Global Mythologies

[Róisín]

In Europe today, they still do bonfires, as at Midwinter. Midsummer was the time, back before the modern era, for magic involving the fertility and health of livestock - cattle were often driven between two fires by way of a blessing. The other Midsummer practice was love and fertility magic, often using flowers. Love spells and divinations were another thing done at this time, also handfasting and marriages.

Generally merry celebrations, handfasting and marriages. Plus lots of singing, drinking and dancing.

[Aierdome]

Not sure about the rest of Europe, but in Poland, it's called Kupała Night (the Catholic Church couldn't root it out, so they assimilated it as Saint John's Night) - we celebrate the shortest night, rather than the longest day, and it's still done, though mostly for fun. Girls often try to see the future from various flowers, such as camomile or black lilac, but those flowers have to be picked in absolute silence - I'm not quite sure how exactly this works, it's not common where I live. There are also huge bonfires made, as Róisín mentioned. If you want to absolve yourself of sins, gain luck or simply show that you can, you jump over them - several times, even. The more the better. In the past, there'd also be herbs and animal sacrifices thrown in to make fire-jumping more effective.

A big thing is sending wreaths. A girl makes a wreath of flowers and various herbs, and puts it in the nearest river so that it swims downstream. If the wreath is picked up by a bachelor, it means she's going to get married soon; if not, she'll have to wait a while. In some regions, there'd be a score of young men waiting by the river (AFAIK, it's not so common these days) ready to pick up one of the wreaths before returning to the bonfires where the girls wait and trying to hook up with the one who's made it.

Another huge thing is searching for a fern flower. The legend goes that a fern blossoms only once a year, exactly on Midsummer, and the flower is said to grant incredible wealth, wisdom and strength to the one who picks it. However, it withers by sunrise, and there's only one of it, so it's a challange to find it.

As I said, these days, the whole mysticism of all the traditions is pretty much abandoned, but a lot of people still send wreaths, jump bonfires and search for fern flowers for fun - there's even a huge annual feast in Kraków where wreath-sending is done.

As a small aside, back in the older days, there was also a tradition that you shouldn't bathe in any natural water during Midsummer night, because a wide variety of water demons hunts then (we have quite a few water demons). 

[Iceea]

Apparently this year is extra special because there's a full moon, referred to as a strawberry moon, on the solstice. Astronomically there hasn't been one 70 years.

From ECOWATCH  https://ecowatch.com/2016/06/20/summer-solstice-strawberry-moon/
The Algonquin tribe called June’s full moon the strawberry moon because it marked the time of year they should gather ripening fruit, according to the Farmer’s Almanac. In Europe, June’s full moon is also known as the Rose or the Honey moon.

Raven Fon wrote an article for The Earth Child suggesting five different ways to celebrate the solstice/full moon combination event. Ideas include:

    Burning herbs. Fon suggests burning any or all of the following herbs to celebrate the solstice: Ruta, Verbena, Misletoe, Lavender, Thyme, Fennel, Plantain, Artemisia or the grass of St. John.

    Drink to the sun. Enjoy a cup of cinnamon or ginger tea to honor the sun and its warmth. Make a celebratory toast.

    Set your intention. Fon said the moon has significant manifestation powers, so this astronomical phenomenon is a great time to set your intention(s). Make a list of things you want to bring into and release from your life. The list can include behaviors, goals and desires.

    Just enjoy the event. The solstice/full moon even is time to be free, Fon wrote. She suggests putting some music on and dancing to express yourself.

    Take a dip. Fon suggests finding a body of water and taking a dip in it. “As full moon pushed and pulls the waters of our Earth, a purification takes place.” Taking a dip will rejuvenate and invigorate your soul, she said.

So sing dance be merry!

[Unlos]

*Shameless self-promotion*: Many of the traditions mentioned here are included or hinted at in this joint effort by Róisín and me

[Helia]

Summer solstice isn’t such a big festivity in Hungary - like for example in the Nordic countries. We celebrate on 24 June and call it Szent Iván-éj (St John’s Eve – but using the Slavic form of the name suggest that the custom was introduced by Slavic people. Probably it happened in the Middle Ages, although the earliest written documents about midsummer celebrations are from the 16. century)

The main event was/is to jump over the fire. We don’t make huge bonfires, only small ones that people can jump over without setting their best clothes on fire. Boys and girls could jump individually – to ensure good health believing in the purification power of fire; or pairs could jump together – sealing their relationship in the hope of a marriage. In some places they still lit fires and jump over it for the sake of tradition and fun.



