be loved, everything must be cleaned. We pray every day of the week. We cross already. Can. Guests are not allowed, bread cannot be made. Husband and wife are not allowed again. They eat only holy food. And they pray. It's all done by God. God did it.<...>
A week has passed, we don’t go to Kyushu anymore: it’s impossible. You can't go there like that. There, too, the Russians cannot do everything. And yes, we just can't.<...>So you can't walk. You can't cut anything there, you can't break it, grass, flowers can't be torn. Don't touch the dry branch! [And who kills with a windbreak?] There are people, I put cards (pop, it means). They walk, collect everything and burn it, so that everything is clean. They will gather on the day, as the pop says, and go to clean everything. They are also getting ready. Bath ... They will clean themselves first. [And who went to clean: men or women?] All the women [And who went to pray?] Everyone went. The family went. The village was walking. If something bad comes from cattle or war. They walked in circles. Seven to ten villages will gather in a circle. All villages will converge to go to Kyushu.<...>Only men could pray for this, women did not go.
The women wove the canvas or weaved the ribbon, wove. White should be without a gap. Long! It was a very long time ago. I did not see. My grandmother told me this. They will go into kyushota and will cover the whole outside from edge to edge. And they pray there for a long time inside. It should be long - the whole kyushota should be hugged. Even if the boys began to die, it is also necessary. We must ask Yumo, God ask. It's all from God. Every village prayed. They prayed to God. Each village has its own kyushota, its own trees. They boiled cattle there. This is called kyushota or aga-baryam. And in Russian keremetishche. This is what the Russians say. This is bad. They didn't say so. We have a kyushot or a pouch, but the keremetische is wrong.
1189. Kyushoto still exists. There is a father in the church, and we have a grandfather with a beard. Geese and sheep were given. Only they didn’t cross themselves, but bowed and prayed: “Ivan the Warrior, Ivan the Great, Ivan the Posmanny, give me strength, health, bread and money.” And in Mari: "Kuruk Kugu en, Tiak and Piambar." This is Ivan the Warrior. So in Kyushoto they prayed to him, and they wore wool so that the sheep had good wool. From there they will bring it and give it to the poor. Candles will be lit, hung up, but you can’t cut them. You can't just walk like that. You can't pick raspberries, you can't tear the leaves. There was an important tree - linden. Prayed to this linden. They hung everything.<...>In Kyushoto they prayed, they gave a sacrifice: a goose, a ram and a foal. They prayed - and so many people did not die.
1190. They will come to kyushoto, hang towels on a tree. Each family has its own tree to which they pray. Here they hang towels on it. And then, when they return home, these towels are hung up next to the icons. They returned and prayed in front of the icon, but they did not baptize themselves, only with their heads. Until we finish eating all the food from kyushoto, it is impossible to be baptized. And we eat. Nothing was left there. There are prayers. Didn't work for a week.<...>The Russians call it Keremetishche, and in Mari, Kyushoto is a forest on a high-rise. You can't cut. We had the Russian villages Bazhino and Rudniki. And where are they? As soon as they began to cut down the grove, they swept away like a broom: who died, who left. Only arable land remained.
We, when there was no kyushoto, had a different grove. One sticky tree and a tree.
They went there to pray. They prayed for the linden: it was big. In Mari-ski it is necessary for leafy. We prayed. They went to Semik. This is aga-bar-yam [Aga Payrem — spring holiday, field holiday]. And they went to these two trees in the middle of the field. Two trees too: aha-baryam tree and aha-baryam linden. They hung everything on a linden. They made pancakes, brought kvass and beer there and ate there. There was a hearth. Beer was carried there in a birch hutch. Paygan was carried (it's a kind of wooden mug). They drank with this mug. Everyone had their own. There was only one knife on the kart. He cut pancakes with this wooden one. But not for yourself, but for yourself. They are asking for a field, for bread. If for yourself, as for yourself, you want everything, but from yourself - as from God, you ask everything. Everything was done like a card. He prays, everyone prays. He is in bast shoes, and everyone is in bast shoes: barefoot is not allowed. He cut something, cards, into four parts to make a cross. Holy cross. Kart was still with him and Iko-well wore a kugu cross. So it's a big cross. All women with the same big crosses and cards. And the men wore small crosses. Here are the clothes specially tailor-made, embroidered.
1191. They go to Aga-Baryam to Semik, and to Kyushu in spring and autumn. In the spring with young cattle or geese, ducks. And the same in autumn, with young living creatures. Fifteen plates of pancakes, eggs and other things were carried in aga-bariyam. Kyushota is the main one, and aha-baryam is like a brother. She is listed as smaller. Pray on their knees. They don't get baptized in Kyushu. We are baptized in the church.
