Many centuries best heads tried to find a reasonable version of the reason for the generation of a person’s paranormal inference and understand religion as a model public opinion. Having arisen at the initial stage of human progress and matured for centuries on the basis of incorrect reconstruction in the mind of true phenomena in nature and society, religious beliefs and rituals distorted the perception of the universe and otherworldly existence and clouded minds. Strengthened in the memories of generations, the belief became part of the cultural reserve of the public. In the process of improvement, religions arose not only of the people from whom the Seer emerged. New faiths filled the souls of the population of different states: Christianity, Islam and Buddhism became world beliefs.

Definition of the term

Religious rite - a sacred rite performed according to established rites by a priest, is a manifestation inner essence traditions in external expression. The ceremony sends blessings on all life and spiritual moments human existence, has an illuminating, strengthening and renewing effect on the soul and body, aimed at achieving a goal to accomplish or prevent events and natural disasters.

Subspecies

Religious rituals can be divided into three types:

1. Liturgical services are a sacrament that is an integral element of the church liturgy: illumination of bread and water, removal of the holy shroud, communion, etc.
2. Symbolic - an action expressing various general religious concepts that open the way to communication with God. For example, sign of the cross, being a symbol of Christ’s torment on the cross, at the same time serves as a means of protection from the infernal forces of secrecy.
3. Performing religious rituals for human needs - approval for teaching, travel, commemoration of the dead, lighting of premises and things.

What are rituals?

Religious rites and rituals originated in ancient times, some have survived to this day. The difference between a ritual and a rite is that the same requirement is performed periodically to achieve union with God. The purpose of the rituals was to help with various events humanity. So, among primitive tribes there was an order based on luck. Before hunting, they hit painted animals with spears. Around the same time, the ritual of burying the dead appeared, which involved a sequence of actions that ensured communication with the afterlife. Over time, rituals were modernized, all religions developed actions of a single, daily, and some of a calendar nature.

In any faith, the sacrament is divided according to the degree of value and importance, while simple objects acquire supernatural functions. Regular bread after transubstantiation it becomes the Body of Christ and the bearer of grace. At the same time, there are rituals that do not provide for such a mission; they are ostentatious. For example, Baptists perceive baptism as an illustration of Christ's death to save people, where the participant is regenerated through public repentance.

What are the rituals?

Rituals are divided according to functionality:

• effective - penetration into the reality of divine power;
• illustrative - demonstration of past episodes or abstract dogmatic facts;
• mandatory - divided into simultaneous and non-simultaneous.

How are rites and rituals related to religion?

Ancient people tried to understand the cause-and-effect relationship natural phenomena, asked questions about why it rains and the sun rises. They animated the surrounding reality, believed that the world was ruled by good and evil spirits, worshiping them as gods.

There are many interpretations of the term “paganism”; scientists believe that it is a religion, others interpret it as a way of life of a certain nationality, and others interpret it as a folklore element. The belief was widespread, but was especially cultivated in Rus' and Scandinavia. In the Ancient Slavic world, governance was carried out by the gods. It should be noted that they were not separated. The gods formed a structured system in a hierarchical ladder, where each performed their own functions, they were subordinate to the supreme Creator. In Christianity, the term is used to contrast the faith of many gods with monotheism.

What happened with the advent of Christianity?

In the 1st century AD e. Christianity was born. Religious scholars recognize the fact that more than 2000 years ago a boy was born in Nazareth, who later became a preacher. Followers of Jesus accept the version of the virgin Mary's virgin birth from the Holy Spirit and honor him as the Messiah. The essence of religion is the worship of one Deity.

The emergence of Christianity had an ideological basis; Judaism became the ideological source. There was a rethinking of the teachings of Judaism about monotheism and messianism. The Old Testament tradition has not lost its significance and has received a new interpretation. For Christians, the Bible serves as an indisputable authority. Jesus was the founder of a code of moral rules that became the basis for the worldview of a new generation.

Religious rituals among ancient people were very different and depended on conditions and lifestyle. Trying to understand and use nature, people inhabited it with spirits and deities and hoped, through rituals, to establish a connection with these creatures to solve pressing problems.

The rituals were accompanied by everyone important events in a person’s life – birth, transition to adulthood, marriage, . Many rituals were magical - people believed that words, objects and phenomena were supernaturally connected. Therefore, they hoped that by influencing one object during the ritual, they would change another in the desired direction.

When did religious practices begin?

Over 40 thousand years ago. The burials of that time speak about this. The remains of animals lie randomly, and people are clearly buried in accordance with some kind of rituals. Traces of paint and jewelry are found on their remains; weapons, dishes, human figures are neatly placed nearby, and toys are found in children’s graves.

From this it is clear that ancient people believed that the dead would live in another world.

To which gods were human sacrifices made in ancient times?

Most often these were the most important deities. The Scythians, who were constantly at war, included the god of war, Ares. Special sanctuaries were erected only for him. They looked like huge mounds of brushwood, and Ares himself was symbolized by an iron sword stuck on the top. Livestock and captives were donated to him.


