Slavic naming. Slavic naming: how a child becomes an adult

The rite or ceremony of naming among the Slavs, Tatars and Muslims is of great importance for the future fate of each person. Let's consider what rituals were performed previously and now.

The ritual of naming among the Slavs in ancient times

The Slavic rite of naming was something similar to initiation. This ceremony was performed when the child turned twelve years old. Before a person reached this age, representatives of both sexes were called children. The kids were given various nicknames, which were washed with river water during the ceremony of finding their own name.

For Russians, the name plays one of the main roles in shaping the future destiny of each person. It can predict not only the character and hobbies of everyone, but also protect them from attacks from dark forces. It is a widely known fact that in their dark rituals that can cause harm, adherents of black forces must know the name of their victim. In order not to suffer from such attacks, the Slavs came up with the idea of using secret names that only they and the magicians who performed the ritual knew. This tradition has survived to this day, only they began to secretly name the child during baptism. However, modern church ministers, when introducing a person to God, give him the name of the same saint as the name of the parishioner himself.

Interesting fact: an ancient Russian man could have up to 12 names. The first of them was given at birth, and served a person until he reached the age of twelve. The second was named at the time of the initiation ceremony. Such an event indicated that the child had become a young man and already had the right to manage his own life and bear full responsibility for his actions. It could change along with a change in type of activity and preferences. The third was known only to the ritual participant and the priest.

Only priests or wise men (in very rare cases, midwives) had the right to perform the ceremony itself. This man, using meditation, introduced the young participant of the ritual into a kind of trance and, together with him, entered the same state. During their wanderings through the subconscious, a young man or girl chose their life path and goals, and a wise mentor, watching everything that happened, subsequently chose suitable names for them. This ritual could not be adjusted or influenced. People believed that with the advent of mortals into the world, each soul had its own purpose and mission. And this ritual simply suggested which path in life everyone would have to go through.

When both participants in the action returned to consciousness, the priest publicly announced the name of his charge, and spoke the second, secret name only to him. There have been cases when, at the moment of meditation, the mentor learned that this person is the incarnation of his friend who died several decades ago. In this case, it was possible to leave the person his own name, or at the request of the soul, change it to a new one.

Let's look at the difference between secret and common names. In addition to the fact that the first is known only to two people, it predicts the mission that the soul must fulfill in a given incarnation, while at the same time, as a general one, it is known to many and tells about the life path that its owner will have to go through. At its core, such a ceremony was an attempt to look into one’s own future. It is needed to remind the soul of its mission. After all, it is known that having moved into a new body, she forgets everything that happened to her before.

Unfortunately, knowledge about such a naming ceremony has not reached our days. Our later ancestors preferred to use words as their names that would characterize their type of activity, character, character traits and some other characteristics. For example, it was customary to call warriors: Yaroslav, Mstislav, Mirolub, which corresponded to their morals. The following names were chosen for the magicians and priests: Agnechron, Beloslav, God-led. It was customary to name ordinary people in accordance with their main character traits or some peculiarities: Bogdan, Zabava, Dobrilo.

Today, finding out your secret name key is much more difficult than in the old days. However, in some Slavic communities one can still find a priest or sorcerer who can put a person into such a meditative trance. Everyone has the right to choose for themselves what others will call them. It is important to remember that before you acquire a new name, you should wash off the old one.

For those who want to follow the tradition of their ancestors, they should carefully follow all the conditions that are necessary to carry out such a ritual. Before the ceremony, you must strictly fast for forty days. For the first 31 days, you should limit yourself to food of animal origin, and for the remaining 9 days you should observe complete abstinence.

When the internal preparations are completed, it is necessary to choose the right place for the ceremony. Previously, it was customary to conduct such rituals in close proximity to nature. Most often, groves, hills, mountain peaks or temples were chosen for such an action. You could also find out the secret of your name in churches, on the threshold of your own home or in baths. One of the important conditions is that before the ritual you should wash yourself thoroughly or at least wash yourself with spring water.

Naming ceremony among Muslims

The ritual of naming a name among Muslims is as important as among the ancient Russians. Naming in Islam implies that a person, together with him, will acquire the main traits of his character and correctly choose his path through life. Therefore, these nationalities name their children beautifully and euphoniously, in honor of certain saints, in accordance with the description of their life path and character.

One of the Messengers of Allah bequeathed:

It is customary among Muslims to sacrifice a ram (akyk) for the birth of a child, and at this moment the baby itself is shorn bald. This ritual should be performed on the 7th day from the birth of the child. This is what the ancestors of modern followers of Islam did. Today, all that remains of this tradition is that the child is named until the 7th day from the moment of his birth. But the interpretation of the names of modern Muslims remains the same as many years ago.

This is what the Prophet Muhammad said about the significance of a name for every person:

Among these nationalities, it is unacceptable to invent various nicknames, especially if they may be unpleasant to a person. In this religion, it is allowed to change the name given at birth only if the owner does not like it.

Today there are situations when people come to Islam from another faith. In this case, it is absolutely not necessary for a person to change his name to a Muslim one, but if desired, everyone can choose a suitable and harmonious name for themselves.

