Which Slavs have yellow skin? Genetic map of Russians

It is now recognized that there are differences in skin beyond color, and that ethnic skin types have special care requirements.

In the last decade, biological science has discovered that there are fundamental differences between the different Fitzpatrick skin types that go beyond obvious differences in color. In addition to the different nature and amount of melanin in the skin, there are also differences in the structure of the stratum corneum (outer layer) and the ability to retain water. The idea that pigmented skin is more resistant to external influences than white skin is incorrect, since sensitivity is often present, but it is hidden by deeper pigmentation.

Melanin in dyed and European skin

The main factor that determines skin color is a dark pigment called melanin, which is produced by small "organisms" called melanosomes that are found inside specialized cells called melanocytes that are present in the cell-producing layer of the skin (the basal layer). There are two types of melanin in the human body: eumelanin (black) and pheomelanin (red), the natural color of the skin depends on the amount of these two types of melanin. Also contributing to skin color is the amount of blood circulating through small capillaries located near the surface of the skin and a yellowish substance called carotene, which is found in varying amounts in all layers of the skin.

Although melanocytes in pigmented skin are physically similar to melanocytes in Caucasian (white) skin and are found in the same numbers, they are genetically programmed to produce more melanin. There is also a difference in the nature of melanin produced, as melanosomes in pigmented skin are larger and scattered singly throughout all layers of the skin, whereas European skin exhibits smaller and more concentrated melanosomes.

Large variations in melanin content in pigmented skin result in an amount of variation five times greater than in the Caucasian race. It has been determined that there are over 35 different shades of colored skin types within each race. This variability of shades is combined with a greater tendency of pigmented skin to show hypo- (under) and hyper- (over) pigmentation spots, which can be caused by various physical and chemical factors. Melanin protects against sunburn and helps prevent skin cancer by absorbing ultraviolet radiation. However, although pigmented skin naturally absorbs 36% more sunlight than Caucasian skin, the incidence of sun-induced skin cancer is lower in pigmented skin. It can be concluded that melanin is a very effective, natural sunscreen.

Structural differences and properties of dyed leather

There are many misconceptions about pigmented skin, one of which is that darker skin is thicker and denser than white skin. The thickness of all skin types is the same, although there is evidence that the stratum corneum of dark-colored skin contains more compact (dense) layers of cells than in European skin. Research in the last decade in the United States has shown that colored skin of African descent (which is typically darker) contains more densely packed layers than lighter races (such as Polynesians and Indians), while European skin contains less densely packed layers. layers. There is a direct connection between these compact layers and the ability of pigmented skin to retain water.

In pigmented skin, the increased density of the outer layer also affects the lipids (skin oils) that are found in the spaces between skin cells, as these are also more densely packed. This more compact packing of lipids causes pigmented skin to become more permeable to water (a well-founded theory is that the cells' immediate environment helps facilitate water transport). These factors lead to greater water loss in pigmented skin compared to European skin.

Accordingly, pigmented skin, due to higher transdermal water loss, tends to suffer from dryness unless steps are taken to retain moisture.

Sensitivity of pigmented skin

Due to the tendency of pigmented skin to be dry, high levels of sensitivity are also common, and because sensitivity is more difficult to detect on pigmented skin, it is often overlooked as a cause of irritation.

Quite often, skin erythema caused by contact with sensitizing substances persists longer on pigmented skin than on white skin. Depending on the underlying skin color and the type of sensitizing substance, erythema can be found on pigmented skin as clusters of gray to purple patches that persist for up to 24 hours after exposure. Numerous clinical studies have shown that when the same sensitizing substances are applied to white skin, mild to moderate erythema occurs and persists for approximately 3 to 7 hours. Additionally, the pH of pigmented skin types was shifted to a more acidic region (lower pH values) than the pH of white skin.

These and similar experiments suggest that many ethnic skin types have sensitivities that cannot be diagnosed by conventional skin testing techniques using observations of vasodilation (the dilation of fine capillaries located near the surface of the skin).

Conclusion

Ethnic and pigmented skin types tend to be dry due to their physical characteristics that limit the skin's ability to naturally retain water. To reduce water loss, daily use of a high-quality non-comedogenic cream is recommended. Tolerance of cosmetic products labeled as "normal skin" products on the European market may be lower in the case of pigmented skin due to its tendency to be sensitive, and special care may be required to prevent irritation or adverse reactions.

