A message about the god of love Lelya. Lelya Slavic mythology. How the thread of love is woven

Lelya is the goddess of spring, girlish love, sincerity and beauty. Lada's daughter, sister (according to other sources - niece) Marena is also alive. Spouse. She was revered on a par with Lada. The traditional ritual elements associated with these two goddesses are practically inseparable in Slavic culture.

Lelya is the image of a young, pure and bright girl who has just reached the age when she can get married. This is a light and gentle allegory of the eternal purity of the immaculate female heart, its strength, invincible and insurmountable to evil. Our ancestors represented this goddess as a young, fair-haired beauty, no longer a girl, but not yet a woman, the keeper of the hearth. That is why the image of Lelya, unlike Lada or Mokosh, is never considered in accordance with everyday life. Lelya is always surrounded by wild nature - on the edge of the forest, by the river. Her hair is stroked affectionately warm wind, doe and fox touch her hands with their wet noses. This is a carefree creature, devoid of even a hint of belligerence or aggression.

In Russian folk embroidery, Lelya is depicted as one of two moose cows standing on opposite sides of the stylized image of Mokosh the Earth. This simple pattern can often be found on old towels or shutters of dense huts. Lelya has her own rune, which is called after her. The Lelya rune symbolizes water in its active, playful manifestation (“lila” is translated from Sanskrit as “game”). This is a light but powerful spring flow that forever erases the past and brings with it renewal for the whole world. The motive of awakening is key in this aspect. In runic layouts, this is how the Lelya rune is most often interpreted - liberation from dark shackles, a clear view of things, not clouded by superficial falsehood.

However, Lelya is a slightly sad image, despite all her positivity and love of life. A legend has been preserved that tells how Lelya fell in love with Yarila, the son of Veles. She loved openly and with all her heart, as only a pure heart like a dewdrop, untouched by pain or troubles, can love. Yarila, in response to Lelya’s confession, only smiled at her and said: “I love you too, Maiden of the Dawn! I love Mara too. And Lada. I love all women, because from my father I inherited the violent uncontrollable power of emotions! But if you want, then I will be with you and I will be yours. But only for a while." Such speeches offended Lelya and she rightly decided not to associate herself with the god of the spring sun. But secretly, she loved this frantic and reckless young man for a long time, until she met Finist on her way, the incarnation of Semargl Finist and Lelya fell in love with each other, and soon got married, but the forever young goddess of spring forever retained in her heart a small spark of unquenchable feeling for Yarila .

Our ancestors associated many holidays with Lelya, the goddess of spring. She was also called one of the Rozhanits (together with Lada, Zhivaya and some other mythological characters; different names are mentioned in different sources). Women in labor are goddesses who are patronized by the Rod itself. And the inclusion of Lel in this series seems quite logical, because a single Family patronizes all women equally, for they are its successors.
Lelya's symbol is birch. Her day is April 22 (May 5). Its metal is silver. Its symbolism is not ideal, but dear to the heart of each of us, the image of a young girl, honest, kind and open, ready to give her body and soul to only one man, her lover.

Our ancestors believed that at night a barefoot girl walks across the sky, scattering golden clouds long hair and clears the way for the sun. This girl's name was Lelya. Among the Slavs she was revered as a goddess who protects unmarried girls. She helps them find sincere and pure love, maintain lightness of character, femininity, youth and attractiveness, and also protects them from mistakes.

People turn to Lela not only for help in love affairs. She is able to cheer up those who are sad and reconcile those who have quarreled. People go to her to learn to never lose heart and always remain happy.

In Slavic mythology, Lelya is considered the goddess of spring, love, beauty and sincerity.. Lelya is the obedient daughter of the supreme god Svarog and the patroness of the hearth, Lada the Mother of God, and Perun is considered her brother. Lelya is in close contact with other goddesses, for example with Zhivaya and Mara.

Lelya also has a husband - Finist. The goddess met him after her first unsuccessful and unrequited love, which she felt for the god Yarilo. However, despite this, she was able to retain in her loving heart a small spark of feelings from that failed love.

