Fedor Sergeevich Kapitsa (pseudonym Sergey Fedorov; r. August 17, 1950, Moscow) - Russian literary critic, folklorist, writer and translator. Candidate of Philology. Son S. P. Kapitsy.

Leading Researcher of the Department of Valves Slavic Literatures had wounds.

Head The news department of the magazine "In the World of Science".

Biography

In 1975 he graduated from Philfak MPGU and graduate school in had RAS. In 1975-1977, he worked in the Department of Rare Books and the Acquisition of the Russian State Library (then the State Library. V.I. Lenin), he read the folklore course on Filfak MPGU, at the Faculty of Journalism, Literature and Art of URAO and MPGU. Since 1982, the Researcher of the Folklore department had RAS.

In 1987, he defended his thesis on the degree of a candidate of philological science on the topic "The Tale of Erullan Lazarevich" as a sample of the genre of the fabulous military story of the XVII century. "

The leading researcher of the Folklore department had wounds since 1997, since 2004, the department of the Old Slavic literature.

Since 2002, Head of the news department of the magazine "In the World of Science", where his father of Kapitsa S. P. was the chief editor

Awards

  • Presidential Prize "Open Book of Russia" in the nomination "Scientist", 2011.

Literary activity

In print, the author of more than 120 scientific papers on the Old Russian literature, Russian folklore and ethnography, Slavic paganism and the People's Orthodoxy, the history of witchcraft and children's literature, are in print. The author of a variety of translations; Articles in biographical, encyclopedic dictionaries and textbooks "All of all" (1996-1999; T. 1-14), "Everything about everything" (M., 1994-1999; T. 8-17), "Writers of our childhood" (M., 1997), "Russian children's writers of the twentieth century" (M., 1997), "History of Old Russian literature" (M., 2005), "Russian prose of the end of the twentieth century" (M., 2005) and others.

Regularly published in magazines "in the world of science" (Scientific American), "RJ", "Book Review" newspapers, "Teacher's newspaper".

Member of the Union of Journalists of the Russian Federation and the International Federation of Journalists since 2003, Moscow Association of Writers of the Union of Writers (Mall of the Russian Federation) since 2004, the Union of Translators of the Russian Federation since 2005

Bibliography

  • A. Afanasyev. Russian cherished fairy tales. - M.: Myth, 1994. - Preface, Print Preparation.
  • N. Poznansky. Conspiracies. - M.: Indrik, 1995. - Drawing, preparation of text and comments.
  • Slavic mythology. - M.: Megatron, 1996.
  • History of world culture: a schoolboy's reference book. - M., 1996. - Development of concept, text.
  • Universal history: Schoolboy's directory. - M.: Word, 1996. - Scientific development and compilation. In the author.
  • History of the Fatherland: Schoolboy's Handbook. - M.: Word, 1996. - Scientific development and compilation. In the author.
  • Russian Children's folklore: manual for pedavuses. - M.: Science-Flint, 2002. - in Sovat. Ph.D. Kolyadich T. M.
  • Russian Children's folklore: (illustrated material. Texts). - M.: Rus. Book, 2002. - (Series "Library of Russian Folklore"). - in the author.
  • Kapitsa F. S. Slavyansky Traditional beliefs, holidays and rituals: Directory / Reviewer Ph.D. M. I. Shcherbakova, head. Russian classical literature department had RAS; Fig. AND I. Bilibina et al. - M.: Science, Flita. - ISBN 978-5-89349-308-5 (Flint), ISBN 978-5-02-02679-1 (Science). - 8th edition.
    • it is: the secrets of the Slavic gods: [Reference Edition] / Fig. AND I. Bilibina and more .. - M.: Ripol Classic, 2006. - 416 p. - (Your mystery). - 5000 copies. - ISBN 5-7905-4437-1.
  • The image of ancient Russia in modern prose // Germenevics of the ancient Russian literature. Sat 14. - M., 2010. P. 258-360. - in the author. With Ph.D. Kolyadich T. M.
  • Russian prose of the XXI century in criticism. - M., Science-Flint, 2010, 2013. - Reviews in the central press. - in the author. With Ph.D. Kolyadich T. M.
  • "The story of the German Lazarevich" as a sample of the genre of the Fairy Military Tale of the XVII century. - [the dissertation], 1987
  • Kapitsa F. S. Ilyin M. // Russian Children's Writers of the twentieth century: Bibliographic dictionary. - M.: Flint; Science, 1997. - P. 199-201. - ISBN 5-02-011304-2.
  • Gimbutas M. Slavyani / Per. from English T. M. Kolyadich and F. S. Kapitsa; Preport. F. S. Kapitsa.
  • Robbins R. H. Encyclopedia of witchcraft and demonology / trans. from English T. M. Kolyadich and F. S. Kapitsa.

