How is the ceremony carried out the soul 40 days. Seeing off. The ceremonial "farewell to the soul" in the folk memorial tradition
Seeing off to the next world
The soul is a double of a person during his life, has the features of a mythological character. After separation from the human flesh (in case of death or during sleep), the soul leaves the body, taking the form of a breeze, steam, smoke or butterflies, birds.
Sometimes the Soul is represented as a little man with a transparent body or a child with wings.The soul is a tiny part of energy, an integral part of the Creator. The soul exists by itself; it is different from the body in the heart of which it lives, and is in it a source of consciousness. The soul has an individuality.
The Soul takes its origin from the mother when a person is born, according to other ideas it comes from God. She “lives” together with a person and is in him either in the head or in the hole under the neck, in the chest, in the stomach, heart, etc. The soul grows, like a person, feels warm, cold, pain is joy, but it eats only steam from food.
During the life of a person, she can leave him only in a dream, so people dream that they travel, get into unusual places, etc. If a person is associated with evil spirits, then the Soul, having left him in a dream, creates various evil deeds.
According to popular belief, the witch’s body remains breathless, while the Soul, being in different guises, takes away milk from cows, steals stars from the sky, etc. If at this time the position of the witch's body changes, then the Soul returning from the night wanderings cannot get into its body shell and flies around the witch, turning around like a hen, then a goose, or a bee.
People who combine in themselves the properties of a real person and an evil spirit (sorcerers, magicians, planetary men), according to legends, have two Souls or they do not have a Christian Soul. They sell it to the devil, replacing it with an "unclean spirit."
After the death of a person, the Soul leaves the body with the last exhalation of the dying person, remaining for some time close to the body. To help the Soul leave the room, doors, windows, and flaps in the furnace are often opened; A towel is hung out of the window, along which it goes down, and then, if desired, comes back. It is also believed that the Soul wipes its tears with this towel, rests on it.
The soul accompanies the body to the cemetery, crying and after the funeral often returns to the house. Therefore, at the wake of the Slavs, it is customary to serve hot dishes (borsch, freshly baked bread, which is specially broken by hands, etc.) so that the Soul can refresh itself with steam from this food. For six weeks in a red corner under the icons there is a vessel with water: according to belief, the soul of the deceased is in the house for forty days and needs to be drunk.
On the fortieth day after death, commemorations occur — “send the Soul to the next world”. Similar ideas about the Soul of the Departed, staying close to people for the first forty days after death, are characteristic of many nations. After this time has elapsed, the souls “travel on the earth”, rise to the higher aerial spheres, fly to the judgment of God, etc.
The most difficult is the transition of the Soul through the water. Various folklore texts say that souls to the “other world” are carried by St. Nicholas, Chiron; it is sometimes emphasized that they carry only righteous souls. Sinful souls suffer in hell and starve, as they are fed with ashes. It is also believed that the souls of sinners are constantly rushing on the ground, causing whirlwinds, storms, hurricanes. The souls of non-baptized children become captives, mermaids.
According to beliefs, there is a close relationship of the Soul with the body and after death. On memorial days, she visits her home, goes around places where the deceased has been, always appears at the grave, so relatives of the deceased leave pies, pancakes at the grave, pour vodka.
The belief that souls are returning home on Christmas Eve, New Year, Trinity, etc. is common. Soul shows people the appearance of various insects and birds, which is associated with the idea of its lightness, ability to fly, the presence of wings, and the like.
Thus, when butterflies and moths appear at the flame of a candle, they commemorate the dead, praying and calling them by name; bans to kill butterflies, omens about them as harbingers of death, etc. are also known.
If any bird (sparrow, cuckoo, kite) constantly flies to the house, then it is identified with the Soul of the deceased. Often, grain is scattered for birds in tribute to the dead at the graves or crossroads.
The eyes correlate with the inner world of a person, they are often considered to be the receptacle of the soul; according to some beliefs, at the time of death, the soul leaves the body through the eyes. The door was opened to help the soul leave the body, and left unclosed until relatives returned from the funeral. The human soul leaves the house through a window in the form of a bird. The Russians, as soon as they noticed that the person was dying, put a cup of water on the window so that the soul that left the body could bathe and fly away.
In commemoration ceremonies, the window was a place of communication with the souls of the dead: at the time of death or after the commemoration a piece of cloth or towel was hung out of the window so that the soul went up to them in the house and then went back down, dried off with this towel or had a rest on it; through the window, souls were escorted to the cemetery after the commemoration, etc.
