Slavic magi(Old Russian vlkhv "sorcerer, magician, fortuneteller") - ancient Russian priests who performed worship and predicted the future. The word sorcerer is related to the old Slavic “to speak inconsistently, unclear; mumble," from which it follows that the magi played the role of soothsayers and healers, the main means of magical practice of which was the word.
The Slavic sorcerer is both a teacher, and a healer, and a keeper of traditions. Probably, the selection and testing of the abilities of boys were carried out in early childhood, before naming. Long-term training by senior sorcerers and subsequent adult initiations led to the fact that the Slavic sorcerers possessed great personal power, served as intermediaries between people and the Gods, performed magical rites for the well-being of the entire village and individuals.
The Slavic sorcerers had the knowledge of how to heal from all diseases, protect a settlement or city from hostile forces, attract good luck, and also call on the necessary forces of Nature for a better future harvest.
Slavic magi- these are people who received special knowledge from the gods, keeping it, using it for the benefit of society. They perform rituals of offerings to the Native Gods, treb (bloodless sacrifices), monitor the purity of idols (images of the gods), altars and temples (places of worship of the gods) on the material and subtle planes.
Besides:
- holding public annual holidays;
- production of amulets, amulets, idols, idols, altar and other sacral decorations;
- calendaring;
- naming;
- participation in weddings, lighting of the built house, funerals;
- healing people and animals;
- conducting fortune-telling about the fateful questions of people;
- prophecies;
- protection of the village, or people from the attacks of evil forces;
- participation in wars by the forces of magic, spells and interaction with the elements and other natural forces.
In practice, the Magi must be able to communicate with the forces of Nature, spirits and, of course, with the Gods of the Slavs. Some believe that among the male sorcerers there were also female sorcerers, who were called:
- sorceresses (“to know” means “to know”);
- knowing,
- enchantress,
- sorceress,
- Volhitka,
- volkhida,
- vlhva,
- and even the "old woman".
The male sorcerers solved the problems of the community, the female sorcerers (the woman-vlhva) took care of the issues of families, household, household chores, medicine, medicine, fortune-telling. The Slavs went to them when it was necessary to help resolve childbirth, request the protection of livestock from evil spirits, and in other cases.
Where the Magi meet in legends, documents
From the ancient sources that have remained to this day, one can find information about how transactions were made in Constantinople with the obligatory presence of the Russian emperor and the Magi.
The annals note how the Magi performed thanksgiving piers (prayer services) for the fact that the ships safely passed the numerous rapids of the Dnieper in the Khortitsa region:
Russ make their sacrifices, as there grows a huge oak tree (the tree of Perun). They sacrifice live roosters, stick arrows all around, while others put pieces of bread and meat.
It should be noted that meat and the offering of a rooster by slaughter in honor of Perun (or Volos - Veles) were popular among the Western Slavs and the southern ones in later times. Previously, no blood sacrifices were made to God the Thunderer. It is believed that this is due to the fact that most of the Magi moved away from Christianization to the north and into the taiga. The people of knowledge gradually lost, in connection with which there was a distortion of rituals and ritual services to the Slavic gods.
The presence of the Magi among the Slavs was also observed after the Christianization of Russia, but in smaller numbers. And this is despite the fact that the Magi are found in the Christian Gospel, where they bring gifts to the born baby Jesus. There are documented church sources that talked about how the Christian Church condemned people for being kind to the Magi and turning to them for help. Until the 13th century, the Magi still actively manifested themselves in Novgorod, and among the Baltic Slavs they are found until the 11th-12th centuries. The following sources are known about them:
The priests had the significance of a special estate, strictly separated from the people ... they performed in the sanctuaries popular prayers and those divinations that recognized the will of the gods ... They prophesied and spoke to the people on behalf of the gods ... They enjoyed special honor and wealth, and disposed of the income from the estates belonging to the temples , and abundant offerings from fans.
The most famous temple, where the Magi revered Svyatovit (some Slavs identified him with the Progenitor itself, one of His forms), was considered the Temple in Arkona, standing on the shores of the Baltic Sea. Arkona - the city of priests, magi on about. Rugen. The city was burned down and taken by the Danish king Valdemar I in June 1168. The temple of Svyatovit, his idol was destroyed, and the treasures - ritual things, jewelry and utensils, were taken by him to Denmark.
There are mentions of the Magi in ancient chronicles, true stories and even historical documents. Among the Russian princes, there is even a prince-sorcerer, who was called - Volga Vseslavovich (Volkh Vseslavievich). He knew how to turn into a wolf, pike, bird, was the leader of the squad and knew how to magic for military affairs.