The ritual was impressive. From every hundred captive men, one was selected, his head was washed with wine and he was stabbed to death so that the blood flowed into a vessel. The container was tipped over the sword. And the lifeless victims were also beheaded right hand, threw it into the sky, and only then the ritual was completed.

Was there a ritual in ancient times similar to the modern funeral?

There was, although it did not always pass in great sadness. The Slavs have a well-known ritual of funeral feasts. The deceased was washed, dressed, decorated, relatives and friends sat near him at night, wailing and singing songs. In the morning, the wall was dismantled to remove the body (“so that the dead man could not return”).

At the burial site there was a feast, good songs, dances, war games - to drive away evil forces. They drank honey mash, ritual food was porridge-kutya, jelly, pancakes. After taking a walk, they burned the deceased on a high wooden platform. Then the bones were selected from the ashes, placed in a vessel and placed on a pole near the road. Scientists consider this to be echoes of more ancient rite when buried on a tree or in its trunk.

Often the body was transported to the burial site on a sleigh - at any time of the year! A sleigh is an ancient, solid transport without shaking. It happened that the body was interred by building a mound over the grave.

Why did ancient people depict animals in caves and on rocks?

It’s unlikely that it’s just “for beauty.” Otherwise, why would artists climb into dark, distant and inaccessible nooks and crannies to do this? Most likely, the drawings were necessary for a hunting ritual.


The paintings usually depict large animals (bison, deer, wild boars) struck by arrows, spears, and axes. The stone retained traces of blows from sharp weapons during the ritual. Having accurately hit the drawn animal, the hunter expected to do the same during the hunt.

Now our weddings last two or three days: feast, toastmaster, dancing, games. How did this happen in ancient times?

For example, among the Aztecs, the inhabitants of Mexico, the marriage ceremony was similar to the series. Let's retell it briefly, omitting the details (matchmaker, soothsayers, change of costumes, etc.).

The main ritual began in the bride’s house - from noon to evening she was congratulated, given farewells, and given gifts. At night, a singing column of relatives and friends of the bride went with torches to the groom's house. She herself, decorated with bright feathers and flowers, was carried (!) by one of the older women on her back. Having met at the threshold, the young people fumigate each other with incense.

The newlyweds were seated by the fireplace, the mother-in-law gave a cloak and other clothes to the son-in-law, the mother-in-law gave a blouse to the daughter-in-law. The matchmaker tied the cloak with the blouse - this moment was the “registration of marriage.” Then the young people were obliged to eat a plate of special pies, feeding each other pieces. Then there were songs, dances, food, drinks.

The couple was sent to a separate room, where they lived for four days, ... offering prayers at the altar and not allowing themselves anything “like that.” Only on the fourth night was a bed made for them for two, and feathers and jade stones were placed in it - symbols of future offspring.

On the fifth day, a priest came in the morning and sprinkled the newlyweds with blessed water; the relatives also sprinkled water on them four times, then with diluted alcoholic drink pulque The guests arrived again, the gifts came again, everyone ate, drank, sang, and danced.

Many existing religious rituals, customs and ceremonies exist very for a long time, because they came to us from ancient times, when people used them as a kind of energy support and assistance in various everyday situations.

Ancient rituals and ceremonies

It is no secret that in ancient times people hunted and thus obtained food for themselves. However, the hunt was not successful every time, and in order to avoid starvation, people tried to summon good luck with signs: for example, they painted animals on the rocks and then hit them with spears, symbolizing a successful outcome.

At the same time, for example, the ritual of human burial began to take shape. Flowers, weapons and objects that a person used during life were supposed to be placed in the grave. As a rule, all rituals denote actions that connect a person with the other world.

Later, a special person began to appear in the tribe to conduct rituals and ceremonies, who was called a magician or sorcerer. They performed all the actions themselves and taught others to perform them. Slavic rituals and rituals may differ from the rituals of other peoples, since they all have their own specifics.

In each era, rituals became more and more complex. People found new ways to ask the gods for what they wanted. Nowadays, each religion has its own rites and rituals, which can be daily (for example), calendar (for example, rites and rituals for Christmas) or single - for example, baptism.

As in our days, a person could pray alone, or by coming to a special temple. In those days, each person had his own small altar at home, at which he was also supposed to pray.

Tribes have lived on Siberian soil since ancient times northern peoples, who had shamans in their tribe who were engaged exclusively in rites and rituals. According to myths, the shaman was chosen by the spirits themselves - the person who was supposed to become him was taken to another world, taken apart and created anew, in a new capacity. Such a person knew how to walk between worlds, could heal people, energy protection, influence the weather. Traditionally, their rituals used music - the ringing of a tambourine.

It’s interesting, but the Buryats and other peoples of the north, who have preserved their culture today, still have shamans who actually own amazing abilities: Can cast and remove a curse or tell fortunes.