Photos from open sources of
In addition to the gods themselves, who are higher beings, in Old Slavic, pagan, picture of the world there were others, very interesting characters.
Who is the owner of the bath?
These intangible entities did not belong to a higher power and did not were in charge of such important issues as, say, the life of nature and fertility of the earth. They lived next door to man for life which had a tangible effect – positive or negative. From fairy tales and myths that came from antiquity, we know about brownies, goblin, water, kikimora, etc.
Special attention in this series deserves a banner. The the character may not be as famous as, for example, the same brownie, however no less interesting.
A photo from open sources
These spirits, as you might guess, lived in baths. Our ancestors imagined a banner in the form of a half-naked little old man, long-haired and bearded, covered with bath leaves.
The Slavs believed that the banner hangs behind the stove, likes to scald boiling water and scare visitors to the bath. It was also believed that he capable of dying a person to death, stripping his skin, or strangle.
Bathhouse is not a place to relax
The bath, despite its healing properties, has long been considered among Slavs place ominous. No one dared to go there in the dark time of day, especially after midnight. For the same reason, the bath preferred to build away from the hut.
Going to the bath required compliance with certain rules. For instance, first men steamed, then women. However, pregnant women can was to go to the bathhouse only under the supervision of their husbands.
It was strictly forbidden to use someone else’s steam: everyone should Melt the stove for yourself.
And in order not to anger the banner, it should be at the end of the entire wash leave him a gift in the form of a small birch broom and a bowl warm water or a piece of rye bread and salt.
Is a banner bad?
Interestingly, the main enemy for the owner of the bath is a brownie. Therefore, if a banner has attacked you, you need to call your help Domovika – run back forward out of the bathhouse and shout: “Father help me! ”But with other spirits hostile to man, Bannik is friends.
Since the bath was considered a mysterious place in which they live perfume, it was often used for divination and fortune-telling. In accordance with one old “bath” fortune-telling girl stood in the doorway lifted her skirt and, having called the future betrothed, asked that he touched her. If the girl felt the touch of a furry paw, this meant that the spouse would be rich. Bare hand touch promised a poor husband, wet – a drunkard, and rough meant that the character of the spouse will be harsh.
A photo from open sources
As you can see, this spirit is not so bad, it is not always hostile to man. Also, the banner is considered an excellent doctor who steam can cure any disease. In addition, the bath traditionally melted before any significant events, holidays, weddings, and childbirth.
It is possible that the image of the bathing spirit over time intentionally changed for the worse. After the Christianization of Russia, pagan deities began to be perceived unambiguously negatively. Not only water and goblin, but also the brownie and the banner became the personification hostile, demonic forces, despite the fact that the Slavs coexisted peacefully with they even enjoyed their patronage …
Life time