Everyone used to have their own tree for prayer. And there was the main tree - a Christmas tree. It is a common tree. In the fires, the brought living creatures were cooked (they cut and butchered there). The rest of the food is brought to my house and eaten within a week. This food cannot be fed to cats, dogs, only sheep and eat it yourself. You find your prayer tree on a whim. The Lord brings you to him. Somehow you feel that this is it. You yourself somehow stop near him, as if someone let you down.
When you enter Kyushu, you don’t say extra words, but only think about one thing, that the Lord helps and gives you everything. And the main pilgrim keeps asking the Lord for happiness, wealth, everything. You ask yourself, and he asks. You don’t pray in Kyusett, but you just stand there and ask. The old man prepares food and everyone starts eating. And at the same time they continue to ask the Lord. They take dishes with them to Kyushu. After the end, the ashes are raked into one heap. Whoever touches the black ashes in Kyusett, the Lord will punish him.<...>
Pray only during the day. You can only pray in Semik. In vain, you can’t go into Kyushu. Prayer is very pure. You can only pray with pure thoughts. Sometimes they pray while eating. They eat and pray. The main trees are linden, birch and Christmas tree: they are closer to God. Pieces of food (pieces of pancakes, etc.) are thrown into the fire and continue to ask the Lord. The ashes are raked into a heap / The next prayer should be in the same place.
1192. Keremetishche - national grove of the Mari. They used to hold their services there. There was a hearth in the center. There they brought sacrifices: both a goose and a sheep. There they were roasted and eaten. Towels, scarves, shirts were brought and hung up. Everything remained: the sacred cannot be taken. They threw a lot of money in the fire: Russian coins! We ran to pick berries far away, behind the Fedosimovskaya grove. I was about ten or twelve years old. The little ones were stupid. So we went there quietly: money in a fire, an apron embroidered in wi-sit, a towel hanging. Let's take a look and run quickly, quickly.<...>
Previously, parents punished: "If you go, don't mess around, don't touch anything." It was impossible: Holy place. <...>Mostly there were old, big ones. Now it is growing there. Previously, the Mari-tsy went and watched, cleaned with a windbreak, cleaned the grove. In the center, right in the recess, a fire was made. There is Keremetishche in Tyumen Tyumen. There is also an old Mari burial ground. There is also such a sacred place. You can't walk.
1193. Earlier, when I was small, we went to the fields to pull flax. So there is a Mari keremetishche. So we went there, kids, we went here. It's called Keremetishche. This is their god's name - keremet. Here. Well, as we went there, duck there were fires. They made sacrifices there. There's a ram, or a goose, or a duck. They even said that earlier they could fry and eat a person. Exactly. Well, we're watching. This is only later, as there is no one in the grove. On the trees, towels were tied in knots, scarves were hung, and something else, probably, and wool was lying around, bones from animals. It was such a special day for them. And we didn't go for it there. We'll take a look later! Suddenly keremet drag away!<...>They have two holidays. Ninth Friday is a must for everyone (both ours and in the neighboring area). And also Semik too. Here, maybe, they went there to Semik.
1194. Keremetishche: the Mari prayed to God. They prayed strongly, all kinds of cooking. The garden is there, well, a grove. They will come here, pray to God. Like Sabantuy among the Tatars. They can pray for a whole week. [So what is a kere-metische?] Actually, only trees. Trees, in the middle of the playground and tables are covered. Food is cooked in cauldrons. There, they stopped by a whole cow: a lot is going. And I was a little ishsho. [Have you heard of the lonely holy tree?] Yes. A cross is carved into a tree. Well, as if there is a monument when they are buried. This is how it was cut down. Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ. [Is this tree standing alone?] No. Right here. Right there, in the cave. On the birch... Russians were not allowed there. And faith is one, like us. They also go to church: Russian faith.
1195. Here the Spaso-Preobrazhensky Tse-pochkinsky monastery was built, the Mari were baptized into the Russian faith, the Orthodox. They, therefore, go to church with us now. They, therefore, wear an Orthodox cross. At the same time, they observe their pagan customs, pray in prayer groves, sacrifice livestock and animals.
By the way, in Tyum-Tyum there was a very big prayer, there was even a kart, a priest from Yoshkar-Ola, and a horse was sacrificed. This is considered a very big prayer. They bring a horse, pray, ask permission from the victim, according to this animal, to be stabbed (this stew was cooked from it) or not.
