Mider asked Eochaid for his wife. Eochaid refused; then Mider asked permission to at least hug and kiss her. Eochaid agreed to this, but on the condition that he come at the end of the month. When the time approached, he gathered his warriors in the hall and ordered, as soon as Mider entered, to lock all the doors so that he could not kidnap Etain. Mider saw that he was trapped; with one hand he drew his sword. the second picked up Etain, they rushed through the roof and rushed away like two swans. The story doesn't end there. Eochaid yearned for his wife and therefore attacked Fairyland and reclaimed Etain. But the Tuatha Dé Danann were angry with him and severely avenged him and his descendants.
In addition, fairies are wonderful musicians. Some of them pass on their gift to mortals. In particular, the famous Scottish pipers McCrimmons learned this art from fairies. The most pleasant, sweetest and most dangerous for mortals
the melody is the melody of the elven king. Even stones and trees dance to this melody. If a man learns this melody, he is lost: the charm of music is so great that nothing can break it, unless the piper can play the melody backwards or
the violinist, someone will cut the strings of his violin.
HM4 y
Fairy morality.
It has already been said above that fairies are more or less definitely divided into good and evil. Kind people are quite friendly to people and therefore rarely allow themselves any dishonest acts, although they are not averse to being naughty. But the evil ones are a different matter:
and they never miss a chance
To deceive a person. It is the evil fairies who abduct human cattle and steal children, in whose place changelings are left. Sometimes they tell people to kill their own kind: but they can be tricked by killing a cow or a horse instead of a person. The fairies will not suspect anything, and the death of the animal will quench their bloodlust for a while.
However, good fairies can also, on occasion, steal cattle or steal a baby from a cradle. Often, good and evil fairies walk together, and it is worth offending some, as others immediately begin to avenge them. In general, all fairies live by the proverb: "What is yours is mine, and what is mine I will not give to anyone."
True, among all the fairies, tilvit tags stand out - these are noble creatures, always ready to help a person they like, and acting with utmost honesty: if they take something, they will definitely give something in return. As for lies, it should be remembered that fairies, even evil ones, do not lie - they are just cunning: they tell the truth, but so. that not everyone will understand the true meaning of the words.
Human faults condemned by faeries.
Fairies have their own notions of honor, which they strictly adhere to. Those people who do not follow these rules are severely punished by the fairies. First of all, they monitor the observance of secrets, because they have something to hide.
and severely punish those who try to spy on them. People who boast of their merits to the fairies often fall ill, have elven marks on their bodies, and become paralyzed. And those who try to steal faerie treasure risk their lives. Faeries hate miserliness. rudeness and impoliteness; in addition, they dislike gloomy types, while a cheerful person has the right to count on a warm welcome. If the house is clean and tidy, the fairies will surely reward its mistress with something. And they will not fail to teach a lesson to sluts and lazy people. At the same time goes to those husbands who beat their wives, and lovers of foul language.
Diseases sent by the fairies.
As a rule, fairies are quite friendly to people. But if they are offended, even if unintentionally, they take revenge. Most often, their revenge lies in the fact that they send diseases.
The most famous disease of this kind is paralysis or. as it is popularly called, blow. Faeries induce paralysis on their victim, and then kidnap a person, leaving in return a changeling, or a wooden block enchanted in such a way that it is mistaken for a corpse.
This paralysis is also called "elven strike" or "elven shot". According to the confession of the witch Isobel Iudi. she had seen with her own eyes how elven children were sharpening arrowheads; R. Robbins reports: "With the help of another plot, witches could turn into animals ... Sometimes they shot elven arrows, which, as Gowdy saw, were sharpened by little elf boys to cripple or kill people." Then the elves passed the arrows to the witches, so that they hit people and livestock with them.
Among other ailments sent by the fairies, one can mention rheumatism, pinched vertebrae, and all other diseases that disfigure the flesh. Those suffer from these diseases. who greatly offended the fairies. For lesser faults, people are “rewarded” with goosebumps, rashes or bruises all over the body. It is believed that tuberculosis is also the work of fairies, that they are involved in overwork, vomiting, and diarrhea.
Flowers and fairies. Nicky Broyle
If a woman has infertility or if a person has lice, and then it certainly could not have done without fairies (or, at worst, without a witch acting at their instigation).
From fairies it gets not only to people, but also to livestock. The death in the herd begins because the fairies kidnap animals, kill them and eat them - and most often they devour not the flesh, but the essence of livestock, and people do not even suspect that, because the bodily shells remain in the barn - the so-called "foyson".
An enchantment that grants power over faeries.
Like demons, faeries can be subdued by charms and spells. There are special spells.
calling fairies and driving them away. asking for help and asking for advice. Here
some of them.
Faerie summoning.
Take a vessel of Venetian glass measuring three by three feet, for three weeks, on Wednesdays or Fridays, dip this vessel into the blood of a white hen, then wash it with holy water and fumigate: after which three rods are taken from a walnut bush not older than a year old, peel off the bark, make it flat on one side, write on them the names of the fairies you want to call, three times skin-
before. and bury the rods, under any of the wondrous hills: on the Wednesday before the invocation and on the Friday after it, draw out the rods and pronounce the names of the fairies at the appointed hour, marked by the favor of the planets: he who calls the fairies. must be pure in soul and body, he should stand facing the east. If all conditions are met, the fairies will appear in the same vessel.
A spell to drive the fairies away from the treasure.
I conjure you. spirits, seven sisters, whose names are Lilia. Restylia. Foka, Fola, Afriga, Julia, Venulia, I conjure you in the name of Jesus Christ and his holy mother - from now on, neither to you. no one else is allowed to appear here without the permission of the name: neither day, nor night, nor one by one. neither together.
Faeries and death.
In the folklore of the Germanic peoples, a plot called the “wonderful funeral” is quite common. Meanwhile, in fairy tales and legends, it is repeated that fairies do not die - at least from old age (they can only be killed or
mortally wound). It seems that before discussing Are fairies mortal? one should ask another question: do they have an immortal soul? After all, if they have a soul, they are indeed immortal, as people are immortal - by the grace of heaven. If the souls of the fairies do not. it can be assumed that they are immortal only physically - that is, they die not from old age, but from mortal wounds. In other words, in this case, their soul is akin to the soul of animals). Most likely, the fairies do not have an immortal soul. They have no soul - and no afterlife. However, they are immortal. Dying - more precisely, dying in the world of people, the fairies return to the Magic Land, where they continue to live as if nothing
dying phoenix
it happened (there is no evidence that anyone has ever died in the Magic Land - on the contrary, it is said everywhere that death is forbidden there). However, sometimes they get so tired of life that they begin to dream of death, which would save them from the hardships of life. And in order to die, fairies need to acquire an immortal soul, similar to a human ...
As for faerie funeral processions. a meeting with them portends trouble to a person.
Tradition says that one late evening two men were returning home. The road went past the cemetery: at the very moment when they reached the cemetery gates, the clock in the bell tower struck midnight. Then there was silence, which was suddenly broken by the death knell. The bell rang twenty-six times - exactly the age of one of the men. And a strange procession appeared: hundreds of tiny creatures moved along the road, carrying a coffin with the lid thrown back, an inexpressibly sad melody floated in the air. As the coffin came abreast of them, the eldest of the men peered inside. Lying in a coffin was like two drops of water similar to his companion. The young man, having heard about this, decided to ask the fairies. how long does he have to live. No one answered, the procession soon disappeared, and the men safely reached the house. A month later, the young man broke his neck and died.
