Kupala

Kupala is one of the old slavic gods, happy and beautiful god of herbs and purification. The word “kúpala” in original translation also means "bathed" or to "wash with water". Kúpala’s night is celebrated throught 6-8 of July, some traditions may vary, it depends of a country. The celebrations held in these days were also connected with the worship of different Gods such as Goddess Makoš (the Goddess of Destiny, spinning her wheel for gods, people and all living beings), Goddess Tara (she is the godmother of forests, looking after the natural world, daughter of Perún), God Perún (the God of thunders and lightning) and God Veles (the God of cattle and crops as well as knowledge and art, Perún’s brother). People would make bone fire, where they offer they thank you to the gods for protection, good health of them, their crops and the cattle. The offerings were of no meat or blood origin. Grains, milk, breads, cheese, wine, clothes… All the men of community would build a Perún’s sword, put wood around it with twigs from fragrant trees and then they start the fire. The women would make wreaths out of flowers from the fields for their brave men. In this circle, there is always an older woman –the loving mother, she blesses all the wreaths with her loving intention for the good of the lovers. At midnight, people come together around the bone fire and the sword of Perún to sing and dance. The men take the burning sword down to the river and send it down the stream, while the women are sending the blessed wreaths with candles(lit from the bone fire, attached on little wood) down the river too. When the fire becomes smaller, they jump through , for they believe that the fire can clean their bodies and their Spirit. Couples holding hands, jumping while singing songs for Kúpala to bless them, their love and their future. Walking on the hot coal was believed to bring a good fortune and luck for the family. I chose this old symbol(or maybe it chose me), because I feel that the old traditions should be remembered as well as the stories that are perhaps here to teach us something that we might have forgotten.

slavic culture