Ancient wedding rituals in Rus': traditions that we did not know about. Wedding ceremonies in Rus'

Today's marriage and the wedding in Rus' that took place several centuries ago are noticeably different from each other. But still, a number of traditions, having taken on more modern features and lost their original meaning, were able to reach us from the depths of centuries. For example, such rituals as the blessing of parents, matchmaking and bridesmaids have become a formality for newlyweds, but even a century or two ago, without these stages, a wedding would not have been worth even dreaming of!

Wedding ceremonies in Rus' differed from each other depending on the region, social status getting married, historical period. However, there are still many common features between the traditions of the Russian North and the central part of Russia. Let's look at them to have an idea of ​​how one of the greatest sacraments in the history of mankind took place among the Slavs - a wedding.

The sacrament of the wedding ceremony in Rus'

The basis of ancient Russian wedding traditions is the idea of ​​a girl transitioning into the category of “woman,” taking into account the sacred meaning associated with this transformation. Our ancestors sincerely believed that a girl died in her father's house in order to be reborn in her husband's family. Considering her “dead” during this period, the bride was covered from head to toe with thick fabric so that no one could see her face or even the lines of her silhouette. In such attire, the girl was led to the wedding, and only after the marriage was sealed by the priest, the veils were removed, and the newly-made wife independently went to her new home.

Despite the adoption of Christianity, the Slavs were very superstitious at heart, so a pagan magical basis can be traced in many rituals. For example, the period after the wedding and before the first wedding night was considered extremely dangerous for the newlyweds, since they were hunted by evil forces. The young family had to take part in a number of rituals designed to protect them from damage, the evil eye, and witchcraft. For example, at a wedding there was a person who swept the road in front of the newlyweds so that they would not put a lining under their feet for quarrels or death. He also made sure that no one crossed the road for the spouses.

At the table, the young people ate and drank very little, purely symbolically drinking from a common cup after each toast, so as not to offend the guests. The newlyweds were supposed to sleep in a hay barn decorated with icons and arrows with martens located in the corners of the room. The bed was formed from sheaves of grain or wheat. In the morning, guests came in a crowd to the newlyweds to lift the blanket and check whether the bride was a pure girl or not. Sometimes a young mother could bring the sheets to the table, proving that she had raised an honest daughter.

Even in poor peasant families, celebrations lasted several days. On the first day, the bridesmaids prepared the bride to meet the groom, who then took the dowry and transported it to his home. After parental blessing close relatives of the future newlyweds knocked down tables, arranged dishes and food. And on the second day there was a wedding and a long feast, which ended with the wedding night. By the way, the groom had to remain silent these days in order to accumulate the strength to conceive a child. Therefore, the groom was entrusted with the responsibility of ensuring that the wedding took place in accordance with customs and rules.

Matchmaking and wedding preparations

Wedding ceremonies in Rus' were opened by the tradition of matchmaking - a ceremony during which the groom with friends and relatives came to the bride's house. There, the retinue, praising the guy in front of the girl’s family, asked for her hand in marriage. In order for the devils not to follow, the matchmakers had to come to the house by different roundabout roads, and the girl’s parents had to be refused, even if the young couple had been engaged since childhood.

When the matchmaking ended positively, a date was set for the bridegroom ceremony, a ceremony during which the groom’s material and financial condition was examined and his income was discussed.

If matchmakers on the bride's side were dissatisfied with the groom's property, they had every right take back your words because they the main task was to secure her daughter's future. If the viewing was successful, a date was set for the official announcement of the wedding day, after which it would be changed this decision It was impossible, of course, unless some force majeure situation occurred. The betrothal was necessarily celebrated with a magnificent feast.

The bachelorette party was organized two days before the wedding. The girls spent that night talking and singing. First, they went to the bathhouse to wash themselves properly and perform rituals designed to strengthen love relationship between the couple, and then went for a walk, or went to visit the bride. At the bachelorette party, special rituals were necessarily carried out to protect the future young family, during which friends told that a terrible, unhappy life awaited the newlywed, and they also told fortunes and danced in circles. By speaking out loud about a bad future, Slavic women believed that they were scaring away evil spirits from home.

It is impossible to imagine weddings in Rus' without traditional rite with a braid, carried out on the eve of the wedding. So, the bride and her bridesmaids unraveled her braid, casting spells, and braided her two braids. This symbolized the fact of saying goodbye to girlhood and the readiness to become a wife, woman, mother.