More than a thousand years have passed since the baptism of Rus,
and people still continue to believe in the absurd pagan signs.
The number of those situations, when the priest is confronted directly with folk superstitions and occult magic, first of all include the burial of the deceased. The priest, having performed the funeral, usually finishes him with a sermon, and then explains how to properly, in an Orthodox way, hold the body of the deceased and bring him to the ground. It also reminds of prayer and explains the meaning of the 9th and 40th day, the days of remembrance.
"Stairway to Heaven"
But at the same time, many clergymen forget how much superstition is piled up and stored in people's memory in relation to these first 40 days. And remember this is necessary, and not only in connection with the fact that remind you what to do, but also to explain what you can not do.Unfortunately, it is impossible to cover all the superstitions, because in different localities of Russia something special and special remains. I will give an example. An elderly woman who instructed the relatives of the deceased (such “knowers” are often the conductors of superstition) asked the priest: “From which side does a ladder go to the grave?” When the priest asked what stairs we were talking about, she triumphantly indicated the priest, that in the grave, when the coffin has already been lowered, a small ladder is set up for this, the soul climbs up to heaven. This woman came from somewhere in the Tambov region or from the Smolensk region. “Thanks to” her efforts, our local arsenal could be replenished with new superstition, or maybe she already managed to instill some in her.
The time is now such that even to a church-going person it seems that this or that error is of church origin. Here, in Komi, one such local belief says that for the first forty days the soul lives in a house in which a person died or where he is remembered. And this, of course, fundamentally contradicts the teachings of the Church, which asserts that the soul after the funeral goes into hardship and, after passing them through church prayers, falls into the palace of heaven. Trial, in fact, is a judicial investigation, where evil spirits expose the soul, and often slander it. And the guardian angel protects the Christian soul at this judgment.
But if there is an unrepentant mortal sin, disbelief, hatred of someone, offense, then the soul loses its grace-filled protection and becomes the prey of demons. And, of course, our help to the soul of the deceased on this path is possible and necessary. The prayers of loved ones, the prayers of the Church fall on the cup of salvation.
"Towel on the mirror"
The belief that the soul is supposed to be at home for 40 days inflicts tremendous harm on the deceased. After all, with this superstition and the custom is connected to put in a red corner a glass of tea with pancakes, and even a glass of vodka. At the same time pronounce the invitation to "eat". As we see, instead of intensified prayer, instead of reading the Psalms and canons, instead of requiem liturgy and memorial service in the church, we have an empty pagan rite before us.Or just recently I was surprised by the case when after the funeral I saw a towel hanging on the wall (it symbolizes the presence of the soul in the house). As usual, I began to explain the Orthodox teaching about the posthumous fate of a person and about the harm of this superstition. When I removed this towel from the wall, believing that everything I had explained was available, two women, by the way, the regular parishioners of our churches, quietly rebelled, saying that this was a long-established church custom that their mothers and grandmothers gave them.
As we see, we have the same thing as in the days of Christ's coming in Palestine, when the traditions of imaginary elders, that is, human desires and opinions, supposedly sanctified by time, stood in the way of God's commandments - the teachings of the Church, inspired by the Holy Spirit.
I also add that the culmination of this superstition is connected with this towel. On the fortieth day, a certain "spectacle" is arranged - the farewell of the soul. Choose a person with similar to the deceased external and age data, gird him with this towel. And then come to him in turn, bow to the ground and ask for forgiveness. Saying goodbye, give him a basket with all kinds of food, and then send him out of the house. Often present in this rite and church notes. For example, when leaving the house of the "deceased" sometimes accompanied by singing "Trisagion." But, I repeat, there is nothing ecclesiastical, orthodox in this ritual, but only harmful superstition.
"Pancake on the face"
Quite strange tricks are invented by people and so that the body does not “deteriorate” before time. I must say that the time for finding the body in the house is given conditionally and for reinsurance for medical purposes. Three days is enough time for all signs of irreversible death to manifest and corruption begins. That is, they are needed to eliminate the danger of the burial of a person who is in a coma or lethargic sleep.But when these signs come on very quickly due to the conditions - a hot climate, a house is heavily flooded, etc., then it is allowed to bury earlier than three days. In Palestine, as the Scripture testifies, were buried on the same day when the man died. In case of need for long transportation or waiting for loved ones, it is necessary to embalm a body. Meanwhile, unseemly tricks are often used - for example, they put raw eggs under their cheeks, twist a finger with copper wire, or even create a strange thing: put a pancake on their face. Many of these methods are blasphemous and ridiculous.