PHOENIX
In Greek mythology, a wonderful bird. Originally from Ethiopia, she lives for five hundred years (otherwise 1460 or 12594). Outwardly, this bird resembles an eagle, its feathers are red-gold. Feeling the approach of death, the phoenix burns itself in its nest, and soon a new phoenix is born from this ashes. However, Ovid in the Metamorphoses presents everything in a different way:
“That bald one revives itself with its seed bird:
"Phoenix" her Assyrians call; not grass, not bread -
But incense exists with a tear and amom juice
Only for centuries he will fulfill his five centuries.
It immediately sits in the branches or on the dome of a quivering palm tree.
With a crooked beak and claws, he begins to build a nest for himself.
Wild cinnamon lays with cobs of tender nard
Crumpled in the kinn's nest
Phoenix. Drawing from the Manafi al Khayavan manuscript. Iran, 1294-1299
mon with golden myrrh spreads
He himself lies on top and ends his life in incense.
And they say that the appointed people live the same age
Coming out of the ashes of the father, the little Phoenix is reborn
Only age will give him the strength to lift the load.
He himself removes the nest from the branches of an elevated palm tree
Piously your cradle and father's grave
Taking and through the free is simple in Hyperion the city having reached.
The gift to the sacred threshold in the temple of Hyperion composes *
★ (Translated From Shervinsky)
Herodotus speaks of a phoenix with: riding There is another sacred bird called by him the phoenix The phoenix flies only when his father dies. If its image is correct, then the appearance of this bird and the size are as follows. Its plumage is partly golden, and partly red. In appearance and size, it most of all resembles an eagle ... The Phoenix flies as if from Arabia and carries with it the father’s body, paved with myrrh, to the temple of Helios, where he and
buries. This is how he carries it. First, he prepares a large egg from myrrh, which he can only carry, and then tries to lift it. After such a test, the phoenix breaks the egg and puts the body of the father there. Then he again seals the punctured place in the egg with myrrh, where he put the body of his father. The egg with the body of the father is now as heavy as before. Then the phoenix carries the egg to Egypt in the temple of Helios.
In Chinese mythology, a wonderful bird, See Fenghuang
FENKE
In German folklore, forest giants are shaggy and bloodthirsty. However, with men, Fenke. who are much less cruel than their spouses, one can agree. and they will help people - when necessary, they will bring rain clouds, and if there is no need for rain, the sun will shine. True, when the "background", a hot and dry wind, blows out, the Fenke hide in their caves and do not come out until it settles down.
Fenrir bites off Tyr's hand
In spring and summer, they rarely wear clothes, preferring to go naked, and in cold weather they put on animal skins or wood
bark. They have very acute hearing, which allows them to hear human steps from afar. Fenke have the ability to turn leaves into gold, climb rocks remarkably and feed on fallow deer milk.
FENRIR (FENRIS)
In Scandinavian mythology, a monstrous wolf, born of the giantess Angrboda from the god Loki. In the "Younger Edda" it says: "The Æsir raised the wolf at home, and only Tyr dared
to feed him. And when the gods saw how fast it grew from day to day. - yet the prophecies said that he was born to their perdition.
- they decided to make the strongest chain And they called it Leding and brought it to the wolf and incited him to test his strength with that chain. And the wolf thought that he could master it, and he let her put it on himself. And only the wolf rested, immediately
Tyr feeds Fenrir
but the chain broke ... ” When Fenrir broke the second chain, the tsvergs, at the request of the gods, forged the strongest chain, on which the wolf was put; this chain was forged from the rustle of cat steps, a woman's beard, the roots of mountains. bear veins, fish breath and bird saliva. In the battle before the end of the world, Fenrir will break the chain (“And Fenrir the Wolf comes out with an open mouth: the upper jaw to the sky, the lower jaw to the ground. If there was a place, he would open his mouth wider”) and swallow the god Odin, after which he himself will fall from the hand of the son of Odin, Vidar, who will tear the mouth of the wolf.
In the "Elder Edda" ("Speech of Vaftrudnir") it is said that Fenrir will swallow the sun. Odin asks the jotun Vaftrudnir:
“I saw everything, I heard everything, I argued all the gods - answer me: the sun
as it appears in the sky.
if Fenrir devours the lamp?
Vaftrudnir said:
“Al harm the maiden before she gives birth, than Fenrir devours the lamp.
the gods will die.
FERRISHIN
but she will walk the dear parental maiden. *
★ (Translated by V. Tikhomirov. Alvredul is the sun)
FERRISHIN
In the folklore of the inhabitants of the Isle of Man, wandering fairies, less aristocratic in their habits than the Welsh and Irish fairies, they have neither king nor queen. They are about three feet tall, stealing human children and leaving changelings in their place, often dropping into people's homes and workshops when their owners go to bed, and dragging everything that comes to hand. Ferrishin's favorite pastime is hunting; their dogs are sometimes white with red ears, sometimes they are multi-colored, like a rainbow. Ferrishin catch the slightest breath of the breeze and hear everything. what people talk about, that's why they should only be spoken of affectionately.
FETCH
Fairies at the fair
Double in English folklore. Meeting him after sunset promises death, and at other times of the day - serious trouble. According to legend.
Queen Elizabeth the First died after seeing her fetch - pale, wrinkled and withered.
FILES
In the folklore of the Scandinavian lands of the peoples, guardian spirits. Wherever a person goes, the filgi follows him everywhere (therefore, by the way, it is considered impolite and even cruel to quickly close the door behind you - after all, you can crush your keeper in this way). Filgi are invisible, but their appearance is announced by loud knocking, swinging doors and shuffling feet. They become visible only before the death of their owners (however, a person with a second, magical vision can see them).
FINODIRI
A bloody filgi promises a painful death.
It is very simple to find out if the filgi is hiding in the guise of a particular animal: you should wrap the knife in a napkin, raise it above your head and pronounce the names of all the animals that come to mind. As soon as you mention the animal in which the filgi sits, the knife will fall out of the napkin.
Tradition says that one boy stumbled on the threshold, and the old man, who was sitting in the corner of the room, laughed.
- What's so funny? - the boy got angry. - Eka unseen, the man stumbled!
"Don't be rude, boy," said the old man. - I laugh at what you can't see. You were in such a hurry to get in that you ran into your filgi. Have you ever seen a man trip over a polar bear cub? I assure you it's worth a look.
Finodiri
FINODIRI
In the folklore of the inhabitants of the Isle of Man, tall, shaggy fairies with ugly features. According to some sources, the first Finodiri was a ferrishin prince. The ugliness of his descendants is a punishment for that. that he had fallen in love with a mortal woman, and for her sake had refused to attend one of the Fairyland festivals.
Finodiri have remarkable physical strength and help the peasants by doing hard work - in particular, they harvest crops remarkably quickly and deftly; it costs them nothing to thresh grain harvested from a whole field overnight. The Finodiri's favorite pastime is shaking hands, because their handshake is so strong that they break the bones of their "rivals". True, they lack intelligence, so people who want to avenge bruises or broken bones send finodiri to bring water in a sieve or drive a hare with the help of sheep.
Finodiri should never be thanked for their help or given clothes.
FIR BOLG
otherwise they will be offended and run away. They also hate criticism.