By Slavic traditions The groom did not have a bachelor party. He was to spend this evening alone and in silence, although, like the bride, he should visit the bathhouse.

Ancient blessing ceremony

The ritual of blessing in Rus' was considered no less important than the wedding itself. During it, young people, before going to church, came to the courtyard where the bride lived, and there their parents met them, presenting them with bread and salt, and then christening them with a family icon wrapped in a towel. If parents did not give blessings, young couples could even separate.

wedding feast

The newlyweds practically did not eat at the wedding table, much less drink, but only accepted congratulations and gifts from the guests. The serving of the last hot dish, roast, was accompanied by the couple leaving for the hay barn, where, according to tradition, their first night took place. But they were not always able to remain alone, since those invited had the right to call the newlyweds to the table, where the celebration continued.

In the morning, when sweets were served, the newlyweds got up and went to the bathhouse, and the bride’s mother showed the remaining tipsy guests sheets and shirts that proved the innocence of the young wife.

The celebration did not end there. On the third day, the wife was obliged to prove herself and show her skills. She lit the stove, washed the floors, prepared dinner, and at this time the guests joked at her, trying to throw her off balance.

Traditional wedding songs

It is interesting that even during a peasant wedding, the newlyweds were called prince and princess, thus equating the sacrament of marriage with the enthronement of a king. And yet, not a single traditional Russian wedding was complete without chants that accompanied all the holidays.

Of course, most traditions and rituals have already lost their sacred meaning. In addition, modern people no longer take marriage so seriously, limiting themselves to a trip to the registry office or organizing a typically European or themed wedding. But still, there are newlyweds who prefer to formalize their marriage in accordance with ancient traditions, paying tribute to our past and preserving for posterity the memory of the age-old traditions of our people.

Modern wedding traditions differ significantly from the rituals of the past. In ancient times in Rus', the bride had to match her husband in status and financial condition. Parents themselves chose a couple for their children, and quite often the first meeting of the young people took place only on. The wedding took place only in autumn or winter.

The wedding ceremony in Rus' can be divided into three stages:

1. Pre-wedding. Consisted of matchmaking, sewing a dowry and a bachelorette party.
2. Wedding. Wedding ceremony and wedding.
3. Post-wedding. "Disclosure" of the young man in her husband's house, festive table, morning awakening of the young.

Previously, marriage was concluded like this: when parents decided that the time had come, they asked relatives for advice, then sent matchmakers who were already involved in the marriage.

Ancient wedding rituals in Rus'

The main attribute of the celebration was the dowry; sometimes it took a large number of time, everything depended on the financial condition of the bride’s family. It consisted of a bed, a dress, household utensils, jewelry, serfs or property if the bride was of noble origin. The most dramatic moment was the “Baen” ceremony, when the girl’s braid was unraveled.

The ceremony took place in the evening, for which they wore the most best dress and all the decorations that were available. In the front door they prepared a table at which they awaited the arrival of the groom. Then the mother-in-law combed her hair and braided two braids, which symbolized a woman in marriage. After the blessings, the newlyweds went to the wedding; according to the rules, the groom had to arrive first. Only after the wedding could the couple kiss. When leaving, the newlyweds were showered with hops and flax seeds, with wishes of happiness. Afterwards, everyone headed to the husband’s house, where the celebration itself took place.

Wedding ceremonies of Ancient Rus'

Such a celebration in Rus' had certain rules that had to be observed. All ancient weddings in Rus' had a certain scenario:

A wedding is always a joyful event in the life of every couple in love. This day is associated with the creation of a new family. Today everyone has different views for this event: someone prefers to celebrate on modern style; someone wants privacy and goes to remote corners of the Earth to tie the knot with their loved ones; someone thinks about rationality and simply “signs” at the registry office; The last category of newlyweds is trying to comply with all the subtleties of this holiday and therefore everyone should existing traditions(ransoms, bride kidnapping, etc.). But what traditions actually existed in Rus', and do today’s youth observe them?

Who initiated the wedding in Rus'

Currently, a wedding will take place by mutual desire of two people - a man and a woman, and it is quite difficult to imagine a situation where a young girl is forced to marry unloved man. Introduced? Now let's find out how it really happened.