Tatar naming ceremony

Tatar naming is very similar to the Muslim tradition. Here people also believe that along with the name, the character and further future of a person are predetermined. Tatars are called the same as Muslims, in accordance with the characteristics of certain saints. It is rare, but possible, to meet people of this nationality who have Russian and European names.

Just like Muslims, Tatars must name their baby before the 7th day of his birth. The maximum period allowed for naming is 40 days. This nation believes that the nameless child is very susceptible to influence from black forces.

This ceremony does not take place in a mosque. It is usually carried out at home under the leadership of a mullah. Elders and close relatives of the baby must be present during this action. Required items are a pillow, scissors and a knife. To protect the baby from possible attacks from the forces of evil, at the time of the ceremony, a knife is placed under the pillow for girls, and scissors should be placed under the pillow for a boy. At the beginning of the ceremony, everyone present spits over their left shoulder three times so as not to jinx the child. Among this people, it is customary that the first child in the family should be named by the baby's father's mother.

Tatars celebrate this day on a huge scale. It is customary to organize a luxurious celebration to which many guests are invited. All those present will have to present the hero of the occasion with various household items. When the celebration is over, it is believed that the child must be capricious. This is due to multiple evil eyes, which the paternal grandmother of a newborn must remove with prayers.

Traditions and beliefs about acquiring a name

Today there are many signs associated with a person’s name. Let's list some of them:

Before baptism, no one should know what the parents named their baby. This is done in order to protect the little person from attacks from the forces of evil, until he finds a protector angel.
It is prohibited to give a baby the same name as one of your close relatives. This belief is due to the fact that one of the tesks shortens his life span by giving years to the second.
Under no circumstances should you name a person after deceased relatives. It is believed that in this way one can doom a newborn to repeat the fate of a deceased loved one. An exception can be made only for a name in honor of a grandmother or grandfather who lived a happy, long life.

There are many beliefs and traditions associated with a person acquiring his name. Having examined how the naming ritual works among Muslims, Tatars and Slavs, we can compare not only the specific tradition of different peoples, but also the culture as a whole.

Based on the Slavic ideas about the initiation rite - naming, we can say that getting a new name for a person is finding a new path in life. The name is chosen consciously, in accordance with the manifested qualities of a person and has its own meaning, and not just a set of letters and a beautiful sound. Often the name itself is revealed when communicating with the Native Gods and Ancestors. Therefore, naming among the Slavs takes place at a more conscious and older age, and not in infancy. To get a fateful name, the Slavs spend a special naming ceremony.

Naming among the Slavs

Among the Slavic names that were consciously given to children or adults, there were the following: names, reflecting occupation:

Volkhov or priestly;
boyars;
princely;
merchants;
military;
handicraft;
peasant.

But there were names that expressed something more than status in society. For example, names like:

blessing;
worldly;
protective (amulet names) and others.

Name, which is chosen by a person according to the Slavic tradition, or which comes as a gift from the Gods or as a wish of the Ancestors, can perform the next task:

reflect personal qualities;
serve as an incentive for self-improvement;
to be protection from otherworldly evil;
preserving the power of the Spirit.

Naming can give two names: one is secret, the other is obvious. The first serves precisely to protect a person so that no one can influence him from otherworldly evil forces. This name is known only to the Gods and the priest (magician) who conducts the ceremony. The second is everything as a name that has a special meaning for the person and those around him. It can reflect the very essence of personality, given from Nature, or it can emphasize a person’s aspirations.

An important point in choosing a special name was also its sound, which played not so much the role of a designation, but rather a “song of the Soul.” For example, sonorous, bright, courageous and quickly pronounced names: Yarosvet, Revyata, Porevit, Buyan, Ratibor, Zhdan, Iskren and so on - gave a person the opportunity to acquire bright, catchy, decisive and other qualities. It’s the same with other names - with the melodic “song of the Soul” a person acquired a calm, easy-going disposition - Veleslav, Vsevolod, Lyubim, Milorad, Velimira, Golub and so on.

SLAVIC NAME NAME

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Name-giving ritual among the Slavs

The naming ceremony is carried out by priests, wise men, as well as elders or heads of any Native Believers communities. But the midwife or the head of the clan can also give names - bolshak, big woman, grandfathers. Places for rituals in nature - near large ancient stones, near holy springs, near trees, on the tops of mountains, mounds. But they could also be held in special temples, temples, and holy groves. There is one more place where such a ritual could be performed - this is the threshold of the bathhouse, or the bathhouse itself, as well as a place near the stove.

Before participating in such a ritual, you should refrain from eating, or limit the contents of the dishes, making them lean. It is also important to carry out spiritual practices - turning to the Native Gods and Ancestors in the mornings and evenings. Then you need to take a bath - water cleansing in a bathhouse, wash with spring water with the obligatory simple appeal to Voditsa Sister. All participants must wear Slavic clothing.

In the distant past, the ancestors of the Slavs did not immediately give names to babies, but simply called children “child”. Only after a certain time, when the children reached a certain age, or showed obvious qualities and abilities, were rituals of purification, “incarnation” and exit from the Other World into the Revealed World carried out. One of the ways of such a transition was precisely the naming ceremony among the Slavic peoples.

This wise custom differs from the modern one, when parents give names at birth, relying more on their desires. The naming ceremony carries respect for the child’s personality and makes him a conscious person who understands himself.