That's when I was in Tyum-Tyum in a Mari family, I was just on January 19, for Epiphany. And on this day, the Mari brought holy water from the church. I say: "Well, how is it? Here you are, so you go to church, Orthodox cross wear and men's clothing, and go to the prayer grove, which means that you all observe these customs there. Even sacrifice a horse, this is a very big prayer. "But the Marie answered me very well:" Duck we go to the prayer groves to pray for cattle, so what! And we go to church to God. "Do you understand? The ancient pagan faith, it is difficult to fall behind, but the Orthodox faith turned out to be better. Well, they honor traditions.
1196. Choosing an animal as a sacrifice, they ask the consent of this animal and the blessing of God on this animal. Let's say (I wrote it down in Akmaziki), the woman is alone: "The animal should have spun with its ears as a sign of consent." And they sat for half a day waiting for this consent to be received.
1197. Aga-baryam, clearly expressed in Akmaziki, and we have it. There is an aha-baryam in the Big Swarm. There is an oak. In the form of an aga-baryam, an oak, a linden appears, a birch can be an aga-baryam. We also have a subtra, on which bags with diseases are hung. Subtra or chop-chop is called. A person puts his illness in a bag, a rag bag (now plastic bags) and hangs it on a ritual tree.
1198. Sabtra or chop-chop ritual trees. This is where the Mari pagans hang their illnesses in bags. That is, if you touch the bag or open it, this disease passes to you. Show these bags. And they showed more trees, birches, which<...>Mari sorcerers spoil.
Well, let's say we were in Timoshkino. They tell there. Chi-hundred Mari village. The sorcerer can no longer harm anyone: everyone knows that he is a sorcerer, and if he does anything, they will immediately beat him. And he needs to somehow realize his gift, so he goes to the forest, to the grove, and purposefully splashes out his nod on one tree. And the tree is overgrown with growths from top to bottom. Here even one birch broke under the weight of growths. This is a black one, a huge bump, maybe twenty or fifteen kilograms there. Even the tree has split.
1199. When I lived in Savinovo, I went to Fedoskino. There was an island in the forest - keremetishsho. One day, the Mari dragged a ram there, where they boil it and eat it. I once went with bread, ran into keremetishsho from the edge, did not take mushrooms. Let them not eat anything with kerems-tishsha. And the Mari people believe in Keremetyu, they hung some towels. Nothing can be torn there, as in our cemetery. If someone cuts down a tree there, there will be misfortune with him: either he himself will die, or the cattle.
1200. Mari cemetery - keremetishche: those who were not baptized, they were laid in keremetishche. If you cut down a vitch, God will punish you. Here's a guy who cut it down and now it's shaking. The Mariets said: "If you cut down a vicka, at least put a penny on the felled place as a ransom. Otherwise, he will torment you."
1201. Previously, Russians were not allowed there. They made sacrifices there, and the place was special for them. Russians can't. Their whips were wicker, straw. So if you come in, they will whip you to the point of blood. They are wild. We did not go ourselves, we were afraid. If we're going somewhere, we won't go there.
Because whoever comes in idle will be punished: either you get sick, or something happens. In general, it will be bad. You can’t even touch a blade of grass there, not like a tree or mushrooms and berries.
We have one guy who went for an argument, and he also broke his horn there. So, a week later, with this horn, he went into the forest with the guys and got lost. So they didn't find it. Only the horn stands, and his cap lies nearby. So he was punished. [And who punished? Who was it?] And who needs it, he punished. There was nothing to go to keremetishte. Here is his Mari devil from the grove and punished.
1202. Only Mari lived in the village of Yangarashki. They lived according to their customs, in which there was much from the pagan faith. And a grove grew near the village. It was said that it was an ancient Mari cemetery. And it looks like just a copse. Once the chairman of the collective farm decided to cut down this grove, to clear the field. The most desperate men left for work, although the night before the women howled and begged the men not to go, because the Mari had threatened to put a kila on the cutters. Before the brigade had time to dismantle the axes, an old woman, nicknamed Sekema, who was considered a sorceress, emerged from the grove. She began to drive the men, saying that this place was guarded by spirits. Many Maris came here to pray. At the same time, Sekema threw a scarf from her head to the ground and said: "If someone steps over this scarf, there will be big troubles in life, misfortunes." And one man laughed, picked up his handkerchief and threw it into the bushes. The men were a little crumpled and the grove was cut down. And then the peasant was unlucky all his life: he even had to serve time in prison.
