1	Russian Paganism
2	Outline For Newcomers Quiz (Course Description and Syllabus) The Solar Calendar Pagan Festivals Film clip: Andrei Rublev (Tarkovskii) The Christianization of Rus′ Pagan Deities Terminology (if time permits)
3	For Newcomers Course web site is at http://clover.slavic.pitt.edu/~tales/ Look there for Course description Syllabus (assignments, exam dates, etc.) Overheads from all classes
4	Solar Calendar Solstices and Equinoxes Winter Solstice (December 22) Vernal (Spring) Equinox (March 21–22) Summer Solstice (June 21–22) Autumn Equinox (September 23) Notes Dates from 1999; may vary slightly. Solar dates may vary from ritual ones.
5	Pagan Festivals Yuletide (sviatki, koliada) Winter solstice / Christmas Shrovetide (maslenitsa) Mardi Gras (beginning of Lent) Rusal′naia Week (Trinity Week) Pentacost (fifty days after Easter) Ivan Kupalo (St. John’s Eve) Summer solstice
6	Film: Andrei Rublev Andrei Tarkovskii, director Shot 1965, released 1966 Cannes Film Festival award, 1969 Ivan Kupalo Day (St. John’s Eve) June 23 (summer solstice) But note the dialogue …
7	Andrei Rublev Old Testament Trinity Early fifteenth century
8	Christianization of Rus′ Rus′ Vladimir I (ruled 980–1015) 980 988 Byzantium
9	Pagan Gods Perun Khors Dazhbog Stribog Simargl Mokosh′ (Svarog) (Volos/Veles)
10	Terminology Folklore Fairy Tale Animism Anthropomorphic Ritual Remythologize Dvoeverie (double faith, double belief) Metamorphosis Epithet Magic Number The Number Three Magic Objects and Elements
11	Folklore The traditional beliefs, legends, customs, etc. of a people; lore of a people; collected wisdom of a people (oral, ritualistic; associated with nature, agrarian aspects of a given culture; associated with calendar feasts and rites of passage).
12	Fairy Tale A story involving supernatural people or events (not necessarily fairies). Narrowly defined, fairy tale refers to popular fairy tales, which lack a specific author or time of composition. Texts similar to popular fairy tales but written by a specific author are identified as literary fairy tales.
13	Animism The belief that natural objects, natural phenomena, and the universe itself possess souls or consciousness. The belief that souls may exist apart from bodies.
14	Anthropomorphic Ascribing human form or attributes to a being or thing not human, esp. to a deity.
15	Ritual Any practice or pattern of behavior repeated in a prescribed manner (e.g., religious ritual).
16	Remythologize The reinterpretation of rituals belonging to one system as belonging to another.
17	Santa Claus and Father Frost
18	Dvoeverie The simultaneous subscription to two different, and possibly even contradictory, belief systems. Characteristic of early Russian Christianity, where people observed Christian rites but nonetheless continued to adhere to certain pagan beliefs and practices.
19	Metamorphosis A complete change of form, structure, or substance as transformation by magic or witchcraft.
20	Constant/Fixed Epithet A descriptive adjective used unvaryingly to qualify a noun, frequent in Homer’s epics and in folklore genres, e.g., “oxen-eyed Hera,” “wine-red sea,” “open field,” “bright falcon,” “beauteous maiden.” Note also fixed formulae, such as “run as a gray wolf” in Russian tales.
21	Magic Numbers 1, 2, esp. 3, 7, and their multiples, e.g., 3 x 3.
22	The Number Three Triad: A group of three, esp. of three closely related or associated persons or things. Trebling: Repetition in groups of three (e.g., three siblings, three tasks).
23	Magic Objects and Elements (1) Cyclicity (ring, egg, drawing or walking in circles around something, circle dances) Fertility (egg, seed, tree) Purity (fire, water)
24	Magic Objects and Elements (2) Bounty (livestock, grain, fruits and vegetables, bread, feasting) Return of the sun after winter (fire, birds, pussy willows, early bloomers) Personifications of holidays (effigies)