A family

  • Praded - L. P. Kapitsa, Major General of the Engineering Corps of Forts Kronstadt.
  • Grandfather is a famous scientist-physicist P. L. Kapitsa.
  • Father is a famous scientist and TV presenter S. P. Kapitsa.
  • Uncle - A. P. Kapitsa, Soviet geographer and geomorphologist, Corresponding Member of the USSR Academy of Sciences since 1970.
  • Wife - T. M. Kolyadich, Dr. Philol. Sciences, Professor MPGU, co-author of books, leading headings in the magazine "In the World of Science".
  • Daughter - Faith, Researcher of the manuscript department had RAS (from 2002) and the head of the reading room (since 2007).

Links

  • Personalia on Natlib.ru website
  • Personalia. "The literary space of Muscovy: the Moscow organization of the writers of the Union of Literators of the Russian Federation", materials for the biographical director of E. V. Kharitonov. Checked on May 17, 2015.
  • Fedor's speech on the evening of his father's memory S. P. Kapitsa on YouTube (February 14, 2013)

Fedor Sergeyevich Kapitsa (Pseudonym Sergey Fedorov, August 17, 1950, Moscow - April 27, 2017) - Russian literary critic, folklorist, writer and translator. Candidate of Philology. Son S. P. Kapitsy.

Leading Researcher of the Department of Valves Slavic Literatures had wounds. Head The news department of the magazine "In the World of Science".

In 1975 he graduated from Philfak MPGU and graduate school in had RAS. In 1975-1977, he worked in the Department of Rare Books and the Acquisition of the Russian State Library (then the State Library. V.I. Lenin), he read the folklore course on Filfak MPGU, at the Faculty of Journalism, Literature and Art of URAO and MPGU. Since 1982, the Researcher of the Folklore department had RAS.

In 1987 he defended his thesis on the degree of candidate of philological sciences on the topic "The Tale of Eruzlan Lazarevich" as a sample of the genre of the Fabulous Military Tale of the XVII century. "

The leading researcher at the Folklore department had RAS since 1997, since 2004 - in the department of Old Slavic literature.

Since 2002, Head of the news department of the magazine "In the World of Science", where his father of Kapitsa S. P. was the chief editor

The author of a variety of translations; Articles in biographical, encyclopedic dictionaries and textbooks "All of all", "Writers of our childhood", "Russian children's writers of the 20th century", "History of the Old Russian literature", "Russian prose of the late XX century" (M., 2005), etc.

Regularly published in magazines "in the world of science" (Scientific American), "Rzh", "Book Review" newspapers, "Teacher's newspaper".

Member of the Union of Journalists of the Russian Federation and the International Federation of Journalists since 2003, the Moscow Association of Writers of the Union of Writers (MOL RF) since 2004, the Union of Translators of the Russian Federation since 2005.

Books (5)

History of world culture

The schoolboy's reference book is the modern and most complete training manual compiled on the current base program approved by the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation.

The series is compiled and developed by experienced teachers of Moscow schools and teachers of Moscow State University. M.V. Lomonosov.

The publication covering all aspects of the school program is intended for schoolchildren of 4-11 classes, their parents, teachers and applicants.

Russian history. To prepare for the exam

The teacher of the schoolchildren is the modern and most complete study guide drawn up on the current base program approved by the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation.

The series is compiled and developed by experienced teachers of Moscow schools and teachers of Moscow State University. M. V. Lomonosov. The publication covering all aspects of the school program is intended for schoolchildren of 4-11 classes, their parents, teachers and applicants.

Russian prose of the XXI century in criticism. Reflection, evaluation, description method

The manual is practical and is devoted to the analysis of the forms that determine the modern literary process: reports, interviews, reviews, reviews, press conferences, copyright yearbooks, presentations. The material of the book allows you to diversify the educational process in universities, contributing to the preparation of a wide profile philologist. An appendix as an illustrative material provides examples of these forms, as well as the subjects of course, bachelor, thesis and master's work.

