#slavicus

The Cult of Snakes in Eurasian beliefs, by O. Matiukhina

- Propp, Russian Agrarian Celebrations

"Relics of a house-dwelling grass snake veneration, situated on the hearth-bed and brings in happiness, are preserved in the world-view notions traditional to the Boyko people, as exemplified in the following demonologic narrative: "I came to visit my aunt. In her house there was a bowl by the heart, behind a curtain, and she would pour some milk in there. I looked closer, and there were three snakes with bulging red eyes. The aunt said, "So I must feed them, or my cows will die." People like that bring the skin snakes shed to bless for Easter" (village of Komarnyky) (here we see an analogy with a znosok, the last small egg laid by a hen, which would also be blessed for Easter). Lemkos also keep similar ideas." - N. Vojtovych, Folk Demonology of the Boyko Region

- on a love spell involving the Venusian Zorias, or Stars.

Gather roots; do not start work that is meant for fast development. Old is reliable, while young is fickle and quickly changes - therefore, old moon is when one is to butcher animals and harvest potatoes, so that they keep long; building a house or moving to a new one is good to associate with this phase.