Since ancient times, a funeral rite has developed in Russia. Despite the past centuries, many traditions associated with death, the period of stay of the deceased in the house and funeral have survived to this day almost unchanged.
Instructions
Step 1
The moment when the human soul parted with the body, according to the ideas of the Russian people, demanded the strictest observance of special rituals. Otherwise, the soul could not find peace and was doomed to eternal wanderings. The obligatory elements of the funeral rite were the farewell of the dying man to his family, confession, and lighting a candle. The most terrible punishment for a person was considered death without a candle and without repentance. In this case, the deceased could turn into a ghoul.
Step 2
When the deceased was collected for the last journey, clothes for him were sewn forward with a needle, i.e. so that the point of the needle points in the opposite direction from the sewing one. The washed and dressed dead man was laid on a bench with his feet to the door. In this case, the man had to lie to the right of the door along the floor boards, and the woman - to the left and across the boards.
Step 3
The time of the deceased's stay in the house, as well as the period up to the fortieth day after the funeral, i.e. before the final transmigration of the soul of the deceased to another world, it was considered very dangerous. At this time, it was as if the doors to the other world were opening, and the deceased could spy out and drag someone close with him. To prevent him from doing this, his eyes were covered with dimes. In addition, the dead man was tied up so that he would not leave the grave and go in search of his home. There is still a custom to hang mirrors with black cloth in the house where the deceased lies. This is done so that the deceased would not be able to see anyone in the mirror and not take with him, as well as so that the living would not see the reflection of the coffin and would not be afraid of it.
Step 4
The body was placed in the coffin only before being taken out of the house. In ancient times, it was considered the last dwelling of the deceased and was made from a solid tree trunk with a small window. Later, the coffin began to be hammered together using wooden nails. A pillow filled with shavings left after making the coffin was placed under the head of the deceased.
Step 5
The deceased was carried out through the back door or even through the window so that he could not find his way back and return to the house. They carried the deceased feet forward so that he could not see the way back. At the same time, the coffin in no case should have been carried by relatives, so that a new misfortune would not happen in the family. If the deceased was nevertheless carried out through the front door, then they hit the threshold three times with the coffin so that the deceased said goodbye to his home and never returned to it. Following the funeral procession was a woman who swept the floor with a bath broom, spraying water to wash away the traces of the deceased. After taking out the dead, the floor was washed with spring water.
Step 6
The coffin was carried on hands or on towels. If the cemetery was far from home, then the coffin was carried in a sleigh at any time of the year. The funeral rite had to be completed before sunset in order to avoid the interference of evil spirits. Money was thrown into the grave so that the deceased could redeem himself a place in the cemetery, clothes, grain, which was sprinkled on the coffin when it was taken out of the house. A commemoration was held at the grave. Violation of the traditions of the funeral rite threatened the return of the deceased or death to the house.
