The Slavic goddess Marena or Mara - the personification of Winter and Death, the mistress of the Night, she was afraid and asked for mercy. But not all the dead were taken with this hostess of life, but only those who were worthy of eternity in the world of Slavi. Our ancestors praised Marena twice during the year, combining with the names of the great pagan deities Kupala and Dazhdbog, and there were reasons.
Marena - Mythology
The tale of Marena arose from ancient Aryan myths, from where it passed into the legends of the Germanic, Scandinavian and Celtic tribes. She is called the daughter of the great pagan gods Svarog and Lada, sister of Zhiva and Lely. According to long-standing beliefs, the Marena-goddess has several titles:
- the mistress of Winter;
- mistress of the night;
- the keeper of eternal life;
- the embodiment of fate;
- the Lady of Death.
Her name resembles the word "mor", which was associated with death, but there is a theory that this goddess did not interrupt the life of man, but introduced him into the world of eternity, indicated to her soul the way to go: into the light of Navi or Slavi, that he deserved. Our ancestors believed: the insincere and unclean soul of Marena - the goddess of the Slavs separates from the pure world and sends to such people a flock of vices and wretches, therefore they represented this lady in different ways:
- women of high stature, in dark robes;
- the humpbacked long-haired old woman;
- beautiful girl in white outfits.
Day of the Goddess Marena
The ancestors believed that Marena had 2 possessions:
- ice palace on the northern lands;
- beyond the River Smarodina, which separates the world of Yavi and Navi.
Therefore, Mary had 2 holidays in the year:
- The first holiday of Marena was celebrated in the spring, March 1, and it was called Naviy Den or Vjunitsy. Navi called the souls of the dead, the essence of this festival is the celebration of the resurrection of the dead, the veneration of the spirits of the ancestors and the Lady of their peace of Mary. The pagans buried their dead in burial mounds, performed the rituals - food and drink offerings, so that their ancestors lived richly in another world.
- The second holiday fell on the fall - on November 25, when all the victims were brought only to Marena, who entered into her rights Lady of the Winter. To protect themselves from it, people on this day went to the marshes and extinguished the burning flies in the swamps. This, as it were, showed the formidable goddess her power with the help of fire.
Symbol of Marena in the Slavs
The most famous symbol of Marena is the straw doll, which was surrounded by special rituals during the spring festival of the goddess, when the goddess Winter was seen off to the northern possessions. Round this doll dances were conducted, and then they conducted a ceremony of burning, destroying with it colds and frosts for their land. Ashes then scattered over the field, so that there was a rich harvest and a good year.
Researchers call 2 more personal Marena characters:
- The stream of frozen water is the "water of Mary", which personifies a frozen force temporarily in rest.
- The sign of Winter - 2 triangles, called "Mara-Viy", our ancestors considered it disastrous and dangerous.
Velez and Marena
The names of the pagan gods Veles and Mary associated only their possessions. Veles was considered the ruler of the world of the dead. In time, the Slavs began to consider him a patron of agriculture, since the ancestors buried in the earth were also the bearers of a good harvest for our ancestors. She was also worshiped by the Slavs as a goddess of the world of the dead, but she accepted only valiant people, and rewarded the heroes who died for the family with an immortal kiss and accompanied them to Irius.
Marena and Dazhdbog
Dazhdbog Slavs were revered as a god of great wisdom and prosperity, and Marena, the goddess of Winter and Death, was named in legends by his wife. In some legends she is called the wife of the god of the evil death of Kashchei. Preserved 2 versions:
- Mara married Dazhbog, but after the wedding she was kidnapped by Kashchei.
- The wedding took place, but the young wife fled immediately after the ceremony, because she loved Kashchei. And lost to Dazhbog, fearing the wrath of Perun.
Before the onset of cold weather, the pagans celebrated the wedding of Dazhdbog and Mary with special rituals. From the straw they made puppets, young couples jumped with them through the fire. Then the puppets were carried home with honor, and kept, as amulets from illnesses and death. Near the fire, tables were laid, for which the warring families had to make peace, since Marena and Dazhdbog were considered patrons of the goodness of the clan.
Marena and Kupalo
Ivan Kupala Slavs revered as the god of earthly fruits, this is the only pagan holiday that has survived in our days. Young people are satisfied with the festivities, the girls weave wreaths to let on the water and find out their destiny. In honor of Kupala, the branches of trees are adorned with flowers, and a straw effigy of Mary is placed next to them. At night, it is burned, so that all the colds and diseases are gone with fire, because the Slavic goddess Marena was considered the personification of cold and death.
Enamored couples necessarily jump over a fire to purify themselves in the flames. The burning of Marena was a special ritual, which was accompanied by special conspiracies for a happy future life. In some regions, the ritual of drowning Mary, as the personification of death and disease, was preserved, because water was also considered a life-giving force that washes away many sins.