Slavic family - what do we know about her? What moral values ​​were inherent in her? What laws reigned in it, who was in charge? How did you treat children and the elderly? The traditions of the Slavic family, its talismans and laws will be described below.
The main thing is children
Without them, it is impossible to imagine a Slavic family. Childbearing is its main function. At the same time, a large number of children were always supposed. The concept of divorce in Ancient Russia did not exist. He concluded once and for life.
The children were so important that, despite the sacredness of the marriage, if they were absent due to the infertility of the wife, it was allowed to take another to the family. The fact that the Slavs could have several wives, researchers judge by the information about Prince Vladimir, there are some other evidence. In the latter, as a rule, we are talking about two wives, which, however, was a rather rare occurrence.
How was the marriage?
Outwardly, this process in the Slavic family looked like a deal that the parents of the bride and groom concluded among themselves. It took the form of a certain rite. And in most cases it was of a ritual character, since the preferences of the young were still in the first place. Of course, there were cases of forced marriage, but they most likely constituted an exception to the rule.
In a number of sources, evidence of the rite of abduction by the bridegroom is found. It had two varieties: the real and the imaginary, worn tradition. The latter was practiced when both the bride and her parents agreed to marriage in advance.
This rite was called the "abduction of the bride by the water." It took place even before the introduction of Christianity in Russia and took place during the holidays dedicated to the goddess Lada, which began in early spring.
According to the rules of "Domostroy"
According to this source, life in a Slavic family was formed according to the following canons:
- At the head of the clan is Bolshak or Bolshukha. The first is his head, and the second is an experienced, eldest of able-bodied women. As a rule, the spouse of the father or the eldest of the sons. The younger men obeyed her.
- The leading role in the family is for a man. His duty is to take care of the well-being and upbringing of his family, including the spiritual education of his sons.
- The management of the interior of the home and family is the responsibility of the woman. She is engaged in needlework, homework, educating daughters, is responsible for the emotional mood of households.
- Decisions regarding “house building” are taken jointly by husband and wife.
- Each gender owns a certain profession. Knowledge of the craft is passed on from the older generation to the younger.
- Love for parents, obedience to them in childhood and care for them in old age is the main duty of children.
Thus, the Slavic family is a holistic organism that lived according to strictly defined laws.
Family god
His name was Polel, and he was responsible for the fortress of marriage and family ties. This Slavic god of the family was the son of Lada, who was the goddess of love. He had two brothers - Did and Lel, and a sister named Lel.
Polel is very handsome: he is pleasant in face, tall, wide in shoulders, courageous. Often he was portrayed with a wide smile. His clothes are a simple but thin shirt, on his head a wreath consisting of rose hips.
Exactly the same wreath studded with thorns, he holds out his bride with one hand. In another he has a horn containing a drink of fidelity. This drink is as hoppy as happiness itself. It is him who the good and affectionate Polel wishes the newlyweds. He prepares married people for the difficulties of family life, and teaches them to overcome.
Amulets
Ancient peoples had a great many of them. Slavic amulets of the family are no exception. According to beliefs, they serve to strengthen ties between generations, protect against troubles, give warmth and well-being to the family, as well as protect the hearth and help make it cozy. Unmarried and unmarried tribal talismans contribute in the search for the second half. The material for the manufacture was metal, wood, stones, minerals. They were embroidered on clothes, towels and tablecloths. Here is some of them:
- Rodimich and Rodovik. These charms are symbols of procreation and a new generation. They helped to educate children and transfer knowledge and skills to them. They were made of white and yellow metal, hung in a conspicuous place or carried with them.
- Goddess. He was the personification of the four cardinal points and four elements. He led to harmony in family relationships, was responsible for the continuation of the clan, and contributed to a calm, measured lifestyle.
- The Solntsevrat is a symbol of the Yarila Sun. It was used when it was necessary to change family life for the better, to clear oneself of bad thoughts, to achieve any goal, to improve the financial situation of the family.
- Wedding. Its main purpose is to protect the family, its preservation from decay. It looks like intertwined four rings, which symbolizes the inextricable family ties. He helped childless families acquire offspring.
Slavic legal family
It includes such countries as Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, Yugoslavia, etc. It is based on a common ideological, national, spiritual, historical and legal specificity. This legal family was formed under the great influence of the Byzantine Empire, which was the mainstay of Orthodoxy and culture in Eastern Europe.
The influence of Byzantine legislation was noticeably manifested in the reforms carried out by Prince Vladimir after the baptism of Russia. Not only church dogmas were adopted, but also legal attitudes related to worldly life.
Byzantine missionaries accelerated the process of perception of Roman-Byzantine law. So, for example, Ekloga became part of the collection “The Righteous Meryl”. And “Pravda Yaroslav”, in fact, was an adjustment of the said legislation, drawn up on the basis of reception of Roman law.
When the main features of the Slavic legal family are highlighted, it is about:
- Christian representations of truth and justice;
- the identity of Russian statehood;
- special connection of the state with the right;
- prevailing collective forms of management;
- close relationship of law with the specifics of Orthodoxy.
The legal sources of this legal family are based on the traditions of Roman law, which allows us to rank it as Romano-Germanic.