Modern Magi among the Slavs
General concepts of the Magi remained, but many details have sunk into oblivion. Today, in the places of the Slavic peoples of Eastern Siberia, especially in old villages, until now on the eve of Epiphany (Vodocres), Volkhitka draw crosses on the doorposts to protect livestock from illness. The need for such people with the knowledge of their ancestors is still noted by ethnos researchers:
The Magi come to Maundy Thursday, to Egoriy, to Ivan, to Easter.
Volkhid, that is, a person who knows how to slander, is known far in the vicinity and often come to him on business from distant places. Usually Volkhids are disliked and feared, but often they are asked to teach them some kind of slander, paying for it in money or in kind.
Now those who today call themselves Magi do not always have the abilities, strength and knowledge that their ancient predecessors possessed. Nevertheless, the modern movement of the Magi, priests in various small Slavic communities today plays an important role - they help awaken Slavic self-awareness, recall the knowledge of their ancestors, pay attention to the completeness of the ancient knowledge of the Vedas and honor the one Kon of the Universe.
Researchers of Slavic mythology believe that the Magi played one of the most important roles in the history of national identity - they passed down folklore, rituals, and the heritage of the cultural values of the Slavs from generation to generation. They were asked for help when it was necessary to cure someone of an illness, to resolve the strategy and tactics of war, if enemies attack their native land. Without the presence of a sorcerer, no Slavic festivities were ever held, especially those related to the veneration of the gods.
A bright holiday will come very soon Christmas . Day Christmas from ancient times ranked by the Church among the great twelfth holidays(as the 12 main church holidays are called). On this joyful day, it is customary to give to each other.
Let's talk today about those who came with gifts to the born Christ - about Magi.
What does Scripture say about the birth of the Infant Jesus Christ?
About birth Messiah was announced for 6 centuries. Prophet Daniel predicted the exact date of the birth of the Savior (Dan. 9:25). BUT Prophet Micah pointed out that Messiah come from Bethlehem: “From thee shall come unto me the one who is to be the ruler in Israel, and whose origin is from the beginning, from the days of eternity” (Micah 5:2). In prophecy seer Valaam about the Star of Bethlehem: “A star rises from Jacob and a scepter rises from Israel” (Numbers 24:17). All Jews knew about it and waited for this event. The king knew about it Herod.Those who came to Jerusalem learned from him Magi, what exactly in Bethlehem the “King of the Jews” is to be born. “When Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of King Herod, magicians from the east came to Jerusalem and said: Where is the King of the Jews who has been born? for we have seen his star in the east, and have come to worship him” (Matthew 2:1-2)
Knowing about the prophecy, Herod was seriously frightened when he heard that the priests were looking for the Royal Infant, because the king thought that the Born would take his place. Herod was appointed by the Romans and therefore was afraid that the legitimate Jewish king would come and overthrow him, so he immediately decided to get rid of the Newborn and named the city where the Baby was to be born to the Magi. And on the way back, Herod ordered the priests to return to Jerusalem and tell where the Child was in order to come to Him to worship, but, in fact, the ruler did not even think of doing this, but wanted to kill the Boy.
Guided by the light of the unknown Stars, the Magi were the first of the people who did not belong to the God-chosen people of Israel, who came to bow Jesus Christ.
All the way from Jerusalem to Bethlehem, the light from the Heavenly Star led travelers to the house where the Divine Infant was. “And when they entered the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and fell down and worshiped him” (Matthew 2:11).
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What did the wolves look like? And who are they?
So who are these wolves?
in the gospel from Matthew the word is used μάγοι . It has two interpretations: priests and astrological priests. Differently Magi- this is wise men astrologers, scientists. Initially, the occupation of astrology was alien to the Jewish religion, since this pseudoscience contradicted the idea of God's Providence. However Evangelist Matthew speaks of the Magi in a positive way, because they were the first to come to bow Savior and received Him, unlike the Jews. The arrival of the Magi in Bethlehem is a symbol of the worship of the pagan world before the Christian.
Historians are still arguing where the Magi came from. If you believe the ancient prophecies, then, most likely, the priests came from Persia, Babylon or Arabia. But later legends were created that all three priests came from different places: one was fair-skinned, he is associated with the European continent, the other from Africa, and the third from Asia. Also, legends reveal to us the names of the Magi and their appearance: Caspar"beardless youth" Belshazzar"bearded old man" and "dark-skinned" Melchior.
Mosaic in the Church of St. Apollinaris of Ravenna, Ravenna
What did the Magi give?
The priests came not only to bow to the Child, but also brought Him the gifts: gold (as King) incense (as God) and myrrh or myrrh (as the Savior, who became the Son of Man, to whom "many sufferings and burial" were predicted, because this substance was smeared on the human body after death).