For students, masters, graduate students of philological and journalistic faculties of universities. The manual can be used by teachers-verders in organizing classes in modern literature, as well as practitioners.

Russian Children's Folklore: Tutorial

This tutorial is the first edition of this kind. Children's folklore is presented for the first time as an independent component of the total folklore course. In addition to traditional sections of the course (lullaby songs, fairy tales, games) included heads dedicated to terrible stories, school folklore, postopolklore forms.

The publication is intended for a wide range of readers, teachers of universities, workers of all areas of education (including educators, methodologists, leaders of circles) and parents. Especially for students, the practical part is intended, which includes topics of lectures, practical training, seminars, independent work, questions for exams and literature.

Secrets of the Slavic Gods

The amazing and mysterious world of our ancestors is the main thing that the reader will find in this cognitive book.

It reflects the representations of the ancient Slavs about the world and its device in it, described in detail about the images and symbols of Slavic mythology, fairy tale characters, rites, holidays and Christian rituals.

The book decorate illustrations from rare and little-known sources.

Preface

Who are the ancient Slavs? When did they live? Currently, there are several hypotheses and versions associated with their origins and seats of settlements. After publications of a number of research, in particular, the works of M. Gimbutas, recently presented to the Russian reader, it became clear that our previous ideas are far from being fully, although there are many of the studies of our ancestors.
Departing from biased and unilateral sociological studies of the previous years, attracting works as domestic and Western scientists, today we restore the more complete and detailed history of the life of the ancient Slavs, learn how they gradually went farther and further north and west. In the end, they managed to settle extensive territory in Central and Eastern Europe and on the Balkan Peninsula. I had to be difficult, practically the Slavs did the same way as the ancient Chinese at one time were, gradually arranging their own state.
Asseminating in the new lands, Slavs over time ordered the system of an inter-bred organization, the order of relations with neighbors was built, determined their internal structure. Clarking the features of the world order of the ancient Slavs, the author of the directories involves introduce the reader into the world of Slavic mythology: to acquaint with the ancient gods, mythological characters, holidays, rites, the main concepts and symbols of people's spiritual culture. He also wants to show how the elements gradually approved by Christianity have been detrimental to the national utility.
The process was bilateral and in church book, and in icon painting, and even in liturgical practice, traces of ancient beliefs were reflected. Often (especially in ritualistry), they are even more distinctly expressed than the Christian ideas actually. Of course, the author of this book understands that such a study should be the subject of capital scientific work. In the proposed directory, one of the steps in this direction are made, marked the main tendencies of the existence of two layers of Russian culture and highlighted the most significant features. Note that during a number of years, such questions were excluded from the scope of scientific research.
Obviously, the belief system of each people is developing for a long time and depends on various historical, public and personal factors. A feature of Slavic mythology has become contamination, the combination of different components. One of them was "paganism" - a huge complex of primitive beliefs, views and rituals, which has developed in time immemorial and has become the basis on which the main world religions later were formed.
Eastern Slavs, like other European peoples, has existed a detailed designed system of beliefs and ideas about the supernatural world. Her roots go to Indo-European antiquity.
The term "paganism" comes from the word "language", i.e., peoples, ingenians who have not yet adopted Christianity. Often, instead of the concept of "paganism", another term "polytheism" ("Polytemism") is used, such as the use of terms is inaccurate, since they reflect two different levels of knowledge of the world: paganism is based on the spiritualization of the environment of nature, and politicalism - on faith in the existence of an extensive host gods.
As in other religions, in Slavic paganism, the desire of people to understand the world around them was reflected. Ancient man likened the items and phenomena living beings, endowed them with soul and character. He believed that trees, stones, water and air inhabited kind or evil spirits. Therefore, any action person committed in the presence of mysterious supernatural forces. Among them were like pagan deities (Perun and Velez, Dazhibogog and Mokosh, Striboga and Chore), and mythological beings (mermaids, leishes, houses, fantastic beasts and birds).
Supernatural creatures could help, and harvest a person. So they should be placed to themselves, making the appropriate sacrifices, while performing ritual dancing and songs. The form of communication with supernatural beings was the so-called magic rituals. Unlike religious rituals, they were not directed to achieving any particular result, most often people just sought to drive off or scare away hostile forces.
Sometimes they were asked for personal well-being, cure from illness or creating favorable conditions for the future harvest. So the first rites arose, which accompanied the whole life of a person from birth to death. Over time, many rituals have lost their magic significance and turned into games that have come down to this day.