The story goes that a certain farmer scolded the Finodiri for not cutting the grass too cleanly, leaving it rather tall. In retaliation, the Finodiri stopped helping the farmer and followed him everywhere from then on. uprooting the grass right from under the farmer's feet, and almost tore off his shoelaces.
There is also a story about that a certain lord decided to build a castle. The materials were piled on the sand, and among them was a huge piece of white marble, which no one could lift. Finodiri dragged him to the right place in one night. The Lord left a new outfit for him. Seeing the clothes, Finodiri exclaimed:
“A hat on your head is a poor head!
Jacket on the shoulders - poor shoulders!
Pants on legs - poor legs!
It's all yours, but you don't belong here!"
Then he whimpered miserably and disappeared.
FIRBOLG
In the Irish pseudo-historical tradition, the first inhabitants of the island, who lost the Tuatha Dé Danann in an unequal struggle . They are tall and ugly fairies. Under them, Ireland was divided into five regions. After the defeat at the Battle of Mag Türed, they sailed west.
Here is what is said in the saga "Battle of Mag Tuired":
“In the first battle of Mag Tuired, the Tribes of Danu fought the Fir Volg and put them to flight and slew a hundred thousand warriors along with King Eochaid, son of Erk. It was in this battle that Nuada's hand was cut off, and it was done by Sreng son of Sengan. Then Dian Kekht, a healer. put a silver hand to him that moved as if alive ... Those from Fir Volg that escaped from the battlefield went straight to the Fomorians ... "
FIRDARRIG
In Irish folklore, tiny fairies with blue noses. They wear red jackets. For a sip of whiskey, fir darrig allow people captured by the fairies to escape from the Fairy Land, and also teach spells.
Fir Darrig imposes writes
FOUNTAIN
See PHOENIX.
niyam against spells and give amulets. However, they should not be particularly trusted, because they are not averse to mischief, and their jokes sometimes border on cruelty. Fir darrig are great masters of sending pishog, with their spells they can turn day into night, woman into man, food into dust, and so on.
Pishog is such a spell that the person to whom it is directed will lose orientation and see something completely different. what is actually there.
FOLLETTI
In Italian folklore, spirits that are distinguished by the fact that they cannot sit still for a minute. In principle, they are located towards people, but they can be very annoying and mischievous neighbors. They think like small children, but they are very interested in sex and everything connected with it: in addition, they are skilled sorcerers. Some Folletti kidnap and rape women, others infect pets, others send madness and nightmares. It's not easy to drive them away. Each settlement has its own rite of exile. For example, in Romagna, only girls with dark blond hair can drive them away. In Lombardy, to the man who is harassed by the Folletti. you should eat one hundred and one eggs from one hundred and one chickens, twenty-five or thirty pieces a day. By the end of the fifth day, the Folletti will run away.
The Folletti are from one to three feet tall, have curly hair and sparkling eyes, and usually wear red. Some have goat hooves, while others have no legs at all. Almost all Folletti have red caps that give them the ability to become invisible.
They have this habit: when the girls gather around the fire and begin to remember their lovers in distant lands, the Folletti begin to hypnotize them. At the girl-
FOLLETS
Follet
black thoughts arise: they say that their beloved is cheating on them. Girls plunge into the abyss of despair. If they are not distracted and the obsession is not destroyed, they will soon die of grief and longing.
One variety of Folletti deserves special mention. These are the so-called wind folletti - they travel around the world with the winds. Wind folletti are cruel creatures, for them there is no greater pleasure than to send a snowfall or a hurricane, or even to cause an earthquake. Their sworn enemies are Saints Filippo and Giacomo, whom they fight every year. Wind follets also love to pluck kisses from mortal women on the fly.
The tale says that a certain woman brought home a loaf of strange shape. A whisper woke her up in the night. She turned on the light but saw no one. But as soon as the light was turned off, a whisper was heard again:
- I need you. Kiss Me please. Well, what are you worth?
And lips touched her cheek. The next night it all happened again.
Folletta continued to seduce the poor woman. Neither prayers, nor spells, nor amulets helped. Meanwhile, Folletto became more and more insistent - he began to beat the woman, steal her jewelry, beat dishes, break furniture. He even almost walled up the woman and her husband in bed - they were saved only because the cement had not yet had time to harden by morning.
This went on for six months straight. The woman was emaciated from constant anxiety, but still refused to succumb to the entreaties of Folletto. In the end, he could not stand it - he returned the jewelry to her and went to look for a new victim.
FOLLETS
In French folklore , spirits, descendants of those. who once lived in underground cities. Over time, these cities were empty, the spirits moved to the surface. Follets are associated with
strong bonds with people. Perhaps that is why neither the rites of exile nor holy water affect them. Follets love to annoy women, throw stones at people's houses, break dishes; they don't have to drop their pants in front of the sorority. They are only afraid of iron. However, they can be forced to help. Those who have the patience to endure all the bullying of the Follets win their respect. As a sign of reconciliation, follets bring gifts, finish unfinished work, and graze domestic animals.
Follets are dressed like medieval jesters - in bright spotted outfits and caps with bells. However, most wear red jackets and the same pants. Mountain follets have long beards and usually carry swords that are so small they can pass for corsage pins. Most often, follets appear among people under the guise of goats.
FOMORS
In Irish folklore, vicious creatures that most Irish fairies fought against. There is no record of how they got to Ireland. The first to fight them were the sons of Partholon, but they were defeated. They enslaved the people of Nemed, and every November they paid them tribute - they gave two-thirds of their children and two-thirds of their cattle. True, in the decisive battle, the people of Nemed defeated the Fomorians and killed their king, but there were so few of them left that they left Erin. The Fir Bolg made an alliance with the Fomorians and fought together against the Tuatha De Dayann. Ultimately, the Fomorians succumbed to the Tribes of Dan.
In the saga "The Battle of Mag Iired" the battle of the Fomorians with Tuata De Danann is described as follows:
“Every day, the Fomorians and the Tribes of the Goddess fought, but the kings and leaders for the time being did not enter into battle next to the simple and humble people.
And the Fomorians could not be surprised at what was revealed to them in the battle: all their weapons, swords or spears, which were defeated in the battle, and the people killed during the day, did not return in the morning. It was not so with the Tribes of the Goddess, for all their blunted and cracked weapons the next day turned into a whole, because
the blacksmith Goibniu tirelessly made spears, swords and darts... And the fighters who were slain to death plunged into the accursed spring and emerged from it unharmed. They returned to life thanks to the power of spells. that four healers sang around the source ...
On the day of the great battle, the Fomorians marched out of the camp and stood up in mighty indestructible hordes, and there was not a leader or hero among them who would not wear chain mail on his body, a helmet on his head, a heavy smashing sword on his belt, a strong shield on his shoulder and not hold in his right the hand of a mighty ringing spear. Truly, fighting the Fomorians that day was like breaking through a wall with your head, holding your hand in a snake's nest, or exposing your face to the flames...
Against them, the Tribes of the Goddess Danu rose up... and moved towards the battlefield... The warriors let out a loud cry, moving into battle, and converged and began to strike each other.
Many noble men fell slain to death. There was a great battle and a great burial there. Shame converged side by side with courage, anger and rage. Streams of blood flowed over the white bodies of the brave: warriors, chopped by the hands of staunch heroes who were fleeing from mortal adversity...