Baldanova Anastasia

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Traditions and customs of naming among Russians and Buryats.

Your name is a bird in your hand,

Your name is like a piece of ice on the tongue.

One single movement of the lips...

A ball caught on the fly

Silver bell in mouth.

Marina Tsvetaeva. Slide 2

Naming a child is an important symbolic action that concerns the entire family and the entire clan. The ancestors took the choice of a name especially seriously, because a name is both a talisman and a person’s destiny. Slide 3 Often a name is invented long before the child is born. The period of a child's life between birth and baptism was considered especially dangerous. He finally enters the human world only at the moment of receiving a name. Choosing a name for a child is a responsible step; its circumstances and motives are stored in family memory.

In the pagan and uneducated state of people, names were given according to the natural properties, condition and qualities of the parents.

Some, after the birth of a child, sent someone from their household outside to ask the name of the person they met, and gave his name to the newborn; thinking that the one born will live long. Many invited someone they met to be godparents, thinking that the newborn would live a long time.

Great importance was attached to naming, since, according to popular beliefs, the name was closely connected with the fate of a person and, in a certain sense, predetermined it. On the third or eighth day, but no later than the fortieth day after the birth of the baby, the church sacrament of baptism was performed. There was a widespread idea that if you do not baptize a newborn for a long time, then evil spirits will replace him with their offspring. The naming of the baby coincided with the rite of baptism, with which his human destiny began. Slide 4. Russian ancestors had two names, for example, Vladimir, and at baptism Vasily; Yaroslav - Dmitry; Olga - Elena. This custom continued until the fourteenth century, but in the eleventh century there are already cases where a person has one name.

The official name of the child was usually assigned by the godparents, in consultation with the priest.

In the peasant environment, there were often cases when the midwife gave the name to the child. If the newborn was very weak, on the verge of life and death, in order to “strengthen” him, the midwife, immediately after receiving him, baptized the child and gave him a name. Slide 5.

One of the most persistent traditions is naming children after deceased or living older relatives. It is dangerous to give a newborn the name of an early deceased family member. Children replace old people, replace them, and are the embodiment of older relatives. Slide 6 It was assumed that with a name, the child would inherit the successful fate of his ancestor. A name repeated in a family is not just a sign of unity, but also the strength of the family and clan. The name takes on additional and specific meanings.

Less commonly, a child is named after the father. In some families, there is a tradition of giving a child the same name from generation to generation. Naming a child after the father may be motivated by the desire to magically transfer the father's qualities to him. Slide 7 . It is even rarer for a child to receive his mother's name.

On the other hand, nowadays parents often want to name their child a “separate”, “only his” name, believing that a person should have an individual name. Therefore, the tradition of naming a child by names that already exist in the family causes rejection.

This name was not always immediately used to name the child or to address him. Thus, associated with a talisman against danger is the custom, under certain circumstances, of not calling a child by name or calling him by a false name rather than his real one. Slide8.

The nameless address to small children with the words: “baby”, “baby” was widespread everywhere. Words emphasizing the child’s age were also used as address: “baby”; meaning family status: “daughter”, “son”; affectionate names, often associated with the natural world, animals or the children's world: “sunshine”, “bunny”, “cat”, “yaschka”, “swallow”, “berry”, “flower”, “doll”, based on the onomatopoeia of a child speeches "Lala", etc. Slide 9.

One of the principles of naming could be the circumstance in which order the child was born: Pervak or First, Second or Second. Many modern surnames originate from these names: Pervak, Tretyak and Tretyakov, Shestakov, Semakov, etc. Slide 10

Many names were assigned in connection with the character and behavior of the baby: Besson, Gnevash, Dobrynya, Zabava, Neulyba, Smirnoy. Some names reflected the fact of the child's desirability or undesirability, attitude towards him and other circumstances: Bogdan, Zhdan, Lyubim, Nechay, Pozdey. A number of names were associated with the time of birth of the child: Veshnyak, Winter, Saturday. A number of names contained negative concepts, which, according to popular beliefs, should have contributed to the child’s aversion to evil spirits, illness, and death: Nekras, Nelyuba, Nemil, Neustroy, Staraya. Slide 11

Fashion was of great importance in naming children. Fashion for names was created by politics, literature, music and films. Sometimes it is difficult to explain why a large number of Christines or Jans suddenly appear, who practically did not exist in Orthodox Russia.

In recent years, we have been striving to return old traditions; children are called by old names, unpopular during the years of Soviet power. So, we have a lot of Danil, Varvar, Matveev and Evdokii.

Since the twentieth century, there has been a fashion for Western European names. Arthurs and Marks appeared in our country in considerable quantities.

But no matter how many times fashion changes, Russia is faithful to the names of its holy martyrs and heroes. Such as Sergey, Alexander, Ilya, Ekaterina, Olga. When choosing a name for their baby, parents try to make it euphonious and affectionate.