Gifts of the Magi Mother of God treasured all her life. Before Her Dormition, She handed them over Jerusalem Church where they were with belt and riza Our Lady up to 400 years. The gifts were later transferred by the Byzantine emperor Arkady in Constantinople where they were placed in the temple Hagia Sophia. Now the gifts are stored in Monastery of St. Paul of Xiropotamus, Mount Athos e .
Monastery of St. Paul of Xiropotamus, Athos
Let's talk a little about what they look likethe gifts of the Magi.
Gold stored in the form 28 pendants different shapes, decorated with patterns, and not a single pattern is repeated.
Gold pendants
Frankincense and myrrh were donated separately, but now they are stored in the form of small balls connected together. This union is deeply symbolic: just as in Christ the divine and human beginning, and incense with myrrh were given to the Infant as God and Man. About 70 of these connected balls have survived today.
Frankincense and myrrh
The further fate of the Magi
After worshiping the Infant, the magi had a vision in a dream that they would not return to King Herod. They did so, returning to their lands by another road, bypassing Jerusalem.
According to legend, later, all three priests became Christians and preachers, it is believed that he himself baptized them Thomas the Apostle.
In the 4th century. the relics of the Magi were acquired Queen Helena in Persia and put in Constantinople, a in the 5th century moved to Milan. In the 12th century the golden reliquary with the relics of the Magi was transported in Cologne by Friedrich Barbarossa and is still kept behind the altar Cologne Cathedral .
Russian magi, messenger, seers
Magi are not afraid of mighty lords,
And they do not need a princely gift;
Truthful and free is their prophetic language
And friendly with the will of heaven ...
A. S. Pushkin "The Song of the Prophetic Oleg"
Ancient chronicles, records of participants in certain events and documents of the past have preserved for us some evidence of predictions, prophecies and revelations of the Magi, holy fools, Orthodox elders, seers. Professional (academic) historians only occasionally mention them. Meanwhile, these unusual testimonies are perhaps the most fascinating and convincing proof of the heavenly origins of earthly affairs. The prophetic Oleg and the nameless Kyiv sorcerer, St. Basil the Blessed and the Pskov holy fool Nikolai Salos, Simeon of Polotsk and Yakov Bruce, the seer Abel and Seraphim of Sarov, the “last sorcerer of the empire” Rasputin and the nun Lucia from the Portuguese village of Fatima - this is not a complete list of the actors of this parts of the book. The history of Russia, from Ancient Russia to the present day, appears in the form of a fascinating narrative based on a strictly documentary basis and, at the same time, reminiscent of an adventure novel. Do you know, for example, that the prophecy of the sorcerer to the prophetic Oleg reflected in general the entire course of our history from Oleg himself and the Baptism of Russia until 1917? Do you know that the Bronze Horseman in St. Petersburg, solemnly opened on August 7, 1782 in honor of the 100th anniversary of the coronation of Peter I, surprisingly also turned out to be a monument to this nameless Kyiv sorcerer holding the keys of the time of our history?
Above, I spoke about the "heavenly origins of earthly affairs" in a religious sense, but this expression also has a deep (but still poorly understood) scientific aspect. Amazing rhythms of history accompany great events and great people, and the fate of peoples and countries, and the historical process as a whole. Our compatriot Alexander Leonidovich Chizhevsky (1897–1964), the founder of space biology and heliobiology, back in 1918 defended his doctoral thesis at Moscow State University on the topic “On the periodicity of the world-historical process”, and in 1938 in the book “Earth echo of solar storms ”, referring to the influence of periods of solar activity and planetary cycles on organic, personal and socio-political life on Earth, wrote: “... the fierce debate caused by this problem suggests that modern science does not yet have sufficient strength to finally resolve all complex issues. This is a matter for the near future, a matter of a science more perfect than modern, more tolerant of new ideas and new conquests of human genius. There is no doubt that remarkable discoveries of such phenomena are yet to come, which our sages never even dreamed of.
Let's return now to the epigraph. A. S. Pushkin wrote "The Song of the Prophetic Oleg" in 1822, about a millennium after the birth of the legendary Oleg and 960 years after the legendary calling of the Varangians to reign: “Our land is great and plentiful, but there is no order in it. Come reign and rule over us".
960 years is both a sacred and a physical cycle of waves and knots of history, connected with the most ancient calendar (as well as planetary) cycles. We all know about the so-called "eastern calendar", a circle of twelve years (associated with the period of circulation of Jupiter and the lunar nodes) and their corresponding animals, totems. Many people also know that this calendar is associated with the eastern pentagram of the five elements, each of which has its own color, so that the full cycle of the “eastern calendar”, when both the totem and the element coincide, is 60 years. For example, 2012 is the year of the Black Dragon, and before that, 1952 was exactly the same in terms of calendar cycles.