Then Lug and Balor with the Ruinous Eye met in battle. Balor had an evil eye and opened only on the battlefield, when four warriors lifted his eyelid with a smooth stick passing through it ... Fomorians. and three times nine of them fell beside...
The battle ended with the flight of the Fumors, and they drove them to the very sea ... As for the leaders, kings, noble Fomorians, royal children. heroes, five thousand, three times twenty and three died: two thousand and three times fifty, four times twenty thousand and nine times five, eight times twenty and eight, four times twenty and seven, four times twenty and six, eight times twenty and five , forty and two ... died in battle - that's how many great leaders and the first Fomorians were killed. As for the mob ... you can’t count them all ... you can never count them like her
find out how many stars are in the sky, sand in the sea, dew drops in the meadows, grass under the hooves of the herds ... "
FORMORS
In Scottish folklore , giants are distant cousins of the Irish Fomorians and Manx Foirs. They often quarrel among themselves; these quarrels often end in that. that opponents begin to throw huge boulders at each other. Unlike their counterparts, the Formors are quite tolerant of people.
FOSSEGRIMS
In the folklore of the Scandinavian peoples, water spirits. They live in fresh water. The appearance of a fossegrim is a beautiful golden-haired young man. They are usually dressed in gray, with red hats on their heads. They love to sing and play the violin and harp wonderfully. Fossegrims have the ability to change shape, they can turn into fish, bulls or horses. They live either under water or on the shore under the bridge. For fossegrim, there is no greater pleasure than admiring beautiful girls: he usually climbs a rock in the middle of the river and watches them. If the girl is sailing in a boat and is so stupid as to get excited at the sight of a fossegrim. he will be offended and turn the boat over. It is no coincidence that many boatmen put a steel knife on their bows before sailing (fossegrims are afraid of iron).
FRAVARTI
See FRAVASHI.
FRAVASHI
In Iranian mythology, the soul that exists before the birth of a person and continues to exist after his death, as well as female guardian spirits. The Avesta says:
“Kind, strong, holy Fravati of the righteous are honored. Who are the strongest of the leaders. The most dexterous of those in front. The most steadfast of those who oppose.
The most worthy of the supporters.
The most invincible of attackers and defenders...
FRIED
To whom Mazda calls for help, and with their help
The sky supports the water, the earth.
Plants, with their help Spenta-Mainyu
Supports the sky. water.
Earth, animals, plants.
In the wombs of conceived sons supports
From the death of Decay...
fenghuang
Good, strong, holy
We worship the Fravashi of the righteous, Who wear metal helmets.
With weapons made of metal, with armor made of metal.
Who fight victoriously
In light clothes
Stretched bearing arrows. Striking a thousand devas "*
*("Fravardin-yasht" Translation 3 Kharebati)
FRIED
In Scottish folklore, creatures that live under rocks instantly eat bread crumbs spilled on the ground and drink spilled milk.
FAA
In Scottish folklore, fairies are malicious, dangerous to people. that live in rivers, lakes and coastal sea waters. They can turn into stallions and go out on land in this guise, looking for victims. Foie, in particular, includes uriski and nakilevi.
FUAR
In the folklore of the inhabitants of the Isle of Man , we are great. who love to throw huge stones, steal livestock from people, but they don’t seem to be cannibals.
FURY
In Roman mythology, the goddess of revenge, punishing a person for sins. They are fully consistent with the Greek Erinyes
FEIHUANG
See CHENGHUANG
FENNYAO
See Luanyao.
FENGHUANG
Fenghuang. ancient chinese image
In ancient Chinese mythology, a wonderful bird. The fenghuang has a rooster's beak, a swallow's goiter, a snake's neck, a fish's tail, and its body is streaked like a dragon's; from the front, the bird looks like a swan, from the back - like a unicorn (see QILIN). Yuan Ke says; “In the Eastern Desert, near the habitat of the spirit of Shebishi... there lived beautiful multi-colored birds with magnificent plumage. who were dancing. In those days, Di-jun (supreme ruler of the east - K.K.)often descended from the sky and made friends with colorful birds... Why did Dijun make friends with these colorful birds?.. It turns out that colorful birds were of three types: some were called huangniao, others were called luangniao, and still others were called fengniao. In ancient legends, they were all called phoenixes - fenghuang. They looked like a rooster with long multicolored feathers. Phoenixes eat and drink when they want, sing and dance when they want. As soon as they appear on earth, peace and tranquility sets in in the Celestial Empire.”
FANSHENGSHOW
In ancient Chinese mythology, a wonderful beast, "born of the wind." Yuan Ke speaks about fengshui like this: “He is the size of a cat, and his whole body is green. Fanshenshaw lives in the great forests near the South Sea and is caught with nets. It does not burn in fire. You can burn several carts of brushwood, which will burn all, and the beast will remain safe and sound, not even a single hair on its skin will be scorched. You can't pierce it with a sword - the sword won't take it. If you hit it with an iron hammer, it's like hitting a leather bag. He could only be killed by hitting him on the head a few thousand times. But even then the beast had a last resort
survive. Already dead, he opened his mouth against the wind and waited for the wind to fall into his mouth. In a moment, he revived again and quickly ran away. But if in a short, instant time to plug his nostrils with fragrant chanpu grass. growing on stones, then the beast died: they took out his brain, mixed it with chrysanthemum flowers and took a certain amount of this remedy at a precisely set time. If ten jin of such a drug is taken, one can live up to five hundred years.
Grave guardian. China
HEINTZEL
In German folklore , house spirits Like brownies, for a modest fee - a glass of milk or a saucer of cream - they do almost all the household work: they wash dishes, sweep floors, take care of livestock, punish negligent servants and do not allow. for the house to fail. In addition, they can predict the future and give magical advice. They are so attached to people that they never leave the house of their own free will. You can drive away the Heinzels if you do not feed them or offend them in some way, if you give them new clothes or laugh at them. But it should be remembered that when leaving, the Heinzels will definitely put a curse on people.
They are one to three feet tall and wear green coats and red caps. They have red hair and beards, sometimes they are blind. They are not likely to spread into cats, bats, snakes, chickens, and even small children.
CHALLAH
In the mythology of the southern Slavs , the dragon. This is a huge serpent with several heads; wings under his knees, a body as thick as a human thigh, and eyes like a horse. According to other sources, the challah's head is in the clouds, and the tail rests on the ground. He is endowed with monstrous strength and gluttony, commands hail and downpours, destroys crops and orchards. Bogatyrs and zduhachi fight with halami. In addition, the hals are at enmity with each other - they fight for the possession of a magic wand and try to hit each other with ice bullets (then hail begins to fall on the ground). When the challah covers the sun or moon with its wings, an eclipse occurs. If the challah hurts the luminary, it turns red; if the challah is defeated, the luminary shines brightly. On the eve of the holidays, the challahs lead round dances, raising whirlwinds;a person caught in such a whirlwind goes crazy. Khali - werewolves that can change into eagles, as well as people and various animals
HAOMA
In Iranian mythology, a divine drink that grants immortality. When Sovereign
the last haoma sacrifice is being made in the world universal immortality will be established again
HARADR
In medieval bestiaries, the miraculous bird is slightly smaller in size than a goose. Dazzlingly white, the haradr is so pure that even its droppings do not pollute at all - on the contrary, it heals from blindness. Haradr predicts whether the patient will survive or die. If he turns away from the patient, it means that a sad end cannot be avoided (cf. KALAD 'IY).
