Saints aren't nice - Paraskeva Pyatnitsa
Nearly all cultures were affected by their religion. Often by just knowing the religion of the country, you can guess some things that are valued in this society. And it isn't different in Russia. Orthodox Christianity made suffering one of the cornerstones of my culture. I would say that enduring hardships could be a national sport...
Anyway, Orthodox Christianity is rich in a lot of weird saints. Most of them are mixed with old, pagan, beliefs. And today's "guest" isn't an exception.
Paraskeva Pyatnitsa can be considered part of the Slavic folklore, combining elements of Christian sainthood with remnants of pagan beliefs. Revered among Orthodox Slavs, she is based on both Saints Paraskeva of Iconium and Paraskeva of Serbia. However, in folk traditions, her role goes beyond Christianity, reflecting aspects of the pagan goddess Mokosh, who was linked to women’s work, fertility, and protection of the household.
Paraskeva became the personification of Friday, a day considered sacred and often tied to prohibitions around spinning, washing, and other household tasks. Those who disrespected these rules were believed to face her wrath, with punishments including illness, blindness, and flaying.
Russians prayed to Paraskeva Pyatnitsa for protection from the death of livestock, especially cows. The saint was also considered a healer of human ailments, especially the devil‘s obsession, fever, toothache, headache, and other diseases. In honor of Saint Paraskeva, there were special prayers worn around the neck and considered to be a protection against various diseases. Flowers, herbs, and other attachments to the image of Paraskeva-Patnitsa were also considered to be one of the most effective medical remedies and therefore were preserved from year to year as an important healing aid. In case of any illness, peasants boiled them in water and used this decoction to drink for various diseases.
In addition to her religious significance, Paraskeva’s folk image is both protective and fearsome. While traditional icons depict her as an ascetic figure in a red cloak, folk stories paint a wilder picture - showing her as a tall woman with loose hair and large breasts, a blend of both nurturing and punishing forces. In some regions, rituals like vodit' (lead) Pyatnitsu involved leading a woman dressed as the saint around the village, seeking her blessing for the harvest or livestock.
This blending of Christian and pagan elements made Paraskeva an important figure in both religious and rural life. Her feast days, especially October 14 (October 27, New Style), were celebrated with church services and the observance of traditional bans on work, particularly among women. In some regions, Paraskeva was also connected to the "12 Fridays" legend, marking sacred Fridays throughout the year for fasting and reflection.
Some authors consider the echo of the Slavic pre-Christian beliefs some authors consider ‘idol’ sculptural images of saints preserved in some places even in the XIX - early XX centuries. The most frequent was the sculpture of Paraskeva Pyatnitsa. In Russia, her wooden sculptures were widespread - ‘wooden painted statue of Friday, sometimes in the form of a woman in oriental garb, and sometimes in the form of a simple woman in a ponyova and lapti’. The statue of Paraskeva ‘was placed in churches in special boxes and people prayed before this idol’.
Ultimately, this is one of the saints who is more like a minor pagan deity - she will punish you if you don't follow her rules, but she also can protect you from illness.