Lelya’s main feature is her youth, therefore the Slavs imagined her as a very young girl - cheerful, playful and melodious. She had long hair down to her toes with a flower wreath on her head and a radiant, open smile. Where she steps, the grass turns green and flowers bloom, and birds chirp joyfully and circle in the clear sky.

When the sun sees Lelya, it shines even brighter and warmer, because it is in love with the beautiful and gentle Lelya, in whose image there is not a drop of anger or deceit. She charges everyone around with her joy.

However, Lelya not only has fun herself and pleases the human race, in difficult times she is able to do important step for the sake of another. An example of this is the legend according to which Lelya, in order to save the young men of one settlement enchanted by the treacherous Morena, cut off her long golden hair and wove magic fabric from it.

Lelya is a young girl of marriageable age who has just woken up after the winter cold. She patronizes loving people married, protects their family well-being and happiness.

Important: despite the fact that Lelya, like Lada and Makosh, is considered the patroness of family and marriage, she is not an assistant in everyday life or in preserving a rich harvest.

Manifestation

Thanks to her pure love and the revitalizing power of the awakening of spring after a snowy winter, Lelya was very close to the Slavs. They always noted that she was easy-going and responsive, so they asked her for help in any matter and under any circumstances. Goddess Lelya brings the following to the world:

• Family happiness and mutual love.
• The warmth of the sun and the blossoming of nature in spring.
• Youth.
• Ease of communication.
• Luck and luck.

Attributes

Lelya is considered the most diverse goddess among the Slavs. One moment she can turn into a birch tree, the next a doe. She has many attributes, including:

1. Birch and rowan, which are often found in ritual songs for chanting Lelya. There was even a belief that Lelya lives on birches - trees as fragile as she herself. Girls suffering from unrequited love often ran into the forest to hug a birch tree, cry to Lela about their feminine grief and relieve their souls. Rowan, in turn, is a symbol of femininity and modesty. This tree also helped provide protection from evil spells for newlyweds.
2. Doe. Among the Slavs, it was considered a symbol of well-being.
3. The stork is a symbol of new life, spring, childish affection. Among the Slavs, the stork symbolizes love in the home and family well-being.
4. The first snowdrop is a symbol of nature awakening after a long and cold winter.
5. Silver is the metal of the goddess Lelya. It is a symbol of true and wise love.
6. Agriculture. She provides assistance and care for young shoots in the fields in the spring.
7. On Lelnik and Krasnaya Gorka, the Slavs brought her flowers, milk and cheese, and on the spring equinox they baked cookies, Easter cakes and cookies in the shape of birds, called larks.

Symbol and amulets

The sign of the goddess Lelya is called Lelnik. It gives a feeling of joy and lightness in the heart, a feeling of whirling in a cheerful festive round dance and symbolizes the first love of a young girl. Even outwardly, Lelnik resembles a young, joyful girl spinning in a noisy round dance with her friends.

Reference: the amulet of this goddess helps girls, young girls, women, as well as little boys under the age of 3 years.

Lelnik has a certain power, which manifests itself in the following:

• Protection of young girls before marriage.
• Development of talents and intuitive abilities.
• Softening the female character.
• Preserving love, happiness, health and youth.
• Recognition of other people.

The amulet protects its owner from the unwanted influence of certain things, for example:

1. From bad intentions and thoughts.
2. From other people's evil slander and conspiracies.
3. From failures and various troubles.
4. From self-doubt.

Attention: amulets depicting the symbol of the goddess were usually made of birch and rowan, and were also embroidered by mothers on the clothes of their daughters who had not yet married.

Lelya has her own rune, which bears the name of the goddess. This is the main rune water element and it means water flowing freely in streams and the awakening of spring. This rune of pure intuition and knowledge beyond reality has two meanings:

1. Direct meaning of the rune- the presence and manifestation of love in family relationships, as well as the nascent feeling of falling in love and the opportunity to find your future love.
2. Reversed rune meaning- search for deception, fraud and dishonest ways to get what you want in a relationship.