CHARYBDIS
The ship of the Argonauts between
Skylloi Charybdis
Monster in Greek mythology . She lives on the shore of a narrow sea strait opposite Skilla and drinks all the water three times a day, which then spews Past Charybdis, only the Argonauts managed to swim and - twice - Odysseus Athena, by ІЪmer. gave him this advice:
* Scary is the whole sea under that rock, Charybdis lives anxiously,
Consuming three times a day and spewing three times a day
Black in the agu Don't you dare approach when it absorbs:
Poseidon himself will not save from certain death then
Closer to Skillinoi, holding on to the rock, guide without looking back
Passing a fast ship is more gratifying to lose you
Satellites rather than suddenly sink the ship and perish
Everyone."
Odysseus listened to the advice of the goddess
“Skilla threatened on the one hand and on the other devoured
Greedily Charybdis saline moisture when the fiend galis
Water from her womb is like a cauldron on a red-hot fire
They boiled with a whistle, bubbling and browning; and foam
A whirlwind, m flew up to both cliff tops: when
In. the salty sea swallowed back
Charybdis
Her whole inside opened up: before the pharynx, terribly
The waves collided, and in the bowels of the open wombs boiled
Tina and black sand...
Terrible here I saw with my eyes, and nothing is more terrible to me
It never happened to see in the course of my wanderings.
*("Odyssey" Translation by V. Zhukovsky)
Charity. Marble. 3rd century BC e. Cyrene, museum
Passing closer to Skilla. Odysseus lost six of his companions, but his ship otherwise made it through the dreadful strait safely.
However, the second time, fate was not so favorable to Odysseus. Zeus threw his thunderbolt at his ship. and the ship went to the bottom, and Odysseus, who grabbed the mast that had fallen from the deck, was carried to Charybdis. “Having grasped the roots of a fig tree that grew on one of the rocks, he hung down and remained in this position until then. until the water swallowed up the mast and keel and regurgitated them some time ago. Then he saddled them again and began to row with his hands in the opposite direction from the whirlpool ” (RGfeives). Odysseus lost the ship, but he still managed to escape.
CHARITES
In Greek mythology, eternally young goddesses.
daughters of Zeus, personifying goodness and joy. According to Hesiod, their names are Aglaya, Euphrosyne and Thalia. R.Ifeyvs in "Myths of Ancient Ifetsia" remarks: "Homer mentions two Charites - Pasithea and Calais. Two Charites - Aukso and Hegemon - who were revered by the Athenians. corresponded to two seasons. Later, harit began to be revered in the form of a triad. as well as the goddesses of fate, that is, the female triad in her most inflexible hypostasis.
cherubim
In Roman mythology, Charites correspond to graces.
cherubim
In Judaic and Christian mythology , guardian angels Cherub guards the tree of life after the expulsion of Adam and Eve from paradise. The prophet Ezekiel describes the cherubim who appeared to him in a vision of the temple as follows: “... cherubim and palm trees were made, a palm tree between two cherubim, and each cherubim has two faces. On the one hand, a human face is turned towards the palm tree; on the other hand, the face of a lion is towards the palm tree .. "(Ezek 41, 18-19) ...
Cherubim and symbols of the evangelists. Detail of a drawing from a 9th century French Bible. Cathedral of St. Paul, Rome
According to the classification of Pseudo-Dionysius, the cherubim, together with the seraphim and thrones , make up the first triad of nine angelic ranks . Dionysius says: “The name of the Cherubim means their power to know and contemplate God, the ability to receive the upper light and contemplate the Divine good aepie at its very first manifestation, their wise art to teach and communicate to others the wisdom he has bestowed upon himself."
HIISI (HIYS)
In the myths of the Baltic states and Finns, a forest demon whose appearance portends death or a terrible giant
Chimera. Etruscan sculpture. Bronze of the 5th century Archaeological Museum, Florence
CHIMERA
In Greek mythology , a monster generated by Echidna and Typhon . She has three heads - a lion, a goat and a snake: her body is like a lion in the front, a goat in the middle, and a snake in the back. A flame breaks out of the chimera's mouth. Apollodorus described it like this: “Not only one person, but even a whole army could not defeat the monster. The front part of the Chimera's torso was a lion's, the tail was a dragon's, of the three heads in the middle of her body was the head of a goat and spewed out flames. The chimera devastated the land and destroyed the cattle. The Chimera was defeated by the hero Bellerophon, who had previously subjugated the winged horse Pegasus.“Bellerophon defeated the chimera, first flying over her on Pegasus and showering her with arrows, and then pushing a piece of lead between her jaws with the end of a spear. The fiery breath of the Chimera melted the metal, and it flowed into her throat, burning the insides.
Khmarnik
In Ukrainian folklore, a person who protects the settlement from bad weather with magic. You can be Khmarnik from birth, or you can become one by pawning your soul to a sorcerer - or by finding a wonderful staff (candle). The leader of the storm turns to the Hmarnik for permission to start hail: as a rule, the Hmarnik refuses twice and only on the third time gives permission to pour hail at a distance from the settlement
Khmurniki
See PLANETERS.
HOBBITS
In English fairy folklore , many believe that hobbits are fictitious creatures.
nye that they were invented by the English writer John R. R. Tolkien. In fact, the Hobbits have been known for a long time. Michael Denham , the medieval author of The Denham Lists, gives, for example, the following list of supernatural beings : .
Hobbits are described in The Lord of the Rings as follows:
Hobbits are a humble and very ancient people, more numerous in the past than they are today. They love peace and quiet and are drawn to cultivated land, preferring to settle in well-maintained and prosperous countryside. They have never understood and admired machines more complex than bellows, a water mill, a mill, or a hand loom: they do not understand even now, although they deftly handle all kinds of tools ... They have keen eyes and sharp hearing, they are inclined to be overweight and do not want to fuss over trifles, but quick and dexterous in movements ...
They are a small people, shorter than even the dwarfs - however, not by much - and not so stocky. According to our measurements, their height varies between two and four feet. Now they rarely grow to three feet, but they claim that they used to be taller ...
They dress in clothes of bright colors; they are most attracted to yellow and green. However, hobbits almost never wear shoes - because the skin on their feet is rough and hard, and their feet are covered with thick curly hair similar to those. that grow on their heads ... The faces of hobbits, as a rule, are rather good-natured than beautiful, lips are always ready to stretch in a smile, and their mouths strive to open wider - they say. it would be nice to have a drink and a bite to eat... They are hospitable hosts, they like holidays and gifts, which they willingly give and accept with pleasure.
There is no doubt that, though the hobbits shun us, they are our kindred; they are much closer to us than elves and dwarves. In the old days they spoke in the languages of people, distorting the words, as they were
more convenient, loved and hated almost the same thing that people loved and hated.
HOBGOBLINS
In English folklore, good-natured house fairies, similar in their habits to brownies. They rarely leave the house, preferring to bask by the fire. True, they are very touchy, and if they are already offended, then the owners get the first number - the milk turns sour, the clothes are torn as if by themselves, the cleanly swept floor immediately turns dirty again. One offended hobgoblin took all the keys with him and refused to return them until then. until his favorite cakes were baked for him.
They are about two feet tall, dark-skinned, and walk either naked or in dark robes.
Despite their good nature and willingness to help people, hobgoblins received a dubious honor: they were often confused, and even deliberately identified with demons. For example, in John Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress, you can find the following phrase: "and the vile demon hobgoblin."
