«БОЖА МУХА» У СВІТОГЛЯДІ Й ОБРЯДАХ УКРАЇНЦІВ

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«БОЖА МУХА» У СВІТОГЛЯДІ Й ОБРЯДАХ УКРАЇНЦІВ

Journal Title: Гуманітарний часопис - Year 2015, Vol 1, Issue 3

Abstract

Bogomolets O.V. «GOD FLY» IN RITES AND OURLOOK OF UKRAINIANS This article reveals ideological foundations of the ruling in traditional Ukrainian society cult of bees and beekeepers. It underscores that the “honey boom” observed today is accompanied with significant deficit of creative scientific explorations dedicated to investigation of place, role and world-view meaning of beekeeping and its products in peoples’ life. Nearly the only exception in this context are ethnographic works of Ukrainian researcher U. Movna, who offered the most complete generalization of scattered ethnographic data tied with both the beekeeping itself and the peculiarities of exploiting its’ products in life and the rites of Ukrainian people. Separate aspects of this problem was examined earlier, yet there is quite a few articles that reveal the originality of ritual practice of Ukrainian people and the using of bee products in it we can find in “The Kyiv antiquity” and in works of the leading Ukrainian ethnographers of the 19th century. Among them are: explorations of M. Dragomanov, T. Biletsky, B. Grinchenko, M. Sumtsov, O. Malynka et al. In ethnographic works of the beginning 20th century (I. Voloshynsky, V. Kravchenko, D. Zelenin, I. Kovalyov, A. Onyshchuk, A. Musyanovych, A. Chushyla et el.). They analyzed the originality of Ukrainian rites; by-turn the culture of Ukrainian beekeeping is the supplementary theme, which is less important and qualifying. Deficit of complex ethnographic research of Ukrainian beekeeping and peculiarities of using its’ products in Ukrainian people life is accompanied by full absence of works devoted to study of world-view foundation of dominating in Ukrainian peoples’ life cult of bees and beekeeping products – wax and honey, what became the aim of our research. As shown, honey and wax was widely used in many Ukrainian rites. Besides that, while current beekeeping aims first of all at production of honey, in traditional society, honey and wax considered as equivalent products. If we will examine its meaning in the light of Ukrainian people life, it’s become significant the priority of wax over honey. In our opinion this peculiarity resulted from the originality of its functional meaning: wax was widely used in different areas of life and housekeeping – as medicines, sealant, and an element of rite performance etc. As for the honey, it is reasonable to assume that it’s consuming was limited – honey was used mostly as medicine, and as one of the elements of spacious rite practice. In particular, it was used in wedding, where it symbolized the formation (tightening) of new family and obtaining by new married couple a new social roles and was one of the elements of the wedding magic aimed to ensure happy and prolific (prosperous) life for new family. The use of honey in funeral rites closely connected with the conviction that honey is a sole food (celestial food), and therefore can be sacrificed to dead. In addition, honey was used in funereal ceremonies and to prevent death. It is emphasized that the widespread use of bee products in ritual practice of the Ukrainian people is due to ancient pagan beliefs in the divine nature of bees. This trend was due to the fact that since ancient times of Ukrainian paganism, bees viewed as "God's flies" (insects), who built their shelter in the hollow of a large tree (Tree of Life), in the minds of the people stood original liaison of three worlds - Prava, Java and Nava. Over time, the idea arose that the bees - a "servants of God", which on the one hand, implementing the plan of God in the world of Java, and the other - provide eternal life for the family. With the advent of Christianity, the pagan idea evolved - bees start to be seen as blood or tears of Christ - but do not lose their original meaning - they continue to remain "God insects", run by Sts. Zosima and Savvaty. Their cult replaced the ancient pagan god Lado (one of the incarnation of Rod), which ensures the harmony and eternal whirlpool of life according to which lived beekeepers. Along with the specified revealed that all bee products are aimed at implementing the concept of eternity (life, memory) or longevity. The latter realized in a utilitarian purpose of bee products - using wax as a sealant, the use of wax in iconography and more. Particular significance in this regard has played a wax candle, which performed the sacrificial fire, which provides harmony and eternal whirlpool of life.

Authors and Affiliations

Ольга Богомолець

Keywords

Ключові слова: мед віск обряд дерево життя Христос Ладо. The keywords: honey wax ceremony tree of life Christ Lado.

EP ID EP563588
DOI -
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