1203. And after they knocked out, one man had a dream. An old man with a gray beard came out and said: “You,” he says, “have cut down my village, and your village will not be bred either. Everything,” he says, “will end.” And that's how it works, look. And this old man is our god. After that, life is bad in our village.
1204. The old people said: grandfather walks small, his beard is big. Near kyushoto. Not everyone thinks, only the believer. Small, like a child. And it dissolves.
1205. We had Russians here, so they cut down Kyushu, the most valuable and sacred trees - Christmas trees and lindens. So everyone was blind. You can not cut these trees: they are devout.
1206. We went to Kyushu for raspberries. They then got sick and died.
1207. Here, too, a Russian chopped, so the bull gored him. We go to Kyushu, we don’t even look around in vain. You can only go there in clean underwear, because religion is clean.
A SOURCE OF INFORMATION:
http://www.vyatkavpredaniyah.ru/
While exchange rates are breaking new records, and panic among the population is growing for all sorts of reasons, it's time to take a break from the hustle and bustle and plan a vacation or a trip for a few days.
A crisis is not a reason to stop traveling. Moreover, we should not forget that we live in the most big country in the world. Residents of the two capitals are simply unaware of the many recreational areas that are popular in the regions. It is about this place that my story will go.
"Mary Chodra" translated from Mari language means "Mari forest»
The Republic of Mari El is part of the Volga federal district. It borders on Kirovskaya and Nizhny Novgorod regions, the Republic of Tatarstan and Chuvashia. It is in Mari El (or, as the locals say, in Mariyka) that the beautiful natural park "Mari Chodra" is located. It is located in the southeastern part of the republic, not far from the border with Tatarstan. You can get there from Kazan in a couple of hours.
"Mari Chodra" in translation from the Mari language means "Mari forest". The first question that arises is: who are the Mari? Who are these people who have lived in the forests for centuries? Meanwhile, there are more than half a million Mari people in our country. They live mainly in the Volga region and the Urals. It may seem that the Mari are similar to the Tatars. But it is not so. Of particular interest is the fact that the Mari did not centrally accept any of the world religions.
Who are the Mari?
The Mari are pagans. This people is also unique in that in this climate zone no one lived so massively in the forests as its representatives. For Tatars, Bashkirs and many Ural peoples the forest has always been something frightening, mysterious and unknown. And the Mari lived there in whole villages. The glory of sorcerers and witches was firmly entrenched behind them.
Earlier Here was classified zone
The main attractions of the reserve are unique lakes. Yalchik, Glukhoe, Mushan-Er, Konan-Er and other smaller ones. The water in them is so clean and transparent that water lilies grow in it. However, do not be deceived by the outward innocence of landscapes. Forests in Mariyka are dense, lakes and rivers are deep.
This used to be a secret area. But even now, not everyone will find their way through the forest. Modern cards almost not. If you are going to wander through the forests, you should stock up on charged phones (fortunately, communication catches almost everywhere), navigators, or even a compass. Finding something in the Mariy Chodra park is not so easy!
The Lost Village and the Legend of the Mermaid
Lake Conan-Er (or Witch's Lake) is located near Maple Mountain. The lake is karst, which means it is very deep. According to one legend, a long time ago a village stood on this place. Someone cursed her, and she fell like an even funnel into the ground. Another legend tells that a Kazan beauty drowned in the lake, who was forcibly married to an unloved one. Locals allegedly saw a mermaid singing sad songs at night. They say that to this day you can hear someone singing here at night.
People with weak energy is better than this zone avoid
Psychics believe that Konan-Er has a special energy, and is located near the lake anomalous zone. It is better for people with weak energy to avoid this zone, otherwise it will take away from them last strength. But those who, on the contrary, have an excess of energy, should come here, then the forest will take away the excess, and the person will not do stupid things.
Even without being a psychic, everyone will feel the amazing energy of the Mari forests. Believe me, in a couple of hours in the forest you will certainly feel something that you have not felt before, think about what you have never thought about before, and only God knows what you will do.
Oak Pugachev
On Klenovaya Gora there is an "oak of Pugachev". Yes, the same one, Emelyan. According to legend, in the forest Pugachev with a small detachment hid from the tsarist troops passing along the Kazan highway. Whether this oak tree really saw Emelyan Pugachev is not known for certain. However, the tree is really very old and is carefully guarded by the park staff as a valuable cultural object. This is a place of real tourist pilgrimage. Fortunately, ribbons are not tied to a tree.