HOBII
Hobgoblin
eat the kidnapped, hobies make them
In English folklore, cruel goblins, cannibals and kidnappers of children. Before working in underground mines, extracting gold. Hobies are not afraid of anything and no one, except for dogs True, now there are almost none of them, because most of the hobies were once swallowed by a big black dog.
KHOVANETS
In the folklore of Ukrainians , a demon enriches his master. He looks like a small
HOGUKSIN
cue boy or like a chicken. A miscarriage turns into a Khovanets seven years after an abortion, that is, a Khovanets belongs to the mortgaged dead (see DOMOVIK). Khovanets can also be bred if you carry an egg laid by a rooster or a black hen under your arm for nine days: during these nine days you can’t wash your face, cut your nails and pray. If a Khovantsa is not reported, he will still be “born” and torture to death the one who did not inform him. You can also buy a khovanets from the devil, renouncing Christ, mocking the cross and icons.
The Khovanets lives in the attic of the house, eats unsalted food, especially loves wheat bread, milk and sugar. Like brownies, Khovans differ in occupation - among them are treasure hunters ( guard the house from thieves), beekeepers (guardian of bees), field workers , etc. If a Khovanian gets angry, he will make a brawl in the house and leave or torture the owner to death. With the death of the owner of a khovanets, all the wealth that he has acquired disappears. Such a person dies very hard, because the devil takes his soul for himself.
To get rid of a khovanets, you need to call a priest to bless the house three times; or to throw a hovanets over the roof; or take it beyond the ninth boundary. He can also be killed with a backhand blow, but if you hit him on the head with a beech branch after that, he will resurrect. Like any evil spirits, the Khovanets is afraid of thunder.
HOGUKSIN
In Korean mythology, the guardian spirits of the country. According to folk beliefs, the souls of deceased rulers, military leaders and sages turned into hoguksin.
KHOJU
See TOKKEBI.
HRAFSTRA
In Iranian mythology, "harmful" animals. generated by the evil god Angro-Mainyo, as well as the devas. From the decomposing bodies of the hrafstra, sunk by the great rain, the water in the sea became salty. In atonement for their sins, each righteous Zoroastrian had to kill a certain number of hrafstra.
Hrimtursy
Hrimtursy
See Frost Giants
HROMUSHKI
In the folklore of the inhabitants of the Shetland Islands, the fairies are close relatives of the traws. They can be recognized by the fact that when they dance, they fall on one leg. They sing this song about them:
"Hey. asked Katty, Do you want to dance? Not? Well. your business - I hobbled.
HUANNYAO
See Luanyao.
HUWAWA
See HUMBABA.
HUMBABA
In Sumero-Akkadian mythology , a monster, guardian of the cedar forest, many-legged and many-armed, surrounded by magical radiance, similar in appearance to a tree. The hero Gilgamesh invites his companion Enkidu to kill Humbaba:
“My friend, there are mountains of Lebanon far away, Those mountains are covered with cedar forest, The ferocious Humbaba lives in that forest, - Let's kill him together, you and I, And that's all. whatever is evil, let us banish from the world! I will chop the cedar, - the mountains overgrown with it, - I will create an eternal name for myself!
Enkidu opened his mouth and said to Gilgamesh: “I knew, my friend, that I was in the mountains. When I wandered with the beast together:
There are ditches in the field around the forest, - Who will penetrate into the middle of the forest? Humbaba is a hurricane in his voice.
His mouth is a flame, death is a breath! Why did you want to do this? The battle in Humbaba's dwelling is unequal! .. "
Huwawa. Beginning 2 thousand BC e.
London, British Museum
Gilgamesh tells him, Enkidu: “When we come we will kill Humbaba. Rays of radiance will disappear in confusion, Rays of radiance will disappear, the light will be eclipsed! Enkidu hangs him, Gilgamesh:
HUNDUN
"My friend, catch the bird - the chickens wo n't leave!
Let's look for rays of radiance later
Like chickens in the grass, they will scatter.
Kill yourself, and the servants later.
When Gilgamesh heard his partner's word
He raised his battle ax in his hand,
Gilgamesh struck him in the back of the head, His friend. Enkidu, struck him in the chest. On the third blow he fell.
His violent members froze. They slew the guard Humbaba to the ground, -
The cedars groaned for two fields around . »*
* (Translated by I Dyakonov)
Gilgamesh and the cedar An impression of a seal from the Akkadian period.
London, British Museum
HUNDUN
In Chinese mythology, a wonderful beast that looks like a dog with long hair, his paws are bearish, but without claws. B.L. Riftin, quoting the ancient book “Shen and Ching”, describes hundun as follows: “He has eyes, but he does not see, he cannot walk, he has ears, but he does not hear, but he senses the approach of a person. It has no viscera in its belly, only ? The rectum and all food passes through. He rushes at the virtuous, clings to the villains.
HYTHEN
In German folklore, house spirits are close relatives of the Heinzels .
HYTHEN
that they are similar to each other both in appearance and habits. Hutchen are distinguished by red caps, from which they got their nickname - in translation, this word means approximately "people in hats."
Tradition says that two hyutchen. husband. hyuthe and his wife lived in the attic of an old house, where they managed to drag a straw chair, a round chair, a table, and even a bed. This hyutche was so useful to mortals that at dinner he was always seated next to the owner of the house.
But at first everything was different. The owner tried many times to drive the hyutchen away. but nothing worked: they did not give in. They even tore the prayer book of the priest who came to expel them. Then the owner of the house decided to move to another city. On the way, he was so deep in thought that he did not pay attention to the white feather. flying outside the train window.
Hythe
In another city, he lost a gold chain. He accused the servants of the hotel of stealing, and then a hyutche appeared, who said that the chain was under the owner's pillow. He realized that he could not get rid of the annoying fairy, and decided to make friends with him.
KING OF THE WATER
and named the first among the people of the tsvergs.
Freya comes to the zwerg for the Brisingamen necklace
KING OF THE WATER
Si! SEA KING.
KING OF SHOW
See OVINNIK
ZVERGI
In Scandinavian mythology , the dwarfs "ancestors" of the gnomes "Elder Edda" tells how the tsvergs arose.
"Agreed to the judgment
sat on the lava
advice was held
all the gods above
someone owes
make dwarfs
from the blood of Brimir,
from Blaine's body;
Motsognir was made
the second was Durin, according to the word of Durin and other tsvergs, humanoids were molded from clay ... "*
*(Translated by V. Tikhomirov)
However, in the “Younger Edda” it is said that the tsvergs “wound up in the soil and deep in the earth, like worms in a dead body. Dwarfs were born first in the body of the And world, they were indeed worms. But by the will of the gods, they acquired a human mind and took on the appearance of people. They live, however, in the earth and in the stones.
Tsvergs are afraid of sunlight, because it turns them into stone. They are skilled artisans, first of all, wonderful blacksmiths: it was the tsvergs who forged all the treasures of aces - miracles
Tsepan-shen
The demon of the underworld and his captive Liu Xian Zhong China, the Hun era
the new necklace of the Brisings, the golden hair of the goddess Sif, the wonderful ship Skidbladnir, the spear of Odin, the boar with golden bristles and the hammer Mjollnir.