An animation of the other world led to the emergence of a multi-lab, each particular phenomenon was contacted by the name of anything or another God. The classic example of such a polytetic system can serve as a religion of ancient Greece, in which there were several dozen gods, as if those who were responsible for the most different aspects of everyday life.
Passing a long period of development in the ancient world, in different cultures, such systems by the beginning of our era had many gods distributed in ranks (higher and lower gods and heroes). With the development of writing, they began to be issued in the form of cycles, which gradually led to the creation of national epic ("Senior EDDA"),
The mythological beliefs of the Slavs were fundamentally different from the mythologies of other European peoples. Slavs began to be formed as an ethnos only in the IV-VI centuries, so by the time of the adoption of Christianity in the IX century. The pagan performances have not yet been a slender system, and the Pantheon of the Higher Gods was just beginning to develop, beliefs in individual gods continued to extend and after the introduction of official religion. In addition, mythology existed only orally, since, before the adoption of Christianity, the Slavs had no writing. At one time M.V. Lomonosov wrote: "We would have many fables as the Greeks, if the sciences in idolatry were in the Slavs."
Unlike paganism, later religions are Christianity, Islam, Buddhism are based on faith in a single God, in a single supernatural force that manages all the universe. They are called monotheistic (from Greek. "Monos" is one). But in fact, they, and paganism are based on one principle - a person gives the supernatural power of nature, the great unknowable spirit, which gives rise to all living things and immerses him into death.
After the spread of Christianity, despite the existence of writing, the pagan beliefs were not recorded, but became the object of crushing, although, as noted, it was not possible to completely eradicate ancient legends. They continued to exist in the oral tradition. Today, to obtain ideas about Slavic mythology, you have to use mediated data. The information provided in the preserved compositions of the ancient and Byzantine historians is rather stingy and are often not distinguished by accuracy. Ancient authors did not seek to penetrate the peculiarities of the life and morals of Slavs, estimating the poorly informed third-party observer from the position of a poorly informed third-party observer.
Let us dwell on the organization of the process of reverence of the deities. The deification of nature phenomena was not expressed in concrete rituals and rites, it was rather a spontaneous nature and perceived as simple veneration. The later stage was based on the reverence of images of deities or idols and was based on complex rituals and system of sacrifice.
Personification of gods, or pagan piety, and the establishment of a system of sacrifices demanded the organization of places of worship, and each God was assumed depending on the place he occupied in Pantheon. Domestic gods brought victims in a family circle. The main (common generic) gods were devoted to the lush ceremonies in which many people participated. Usually, similar holidays dedicated to the main gods occurred for several days and were accompanied by abundant pearts. Rituals were carried out in special places - the heads.
Initially, they were arranged in places, which were considered sacred: on high hills, in the rays of rivers, in old trees, large stones. When the admission object was special images of the gods, the rites began to perform near them. At certain days, victims (including human) were sacrificed in the temples.
After the adoption of Christianity, the polytheism was replaced by theism (from Greek. "TEOS" is God). Accordingly, the pagan deities and mythological characters received the name of "unclean power". However, they continued to believe, and traces of these beliefs were preserved in a variety, customs and beliefs.
Instead of a multitude of gods, the world was the only almighty god, whom he won like the Creator of all living things. Sacrifice to the sacrifice of specific objects or people was replaced with a symbolic, "bloodless" victim committed only in the consciousness of believers.
At the same time, the more ancient ideas were not forgotten, they were too deeply entered into the consciousness of people and in everyday life and could not immediately change the new ones. The pagan beliefs of the Eastern Slavs gradually entered the Christian cult. As a result, the so-called "twist", in which the pagan views were connected to a single whole with the dogmas of Christianity so closely that they are sometimes impossible to divide them at all.
It should be noted that the tagne performances themselves changed in the process of interaction - some images were forgotten, disappeared, others appeared. When, on the basis of a single Eastern Slavic culture, the Russian, Ukrainian and Belarusian traditions began to form, in each of them the total mythological heritage has changed to his own way. In addition, there were beliefs and legends known in a certain area. So, the image of the mermaid is known to all Eastern Slavs, but in the Russian north they are talking about it other than in the south or in Ukraine.
Although the pagan deities did not recognize openly, faith in them did not disappear. The usual images of the pagan deities peacefully got along with Christian saints. Ilya Prophet relates to Perun, the God of Thunder and Lightning, Saint Nicholas began to identify with the patron of livestock Veles.
Sometimes it happened a purely mechanical transfer of functions, for example, based on the convening of names: the Christian Holy Mills became a patron saint of livestock, having adopted his "duties" from the pagan god Veles.
Fucking more free and even in a sense, the amorphous structure of paganism, Christianity subjugated its own logic, which manifested itself in the systematization of pagan beliefs. So, the ancient Slavs did not distinguish paradise and hell, they believed in a single afterlime world, which could be somewhere around the sea, and in heaven, and in the underground kingdom. Under the influence of Christianity, the idea of \u200b\u200bthe "Tom World" became more definite. The lower, the underground world (hell) began to perceive as a place of stay of the negative spiritual principle, unclean strength.