Who does he patronize?

Goddess Lelya patronizes cheerful and kind-hearted people who, like her, are easy-going and always optimistic, as well as young girls who want to find pure and sincere love and get married successfully. Any troubles and sorrows will bypass a person who wears an amulet with the image of the symbol of the goddess.

Prayer

• Because Lelya helps loving hearts to gain understanding of each other and family happiness, then there is a special prayer for love between husband and wife:

  « Dear mother Lelya, red and beautiful Slavic Goddess,

  You protect our hearts and eternal comfort to our souls.

  Wrap your canopy around the heart of my dear fret (my dear fret) (name), so that we may rejoice in heavenly treasure all the days.

  On every journey, in every bright deed, strengthen her (his) spirit, fill it with the power of love.

  Let the clear dawns and the red sun bring peace to my soul and strength of spirit, for our love will shine forever.

  Honor to You, Mother Lelya, we are filled with Your tenderness, we give happiness to each other.

  Glory to Lele!”

• Mothers embroidered the symbol of the goddess Lelya for their unmarried daughters from the very moment they were born. When creating magical embroidery, women always read the following prayer:

  « Praise be to you, Lelya, great woman in labor!

  Hear my words, goddess of love,

  For in my chest only affection and tenderness burn with a bright fire.

  Give my daughter happiness and joy, let her believe in herself and her beauty,

  Heal her from evil diseases, protect her from anger and envy.”

Holidays - days of veneration

In Rus', people loved to have fun and go out on spring holidays. These celebrations always took place with songs and dances. And many holidays are associated with the goddess Lelya.

Our ancestors believed that she flies with Yarila, accompanied by migratory birds.

• March 8- this holiday is considered the Russian analogue of the international women's day which is celebrated in the world today. In Rus', on March 8, children called for spring with special spring calls.
• 20th of March celebrate the day of the spring equinox. On this holiday, the Slavic gods descend to earth, and the God of the spring sun, Yarilo, brings with him Lelya, who brings warm and sunny weather to people.
• April 16-22 The First Rusalia are celebrated, during which Lelya is honored by the Slavs. These days, green grass begins to grow in the meadows, and coastal mermaids awaken in the bubbling streams. This holiday is dedicated to drowned girls who in their lives did not have time to know sincere and joyful love.
• April 22- Lelin's day or Lelnik. On this day, the Slavs performed various rituals and sacraments, praying to Lelya to give the lovers consent and happiness. Even in modern world On this day, cleansing rituals are performed that help to expel sadness, discontent and envy from the heart. As a rule, people ask Lelya for happiness, inspiration, spiritual ease and joy.
• from May 26 to June 2 Green Christmastide, Rusalia or seeing off Lelya are celebrated. During this time period, the warm summer season gains its strength. The date of celebration depends on weather conditions and geographical location one or another settlement.

The Slavic people considered Lelya the goddess closest to people. The kind-hearted and sweet young girl brought light wherever she walked. Lelya helped young and pure girls like her to find their feminine happiness, get married successfully and maintain harmony in marriage between spouses.

Useful video

In addition to the article, we suggest watching a video about the goddess Lelya:

The river gurgles and runs like a mischievous child. Only its waters today are bitter and salty. Goddess Lelya heals her heart, broken and filled to the brim with grief, with tears. Yarila's rays are looking for their dawn, but only the forest branches covered the maiden with a dome and hid her from the sun. Pure, like dew spilled on meadows and so good that you couldn’t take your eyes off it, but that wasn’t enough.
Lelya is crying, but there is no evil or resentment in her. The sun was shining on everyone, and he couldn’t choose just one. But that's it for now. After all, Lelya knows, knows, that one will pass through the earth that will eclipse her and all others, and only for her sake will the sun shine and warm the earth. And for now Lelya will grieve, like a human daughter, over her broken heart, and only then will she smile again at the damp earth with a new dawn. And she will also be married one day. The clear one will be a fine fellow and a daring one. And she will remember Yarilo and smile furtively, about her first and pure love.