Around the lakes meet tents and tents
Perhaps, after my story, you got the impression that Mari Chodra - backwoods. But that's not the case at all. Wide roads covered with sand and gravel. Foresters make a regular detour of the territory on the UAZ. Around the lakes there are tents and tents with people frying shish kebabs, cooking fish soup and smoking hookahs.
Quiet and no trash
In Mari Chodra you will not see mountains of garbage, you will not hear loud music and screams. Nobody bothers here. People take care of nature. Campfires are allowed, but only for cooking and in strictly designated areas. The reserve is equipped with special parking. There are also wooden trash cans. The territory is regularly cleaned by volunteers, so you want to come back here again and again. The cost of all this pleasure is 70 rubles per day per person.
Can live with comfort and go to the forest only for walk
For those who cannot or do not want to spend the night in a tent, recreation centers and sanatoriums are located around Lake Yalchik and in the village of Klenovaya Gora. So you can live in comfort, attend medical procedures, and go to the forest only for a walk.
Photo: IRINA FAZLIAKHMETOVA, mariy-chodra.ru. The editors would like to thank the authors of the site komanda-k.ru for the information about the Mari legends.
Traditionally, the Mari lived between the Volga and Vetluga rivers. Today they number about half a million people. Most of Mari is concentrated in the Republic of Mari El, but some settled in many regions of the Volga region and the Urals. Surprisingly, the small Finno-Ugric people managed to maintain their patriarchal faith to this day.
Although the Mari self-identify as the people of city halls, in Russia they were better known as "Cheremis". During the Middle Ages, the Russians strongly pressed the local tribes that lived in the Volga-Vyatka region. Some went into the forests, others moved east, to the right bank of the Volga, from where they had come to the lands of the Slavs.
According to the Mari legend, the town of Moscow was not founded by the boyar Kuchka at all, but by the Mari, and the name itself retained the supposedly Mari trace: Mask-Ava in Mari means “bear” - her cult has long existed among this people.
Recalcitrant Cheremis
IN XIII-XV centuries the people of city halls were part of the first Golden Horde, and then the Kazan Khanate. Since the 16th century, an active advance of the Muscovites to the east began, and clashes with the Russians resulted in fierce resistance from the Mari, who did not want to submit.
No wonder Prince Kurbsky expressed such an opinion about them: "The Cheremi people are very bloody." They constantly made predatory raids and did not give rest on the eastern border. Cheremis were considered perfect savages. Outwardly, they looked a lot like Turkic-speaking peoples- black-haired, with Mongoloid features and swarthy skin, accustomed to riding and archery since childhood. They did not calm down even after the conquest of the Kazan kingdom by the Russians in 1552.
For almost a century, riots and uprisings blazed in the Volga region. And only to XVIII century managed to somehow baptize the Cheremis, impose the Russian alphabet on them and announce to the world that the process of formation of this nationality was completed.
The truth is beyond sight government people left what is new faith the Cheremis remained deeply indifferent. And even if they went to church, it was out of habit that had grown out of the former coercion. And their faith remained their own, Mari.
Faith for the ages
The Mari were pagans and did not want to change paganism to Orthodoxy. Moreover, their paganism, although it had an ancient background, managed to absorb elements of Turkic Tengrism and Khazar polytheism. The Mari did not have cities, they lived in villages, and their whole life was connected with agriculture and natural cycles, so it is not surprising that the forces of nature turned into personified deities, and forests and rivers into pagan temples.
They believed that, like spring, summer, autumn and winter, they are constantly born, die and return to human world, the same thing happens with the people themselves: they can be born, die and return to earth again, but the number of these returns is of course seven.
For the seventh time, the deceased no longer turns into a man, but into a fish. And as a result last death he loses his bodily shell, but remains the same person that he was during life, and continues to remain so in afterlife.
world of the living and world of the dead, earthly and heavenly in this faith are closely connected and intertwined. But usually people have enough earthly concerns, and they are not too open to manifestations of heavenly power. Such a gift is given only to a special category of fellow tribesmen - priests, sorcerers, healers. By the power of prayers and conspiracies, they maintain a balance in nature, guaranteeing people peace and tranquility, and relieve misfortunes and natural disasters.
All events on earth are controlled by numerous yumo - deities. The Mari recognized the good Kugu Yumo, the god of daylight, who protects people from all evil and darkness and from themselves as the main god of the pagan pantheon. Once, the Mari myths tell, Kugu Yumo quarreled with people because of their disobedience, and then the evil god Keremet appeared in the world of people, and with him misfortunes and illnesses.