Seniors in age, i.e. parents had more rights on their children than today. So the issue of marriage directly depended on them. The word “matchmaking” dates back to the times when a child was already becoming an adult, and parents began to “look closely” at guys (girls) who could potentially become a husband (wife) for their child. Often the initiative came from the groom's parents - if they liked the girl, then they went to negotiate with the girl's (bride's) parents.

If both parties were satisfied with everything, then they agreed on the wedding. Nobody asked the opinions of the people getting married. There were often cases when a girl was in love with one man, but was forced to marry another. Threats to parents, requests for a loved one, and escapes were rarely successful. Marriages without parental approval were extremely rare. Only adult men who were looking for a life partner had the right to choose. Even a very young girl who did not at all want an old husband could become such a companion. A wedding in Rus' took place completely without the consent of the newlyweds.

What traditions associated with weddings existed in Rus'

Everyone should know that previously marriage took place mainly in the church, and not in the registry office as it is today. Therefore, a wedding, the conclusion of a marriage union, was considered a wedding. The union before God and before people was concluded by the priest in the presence of all invited guests.

Before going to church, the bride and groom were seated on furs. This was done with the aim of attracting wealth and prosperity to the newly created family. The matchmaker combed the bride's hair, first wetting the comb (at that time a comb) in wine or strong honey. After this, the newlyweds were showered with grain and money or hops, thereby attracting a life of abundance to them. Next, the wedding candles were lit with a church candle.

They brought bread wine with them to the church, which was needed for the ceremony, when the bride and groom had to drink it (the tradition is identical to modern weddings in church). According to the ritual, the bride and groom must drink wine three times from a glass given by the priest. After the third sip, the groom had to throw the glass on the floor and stomp on it. After the wedding day, wedding candles were placed at the head of the newlyweds' bed along with a handful of wheat. These candles remained there for a whole year.

The newlyweds' marriage bed was also arranged according to tradition. The room where the newlyweds' first wedding night took place was called the sennik. The sennik was previously cleaned and arranged in a special way: in mandatory Icons were hung on the walls, arrows were stuck in the corners, on which marten or sable were in turn hung. The benches were lined with bowls of honey. The marriage bed itself was built on the 21st sheaf. Before the newlyweds went to the room reserved for them, they listened to the instructions of the imprisoned father.

During the wedding itself, or as they said in those days, the wedding feast, the newlyweds were limited in drinking and food. They could only sip from one glass of wine and eat one piece of pie. This is due to the fact that the newlyweds first wedding night should have started having offspring. The groom had to hold the bride's hand on the wedding day, otherwise he was predicted to get into trouble.

In the morning, after the wedding night, the elders came to the hay barn and checked the sheets of the newlywed to check her purity. If it turned out that the bride (now wife) was not a virgin, then the groomsman (now the witness) took a glass of wine with a hole in the bottom. He plugged this hole with his finger, and, bringing the glass to the bride’s mother, he released his finger, and she wet herself accordingly. Thus, the bride's family was ridiculed and she herself was shamed.
After the wedding day, the newlyweds were taken to the bathhouse. There the mother-in-law gave the dress to the groom, and later fed him porridge.

Thus, a wedding in Rus' consisted of three parts: pre-wedding, wedding and post-wedding. Let's compare how modern traditional wedding in Russia?

Wedding in Russia: traditions or remnants of the past

In Russia, of course, it differs in many ways from weddings in the past, but many “echoes of the past” still exist. Many people today consider it “unfashionable” to follow traditions, especially when it comes to weddings. But still, despite all the prejudices, today there are still some newlyweds who are ready to observe wedding traditions.

Let's start with the pre-wedding stage. IN modern world There is still the so-called “matchmaking”, when the parents of the bride and groom get to know each other. This usually happens long before the wedding, when a couple in love decided to introduce their parents and talk about their intentions to get married. This evening of dating is popularly called matchmaking. Parents get to know each other, find out questions about families that interest them, talk about their children (newlyweds) and discuss details upcoming wedding. After the “introduction” meeting, parents from the groom’s side and the bride’s side can meet to resolve “wedding issues”.

Other traditions that many people observe before the wedding: buying outfits separately (the groom should not see the bride in wedding dress before the wedding), the bride on the night before the wedding must spend the night in her parents' house (separate from the groom) and others.