Chapter I. Fabric as a thing and a sign in Russian traditional culture

§2. Semantics of color

Color is one of the characteristics of an object. For a modern person, a change in color does not mean a change in the essence of an object in most cases, however, there are exceptions: black mourning clothes, a white wedding dress, blue clothes for a boy and pink for a girl, etc. All of the above examples refer to the colors of clothing. These symbolic expressions of the purpose of certain things appeared in our culture relatively recently, some of them have no roots in it and came from outside, but their influence is quite strong, so strong that, when faced with a deviation from the rules, a person is perplexed. It is fair to assume that if the color of our far from traditional clothing, and perhaps some other things, is important to us today, then the symbolism of color in folk culture is quite important. Thus, color is a sign that receives a symbolic interpretation in folk culture.

The Russians used fabrics of a wide variety of colors, dyeing them with white, black, blue, red, and yellow dyes. The most significant are the oppositions of white and black (light and dark), correlated with the oppositions life/death, good/bad, etc., as well as the triad white-red-black. The symbolism of each of these colors is ambiguous; they often have directly opposite interpretations.

White color, white - in folk culture one of the main elements of color symbolism, contrasted primarily with black and red. White and black colors are at the polar points of the color spectrum, and their names and symbolism are antonymous. White color represents a generalized range of colors in light tones, as well as high color intensity, while black color generalizes dark colors and is associated with low color intensity or its absence. In addition, white represents the absence of color, it is neutral and can be turned into any other color and given any interpretation.

In the symbolic sphere, the correlation white/black (light/dark) can be included in an equivalent series with the pairs good/bad, male/female, living/dead, partly young/middle-aged (old), etc. A correlation between white/non-white is possible, and then the white color can mean sacredness, purity, fertility, light.

The mythological semantics of white color is most clearly manifested in fortune telling, omens, and beliefs. The semantic pair good/bad is identified in relation to the characteristics white/black in a series of signs associated with a butterfly or a sheep, bringing happiness or misfortune according to their color.

The idea of the “kingdom of darkness” as an afterlife, opposed to the “white light,” is characteristic of all Slavs. A Vologda peasant, for example, believed that dead, unbaptized children live in “a dark place and do not see the white light.” White light is ours, “this” light, and it is opposed to “that”, not white light, just as day is opposed to night. White light, like white day, is motivated by the sign “clear, bright, clean.” A similar distinction is made between bad and good weather, predicted by the color of the cow walking ahead of the herd. Sunlight - and the sun itself - is white, so on the first day of the harvest, work must be completed before sunset so that the bread of the new harvest will be white.

The mythological connection of individual objects and phenomena is carried out according to the principle of similarity. So, sometimes the appearance of white moths or butterflies promises an abundance of milk. On the basis of similarity, some productive actions are also carried out: Belarusians placed a stone on a bed of cabbage and covered it with a white scarf so that the cabbage would be white as a scarf, and large and strong as a stone; the peasant put on a white shirt (women wore a headscarf) when going to sow wheat, “so that it would be clean and white, like a shirt,” flax. However, the Slavs were afraid of white things that could cause hail and frost: white things were not taken out into the yard or into the field on some holidays.

Many Indo-European peoples know white mourning. Russians traditionally announced death by hanging a white “plate” or towel on the hut, with which “the arriving dead person wiped away his tears for forty days.” In the Russian North, white funeral clothing is known; dressing deceased girls in white is associated with the funeral-wedding ritual. The image of a woman in white robes represented death. The phraseology “white death” is well known; in some conspiracies, the sick person is called white, and the healthy person is called red. Ryazan peasants believed that picking white flowers in a dream was a sign of a dead person. Death was foreshadowed in a dream by white geese, horses, goats; illness - a girl in white seen in a dream.

White clothes are typical for spirits and mythological characters. Belun is sometimes called a brownie, a white woman is a mermaid, and a huge white creature is a ghoul. Women performing some ritual roles were dressed all in white. Thus, almost all evil spirits dress in white, while the devil wears a black suit and is black himself. White animals and birds, especially rare or non-existent ones, are considered special, witchcraft or kings over their relatives. Treasures lying in the ground turn into white animals. At the same time, white color can protect against the evil eye and damage; Some (clean) days of fasting and holidays were considered white.