Kugu Yumo is constantly fighting with Keremet for the souls of people. As long as people respect the patriarchal laws and abide by prohibitions, as long as their souls are full of goodness and compassion, the cycles of nature are in balance, the good god triumphs. But one has only to succumb to evil, stop adhering to the usual rhythm of life, become indifferent to nature, Keremet triumphs, who causes a lot of evil to everyone. Keremet is a cruel and envious creature. He was younger brother Kugu Yumo, but did so many troubles that the good god exiled him to underworld.
Keremet still did not calm down, and when Kugu Yumo had a son, he killed the young man and scattered parts of his body in the human world. Where the dead flesh of the son of a good god fell, birches and oaks immediately grew. It was in the oak and birch groves that the Mari arranged their temples.
The Mari revered the good Kugu Yumo, but prayed to both him and the evil Keremet. In general, they tried to please the good deities and propitiate the evil ones. Otherwise, you will not live in this world.
Mighty Pantheon
Everything that exists in nature - plants, trees, streams, rivers, hills, clouds, celestial phenomena such as rain, snow, rainbow, etc. - was endowed with a soul by the Mari and received a divine status. The whole world was inhabited by spirits or gods. Initially, none of the gods had supreme power, although the Mari felt sympathy for the god of daylight.
But when a hierarchy appeared in their society and when they were influenced by the Tengrian peoples, the god of daylight received the status of the main deity. And having become the main deity, he also acquired supreme power over other gods. At the same time, Kugu Yumo had several more incarnations: like Toulon, he was the god of fire, like Surt, he was a god hearth, as Saxa - the god of fertility, as Tutyra - the god of fog, etc.
The Mari considered the god of fate, the heavenly shaman Purisho, to be very important, on which it depended whether a person would be happy or whether he would have a bad lot.
starry sky the god Shudyr-Shamych Yumo was in charge, it depended on him, it will light up at night star Light or it will be dark and scary. God Tunya Yumo was no longer busy with people, but with the management of the vast universe. Tylze Yumo was the god of the Moon, Uzhara Yumo was the god dawn, Tylmache - mediator between heaven and earth. The functions of Tylmache included monitoring people and conveying heavenly decrees to them.
The Mari also had the god of death Azyren. They imagined him as a tall and strong peasant who appeared at the hour of death, pointed a finger at the unfortunate man and said loudly: "Your time has come."
In general, it is quite interesting that there were no goddesses in the Mari pantheon. Their religion took shape in the era of the triumph of patriarchy, there was no place for women there. Then attempts were made to shove goddesses into their religion, but although the spouses of the gods are present in the myths, they never became full-fledged goddesses.
The Mari prayed and made sacrifices in temples dedicated to one or another god. TO XIX century for the most part, these were the temples of Kugu Yumo or Keremet, since the first personified all the forces of good, and the second - all the forces of evil. Some temples had a national significance, others - tribal or family. IN holidays people gathered in sacred groves, made sacrifices to God there and offered prayers.
Horses, goats, sheep were used as victims. Right in front of the altar, they skinned them, and the meat was put into cauldrons and boiled. Then they took a dish of meat in one hand, and a bowl of honey in the other, and threw it all into the flames of the fire, saying: "Go, tell God my desire."
Some temples were located near the rivers they worshipped. Some are on hills that were considered sacred. The pagan festivities of the Mari were so massive that sometimes more than 5 thousand people gathered!
The tsarist government fought in every possible way against the manifestation of Mari paganism. And, of course, the sacred groves were the first to be hit. Many priests, healers and prophets went to prison. However, this did not prevent the Mari from continuing to practice their religious cult.
In the spring they had a sowing festival, during which they lit candles in the field and put food there for the gods. In the summer they celebrated the generosity of the sun, in the fall they thanked the gods for a good harvest. Exactly the same honors were given to the evil Keremet in his groves. But unlike the good Kugu Yumo, Keremet made bloody sacrifices, sometimes even human ones.
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Representatives of Mari people from all over Russia come to Kirov region to Chumbylat mountain to pray to the trees. It is believed that everything made on this day comes true. Like it or not, I decided to experience the correspondent of "MK in Volgograd", going to the all-Russian Mari prayers.
Case of mysticism
Our colleague Natalya Pushkina invited a delegation from the Guild of Interethnic Journalism to Yoshkar-Ola, the capital of the Republic of Mari El, Yoshkar-Ola. She became our personal guide to the world of Mari culture.
All-Russian Mari prayers are held, as a rule, once a year, - Natalia enlightens us. - Their date is determined at the beginning of the year by cards *, or priests in Russian. This year they take place on the third Sunday of June.
