Vesta in Slavic mythology. Who is Vesta Spring and how to celebrate its arrival? What does the Goddess teach?

According to the tribal traditions of the Slavs, Vesta is a girl trained in all the wisdom of marriage, i.e. knowing / knowing, caring mother in the future, good housewife, faithful, wise and loving wife. Only after the girl acquired such knowledge did she have a chance to become a wife. They did not marry brides, and if they did, then such a thing was called marriage.

It is no secret that the integrity, atmosphere and happiness in the family is almost entirely dependent on the woman. Vesta cannot have a bad husband because she is wise. Most likely, the ancient Slavs did not even know what divorce was ...

MARRIAGE - among the ancient Slavs, this rite was called the sacred marital union ... The wedding stands for SVA - the sky, BO - the gods, DE - the act ... But in general, the Heavenly Act of the Gods ... Marriage was invented by Christians ... The Slavs interpret it in such a way that one of those entering into this union - with marriage - before the wedding he had "contact" with others ...

"Marriage" from ar. "CARB" - "twinning", when individuals of different sexes become relatives (akriba) through a joint fetus. Slavic "marriage" - from "take", i.e. take on a woman of a different kind. And at the same time, they say: "marriage will not be called a good thing .., why .., MARRIAGE" production from the Arabic "KHARAB" - "destroy, spoil" ..., And the German "marriage" means "a broken thing" ... all these troubles with a wedding, a veil, rings, etc. came from Judea, later, after the emergence of Christianity, this custom came to Russia. Before, everything was much simpler with us: whichever girl you catch in the forest, that one is yours. So, in Hebrew, "blessing" is bracha. Here is your marriage. There is another opinion: “to take”, as well as “scold” (initially - a campaign for prey, and one of the catchy “images” of prey in ancient times is girls, potential wives) is more natural to bring them closer to the word under discussion. By the way, the word "branca" once meant "captive". At the same time, I do not rule out that the term “marriage” is also associated with the word “Burden”, and if so, then an analogy with Hebrew can be seen here: “נישואים” (“nisuim”, Ar. form “nisuiN”) - “marriage ”, and the root here is the same as in the word “לשאת” (“laset”) - “carry” (“nose”, “נושא” - “carry, carry, carry”). Accordingly, married - “נשוי”, “nasuy” (zh. r. “נשוא”, “nesuA”), i.e., as it were, “burdened” .., well, since the burden and burdened, it means to bear both spouses owe it, with all the ensuing consequences ...

Many words that have served us as protection and certain taboos since ancient times have been distorted and turned inside out, replaced by alien ones. Therefore, perhaps our life has not been arranged for some time now and life is uncomfortable. We have lost harmony not only in understanding ourselves, but primarily in the definition of others, what is happening around us as a whole. Again, we will look for the guilty, causing confusion and becoming weaker, or, we will try to correct the situation on our own, live and speak as Our Ancestors bequeathed to us - the Laws and Rules of which are still impeccable, because they were guided by RIGHT and CONSCIENCE. And most importantly, with LOVE for His Mother Earth ...
And it is not surprising that today, according to statistics, almost every second family breaks up. After all, they enter into MARRIAGE with the bride ...

The goddess Vesta is found in the myths of the Slavs, Greeks and Romans, but she was revered everywhere in her own way.

Vesta Greek and Roman

In some legends, she commanded fire, in others she was called the guardian of the empire.

The Romans were sure that Vesta was born from the gods of time and space, therefore it has the appearance of a flame.

In Rome there was a temple of Vesta, its priestesses, the vestals, were chosen from among girls 6-10 years old, belonging to noble families, and for 30 years they had to keep their virginity. If this rule was not followed, the Vestal Virgin could be immured alive. The duties of the priestesses of Vesta included maintaining the fire, as a symbol of stability and reliability. If the fire went out, then this was considered a bad sign. Only once a year, on the first day of the new year, the fire was specially extinguished and lit again by rubbing wood against wood, and then transferred to new cities, communities, colonies.
The cult of Vesta, dating back to the most ancient Indo-European traditions, one of the original in Rome, was closely associated with the shrines of the city: palladium, brought by Aeneas and kept in the temple of Vesta as a guarantee of the power of Rome, and regium - the dwelling of the king. In private houses, Vesta was dedicated to the entrance to the house - the vestibule. Subsequently, Vesta was identified with the globe motionless in space and containing fire, with fire as the purest element, she was ranked among the penates of Rome, because. magistrates, assuming office, made sacrifices to both the Penates and Vesta. The Romans depicted Vesta as a goddess with a face covered with a veil, with a bowl, a torch, a scepter and palladium.