All places close to the lower world are swamps, pits, ravines, cellars have a hostile and dark beings opposing the power of the "godfather". Accordingly, the upper, the heavenly world - began to perceive as the habitat of the "Forces of Righteous and Divine", Light, full of holiness. The will of God and God's fishery dominates over all beings.
Organic fusion of two rates of beliefs was due to the coincidence of individual ritual actions. The main ones can be considered the reverelation of bread and water. During the liturgy, bread, bloodless victim to God, replaces the "Body of Christ". Consecrated water that defended from unclean strength, became the basis of the sacrament of baptism. Burning firefire or fire candle symbolizes clean and negascia. The Earth denotes the material essence of human flesh ("Yako Earth Esi and in the land of alliants"). Brought to church and consecrated fruits received therapeutic force.
Pagan rituals have become the organic component of many Christian holidays (Christmas, Easter, Condo). Back in the middle of the XX century. The Belarusian peasants sincerely honored St. Nicholas, but at the same time they made various ritual actions to protect themselves from the witch's listings to Ivan Khapov. Multiple performances not only do not conflict, but also well coexist, complementing each other. The form of their coexistence is the system of folk rites and customs, called the National Orthodoxy.
By placing a specific task aimed at the presentation of popular culture with a wide reader, the directorist's author is perfectly aware of how difficult and not easy to solve it. Attracting and interpreting various sources, he sought not to miss a source from sight a source, but at the same time avoid hitting the directory of unverified and unconfirmed information.
The main source of information about Slavic mythology is considered to record folklore and ethnographic data collected by researchers of the XIX and XX centuries. Note that the study of the traditional culture of Slavic peoples continues only to just over two centuries, but it was carried out so intensively that only during the XVIII - the first third of the XIX century. It has appeared at least one and a half hundred studies on various spheres of folk culture. In the end and at the beginning of this stream, two encyclopedias can be distinguished - the book of the journalist and the publisher M. Chulkov "ABEVEGA RUSSIAN SUVERY" (1782) and fundamental, but, unfortunately, not yet completed dictionary "Slavic antiquities" edited by Academician N.I. Tolstoy (1995).
There is a huge temporary distance between these works, reflecting the difficult evolution of views on the domestic culture. Until the middle of the XIX century. The folk culture was considered something low, rude, ridiculous, unworthy of the attention of educated people. Subsequently, it became an object of enthusiastic worship, and only from the middle of the XIX century. You can talk about the beginning of her scientific research.
All this time was a tireless, painstaking, externally inconspicuous work on picking up, fixing and studying the preserved monuments of the past. The process of accumulation of material reflected in the emergence of significant scientific papers. Among them it is necessary to note the books of A.N. Afanasyev, E.V. Anichkova, A.N. Veselovsky, P.N. Bogatyreva, D.K. Zelenina, A.A. Pothebni, V.Ya. Proppap and many others.
Based on the work done and the ability to create a fairly complete picture of the Slavic pavement appears. Thus, what we understand under the words "Old Russian mythology" is 90% reconstruction, and therefore it implies a greater share of conventionality. But this is a scientific reconstruction, for it is based on the laws of development of human culture and is confirmed by comparison of facts.
The number of reliable primary sources (usually the retells of the oldest texts of the Orthodox authors) are quite limited. They are so often used by researchers that individual materials belonging to a particular character have become a kind of "common places" repeating in most publications on this topic. In some cases, the authors of dictionaries and reference books in Slavic mythology are based on the information that has been drawn from the work of the XIX century., Without giving themselves the report in the fact that they are mainly outdated for many decades ago. Do not take into account the materials accumulated over the next years, including those contained and in foreign studies, led to the revision of many estimates and points of view. New facts obtained as a result of comparative studies are not always introduced.
Compensating for the lack of information, some authors add to them their own assumptions and additions, without taking care of their confirmation by the facts. Often combine similar facts without taking into account the fact that they belong to the time-based phenomena.
It should be said about intentional hobles. They began to appear in Russian culture in the first decades of the XIX century, almost simultaneously with the development of domestic ethnography. At that time, they tried to "compensate" the absence of real scientific facts. In the XX century Started "open" unknown monuments. These include the publication of the sadly famous "veleskaya book". Although the largest scientists - V.V. Vinogradov, D.S. Likhachev, O.V. Cottages are still in the 2nd half of the XX century. They proved that it is a hoax and is not drawn up in antiquity, but at the beginning of the 20th century, many authors of popular science books continue to persevere "not to notice" such assessments. As a result, a powerful layer "quite reliable" information was formed, which the inexperienced reader often takes for the truthful.
Of course, the author of this reference book could not avoid some errors and inaccuracies. Therefore, he will be grateful for any constructive comments.
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Bibliography