"Elder Edda" tells about that. that once a zwerg named Alvis wooed Thor's daughter. Thor did not want to give his daughter to the underground dweller, so he started a conversation with him, hoping to keep the intruder until dawn. Alvis fell for the trick: he answered Thor’s questions for a long time and in detail, and he suddenly exclaimed:
“ Who else's chest would contain so much information of the ancients!
But the yag deceived you with a powerful cunning , you are caught in the sunlight in the house!
7 Translation by A. Korsun)
CELANSHEN
In Chinese mythology , the guardian spirits of monasteries and temples were depicted as formidable warriors in full armor trampling demons.
CERBERUS
See CERBER.
Ching
Werewolves in Chinese folklore . It was believed that foxes, wolves and jackals.
lived for five hundred years
can take human form, and tigers, deer and hares, in addition to the ability to shape-shifting, also change their color to white.
JUBICHZHISHI
In Chinese mythology , the demons that lived in the same region as the taoquan beast Yuan Ke describes them as follows: “There were also strange spirits of jubizhishi with a crooked neck, their head with long matted hair hanging down on their chest. Their hands were
jiaoren
chopped off and their those then looked like a smoothly planed trunk. It seems that they found the foxes in irreconcilable enmity with the spirits and during the battles inflicted wounds on them, like ferocious wolves. According to other sources, the appearance of Juybich lives is slightly different; they have broken necks and loose hair, and one hand is missing.
JIAOREN
In ancient Chinese mythology, people are fish. Yuan Ke says. “And although they live in the sea, but ... they often sit down at the looms and weave Deep and quiet at night when the sea is calm and there are no waves when the moon and stars shine. on the shore, the noise of looms is heard coming from the depths of the sea . Jiaozhen have souls, they can cry, and each of their tears turns into a pearl.
Transformation of insects into snakes and other animals Chinese drawing in the interpretation of G. Dore
According to another legend, fish people are very similar to Jews - they have the same eyebrows, eyes, mouth, nose, hands. legs. All of them. extraordinarily beautiful, with thin white skin reminiscent of jade, and their hair, like ponytails, reaches five six chivd yainu When they drink a little wine, their body turns pink like peach flowers, and they become even more beautiful. husband. they caught a man, they settled in a small pond and called her their wife or husband ”
CYCLOPES
See CYCLOPES
qilin
qilin
In Chinese mythology, a wonderful beast, similar to the European unicorn . Qilin has the body of a deer, the neck of a wolf, the tail of a bull, the hooves of a horse; a horn sticks out in his forehead, ending in a fleshy outgrowth. The skin of the qilin is multi-colored. He steps so lightly that he does not bend down a single blade of grass and feeds on wonderful cereals. This is the main beast, just as the fenghuang is the main bird, The appearance of the qilin promised fertility and prosperity foreshadowed the birth of a sage
qionqi
In Chinese mythology, a wonderful beast.
Qilin. Other whale. Images
Outwardly, it resembles a winged tiger. Qiongqi understood the language of people and had a strange habit - he often attacked two quarreling people and always ate the innocent. He bit off the noses of honest people, and gave the meat of animals that he himself killed to deceivers and villains. The Book of Mountains and Seas quoted by Yuan Ke says, “The Qiongqi Beast is like a tiger with wings. It also eats people, starting with the head. Sometimes his victims were covered from him with hair. He lives to the north of the taoquan beast.”
CHUCKY
In the myths of the Indians of Central America (Maya), the gods of rain and lightning. There are four of them (according to the number of cardinal points) or in general a great many. In addition, one chak is known - originally the god of felling trees, later the god of rain and fields.
CHANEKE
In the myths of the Indians of Central America (poluko. Mazatec) demons, tiny old men living in the forest. Chaneke people are quite friendly, but they are always willing to play pranks. To appease the chaneke. they make sacrifices.
CHANGSEUN
In Korean mythology, the guardian spirits of villages protect them from evil spirits.
CHANGING
In Korean mythology , giants are about thirty feet tall, all in black wool. Their teeth were like saws, and their paws were like hooks. These giants in time immemorial erected mountain ranges and laid river beds.
Mexican sun god
WARROCKS
See WIZARDS.
CHIVEFAS
In English folklore, a wonderful animal that from afar resembles a cow. It feeds exclusively on women who are modest and in everything obedient to their husbands.
and since they are extremely rare, chivefas is always hungry - in other words, skin and bones. He is mentioned in his
"Canterbury Tales"
Geoffrey Chaucer advising women to beware of the monster.
CHIU
CHIU
In ancient Chinese mythology , giants are the brothers of the hero Chiyu. who fought with the heavenly lord Huang-di. Yuan Ke describes them as follows: “ Chiyu had eighty-one or seventy-two brothers, each of them was terrible and unusual, had a copper head with an iron forehead, an animal body, cow hooves, four eyes and six arms. all the brothers knew how to speak human. Chiyu himself... had a human body, cow hooves, four eyes and six arms. It is also said that a strong and sharp horn grew on Chiyu's head. and when the hair behind the ears stood up, they resembled swords and tridents... Not only Chiyu's appearance is amazing. even more surprising is what he ate. His usual food was sand, stones and pieces of iron ... In addition, he was endowed with ... divine power, far superior to the forces of people.The heavenly lord Huangdi could not defeat Chiyu and his brothers for a long time, but in the end he won - with the help of the dragon Yinglun, who commanded the rains, and a wonderful sword that "could cut jade like clay."
Chiyu
CHOREN
See CHOSASNSIN.
CHOSANSHIN
In Korean mythology , the spirits of the ancestors. This is a women's house perfume.
WONDERFUL FAMILY
See TILWITTEG.
WONDERFUL TREES AND PLANTS
In all mythological systems without exception, as well as in the folklore of any nation, there are wonderful trees and plants, as well as herbs (see MIRACULOUS HERBS). These trees and plants can be roughly divided into two categories - the first are those on and in which supernatural beings live and which are themselves the focus of magical powers. and the second, those that serve as a defense against these beings.
Tree deity. Egypt. XVIII dynasty
The first category primarily includes the world tree in all its "hypostases", whether it is the Scandinavian ash tree Yggdrasil, the Sumerian tree Huluppu or the biblical tree.
Yggdrasil, the World Tree, is constantly attacked by cosmic animals, such as this deer, which undermines its roots.
knowledge (by the way, the tree of knowledge and the tree of life, as well as the heavenly tree, the shamanic tree, etc., are special "varieties" of the world tree). In the branches of the Huluppu tree, the bird Anzud sits in the roots, a snake lives, and in the trunk ■ Lilith Ash Yggdrasil connects nine worlds, a wise eagle sits on its top, snakes and the dragon Iidhegg gnaw at the roots of the tree Three roots of Yggdrasil go to the underworld: they are located under them sources, and among them the one. where the norns live. In the Prose Edda it is said that he“larger and more beautiful than all trees. Its branches are stretched out over the world and rise above the sky. Three roots support the tree, and these roots radiate far. One root is with aces, the other is with frost giants, where the World Abyss used to be. The third reaches out to Niflheim And the Elder Edda describes Yggdrasil as follows
“With three roots, that ash-tree sprouted into three countries: Hel - under the first.
Khrimtursam - the second, under the third kind of people
Squirrel named
Cape Vostrozubka
scurrying along the Yggdrasil tree
from above she carries the word of an eagle down to the dark Nidhogg.
Two pairs of deer gnaw at the top of the tree, stretching out their necks: Turotror, Died, Meshky and Chutky.