The Buryat naming system has a centuries-old history. Slide 11

In ancient times, assigning a name based on a person’s characteristic feature was widely practiced. For example, the Buryats had such common names as Borsoy (nondescript, shrunken), Sharluu (red-haired), Kharluu (black), Nogooloy (greenish), Ongorkhoy (holey), Nopoi (weak, powerless). Slide 13

In the old days, there was a tradition of calling children by abusive, derogatory names, for example: Arhinsha (drunkard), Baahan (kal), Angaadha, Angaashkha (gross). These were the so-called “amulet names.” According to the ideas of the ancients, in this way it was possible to protect children from “evil spirits.” Slide 14. To stop infant mortality, which was high at that time, parents gave their children similar names. This meant that not a person was born into the family, but just a creature. “From the evil eye”, to deceive evil spirits, a number of names with a negative characteristic have developed: Muuzhaan, Muudaan (from the word “muu” - bad), Eshegeedey (kid), Emedkheen (derived from the word “eme” - female). Slide 15 If girls were born, but they wanted to have a boy, the next girl was given a male name in the hope that in this way the next boy would appear in the family, for example: Tsybikzhap, Khubuuley (derived from the word “khubun” - boy). And vice versa: Iziney (derived from the word “izii” (dialect) - woman), Yhindey (derived from the word “ukhin” (colloquial) - girl).

The Buryat people saw their happiness in the well-being of the family, especially in children; large families were highly revered. And the absence of children was considered a misfortune, “God’s punishment.” At the same time, there were also difficulties when a difficult financial situation forced parents to think about restrictions on family growth. In such cases, parents gave their children the names Odkhon (younger), Adag (last). In their minds, with the help of such names it was possible to stop the process of childbirth. Slide 16

The revival of national culture at the end of the 20th century once again revived interest in the traditional naming of the Buryats. It became typical to go to the datsan to choose a name that would serve as a talisman and determine character and behavior. Slide 17. The names Dari, Dulmazhab, Yanzhima became common among girls, and among boys the names Mizhit, Zhigzhid, Daba, Sanzhi. Recently, many people give newborns two names: one is external for documents, the other is secret. There is a belief that curses, damage and other types of negative energy sent to a person do not have a direct effect if he has a secret - true name, known only to those close to him. Original Buryat names continue to function.

conclusions

Summing up the work done, we would like to note the following:

Traditions and customs of naming among Russians and Buryats have their own history.
They arise, change, disappear.
They are similar in many ways;
Naming customs changed with the demands of the time;

Thus, the conducted research shows how interesting this topic is.

It can be said thattraditions of naming people are part of the history of peoples.

References

Martyshin V. S. Your pedigree: A textbook on studying the family and compiling a pedigree (series “Spiritual and moral foundations of the family”). – M.: School Press, 2000. – 224 p. (“Education of schoolchildren.” Journal library. Issue 12).
Nikonov V. A. We are looking for a name. – M.: Sov. Russia, 1988. – 128 p.
Pushkin A.S. Poems. Dramatic works. – M.: Bustard: Veche, 2002. – 384 p. – (Library of Russian Classical Literature).
Khigir B. Yu. Names and destinies. – M.: Golden Calf, 2001. – 272 p.
Khigir B. Yu. Name, character, fate. Collection. - M.: Publishing House "Yauza" LLC, Publishing House "EXMO" LLC, 2002. - 448 p.
Khigir B. Yu. Encyclopedia of names. – M.: FAIR PRESS, 2003. – 528 p.
Buryat names of Buddhist origin/comp. Namzhilov O.N. - Ulan-Ude: “Belig”, 2000.
Mitroshkina A.G. Dictionary of Buryat personal names. Experience of a linguistic-social-chronological dictionary / A.G. Mitroshkina. – Irkutsk, 2008. – 384 p.
Tsydendambaev Ts.B. The influence of the Russian language on the development of Buryat. Proceedings of the BKNII SB AN USSR. Vol. 1, Ulan-Ude, 1951.
Shulunova L.V. Nicknames in Buryat anthroponymy. Buryat book publishing house, Ulan-Ude. 1985.

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Slide captions:

TRADITIONS OF NAME NAMING AMONG RUSSIANS AND BURYATS MAOU “Buryat Gymnasium No. 29” Student of 2 “B” class Baldanova Anastasia

Your name is a bird in your hand, Your name is a piece of ice on your tongue. One single movement of the lips... A ball caught on the fly, A silver bell in the mouth. Marina Tsvetaeva.

The naming of the baby coincided with the rite of baptism, with which his human destiny began. The official name of the child was usually assigned by the godparents, in consultation with the priest.

One of the most persistent traditions is naming children after deceased or living older relatives. Children replace old people, replace them, and are the embodiment of older relatives.

In some families, there is a tradition of giving a child the same name from generation to generation. Naming a child after the father may be motivated by the desire to magically transfer paternal qualities to him

In addition to the official naming that took place during the baptismal ceremony, the child was given an intra-family name-nickname soon after birth. The Russian custom of double names existed until the 17th century. One of the principles of naming could be the circumstance in which order the child was born: Pervak or First, Second or Second. Many modern surnames originate from these names: Pervak, Tretyak and Tretyakov, Shestakov, Semakov, etc.

