August 2 to the church calendar holiday - Day of Remembrance of the Prophet Elijah - one of the most beloved and revered saints of our people and many Slavs. As always, the church and folk traditions are closely intertwined in Elijah's day. Learn what signs there on the prophet Elijah, what can and can not do on a holiday.
Like Nicholas, Elijah the prophet belongs to the beloved and revered by the people holy. The Prophet Elijah in the Slavic folk tradition - the lord of thunder and lightning, heavenly fire, rain, patron of harvest and fertility. Christian prophet Elijah came to replace the pagan Perun the Thunderer. No wonder the day Elijah popularly called also Gromoboya, Holder thunderstorms, Thunderer, Perun afternoon dozhinki, unmerciful Ilya, Ilya angry, Ilya formidable.
Lord of thunder and lightning Elijah presented in popular writings, galloping across the sky in a fiery chariot drawn by four white horses. Hooves - it thunder. And the Elijah - Journal of Laws of God, formidable, but fair and generous patron of agriculture and animal husbandry, which is lazy and the unjust punishing thunderbolt, and the fields and harvest beats hail, and industrious and righteous protects and takes under his protection, waters the fertile rain crops.
In the IX century BC, in the Jewish town of Thisbe in a baby boy, named Elijah. When the baby was born, his father had a vision that his newborn son fed the fire themselves and archangels wrapped in fire diapers. This vision proved prophetic.
According to the scriptures, Elijah was taken to heaven alive, was taken up in a fiery chariot, to before the Second Coming of Christ to return to earth, and three times to bypass the light, warning people of the Last Judgment.
How to describe the traditions of the Ukrainian people and other Slavic peoples, based on the Bible, Elijah up to 33 years I spent sydney home and then was endowed with great force - think epic story about Ilya Muromets, which is displayed in folklore. Elias rides across the sky on a gold (fire) chariot. The sun - the wheel of the chariot of Elijah the prophet, the Milky Way - the road that goes prophet on frisky drawn by winged horses, a chariot, from the stamping of hooves thunder which happens. Winter storms and thunder does not happen because Ilia transplanted onto the sled.
Ilya Thunder endowed with great force, and it is so great that it is necessary to restrain God has laid on the head of Ilya stone, and on the right hand put on the shackles.
Signs and traditions of the Prophet Elijah
Religious people on Elijah go to church and pray for the welfare of the family, peace, family health, are the seeds for the consecration of the next harvest.
Previously, Elijah was taken to organize fairs and Bratchina - communal dinners, which bring the dishes and drinks of each house, ate themselves, treated the travelers, the wandering, the poor, the needy. Such meal ended with festivities, games, dances, songs.
People believed that on the day of Elijah, all the impure force is saved punishment by fire and becomes a saint in various animals and fish, including pets. So people on Elijah were not allowed out of the house pet dogs and cats, to avoid evil spirit in them.
Day prophet Elijah - one revered by the people of holidays, however, particular significant ceremonies that day was not made, despite the fact that Elijah linked to many beliefs, mythological legends, economic calendar and will take and prohibitions.
Ready to party for a few days - protect their homes against evil spirits, evil spirits, a special ritual baked cookies and bread - balls, stopped all work in the field and on the farm.
In the holiday there is a ban on any kind of work, It says that nothing would argue, everything will fall from their hands, and confused all the same will not, and the work itself can irritate a saint who will punish the one who does not show respect to his holiday.
On Elijah can observe changes in nature - the first signs of autumn, change the behavior of animals and birds, the weather changed.
Night on Elijah called "sparrow" and "Rowan" - if overnight rains, rumbles of thunder and lightning, sparrows overnight are restless, afraid of thunder.
During lightning storms tightly closed doors and windows, lit candle or oil lamp (Chetvergova or Epiphany) before the icon and prayed Elijah the prophet, that he has saved «from flying arrows of thunder Tryasuchev».
To save Lightningpeople fumigated with incense in front of their homes Elijah, yards, cattle, fields, gardens.
The main signs and bans on Elijah – of water.On this day, trying to stay as far as possible from the water - do not swim, do not wash. The people noticed that the usually holiday falls rainy day, with rain, showers, wind and water in the reservoirs is becoming very cold and swimming in it is impossible. On why you can not swim, there are many superstitions. It says, the water from the cold that she fell out of a horseshoe horse chariot of Elijah. Where it was believed that the devil himself ponds or water polluted. Some believed that Elijah threw a piece of ice in the water. Moreover, those who violate the ban will not sweet, feared drown or severely ill, after believed that after bathing appeared on the body sores and ulcers. It was believed that in the ponds on Elijah returned devils, mermaids, who with Ivan Kupala Day lived on the coast, and in Elijah's Day they Thunder and lightning overtook them hid in the water, here are pissed evil spirits and drags to the bottom of those who decided swim.
Proverbs and sayings on Elijah
Ilya summer ends
Ilya before lunch - Summer afternoon - autumn
Before Elijah man bathed and with Ilya water forgiven
Before Elijah pop rain did not detract, after Ilyina day overtake the woman apron
Peter and Paul and the hour has lowered Elijah the prophet two dragged.
Who was in that day under the rain, the stock of health for the whole year.
Until the day Ilyina and bush under the sun dries and after Ilyina day and on the heath not dew dries
Ilya summer before lunch and after lunch Fall
On the night of Day Ilyin becomes longer.
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