13. Parts of Ukrainian culture

Parts of national culture are its spheres in a definite historical period. It means that ethnoculture, economics, politics, religion, science, technology, philosophy, literature, arts, and crafts can be observed in their specifics in ancient, medieval, and modern periods of Ukrainian history.

14. The differences between Ukrainian ethnoculture and professional culture

Ukrainian ethnoculture based on folklore traditions and customs, pagan influences on cultural life; Orthodoxy, Catholicism, and Greek-Catholic rite as traditional believes of Ukrainians, Judaism as a religion of Jews who inhabited Ukrainian lands since the ancient times, and Islam, the oppression to which for a centuries constituted Ukrainian traditions; Eastern (pre-Indo-European, Indo-European, pre-Slavic, Balkan, Iranian, and Altai) and Western (Ancient Greek and Roman, Germanic Byzantium, and Western-European) external cultural influences; professional culture which is created by professional artists, writers, poets, philosophers, musicians, scientists and is closely connected with the world cultural heritage

15. Sources of information about culture of Pre-Slavic and Slavic population in Ukrainian lands

The earliest traces of human habitation in present-day Ukraine date back approximately 150,000 years, and materials from prehistoric peoples (e.g., flint weapons, primitive tools, graves) have been found across the country. By 5000– 4000 b.c.e. , the first agricultural peoples settled southwestern Ukraine. Little is known about these early agrarian peoples—the so-called Trypillian culture— who lived in large villages and, by 2700 b.c.e., had expanded eastward to form settlements along the Dnieper River near Kiev. Some Ukrainians, seeking to anchor their identity in a more prestigious past, have claimed that the Trypillians invented the wheel, writing, and agriculture; helped found Sumerian and Hittite civilizations; built Stonehenge; and were ancestors to Christ, Buddha, and Zarathustra. No evidence has ever emerged for what one scholar calls such “outlandish claims.” 1 In any event, it would be difficult to call such people Ukrainians—they did not speak Ukrainian, had no conception of “Ukraine,” and obviously were not Christians. Archaeological evidence suggests that the Trypillians disappeared by 2000 b.c.e. , replaced by various nomadic tribes who found the climate and soils of Ukraine suitable for raising their herds.

The first mention in literature of any inhabitants of Ukraine comes from Homer’s Odyssey, which refers to the “land of the Cimmerians” on the northern shore of the Black Sea.

16. Peculiarities of Slavic mythology

For the pagans is nothing supernatural, nothing that would be beyond nature. PaganSlavs never needed an expression of their faith in churches as special religiousorganizations, so that the divine was always there where they were sitting around andwithin them. The essence of the ancient faith - is not personal salvation, as in parts of the world'sreligions - and preserving and enhancing the kind of fertile land, cattle fertility, healthlifestyles and values family. Thus, this complex of beliefs and lifestyles, and worldview,and way of playing clan relations, culture, knowledge and skills.

17. Slavic calendar and festivals

Slavic myths were cyclical, repeating every year over a series of festivites that followed changes of nature and seasons. Thus, to understand their mythology, it is important to understand their concept of calendar. On the basis of archeological and folklore remains, it is possible to reconstruct some elements of pre-Christian calendar, particularly major feastivals.

The year was apparently lunar, and began on the first day of March, similar to other Indo-European cultures whose old calendar systems are better known to us. The spring fertility festival of Maslenitsa, rooted in pagan times and involving the burning of a straw effigy is still celebrated by Slavs all over the world.

The summer solstice festival is known today variously as Ivanje, Kupala or Kries. It was celebrated pretty much as a huge wedding, and, according to some indications from historical sources, in pagan times likely followed by a general orgy. There was a lot of eating and drinking on the night before, large bonfires (in Slavic - Kres) were lit, and youngsters were coupling and dancing in circles, or jumped across fires. Young girls made wreaths from flowers and fern (which apparently was a sacred plant for this celebration), tossed them into rivers, and on the basis of how and where they floated, foretold each other how they would get married. Ritual bathing on this night was also very important.

In the middle of summer, there was a festival associated with thunder-god Perun, in post-Christian times transformed into a very important festival of Saint Elijah. It was considered the holiest time of the year, and there are some indications from historic sources that it involved human sacrifices. The harvest probably began afterwards.