Not only herbs were put in the fire, but apples too; they gave the roasted apples either to children – for their health – or put them on the graves of family members.

The richest midsummer traditions are in the northern regions (Northern Hungary and Hungarians in Slovakia); they had special songs to magically bond together the young and yet unmarried people. They basically sang girls and boys together.

This is the best version I could find of a St Ivan's song:

[Noodles]

Well, here in West Coast Hippie Land, one of Seattle's neighbourhoods has a craft fair/street fair thing and a huge parade that doesn't allow words on signs or motors (so all the floats are human-powered). The parade traditionally opens with a whole bunch of naked, body-painted cyclists. Usually the Pastafarians send a big Spaghetti Monster puppet, there are a couple of drag groups, some less-than-organised marching bands, environmental groups, etc etc. Also a lot of streets have block-party sort of things, with bonfires and potluck food and sometimes music.

[Adriano]

Thanks a bunch!
It's really interesting and nice to know
so thanks for your participation guys

[Basse]

I'm a bit late on this topic..._{but I got some pictures.}

This is how my town in Sweden celebrate Midsummer: The main event is raising the maypole and then dancing around it. Half an hour before it children are encourage to participate in dressing the maypole with flowers, most flowers are donated from people beforehand while some bring flowers as they arrive.

When it comes to raising the pole, our local spelmanslag is marching in and takes their place on the stage at the same time as we are carrying in the maypole and raises it. The spelmanslag stay on stage to perform a few songs.

After the music it's time for the dance which most people are here for, the day is mostly made for the children.

Also noted is that some people including the spelmanslag is dressed in their folk costume. Overall we're guessing that there was about 200 people there.




Our Spelmanslag

[Adriano]

Wow, this is so cool!

Thank you very much, especially for the pictures!

[Alkia]

wow, this is a very old thread but it looks cool and I have a story to hunt.

So, there's this old story I listened to as a child, and I've been trying to find find it again but I don't remember the name. Since this Forum is gifted with so many folklore and mythology enthusiasts and experts, I thought I'd ask around here!

I don't remember an awful lot about this tale, except this:
There was something about a lazy brother, who was told by some entity in the woods that, if he did X and Y things, he would become very strong. Those things were as follows: lie on the kachelofen (which is one of those big ceramic ovens that you can lie on top of, like this: https://www.ecosia.org/images?q=kachelofen%20russian#id=51AB2FC27F72DA02A118FBA2A6373C3438D2A19E) for something like a year, eat nothing but sunflower seeds, and each night try to lift the roof with your arms. And this lazy brother did all those things and became very strong. But that's basically all I remember. I want to say there was a djinn in the story later on, but I might be confusing that with a different story. I listened to this in German, but I want to say it was a Russian tale (not sure though). It's entirely possible this is a modern story, not an old one, or that it was all a dream, but my sister remembers something along those lines too.

Does that sound familiar to anyone?


Side Tangent:
honestly, Russian fairytales are so interesting, and a lot of the illustrations I've found online after just looking up "old Russian fairy tales" are gorgeous. We have an old children's book called "The Tale of The Tzar Saltan", and it has some absolutely gorgeous illustrations. Actually, I just looked up the name of the illustrator, "Ivan Bilibin", and I HIGHLY recommend you look him up, his illustrations are amazing!!
The weird thing is, all these movies and books we have are in German; I don't speak Russian, I have no family from there. It makes me wonder about how much Russian, Eastern European, and then Western European (like German) culture have merged or interacted.

Okay, I'm going to give in to temptation and rave about these illustrations.

I mean seriously though, look at this!!!:
https://www.ecosia.org/images?q=ivan%20bilibin#id=8C8F2250A912C5737904EC21797CEE2249B68A18
the COLORS, the DETAIL, the emotion and that crazy border with the harpie creatures!

