“Agatha Borovnica”: folk tradition of the 18th of February 2018

2018-02-17 20:31

“Agatha Borovnica”: folk tradition of the 18th of February 2018
February 18 was made to commemorate the ancestors, departed to the other world.

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Folk festival “Agafya Korovnitsa” the 18th of February (old style – 5 February).

In the Orthodox Church calendar is the day of memory of Martyr Agatha PERMSKOI (Palermo). Also on this day that Russia commemorated “those that have departed to the other world of the fathers-grandfathers.”

Other names of the holiday: “Agatha”, “Agatha Cowgirl”, “Hunger”, “Cow’s death”, “Mediatrix”.

Agatha was born in a Christian family in the city of Palermo (Palermo). When the Emperor Decius began persecution of Christians, she decided to accept the crown of martyrdom. Her beauty charmed the local Governor Quintana. He tried to convince the girl faith to tempt the luxury and affection. His attempts were not crowned with success. Then Quintian angry Agapiou and subjected to severe torture. But she did not lose courage and endured all the suffering. Agatha died in prison. In the place of her burial Christians later built a Church.

The Holy Martyress Agatha was considered as the patroness of cattle, helping the hosts to be protected and grooming the main breadwinners for rural families — cows. After the summer and autumn warm and rich feed cows special protection is not needed. But at the end of winter, when not only the hay, even straw had to economize, the question of assistance to considerably skinny and Basilisk cows get up rather sharply.

Often at this time of starvation and contagious diseases died out whole peasant herds, and superstitious our ancestors were tied of such catastrophic mortality with the advent in the villages of the “Cow of death”. They say it’s an evil being has appeared on earth in the form of nasty old as time Agatha the Korovnitsa.

And to ward off cattle “Cow’s death”, the hostess on this day, the Holy Martyr prayed, cleaned the barn with sandals, smeared with tar, fumigated it with thistles, exposing the doors of aspen trees, uprooted.

Often in the night Agatha is particularly hard women performed the rite opahivanie the village. Why were harnessed to the plow with a yoke, but without slay one of the local widows, going close to barefoot, in their shirts, shouting spells and it gets in the pan and furnace door.

The peasants at this time were strictly forbidden to leave the house, dogs, even the most well-behaved, kept on a leash, and animals are securely locked in the barn. After all, if it came across loud babīna moves the animal or the human — scored participants of the ceremony poor to death, considering that the Cow’s death by changing the species they came across. Needless to say, a cruel custom, but the stakes are high: “peasant cattle alive, and when the cow in the yard, and grub on the table.”

Agatha was also a Protectress against fire. In the day of her memory it was consecrated bread, which is kept in the house as a reliable remedy for the “red rooster”.

In case of fire, this bread was to throw either fire, or, on the contrary, in the open field, away from home.

In addition, on February 18, was made to commemorate the ancestors, departed to the other world.