The Greeks called the goddess Hestia and revered her as the guardian of the sacrificial flame and family. Its main focus was considered the heavenly flame of Olympus. She was portrayed as a beautiful woman in a cloak, generously bestowing life-giving power on petitioners. In ancient hymns, she is famous as the “green grass mistress”, they came to her with requests for health and the preservation of the family.

For the fact that the beauty retained her virginity, having sworn by the head of the supreme god of Olympus to preserve chastity, Mercury recognized her as the most revered. The place of the goddess Hestia was located in the center of the house, she was the first to be sacrificed, her hearth was considered a symbol of family life, the happiness of which was based on the chastity of the wife.

Slavic Vesta

The goddess Vesta among the Slavs is a harbinger of Spring. Our Ancestors have always celebrated the day of Vesta magnificently. Among the Slavic peoples, Vesta personified the Aryan Family, was evidence that they had acquired the Highest Divine Wisdom.

Vesta - Heavenly Goddess - Keeper of the Highest Wisdom of the Divine Ancestors, the younger sister of the Goddess of winter Marena.

The Goddess Vesta is also called the Patroness of the Renewing World, the good Goddess of Spring, who controls the arrival of Spring on Earth and the awakening of Nature on Midgard-Earth. The goddess Vesta symbolized not only the acquisition of the Wisdom of Divine wisdom by representatives of the Slavic and Aryan Clans, but also the receipt of pleasant, good news in each Clans.

On this day, each representative of the glorious Family received important news from the Ancestors, as well as Wise instruction from the Divine Ancestors, in accordance with their Spiritual Development.

“Goddess Vesta came to Midgard-Earth,

Brought new life to Krasnogor,

The fire ignited and melted the winter snows,

Watered the whole earth with living power

And she woke Marena from sleep.

Mother Earth Cheese will give our fields life giving birth,

There will be selected grain in our fields to sprout,

To give all our Clans a good harvest ... "

It was possible to call the goddess into the dwelling by circling the house 8 times, while calling for good luck and happiness. There was a belief that women who wash themselves with melt water - a gift from Vesta, will be as beautiful and forever young as she is.

Day of the Goddess Vesta (22 Daylet) - the 1st day of the Spring Equinox. In honor of the goddess, a nationwide celebration was organized, pancakes were necessarily baked, as a symbol of the Yarila-Sun; Easter cakes, bagels, bagels with poppy seeds, as a symbol of the earth awakening after a winter sleep; gingerbread in the form of larks and cookies with solar symbols. On the Day of the Goddess Vesta, it is customary to congratulate and pamper women and girls with gifts. This is truly Slavic Women's Day. On this day, all women and girls are beauties - Goddesses.

The temple of the goddess Vesta is one of the famous religious buildings of Ancient Rome. It was erected in honor of the goddess Vesta, who personified the hearth, family happiness and comfort. The temple is located in the very middle of the Roman Forum, namely in its southeastern part. Also nearby is the Temple of Caesar.

History of creation

A temple was erected near the Tiber River during the reign of Numa Pompilius. It happened around the 7th century BC. Located in the Bull Market, the Temple of Vesta has undergone restoration more than once. It burned for the first time in 394 BC, and in 191 AD, the last fire was recorded. But finally the temple of the goddess Vesta in Rome lost its grandeur during the reign of Emperor Theodosius in 394, when he banned the pagan religion. The ruins of the temple were found in 1877 during archaeological excavations.

The Temple of Vesta has an interesting architecture for Ancient Rome. Finished with snow-white marble and surrounded by 20 columns, it was also distinguished by its unusual round shape.

In the center of the structure itself, the Sacred Fire was always burning, which was a symbol of respect and worship of the goddess Vesta.

The House of the Vestal Virgins joined the temple of Vesta in Rome, and the residence of the main Pontiff was located nearby and was part of a single complex.

Cult of the goddess Vesta

The Temple of Vesta in Ancient Rome is interesting because there was no statue of the goddess herself inside. Instead of her image, in the middle was the Sacred Fire - a symbol of warmth and comfort, as well as the eternal strength and power of the unshakable Roman Empire. This is exactly what Vesta symbolized. According to legend, she rejected all the men who wooed her, and vowed to keep her virginity until the end of her days.

Vestals were the priestesses of the temple of the goddess Vesta in Rome. Their original duty was to see to it that the fire inside the temple did not go out. Only daughters from noble families were taken as Vestals when they were 6-10 years old. For thirty years they had to remain at the temple before they were allowed to leave its walls and even start a family. Up to this point, the priestesses of the temple were obliged to preserve their virginity.