Apostolos-Cappadon D. Dictionary of Christian Art. Chelyabinsk, 2000.
Belovinsky L. Russian historical and domestic dictionary. M., 1999.
Bernshat T. Russian folk culture Pomerania in the XIX - early XX century. L., 1983.
Gimbutas M. Slavs. M., 2003, 2004, 2005.
Timbutas M. Balts. M., 2004.
Gromyko M. World of Russian village. M., 1991.
Spiritual culture of Northern Belozeria: ethno-pharmacy dictionary. M., 1997.
Lived once. Russian ritual poetry. St. Petersburg., 1997.
Forgets M. Russian people. His customs, rites, legends, superstition and poetry. M., 1880, 1989.
Zelenin D. East Slavic ethnography. M., 1991.
Calendar customs and rites in countries of foreign Europe. End XIX - early XX century. Winter holidays. M., 1973.
Calendar customs and rites in countries of foreign Europe. End of the XIX - early XX century. Spring holidays. M., 1977.
History of World Culture: Schoolboy's Handbook / Sost. F. Kapitsa, T. Kolyadich. M., 1996.
Kagarov E. Religion of the ancient Slavs. M., 1918.
Kon-Sherbok D., Kon-Sheobok L. Judaism and Christianity: dictionary. M., 1995.
Corinthian A. People's Rus. M., 1901.
Kruglov Yu. Ritual poetry. T. 1-2. M., 1997-1998.
All year round Russian agricultural calendar. M., 1989.
Levkiev E. Myths of the Russian people. M., 2000.
Maksimov S. Unclean, unknown and processional power. St. Petersburg., 1903.
Myths of the peoples of the world. T. 1-2. M., 1982.
Mythological dictionary. M., 1986.
Nekrylova A. Russian folk city holidays, envelope and spectacle. End of XVIII - early XX century. L., 1988.
Essays of the history of the culture of Slavs. M., 1996.
Panchenko A. People's Orthodoxy. St. Petersburg., 1998.
Petrukhin V. The paganism of the ancient Slavs in the light of international studies. M., 1985.
Pomerantseva E. Mythological characters in Russian folklore. M., 1975.
Poetry of peasant holidays. L., 1970.
Propp V. Russian Agrarian holidays: experience of historical and ethnographic research. L., 1963.
The history of the culture of ancient Russia. T. 1-2. M., 1951.
Russian demonological dictionary. St. Petersburg, 1995.
Fishermen B. The paganism of the ancient Slavs. M., 1981.
Fishermen B. Paganism of ancient Russia. M., 1987.
Garden of demons: a dictionary of the infernal mythology of the Middle Ages and Renaissance. M., 1998.
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Slavic mythology: encyclopedic dictionary. M., 1995.
Slavic antiquities: Ethnolinguistic dictionary. T. 1. M., 1995; T. 2. M., 1999; T. 3. M., 2004.
Dictionary of religions. Judaism. Christianity. Islam. St. Petersburg., 2008.
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Harlitsky M., Chromov S. Russian holidays, folk customs, traditions, rites: book for reading. M., 1996.
Christianity: Encyclopedic Dictionary. T. 1-3. M., 1991-1995.
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Ethnography of the Eastern Slavs: Essays of traditional culture. M., 1987.