By the way, a cycle of 60 years is known in economics as “Kondratiev waves”.
Lovers of astrology also know another ancient calendar called "Zoroastrian" or "Avestan"; P.P. Globa introduced us to him. This is a cycle of 32 years, associated with the ancient period of Saturn's revolution around the Sun, with the "golden age" of mankind. Each year corresponds to a certain totem. The full cycle of this calendar is 64 years - it distinguishes between "shadow" and "light" cycles of 32 years each. It is easy to calculate that the 12-year and 32-year cycles coincide once every 96 years (the smallest number divisible by 12 and 32), and the complete repetition of the characteristics of the years of the Eastern and Avestan calendars falls once every 960 years (divided by 60 and 64 ). Found its confirmation in history, as we will see, and the cycle 12 × 32 = 384 years, especially since it is still a multiple of the orbital period of Halley's comet, which we will talk about in more detail a little later. Shorter historical cycles are also known to historians and astrologers: 144 years, 120, 36, 30, 12, 8 years, 4 years - all of them are associated with the main calendar cycles of the Eastern and Avestan calendars and the cycles of some planets.
The largest cycle - 960 years - has been known, it seems, since ancient times, but it was still not clear what rhythms it is associated with, except that this is a cycle of the so-called "great conjunctions of Jupiter and Saturn." Now we can confidently say that this is the "full spectrum" of the calendar rhythms of the ancient septener (seven planets); the fullest potential of human perception of the year. It is not for nothing that the age of the biblical antediluvian patriarchs is close to 960 years: Adam lived 930 years, Seth - 912 years, Enos - 905, Cainan - 910, Malaleel - 895, Jared - 962, Enoch was taken alive to heaven at 365 years (a special case ); Methuselah, the record holder, lived 969 years, Lamech 753 (or 777) and Patriarch Noah, the progenitor of the post-Flood family, lived 950 years. Then, as a result of the corruption of the human race (before the Flood), as follows from the book of Genesis, God decided that “let their days be 120 years”, and Moses lived exactly as long (a millennium after the Flood), but after him the biblical story shows we have a much shorter life expectancy of their heroes. In our time, it can be assumed that 96 years is a barrier that science has yet to overcome on the way to extending the average life expectancy.
Now, after these reminders of calendar cycles, let us turn to the history of Ancient Russia (Kyiv and Novgorod) and the Moscow kingdom, and then (in the second section) to the history of Russia in the 17th-20th centuries. In the course of our story, knowledge of these calendar cycles will help us better understand the patterns of Russian history.
Chapter 1. Magi.
Magi of Russia and priests of the Varangians.
A huge number of scientific works are devoted to the founder of the Rurik dynasty, many of which partly contradict each other. We do not pretend that the versions of the history of Ancient Russia set forth in this chapter are the most accurate: perhaps we are mistaken in some details and some professional historians will consider the versions given by us "amateurish", and it is likely that these professional historians will be in what -that's right. However, the main goal of our story about those ancient times is to show what a huge role - often underestimated just by professional historians - was played by the magicians and priests.
Russian Magi, who are they?
The theme of the Magi is perhaps the most inaccessible to research and study, since over the past three hundred years the Magi have been the most destroyed part of the population. Today, not a single sorcerer confesses his knowledge, and many who own ancient knowledge prefer to remain silent and live away from modern society. It is no coincidence that in ancient times a sad and ironic remark was born: "The one who knows is silent, the one who speaks does not know."
Another difficulty awaiting the researcher lies in the fact that it is impossible to correctly cognize that which is more developed than man. Here is what Champollion, a well-known decipherer of Egyptian writing, wrote about the Egyptian magi: “They could rise into the air, walk on it, live under water, painlessly endure injuries, read in the past, predict the future, become invisible, die and resurrect, heal diseases etc.".
To become a sorcerer, a person needed to achieve recognition by the divine Pantheon, then all the requests and desires of a person who reconnected to the Pantheon were fulfilled. The student went through a long process of learning (in the 19th century, they studied for 20 years as a sorcerer), which ended with a test, which, due to a misunderstanding, is called an exam today. If a person passed the tests and remained alive, after that the gods illuminated the sorcerer with their light and abilities, and the person became dedicated, i.e. acquired magical, divine properties. The names of the sciences have been preserved in Greek: thaumaturgy - miracle-working with the help of the gods, in contrast to demiurgy - miracle-working due to one's abilities. A person recognized by Russian gods can read and understand ancient books on magic, perform rituals, and everything will work out for him, unlike an unrecognized person who will do the same, but everything is useless. A person who has reached contact with a god becomes a god himself, and a person with whom the entire Pantheon of gods is in contact acquires the capabilities of the Lord.
