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Zarya-Zarenitsa is an anthropomorphic goddess of the morning mentioned in Russian conspiracies. She introduced herself as a young girl. Sister of Bathing, Midday and Evening. The most famous of the Zaryanitsa conspiracies against insomnia.

Dawn, red maiden, take insomnia, restlessness, and give me sleep - calm down
The dawn was revered by many healers and healers; it was not for nothing that the conspiracies and treatments themselves were carried out at dawn, with the rising of the first rays of the sun, special power was invested in them.
In spells that are usually pronounced to the east - at sunrise, she is called the red maiden: “Zorya-Zoryanitsa, red maiden, midnight office” (i.e., early awakening, preceding the day's dawn). Like the Sun Goddess, she sits on a golden chair, spreads her imperishable pink veil or robe across the sky, and in conspiracies, prayers addressed to her are still preserved so that she would cover her with her veil from magical spells and hostile attempts.

Like morning Sun rays drive away evil spirits darkness, night; so they believed that the goddess Dawn could drive away all evil, and endowed her with the same victorious weapon (fiery arrows) with which the luminary of the day appears in the sky; At the same time, she is also credited with that creative, fertile power that is poured into nature by the rising sun. Peasants set out seeds (bread designated for sowing) at three morning dawns so that they will produce a good harvest. In accordance with the visual, daily repeated indication of nature, the myth knows two divine sisters - the Morning Dawn and the Evening Dawn; one precedes the sunrise, the other sees him off in the evening to rest, and both are thus constantly present with the bright deity of the day and serve him. The Morning Dawn brings its white horses to the vault of heaven, and the Evening Dawn receives them when it, having completed its daily train, disappears in the west. In Carinthia, the morning dawn is called dazhnitsa - a word identical with the name of the star of the day or morning and related to the ancient name of the sun Dazhbog (from dah - to burn).

In Serbian songs, the star Dennitsa is considered the sister of the Sun, like ours Zorya; in regional dialects, the morning star is given the name zarnitsa (in Little Russia, zarya generally means a star), and among the Lithuanians it bears the name Auszrine (= the adjective “morning”, forcing one to assume the noun “star”) - of the same origin from Sanskrit. Ushas (dawn, immortal and blessed daughter of heaven), Greek. T-kix; and Latin. Aurora, from ush - to burn, shine, shine. So, the names of dawn were formed from the same roots from which the words meaning day and morning came. The Germans say: der Morgen tagt (tagen) - to dawn: compare Sanskrit. ahan - day and ahana - dawn.

In the hymns of the Vedas and in the mythical tales of the Greeks, Dawn is depicted either as a mother, or as a sister, or as the wife or lover of the Sun. She was represented as a mother because she always precedes the sunrise, brings it out after her and thus, as it were, gives birth to it every morning. According to the research of Max Müller, the simple, natural phenomenon that at sunrise the dawn goes out and disappears - in the metaphorical language of the Aryans it turned into a poetic legend: the beautiful maiden Dawn runs from the rising Sun and dies from the radiant embrace and hot breath of this fiery lover. So young Daphne runs away from the loving Apollo and dies in his arms, i.e., rays, for, among other similes, the rays of the sun were also called golden hands. The same meaning lies in the following metaphorical expressions: “the sun overturned the chariot of the dawn”, “the shy dawn hides its face at the sight of its naked husband - the Sun.” The brightly shining sun seemed naked, in contrast to another metaphor, which spoke of the sun, covered with dark clouds, as if it were a deity who had thrown clothes (robes, veils) over himself. Abandoned by the Morning Dawn, the lonely Sun made its procession across the sky, searching in vain for its friend, and only approaching the limits of its daily life, ready to go out (= die) in the west, it again, for short moments, found the Dawn, shining with wondrous beauty in the evening dusk.

Neil Gaiman received major science fiction awards for his novel American Gods. The book became a cult book and acquired sequels and branches, allowing us to talk about the existence of a small but culturally rich universe of American Gods.

Fans have long dreamed of a film adaptation - and now it has happened: on April 30, the series starts on the Starz channel. Its creators inspire respect: producer Bryan Fuller (series “Hannibal” and “Dead Like Me”) and screenwriter Michael Green, who turned a superhero movie into a realistic drama in “Logan.”

For those who have not read the book or want to refresh their memories, we will tell you what the strange and interesting world"American Gods" and who inhabits it. We hid the main plot twists under spoilers.

Myth-making

When we think of "American mythology," we usually think of Uncle Sam in a tall top hat and a pantheon of superheroes. Indian spirits loom in the background, and above all this hovers a creature that has no physical embodiment “ American dream" In essence, American history, culture and mythology are almost the same thing. No wonder the most famous singer calls herself Madonna, and President Lincoln hunts vampires in the 2012 film. And they believe in the main god here on green banknotes.

But Neil Gaiman has his own ideas about this mythology.