And this one? Look at all those creepy skulls!! I adore the mushroom border! And that Baba Yaga Chicken House tucked sneakily into the background!!
https://www.ecosia.org/images?q=ivan%20bilibin#id=BCB03ED3F95D81F11CDC8B504053B6E058E69D3D

just... wow! look at those clothes!
https://www.ecosia.org/images?q=ivan%20bilibin#id=803C360D52B65B77A93FC150294388810C9511B8

Okay, I'll stop raving about this new-found but old illustrator now 

[JoB]

There was something about a lazy brother, who was told by some entity in the woods that, if he did X and Y things, he would become very strong. Those things were as follows: lie on the kachelofen [...] for something like a year, eat nothing but sunflower seeds, and each night try to lift the roof with your arms. And this lazy brother did all those things and became very strong. [...] I listened to this in German, but I want to say it was a Russian tale (not sure though). It's entirely possible this is a modern story, not an old one, or that it was all a dream, but my sister remembers something along those lines too.

Does that sound familiar to anyone?

Otfried Preußler's "Die Abenteuer des starken Wanja", possibly inspired by the Russian tales of the bogatyr Ilja Muromez.

[Alkia]

Wow, you found it, cool!! Thank you!

[Maglor]

Found it. Bump.

[Maglor]

So about Russian fairytales and paganism. Mostly paganism.
1. Classical and historically accurate slavic paganism is gone and well forgotten, thanks to mongolians.
2. Those true pagas left in modern Russia are not Russians. Those are mostly ugorian and turkic peoples, and some of them are still loyal to their old gods. More of it later.
3. Slavic neopaganism, though being full of klukva, jingoism and antisemithism also have some interesting parts. I'll write more about it later.

[Maglor]

Allright, the first part. Slavic paganism.

Written sources about our ancestors worldview are scarce, but Rus' was baptised relatively later than most of other european countries, so many of paganistic elements are still alive in our traditions.
Judging what sources we have, it was some kind of pantheistic religion, and a pantheistic element was so strong, that were included in early forms of ortodoxal Christianity.

http://www.litra.ru/fullwork/get/woid/00345821231862344106/
"Our free white light was coceived from the Lord's judgement,
(Red/Beautifull) sun - from Lord's face,
The Christ himself, the Zar' of (Sky/Heavens);
Young bright moon - from His chest,
Rife stars - from Lord's vestments,
Dark nights - from Lord's thoughts,
Morning dawn - from Lord's eyes,
Rough winds - from The Holy Spirit,
Rife rain - from Lord's tears,
The Christ himself, the Zar' of (Sky/Heavens);
We got a mind of Christ himself,
Our thoughts are (concieved) from heavenly clouds,
Our (world/peace/society) is from Adam,
Our strong bones are from stone,
Our bodies are from damp (soil/land/Earth),
Our ore-like blood is from black sea.
That's the source of Zar's in our land -
A holy head of Adam,
A holy (relics/corpse) of Adam.
That's the source of ortodoxal (christians/paisants) -
A holy knee(?) of Adam"

Second interesting thing. Though being trinary - just like Scandinavian - slavic world was also binary. The trinary division includes Upper world - Eerey, our world (name lost) and lower world (name lost). The binary division includes our world (presumably called Yav') and the world of dead - Nav'. In modern slavic neopaganisn this led to a single trinary division on Prav' (upper world, Asgardr), Yav' (our world, Midgardr) and Nav' (lower world, Hell).
While it's unclear what divides the Upper World from the others, it's known, that Yav' and Nav' are divided by a big water - an ocean or a river. And as it's unlikely that our ancestors have any chance to see an ocean often enough, it's most likely a river.
The Smorodina river. "Smorodina" can be translated as "currant" - the modern meaning of the word, or "stinky" - the old meaning. You can easily reffer to this river as Lethe. The Smorodina river plays a role of a border between Yav' and Nav'. A border, that can be traversed via the Kalinov bridge. This name is also polysemantic: it can be a "Guelder-rose bridge" or a "Red-hot bridge" (the Bifrost if you like). The Kalinov bridge is a big element of slavic mythology, as it often appears to be a place for an epic battle between light and dark.
The way through Kalinov bridge is oftenly guarded by Zmey (Wyrm/Serpent/Dragon) Gorynych (Griefson/Mountainson/Burnson). More about him later.
Our ancestors believed, that the base of a known world is an island, called Booyan (therefore everything separated from it by a big water and/or a big distance is percieved as Nav' - foreign land=afterworld, long-term expedition=death, coming back=resurrection). Booyan is heald by the Keet (Cete, Leviathan and a modern Russian word for Whale); or the Indric, basicaly - a unicorn. Whoever holds the island, he got's tired, and Booyan is allready 3/4 drowned.
Percieving Nav' as a distant land and/or a big water also found it's place in slavic neopaganism, specifically - in a so called "The Left Hand's Way". More of it later.

