Holidays of the Slavs - Day of the Sheaf of Veles

The Day of the Sheaf of Veles falls on July 12 (Lipenya). God Veles (in some sources he is called Volos) is the son of Rod, the ruler of the world. The sacred book of the Slavic priests, the Book of Veles, is named after him. It was he who showed the ancient Slavs the joys of agriculture. Veles also tamed domestic animals, which is why he is called the “cattle god.” Some scientists attribute him to the Slavic demons, because Veles was raised by the dark forces of Navi (the world of the dead). After the adoption of Christianity, the holiday began to be celebrated along with Peter's Day. On July 12, the sacred stone Alatyr received special attention from the Slavs. It blocked the entrance to Nav; only Veles himself could move it. This day coincided with the choice of a victim for Perun - the brother of Veles, with whom the latter defeated the Skipper Snake. In the first ten days of July, they usually finished plowing the fields for winter crops. More often than not, it was hot at this time, the days were still long, but the autumn thaw was just around the corner. The peasants worked especially carefully these days: a lost summer day threatened a hungry winter. That is why the day of the sheaf of Veles was not celebrated noisily, with games and riots. From this day on, the ancient Slavs began preparing hay for the winter: they began mowing grass. And they did it in the morning, while there was dew. Women and youth went out to weed. Around this time, the harvest began, collecting the crops in tight bunches, that is, sheaves. The last sheaf from the field was revered by the pagans. They believed that he was possessed by the spirit of the field, the spirit of Veles himself. The family kept this sheaf until next year and gave it honors as God. In some areas, several ears of corn were left in the fields, calling them “Veles’s beard.” Since that time, herbs have already lost their healing properties and they have ceased to be collected. On this day, knowledgeable people made amulets for livestock and read ancient spells for good luck. The priests loudly glorified Veles, holding a container of millet above their heads. Housewives prepared porridge flavored with butter for dinner. They tried not to put beef and veal on the table. From this day on, summer weddings began to be celebrated.