Neil Gaiman, father of all gods

Or rather, he has the same “hodgepodge”, but in-depth, intertwined with other people’s legends and flavored with the signature dreamlike fantasies of the writer, famous for the series of graphic novels “Sandman”. Therefore, it should not be surprising that the journey of the Shadow, the main character of American Gods, is not only accompanied by allegorical and prophetic dreams, but also draws the reader into a literary space on the verge of delirium, sleep and oblivion.

Judging by the trailers for the series, its creators tried to convey the surreal atmosphere of the book. If they succeeded, a dive awaits us - not in healthy sleep, but into the depths of the collective unconscious, where the gods who feed on their faith make plans for people. American and not only.

There are Russian gods among the American gods

The novel connects two layers of reality: phantasmagoric and everyday. The main narrative is constantly interrupted by “tall tales” - tales in the tradition of American folklore. It will be interesting to see whether these colorful fragments will appear in the series and how the creators will weave them into the plot.

But Gaiman's main idea is the confrontation between the Old and New gods. The old immigrant gods once arrived in America. The very flow of life gave birth to new ones. Now almost no one prays to Chernobog and does not believe in leprechauns. People worship technology and trust the media.

Gaiman did not make great discoveries in the field of human beliefs. But everyone will agree with the main conclusion of “American Gods.” The god you feed wins.

Who is who

Mister Wednesday (actor Ian McShane)

A grandfather of retirement age with the habits of a hormonally unstable youth. Not a fool to drink and a recognized ladies' scoundrel. By and large - a fraudster, but with global plans on people's minds and hearts. He lies a lot and doesn't blush. Draws the Shadow into a new life.

In the film adaptation, Wednesday got rid of his bookish appearance, but thanks to the charisma of the experienced actor McShane, he did not lose his mystery and even gained more charm. A serious bid for the emergence of a television sex symbol over 70 years old.

Spoiler: Who really is Mr. Wednesday?

The supreme god of Old Norse mythology is Odin, also known as Wotan and the All-Father. Calls himself Wednesday, since this day was considered dedicated to Odin.
Wednesday is just one of the incarnations of God, of which he has many. With his death, Odin will not disappear from the world. His personality is hinted at not only by his name, but also by the glass eye (Odin is one-eyed in mythology) and the silver tree pin he wears. This tree symbolizes the gigantic ash tree Yggdrasil, on which all seven worlds rest. Subsequently, the body of the Shadow will hang on the ash tree.

Shadow Moon (played by Ricky Whittle)

A young man who was in prison at the beginning of the events. Quiet, good-natured, loves tricks with coins, his wife, and can break your neck with a blow of his fist. When he has nothing left to lose, he receives a business proposal from a mysterious stranger. Because of the emphasized normality, it is easy for the reader and viewer to identify with the Shadow. The hero lives up to his name: he seems to play a secondary role in his own life. But when he finds himself at the mercy of supernatural forces, it becomes clear that the gods want more from the Shadow than he wants from them.

The sporty texture of Ricky Whittle conveys well physical strength Shadow, a tall and silent guy. But for now, due to its lack of fame, it is the darkest horse of the series.

Spoiler: Origin of the Shadow

Shadow, who never knew his father, is Wednesday's own son. The birth of the boy was arranged in advance. Odin has many children scattered around the world. Wednesday is a terrible father who is willing to sacrifice his son for his own goals.

Gaiman's story "Lord of the Valley" confirms what "Gods" hints at: the Shadow is the incarnation of the light god Balder from the same Scandinavian mythology. Balder also fell victim to Loki's machinations, died and was resurrected for better world. The hero has lived his whole life as neither this nor that, neither good nor bad, and now he has to make a choice and come out of his own shadow.

Laura Moon (actress Emily Browning)

The Shadow's wife, who died before the events began under very piquant circumstances. But Laura stubbornly refuses to obey the rule “Till death do us part” and follows the Shadow on his heels.

The star of “Sucker Punch,” directed by Zack Snyder, brought fragility to the character of the heroine. But, as we remember from the film, the actress looks convincing in scenes where she needs to stand up for herself.

Crazy Sweeney (Pablo Schreiber)

Leprechaun by birth, stereotypical Irish in everything else. A red-haired, cheeky drunk who meets Shadow after getting into a bar fight with him. Shows the best coin tricks in the world.

Judging by the trailer, the actor known for the series “Orange is the New Black” has created a character bursting with color. We're hoping for a bookish T-shirt that says, "If you can't eat it, drink it, smoke it, or smell it, then fuck it!"

Chernobog (actor Peter Stormare)

Slavic deity and half of the traditional duo of “twin gods”: good and bad. The beauty is that metaphysically these are the same creature, so Chernobog is harsh but fair. Worked at a slaughterhouse. Plays checkers with Shadow for life and death.