The most specific and unambiguous symbolism has the black color, which is associated with darkness, earth, death, and acts as a sign of mourning (in families where there was mourning, Easter eggs were painted black or other dark colors - green, blue, purple). Black characters are usually demonological characters (appearing in the form of a black animal or object): devil, banner, barn, field spirit. Black animal motifs are common: horse, chicken, cat and pig. The appearance of a black animal after the death of a sorcerer is evidence that the devil has emerged from him.

In magical practice, black objects and sacrificial animals were used. A knife in a black sheath protects against fright; a black thorn thorn was driven under the dead man’s nails “so that he would not walk”; A black chicken was carried around the crops to prevent hail and was sacrificed to the plague. The egg of a black chicken helped against night blindness, and the milk of a black cow extinguished a fire started by lightning.

Yellow color, yellowness is a sign endowed with a predominantly negative assessment in folk culture. The color yellow is often conceptualized as a symbol of death; In Slavic beliefs, the appearance of a yellow spot on the hand foreshadows death. Eggs intended for commemoration in Easter, Semitic and Trinity rites are painted yellow. On Easter, when commemorating the dead in cemeteries, they carried red and yellow eggs with them; In Semik, when cumming, girls, kissing through a wreath, give each other a yellow egg. In the “baptism of the cuckoo” ritual, participants in the nepotism ritual at the cemetery exchanged yellow eggs, broke them and left them on the graves. On Saturday, on the eve of Trinity Day, when they commemorated those who died a death other than their own and unbaptized children, eggs were painted not red, but yellow, and distributed to children. Yellow is one of the traditional epithets in the conspiracies of the Eastern Slavs. Plants with yellow flowers are used to treat “yellow” diseases (jaundice, etc.)” Yellow objects (scarves, rings, dishes), chickens with yellow legs, yellow butterflies are endowed with healing properties.

Yellow is rare in the color characteristics of mythological characters. Mythical creatures that lead souls to the “other world” appear in yellow tones, the brownie has yellow hair, one of the fevers is called yellow. Yellow circles appear on the grass where an old man “became a sorcerer” or the eldest woman in his family committed suicide with witches; sometimes the places of round dances and meals of mermaids are marked with yellowed, dried grass. Yellow, along with red, can act as a substitute for gold. In omens, yellow means misfortune, illness or death; whoever sees a yellow butterfly in the spring will be unhappy and in poor health this year.

In the Russian tradition, there is a perception of gold as a sign of chosenness, happiness and the highest court; a similar idea arose within the framework of the solar cult. Golden symbolism, pre-Christian in essence, functioned under conditions of gradual Christianization of culture, merging with religious concepts of retribution and retribution, good and evil. Gold is usually associated with a hero's test and is only received by a select few. Thus, gold objects are sacred in folklore. The mythology of pure, sacred, gold is manifested in conspiracies where the conspirator seeks heavenly protection; Thus, in a conspiracy for a good path, he imagines himself dressed in golden vestments, covered with a golden shroud.

Green color, green - in folk culture correlate with vegetation, variability, immaturity, youth. The perception of green color as shiny, shining, similar to gold and yellow is noted. Such ideas are especially typical for the southern Slavs.

The productive symbolism of the green color is manifested in spring and wedding rituals, for example, Trinity - green Christmastide, Trinity Week - green week. In wedding songs, images of green life, forest, and meadows are often found. In funeral and memorial rites, green acts as the color of the “other world.” Green eggs are known as a funeral meal among the Eastern Slavs. At Easter, eggs were painted green if there was a dead person in the house during the year; this procedure was designed to renew the life of the inhabitants of the house, cleanse them, and free them from the presence of the inanimate. Green color can be an attribute of a “foreign” space, where evil spirits live, where spirits are banished: a green mountain, etc. The color green is present in descriptions of chthonic creatures.

Red color, red - in folk culture one of the main elements of color symbolism, appearing in the opposition white/red, or in the triad white/red/black, where red is opposed to white as non-white, “colored”, “dark”. The symbolism of red is ambivalent. Red is the color of life, sun, fertility, health and the color of the other world, chthonic and demonic characters. The color red is endowed with protective properties and is used as a talisman. Particularly significant in folk ideas are the red thread, the red cloth, and the red egg.

