Slavs - who are they? Life, way of life, culture of the ancient Slavs

From the history books we know that the Slavs are one of the largest ethnic communities in the Old World. However, until the end it is not clear who they were or where they came from. Let's try to study these scanty information on scraps, and also we will dwell on more reliable facts about the life, way of life, culture and beliefs of these tribes.

Who are they?

Let's try to find out who the Slavs are, where they came from and why they left their homeland. There are several versions on this issue. Some historians believe that the Slavic tribes did not come from anywhere, but lived here since the creation of the world. Other scientists consider them descendants of the Scythians or Sarmatians, while others refer to other nationalities that have come from the depths of Asia, including arias. But it is unreal to draw conclusions, each hypothesis has its shortcomings and white spots.

It is generally accepted to regard the Slavs as an Indo-European people, who found themselves in the Old World during the Great Migration. He lost contact with the related Germanic tribes because of the great distance and went his own way of development. But there are many adherents of the theory that this ethnic community came from Asia after the Flood, along the way assimilating with the locals and establishing the centers of civilizations - the Etruscans, Greeks and Romans, and then settled the Balkans, the banks of the Vistula, the Dniester and the Dnieper. The chronicler Nestor believes that the Slavs came to Russia after the Babylonian conflagration.

The name of the ethnos is no less controversial. Some researchers are convinced that the Slavs mean "literate people who know the word", others translate the name as "glorious" or look for its origins in the name of the Dnieper - Slavutich.

The main activities of our ancestors

So, we found out that the Slavs are nomadic tribes who settled. They were united by a common language, beliefs, traditions. And what were the lessons of the Slavs? There are no options, of course, this is agriculture. In the forest zones, it was first necessary to prepare the site, cutting down the trees and uprooting the stumps. In the forest-steppe areas, the grass was first burned, and then the ground was fertilized with ashes, and the seeds were loosened and planted. From the tools used plow, plow, harrow. From agricultural crops they grew millet, rye, wheat, barley, peas, hemp, flax.

The rest of the classes of the Slavs were directed to the production of tools for farming (blacksmithing), as well as for domestic needs (pottery). Cattle breeding was highly developed: our ancestors bred sheep, horses, goats, pigs. In addition, they used the gifts of the forest: they collected mushrooms, berries, honey of forest bees, hunted wild birds and animals. This and traded with neighbors, and the first money is considered to be the skins of martens.

Culture

The calm life of the Slavs favored the development of culture. Agriculture remained the main occupation of the community, but arts and crafts developed (weaving, jewelry, wood carving, bone and metal, cooperage, leather). They also had the rudiments of writing.

Our ancestors lived in communities, important decisions were made at the general meeting. In the possession of the community there were meadows, arable land, pastures. But each person could have his own property and cattle. At the head of the tribal alliance was the prince, who relied on the boyars-votchinnikov. They were respected people, who were elected during the people's congress, then they turned into a local nobility.

In everyday life, the Slavs were unpretentious, easily tolerated by the vagaries of the weather, hunger. But remained proud, free-loving, brave and faithful to their community, their kind. The guests were always greeted with bread and salt, offering the very best that was available in the house.

Restless neighbors

Slavs settled between Europe and Asia, in the lands with a unique reserve of resources and fertile soil. They occupied a vast territory almost painlessly, since there was enough space for everyone. But the riches of the land attracted the robbers. Restless neighbors of the Slavs - nomads Avars, Khazars, Pechenegs and Polovtsians - constantly raided villages. Our ancestors had to unite against them and together to beat uninvited guests. This taught them military affairs, constant readiness for danger, frequent changes in habitats, endurance. But the Slavs in themselves were uninitiated, friendly, they respected the rights of others, never had slaves.

Instead of concluding

Before Prince Vladimir baptized Rus, the Slavs were pagans. They worshiped the forces of nature, built temples and created idols, they sacrificed them (not human). Especially the cult of ancestors, including dead ones, was developed. Christianity allowed the Old Russian state to become closer to Europe, but at the same time it stole much. Objects of material, spiritual and cultural value were destroyed, and what the Slavs allocated to other peoples was lost. There was a symbiosis, which, although it had elements of the old culture, was formed under the influence of Byzantium. But this, as they say, is a completely different story ...