The magnificent Peter Stormare sports a blood-stained alcoholic tank top, speaks with a creepy accent and evokes fond memories of his role as the Russian cosmonaut in the movie Armageddon. Oh, how he pounded the ship’s dashboard with a hammer and growled: “Damned Taiwanese technology!”

Mister Nancy (actor Orlando Jones)

Trickster God and Spider-Man. Anansi is one of the Old Gods who came to America from West Africa. He is colorful in everything, from his remarkable dialect to his colorful costume. Received its own story in Gaiman's 2005 novel The Sons of Anansi, continuing the theme of fertile father gods.

In the series, the character has become younger, but remains outwardly impressive. The actor in an interview defined the hero as “part of the African diaspora.” Let's see if the series raises ethnic issues.

Easter (actress Kristin Chenoweth)

One of the goddesses of the Old World, who is associated with the arrival of spring and the awakening of nature. She has adapted perfectly to the new world, where people celebrate Easter every year. She lives well, so it is difficult to drag her into the impending battle of the old and new gods.

Bilquis (actress Yetide Badaki)

The goddess of love, retrained in the new realities as a prostitute. In fact, this is a very ancient heroine who appears on the pages of the Old Testament. Among her fans was King Solomon himself. Her burning beauty still attracts men to her, and... Let's pray for their peace.

In the trailer we see lit candles, wet skin and a lot of red. Looks like it's going to be hot.

Technoboy (actor Bruce Langley)

One of the New Gods is the embodiment of the Internet. Surrounded by futuristic design, made of pixels and looking like a millionaire Silicon Valley prodigy who has been writing codes on his knee and hacking the Pentagon since the age of five. Clear and bold. Compared to the book, where he was fat and unkempt, Technoboy has changed the most. As Bryan Fuller rightly notes, since 2001, when the novel was published, technology has stepped into a different era. Most likely, this boy will have Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and his own YouTube channel.

Media (actress Gillian Anderson)

Good afternoon, the TV is talking to you. And the main thing we know about TV is that it has countless faces. It’s fortunate that all of them will be represented by the X-Files star, who already worked with Fuller on the series Hannibal. The Goddess of the Media initially, as in the book, appears to the Shadow in the guise of the title character of the show “I Love Lucy.” But this is only one of its hypostases. In total, at least four of them are expected, including music god David Bowie, sex goddess Marilyn Monroe and cinema legend Judy Garland.

Zorya Polunochnaya (actress Melissa Roxburgh)

Three Zori sisters live with their brother Chernobog. They represent different time days and possibly stages human life. The biggest role in the plot is played by the youngest of them, Zorya Polunochnaya, who gives Shadow a special coin. The snow-white hair of the book heroine was changed to black in the series.

Low Key Lysmith (actor Jonathan Tucker)

A sharpie and Shadow's cellmate with a remarkable scarred smile. Reading Herodotus. In the featurette, he passionately tells Teni about the rules of conduct at the airport. Alas, the book character's copper hair has darkened in the series.

Spoiler: Who is he really?

Low Ki, like Mr. World, are incarnations of the god of fire and deception Loki. The changeable essence of this god allows him not only to exist in two copies at the same time, but also to act in concert. His true identity is openly hinted at by the scars on Lysmith's lips: the Aesir once punished Loki for slander and sewed his mouth shut. The same applies to the type of activity: a sharper and a swindler are the usual hypostasis of the divine trickster.

Mr. World (actor Crispin Glover)

Leader of the New Gods. He wears black and grins unpleasantly. Believes in world peace.

Spoiler: Do you think he's the leader of the bad guys?

The war that the Old and New Gods talk so much about was actually a scam started by two cheaters: Wednesday and Loki. The shadow is used in their game as a pawn. The task was to bring the gods together by organizing mass bloodshed, which would allow the decrepit Odin to be imbued with faith and gain truly divine power, lost in the modern world.

Mister Jackal (actor Chris Obi)
Mister Ibis (played by Demore Barnes)

Brothers are undertakers who run a funeral home. The jackal is none other than the dog-headed Egyptian god Anubis, guide of the dead to afterworld. Concentrated and serious, as befits his profession. His brother is Thoth, the ancient Egyptian bird-headed god of knowledge and wisdom. He has a philosophical mind and writes stories. Like all members of his family (there are five of them in total), he retains animalistic features in his human incarnation.

Buffalo Man

A creature with a male body and a buffalo head that regularly appears to the Shadow in dreams. Invisibly present throughout history, without directly participating in events. However, it seems that he - greatest strength, existing in the world of American Gods. Perhaps Gaiman's most poetic and profound image. When revealing to Shadow in the finale who he is, the buffalo man says, "I am the earth."

