Easter rites (IV/VII). Велікодныя абрады (IV/VII).
The heart of the Easter celebration in Daniljevichy is the re-dressing and worship of the stone cross of the “girl turned to stone” (see photos of the day for March 20, 2015). Village women carefully tie headdresses (namitka – намітка – a traditional girl’s or woman’s head-covering, especially in Ukraine and Belarusian Polesia) around the top of the stone cross. Other examples of binding an idol in this manner are exceptionally rare in Belarus.
The women then bow to the cross, asking for forgiveness of sins.
The most powerful moment for those of us observing the rite came when the women switched from an Easter hymn to folk songs. The women’s unschooled but naturally-inflected, perfectly-pitched and harmonized voices pierced and linked our souls to something profound and mysterious from thousands of years ago.
Цэнтральны момант у Велікодным абрадзе ў Данілевічах – пераапрананьне “каменнай дзевачкі“. Паводле старажытнай і ўжо рэдкай традыцыі бабулькі ўрачыста павязваюць вяршыню “каменнай дзевачкі“ наміткамі. Потым кожная бабулька шануе “каменную дзевачку“ малітвай, у якой просіць прабачэньня за свае грахі.
Нас асабліва кранула, як магутна, пранізьліва, неспасьціжна бабулькі сьпявалі народныя песьні пасьля царкоўнага гімну.