"Medias to the grave"
The main thing that is necessary is to instruct the people who are present at this sorrowful event in a prayerful way. But it should not be forgotten that people who have lost their dear person are in a half-short state, and they should be given very gentle instructions, comforting them with hope and love. It would be even better if the priest, as in the old days, leads the deceased to the cemetery and will himself betray him to the earth. Then surely no one will throw coppers and handkerchiefs into the grave so that the deceased “takes the tears with him”.Priest Vitaly Razmylov,
Syktyvkar
(www.rusvera.mrezha.ru/437/11.htm)
Mythology as a system
Works
O.R. Aminova
The ceremonial "farewell to the soul" in the folk memorial tradition
In 2001-2003 we took part in expeditionary research in the Perm Territory, which was conducted by the PermSU Cultural and Visual Anthropology Laboratory (Head - Assoc. Assoc., EM Chetina). An extensive folklore material on calendar rites, a magical tradition; interest is caused by the most well-preserved funeral and memorial rites, where Russian and Komi-Perm traditions are combined. “Memorial days are with us: 9 days, then 20 days; for 40 days you need 40 people, give 40 alms. For 6 weeks - the soul is escorted ”(L.N. Popova, p. Samkovo). Special attention is drawn to itself 42nd memorial day ("6 weeks") and the associated archaic rite "Farewell to the soul"which aims to ensure the dignified existence of the soul of the deceased in the afterlife.
It should be noted that researchers, in particular VNBelitser, G.N. Chagin, G.N. Maltsev, they mention this rite, but they attribute it to the 40th commemoration day and do not describe in detail. "In the Komi-Perm villages, relatives of the deceased on the 40th day<…> together with the assembled neighbors went to "accompany the soul." (2 - 65) It is characteristic that the name “farewell to the soul” appears not only in the Komi-Permyak, but also in the northern Russian tradition. However, in the latter, the “farewell to the soul” appears only as the second name of the “sorochin”. “The 40th day after death — the so-called sorochins — stood out with particular complexity and solemnity.<…> All actions carried out on this day were often called the wires of the soul "(4 - 68)
We witnessed this rite in the village of Moskvino, Kudymkarsky District (Invavensky Krai) and filmed it on videotape. The young family “accompanied the soul” of their distant relative, Irina Vasilyevna Zubova, an honorary kolkhoz woman known in the past as a tractor driver. It should be emphasized that the participants of the ceremony, the people "unchurched", "accompanied the soul" for the first time, considered it necessary, because "this is what happened." The hostess was very worried and constantly consulted with a more experienced woman. In the traditional Komi-Permyak family, as a rule, a woman dominates. And in this family, although the husband is an activist, a brigadier, he did not interfere in the conduct of the ceremony.
When we entered the house, the first thing that we noticed was the holiday dress of the deceased, which hung on a hanger on the closet. Here it is believed that immediately after a person’s death, his clothes should be hung in a prominent place in the house, usually in a red corner or on a closet. It symbolizes the dead man and traces of the presence of his soul are recorded on it. In addition, “as a person dies, they immediately place even where salt, bread, and a glass of water” (L.N. Popova, S. Samkovo). "40 days put food, drink (preferably loved ones)" (N.I. Chugainova, p. Kochevo). “The bed is covered for 40 days, he sleeps here” (A.G. Petrova, D. Pelym). It should be emphasized that, as a rule, in the ideas of Russians and Komi-Zyryan, the soul stays in the house for forty days after death. "... so that the soul of the deceased could wash, even to the forties (commemoration on the 40th day), water was poured into some of the vessels, and a towel was hung in the corner." (3 - 55) "... he [the dead man] visits the house for forty days." (4 - 690)
At the beginning, when the memorial table was already covered and the memorial candle was burning, the guests did not immediately sit down at the table, but waited a few minutes. It is believed that the "dead man eats first" and "necessarily alone"; traditionally, for the “deceased” a cup, a glass are put on the table, a spoon is placed. There is a constant interpenetration of the space of the living and the dead (the deceased "sits" at the table next to the living; his soul is in the house). Soul for 42 days included in the "world of the living."