This daughter of heaven has revealed herself,
A brightly blazing young woman in light robes,
Commanding over all earthly goods,
Light up here today, O happy Ushas!
(from the hymns of the Rig Veda)

Arose from the darkness, young, with purple fingers Eos
(Homer, Iliad)

From time immemorial, reverence for the forces of Nature has been one of the most important foundations of Rodnoverie. Our ancestors saw the Divine everywhere - in the Sun and Moon, Fire and Water, Mother Earth and Heavenly Lightning... They also honored Zarya Zaryanitsa, the sister of the Trisvetnogo Sun, glorified her and asked for help - like all other Gods and Goddesses. The veneration of the Dawn in Slavic traditional culture, as well as its place in the worldview of our Ancestors, and the ideas associated with it, will be discussed in this short work.

Generally speaking, Slavic Tradition knows two Dawns: Morning and Evening. According to ancient tales, the Dawns originated from the eyes of the First God Rod (“The morning and evening dawns are from His eyes,” says the “Dove Book”). Both of them are sisters of the Sun; The Morning Dawn brings his white horses to the vault of heaven, and the Evening Dawn receives them at sunset. However, our Ancestors revered the Morning Dawn much more than the Evening Dawn; That’s why this article is mainly devoted to it.

Other names of Dawn: Morning, Zarnitsa, Dennitsa 1, Mertsana 2. The image of this Goddess is very complex and multifaceted. She is the Goddess of Light, driving away Darkness, the Warrior Maiden. She is also the Heavenly Intercessor who protects from troubles. In ancient Russian spells there are such appeals to her: “I’m going to a high, distant mountain, on the clouds, on the waters, and on the high mountain stands the boyar’s mansion, and in the boyar’s mansion sits the sweetheart, Zarya-Zaryanitsa, the red maiden. You, maiden, youthful sweetheart, I am going for you to fight against my adversaries, villainous enemies.

Take out, maiden, Zarya-Zaryanitsa, your father’s treasure-sword, take out your grandfather’s armor, unlock your hero’s helmet, unlock the raven’s horse. To me, treasure sword, be a friend, to me, grandfather’s armor, be a brother to me, heroic helmet, be a wedding crown, to me, black horse, be a daring young man. Go out, girl, Zarya-Zaryanitsa, into an open field, and in open field There is a mighty army, but there are no budgets for weapons in the army. Cover me, maiden, Zarya-Zaryanitsa, with your veil: from the power of the enemy, from the squeak, from the arrows, from the wrestler, from the fist fighter, from the warrior (...) You, the tree, turn back from me (...) you, the iron and copper, fly away, you infidel people, run away.

And if I come back to live and be healthy, otherwise, fair maiden, I will boast about you, show off my youthful gait. Your veil is strong, like the flammable stone Alatyr; my youthful tread is strong, like mill water (...)”; “Zarya-Zarenitsa, red maiden, mother and queen herself (...) Zarya-Zarenitsa in the middle of the night, come to me, even as a red maiden, even as a mother queen, and take away (my name) from me and take away from me the cursed power, all the ailments of adversity.” The Light of Dawn, according to popular belief, promotes fertility: peasants had a custom of placing seeds intended for sowing at three morning dawns. One of the plots for the harvest says: “I will wash (name) with the Morning Dawn, the morning dew. Hey art thou, Morning Dawn! And you, Evening Dawn! Fall on my rye, so that it grows as tall as a forest, as thick as an oak tree!

May my words be strong and sculpted!” This Goddess was often approached with requests for healing: “Zarya, Zarina, Zarya Skaryna, take from the servant of God the tongues and roars of the day and night”; “Zorya-Zoryanitsa, red maiden! come to me to help; help me (...) to pronounce scrofula from (name) (...) Scrofula-krasukha! go from (name) into the clean fields, into the blue seas: just as clear stars fall from the sky, so scrofula would roll out of (name)”; her image is often found in conspiracies to stop blood: “On the sea on Okiyan, on the island of Buyan, lies the white, flammable Stone-Alatyr. On that Stone-Alatyr sits a beautiful maiden, a skilled seamstress, holding a damask needle, yellow ore, sewing up bloody wounds” 3.

They asked Zarya to get rid of insomnia, to give a restful sleep: “Zarya-Zaryanitsa, beautiful maiden, take your night-lights from (name). Give me sleep, doze, and good health”; “Zarya-Zaryanitsa, beautiful maiden, let me (name) sleep and calm down.” 4 Apparently, the idea that sleep (and insomnia) is in her power is due to the fact that in the old days people usually got up early in the morning: Dawn woke them up... 5 People turned to her for help in love affairs - one of the love spells conspiracies sounds like this: “Zarya-Zaryanitsa, sister of the Sun! You walk high, you see far!

Go and see where my beloved is, where my betrothed is, where he goes for walks, where he eats and drinks, and take him there, lay him in front, tie him up in back, so that without me (name) he cannot live, be, or think. think, no advice, no love! Without me (name), he couldn’t eat bread, drink honey, or fall asleep at night! Be you, my love spell, stronger than stone, stronger than iron, century after century, from now on and forever!” Finally, our Ancestors called dew (healing and giving power) the tears of the Dawn, and, therefore, this Goddess was also thought of as the mistress of the dew...

