Pagan holiday celebrates the forces of nature with rituals of pyromancy
Despite persecution by the Orthodox Church, for centuries Ukrainians have been celebrating Ivana Kupala – a merry pagan festival in honor of the sun and of fertility.
It is not clear when the holiday originated, just that it was during the reign of primitive, nature‑worshipping Slavic societies.
Although many Ukrainians still gather along riverbanks every year from July 6 to 7 to conduct the same rituals their ancestors did hundreds of years ago, the significance and the meaning of the customs have diminished over time.
When it comes to the bonfire ritual, for instance, today’s youth no longer have faith in the ancient belief that whoever jumps over the fire successfully receives the purifying properties of the flame. And girls who float their flower garlands in the river – another Ivana Kupala tradition – do so more out of custom rather than to learn their fortunes or find their future husbands .
For the majority of Ukrainians, Ivana Kupala is really just another excuse to party.
Nonetheless, some small congregations ‑ in attempting to revive their ancestral faith and ancient customs – still celebrate Kupala as a religious holiday. There are also a few ethnographers and folklore researchers who continue to study Kupala in hopes of reviving it as a popular Ukrainian tradition.
For Shevchenko State University folklore student Tetyana Yarova, Kupala is her favorite subject. In fact, just last week she defended her thesis devoted to Kupala songs and rituals. A certified expert, Yarova bemoans the lack of knowledge among society in general.
“I went to a major Kupala celebration in Kaniv, and I was disappointed,” she said. “Even the old ladies gave just general explanations about some the traditions.”
Together with a group of friends, ethnographers among them, Yarova does her bit by taking part in annual Kupala holidays in Kyiv. The group, which studies and sings traditional Kupala songs, has helped form the core of the celebrations.
The most detailed descriptions of Ivana Kupala come from the 19th‑century – from a time when the popularity of Ukrainian folklore was at its zenith – from descriptions by both ethnographers and many celebrated writers. However, the very first mentions of Kupala date back to 13th‑century chronicles.
Kupala, as it was originally called, was a major pagan religious holiday that marked the summer solstice – from June 21 to 24 – according to the Julian calendar.
During the solstice, entire communities would gather to worship Kupalo, the pagan god of love, fertility and harvest. Rituals were intended to boost the energy of the sun, so that it would remain potent throughout the rest of the growing season and guarantee a plentiful harvest.
With the Christianization of Kyivan‑Rus in the 10th century, Kupala was banned as a religious feast. But as with many other pagan holidays in Ukraine, it eventually received a Christian name and meaning.
The Orthodox Church began to celebrate Ivana Kupala as the birthday of John the Baptist (Ivan being Ukrainian for John). According to the Bible, John was six months older than Jesus, so his birthday is marked six months before Christmas.
The resulting Ivana Kupala involved dozens of traditions, with the most widely known ones revolving around the bonfire and the so‑called Kupala tree.
The bonfire symbolized the sun, and the ritual would take place on the banks of rivers and lakes – because it was believed that on this day when sunbeams hit the water they sanctified it.
Girls would decorate a Kupala tree – usually a sprig of a plum or a cherry tree – with flower garlands and ribbons. Yet, ethnographers still argue about the origin
| According to pagan tradition, couples who successfully jumps over the fire will live long lives. |
and meaning of the tree, itself. Yarova believes that it relates to the Ukrainian wedding tree.
“Many of Kupala traditions contain marriage symbols,” she said. “Back in ancient times, when there were no strict rules with respect to married couples, Kupala was a day of large community weddings, and worship of the god of fertility.”
Although there is no historical evidence, it is believed that following the Kupala celebrations, revelers would pair up, go off into the woods and fornicate.
Another ritual that continues to arouse controversy is the Marena. The Marena was an effigy dressed in women’s clothes and laid under a sacred tree during the celebration, but which was afterward stripped and drowned or burned. The “corpse” was then treated to an elaborate mock funeral complete with “priest,” “mourners,” burning dung “incense” and an old shoe.
Yarova believes that Marena is a transformed representation of a stone pagan idol.
“The songs about Marena don’t sound like regular Ukrainian songs – the melody is like a prayer or an incantation,” she said. “And the doll was initially drowned to hide the signs of worship – because the church and the state persecuted pagans.”
In addition to the bonfire, the Kupala tree and the Marena, Kupala Eve on July 6 features many other activities.
Many people try hard not to fall asleep on Kupala Eve. The bravest of the group venture into the forest in search of a fern flower, which was believed to contain the power to give wisdom. These journeys were especially frightening because, back then, people believed evil spirits gained additional powers on the night of the holiday. In fact, those who entered the forests kept special charms to ward off each evil spirit – which ranged from witches to mire nymphs.
On Kupala Day, young girls and women gathered medicinal herbs, which were believed to hold healing power.
Older girls made floral wreaths, and in the evening decorated them with burning candles and floated them in the river while singing songs. According to tradition, the farther away the wreath floated, the longer the the girl’s life would be. If the wreath stopped at the opposite riverbank, the girl would soon marry a man from the neighboring village. At times, young men might spot the wreath of a girl they liked, dive in the water, catch it and tear it apart. This was their version of asking a girl for a date.
Modern‑day Kupala celebrations, while endeavoring to capture the spirit of the past, aren’t nearly so mystical nor as romantic as stories say they once were.
“On this day, people used to believe everything was magic – the sun, the water and the herbs – basically all that surrounds us,” Yarova explained.
Still, there are several contemporary, charming and beautiful celebrations to choose from. Western Ukraine stages the largest, but there will also be some in Kyiv.
IVANA KUPALA EVENTS
On July 6, festivities will be held near the Venice Bridge in Hydropark and at the Pyrohovo Folk Architecture Museum. The celebrations will be open to everyone and include traditional bonfires, river‑wreaths and bathing.
Also in celebration of Ivana Kupala will be the “Cup of Eternity” folk festival, organized by the BNC Ukrainian Center for Tourism and International Contact Development, the Divych‑hora International Fund project and Ukrainian Spiritual. The festival will take place on July 6 at 8 p.m. at the Vitrapolis Cultural Center in Vytachiv, 30 kilometers south of Kyiv. The program will include an arts‑and‑crafts fair, singing, dancing and storytelling.
For more information on the “Cup of Eternity,” contact Nataliya Byelikhina at 249‑4592 or e‑mail [email protected].
