Snow Maiden and Santa Claus - popular characters and constant visitors every New Year.Heroes always cheerful and friendly - Congratulations adults and give gifts to the kids.But the history of occurrence of the rite of celebration, as the real role of Claus, stagger the imagination for its brutality and an abundance of the gory details.
Frost and the Snow Maiden: Scandinavian interpretation
According to the testimony of the Roman annals, Celtic priests - druids - among other trees especially honored softwood (spruce, pine).Green giants of the sacred groves regularly tray gifts - food, flowers, jewelry and human sacrifices.However, the latter - a fact unconfirmed, although Russian Snow Maiden and its modern interpretation is considered the cultural borrowing from the wild, uneducated Vikings.
Whence comes Maiden?
cruel spirit of winter - the elder of the North - demanded deference.Maiden girl was needed to appease the god of nature.On the role of the Snow Maiden to choose either an orphan or a throw in lots within the settlements.Who are the parents of the Snow Maiden - was completely unimportant.
tradition of sacrifice Roman historians describe a very colorful and with lots of details unappetizing - dousing with ice water and ripping the abdomen of a young girl were mandatory attributes of the Celtic celebrations, as well as the remains of the decoration of sacred firs people.
special faith no Roman chroniclers as the Druids were known for their pacifism and respect for all living things - trees, plants, animals and humans.
Snow Maiden: Slavic interpretation
Common roots of Indo-European peoples allow to draw conclusions about a single mythological space, in the light of what the characters, the characters and the main motifs of fairy tales and legends are repeated and interwoven.Russian Snow Maiden - an echo of the general concept of cosmogony and partial cultural borrowing.The character is found mainly in the Slavic fairy tales, in Europe there is no such way.
One of the essential external features and modern New Year's attributes is considered the crown of the Snow Maiden.This artifact, according to observations in cultural studies, dating back to the image of the great-Snow Maiden - the Slavic spirit of Kostroma.Sister Kupala - Kostroma - depicted as a woman dressed in white with a crown (perhaps the very crown of the Snow Maiden) on the head and a branch of oak in the hand.Meeting and seeing Kostroma (personification of Spring) accompanied by special rituals.Like a fairy-tale characters, familiar to us from the numerous literary works, Kostroma leave people - just like Snow Maiden summer.Sister Kupala some time was "in force", and then "fell ill" and "dying".
still unknown as of Kostroma Snow Maiden girl turned, but it was an ancient god of the Slavs is the basis of modern family holidays.
Do family at Snow Maiden?
the question "Who are the parents of the Snow Maiden?" The answer can be found in the mythology of several - and Lada Winter, Spring and Winter - two mutually beginning.
Without the intervention of supernatural forces here, obviously, has not done, but a modern legend of Frost and his granddaughter Snow Maiden of the parents does not recognize the principle.
Where parents Maiden?Starting from the Old Norse and Old Slavic understanding of the holiday, the girl's parents would be "chocolate."Chosen for the solemn sacrifice Snegurkoj was promised eternal life, and all of her family - being and prosperity.
Snow Maiden and Father Frost: Evolution of images
Traditional Santa Claus from Russian fairy tales evolved into a good old man long enough.Pra Claus, aka Morok was chthonic deity, and meet with him did not want to be anyone.
Lord of snow and endless winter, frost-Morok was also known for his love of deception, which is preserved in many sayings of Indo-European language group.A favorite pastime was grandfatherly Moroka bring down traveler confused and lure him into a bog or thicket, where the latter died of cold and exhaustion.Moroka appease could only special offerings and gifts which are arranged the outside the door and along roadsides.
Eventually Grandfather Frost much kinder and became not only freeze, but also endow mortals.This motif can be seen in folk tales and author.
Pair of "Snow Maiden and Santa Claus," there was much later - in the early 20th century.
Santa Claus: traditional costumes
old man tremendous growth in a white fur coat covered with frost - so formidable Frost imagined our ancestors.Long white hair and a white beard disheveled with icicles - indispensable attributes ruler winter.Kingdom Pozvizda Frost was the winter - this time of year and it is only he owned the world.