Our ancestors had a belief that on the threshold of night a barefoot maiden walks across the sky and drives away clouds with her long hair, clearing the way for the sun. That maiden's name was Lelya and was revered as her goddess of the dawn. She was the daughter of the bright foremother Lada, and with her beauty she eclipsed the stars. Her companions were playful spring breezes, which the great Veles bestowed to serve the young goddess.

Lelya appeared to the ancient Slavs as a very young girl, with an unusually bright and open smile, and with long hair, right down to her toes. She was neither a woman, but also not a child, but the one in whom spring first woke up, and the one for whom the youthful heart begins to beat ardently. Therefore, there was a belief that Lelya is the goddess of spring, who comes after the winter cold to the sleeping earth and wakes it up with running streams of melted snow.
Lelya was a symbol of purity and innocence. There is no hint of cunning, deceit or aggression in her image. In general, Lelya and Lada are goddesses who personify the feminine principle: soft, flowing like water, bright and full of goodness.

Lelya goddess of love.

The goddess Lelya among the Slavs was also revered as the goddess of love. But here it is worth mentioning that the matter concerned precisely the first love, young and

pure, the one who steals the ardent hearts of young boys and girls in the spring.

According to legend, young Lelya herself was in love with the sun god Yarilo and, overcoming her shyness, she confessed to him. Yarilo, wild as the spring wind, answered her that he loved her too, as well as all women, both heavenly and mortal. He even invited her to stay with her, but only for a while. Unknown to this grief, young Lelya was broken, but she had the wisdom to refuse. After this, Lelya began to be revered as a symbol of loyalty and perseverance, because she did not want hobbies and remained true to her purity.
Later she met Finist and fell in love with him for his strength and lordship. She married him and became a faithful wife for him, one who is capable of giving all of herself to only one, her beloved person. The goddess preserved her first love as a warm memory that happens to everyone who falls in love for the first time and not with those destined for them by fate. It was rumored that Lelya herself blessed the marriage of Yarilo and his beautiful wife Yarilitsa.
Lelya followed her mother Lada, came to earth in the spring and awakened her from her winter sleep. Because of her power, the grass turned green, the trees stretched into the sky, and people fell in love. Lelya walked furtively between the young boys and girls, whispering to them where their other half was. She was revered as the patroness of marriages and families, because she personified the purity with which a virgin gives herself to her husband for the first time, the love with which a young mother already looks at her family.
Lelya was counted among the great Mothers in labor, that is, those who were accompanied and blessed by the omnipresent Rod itself. He was the beginning of everything, and the Mother in Birth was the continuation of his deeds.

Lelya, despite the fact that she is the patron of marriage and family, she is not a helper in everyday life. On the contrary, she is always in the lap of nature, surrounded by animals. She is serene and cheerful, but this does not indicate her frivolity and stupidity. Simply Lelya personifies the purity and naivety that is inherent in children, but she is also beautiful and ardent, like a maiden who has already reached the age when she can be married off.

Goddess Lelya symbol and rune.

The goddess Lelya has her own rune, which is called Lelya. It denotes water that bubbles and makes noise. This is water that awakens you from a long sleep and gives new life. So the Lelya rune is interpreted as an awakening from the captivity of doubts and vices. It cleanses the mind and soul and brings insight and lightness.

The symbol of Lelya is the birch tree. Hence the belief that the goddess herself lives in these trees, seemingly fragile and simple. When girls first fell in love and suffered from unrequited love, they ran into the forest and hugged a birch tree to cry and relieve their souls. So the custom began, every time you feel bad and bad in your soul, hug a birch tree. She is like an affectionate mother, she will love you and take away all your sorrows.

Goddesses of women in labor - goddesses repeatedly mentioned in Slavic conspiracies: Mother Lada and her daughter Lelya. Patroness of pregnant women and women in labor.

Modern scientists, having processed a large amount of archaeological, ethnographic, linguistic material, have come to the conclusion that there were two Rozhanits: Mother and Daughter.

