Slavic wedding rings

Wedding Old Slavic wedding rings are a talisman of family life. It is impossible to say exactly from which period our ancestors began to exchange rings during marriage, but the fact that they are mentioned in the annals is absolutely certain.

B.A. Rybakov, in his study of the life and life of the Slavs, mentions that wedding rings were usually presented to girls, complete with other wedding amulets, each of which had its own meaning.

It was believed that a ring with a certain symbolism of the macro-world (the movement of the sun through the three steps of a person’s life) would protect the personal world of a woman and her family, and give her wisdom, fertility and happiness.

In addition to the ring, a couple of spoons were given to the wedding (two people married, to eat food together until the end of days, not to feel any need), protected the bird in the nest (which is responsible for peace and harmony in the family), the key (a symbol of safety, belonging one person to another until the end of days), the jaw of a predatory animal (for protection from spiteful critics).

The most popular in wedding rings is the motive of the swastika, which had a huge number of outlines and interpretations (about 50 values). The basic value of the swastika among the ancient Slavs is a symbol of eternal life, a sign of the sun god, the victory of good over evil, the endless cycle of life. Such a pattern on wedding rings means loyalty until the end of days, reverence and love, the desire to overcome all difficulties together and live hand in hand in another world in order to be reborn.

Another popular Old Slavic motif on modern wedding rings is the wedding master. Weddings - these are two swastikas: red and blue (male and female), which are intertwined with each other, forming their own world. However, they do not close in a circle. This symbolizes that the family does not live on its own, but in accordance with the traditions of the tribe and the will of the gods, extending its kind. There are no right angles in this ward, symbolizing smoothness and peace in married life.

Eight rays - eight children who were to be born in a family in payment of debt to parents and gods (four were given by the mother, four by the father), and the ninth child - the firstborn - is a gift from both parents to Rod. Previously, the wedding master was woven into embroidery on a wedding dress, now it is customary to use it on rings and amulets.

Wedding rings are decorated with the sign of solard. This is another kind of swastika, which is a symbol of fertility and femininity. A symbol of prosperity of the land of the ancestors.

A popular symbol for wedding rings is the Odal rune, which denotes the symbol of procreation, homeland, property. Mostly symbolizes the safety of material values ​​in the family.

Women's wedding rings are decorated with a symbol of fertility - Mokos - the mother of the raw earth. But not in its traditional image (a woman stretching her arms to the sky), but in a symbolic one (a large square, divided into four parts by two straight lines).

The traditional metal from which the Slavs made wedding rings was bronze, then an alloy of copper and gold. Silver was not used for this purpose, since it was a very rare metal. Newlyweds with silver rings were considered lucky and many couples envied them.

However, despite the fact that silver is now available, it is still not the most popular material for the marriage Slavic ring. It's all about the softness of this metal, which over time becomes brittle and loses its shape.

The most popular rings in the Slavic style are white gold rings. Outwardly, they resemble silver, but much more durable and comfortable.

In Russia, the rules of wearing wedding rings are strictly observed. After the boy and the girl performed the ritual of naming the bride and groom, they put on each other engagement rings to protect the ringless finger of their right hand. After the marriage ceremony was performed, the youngsters added one more ring to the ring finger of his left hand.

Now Orthodoxy does not impose any specific requirements for wedding rings, so the newlyweds can choose any option that they like.