Hello everyone, dear friends!
In Russia, in addition to the Day of the Paratrooper, on August 2, several big holidays are celebrated, one of which is the day of Elijah the Prophet. As the legend says, it was on this day of the month that Elijah ascended into heaven on his fiery chariot. Russian people know many legends and signs that are associated with this day of the month. For example, in Russia since August 2, it was forbidden to swim in lakes and rivers. I'll tell you why ...
A little about Elijah the Prophet
Elijah the Prophet can be called a mythological rather than a real character. Beliefs say that Ilya the Fisvite was born 800 years before the beginning of our era. He was allegedly born in the city of Fiswa, in Samaria. Elijah was a prophet, he told people about faith in God and did not accept the worship of idols.
According to legend, when Ilya died, he went to heaven in his fiery chariot. People believe that it happened on August 2.
Signs associated with Elijah the Prophet
- As a rule, by the beginning of August in Russia the harvest was already in full swing. “Elijah the Prophet is the harvest time,” the people said then. And yet - on August 2, they stopped harvesting hay.
- Beekeepers in this number for the last time moved the apiary and collected summer honey. Since August 2, wolf hunting has been allowed. The omen said that at least one shot beast promises a successful winter.
- On the calendar, August 2 is also a special day, since after the summer solstice the day becomes 2 hours shorter. The people said that Peter and Paul took only an hour away from daylight hours, and Elijah the prophet took as much as two.
- It was also not advisable to swim, starting from August 2, since on this day Ilya supposedly says goodbye to the river. Let's try to find out where this belief came from and how justified it is.
1. Version No. 1
It used to be believed that one horse of Elijah, harnessed to a fiery chariot, loses its horseshoe. As a result, it fell into the water. This makes the water cold. They said that Ilya muddies the water in the rivers. In early August, the weather was really quite capricious, it gradually began to get colder.
2. Version # 2
The beginning of August is often accompanied by powerful thunderstorms. Therefore, Ilyin's day was considered a Thunderous day. Allegedly, the chariot rumbled so loudly across the sky that thunderstorms, fires, etc. If a person was in the water during such a thunderstorm, then there was a high probability of being killed by lightning.
3. Version No. 3
There is a saying that on Ilyin's day a deer swam across the pond, and therefore you should not swim in the ponds. Indeed, a meeting with wild animals bodes little good, and therefore in Russia they were afraid even to approach the water after August 2.
4. Version No. 4
There is a belief that at night on Ilyin's day, evil spirits come to earth, which rampage, and can settle in livestock. Parties of evil spirits prevail on reservoirs, where water and many mermaids wake up.
They begin to climb out of the reservoirs on the day of Ivan Kupala, and on August 2 they return to their native places. If you swim in a pond on this day, ulcers and blisters may appear on the skin. According to scientists, this is due to the blooming of water in ponds and lakes. Also in Russia, people believed that evil spirits could drag the swimmers to the bottom.
Even today, people sometimes die under unknown circumstances in the water on August 2. Excellent swimmers can experience severe cramps. Those who believe in mysticism have no doubt that this prophet is so indignant about bathing people.
And by the way, on the note to those who served in the Airborne Forces and celebrates the holiday on August 2. Swimming in fountains can be extremely risky and dangerous. )
Be that as it may, it is better not to anger Elijah the Prophet, to keep his covenants. Otherwise, the consequences can be sad and even fatal.
Of course, most do not believe in all these beliefs and omens, so they are not afraid to swim in reservoirs even after August 2. But sometimes it's better to play it safe.
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