Pagan characters

Axen

Mythological character, the main acting face of the ritual associated with the celebration of the New Year or Christmas.
Probably, his name goes back to the ancient Russian root "Effig" - a bluish founding in the names of winter months (for example, placer - January). Other researchers believe that the word "Axen" comes from the word "Sen" (Cvet). The arrival of Avsena is added day, and the bright part of the year begins.
Acene is dedicated to the cycle of folk songs, where he acts as an anthropomorphic character. They tell us that Acene comes to horse and builds a bridge, which "come" all other annual holidays: Christmas, baptism, Vasilyev day.
Since Avsene's arrival indicated the beginning of the New Year celebration, Ceing the Avesen in the traditional folk calendar began the spring cycle of holidays associated with ensuring the fertility of the Earth. Therefore, Avsena and sought to die in every way: he was solemnly met, treated specially cooked dishes - pancakes, pellets, pyats, pies, pork legs.
The ritual songs were performed by children who walked on January 1 to congratulate the fellow villagers. They carried Lukoshko with grain (wheat or oats). Children sang congratulations and threw the grains through the table in a red corner. The mistress gave the children, and they went to the next house. Here is one of these songs:


Oxen, oxen!
Feed a string!
What is a storage?
Spit to sharpen.
What kind of braid?
Grass mow.
What is grass?
Cows feed.
What are the cows?
Milk milk milk.
What is milk?
Guys feed.
What are the guys?
They plow them.
Pleasted breaking.

Bannik

Spirit, living in the bath, most often on the shelf or in the sun.
The banner was represented as a small naked old man, covered with mud or leaves from brooms. He could also turn into a dog or a cat.
Sometimes a banner was represented in female appearance - then he spoke under the name of Shishigi (from the dialect verb sewkeep, move, make the sneak). Externally, she looked like a small woman and was also dangerous for a person, so it was not recommended to come to the bath without appropriate offering.

Jannik. Fig. AND I. Bilina

In some places, the banner was called admier. According to beliefs, she looked like a woman with long hands, big teeth, hairs to the floor and widely placed eyes. She was respected respectfully "Bath Hostess." Before washing, they fell respectfully: "Bath hostess, let us wash us, shake, shake." Going out, thanked: "Thank you, the hostess, for the guy Banku. You are on the builder, we are in healthy. "
Since the bath has always been considered a place of habitat of evil spirits, the banner was usually perceived as a hostile person a character. To protect themselves from the banner, he was sacrificed to a black chicken, and after washing in the bath left the broom, a piece of soap and a little warm water.
Before entering the bath, "asked" from the host so that he would wash to wash and caused harm to people. During a bunny day, all people were usually shared on three queues and washed in the "three pairs", the "fourth pairs" was intended for a banner. Before the start of washing, the banner was warned by the words: "baptized on the shelves, unresolved - from the shelf."
It was believed that the jannik washes along with other domestic spirits - houses, yard, kikimor. Therefore, after a third couple, people followed the bath. In addition, it was impossible to wash after midnight, it was categorically forbidden to sleep in the bath. It was not allowed to drown a bath on holidays, especially for a shield, because at this time there were devils or a banner with their children.
All the following beliefs have a clear practical basis, because in the closed bath, the carbon monoxide was gradually accumulated, and the person could suffocate.
Especially the banner could harm the child left in the bath without supervision. There was a belief that such a baby banner replaces his cub. The replacement is distinguished by the ugly appearance and the fact that he always screams. Unlike other children, he does not grow and does not start walking on time. Usually after a few years, the changes were dying, turning into a head or broom.
Being the habitat of the unclean power of the bath was considered one of the places of the soda gadas. At this time at midnight, the girls came to the door of the bath or to the brow (entrance) of the Kamenka. Looking there a hand or naked back of the body, the girls waited for a bun. If he concerned with a shaggy hand, it was assumed that the groom would be kind and rich if bare - poor and evil.
In the bath not only washed, but also gave birth, as it was the warmest and clean place in the house. So that the banner did not harm, the female was not removed the cross, and she was never left alone.