Names based on hair and skin color were widespread: Chernavka, Belyak, Buroy. Often the basis for the name was such external characteristics of the child as height and body features: Vikhorko, Head, Lip, Long. Many names were assigned in connection with the character and behavior of the baby: Besson, Gnevash, Dobrynya, Zabava, Neulyba, Smirnoy. Some names reflected the fact of the child's desirability or undesirability, attitude towards him and other circumstances: Bogdan, Zhdan, Lyubim, Nechay, Pozdey. A number of names were associated with the time of birth of the child: Veshnyak, Winter, Saturday. A number of names contained negative concepts, which, according to popular beliefs, should have contributed to the child’s aversion to evil spirits, illness, and death: Nekras, Nelyuba, Nemil, Neustroy, Staraya.

The Buryat naming system has a centuries-old history.

“From the evil eye”, to deceive evil spirits, a number of names with a negative characteristic have developed: Muuzhaan, Muudaan (from the word “muu” - bad), Eshegeedey (kid), Emedkheen (derived from the word “eme” - female).

The difficult financial situation forced parents to think about restrictions on family growth. In such cases, parents gave their children the names Odkhon (younger), Adag (last). In their minds, with the help of such names it was possible to stop the process of childbirth.

Conclusions The traditions and customs of naming among Russians and Buryats have their own history. They arise, change, disappear. The naming traditions of Russians and Buryats are largely similar; Naming customs changed with the demands of the time;

The Slavic rite of naming today replaces the so-called rite of baptism. We wrote earlier that such a ritual simply could not have existed before, since Christianity quickly and decisively broke the tradition. Yes, two centuries, in my understanding, is fast enough. Although if you turn your attention to double faith, then maybe you haven’t completely broken it...

What is the naming ceremony?

This is a sacred rite of acceptance of a man into the ranks of the community. I immediately remove many questions - think for yourself, was it necessary for a 40-year-old man to perform such a ritual during the times of Didova’s faith? No. But today is just necessary, since he may not have a middle name yet. Until the age of seven, children were previously called child, son or daughter. And only after the naming ceremony they addressed the son by name, but according to community, and not sacred. That is two names each person received during the naming ceremony. The sacred name could be known, in addition to the one who received it, only by the gods, the sorcerer (who performed the ceremony) and, perhaps, the beloved (Bereginya), if a person decided to reveal this name to her. But everyone could know the community name.

Such mystery is not really mysterious. The fact is that the Slavs believed that if any person could know your name, then he could easily harm, offend or damage you. The name for a Slav is a spiritual path, his purpose and even destiny. This is the connection between the Slav and the gods. It is this sacrament that we are not used to throwing away.

Today's naming rite in Slavic circles is closely related to the baptism rite. In other words, a person leaves one egregor and comes to another, native one. Name can also change.

Many pompous and even pretentious versions of the baptism ritual exist in various communities. To the point that before the ceremony, the person named must burn a Bible or an Orthodox cross. But this is already too much.

We live in a world where there are many different opinions and trends. Native faith is no exception. But we will try to talk about exactly how to carry out the ritual in an average version.

How to conduct a naming ceremony?

We do not welcome all ritual pathos, since words are only secondary, actions are important. Therefore, this scheme is more suitable not for practicing magicians and sorcerers, but for beginners.

1. A woman should be named near a pond or lake, a man near a river. It is advisable that the person named bathe before the ceremony. The naming ceremony should coincide with the main Slavic solar holidays. The ritual is carried out away from people and the presence of strangers is prohibited, only the sorcerer or sorcerer and the named.

2. It is important that there is an idol of the Slavic god, better than Rod. You also need a ritual candle. The person named must prepare gifts for the gods and choose a sacred name.

3. The sorcerer must make a krynnitsa. and light it up. Light a ritual candle from this fire. Next, it is necessary to explain to the named person the essence of this ritual.

4. It is important that the named person does not wear amulets or symbols of the past faith (including on the body).

6. At the last stage, the sorcerer and the named one come up with a community name that the person will use in the world. It can repeat an old name, as opposed to a sacred one. After this choice, the ritual can be considered completed.

This is how the naming ceremony takes place in a simple but true way.

The very principle of the naming ceremony can be seen in this video:

The forest greets everyone with the rustling of leaves and ringing silence. Only a sensitive hunter will hear an animal’s roar in this silence, sense danger, and not flinch. The forest is the breadwinner, but he is a harsh owner; if you take something, you need to give something of equal value in return. If someone is greedy, good game will pass him by, he will not see animals, and if he begins to go berserk, he will find his death in the forest. The forest is just, like its gods. Blagoslav grew up here, and as a boy he followed his father on hunts. He learned to shoot a bow, and there was no one in the village who had a sharper eye than him. So he grew up to be a noble hunter, always returning home with his hands full. But Blagoslav remembers the commandment of his fathers and ancestors: if you take from the forest, know how to give in return. Not once during these years did he break this sacred vow; he regularly made sacrifices and demands to the forest spirits and gods. Blagoslav also noticed something else - the animal seemed to be drawn to him. More than once wolves came out of the thicket to him, caressed him like puppies to his hand, bear cubs swarmed at his feet. He never touched the cubs or their mothers; he respected other people's lives. He also did not kill the leaders of the packs, so that the entire pack would not disappear without a protector. Blagoslav was fair, he did not kill for fun, and in the village he shared his game with those who were in need. He was known as honest and kind, so fate was favorable to him. Blagoslav's wife was Leda, a beauty and craftswoman. The hostess is excellent, his friend is faithful and cordial. They had only one misfortune - the children did not run around in the house. And finally, joyful news came to his house. Leda has become heavy, day by day it is becoming more and more difficult for her to walk, apparently a real hero is growing in the womb. But for some reason Blagoslav’s soul is restless. He rushes about, all the bad thoughts come into his head. And he hasn’t yet come up with the name he will give his firstborn.