Prayers are family, village and all-Russian. They serve in the Sacred Groves. Maris from all over the country come to the All-Russian, to which we will go. They are traditionally held in the Kirov region on Mount Chumbylat.
The Mari have a legend connected with it. In ancient times, Prince Chumbylat lived, who was distinguished by strength and fortress. All his life he defended his people from enemies, and before his death he said: “And the dead I will not give you offense. When you need help, come to my grave and say: “Get up, Chumbylat! Enemies at the gate! I will stand up and protect you."
Chumbylat was buried in the mountain. At the moment of danger, he more than once rescued the Mari. But once the children, having overheard the spell in adults, called it three times and all in vain. Since then, the bogatyr, the Mari say, was offended and stopped going out, but said that his energies would always protect them.
Reference
Maries, perhaps the only people in Europe, who has preserved the traditional faith of his ancestors - Mari Yumyn yala. It is based on faith in the power of nature, which man must honor. If the earth is treated with care, then it will reciprocate, they are sure. Trees act as a conductor between God-nature and man among the Mari.
Previously, the Mari revered many gods, recognizing the supremacy of the Great White God - Osh Kugu-Yumo. In the 19th century pagan beliefs The Mari, under the influence of the monotheistic views of their neighbors, took shape and established the image of the One God - Tÿҥ Osh Poro Kugu Yumo - which means the One Light Good Great God.
In the 16th century, the Mari were annexed to the Moscow kingdom, and then they began to try to convert them to Orthodoxy. In 1830, Metropolitan Filaret of Moscow approved measures to forcibly convert the Mari to Orthodoxy. The rock on the top of Mount Chumbylat was blown up. Today, pieces of the blown-up cliff are scattered along the slope. However, this did not take away the faith. And all the years hundreds of believers continue to flock to the Kirov region.
On the eve of prayers, it is desirable to cleanse yourself both spiritually and physically - go to the bathhouse, and do not eat before prayer. I need to take round bread, a wax candle, silver coins with me from home, and for women, be sure to wear a scarf on their heads. Everything else is prepared for us by Natasha.
New towels are also sent to the basket - they will be returned to us after prayer as a talisman, kvass - we will drink it after prayers and cutlery, tablecloths and plates - something that can come in handy for a small "picnic" after.
As luck would have it, it rains like a wall almost all the way, but not far from the place of prayer, it, mysticism, abruptly stops. The car cannot drive along the washed out road, and, being afraid to get bogged down, we decide to move further on foot. Clothes immediately get wet from the grass and mosquitoes bite painfully, but, oddly enough, we pass three kilometers to Chumbylat Mountain easily, without even getting tired.
Outsiders entrance to…
By the numbers of the cars, you can determine from which regions the worshipers came, - says Natasha, when we are already approaching the grove.
This time, hundreds of Mari, young and old, gathered here from Mari El, Tatarstan, Bashkortostan, Kirov and Sverdlovsk regions, as well as the Perm Territory.
At the entrance to sacred grove we stop - women need to tie a headscarf on their heads. It is forbidden to swear and allow bad thoughts, litter and smoke here, our guide warns, pointing to the rules posted at the entrance.
Almost all believers here are in Mari national costumes, I note. By the way, many people sew them with their own hands in the old fashioned way. On the way back, Natasha promises to introduce us to one of the craftswomen. folk costume, the fame of whose mastery has long gone beyond the borders of the republic.
A narrow path has been laid to the place of prayer, which leads us to a small clearing. Believers, as if in a temple, stand in front of the cards, behind them are tables with gifts and sacred tree- onapu.
A little further away, on a fire in huge cauldrons, men cook broth and porridge from the sacrificed products.
As Alexander Mokeev, a participant in the ritual, tells me, any cereal is suitable for porridge, salt and oil are added to it, and it must not be disturbed during cooking.
In order for my wish to come true and not to anger the Mari gods, I hide the camera in my backpack, leaving only the voice recorder turned on (according to the rules, it is strictly forbidden to record prayers so that trouble does not happen). Natasha lays out the food she has brought on a special table made of spruce branches and paws, - steps, and gives me a towel in my hands.
She explains to one of the carts that I am a journalist from Volgograd and I want to get acquainted with the traditions of the Mari people. The further ritual somewhat reminds me of a confession in Orthodox church. Natasha approaches the priest and says something to him in Mari language, he reads prayers and then takes the towel from her.