Now the gods.
Peroon (aka Perkunas, Pyarkunas). Every european culture have it's own thunder god, in Russia it's Peroon. He's a thunder god, a warrior god, his main job is to ride-around in his chariot and zap any nasty thing he sees. His main opponent is the Zmey (mb Gorynych, but it's uncertain). In later tradition Peroon is associated with st.Elijah.

Veles (aka Volos). Trickster. A god of cattle, wealth, shakes and underworld. Could be a nemesis of Peroon, or his ally - it's, again, uncertain. In later tradition Veles is associated with st.Blaise of Sebaste and/or st.Nicolas. In some versions of slavic neopaganism he is a brother or a husband of Mara.

Svarog - god of smithery, fire, fatum and oaths. Densly associated with Peroon. In some sources presented as a ruler of SUDDENLY Egypt. In later tradition Svarog is associated with st.Cosmas and st.Damian.

Dazhd'bog (aka Dabog) - son of Svarog, solar god, progenitor of slavic nobility or even all the slavs. Southern slavs have a legend about the Zar' Dabog, overthrown by The Four Letters.
Khors - little is known about him. Thunder god (mb), solar or munar god.
Streebog - the god of wind.
Magozh (aka Makosh, Mokosh). Wife of Svarog, the godess of fate, motherhood and husbandry. Associated with very ancient Mother-Damp-(soil/land/Earth). In later tradition Magozh is associated with st.Mary. Her main attribute is a spinning well, her sacral bird is a swan - an images of Swan Princess and Vasilisa the Wise are most likely came from Magozh.

Zheeva (aka Crasopani, Jijilelya, Sieva, Ziza). Godess of life, fertility and sex. Her attributes are roses, lilies, and a golden bird-drawn chariot. Possible avatara of Magozh.
Lada. Russian automobile concern and one more possible name or avatara of Magozh.
Mara (aka Morana, Morena, Morzhana, Morgan). Hel. Nuff said. Godess of death, winter and underworld, could even play a role of a Grim Reaper. Legend says, that those affraid of dying will see her as an ugly and grumpy old lady, but those who are brave and calm in the face of death will see Mara as a young and beautifull gothic brunette.
A few words about the Left Hand's Way. The LHW is a gnostic branch of slavic neopaganism that sees Mara as a liberator from the tenets of existance, the nemesis of Svarog. In LHW besides Prav', Yav' and Nav' there's also The Great Nav' - the initial black abyss of a perfect nothing, a raw nonexistance, a dark, grim, gothic Nirvana - a home for Mara and a place she's willing to return everyone to by the means of a total discreation.

Semargle could be just a lingustic misstake or a slavic Mercury - the heavenly courier in a form of a winged dog.
Yareelo (aka Yarovit). Solar god, that was discovered only at 1765-th. Could be a classical dying-god figure and/or a "slay-the-dragon-save-the-princess" type.

Rod (aka Sood, K'rt). Little known deity, noone knows for sure, was it even a thing. But there's a version, that Rod was The Boss, and thus his name was held taboo - and that's why we know so little about him. Many of neopaganists are agreed with this version.
The White God and The Black God - demiurges, according to some legends.
Svyatovit (aka Svetovit, Svantevit, Sventovit) - four-faced deity of polab slavs. The god of wisdom, the guardian.

TBC.