Water was blessed with the light of Dawn - Yu.P. Mirolyubov in his book “The Sacred of Rus'” writes: “In the evening the housewife put water in the grass in the middle of the yard, “so that Dawn would shine,” and others said, “so that Dawn would dedicate.” Probably the latter is more true." The same source provides a description of fortune telling by Zarya: “On the morning of Easter, having pulled water from the well and carrying it to the cows, the housewives in Yuryevka placed a bucket in front of the barn door and “watched the Dawn in the water.” If the water was red (from Dawn), then “summer will be red!” If Dawn was pale, then “there will be little bread.”

According to traditional Slavic ideas, Zarya is the beloved of the Month, which is confirmed by folklore texts. In a Russian carol it is sung: “The Moon walks and walks across the sky, calling and calling the Dawn for itself. Let’s go, Zorenka, let’s go, clear one. Let’s go with me to joke with the rich man.” In the Belarusian song: “Too much - Misyachek, too much! I went through all the zirochkas I got one zirochka for myself Although it’s small Yes, it’s clear Between all the zirochkas there’s a big one” 6 . A.I. Asov in his “Songs of the Bird Gamayun” (reconstructions of Slavic myths) gives the following tale about the Month and Dawn: Dawn was the wife of Khors, the Sun God;

The month fell in love with Zarya and stole her, for which he was punished by Perun. “And then Perun cut with his sword the clear Moon, the dashing kidnapper, and returned Dawn to the bright Horse. And since then, the clear Moon in the sky has been searching in vain for Zarya-Zarenitsa and cannot find the young Dawn. It grows again, but the mighty Perun again cuts it with his sword.” By the way, in Slavic folklore there is also an idea according to which the Sun is feminine and is the wife of the Month: “The Sun is clear - then the mistress Yasen Misyats - then the ruler Yasni Zirki - then his ditki”; “And my dad, and my dad, the Moon is clear, and my womb, and my womb, the sun is red.” This version finds its counterpart in Lithuanian and German mythology...

A.N. Afanasyev in his work “Poetic Views of the Slavs on Nature” identifies Zarya with Lada, the eldest Rozhanitsa: “Under the influence of such views, the maiden Zorya, or the spring Sun, received the character of a thunder goddess, smashing clouds and shedding rains, as is obvious from the legends about Freya and other related myths (...) Freya corresponds to the Slavic goddess Priya from Sanskrit. pri (Zend. fri) - to love, prijas - beloved person, spouse, where our friend (pleasant) is from, Czech, prjtel, gender. przyiaciel.

In the “Mater verborum” Priya is called Aphrodite, and Venus is translated by the name of Lada (...) The given evidence of language convinces of the identity of Freya, Priya and Lada.” However, such an identification seems unlikely. The inclusion of Zarya and spring sun in the image of one Goddess. Of course, Spring is the Morning of the Year, but, nevertheless, in Slavic mythological ideas, the Dawn and the Sun are clearly separated from each other. In addition, Lada’s connection with Dennitsa (Dawn planet Venus) has not been proven.

In the Lithuanian folk song, Lada (as is known, is a common deity for the Balts and Slavs) is directly called the Sun (“I graze, I graze my sheep; I’m not afraid of you, wolf! God with sunny curls will surely not allow you. Lado, Lado-sun! "); the Greek analogue of Lada (Lato) is not associated with Dawn (Eos) and with the planet Venus. Finally, Lada is the Mother Goddess, and Zarya-Zaryanitsa in traditional culture is much more often called a “maiden” than a “mother.” Most likely, the identification of Lada and Venus in “Mater Verborum” is caused simply by the similarity of functions: after all, both are Goddesses of Love.

I would like to complete this small work with a Russian folk tale...

ZARYA-ZARYANITSA

Either before reaching Ardatov, or having passed Gorbatovo, Aunt Arina lived in the same village with her daughter Annushka and her stepdaughter Alyonka. Arina cared for her daughter, did not bother her white hands with anything, but she sent her stepdaughter into the field at the crack of dawn, stuck her with a piece of bread, and ran. Either he orders a strip of rye to be squeezed out before noon, or the flax is to be pulled out, but if you don’t do it, you will be beaten. And now Alyonka is running, the path is barely visible under her feet. He goes out into the field, and it’s still dark there. In silence he makes his way to his lane. And Alyonka thinks that even now she will never be able to cope with her stepmother’s orders. And then he will say: “Zarya-Zaryanitsa, shine the light on my little stripe. If I don’t have time to finish my work by the deadline, my stepmother will beat me...” As soon as she says this, she immediately becomes clearer about dark forest, the clouds will burst into flames. Alenka will wait a little, and Zarya-Zaryanitsa will bring out the Red Sun. She will take her out and send her across the sky until she reaches her sister, the Evening Dawn. And once she gets out, she has nothing to do until the morning. “Let me,” he will say, “I’ll see how much work Alyonushka needs to do today.” He will be shrouded in fog and make his way to her strip. He takes pity on the poor thing:

Should I help you, Alyonushka?