The connection of red with fire is reflected in the language (let a red rooster fly), legends explaining the presence of red in the color of animals; Russian beliefs: about a red flying fiery snake (Russian North Siberia); about “a woman in a red cauldron” (personification of a fire; Russian North); about the fiery red field grass, which seems to people like a scattering of sparks (Vologda). The connection of red with blood is manifested in wedding symbolism; often a red belt is an integral part of the costume of an underage girl. The presence of fresh blood in the body of the “unclean dead” (ghoul, sorcerer) explains the red color of their faces.

The meaning of red as an extraordinary, exceptional color is determined by the evaluative semantics of red “beautiful, valuable, ceremonial.” According to popular beliefs, the main snake has a red crest (Russian North).

The productive semantics of red is realized in a wedding ceremony, in calendar and economic rituals, where it symbolizes abundance and fertility: for example, the last sheaf is tied with red yarn, thread or a scarf. During the first pasture, the cattle were hung with a bell on a red cord. In native rites, the color red acts as a symbol of life and health; the umbilical cord was tied with a red thread; it was believed that the red color of the newborn’s skin indicated his longevity. Funeral rituals express the symbolism of the color red as belonging to the “other world” and at the same time protecting against dangerous contact with the other world. The hands and feet of the deceased could be tied with red thread; Belarusians placed a red thread across the body of the deceased; often the headdress for the deceased was made of red material. The coffin was wrapped several times from end to end with red woolen thread; the pregnant woman tied the red thread on her finger when she went to say goodbye to the deceased. Sometimes on memorial days everything red was taken out of the house. During Rusal Week before Trinity Sunday, drowned people were commemorated by breaking red eggs on their graves. The color red (scarf, ribbon) is present in the East Slavic rites of “baptism” and funeral of the cuckoo.

The red color acts as a talisman; its semantics correlates with the apotropaic semantics of a colored object (the most significant are thread and wool) or a plant. They drew a magic circle with red paint, and on Easter they washed themselves with water in which a red egg or plant was placed. Red thread was widely used as an apotropaic and healing agent; it was tied to an arm or leg and left hanging on plant bushes. For pain in the joints, they tied their hands with red wool, threads, strips of fabric; it was believed that this would also protect against fever and fear. Red color can protect against snakes, mice, wolves; drive away evil spirits and bad weather.

Many mythological characters are marked in red: for example, a courtyard may look like a thick red snake. Witches and mermaids have red eyes; the skin of devils, mythical aliens; hair or hat of a brownie, mermaid, goblin; the goblin's dress and the brownie's shirt, the goblin's pants and the devil's scarf. "Women in red" are harbingers of misfortune.

Red in conspiracies is a constant epithet of mythical characters: red maiden, red horse. Everywhere among the Slavs, red thread and red plant seeds are used in love magic. When cattle go missing, they “take it” to the mermaids: bast shoes, onuchi, bread and salt are tied with a red ribbon and taken to the crossroads in the forest. In Christmas fortune-telling, a red ribbon symbolized the birth of a child. The predominance of red in the rainbow promises health and a good harvest, wealth. Red days in the folk calendar fall on Holy, Easter, and Fomina (Red Hill) weeks.

The combination of red-white is opposed to the combination of yellow-black in the meaning of life/death, light/darkness, health/illness. The combination of red and white is therefore typical for amulets. Red can also coexist with blue in the same meaning. The combination of red and black is typical for mythological characters and predominates in the costumes of mummers.

Within the framework of the Slavic tradition, it can be confidently stated that red is the dominant color in the semantic structure of the ritual. Marking in red is the most archaic and universal way of modeling ritual objects. This is clearly expressed in the functions of the red thread, the red belt, and the marking of ritual towels, the structure of which necessarily includes a red thread.

The semantics of red color is realized in the universal opposition white/black, which is transformed into a dynamic three-part structure white/red/black. This triad constitutes an invariant of color classification, on the basis of which a system of relations of color semantics in the traditional model of the world is built. The ritual meaning of the color red is ensured by its position as the middle member of the triad, marking boundaries in a system of binary oppositions. The intermediate position of red between white and black is identical to the position of shadow in the light/shadow/dark triad, where shadow is opposed to light, but at the same time does not coincide with darkness. This peculiar ambivalence of the red color forms the basis of its characteristics as a ritual symbol. In the time code day/morning (evening)/night, red corresponds to morning (evening), in the calendar cycle summer/spring (autumn)/winter, respectively, spring (autumn). In the spatial code, the red color corresponds to marginal zones: the threshold of a house, gates, fences - the essence of the boundaries of internal and external, one’s own and someone else’s space.