It should be noted that a candle is placed next to the device of the deceased in the crumb of bread. We have repeatedly observed this kind of “candlestick” during other rituals of the funeral-memorial cycle in the Komi-Perm villages.
After the guests sat down at the table, the hostess extinguished the candle and circled it around the table 3 times. The choice of dishes for the funeral table is traditional for Komi-Permyak cuisine: it is necessary cherinyan (open fish pie), wort, kvass, beer ("sur"). During the ritual meal, the obligatory ceremonial action is to first transfer the mugs with kvass, and then the cups with alcohol in a circle. "Remembrance" was held in silence. At the end of the funeral dinner, the hostess gathered a knapsack, which included the deceased's things, a mug, a spoon, a cup and leftover food. Everyone left the house. We walked along the road to the place to which the coffin was carried during the funeral. As a rule, this is a crossroad (as in this case), but there may be a river bank, some “conspicuous” place. They stopped here, remembered the deceased again, and distributed alms: the remains of the memorial table should be given to the first comer. Here we are “passing strangers”; they asked us to treat friends and “remember the soul” of the dead together. “They will collect what is on the table for six weeks: fish pie, Braga. They walk along the road and give it to the first comer ”(Z.D. Zubova, born in 1925, Cheremnovo).
At the cemetery on the 42nd day, as a rule, do not go. “We don’t go to the cemetery, they say, the place is given there by the authorities to the dead man. You will put the money in the pocket of the dead man, so he will redeem the land. ”(L.N. Popova, p. Samkovo).
The completion of the rite in question is the removal of the deceased's clothes. It is believed that after the 42nd day, the soul of the deceased person leaves the house and at this time the hanging clothes can move. “There was a towel in the corner. I closed my eyes, I look, my grandmother is lying. And the towel swayed. I saw her soul ”(N.I. Chugainova, p. Kochevo).
Noting the common basis of the traditional funeral and commemoration complex of Russians and Komi-Permyaks, we single out a number of elements that have been preserved to this day mainly in the southern Komi-Permyk region (“Here they always“ accompany the soul ”). In the Gaina region, the “farewell to the soul” is not aware of the rite; some have only heard that “in the Kudymkar side, the soul is escorted
In the northern areas, you can note options for this ceremony:
In some places of Kochevsky and Yusvinsky districts, on the 42nd day the “soul” should be “escorted” only by the owner of the house. "Until dawn," she goes out with a pie, kvass, a pile (if a dead man is) outside the gate; pours and throws (in the case of a pie) towards the cemetery. At the same time, the hostess can read a prayer (which she knows), but she must definitely say “Do not come back!”. Or the hostess simply opens the door "before dawn", thus releasing the soul from the house.
All informants mark “signs” that “the dead person serves” when leaving the house: they see either clothes or a towel or a curtain moving. The soul of the deceased "hears" that she is escorted and leaves. As already noted, the ceremony “farewell to the soul” takes place early in the morning and if the hostess sleeps, the “soul” will surely “wake up”.
The fairly widespread prevalence of this rite is evidence of the stability of folk culture. Calendar rites such preservation does not differ. Of these, only those that at the same time occur on memorial days have not disappeared. For example, the main commemoration of the Komi-Permyakov is Semik.
As rightly noted by the famous researcher of the Finno-Ugric culture V.N. Konakov, "among the Komi-Permyaks, remnants of the ancestor cult and the belief in the preservation, necessity and desirability of mutual contact between the worlds of the living and the dead dominated Christian ideas about the transcendental presence of souls of the dead either in heaven or in hell." (3 - 59)
The “Worship of the Soul” ritual preserved in the Komi-Permyak (formerly widespread on the territory of Prikamye) ceremonies manifests itself in the connection between the living world and the world of the dead, which is characteristic of the popular worldview.
Bibliography:
- Bayburin A.K. Ritual in traditional culture. - M., 1993
- Belitser V.N. Essays on the ethnography of the peoples of Komi (XIX – early XX.), TIE. T. 45, 1958.
- Mythology Komi / N.D. Konakov, A.N. Vlasov, I.V. Ilyin ... / scientific. ed. V.V. Napolsky - M., 1999
- Russian North: ethnic history and folk culture. XII-XX century. - M., 2001
- Chagin G.N. The world around us in the traditional worldview of the Russian peasants of the Middle Urals. - Perm, 1998
The material is posted on the site with the support of the grant No. 1015-1063 of the Ford Foundation.