There are also many traditions on the wedding day: ransoming the bride, the bride's shoes must be closed, decorating the car, eating a loaf, breaking glasses for good luck, launching doves, tying ribbons and hanging locks, throwing a bouquet and headband, etc. Sprinkling with millet and coins is a tradition that has come into modern times since ancient times. These are the main traditions that are observed by modern newlyweds.

Weddings that took place several centuries ago are significantly different from today's weddings. Many traditions of the past have been preserved, but have taken other forms, modified, having lost their original meaning. Ancient wedding rituals in Rus' (bride, blessing, etc.) were an integral part of marriage, without them the celebration could not take place. The descriptions of sacraments and traditions presented below will help you understand how an ancient Russian wedding took place.

The sacrament of the wedding ceremony in Rus'

The transition of a girl from one family to another is the basis wedding ceremonies of the past. It was believed that she died in her father's house, and after the wedding was reborn in her husband's family. At the wedding the girl was hidden under dense fabrics, with scarves behind which her face and body were not visible. It was impossible to look at her, because according to legend she was “dead.” The bride was led to the altar, holding her by the arms, but after the wedding she left the church on her own, “born again.”

Many wedding ceremonies in ancient Rus' had a magical background. Before the priest forever united the souls of lovers, the future husband and wife were considered vulnerable to evil forces. Many rituals were carried out to help the newlyweds avoid the evil eye and damage: for example, sweeping the road in front of the newlyweds. The ritual excluded the possibility that something would be planted at the feet of the spouses that would attract evil spirits to new family. Crossing their path was also considered a bad omen.

In ancient times, a wedding was celebrated for several days. The first day was full of events: the bride was prepared for the imminent arrival of her betrothed, the dowry was transported, then the future spouses received a blessing and went to the wedding feast. A large-scale wedding feast took place the next day, after the church wedding ceremony. During the wedding, the groom had to remain silent, so responsibility for performing wedding rituals lay with the groom (relative or friend of the groom).

To avoid damage, custom prescribed that the newlyweds should sleep in a new place - for their first wedding night they were prepared with a haybox, the decoration of which was icons, arrows in the four corners with martens on them, and a bed of twenty-one sheaves. During the wedding feast, the newlyweds drank and ate little, and the last dish was brought to them at bedside. In the morning, they lifted the blanket with the help of an arrow, checking whether the bride was innocent when she got married.

Matchmaking and wedding preparations

Before the wedding, there were several ancient rituals. The first was matchmaking, when the groom's relatives and friends came to the bride's parents, praised him, and talked about his merits. In order for the meeting to be successful, matchmakers and matchmakers traveled in a roundabout way, confusing their tracks - this was protection from dark forces. The first time, the bride's parents should have refused the matchmakers, despite the preliminary agreement between the families about the marriage.

After the positive answer was given to the matchmakers, another important ritual was carried out - the bride. It consisted of an inspection of the chosen one’s clothes, dishes, general condition household. In the old days, bridesmaids could change the parents' decision to marry off their daughter - a person who was not rich enough to provide for her was refused.

If the viewing went well, and the girl’s relatives were satisfied financial situation future spouse, a day was set when the family would officially announce their decision - then nothing could interfere with the wedding except unforeseen force majeure circumstances. In Rus', it was customary to talk about engagement during a feast in the presence of many guests.

On the eve of the celebration itself, the girl and her friends had to visit the bathhouse. There they washed, sang songs, talked. After the bath, the bachelorette party continued, at which rituals of protection against dark forces were carried out - the girlfriends described the life of the bride and her husband as gloomy and unhappy. Previously, it was believed that this would scare away unclean spirits. The girls performed night fortune-telling by candlelight, danced in circles, and performed ritual ceremonies to strengthen the connection with their future husband.

Unraveling the betrothed's braid by the bridesmaids and weaving two braids instead is an important wedding ritual in the list of customary ones in Rus', which was carried out on the eve of the ceremony. It symbolized the bride’s farewell to girlhood, her formation as a woman, and her readiness to conceive a child.

The groom also visited the bathhouse before the wedding celebration, but alone. Unlike his betrothed, who had to spend the whole evening talking with her friends, telling fortunes and dancing, he had to remain silent.