A hunter came to the forest, only unarmed - he came to ask for advice. He looks up into the sky in the crowns of ancient and mighty trees. And suddenly he hears the crunch of branches. He turned around, and in front of him was a maiden of unwritten and indescribable beauty. The braids are resinous to the toes, the eyes shine like hot amber, and the chain mail over the scarlet dress. Hidden behind his back was a quiver of arrows and a bow, and on his belt was a wonderful and enchanted sword. Only the hunter “Yaginya” exhaled in shock and fell to his knees. And the goddess, know, smiles back.

“Get up, it’s not fitting for the son of Svyatobor to let the Devans kneel before me.”

- How does this happen? - Blagoslav can’t believe his ears.

- Did you think that the forest just accepts you as one of its own? In your veins, the blood of its owners flows. Even though you are the grandson of my distant relatives, you cannot dilute our blood with water.

Blagoslav rose from his knees and stared wide-eyed at Yaginya Vievna.

- Heavy thoughts overwhelm you, I see how restless your darling is. Don't worry, the demons are trying to get to you. Your wife will give birth on time, healthy and bright-faced. You will have a desired son, but your daughter will be the firstborn to enter your home. Don't harbor sadness in your heart. Name your son whatever your heart desires, and give your daughter the name Gordeya.

- How is it possible, goddess Yaginyushka?! How can you give your little blood, your daughter, a brave name? - Blagoslav pleaded.

- Do not argue with the gods, even though their blood flows in you. Heaven knows better than you. To be your daughter Proud, if you call her otherwise, the disease will take her away.

The hunter became thoughtful. That’s bad luck, and it seems like he doesn’t want to give his daughter a man’s name, but he can’t transgress the will of the gods. If it is said to be called this way, it means that it is the will of the Light Ones, it is not for a mortal to argue.

- Let it be so. “I will follow Rod’s will,” he said.

- You are blessed by the wisdom of your ancestors Blagoslav. May your house stand strong and indestructible, and may your children and your family glorify it. Your daughter will become great, and you will be immensely proud of her. You will have many more children, but Proud will become your main joy. Her sons will become glorious warriors and they will be called the sons of Gordeev. And so they will begin a new generation. And now goodbye son of Svyatobor.

Blagoslav bowed to the very feet of the goddess. I just straightened up, but no one was around anymore. He walked along the narrow road to his house and indulged in thoughts. Since the name has already been chosen, he will wait in the wings. Indeed, how great is the need to choose a name to suit the child’s liking. That name contains all of life and its meaning. Blagoslav took a deep breath. He was finally calm.

Each of us has a lot of documents: passport, driver’s license, birth certificate and much more. And there, in addition to all other information, our name, surname and patronymic are invariably indicated. This set is our identity identifier. We are our name. There is much more meaning put into it than it seems at first glance. In general, when it comes to coming up with a name for a child, parents are guided by different “inspirations”. Some people name their children after their grandparents, some, being fans of TV series, name their children after the main characters, others want to stand out and give their child a sophisticated, overseas name. This can go on ad infinitum. As a result, parents usually choose something more euphonious and compatible with the surname, so that it sounds proud. This is all about today, but as for antiquity, our origins, then our ancestors had a different approach to choosing a name. The ancient Slavs did not simply choose a name because it was beautiful. The name for our ancestors carried a message about the person himself, about his personality, and his life purpose.

In general, all the rituals of our ancestors had a deep, sacred meaning. Every holiday, every custom was aimed at a certain spectrum of the soul. Spirituality for the ancient Slavs always came first, and the sorcerer, who was in charge of all spiritual knowledge and paths, was valued by everyone. Even the word “rite” itself comes from the combination of two words - “both” and “nearby”. That is, we are talking about the fact that a person always consulted a sorcerer when solving the most important issues, and asked him not only for wise advice and guidance, but also for help in understanding his own path. It is not surprising that at the birth of a child, and when choosing a name for him, the parents closely interacted with the sorcerer. The name chosen for the child signified his essence, his life direction and purpose. That is, the name for the ancient Slavs was a kind of compass for life. The naming ceremony was one of the most sacred holidays, that is, it implied the participation of the person himself and the sorcerer. The process and the very essence of the ritual had to remain a secret to others.

To give a name is not to cross a river.

When studying the features of ancient Slavic pagan rites, many researchers tend to call the naming rite a rite of initiation. Such a ritual actually existed among many peoples, and implied the stage of a boy’s growing up, and his transition from the status of a child to the status of a full-fledged man. But the Slavic rite of naming is not exactly initiation. This ritual meant giving the child a name that would become his amulet and guide through life. An adult Slavic man could have up to twelve names, and each of them was given at the appropriate age, for a specific purpose. For example, the name that parents chose for their child was relevant up to the age of twelve. Then it was time to get a new name, which could help the teenager understand his future path and the essence of growing up in general.