Thus, color is one of the features that determine the nature of an object. Color can determine the change in meaning of a thing; it is often more important than the name of the object, as, for example, in the case of a black cat. Using the example of the influence of color, one can see how the material qualities of an object “make” a sign, controlling its content.

Color symbols in Slavic mythology

The Slavs were very responsible when choosing one color or another in their lives. The Slavs chose certain colors for everyday life, and others for religious and ritual purposes. The costume was also made in accordance with one’s gender, social status and even mood.

In Slavic mythology, colors also have clear meanings.

But all this variety of color meanings is quite simple to arrange in a logical chain, and all the ambiguity and interestingness of interpretations of this or that color immediately begins to emerge.

The researcher of the worldview of the ancient Slavs, M.V. Popovich, studied a little about color symbols. We are interested not only in the color symbols used in clothing by the ancient Russians, but also in the color symbolism used in myths, epics, and fairy tales.

White color is the sun, air, insight, purity, innocence, purity, holiness, sacredness, salvation, spiritual power. Winter. This color represents daylight hours. Time for work and good deeds.

White color is absolute freedom from all obstacles, freedom for all possibilities. White is also a solution to problems, a new beginning.

Belbog was present in the pantheon of gods as the personification of all light forces.

The symbol of Svyatovit is white. This is due to the fact that Belbog and Svyatovit in tradition are the same force, only in different incarnations, and accordingly they have the same meaning.

Phrases are often found in myths: “white tent” - to designate the Slavic army, “white hands” - to dissociate the Slav from the Pecheneg. The epithet of the Danube River is “white river”. Also, the epithet “white” is associated with “living water.” The “white duck” is always a positive hero in a fairy tale, going back to the ancestor duck from the myth of the creation of the myth. “White birch” is a constant epithet in mythology for one of the Slavic sacred trees.

“Bel is a flammable stone” (Alatyr) – in mythology a sacred, pure place.

“White stone chambers” are a clean, bright, safe living place.

In the folk calendar, “white” days are Maslenitsa days among the Serbs and Macedonians (“white week”); holy days (when there is no fasting) in Serbia and Pomerania (“white days”); Holy Week for Ukrainians and Belarusians (Biliy Tyzhden, Biyela Nyadelya); Holy Saturday among Croats, Slovenes, Czechs and Slovaks (“White Saturday”).

The white shirt was used by the Slavs for religious and ritual purposes, for example, before a battle they dressed under chain mail or without it, just on a clean body.

Black appears almost universally as the color of negative forces and sad events. Black color is also a negation of earthly vanity and splendor.

Black, as the antagonist of white, expresses the idea of “nothing”, nothing like absolute refusal, like death or like “no” in militant protest (like a concentrated clot of aggressive persistence). Black color symbolizes night. This is the time of dark forces. This is the time of sleep, temporary non-existence.

The most specific and unambiguous symbolism has the black color, which is associated with darkness, earth, death (acts as a sign of mourning; cf.: in families where there was mourning, Easter eggs were painted black or other dark colors - green, purple, blue) .

The characters of the Pekelny world are usually black in color (they also appear in the form of a black animal or object): bannik, ovinnik, field spirit “uselnitsa” (Russian). Wolfhound turns into a black horse (Serbian), vampires torture people by turning into a black chicken (Slovenian), witches turn into a black cat, dog, pig (O.Slav.). The appearance of a black animal after the death of the sorcerer is evidence that Viy (Serb.) came out of him.

In magical practice (apotropaic, love, healing), black objects were used, for example: a knife in a black sheath as protection from fright (Serb.), from pestilence (Slovenian); a black thorn thorn was driven under the nail of a dead man so that he would not walk (Serb.); the bone of a black dog scared away the veštica (Serbian); a black chicken was carried around crops to prevent hail (Serb.)

The symbol of Chernobog is black. He personifies the totality of all the dark forces of the Pekel kingdom.

In mythology, black epithets meant: “Black Army” - the enemy army, “Black River” - the one that brings death, “Black Stone” - the entrance to the Pekel kingdom, “Black Raven” - the harbinger of death, etc.

“Black Velvet”, “Black Sables” - the black color here acts as an indicator of the character’s wealth and stature.