Ancient blessing ceremony

The Orthodox rite of parental blessing, carried out in ancient times, was considered one of the most important wedding events. Couples separated if they were refused the blessing ritual. It was carried out like this: before the wedding, the future spouses came to the courtyard of the bride’s parental home, where the mother and father greeted them with bread and salt and baptized them with icons wrapped in a towel. For more information about the ceremony, see the photo below.

The newlyweds should have refrained from drinking and eating at the wedding table. They accepted gifts and congratulations, and when the last dish was served (usually a roast) they went to the hay barn, where they spent their first wedding night. Guests were allowed to wake up the newlyweds several times during the night in order to call them back to the table.

In the morning, when most of the tipsy guests left the feast, " sweet table" After it, the newlyweds went to wash, and the bride’s sheet or shirt was often shown to fellow villagers, proving the girl’s innocence.

The third day of the wedding was difficult for the wife - she needed to show her abilities as a housewife: light the stove, cook dinner, wash the floors, and the guests different ways tried to stop her.

A peasant wedding usually lasted three days. The betrothed were called “prince” and “princess”, because the sacrament of the wedding ceremony in this perspective in Rus' was similar to the elevation of princes to the dignity of power.

Traditional wedding songs

Not a single celebration was held without traditional wedding songs. They accompanied the pre-wedding rituals and several holidays. Watch videos of traditional performances wedding songs Rus':

• Russian folk wedding song:

• "Loach over the water":

Many wedding rituals and customs have lost their original meaning, and the attitude of modern people towards ancient rites has changed - often weddings are limited to painting in the registry office. But some couples continue to observe the ancient traditions of the celebration, paying tribute to the rich past of our country.

What Russian wedding rituals did you find interesting? Maybe you were a participant in such a wedding? Tell us about it in the comments.

Many people wonder where it came from beautiful tradition hold a wedding? Why are bachelor and bachelorette parties held? Why should the bride wear a white dress? What does veil mean?
It turns out that all wedding traditions and customs came directly to us from our ancestors. Story wedding customs in Rus' and marriage takes its origins from the times Ancient Rus'.

Wedding ceremonies in Rus'

The Slavs believed that the main conditions were that the bride had to correspond to the groom in status, including material status. If the girl’s family lived in wealth, then the groom was chosen no lower in rank. Interesting fact, the groom might not even see his future wife in person, just like she would not see her future husband. The parents chose the wife for their son. They could see each other only during the wedding celebration. The bride could be quite young, no more than thirteen years old. At such a young age, she already knew how to do everything around the house, sew, and cook. It was believed that a wedding should be held either in the fall or in the winter. Intercession is a sacred holiday honored by the Slavs. The Veil blesses young spouses for a long, happy family life.

Wedding ceremonies in Ancient Rus' took place in three stages. First, it was time for preparation. This stage was called pre-nuptial. It included matchmaking, meeting parents, a bachelorette party, and preparing a dowry.

Matchmaking

After the couple decided to tie the knot, the girl’s family was actively preparing for the meeting of the groom and his parents. Father-in-law and mother-in-law were called matchmakers. This name of the relatives remains to this day. A large table was set with a white tablecloth. Cooked Tasty dinner. The young guy shouldn't have just come, especially alone and with empty handed. He was supposed to arrive along with all his relatives, father, grandfather, and brothers on a horse-drawn cart. Everything is decorated with ribbons and bells so that everyone can see that people are going to get married. The bride should have heard the groom approaching and ran out to meet him.

Everyone got acquainted. The young groom gave gifts to his parents. He gave the future father-in-law wine, meat, a sheepskin coat, and a vest made of animal skin. Beaver, fox, bear. The gift ritual signified high respect and serious intentions about their daughter.

Dowry

After the parents' blessing, the wedding date was set. Then the girl begins to prepare her dowry. Her mother helped her elder sister, grandmother. The dowry was different and depended on the same family status:

• dresses;
• fur coats;
• dishes;
• paintings;
• curtains;
• bed linen, blanket, bedspread;
• carpets.

Bachelorette and bachelor parties

The new bride was having a bachelorette party. It was held on the eve of the upcoming wedding, three days in advance. Is not fun party friends with gifts, like we have now. Everything was completely different.
In Ancient Rus', the bride gathered all the women of the village, her friends, and relatives. She definitely invited the vytnitsa to the house. There were very few of these women in Rus', so they were held in high esteem among the Slavs. Vytnitsa sang a painful song, and the girl cried. This is how it was customary to say goodbye to youth, your carefree youth, parents' house. She definitely had to cry, otherwise an unhappy marriage awaited her.