Often modern celebration of Santa arrives with his staff in his hand - and the same was his ancestor.One touch of this powerful weapon great-Frost can freeze rivers and lakes, to turn the land into the icy plains and mountains divide.Under the influence of the artifact humans and animals turned into blocks of ice, so to appease the deity was vital.
Another magical artifact - a belt that can be seen in modern Morozov, he performed a kind of talisman.
With Snow Maiden is much more complicated - it is not clear who the parents of the Snow Maiden, where it came from, and how the rest of her traditional costume.Presumably, white or blue coat girl says of her "winter" origin and unites it with the name of a relative - Santa Claus.
Maiden: urban legends and modern "horror"
popular in the global network of the present version of the origin of the holiday and its associated imagery gives a slightly cheap horror movie.
the best Hollywood tradition, the role of the Snow Maiden, according to a popular urban legend, stood a young virgin who did not know the man.This poor girl is not only exposed to frost and hosed with ice water, and then "decorated" it remains near trees in a grove.All these rituals are ascribed to the Druids - ancient Celtic eco-pacifists, who hurt any living creature was not allowed by the laws.
in such desecration of sacred groves of trees, and the priests of the cult believe very weak.In the area where committed seasonal rites and rituals, others will not be tolerated - even more unlikely that an obscure maid could be in the sacred grove until the complete glaciation.And desecrate ancient eating carrion, whose age could have several hundred years, the Druids would have hardly started.
image frozen to death the unfortunate girl Snow Maiden - partly credit defeated the Romans, and partly - the usual horror stories from the series "in the black, the black town."
«revolutionary" Maiden of the USSR
With the change of the regime of the new government - the Soviet - and needed new holidays.Catholic Christmas bourgeois trappings - fat Santa and his elves servants - party leaders seemed enough ideologically.
National traditions of small peoples of the USSR were distributed in relatively small areas, and the vast country needed another holiday - new, bright and totally unique.
«Kremlin Christmas tree", entered into history as an example of the pompous celebrations for the elite, became the beginning of the legend of the Soviet Snow Maiden, because in itself a strict old Santa Claus is very far from the kids, and many kids today are afraid of scary beards and unusual clothes Christmas guest.Invitation Snow Maiden on a children's holiday celebration allows you to make more comfortable and homey.To the question "Who are the parents of the Snow Maiden?" Can be answered unequivocally - massoviki, entertainers and organizers of the Kremlin Christmas events 30s.
Santa Claus: how to please the kids?
Support childlike faith in the New Year's miracle quite difficult.Artists are not always willing and able to work off the fee, which is sometimes indiscreet, and the scenery, by contrast, is poor.
for kids and their parents can be a big surprise that a young Maiden weighs a hundred kilograms, and from Santa Claus smell beer.
Mass gatherings - the best choice, because of the holidays is not only a huge bright Christmas tree, but the real Santa Claus, though that is far from the scene, but wishes all at once.
Even better, the role of a good father of a family succession wizard or other male relative.So the kids are guaranteed to receive hearty congratulations, gifts and memories of this New Year's miracle.
What will be your favorite Christmas characters?
Dynamics of images of the main characters of the national holiday allows you to speculate, based on the evolution of the characters.Menacing spirits of nature for hundreds of years, evolved from pests helpers and benefactors, which are waiting in each house.From a little girl Snow Maiden has turned into a full-grown girl and Santa Claus from a gray-haired old man evil - in comely old man with gray hair.
Mixing images of Catholic and Russian Santa Claus today leads to many funny tangles - often during the holidays can be found in Santa Claus hat Santa Claus and Snow Maiden Santa accompanied.
Perhaps in the near future, these characters are so close that will be fully interchangeable.However, since the holiday gifts and brings each of them, it did not hurt.
Equally nice will celebrate the New Year with Santa and Snow Maiden with and with Santa Claus - such traditions can already be seen in some families where there are Catholics and Orthodox.
tree will always be the Christmas tree, gifts - gifts and holiday - a holiday, who would bring them no and whoever wished health, happiness and wealth.
Christmas Santa Claus and Santa Claus and his elves certainly will not leave without gifts and memories of unusual and happy holidays.