Protective braid, as well as black clothing, was not used in ritual activities. In everyday life, she had no symbolic color.

In general, the color red is considered aggressive, vital and full of strength, akin to fire and denoting both love and life-and-death struggle. It is also the color of the sun (Vladimir Red Sun). Red color in Rus' is synonymous with beauty. Red color is blood - a symbol of life, but at the same time a symbol of death.

Bogatyrs in Rus' usually preferred red clothes (pants, boots, caftan, cloak, etc., only the shirt is usually white) hence the epic “red is well done”, and in the meaning “red maidens” - beautiful.

Red - The color of life, fire, fertility, health and at the same time - chthonic characters (red clothes or hats are worn by a brownie, a merman, shulikuns; red eyes, teeth, hair are worn by a witch, shulikuns, mermaids). Particularly significant in folk beliefs are the red thread, red cloth, and red (Easter) egg, which are endowed with protective properties and are used as a talisman.

The color of Yarila, the sun, red is primarily associated with spring, fertility, life and, of course, the spring sun that revives nature to life.

“Spring is red” - in epics and fairy tales it means the arrival of the Spring sun Yarila.

The choice of red clothing characterizes the fact that the owner is confident in himself.

Blue is the color most often seen as a symbol of all things spiritual. Unlike the energetic color red, blue has a “restraining” effect and makes most people thoughtful. This is the color of wisdom. Infinity, eternity, truth, devotion, faith, purity, chastity, spiritual and intellectual life. The blue color of the sky is the calmest and least “material” of all colors.

The color blue is associated with “dead water.” The mysterious “blue lightning” and “blue wine” also have a symbolic meaning and are associated with the Cumans. The black clouds coming from the sea are hordes of Polovtsians advancing on the Russians, and the blue lightning is the sparkling Polovtsian sabers. Blue is the color of the sea. “Deep blue sea” - there is a miracle there - the Yudo fish whale.

Buyan Island. And this epithet means thoughtful, wise infinity.

Blue braid on shirts is used by people who have embarked on the path of spiritual self-improvement.

Green color is ambiguous in meaning. It is life in bright green and death expressed in a deathly grey-green fluorescent light. Youth, hope and joy, but at the same time change, impermanence and jealousy. Green is spring, reproduction, joy, confidence, nature, paradise, abundance, prosperity, peace.

Green denoted the Tree of the World. It is also the color of the devil. But the most important thing is the symbol of the Forest. Also, the symbol of a sown field and young shoots was always painted in green.

The color green correlates with vegetation, variability, immaturity, and has productive symbolism (for the Serbs, the predominance of green in the rainbow means the harvest of cereals; in the Rhodope Mountains, evergreens were used at engagements and weddings).

At the same time, the green color is an attribute of a “foreign” space where evil spirits live: in South Slavic conspiracies on the “green mountain”, “green grass”, “green tree”, evil spirits are expelled. The color green characterizes the characters of folk mythology: green hair on the goblin, mermaid, and merman; water green; Leshys, mermaids, pitchforks, and mermen have green eyes.

“Green garden” - in mythology it is usually used in the metaphorical meaning of “blooming life”.

“Green Wilderness” - usually this phrase is close in meaning to “In the distant kingdom”, that is, very far away.

“Green wine” is a bready young wine. Close in semantic meaning to “green snake” is strong intoxication to the point of hallucination.

In Belarus, green color predominates in national clothing.

Symbol of evergreen nature.

Yellow (gold)

Yellow is the light of the sun, intelligence, intuition, faith, honey. Dark yellow means betrayal, betrayal, jealousy, ambition, stinginess, secrecy, deception, disbelief, theft. Golden yellow is a symbol of the sun and divinity. This is the color of Nobility and dignity.

Gold is an image of light, it symbolizes the light of the sun and in connection with this is an attribute of Russian princes. The sun, gold, Russian princes - they all emit light: the sun is “bright” and “three-bright”.

The color yellow also has a negative meaning; it is often interpreted as a symbol of death (the appearance of a yellow spot on the hand foreshadows death; eggs intended for commemoration are painted yellow). Mythological characters are characterized by yellow hair (the brownie, female forest spirits - “povitruli”); The soul of a woman can turn into a yellow butterfly. Plants with yellow flowers (roots, juice) and yellow objects are used in the treatment of “yellow” diseases (jaundice, fever).