The study of the life of Russian saints shows that they acquired their abilities as a result of a long stay alone with Nature. One of the indicators of holiness was the achievement of understanding of all creatures, when animals, including predatory ones, cease to be afraid of a person and take food from his hands, as was the case with many Russian saints (for example, Sergius of Radonezh).
The Magus was not only an intermediary between man and the Pantheon, but also the creator of this Pantheon.
According to ancient ideas, God is not only a spirit born of Humanity, but also a plant through which the divine aggregate is fed; and the animal through which the god manifests his will; and a crystal, through which the god conveys magical properties; and food, fixing the divine properties of man; and the creative force of the Universe, determined by the level of followers of Vedovestism.
When people lived in unity with nature, they created trees with the help of which the gods were created. They turned the losers into animals and forced them to serve the gods, who manifested their will through animals, they chose crystals and minerals, thanks to which the gods transferred their properties to them. Sacred animals and plants eventually became just domestic, and crystals became precious stones.
After the catastrophes that occurred, which led to the death of a giant ancient biosphere, people, in order to survive, were forced to eat some sacred animals, moreover, they were specially bred for these purposes. Such animals included: sheep, pigs, goats, cows, horses, chickens. So the sacred animals turned into domestic ones and cattle breeding with poultry farming was born. When, as a result of social upheavals, some animals were expelled from the temples, despite this, they continued and continue to settle until now near human dwellings (rats, weasels, ferrets).
Let's try to recreate that ritual and hierarchical picture that existed among the Magi in antiquity, so that it becomes clear to us how the RELIGION of the ancestors arose and how it disappeared.
The question is, why is it necessary to restore the system of ancient knowledge that has long disappeared from human life?
Now, here and there, centers of the ancient Faith are emerging, which require precise knowledge in order to be able to resonate with the old divine aggregates. Any inaccuracies lead to weak interaction or lack of contact, so that all newly created centers of the ancient religion will not differ in any way from the existing centers of other faiths. Without this knowledge, we cannot find the happiness that existed before, when there was an era of Paradise on Earth.
The word VOLKhV - praising Veles (Volos), consists of two words VOL (Volos = Veles) and HV - “praise”. Initially, all the clergy were called RAHVAMI, i.e. praising Ra, but after the baptism of Ra-siya, when Veles was made the Lord instead of Ra, all the clergy began to be called "magi". All changes in the names of ministers of worship are associated with certain upheavals that have occurred in our history.
For example, in Europe that separated, the Magi were called DRUGI, from which the Celts got the name DRUID, the suffix "id" means a decrease, compare: "aster" - a star, "asteroid" - a small star. The diminutive name of the druids was most likely caused not by a decrease in their growth, but by a decrease in their friendliness. According to historical information that has come down to us, people were afraid of the druids and their bloody rites, with which they compromised themselves. In Russia, the priestly caste was for a long time called the RAHMANS ("Ra" - the Lord, "x" - the clergyman and "man" in Sanskrit means "to know", "think", as well as the first man). Caste is the age period of human activity, equal to 24 years. The caste changed every 24 years. The first 24 years of apprenticeship, all people were students and actively helped the priests during this period.
After the last catastrophe, as a result of the separation of cults and the emergence of world religions, RABBIs (Russian PRAVINS, on behalf of the goddess "Rule") separated.
The word "rahv" was used in general for clergy. The word HER or HIER was used to designate the clergy (compare with the priestly word archHIER), but thanks to the “ss” this word began to denote the male genital organ. To designate their cult workers, Christians began to use the word PRIEST, which they also took from the Volkhov (Rakhovsky) hierarchy, which is a slightly distorted original word “sveshelnik” = candle + ate, i.e. a servant (ate) capable of creating a "candle" - the sacrament of penetration into past lives.
Despite the fact that the Magi for pre-Christian Russia were people, perhaps comparable even to the princes and elders of the tribes, little information about them has been preserved. Most of this information is contained in Christian teachings against paganism and condemnation of paganism, as well as historical facts about pagan rebellions against the new religion. Many glorious sorcerers, priests and ministers of pagan cults "sank into oblivion" and absolutely no information about them has been preserved.
However, even the meager information that we got, bypassing the censorship of Christianity, can tell a lot about who these wise men were, what their names were, what they did and what deeds they became famous for before the entire Slavic people. It is also worth noting that the Magi were not only men, but also women, who are referred to as "vlhva" or "sorcerer".