And a lot of snakes
under the Yggdrasil-tree - more than other fools think: The Podzemelnik also emptied - wolf-ladies children, also Gray and Hidden.
Dreammaker and Viten: I know: the branches of the Tree are forever gnawed by them.
Yggdrasil-ash endures passions.
which people do not know: the deer eats, the trunk rots, Nidhogg torments from below. *
★ (Translated by V. Tikhomirov)
wonderful tree
Of the "ordinary" trees, blackthorn, yew and oak are distinguished by magical properties, first of all. Blackthorn is considered the favorite tree of the fairies. this applies especially to those trees that grow near elven hills, or to clumps of three or four trees growing at an acute angle to the ground. Groups of two blackthorns and an elder bush are especially dangerous. Bringing a flowering branch of a blackthorn into the house means bringing death to one of the relatives. Ash is also considered a wonderful tree. Before cutting it down, you need to ask permission: “Old woman, old woman. give me your tree, and I will share mine with you when I have it.”In addition, it is believed that ash trees are the transformed bodies of witches and sorceresses, and if you approach such a tree with an ax, blood will flow from the trunk. Evil oak trees live in oak trees. They offer food to passers-by, which should never be tasted, because those dishes are poisoned. And at night, oak trees go hunting, so in no case should you pass a felled oak at night - or trouble will happen.
Tree man. Bharhut. India. 2nd century BC uh
Elder also should not be cut without demand (it is necessary to say the same phrase with which they turn to ash). Babies should not be placed in elderberry cradles, otherwise they might be pinched to death. Burning elderberry in the fireplace means calling misfortune on the house. The British believe that a fairy nicknamed "White Hand" lives in a birch: if he
touches someone's head with this hand, a white mark will remain on the person's face, and the unfortunate person himself will go crazy. If the white hand touches the heart, the person will die.
The apple tree and walnut are distinguished by special magical properties. When the nuts ripen, various spirits begin to rampage in the forest. A trout or salmon that has swallowed a nut acquires great wisdom if one catches a fish that has swallowed a nut and eats it. this wisdom will pass to him. The apple orchard is guarded by an "apple tree" - a faerie who lives in the oldest and most gnarled apple tree. The harvest depends on it; so that apples are born next year, the last fruit from the current harvest should be left to the apple tree
Welsh folklore has preserved a legend according to which once the trees came together to fight the troops of Annon (this is the name of the underworld in Welsh folklore):
“The trees, the oldest in the family, were the first to go to battle.
And young willow with rowan closed the procession:
From the smell of blood, the thorny thorns walked drunk:
Geniuses, people, birds and trees of life. Palace of Ashurnasirpal II in Kalhu. 9th c. BC State. museum, Berlin
Alder rushed into battle. lifting mighty branches:
And roses stretched their thorns to the enemy in anger:
Raspberry bushes have come, having left the thicket;
And the honeysuckle for the sake of battle despised its fence.
And ivy with her. and the cherry that went to battle with laughter:
The last birch was the wisest of trees,
Lagging behind not for the sake of cowardice, but saving your pride:
Their formation was fenced on the sides by a flowering goldenrod.
Spruce walked ahead, magnifying herself as a commander among them:
And the king was a yew that ruled first in Britain:
The elm, overgrown with moss, was unable to move the roots
And trailed in the tail, scaring the enemies with grunts and creaks:
Hazel sharpened his weapon on the eve of a formidable battle,
And privet, like a bull. strove for a slender spruce.
Holly green came, not lagging behind the others:
Behind him is the marvelous hawthorn, whose juice heals wounds:
The vine, wriggling, crawled to the battle behind the trees.
It was not joyful for the cowards: the fern was ruined.
The broom had to be cut down and the gorse uprooted.
But brave, though small in stature, turned out to be honey heather.
That in the first ranks of the enemy he struck blows.
From the step of a powerful oak, the earth and sky trembled,
tree of virtues. Russian drawn lubok
He trampled into the ground
enemies, smashing them without counting.
And next to him, a royal yew repelled attacks
Enemies that came at him like waves on the seashore;
And the pear fought there, shedding abundant blood:
Chestnut competed with spruce in accomplishing feats of arms. *
*(Translated by V. Erlikhman)
and
>
Money tree. Chinese folk painting
Tree people and root people. M. von Schwind, engraving. 1847/48
Dance around the sacred tree (ceramics, Cyprus, 1000 BC)
Ancient Chinese mythology knows the wonderful jiangmu tree. Yuan Ke says: “The jianmu tree grew in the middle of the garden, located ... in the center of heaven and earth. At noon, when the sun was shining on its top, there was no shadow from the tree. If near this tree they shouted loudly, then the sounds were lost in the void and the echo did not repeat them. The jianmu tree was very strange in appearance: its thin long trunk crashed directly into the clouds, there were no branches on it, and only at the top there were several curved and crooked branches like an umbrella frame; the roots of the tree were also curved and intertwined. This tree had another feature: its elastic and strong bark was detached like a woman's girdle or the skin of a yellow snake. In addition, the Chinese knew the Sansan trees.tall and completely devoid of branches; zhomu - on top of which there are ten suns illuminating the earth; suimu-- covering the sun; qionsan - bearing fruit once every ten thousand years and giving fruits that prolong human life, and many others.
Among plants and flowers, forget-me-not stands out. Fairies often use forget-me-not cups as gloves. Another name for this flower is "goblin's thimble". It is believed that goblins drink their juice from forget-me-nots. which amuses no worse than alcohol Primroses allow you to see the "neighbors": for this it is enough to eat at least one flower. If you touch the slope of the elven hill with a bouquet of primroses (there must be a strictly defined amount of flowers), the path inside will open. But that one. whoever makes a mistake with the number of flowers will get sick and even die. Fairies fly on ragwort and ryegrass.
If you cook and eat a stew of wild thyme collected from an elven
Hermod on Sleipnir rides to the underworld to rescue Balder
hill, and the herbs from the side of this hill, you can see the fairies. But you need to cook the stew in the open air, for wild thyme in the house brings bad luck. Primrose is one of the Fae's favorite flowers. They carefully guard it, because it allows you to find treasures. You can also mention the bells, to hear the chime of which means to learn about your imminent death. Forest. in which bells grow, is fraught with a threat to a person, for he is full of charms and obsessions.
As for mushrooms, it is not for nothing that many of them
have such names - " elf hat", " pixie cap ", "fairy club". The most famous of the magic mushrooms are fly agarics. In Scandinavia, they believe that fly agarics arose from the foam flying from the mouth of the eight-legged horse Sleipnir, on which the god Odin rode. The Vikings deliberately ate fly agaric before the battle and turned into berserkers - ferocious warriors who were not taken by any weapon.
WONDERFUL ANIMALS
In the myths and folklore of any nation, there are always at least a few wonderful animals. In general, these animals are innumerable. It seems that they can
conditionally divided into two groups - animals that are only slightly different from those familiar to people, and those that have nothing in common with animals familiar to humans. The first group includes wonderful horses (be it Bayard, the eight-legged Sleipnir - the horse of the god Odin, Pegasus or Sivka-Burka), cows (Scandinavian Audumla). dogs (Kerber. Orff, Garm) , etc. To the second - a variety of dragons, numerous monsters of ancient
Fantasy creatures. Drawing by Baltrushaitis from antique gems, 1955