The color symbol of Dazhbog is gold. This is due to the fact that Dazhbog is an image of the small solstice (day). Many artists depict it in golden tones.

"Yellow curls" are used in mythology to designate a character as a Slav.

The choice of clothes in yellow tones characterizes freedom. M.V. Popovich believes that in clothing the color gold is associated with the idea of sacredness, with splendor and glory. White is close to gold as its semantic nuance.

Silver is the color of moderation, the color of old age, knowledge and wisdom acquired over many years. Many attributes of the Magi were made of silver, thereby emphasizing their significance, and they characterize the owner in an appropriate way. They silvered Perun's beard, that is, they aged him.

Silver has a powerful disinfecting property, so the Slavs, well aware of this property, used silverware.

Silver is the metal of the goddess Lelya. It symbolizes love, which, by definition, is true and, accordingly, wise.

According to legend, creatures who belonged to the Dasuns in essence were afraid of silver weapons.

Magi often wore silver braid on their clothes during holidays.

It is a neutral color with a subtle beauty. The color of inconspicuousness, secrecy. Gray goes almost as well with other colors as black or white, but is often more expressive. The color of undyed linen. The Slavs wore such clothes in everyday life, and it was not scary to get dirty, and it was not noticeable. This color of clothing emphasized everyday life.

In mythology, the epithet “gray” can be given to both a hare and a wolf.

On the one hand, there is a cowardly animal, and on the other, a predator, and both are given the same epithet. This is due to the ability of animals to merge with the world around them.

Gray is the color of Stribog. It most accurately characterizes the neutrality and color invisibility of the wind.

Gray colors in clothes are preferred by those who are characterized by increased sensitivity or rudeness.

Blue - day, sky, life.

Svarog is sky blue. Everything is clear here, Svarog is the prince of heaven.

The choice of clothing in a Blue tone characterizes the fact that a person has achieved satisfaction or strives not to stand out. Girls often use blue colors in their outfits.

The blue color of the eyes made the Slavs stand out from other nations.

Brown

It was associated among the Slavs, first of all, with Mother Raw Earth - the wet nurse. Cheese's Mother Earth gives and takes away life. And the second, no less important image associated with this color is the brown bear, which is included in the circle of cult totem animals of the Slavic people. Often, Slavic knights were personified with this beast.

This color was rarely used in clothing and therefore did not acquire clear symbolism.

On Midgard-Earth there live people with different skin colors and a certain territory of residence. This Earthly humanity has ancestors who arrived on Midgard-Earth from various Heavenly Halls - Star Systems, namely: the Great Race - white skin color;
Great Dragon - yellow skin color;
Fire Snake - red skin color;
Gloomy Wasteland - black skin color;
Pekelnogo Mir - gray skin color, foreigners.
The allies of the White Race in the battle with the Forces of Darkness were the People from the Hall of the Great Dragon. They were allowed to settle on Earth, having determined a place in the South-East, at the rise of the Yarilo-Sun. Modern China.

Another ally, the people from the Hall of the Fire Serpent, was assigned a place on the lands in the Atlantic Ocean. Subsequently, with the arrival of the Clans of the Great Race to them, this Land began to be called Antlan, i.e. The land of the Ants, the ancient Greeks called it Atlantis.

After the death of Antlani, righteous people with the skin color of the Sacred Fire, the Heavenly Power (Vaitmara) transferred them east to the boundless Lands at the sunset of Yarila-Sun lying... (American continent).

In ancient times, the possessions of the Country of Black People covered not only the African continent, but also part of Hindustan. The Indian tribes of the Dravidians and Nagas belonged to the Negroid peoples and worshiped the Goddess Kali-Ma - the Goddess of the Black Mother.

Our Ancestors gave them the Vedas - Sacred Texts, now known as the Indian Vedas (Hinduism).

Having learned about the eternal Heavenly Laws, such as the Law of Karma, Incarnation and Reincarnation, and others, they abandoned obscene deeds, bloody human sacrifices to the Goddess Kali-Ma and the Black Dragons.

The enemy of the Great Race and other Races on Midgard-Earth are representatives of the Pekel World, who secretly penetrated onto Midgard-Earth, so the territory of residence is not defined.

God Perun calls them Foreigners (Jews). They have gray skin, their eyes are the color of Darkness, and they are bisexual (initially), they could be a wife or a husband (hermaphrodites, whose sexual orientation changed depending on the phases of the Moon).