The next turn is mine. I explain that this is my first time at prayers and it is inconvenient for me to ask for myself, therefore I voice the wishes of my relatives. After listening to me, Kart decided to ask the gods something for me personally. Then he reads prayers over me, translating them into Russian and turning his gaze to the trees.
Involuntarily I am saturated with the spirit of prayer. He also takes a towel from me and hangs it on the crossbar along the steps along with the other scarves brought, or even just pieces of cloth - all this will be consecrated during prayer. They will be distributed to believers after - as a talisman. As Kart tells me, my wish will come true within a year - the main thing is to believe in it.
Well, all together, according to the priests, the prayers ask for fertility and health to the whole living world.
According to ancient signs
While prayers are going on, Natasha decides to show us the mountain itself. We slowly descend the steep slope of the mountain along the steps cut in the ground with wooden railings. Untouched nature, centuries-old fir trees and birdsong tune in the appropriate way. At the foot of the cliff, water gurgles in a small spring.
At the bottom there is a basin in which silver coins shine from the sun. Following Natasha, wishing everyone well, I wash my hands and face and taste the ice water.
She is a saint, if you ask her for something, it will come true, - Natasha explains. - But you can’t swear at the water - if you say by chance that the water is dirty, a furuncle or herpes is guaranteed the next day.
Regretting that we did not take the container with us, we set off on the way back - by a different path. There is a small platform at the top of the cliff. The Tamga sign is installed here - consisting of solar symbols traditional mari ornament.
Natasha presses her palms to the rock, asking for goodness, energy and strength to the Master of the mountain. Here, believers leave coins and bread.
The solar sign is a symbol of the traditional Mari religion, Natalya explains. - In the center - similarity Mother of God guarding the universe.
When we came back, Natasha went to pray, leaving us to rest in the clearing.
Prayers kneel, spreading under them spruce paws. A long prayer begins. At the end of her pieces of bread cards are thrown into the fire. The believers then disperse to partake of the offerings. In my memory, associations again involuntarily arise with communion in an Orthodox church.
While Natasha is standing in line for the broth, and the others are setting up an impromptu table, I am instructed to get the porridge. The line moves slowly, and when I finally get to the cauldron, the men pouring the broth ignore my cup in every possible way.
Having let everyone behind me, I decide to try my luck in the next line, especially since I need to bring porridge, and here they are pouring broth. But a fiasco awaits me again - the porridge ends literally in front of me. I'm coming back after failing the mission.
Don't worry, my guide reassures me. - I have already brought the broth, and my sister will treat us to porridge.
Prayers cover small tablecloths on the ground, on which treats grow like mushrooms - bread, pancakes, kvass, someone even eats bananas.
After a short meal, prayers are completed. The Mari approaching the cards, congratulate each other and thank them. At this time, consecrated handkerchiefs and cloth are distributed to believers. We also have towels.
We collect provisions and set off on our way back. Ahead of us is a meeting with a craftswoman from the village of Sernur, Sernur district of the Republic of Mari El.
Socket from the evil eye
Lydia Vetkina is a medical doctor by training. But her authentic costumes are known far beyond the region. And the needlewoman herself is wearing a dress with a national Mari ornament.
She immediately escorts us to a kind of museum of the Mari people, comfortably located on the second floor of a residential building.
Women's and men's outfits, kerchiefs and belts - all traditional Mari costumes are generously decorated with hand embroidery.
Mari needlewomen have long been famous for cross-stitching, decorating all their clothes with ornaments of the sun, animals and nature. Fabrics were taken from homespun, linen and hemp. The basics of needlework were taught to a woman by her mother.
This costume, - says Lidia Vasilyevna, showing a woman's outfit, - has been embroidering for almost a year. On it we see the so-called socket-amulets. They were located in those places where there are joints.
From these patterns it was possible to find out where a person lives, what family he comes from. The craftswoman embroiders according to old schemes and samples from the local museum. Exactly the way they did it hundreds of years ago - from the front and the wrong side. The process of creating double-sided embroidery is very laborious - after all, literally every cross has to be calculated.
Previously, every girl owned these skills, but today the skill, although it is in considerable demand, is undeservedly forgotten. Such outfits are in demand, but Lydia Vasilievna is in no hurry to part with her work, so she does not name prices for needlework - happiness is not in money.
... Already at home, I decide to listen to a dictaphone recording from a prayer - mysticism and nothing more! She disappeared from my recorder, as if she had never been. Apparently, nature was on my side, not allowing me to break the rules. No wonder they say: everything made in the grove will surely come true. True, after that you must definitely come and thank the trees for their help. So, in a year the same route awaits me.
