The Mystery of Birth Rites
Exploring the Sacred Birth Traditions and Customs of Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus.
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Alongside death, birth is one of the most natural events in human life. Yet, it remains stigmatized and shrouded in mystery, even in today's world where we understand so much about it. Our ancestors, though lacking scientific knowledge, possessed experiential wisdom and as someone who has given birth, I wish I had incorporated some ancestral practices into my experience, although some genuinely terrify me.
I'm pleased to share that in this article, I achieved something I've long aspired to: including regional examples not only from Russia (the most accessible information to me) but also from Ukraine and Belarus. It’s been my longstanding intention to accurately represent Eastern Europe in all it’s beautiful diversity of traditions.
In general, birth, like many transitional periods in a woman's life, was treated similarly to death. The molodukha (young woman) was metaphorically dying to become a mother (mat’). The birth itself was seen as a journey into the underworld to retrieve the child. The woman had to say her farewells to her entire family, as if she were going to die, which I also believe to be a partial reflection of the high mortality rate at the time due to the general distrust towards professional medical practitioners.
There are generally three types of Childbirth Rituals that we will look at:
The birth itself;
Acceptance into the community of the new member;
Purification of the mother and the midwife.
As someone who knows quite a bit about Slavic traditions, the elaborate traditions described in this article surprised even myself. It's a substantial read, so I recommend getting cozy with a cup of tea before diving in.
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