Alyonushka bows to her from the waist:

Help, Zarya-Zaryanitsa, together, things will go faster.

As they do what their stepmother punished, Alyonushka leads Zarya-Zaryanitsa through the meadows, down to the dark forest. The stepmother sees that no matter what you punish your stepdaughter, she will do it on time, and in such a way that it’s a pleasure to watch. And it’s even more amazing that every day Alenka becomes more beautiful, as if the dawn is burning on her cheeks. The groom will come, look at Alyonushka and woo her, but shy away from her daughter, Annushka. Arina is seething with anger and slyly asks her stepdaughter how she does whatever you tell her to do for three:

Another would have withered away, but what a princess you are, the light of dawn is burning on your cheeks. Who's helping Ali?..

Alyonushka did not hide it, she admitted that sooner rather than later, even before the light, she would call Zarya-Zaryanitsa, who would help her. And that the cheeks are burning like the dawn, so every morning the Zarya-Zaryanitsa greets them, how could they not be scarlet. The stepmother became jealous, and the next morning she saw off her daughter Annushka in the field before dawn. She dressed her warmer, put her shoes on, and punished her:

You will come, shout to Zarya-Zaryanitsa to help you, but don’t worry yourself, don’t strain yourself, but just look at her, your cheeks will be redder than the dawn. Go for a slice of pie.

Annushka came to her strip and - what a disaster! - I wanted to sleep. I saw a haystack off to the side, let me think, I’ll sit there and take a nap, and then I’ll call Zarya-Zaryanitsa. She sat down, devoured the whole pie without a trace and fell asleep. The sun began to look into her mouth, and she woke up. Overslept Zarya-Zaryanitsa. The next morning, Annushka was smarter; she waited until the sky turned azure and called out to Zarya-Zaryanitsa. Zarya-Zaryanitsa brought the Red Sun to Annushka.

Here’s a sickle, reap, mother punished her,” Annushka tells her, “it’s easier for you to bend.” Why are you hanging yourself with some sort of curtain? Let me look at you so that my cheeks are redder than Alyonkin’s. - And she tore off the curtain, similar to fog. Like Zarya-Zaryanitsa blazed like fire, she again wrapped herself in the fog and disappeared. Annushka blinks, sees nothing. So she went blind. I wandered blindly into the forest and just found it. Annushka is still alive. She was sighted, but didn’t learn anything, she’s blind and doesn’t want to do anything at all. So he lives out his life as a lazy person.

Radar Miroslav

Bibliography

1. Afanasyev A.N. Poetic views of the Slavs on nature. Volume 1. – M.: Modern writer, 1995.
2. Pigeon Book. Reconstruction of the community “Shield of Simargl” (Vladivostok).
3. Demin V.N. Mysteries of the Russian North.
4. Demin V.N. Secrets of the Russian people: in search of the origins of Rus'.
5. The most ancient Russian conspiracies. The compiler of the collection is Velemudr.
6. Mirolyubov Yu.P. Sacred Rus'. Collected works. T. I. - M.: ADE publishing house "Golden Age", 1996.
7. Rodomir. Conspirator.
8. Asov A.I. Songs of the Bird Gamayun.
9. Vereya. Russian Faith - Rodoverie. M.: Ladoga-100, 2006.
10. Voices of the Times. Songs of the Russian people (compiled by A. Nazarchuk). M.: 2004
11. Zarya-Zaryanitsa. Russian folk tale, recorded by V.N. Morokhin.

1 The morning star (Venus) is also called Dennitsa or Zarnitsa; in Serbian songs the star Dennitsa (like ours - Zarya) is called the sister of the Sun, and finally, in the Ukrainian language “zirki” - stars... Famous explorer folklore A.N. Afanasyev writes that in Slavic folk ideas Venus was identified with Dawn. Apparently, our Ancestors considered Venus (and not the Sun) to be the source of the light of the Dawn. At the same time, it should be noted that many other peoples related to us (Indo-Aryans, Greeks, Romans) did not have such an identification. Ushas and Uzanas (otherwise Sukra), Aurora and Venus are not the same thing...

2 West Slavic name.

3 Sometimes the “red maiden” from conspiracies of this type is identified with Makosh. I believe that A.N.’s opinion is correct. Afanasyev, who saw the Dawn in her. Firstly, “red maiden” is a stable epithet of Dawn; secondly, Makosh is usually depicted as an elderly woman. True, Zarya is sometimes called “mother and queen,” but this is most likely just a respectful address...

We continue to review “American Gods” and dive deeper into the world of myths

The second episode, like the first, begins with a flashback scene that shows the arrival of the god Anansi in the United States. She is curious for two reasons. Firstly, the scene illustrates the difference between the Norse gods with their sacrifices and the African gods who are more inclined towards hedonism. Secondly, Anansi's monologue on racial inequality fits perfectly into the series and at the same time highlights the modern political agenda. Well, while the spider god crawls onto American soil, we return to our days.