They paint their faces with paints to look like the Children of Men... They never take off their clothes in public.

They create all kinds of false religious cults and specifically try to destroy or denigrate the Cult of God Perun, for he warned:

“They covet everything that belongs to others, that does not belong to them... All their thoughts are only about power. The goal of the Aliens is to disrupt the harmony reigning in the World of Light and destroy the Descendants of the Heavenly Family and the Great Race, for only they can give a worthy rebuff to the Forces of the Inferno...

Using lies and very flattering words, they gain the trust of the residents; as soon as they gain trust from the residents, they begin to comprehend their Ancient Heritage. Having learned everything that is possible in the Ancient Heritage, they begin to interpret it in their favor.

They declare themselves to be God's messengers, but they only bring strife and war to the world. Using cunning and vicious deeds, they turn the young away from Wisdom, and teach them to live in idle idleness, to disobey their father’s traditions. They do not know about Heavenly Honor and Truth, because there is no Conscience in their hearts...

With lies and unrighteous flattery they will capture many edges of Midgard-Earth, but they will be defeated and exiled to the country of the Man-Made Mountains (Egypt), where people with skin the color of Darkness and the Descendants of the Heavenly Family will live. And people will begin to teach them to work, so that they themselves can feed their children...

But the lack of desire to work will unite the Aliens and they will leave the country of the Man-Made Mountains and settle throughout all the edges of Midgard-Earth...

Millions of lives will be taken by senseless wars to please the desires of the Aliens, for the more wars and deaths there are, the more wealth the messengers of the World of Darkness will gain.

To achieve their goals, the Dark Forces will even use Fire Mushrooms, bringing death, which will rise above Midgard-Earth.”

Yellow is one of the most controversial colors in the palette of meanings. But it has many shades, from dirty yellow to gold. Of course, this changes the meaning of color. Our task is to talk about the use and interpretation of this color in Slavic-Russian mythology and culture.

Dirty yellow is the color of betrayal, theft, a repulsive color. Many researchers interpret this color with the semantics of death and bad omens. The most key point in such reasoning is the coloring of funeral eggs in yellow on a red hill; more precisely, after the red hill, the Rodnovers remembered the people who had left us. And eggs were painted yellow for those who committed suicide. It was believed that the color yellow was related to the soul separated from the body. So, there were beliefs about yellow insects and animals - that these were reincarnations of departed people. There is even a legend about winding sorcerers who could turn into animals of this color. The Slavs had a ban on hunting animals with a yellow color. The most interesting moment is yellow autumn. The leaves turn yellow before they end their life. Yellow autumn is beautiful, no doubt. But this colorfully shows why yellow is considered the color of decay and death. Nature itself tells us so.

The yellow color itself is considered a sacred, even powerful color. Since this is the natural color of the sun. Therefore, in this vein, the color yellow has always been perceived with favor and understanding. The color yellow was often used in the military paraphernalia of the princely squad, as if hinting at a connection with the Gods. After all, the sun was directly identified with the Slavic Gods. Yellow, like red, was perceived as a princely color, and they could often be found on coats of arms and banners.

Yellow is bordered by another shade of it – gold. In Slavic culture it is also a key solar color. Only august persons could afford gold, and therefore it was always a princely metal. And he was also associated with the solar cult. Still yellow-golden honey. And this is a traditional Russian craft that has been known since ancient times. In this regard, the bees themselves have always been synonymous with a sweet, healthy, sunny clot of medicinal mass - honey.

The sunflower is also considered a solar plant, and its semantics is always solar.

Yellow is also a warm color of wood, and wood was perceived as a building material and as the main source of heating. And the sacredness of a wooden house and the source of heat in winter is difficult to underestimate culturally and emotionally.

In clothing and embroidery, yellow was worn mainly by married women. In everyday life and in rituals, they used other colors. In ritual activities, the color yellow could only be used in combination with red and was available only to the priestly class, of course with many reservations and explanations.

Light brown hair color, the color of straw, is considered a dominant sign of the Russian ethnic group. This is a strong marker that in ancient times said without words who was standing in front of you.

This color is multifaceted, interesting, and complex. Much about him is not clear today. But bit by bit knowledge appears in the public domain. Our articles are one of the few that can tell an interested reader about the meaning of various colors in Slavic mythology and culture.