If a Vestal Virgin violated her vow, she was buried alive in a previously dug dugout, leaving only a little food and water. The man who seduced her had no easier time - he was beaten with rods until his death.

For every June 9, there was a holiday held in honor of the goddess Vesta. Residents visited the temple with gifts, and on this day they freed their donkeys from all work. The donkey was considered a sacred animal, since, according to legend, it was he who woke Vesta when Priapus wanted to use her body.

How to get there

The Temple of Vesta can be reached by tram number 3 and get off at the stop called Parco Celio.

If you want to take the metro, then the station you need is called Colloseo (line B).

You can also get to your destination by buses under the following numbers: No. C3, No. 60, No. 75, No. 85, No. 87, No. 95, No. 175, No. 186, No. 271, No. 571, No. 810, No. 850.

Ticket price

The ticket will cost you € 12.00. The price of a reduced ticket is € 7.50. Children under 18 years old, as well as elderly people over 65 years old - admission is free.

She was the younger sister of Marena, who brings winter and peace to the earth. The ancient Slavs believed that it was on the day of the vernal equinox that winter finally recedes, nature awakens, birds return from warm lands. It was a real holiday, when pancakes, pancakes with solar symbols and dough figures in the form of larks were baked in every house.

Vesta - knows the word, which is approved by the gods. There was a female priesthood. Literally all the girls before were trained and became vestas - "messengers" of the will of the gods.

On the day of the meeting of the goddess Vesta, the names of girls ready for family life were usually announced. On the day of the spring equinox, it was customary to congratulate and give gifts to women. It was a real women's day, which was celebrated on an incredible scale. All the fair sex felt like real goddesses.

On the second day, it was customary to see off the goddess Marena, the elder sister of Vesta. On this day, the ritual of burning a straw doll, which symbolized a snowy winter, took place. The ashes were then scattered over the field or garden in order to reap a rich harvest in the fall.

It is on the day of the vernal equinox that Marena and Vesta meet. The older sister leaves to make way for the younger one. The day becomes longer than the night, and nature begins its awakening. By the way the scarecrow of winter burned down, they guessed what the coming spring would be like.

On the holiday of the goddess Vesta, it was customary to get rid of everything old, throw out unnecessary things from the house, and forget the hidden resentment and anger in the heart forever.

In addition, the goddess Vesta symbolized not only the acquisition of the wisdom of the higher gods, but also the receipt of pleasant and good news. Each representative of the Slavic Family expected to receive important news from their ancestors and guidance from heavenly patrons. The word "news", if translated literally means a thought extracted from Vesta.

Vestas and brides

The ancient Slavs called Vesta an adult woman who already has a family and children. She had sufficient knowledge and skills to look after her loved ones.

Unmarried girls were called brides. They have not yet acquired enough worldly wisdom and have not known family life. The bride must learn many things before marriage: cook food, take care of the baby, keep the house clean. She has yet to become the keeper of the hearth, to become a real Vesta.

When she married, the girl was innocent and fresh, but already possessed all the necessary knowledge for a future life. She, like the goddess Vesta, is ready to give the world a new, clean and healthy offspring.

Fire has long been regarded as a sacred element. This is light, heat, food, that is, the basis of life. The ancient goddess Vesta and her cult are associated with the veneration of fire. The Temple of Vesta in Ancient Rome burned like the state. Among other Indo-European peoples, unquenchable fire was also maintained in fire temples, in front of idols, and in the sacred hearths of houses.

Goddess Vesta in Ancient Rome

According to legend, she was born from the god of time and the goddess of space, that is, she was the first in the world intended for life, and, having filled space and time with energy, gave rise to evolution. Unlike other deities of the Roman pantheon, the goddess Vesta did not have a human appearance, she was the personification of a luminous and life-giving flame; there was no statue or other image of this deity in her temple. Considering fire to be the only pure element, the Romans represented Vesta as a virgin goddess who did not accept the marriage proposals of Mercury and Apollo. For this, the supreme gave her the privilege of being the most revered. One day, the goddess Vesta nearly fell victim to Priapus' erotic desires. A donkey grazing nearby woke the dormant goddess with a loud roar and thus saved her from dishonor.

Since then, on the day of the celebration of Vestal, it was forbidden to harness donkeys to work, and the head of this animal was depicted on the lamp of the goddess.

Hearths of Vesta

Its flame meant the greatness, prosperity and stability of the Roman Empire and should not have been extinguished under any circumstances. The most sacred place in the Roman city was the temple of the goddess Vesta.