Shadow is not very happy that he was almost lynched (not surprising), and the series does not yet answer the question of who saved him. The show amazingly continues to accurately depict every scene in the book, even taking a bath. This slightly slows down the pace of the story, but allows you to feel the reality of the world of American Gods. To tell the truth, the creators of the show still missed one important scene, but I think it will be shown soon. So we won't spoil it.

After a short dialogue in the car, where Wednesday gives advice on seduction, we are introduced to another god. We are talking about Media, which is trying to drag the Shadow towards itself. Pay attention to the staging of this scene - main character is actually located inside the television world, surrounded by televisions on three sides and backed by a “fourth wall.” Gillian Anderson's monologue, like Anansi's monologue, also deserves special admiration. A perfect fit into the modern agenda, where the media become gods to whom people sacrifice the most valuable thing - their time.

The meeting with Media seriously affects the life principles of Shadow, who previously said that he believes only in what he sees. But when you see how the hero of the old series speaks to you, it becomes difficult to believe in the clarity of your own mind. The scene once again emphasizes the transfer of action from our usual reality to a parallel world, which the show's authors competently create.

A careful editor's comment:

"American Gods" is just a bunch bright images: rich colors, colorful characters, emotional tirades and statements instead of dialogues, plus all this with a powerful grotesque sauce. Perhaps the most picturesque show on TV in many years.

I will never tire of praising the casting - every character, regardless of screen time, threatens to become a favorite. In the second episode, it is difficult to choose a favorite: on the one hand, there is the god Anansi with a fiery speech on the ship about the fate of Africans in America (relevance again - recalls police scandals in the USA), on the other, a Slavic gang represented by Zarya Vechernyaya, Zarya Utrennyaya and Chernobog ( and they haven’t shown us Zarya Nochnaya yet). But still, my favorite is the goddess Media, played by Gillian Anderson.

She appears as Lucy Ricardo, a character from the popular 1950s American sitcom I Love Lucy (played by Lucille Ball). And this is not the only phenomenon of the Media before the Shadow - we will see Gillian Anderson in at least three more guises: Marilyn Monroe, David Bowie and Judy Garland (Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz). Oh, it's been a while since we've seen Agent Scully in such a colorful (this word should be banned!) image.

After the first episode, it was clear that the authors did not shy away from showing explicit scenes. In the second episode, we were introduced to a rare guest on the screens of popular shows - the male reproductive organ (penis). And two scenes at once, in one of which we were shown where Bilquis’ victims went. The creators spoke about equality, the creators kept their word. Yes, if you decide to bypass Game of Thrones in terms of frankness, then there is no other choice.

What about general impression, then the first concerns appeared here. While it falls on the viewer a large number of riddles and omissions. Last time, Bryan Fuller got too carried away with symbolism and visuals, and completely forgot about the plot - this is what ruined Hannibal. I would like to believe that this will not happen to “Gods”.

A visit to Chicago gives us a lot to talk about. Firstly, there are three deities at once - Chernogobog, Zarya Utrennyaya and Zarya Vechernyaya. The sleeping third sister is Zarya Polunochnaya. They all came from Slavic mythology, which immediately leads to interesting thoughts. The fact is that Chicago is the central city for Ukrainian emigrants. But Chernobog in his monologue also recalls New York, the center of Russian emigration. So the creators, by accident or on purpose, showed that we are dealing with a common Slavic deity.

If the visit to Chernobog seemed a little cranberry to you, it’s not surprising. Just look at the scene where Zarya Vechernyaya drinks vodka from her throat. In the original voice acting, the actors mocked Slavic names. “Zaraya Vechernaya” - I think Ian McShane cursed Gaiman several times for such names.

By the way, regarding names. Chernobog calls Wednesday Wotan, essentially revealing his mythological personality.

In a monologue at the table Slavic god remembers his brother Belobog, who is not shown to us. This is the first example of dual mythology (built solely on the opposition of good and evil) presented in the series. Interestingly, in Chernobog’s speech, where he talks about gray hair and the blurring of the concept, one can discern a reference to modern realities, where the black and white concept of the world is inferior to the so-called “gray”.

The scene with checkers will seem funny in our latitudes - the Shadow several times does not take the enemy piece into obvious situations, and on the final move he simply gives up the game. It didn't turn out well. So the Shadow is waiting for certain death, and we are waiting for the third series.

(Zimtserla)

Dawn was revered by the Slavs as a goddess and was called the sister of the Sun:
Dawn, my Zorenka,
Dawn, sister of the sun!..