Until the age of twelve, a child, in the view of the ancient Slavs, had to be completely under the care of his parents and relatives, since he did not have sufficient consciousness to make any decisions and draw any conclusions. Here it is necessary to clarify that the child was not perceived as something unreasonable, but as something in great need of protection and patronage. Children under the age of twelve were called by the ancient Slavs as children. No special gender differences were made between children. That is, both girls and boys were raised in equal conditions. They were basically instilled with basic knowledge about life in general. After a child reached the age of twelve, the ancient Slavs believed that it was from this age that the child began to perceive the world around him consciously, in a more adult way. It was from this age that the child began to realize himself as an individual, his involvement in the community and clan, and ultimately he began to think about his life path and purpose. It was then that the name given at birth lost its function, and the naming ceremony was carried out.

The name is new, like a white shirt - as the Slavs called it.

Once the required age was reached, the ceremony itself was carried out. What did it look like? The child was left alone with the sorcerer, who put him into a special trance. While in this state, various visions came to the child. Each of them carried a sacred meaning about the purpose of man, about his future. It is not always true; the child managed to fully understand the secret meaning of such visions. In order to help the still child comprehend the truth, the sorcerer himself plunged into a trance and entered the consciousness of the child, thus becoming a contemplator of visions. After the visions ended and their meaning became clear to both participants, the decisive moment came when the sorcerer, based on what he saw, had to give the child two names. Hence, the first name was personal, and had to be kept in the strictest confidence from everyone. Only the bearer himself and the sorcerer could know it. The second name became public property, and the teenager began to be called that after the ceremony. The personal name reflected the soul of a person, while the common name served as a guide to life.

The essence of the ritual was for a person to look deep into himself. In fact, the soul that came into the obvious world, under the force of many factors, forgot about who it was and what its true purpose was. While the sorcerer introduced the child into a meditative state, the flow of memory opened and the memories of his soul, which were blocked by mortal flesh, became available to the person. By returning to the child at the time of the ritual the memory of his true spiritual essence, the sorcerer helped him determine his path. The help of the sorcerer was invaluable in this matter, as soon as he knew what spiritual flows of energy needed to be involved in the ritual, and how exactly to close them. The closure of spiritual memory in the future was simply necessary, since the soul should not be burdened with the knowledge and experience of the past during its stay in the manifest world. Of course, a person intuitively made some decisions, felt danger - all this was bursts of spiritual memory on an intuitive level. Moreover, there were cases when the sorcerer was faced with the fact that in fact the child was the incarnation of his already deceased ancestor. In this case, the entity gave the sorcerer knowledge about why it returned to the manifest world again, and did not follow the Golden Path to other dimensions. The entity could say its name, or ask to be called something else. After this, the sorcerer had to close the stream of memory in order to avoid confusion in the child's mind, which might not be able to cope with all this.

But it is worth mentioning that sometimes the age of the naming ceremony could depend on certain factors. For example, on what kind of talents the children showed. If a girl showed a penchant for healing, or had visions, then it became clear to everyone around her that she was a future healer and sorceress. Since training in such a matter and gaining experience required a lot of time, the naming ceremony in this case was carried out much earlier than usual. On average, girls and boys who showed themselves to be future sorcerers and witches underwent the ritual at the age of nine. If children, by the way, regardless of gender, showed interest in military affairs, then the ceremony was performed on such children at the age of twelve. Children from princely families, to whom power was to pass, also belonged to this category. Training in both military affairs and government required a more mature physical and mental state from the child. Followers of other professions underwent the ceremony at the age of sixteen.

Usually the naming ceremony was carried out during the autumn equinox. Before giving the child a new name, it was necessary to get rid of the old name, wash it away. The water element was used for this. The name was usually “washed off” in the nearest river, after which the sorcerer performed the ritual itself over the cleansed and nameless child. Depending on the purpose seen in the child’s visions, the sorcerer had to give the teenager an appropriate name. For example, for future sorcerers and witches, those names were selected that were associated with such concepts as luck, happiness, knowledge and wisdom. Also, the names of such youths were supposed to show his inseparable connection with the god to whose service he had to devote himself. Examples of such names are: Velimudr, Yaroslava, Mechislav, Bogolyuba and many others. The names that were given to future warriors and female warriors were to be associated with the concept of military valor, victory and glory. So, for example, famous names for beautiful Slavic warriors were: Bronislava, Mstislava, Stanislava and others. The names that were given to the remaining children, who in the future could become cattle breeders, blacksmiths, fishermen, hunters, farmers and other artisans, usually denoted the most outstanding character trait of the child. An example of such names: Mirolyub, Goluba, Svetlana, Umila and others.

Naming in modern times and features

The ritual of naming was adopted by today's Old Believers as an attempt to return to the true origins of their faith. Modern people increasingly feel lost in the cycle of material wealth and imposed stereotypes. Therefore, many believe that their main problem is that they have not learned their true essence and therefore, accordingly, cannot find exactly their place in this life. Such people see the root of all problems in their own name. Therefore, today they resort to the rite of naming. The author of this article will not discuss how correct it is to do this and how wrong it is. The author believes that every person should reserve the right to choose. So, if you believe in this ritual, then this is your legal right and no one has the right to dispute its truth. Let's talk about how the naming ceremony works in the modern world.