Woman in labor-MotherThe Slavs associated it with the period of summer fertility, when the harvest ripens, becomes heavier, and becomes full. The image of mature motherhood fully corresponds to this: let us remember that artists usually depict the fruitful Autumn as an elderly woman, kind and plump. This is a respectable mistress of the house, the mother of a large family. The ancient Slavs gave her a name Lada, and perhaps no fewer words and concepts are associated with it than with Rod. All of them have to do with establishing order: “GET GOOD,” “IMPROVE,” and so on. The order in this case was conceived primarily as a family one: “LADA”, “LADO” - an affectionate address to a beloved spouse, husband or wife. "LADINS" - wedding conspiracy. Bulgarian "LADUVANE" - fortune telling about grooms.

The ancient Slavs also had a Goddess named Lelya- daughter of Lada, younger Rozhanitsa. Let’s think about it: it’s not for nothing that a baby’s cradle is often called a “cradle”; a tender, caring attitude towards a child is conveyed by the word “cherish.” The stork that supposedly brings children is called “leleka” in Ukrainian. And the child himself is sometimes affectionately called “lilya” even now. This is how the Slavic Lelya was born - the Goddess of tremulous spring sprouts, the first flowers, and young femininity. The Slavs believed that it was Lelya who took care of the barely hatched seedlings - the future harvest. Lelya-Vesna was solemnly “called out” - invited to visit, and went out to meet her with gifts and refreshments. And before that, they asked Lada’s Mother for permission: would she let her daughter go?

The holiday of Rozhanitsa was celebrated in the spring - April 22-23. On this day, sacrifices were made with vegetable and dairy products, which were solemnly, with prayers, eaten at a sacred feast, and then bonfires were burned all night long: a huge one, in honor of Lada, and around it twelve smaller ones - according to the number of months of the year.

According to tradition, it was a women's and girls' holiday. Guys and men looked at him from afar.

Lada

Lada - goddess of the first generation Slavic Gods. Lada was considered by our ancestors to be the goddess of beauty, love and happiness. She also served as the patroness of the family hearth. This is one of the supreme feminine principles, which in the Slavic pantheon of light gods personified the female ideal, but in no case the ideal of motherhood. Mother, mistress of the house is Makosh.

At the same time, Lada is not a spring girl like Lelya; she is an image of a woman who is ready for marriage, but has not taken the path of a warrior’s wife. Although many researchers believe Lada to be the goddess of marriage.

The goddess Lada was depicted as a young (25-30 years old) woman, sometimes with greenish hair. Butterflies always hover around her, and her outfits consist of leaves and are dominated by natural colors - green, azure and crimson. Lada is always cheerful, she fills you with warmth, kindness and love. But Lada’s love is sincere, pure and has nothing to do with carnal pleasures. Lada is an exalted image of a woman.

Lada is the mother of the Gods, the eldest Rozhanitsa, the patroness of childbirth, women, children, marriage, love, women's affairs, couples, harvest, fertility. Goddess of the Earth.
Lada is considered a family deity, widespread in Slavic folklore.

Lada is the sacred female image of our ancestors, which contains all the invincible and irresistible solar power of the Gods. The great goddess Lada is the patroness unmarried women, an allegory of the forces of fertility and love. In this image, many canons of the Slavic world order are intertwined, such as wisdom, honor, directness, sincerity, which all women of our people once possessed.

Lelya

Lelya is the goddess of spring, girlish love, sincerity and beauty. Lada's daughter, sister (according to other sources - niece) Marena is also alive. She was revered on a par with Lada. The traditional ritual elements associated with these two goddesses are practically inseparable in Slavic culture.

Lelya is the image of a young, pure and bright girl who has just reached the age when she can get married. This is a light and gentle allegory of the eternal purity of the immaculate female heart, its strength, invincible and insurmountable to evil. Our ancestors represented this goddess as a young, fair-haired beauty, no longer a girl, but not yet a woman, the keeper of the hearth. That is why the image of Lelya, unlike Lada or Mokosh, is never considered in accordance with everyday life. Lelya is always surrounded by wild nature - on the edge of the forest, by the river. A gentle warm wind strokes her hair, a doe and a fox touch her hands with their wet noses. This is a carefree creature, devoid of even a hint of belligerence or aggression.