Magi are the main ministers of the pagan faith. From ancient times, the Magi were not only the main servants who conduct rituals and holidays, who instruct people, help them understand the Gods and their lives, but also sorcerers, devotees involved in magic, herbalism, healing, divination, predictions and so on. From ancient times, there was special attention to the Magi. It is worth noting that the Magi were so revered that people considered their opinion much higher than even the princely one. Even representatives of the nobility and authorities turned to them for predictions and advice. Perhaps it was this factor that destroyed paganism at one time, since Prince Vladimir wanted sole power, wanted to be a single ruler, higher and more important than which no one can be. As a result, Vladimir chose the religion that offered him this power, and the Magi turned out to be outside the law, were recognized as supporters of satanic forces. They were persecuted, imprisoned, brutally tortured and killed.
Magi and priests are a category of people whose social status is very difficult to determine. Magi could be ordinary people, sorcerers, elders, recluses who lived all alone in the forests and so on. Magi were among the royal blood. For example, Vseslav Polotsky, he is Volkh Vseslavievich (Vseslav Bryachislavich, Vseslav the Prophetic, Vseslav Charodey, Volga Vseslavievich, 1029-1101), who was the son of Bryachislav, was considered born from sorcery and wore a kind of “shirt” in which he was born, which is regarded as a birthmark , as part of the placenta left after birth or as an atavism in the form of excess skin. In "The Tale of Igor's Campaign" it is said that Vseslav had the gift of werewolf, divination and delusion. The epic tells that Volkh Vseslavievich learned three wisdoms from childhood: he turned into a clear falcon, a gray wolf, a bay tour. It also says here that the father gave his son to study with the Magi, where he acquired his skills as a werewolf. In the person of Volkh Vseslavievich, the functions of both the sorcerer and the prince were combined. This is not at all surprising, since many sources claim that elders often took the role of the chief sorcerer in various settlements of ancient Russia.
During the time of Vseslav of Polotsk, the movement of the Magi with the troops of the pagan Slavs was a widespread phenomenon. A number of speeches, which were suppressed by the current government, swept in Kyiv, Novgorod, near Yaroslavl and Beloozero. The activity of the Magi, which was considered illegal, was severely suppressed. By this time, Christian figures had already managed to affirm in the minds of many people that the Slavic sorcerers, who from time immemorial have been revered in Russia, are evil sorcerers, heretics, apostates, terrible criminals and warlocks who have contacted demonic forces and wish people only evil.
One of the most famous episodes with the participation of a sorcerer, there is a case in Novgorod “Volkhv stood under Gleb (Svyatoslavich, the grandson of Yaroslav the Wise) ... To speak to people, acting like a god and many deceptions - not a whole city is enough ... And there was a rebellion in the city and give him faith and want to beat bishop ... And divided in two: Prince Gleb and his squad stayed with the bishop, and the people went for the vlhva .... ". This event is quite well known and described in detail. The Magus, who was an ardent opponent of the new religion, organized a rebellion in the city of Novgorod. At the same time, the conflicting parties were divided into two parties. Prince Gleb was supported by his squad and Christian ministers. All the people living at that time in Novgorod and, probably, its environs, followed the sorcerer! Such a division of forces speaks volumes, in particular, the tyranny of the authorities, which absolutely did not take into account their people, who did not want to accept Christianity and, even after so many years, without any doubt went over to the side of the sorcerer. However, everything was decided by the cunning and vile plan of Prince Gleb, who approached the sorcerer with an ax hidden behind his back, unexpectedly pulled out a weapon and hacked his opponent to death. Deprived of the main sorcerer, people had to disperse.
The name of the sorcerer who fell at the hands of the prince, unfortunately, has not survived to this day, but the strength of his faith and the strength of the faith of those people speaks volumes. This episode is very famous, but, unfortunately, not for the reason that all people preferred the sorcerer to the prince, but for the reason that the new faith put forward, calling Gleb's act heroic and even "funny". In the Radzivilov Chronicle, this case is even illustrated by an ancient Russian artist in the form of a small miniature. Judging by this miniature, we can roughly imagine what the Magi looked like at that time. He wears a long white robe to the ground with wide sleeves and a large number of large buttons. There are traditional ornaments on the mantle of the sorcerer. Also, the Novgorod sorcerer does not have a beard. Of course, this miniature cannot be considered a kind of photograph, but the artist was still able to convey some details. Also little known, or rather omitted by "official" sources, is the historical fact that the Novgorodians did not at all calm down on this and took revenge on Prince Gleb for protecting the bishop and killing the sorcerer. The Novgorod chronicle describes: “And Svyatoslav planted his son Gleb and drove him out of the city and ran for Volok and killed people”, i.e. Svyatoslav put his son Gleb in Novgorod to reign, but the Novgorodians, outraged by the injustice, drove Gleb out, he fled and was soon killed by the Chud (tribe). It happened in 1078.