So, if a person received an original Slavic name at birth, then the Old Believers claim that such a person does not need to go through the naming ceremony, since he already bears his true name. But if a person was given a foreign name, then this ritual is simply necessary for him. Those who wish to undergo the ritual stand facing the sacred fire. Meanwhile, the sorcerer sprinkles his face and body with spring water three times, ordering that the person’s face, thoughts and name be as pure as this water. There is a connection here with the ancient ritual of “washing off” a name in the river, which we talked about earlier. Then, the sorcerer takes scissors and cuts off a lock of hair from the person being initiated, after which it is submitted to the sacred fire. At the same time, the sorcerer very quietly, almost in a whisper, pronounces the person’s new name, which should not be disclosed even among the person’s closest relatives until the end of the ceremony. After the end of the ritual, the sorcerer pronounces the person’s name loudly three times, so that others can hear him, and then he hands a handful of grain into the hands of the dedicated person so that he can bring the needs of the old gods. After the end of the ceremony, the person who has acquired a new name is obliged to remember his ancestors.

Rather than a person who was baptized in a different religion and grew up in a different faith, in order to undergo the rite of naming, he first needs to undergo a rite of purification. Let's tell the reader a little about him. So, a person who wants to undergo cleansing is placed on his knees on a block. The ritual itself can be performed by one or three priests at once. So the priest, or priests, walk around the person in a closed circle, which was previously drawn on the ground with a knife. This knife remains stuck in the ground until the ritual itself is completed. The person being purified must be naked to the waist. In this way, the priests manage to get direct contact with a person’s heart and soul. By the way, before starting the rite of cleansing and assigning a new name, the sorcerer must decide how worthy the person is of all this. This is done as follows: the sorcerer carries an ax over a person’s head three times, so that it lightly touches his hair. After this, the ax is thrown behind his back, and the sorcerer turns around to see exactly how the ax fell. If the ax fell in such a way that its blade turned towards the person, then this means that he is worthy of receiving a new truly Slavic name. If, however, the ax fell differently, then the ritual is postponed until the person becomes “worthy.”

If a person has the honor of undergoing the ceremony, then his head is first washed with spring water. Then, a vessel with fire is passed around the head of the initiate, and the movement occurs according to the movement of the sun, that is, in salting. Then grain is sprinkled on the man’s head, and the sorcerer begins to perform cleansing actions with his hands. After all this, the sorcerer or sorcerers walk around the person in a circle. At the same time, they must hold their right hands above the head of the person being initiated. They loudly pronounce the word “Goy” three times. Then comes the time for naming a new name. The name is pronounced quite loudly, and three times. The name is chosen in advance by the magician and must be approved by the community.

Along with the huge flow of information that anyone can find on the Internet, the author managed to find out several interesting facts that relate directly to the naming ritual itself. First of all, this ritual is obligatory in order for a person to cut off all his ties with the Navy world. The point is that after the soul comes to the manifest world, its connection with the afterlife still continues. She may suffer from this, just as the body of a newborn child is unable to accommodate knowledge of the past, visions of beings of the afterlife. Also, the soul can be attacked by unclean and demonic forces, since a child without a name is not under the protection of the family and the gods. With the acquisition of a name, all connections with the outside world are cut off like a blade, and now the soul is under the protection of its gods and ancestors. Typically, the naming ceremony must be performed before the newborn crosses the forty day mark. If you remember, at this very time children are the most receptive and emotional. This phenomenon is explained by the fact that the newborn is exposed to unholy forces.

When a person is an adult and shows a desire to return to the original Slavic faith of his ancestors, then in this case, the naming ceremony is also called Zeal. This is how one hears the word “joy” in this name, from the fact that a person returns to the true faith. In general, preparation for the ceremony begins long before the child is born. The sorcerer must know approximately when the child was conceived. An important factor is who exactly the husband and wife approached with a request to prolong the family line, to which particular god or ancestor. In order to choose a name for a child, the sorcerer must determine under what celestial constellation he was born. When choosing a name, it is worth considering the fact which time of the annual circle the child’s birth date belongs to - light or dark. After all this, the sorcerer can choose the true name of the Slav for the newborn, which will allow him to take his place on the family tree. Parents also choose a community name for the child, and its meaning must be related to the family name.

The naming ceremony is one of the birth rituals. Before this ceremony is carried out, a series of other important events take place. This is the birth itself, then the choice of a community name for the child. This is followed by a ceremony when the new mother is named the Mother of God. This is followed by a ritual for choosing godfathers. This is followed by a mandatory ritual, which involves introducing the energy of the child to the energy of his home. After this, a ritual is performed to close the gates of the Navya world, which involves bathing the child and breaking all ties with the other world. After all this, the naming ceremony follows, which must be carried out no earlier than after nine days from birth, and no later than forty days from birth. The already familiar rite of tonsure closes the circle of maternity rites. By the way, it is recommended to perform the ritual for boys on the day of the god Perun, and for girls on the day of the goddess Mokosh, respectively, on Thursday and Friday.