Letter.
Respectfully: Zinaida and seven more people. Severodonetsk. Ukraine.
Seeing off the human soul to another world for 40 days. This ritual of the showers of the soul is held on the 40th day, before dinner. It is necessary that there be a lamp, which burned for 40 days, and all those present were holding a lit candle. Everyone must read the prayers, in a half-whisper, clearly, clearly, thoughtfully, consciously, personally, everyone should pray for the soul, which today (on day 40) flies off to God. Anyone who prays and reads prayers personally sends the warmth of his soul to the soul of a deceased person, who is present here, but no one sees it. If a person does not read prayers, but simply holds a candle, then he does not help the leaving soul. And it's sad to see when the room is full, there is no other word to pick up, many people, relatives and strangers, and only the priest reads the prayers, and this is, at best, the others hold a candle, no more. Tell me why they filled the room, that it is very difficult for a departing soul to approach a loved one. The soul perceives only those who refer to it, so you need to know what you can NOT do while reading prayers for 40 days.
1. While reading prayers, it is impossible to think about something bad or bad about the deceased himself, this can draw dark forces that are not averse to feasting on the energy that will come from the prayers. But even after the departure of the soul, it is also impossible to speak or think badly about the dead. Dirty your thoughts and words convey dark forces to your dead who will do it with pleasure, because they need the energy of life, and they will take it from the soul of your deceased loved one, and this is a severe pain that you do not feel, but your soul feels. And know that if you send Light, Warmth, Goodness, Peace and Love to your friends and relatives, the warmth of your soul not only clears the space, but also helps purposefully, also to the soul of the deceased, your prayers, your warmth, your love, your bright the memory of a departed soul will be deliberately transmitted by the Lord only to her, and this will give her the strength and speedy realization of her mistakes and sins. Think of the departed with warmth and love, whatever they might be during their lifetime. They really need your prayers and your cherished memory of them.
2. It is impossible that people in the crowd who prayed were drunk or very sick, as they already in their condition not only hurt the departing soul, but also attract dark forces.
3. You can not speak in a raised voice, otherwise you will frighten the soul, and she will have to wait in the wings outside the house. Only tranquility, peace and wish of love to the departing soul.
4. You can not turn on any music and light candles with different smells, but you can incense. The soul needs fresh air, cleanliness, tranquility and peace.
5. It is impossible to read prayers quickly, loudly, without uttering words, otherwise the departing soul will not understand the words of prayer, but a loud voice, and if it is still unexpected, it may become frightened, fly out of the house and wait in the secluded place.
6. You can not invite outsiders to the 40th day to read prayers, as is customary in Russia. This can not be done. You do not know what past these women had, and what thoughts and deeds they performed before, and why they decided to go and read prayers for dead people. The Lord is against such an action, and in order to be right, learn to do everything yourself correctly. After all, the soul of a person close to you leaves, and you read prayers with love to him, and with what love do strangers read them?
7. It is necessary that on the fortieth day only relatives who knew him well prayed for the soul of a deceased person. Strangers are not desirable, who came to eat, and not to help the soul of the deceased, and who with indifference will repeat prayers (if they repeat them again). The soul of a loved one goes into the world of another, and she wants to embrace the people for the last time, and the presence of strangers, can prevent her from doing so. Therefore, it is desirable that in the last reading of the prayers there were only the closest ones, and those who came to see or just to hold the deceased on their last journey, wait on the street, for example. It is the closest ones who remain with the soul of the deceased and say goodbye to her through prayers and through heart feeling.
A priest can conduct a ritual, unfortunately modern priests are unlikely to agree to hold such wires of the soul, but not necessarily him. Can lead someone from relatives or someone from loved ones, who, clear and correct speech. The presenter reads slowly and clearly, but everything is also slowly, clearly, consciously and half-whispering repeated in the first person. Over time, such rituals will invite the True Clairvoyants so that they can pass on the last words of the departing soul to all to whom she turns. I said, True clairvoyants, and not those who are connected with the astral plane of the Earth. True clairvoyants and clairvoyants directly merged with God, who helps the clairvoyant in work, and such a person speaks the truth, which cannot be said about those who read the astral plane. So, the lamp burns, candles are lit, on the table is a photo of the deceased, further
