Mermaid send-off: unusual rite in Palesse


Palesse men used to be afraid of mermaids but did not hesitate to contact them for help and respected them for chastity.

On Sunday, at the end of “mermaid” week, according to ancient beliefs, mermaids go back into lakes and rivers. Until that time, the water sprite freed souls of the dead, especially the girls, or children who had died without feeling earthly love, family and motherhood.

Their souls came out of the water to play in the village, swinging on birches, lured young men with heavenly beauty and magical stares. When the men succumbed to their charms, the mermaids’ faces turned into those of old women with the eyes of death and boys or men usually got scared to death. Also, the mermaid could scare or laugh down to death small children.

To make it rain and get a good crop, in the village of Vyaliki Bor mermaid was taken to the rye field. A beautiful young girl was selected to be a mermaid, or it was an old woman that had been without a husband for too long.

The mermaid was decorated with leaves of fern, lime and birch trees, and flowers. Girls and women made wreaths for themselves, for the mermaid and a large wreath for all the villagers.

Traditionally, the Mermaid was guarded by two guys with a bunch of nettles in their hands. Together with them were women with wreaths who sang special songs of mermaids.

A large fire was started in the rye fields, around which they first danced, sang, and then the women carried a huge wreath above the fire, thus purifying it. After that began the sharing rite — everyone wanted to get as many wreath leaves as possible, as these leaves, if you put them in the garden, give the owners good harvest.

People then wanted to get the leaves off the Mermaid just when she was trying to escape to rye from men and boys. Guards, “armed” with nettles, made every effort to protect the Mermaid.

People both feared and respected mermaids, because they believed that they had the souls of those who died in virtue. It was believed that mermaids could bring the rains during the heat and in general help a good harvest and female fertility.

The “Seeing Mermaid” rite at the Vyaliki Bor has received the status of non-material cultural value, and its keepers — local resident Halina Kharoshka , Hanna Sachanka, Zhanna Kharoshka and Emma Kuzmenka think that this rite will continue each year, because there is always not enough rain in the Vyaliki Bor, and hope for mermaids’ help never disappears.

Vyachaslau Radzimich, belsat.eu

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