The Magi were dangerous for the princes not only by their influence on people who for thousands of years considered them the main spiritual guides, but also by their witchcraft and magical abilities. No one doubted the power of the magical abilities of the Magi - neither people, nor princely power, nor even church servants. For example, Jacob Mnikh wrote to Prince Vladimir such words: “Many miracles and miracles have been created by demonic dreams ...”.
It is likely that the same Dobrynya, who entered fairy tales and epics as the glorious hero Dobrynya Nikitich, but in fact, who, on the orders of Vladimir, crushed idols, killed pagans and baptized Kyiv and Novgorod, was originally a real sorcerer. This is not a 100% statement, but still such an assumption exists. It is based on the fact that it was Dobrynya who approved the cult of Perun for Novgorod, who became dominant over all other Gods and who was called together only with Veles. Who else, if not the chief sorcerer, can approve the cult, set up sanctuaries and idols? In epics, Dobrynya possessed magical abilities, and is also shown as a gusli-narrator. It is worth noting here that the Magi were noted for such a feature as playing musical instruments and the ability to tell epics and legends. For this reason, the same Magi were often called guslars, blasphemers, baenniks and other names. But, as we can see later, the sorcerer (if he was such) Dobrynya turned out to be the usual leader of the prince's squad, and the word of the prince was much more for him than the word of the Gods.
For the reason described above, that is, due to the involvement of the Magi in the art of music, in storytellers, many researchers of Slavic sorcery attribute the well-known ancient Russian singer, whose name was Boyan Prophetic. The prefix "Prophetic", which was assigned to the famous singer and storyteller, also speaks in favor of the fact that he had a special gift and could be a sorcerer. The singer and storyteller Boyan was also credited with the ability of reincarnation, just like Volkh Vseslavievich.
Perhaps it is precisely for the reason that musical instruments were one of the important attributes of the Magi and priests, their rituals and customs, that the new religion so zealously undertook the destruction of musical art. The annals say that the harp, snuffles and other instruments were taken out of the city in whole wagons and burned. Music, except for church music, has become practically outlawed.
The most famous sorcerer-priest, who became a cult and revered figure thanks to the riot he staged against Christianization in Veliky Novgorod, is Bogomil or Bogomil Nightingale. There are two versions why Bogomil was called the Nightingale. According to one version, he was very eloquent and therefore people gave him the epithet of a beautifully singing bird. According to another version, Bogomil, like other songwriters, knew how to handle musical instruments and sang his pagan stories to people like a nightingale. It was this man who was at the head of the people who rebelled against Dobrynya and Putyata, who, on the orders of Vladimir, came to Novgorod from Kyiv to overthrow pagan gods, destroy temples and sanctuaries, and forcibly baptize people. Bogomil's assistant became no less famous - thousand(tysyatsky - a military leader who led the ancient Russian city militia "thousand") Novgorod Ugonai. During the rebellion, he traveled around Novgorod and shouted everywhere: “It is better for us to die than to give our gods a mockery!” At this time, people destroyed the house of Dobrynya, destroyed the churches that had already appeared in different parts of Novgorod by that time, and destroyed the dwellings of Christians. Putyata, who was an accomplice of Dobrynya, together with the soldiers, under the cover of night, made his way to Novgorod unnoticed and staged a fierce battle with the inhabitants of Novgorod and the supporters of Ugoniy and Bogomil. Dobrynya burned the houses of ordinary people, which confused the inhabitants and with such cunning was able to break the resistance. This is where the expression came from: he baptized Putyata with a sword, and Dobrynya with fire. Magus Bogomil died in 991.
Pay attention to the prefix to the name "Nightingale", the explanation of which was above. In Russia, there was another nightingale, which some researchers of Slavic epics and legends refer to the magicians or priests that actually existed in ancient times. It's about the epic "villain" Nightingale the Robber. For example, M. Zabylin, in one of his publications “The Russian people, their customs, rituals, traditions, superstitions and poetry” in 1880 wrote: “... when in the time of St. Olga and St. Vladimir, the Christian faith penetrated into Russia, it did not suppress Slavic paganism everywhere and not now, which we see from the struggle of Ilya Muromets with the Nightingale the Robber, who, according to legend, was none other than a fugitive priest hiding in the forests, which could happen to many priests and idolaters who stubbornly held on to their paganism and fled from persecution ... ". Indeed, Ilya Muromets, who, according to legend, also served Vladimir, who fought paganism with all available means, could well hunt the Magi, priests and adherents of the Native Faith hiding in the forests and remote villages, and the battle with the Nightingale the Robber was so vivid and memorable that the legend about the sorcerer Nightingale and his murderer Ilya Muromets entered the legends and fairy tales.