Lelya has her own rune, which is called after her. The Lelya rune symbolizes water in its active, playful manifestation (“lila” is translated from Sanskrit as “game”). This is a light but powerful spring flow that forever erases the past and brings with it renewal for the whole world.

Lelya's symbol is birch. Its symbolism is the image of a young girl who is ready to give her body and soul to only one man, her lover.

However, Lelya is a slightly sad image, despite all her positivity and love of life. A legend has been preserved that tells how Lelya fell in love with Yarila, the son of Veles. She loved openly and with all her heart, as only a pure heart like a dewdrop, untouched by pain or troubles, can love. Yarila, in response to Lelya’s confession, only smiled at her and said: “I love you too, Maiden of the Dawn! I love Mara too. And Lada. I love all women, because from my father I inherited the violent uncontrollable power of emotions! But if you want, then I will be with you and I will be yours. But only for a while." Such speeches offended Lelya and she rightly decided not to associate herself with the god of the spring sun. But secretly she loved this frantic and reckless young man for a long time, until she met Finist on her way. Finist and Lelya fell in love with each other, and soon got married, but the eternally young goddess of spring forever retained in her heart a small spark of unquenchable feeling for Yarila.

• < 4) Славянский календарь
• Goddesses of Sorrow Zhelya, Karna and Mother of Cheese Earth >

Lelya or Lyalya, in Slavic mythology, the goddess of spring, the daughter of the goddess of beauty, love and fertility Lada. According to myths, it was inextricably linked with the spring revival of nature and the beginning of field work. The goddess was imagined as young, beautiful, slender and tall girl. B.A. Rybakov believes that the second goddess depicted on the Zbruch idol and holding a ring in her right bow is Lada.

Lelya, Boris Olshansky

Lelya goddess of spring, Vladimir Forostetsky

In folklore, Lada is often mentioned next to Lelya. The scientist compares this mother-daughter pair with Latona and Artemis and with Slavic women in labor. Rybakov correlates the two horsewomen on Russian embroideries, behind whose backs a plow is sometimes depicted, located on either side of Mokosh, with Lada and Lelya. In the spring spell song there are the following words dedicated to Lela-Spring:

Eat Spring, eat.
On a golden horse
In the green sayan
Gray hair on the plow
Soak the earth with aruchi
Right hand soyuchi.

The cycle of spring rituals among the ancient Slavs began on the day the larks arrived - March 9 (March 22, new style). People met birds, went out to the tops of the hills, lit fires, boys and girls danced in circles. There was also a special girl's holiday - Lyalnik - on April 22 (May 5).

Vasilisa the Beautiful, artist Ivan Bilibin

The most beautiful girl, crowned with a wreath, sat on a turf bench and played the role of Lelya. Offerings (bread, milk, cheese, butter, sour cream) were placed on both sides of it. The girls danced around the solemnly seated Lelya. The existence of the goddess Lelya and the god Lelya is based solely on the chorus of wedding and other folk songs - and modern scientists have deleted Lelya from the number of Slavic pagan gods. Chorus, in different forms– lelyu, lelyo, leli, lyuli – found in Russian songs; in the Serbian "Kralice" (Trinity) songs of greatness related to marriage, it is found in the form of leljo, lele, in the Bulgarian velikodnaya and Lazar - in the form of lele.

Thus the chorus goes back to ancient times. Potebnya explains the ancient Polish refrain lelyum (if it really existed in this form with “m”) through the addition of lelyu with “m” from the dative case “mi”, as in the Little Russian “schom” (instead of “scho mi”).

In the chorus "polelum" (if it is correctly conveyed by Polish historiographers) "po" can be a preposition; compare Belarusian choruses: lyuli and o lyulushki" (Shane "Materials for studying the life and language of the Russian population of the North-Western Territory"). Considerations about the etymological meaning of the lelyu refrain were expressed by V. Miller ("Essays on Aryan mythology").