After this, the girl invited all the women to her house for the table. They drank wine, ate, cried. She gave all women two belts. Then everyone started singing songs. They sang and sang, and if the parents allowed their daughter to leave the house, then they went to the field (in summer) or rode on a sleigh (in winter), and sang songs loudly in chorus. Then the girl went with best friends to the bathhouse, where they washed her for the upcoming wedding.
But for the groom, things were not so fun. He just went to the bathhouse alone and had to be silent all night.

Wedding

The second stage of the ancient wedding ceremony in Rus' was called the wedding; of course, it included the celebration itself. The first wedding ceremony in Rus' began early at dawn. Future wife I read various spells against the evil eye in my future husband’s house.

Ransom

Then the groom came to pick up his bride, but in order to pick her up, or rather get to her, he had to complete many difficult tasks. Everything was fun. All the relatives from the bride's side took part in it. First, they blocked the groom’s entry into the village itself. Then to the gate. If the groom could not cope with the obstacle, then he had to pay in coin. They didn't try to rob him dry. That's what tradition said. Only a friend-witness was allowed to help.

The wedding ceremony itself in Rus' took place in a cheerful, solemn atmosphere. Upon entering the ceremony site, the mother of the groom sprinkled oats and millet on both of them. This ritual meant wealth in the future family.

Everyone was invited to the wedding, from young to old. Neighbors, friends and all relatives. Anyone could come to the wedding, even strangers.

What was customary to give for a wedding?

According to ancient Russian traditions, it was customary for newlyweds to give

• white towels with beautiful fringe;
• a whip so that the wife does not forget who is boss in the house and where her place is;
• various kitchen utensils;
• porcelain and crystal products.

Attention

Gifts were given not only to the newlyweds, but also to the parents of those getting married.

A rich wedding in Rus', the traditions of which have survived to this day, looked according to the status of the groom. If the groom is rich, then the festive table is rich. Lots of meat, fresh produce, wine, pickles. If the groom was poor, then wedding table was poor and modest.

Why did the bride wear a white dress?

The Slavs considered a white dress an indicator of a girl’s innocence and spiritual purity. If the girl was not innocent, she had no right to wear white dress. This was punished and considered disrespect for Russian traditions.
The girl’s bouquet was collected by her mother-in-law from wildflowers, which were found even in winter. That's what tradition said. In Rus', a wedding was a holiday for the entire village. Everyone sang and danced. The wedding lasted exactly three days. This was done specifically to test the endurance of the young. They had to sit through all three days, otherwise there would be no happiness.

On the second wedding day, the newlyweds went to a bed prepared in advance by relatives for them, which could be in a stable, in a hayloft or in a bathhouse. Then anyone could come there and look at the bride’s shirt, which proved her innocence. This is how weddings took place in Rus'. The traditions are very interesting and not just made up out of my head.

After the young spouses returned to wedding celebration, the matchmaker took off the bride's veil and put on the kika. A headdress that meant that the bride was no longer a girl, but now a wife, mistress of the house, and future mother.

Slavic wedding rituals are still in demand among today's newlyweds. People have been keeping the customs and traditions of their ancestors for decades.

Slavic wedding rituals are loved by many modern people. Wedding planners always incorporate many customs and traditions from ancient times.

After the wedding

Three have passed wedding day. Now the young people begin to live together. The groom always carried the bride into the house in his arms. This was considered a good belief. So he told the brownie that now the mistress here is a woman.
A woman and a man remain faithful to each other until the end, because during the marriage ceremony they took an oath before God. This was considered an important ritual in Rus'. Their first kiss happened at the wedding. Over the years, love for each other and respect appeared.

If the family lived happily and richly, this meant that they carried out all the necessary rituals during the wedding and adhered to ancient Russian traditions. The woman kept the dress in a chest and only took it out to give it to her daughter. But this was not necessary. The dress could have been sewn by the girl herself and her friends.
When the husband died, the wife remained a widow for life; she could no longer marry.

Like these ones interesting traditions came to us from Ancient Rus'. All customs were not invented on empty space, they carried a whole story that has survived to this day.