The Feast of Pentecost is prestigious, almost on a par with Easter and Christmas, and this is evidenced by the multitude of folk traditions in which everyone was involved, from children to elders. Why was Pentecost dangerous? What is happening in the church? What were you not allowed to do? What is a Mermaid?

Traditions of Pentecost, Arthur Horovey, 1915

“On the day of Pentecost, absolutely nothing is done, otherwise Pentecost will take you away (Stânca, Iasi)

Sara, they don’t leave anything outside the house until Pentecost, because then Pentecost repents.

When the child is taken from Pentecost, play with it nine times in your arms and pass it (Vâlcea)

A good man sees how Pentecost comes out, how it flies and how it knocks from above” (Vâlcea)

Sprinkle your cows with garlic during the Pentecost feast, so that the milk does not disappear.”

It is interesting that many forms of rheumatism or neuropsychiatric diseases were popularly associated with Pentecost and yele: such expressions as “killed before Pentecost”, “taken away on Pentecost”, “struck by yele”, “seized yes”.

What is Pentecost?

Pentecost or Iela are mythical female images that appear at night, before the crowing of roosters, between Easter and the feast of Pentecost. They were called differently, depending on the territory of the country: Falcons, Masters, Saints, Beauties, Field Girls, Dansele or Fairies.

Deer are depicted as virgins dressed in white, and they only go in groups of 3-5-7 or 9 people. The myth says that their abode is in dark forests where man has not reached, or by air, on the plains, or on great waters. “These are the rebellious spirits of the dead, who, having left the graves on Joimar (Thursday of Easter week) and spent Easter with the living, refuse to return to their subterranean abodes. Unlike the undead, which appear and trouble people in the winter, eels populate the mythical Romanian landscape only in the summer,” writes Ion Ginoiu in the book “Romanian Peasant Calendar”.

They can be seen at night hovering and fluttering in the air, near fountains, through trees, under the roofs of houses, they are said to accompany violinists, and sometimes they open tables on the grass and sing in chorus, according to popular belief.

“If anyone sees or hears them, that person should not move or talk to them. Yalas usually punish people who do bad deeds, those who do not honor their day, they sleep at night under trees or under the open sky, they go to the well at night to bring water, lifting them up, in whirlwinds, praying. and submission”.

Fairies in white from the dark woods

Gh F Ciaușanu writes about these “mischievous and mischievous fairies” – “These fairies are dressed in white from top to bottom and bathe in water springs, but they also wander through shady and quiet forests. Shepherd dogs often have the opportunity to meet them. They say that some of them, more beautiful, fell in love with them, and others even managed to deceive them.

This is what August Scriban writes about Pentecost in his “Dictionary of the Romanian Language” (1939)

Rusáliĭ f.pl. (Dalm. sl. Bg. rusalia, rusalii, sl. Rusalika, holiday of the pagan Slavs, Russian rusalka, naiad, dryad, fairy, from Lat. rosalia, rose festival, whence Modern Greek rusália). The Feast of the Outpouring of the Holy Spirit (50 days after Easter), which according to the calendar lasts two days, but three in the country. (On the Saturday before Pentecost, commemorations of the dead are held, and on Sunday, walnut branches are distributed in the church). Water and forest fairies who unleash storms and kidnap children.

When the gates of heaven and hell close

“The emphasis also falls on the ritual and ceremonial actions characteristic of the cult of the dead, because according to the traditional Romanian mentality, the worlds are in contact, they communicate with each other since the time of Joimari. However, with the celebration of Pentecost, the gates of heaven and hell will be closed in place, so the souls of travelers between HERE and BEYOND must be propitiated by sacrifices and directed to their homes,” writes Narcissa Stiuke in the book “Spiral of Holidays”. – Articulations, interpretations and ideas”. How is it done? in some places flowers are placed on graves, and in others food is given as alms.

Pentecost is preceded by one of the most important Saturdays dedicated to the cult of the dead: “Summer estates” (it is also called Horshchikovy or Vishnev estates). “The preparations given to travelers in the Underworld (pastries and stewed grains with milk or its derivatives) correspond to a number of primary essences that justify the interpretation of the gesture as one in which prosperity-stimulating and post-funeral rites are intertwined,” explains Narcissa Shiuke.

Here are some superstitions about Pentecost from a book written a century ago by GF Chausan – Superstitions of the Romanian People

– On Pentecost, you should not climb the mountain tops, because you will repent.

– Nothing is done either in the house or in the field “because this day is Holy, sometimes one repents, then one goes crazy.”

– Those who listen to the songs of eels or watch their play become dumb, or their middle, arm or leg becomes stiff.

– Against them are garlic and wormwood, worn on the belt and in the ear. Sometimes people rubbed garlic on their foreheads or beards

The Slavs believed in many supernatural beings, and some of them were spirits of the forest. The “ox” were called fairies, a kind of forest spirit, who were often considered to be positive spirits if people left them offerings (such as a wreath of ears of corn when the crops were harvested). Also, for these “oxen”, several strips of wheat are left uncut in the field.

A mermaid is a spirit in Slavic mythology that lives in various lakes and rivers and is both useful and dangerous to humans. Mermaids (plural) were sometimes depicted as mermaids emerging from the water in the spring to deliver the desired moisture to the crops. Ideas about them as “evil spirits” began to appear in the 19th century, “The Little Mermaid” is also a well-known work of the Czech composer Antonin Dvořák.

Also in popular belief, Ielele, or Pentecost, fought the jackals: In essence, the “Jackal Game” was a carol in which the jackal and his entourage, the jackal clan, reenacted their victory in battle with the jackals. through dance, gestures, ritual actions and exclamations. These enemies are invisible to the rest of the world, but visible only to Hogwarts, which scares them away with the clash of wands, the clatter of combat weapons, and the sound of kicks hitting the ground.

Pentecost – religious significance

Pentecost Sunday or the Outpouring of the Holy Spirit, also known as Holy Sunday, is the annual holiday of the descent of the Holy Spirit on the holy apostles.

It always falls on the 10th day after Ascension or 50 days after Passover, when the festive event took place and when the Jews also celebrated their holiday. It is also the feast of the foundation of the Christian Church, because on that very day, after the lively speech of the holy apostle Peter, about 3,000 souls converted to Christianity, forming the first Christian community in Jerusalem.

Pentecost, together with Easter, is the oldest Christian holiday, which has been celebrated since the time of the holy apostles, as the baptism of the corresponding Jewish holiday (source crestinortodox.ro).

Pentecost linden

On this day, branches of walnut and linden trees are consecrated in Orthodox Churches, as a symbol of the tongues of fire that descended on the disciples on the day of Pentecost.

On Pentecost Sunday, at the end of the Holy Liturgy, a special service is performed – “Evening Kneeling”, so called because both Church ministers and the faithful kneel. We know that the Holy Fathers forbade kneeling both on the day of Resurrection and in the post-Easter period, but bowing the knee on the day of Pentecost is justified because it shows the state of humility and persistent prayer necessary to be worthy. Descent of the Holy Spirit, written on the hymn.

During this service, seven prayers are recited to consecrate green branches of linden or walnut, which are then distributed to the faithful and symbolize the rich gifts of the Holy Spirit. The rite of consecration ends with the sprinkling of branches with small agiasms in front of the Holy Doors, while the priest says:

“These branches are sanctified by the grace of the Holy Spirit and the sprinkling of this holy water, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and forever and ever. Amen!”.

The custom of consecrating branches is not only in our Church, but also in Jerusalem, Constantinople or Damascus.