In 1024 There was an uprising of the Magi in Suzdal. The uprising was suppressed by Prince Yaroslav, some of them were expelled from the city, the rest were put to death. Around the same time, the mysterious sorcerer appeared in Kyiv. Judging by the chronicles, he told people that in five years the Dnieper would flow back, the lands would begin to change places, the Greek land would take the place of the Russian one, and the Russian one would take the place of the Greek one. The fate of the sorcerer is unknown, since one night he went missing and after that no one heard from him again.
In 1071 near Yaroslavl, two sorcerers rebelled with their supporters, numbering 300 people. Judging by the chronicles, this happened as a result of famine. The Magi, along with ordinary people, began to beat the local rich nobility, who hid stocks of bread and other food, and doomed people to a starvation existence. Then the army of the rebels came to Beloozero, where they encountered Jan Vyshatich (representative of the Kyiv nobility, Tysyatsky, brother of Putyata, son of Vyshata, voivode Yaroslav the Wise, was close to the Kiev Caves Monastery), who, on behalf of Svyatoslav, collected tribute from local lands. The princely squad turned out to be stronger, and the Magi were captured. Yang ordered that the beards of the Magi be torn out with a split. During this execution, he asked the Magi: "What do the Gods say to you?" To which the Magi replied: "Stand before Svyatoslav!" After that, they were tied up, tied to the mast of the boat and put rubles into their mouths. Stopping the boats at the mouth of the Sheksna, Yang asked: “What do the gods say to you now?”, To which the captives replied: “So the gods say to us: we will not be alive from you,” to which he replied: “They told you the truth” . After that, the Magi were killed and hanged on an oak tree.
Another very short mention of the sorcerer refers to 1091 when the sorcerer appeared in Rostov, but soon after died under mysterious circumstances.
In 1227 Magi appeared in Novgorod. Arriving in the city, they were engaged in magic and sorcery. The adherents of the church seized everyone and brought them to the archbishop's courtyard. Here the princely retinue stood up for them, protecting them from reprisal for a while. After that, they were brought to the courtyard of Yaroslav, where they laid a fire and burned everyone alive. In one of the annals there is such an entry: “In the summer of 6735 (1227), the Magi were burned 4 - their indulgences are active. And then God knows! And burned them in the Yaroslavl courtyard. Who were these 4 wise men who were burned alive in the princely court, of course, will remain a mystery to us. However, the fact that the Magi were burned publicly, in the center of the city, in the princely court, spoke of how important they were, what fear they instilled in the apostate princes and how they wanted to intimidate the people, turn them against the Magi, if not by persuasion, then fear of cruel death. In the church charter of Vladimir, the punishment for the Magi was prescribed - burning. The charter of Prince Vsevolod included the same punishment.
The Magi were persecuted and destroyed. The authorities did not want to put up with the fact that people, even decades and centuries after total Christianization, still follow the Magi, put them above Christian priests and above princely power. The Magi, even knowing what punishments await them in case of capture, continued their activities.
Everyone knows the story Prophetic Oleg and the sorcerer who foretold his death. The Magus said that Oleg would die from his beloved horse. The power of trust in the Magi was so high that Oleg, without thinking, removed his horse from himself and ordered to take care of him until the end of his life, and when he died, he wished to look at his bones. His faith in the sorcerer's prophecy was shaken, but everything was decided by the snake, which settled in the horse's skull and, biting Oleg, made the sorcerer's words fatal. Judging by various church writings, even the monks who condemned sorcery did not doubt for a second the capabilities of the magicians and sorcerers. Their abilities are often described not as a deception or an attempt to fool people, but as real and effective magic, which they do not understand and therefore was called the devilish, satanic power.
In 1410 in Pskov, twelve "prophetic wives" were burned. In the reign of Alexei Mikhailovich (1629-1676), the Magi were burned at the stake, and the fortune tellers were buried up to their chests in the ground. Also popular was the exile of the Magi to monasteries, where they were in torture chambers, where they were mocked in every possible way and subjected to torture.
As a conclusion, I want to say that the fate of the Magi and priests, as well as pagans in general, was unenviable for a whole millennium. And yet, having overcome the milestone of ten centuries, bypassing all mortal dangers, all the obstacles and confrontation of the latest religions, the ancient faith has come down to our days, and we are happy witnesses of the revival of our native culture. Today, the Magi are reappearing in our cities and villages. Nowadays, nothing threatens them, and we can finally fulfill the lost dream of our distant ancestors - to revive the primordial beliefs, traditions and bright culture of the Slavs again!