In accordance with the visual, daily repeated indication of nature, the myth knows two divine sisters - the Morning Dawn and the Evening Dawn; one precedes the sunrise, the other sees it off in the evening to rest, and both are thus constantly present with the bright deity of the day and serve him.
The Morning Dawn brings its white horses to the vault of heaven, and the Evening Dawn receives them when it, having completed its daily train, disappears in the west...
Slavic fairy tales preserve memories of a wonderful spinning wheel spinning pure gold, and of gold and silver threads descending from the sky. It was from these solar threads that the wonderful pink fabric covering the sky, which we call the dawn, was prepared - the veil of the goddess.

Boris Olshansky. Zarya Zaryanica

In our conspiracies to calm blood we find the following interesting appeals to the goddess Zara:
“On the sea on the Ocean (sea - sky) sits a red maiden, a seamstress, holding a damask needle, threading a silk thread, ore-yellow, sewing up bloody wounds...”

The pink-fingered goddess Dawn pulls the “ore-yellow” thread and with her golden needle embroiders a pink, bloody veil across the sky; asking her for help from various ailments and enemy plans, conspiracies are expressed as follows:

“Zarya-Zaryanitsa, red maiden, midnight owl! Cover my sorrowful teeth with your veil; behind your cover my teeth will survive”; “Cover me, maiden, with your veil from the enemy’s power, from arquebuses and arrows; your veil is strong, like a flammable stone-alatyr!”

The fading Dawn finishes its work, breaks the ore-yellow thread, and at the same time its bloody veil disappears from the sky, why popular belief and gave her the power to stop the flow of blood and sew up actual wounds: “If the thread breaks, the blood will dry up!”, or in another expression:
“As the evening and morning dawns begin to fade, so would all my dear friend’s ailments fade away.”...

Boris Olshansky. At the heavenly pier

HOW DAZHBOG WENT TO HIS SISTER

In time immemorial, when the earth was just populated by the children of the gods - people, the sun god Dazhbog decided to get married. He looked around at the host of goddesses, fixing his gaze on the cheerful Mokosha and the beautiful Lada, but, timidly turning away from the gloomy Morana, he suddenly noticed that the most beautiful of all was his sister Zarya. The eyes are clear, the cheeks shine with pink freshness, the rosy lips smile, and the gold of the hair resembles the shine of the sun's rays.

“Why don’t I take her as my wife?” - Admiring the beautiful Zarya, thought Dazhbog, who, of course, considered himself higher and stronger than all the gods. And he called Veles to him to declare his will to him and send the heavenly shepherd as a matchmaker to Zara.

It’s your will, Dazhbozhe,” Veles was amazed, “but it’s not good to marry your own sister.” This is not how things work between us gods.

Boris Olshansky. Glory to Dazhdbog

Just dare to disobey me,” Dazhbog threatened. - I swear, I will take revenge on you. I will dry up all the heavenly pastures with my fiery rays, I will turn your sacred groves into desert. Otherwise I’ll completely blind you. How then will you drive your cloudy herds?

Veles was reluctant to wander blindly along the sun-dried heavenly paths - and he did not contradict the dispersed Dazhbog. I went to Zara to get married.

She almost sobbed in horror. Only recently she rejected Chernobog’s claims, and here comes a new misfortune! Zarya did not at all want to marry sibling. She generally preferred a cheerful and carefree girlish life.

But it’s dangerous to quarrel with Dazhbog. After all, his nature is as violent and irrepressible as that of the thunderous Perun, only Perun strives to flood everything around with rain, and Dazhbog, if he gets angry, will dry up the world with his fiery rays.

Well,” Zarya said thoughtfully, “perhaps you, Veles, can tell my magnificent brother that I agree... no, for now I only agree to listen to his proposal. Let him come to me tomorrow morning and tell me about his love.

Hearing this, Dazhbog was very happy. May he blind the Dawn with his love! Yes, he will burn her in the fire of his passion!

The next morning, as soon as the darkness of the night faded, he rushed to Dawn... but found her palace empty.

Where is she? - cried the angry god, and the servants of Dawn timidly replied that their mistress had just gone out for a walk in the heavenly gardens. Dazhbog rushed after him. The golden chariot of the sun rushed, scattering the flocks of clouds on its way. But Zarya, who decided to run away from Dazhbog at all costs, got ahead of him. Only at the very sunset of the day did he see the hem of her sparkling clothes... but then the Queen of Night came into her own, and Dazhbog sadly headed to his palace, hoping that tomorrow he would certainly meet his sister.

Alas... tomorrow and the day after tomorrow the same thing happened again - and has been going on ever since. The sun is hopelessly chasing the beautiful Zarya across the skies and, only completing its daily journey, manages to see her mocking, farewell smile from afar.

Over the past centuries, Dazhbog changed his mind about marrying his sister, realized that this was a great sin, and he strictly forbade incestuous marriages to people, his children. Now he is chasing the beautiful Dawn to say: she has nothing to fear anymore! - but neither he nor she can leave the eternal circle.

Slavic mythology.

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