It is believed that the custom of lighting an eternal flame in honor of the defenders of their homeland originates from the tradition of honoring this goddess. Since the Roman goddess Vesta was the patroness of the state, her temples or altars were erected in every city. If its inhabitants left the city, they took with them the flame from the altar of Vesta to light it where they arrived. The eternal flame of Vesta was maintained not only in her temples, but also in other public buildings. Meetings of foreign ambassadors, feasts in their honor were arranged here.

Vestals

This was the name of the priestesses of the goddess, who were supposed to maintain the sacred fire. Girls for this role were selected carefully. They had to be representatives of the most noble houses, possess incomparable beauty, moral purity and chastity. Everything in them had to correspond to the image of the great goddess. The vestals carried their honorary service for thirty years, all this time living at the temple. The first decade was dedicated to gradual learning, the other ten years they performed the rituals meticulously, and the last decade they taught their craft to young Vestals. After that, women could return to the family and get married. Then they were called "Not Vesti", thereby emphasizing the right to marry. Vestals were honored with the same reverence as the goddess herself. The honor and respect for them were so strong that it was even in the power of the Vestals to cancel the execution of the condemned, if he met them on the way during their procession.

The Vestal Virgins were supposed to sacredly keep and protect their virginity, since the violation of this rule was akin to the fall of Rome. Also, the extinguished flame on the altar of the goddess threatened the state with disasters. If one or the other happened, the Vestal was punished with a cruel death.

History, family and state

The history and fate of the empire was so closely connected with the cult of Vesta in the minds of people that the fall of Rome was directly connected with the fact that the ruler Flavius ​​Gratian in 382 from the Nativity of Christ extinguished the fire in the temple of Vesta and abolished the institution of the Vestals.

The concepts of family and state in ancient Rome were on a par, one was considered a means of strengthening the other. Therefore, the goddess Vesta was considered the guardian of the family hearth. Researchers believe that in ancient times the king himself was the high priest of Vesta, just as the head of the family was the priest of the hearth. Each family considered this fiery goddess to be their personal patroness. Representatives of the family supported the flame of the parent hearth with the same scrupulousness as the vestals in the temple, since it was believed that this fire meant the strength of family ties and the good of the whole family. If the flame suddenly went out, they saw this as a bad omen, and the mistake was immediately corrected: with the help of a magnifying glass, a sunbeam and two wooden sticks that were rubbed together, the fire was rekindled.

Under the watchful and benevolent eye of the goddess Vesta, marriage ceremonies were held, wedding ritual bread was baked in her hearth. Here family contracts were concluded, the will of the ancestors was learned. Nothing bad and unworthy should have happened in front of the sacred fire of the hearth guarded by the goddess.

In Ancient Greece

Here the goddess Vesta was called Hestia and had the same meaning, patronizing the sacrificial fire and the family hearth. Her parents were Kronos and Rhea, and her youngest brother was Zeus. The Greeks did not refuse to see her as a woman and depicted her as a slender, majestic beauty in a cape. Before every significant deed, sacrifices were made to her. The Greeks even preserved the saying "start with Hestia." The main hearth of the goddess of fire was considered with her heavenly flame. Antique hymns glorify Hestia as the “green herb” mistress “with a clear smile” and call for “breathing happiness” and “health with a healing hand.”

Slavic deity

Did the Slavs have their own goddess Vesta? Some sources say that this was the name of the goddess of spring among them. She personified the awakening from winter sleep and the beginning of flowering. The life-giving fire in this case was perceived by our ancestors as a powerful force, which has a magical effect on the renewal of nature and fertility. It is possible that the pagan customs in which fire is involved are associated with the deification of this goddess.

It was not difficult to invite the Slavic goddess of spring to your home. It is enough to go around the dwelling clockwise eight times, saying "Luck, happiness, abundance." Women who washed themselves with melt water in the spring had, according to legend, a chance to remain young and attractive for a long time, like Vesta herself. The Slavic goddess also symbolized the victory of light over darkness. Therefore, she was especially exalted on the first day of the new year.

Who are the messages among the Slavs

This was the name given to girls who knew the wisdom of housekeeping and pleasing their spouse. They could be given in marriage without fear: good housewives, wise wives and caring mothers were obtained from the news. In contrast, the brides were called just those young ladies who were not ready for marriage and family life.

gods and stars

In March 1807, the German astronomer Heinrich Olbers discovered an asteroid, which he named after the ancient Roman goddess Vesta. In 1857, the English scientist Norman Pogson gave the asteroid he discovered her hypostasis - Hestia.