Setu calls his land the best on earth. The Seto people belong to the small Finno-Ugric tribes. They absorbed the features of Russian and Estonian culture, which influenced life and became the reason for the inclusion of Seto traditions in the list cultural heritage UNESCO.

Where they live (territory), number

Setu distribution is uneven. In Estonia there are about 10 thousand of them, and in the Russian Federation there are only 200–300 people. Many call the Pskov region their homeland, although they prefer to live in another country.

Story

Many scholars argue about the origins of the Seto people. Some believe that the Setos are descendants of the Estonians who fled from the Livonians to the Pskov land. Others put forward a version about the formation of the people as descendants of the Chuds, who were joined by Estonian settlers who converted to Orthodoxy in the 19th century. Still others put forward the version of the formation of the Seto as an exclusively independent ethnic group, which later underwent partial assimilation. The most common version remains the origin of the ancient Chud, which is confirmed by the pagan elements characteristic of this people. At the same time, no elements of Lutheranism have yet been discovered. The study of Seto began in the 19th century. Then, as a result of the census, they were able to count 9,000 people, most of whom lived in the Pskov province. When the official census of the entire population was carried out in 1897 Russian Empire, it turned out that the Seto population had grown to 16.5 thousand people. The Russian people and the Setos got along well with each other thanks to the activities of the Holy Dormition Monastery. Orthodoxy was accepted with love, although many of the Setos did not know Russian. Close contacts with the Russians led to gradual assimilation. Many of the Russian people could speak the Seto dialect, although the Setos themselves believed that it was easier to communicate with each other in Russian. At the same time, the limited vocabulary was noted.
Historians know that the Setos were not serfs, but lived modestly, but were always free.
During Soviet rule, thousands of Setos went to the Estonian SSR, many had relatives there, and some sought more high level life. The Estonian language, which was closer, also played a role. Receiving an education in Estonian contributed to rapid assimilation, and they themselves Soviet authorities The Setos were indicated in the census as Estonians.
On the territory of Estonia, the majority of Setos identify themselves with their people, and the residents of the Russian part of Setum do the same - that’s what the people call their native land. Now Russian authorities actively contribute to the preservation of Seto cultural heritage. The Varvarian Church conducts services in Russian and Seto languages. So far, the Setu people are officially small in number. Estonians equate the Seto language with the Võru dialect. Võru are a people living in Estonia. Their language is similar to the Seto language, so the latter study it more often in school. The language is considered part of the cultural heritage and is included in the UNESCO Atlas of Endangered Languages.

Traditions

One of the main Setu traditions is the performance of songs. It is believed that they should be performed by those with “silver” voices. Such girls are called mothers of song. Their work can be called quite hard, because they have to learn thousands of poems, and they need to improvise on the go. The mother performs the song she has memorized and gives out new song depending on current events. Singing can also be choral, and during the process the vocalist takes the lead, and after him the choir takes over. The voices in the choir are divided into upper and lower. The first ones are distinguished by their sonority and are called “killo”, and the second ones are drawn out - “torro”. The chants themselves are called lelo - it’s not just folk art, but a whole language. Setu do not perceive singing as something that is unique to talented person. Even without vocal abilities you can sing songs. During the performance of lelo, girls and adult women most often tell epic stories. Their songs are needed for demonstration spiritual world and are compared to the shimmer of silver.
It is customary for the Sets to celebrate weddings over 3 days. During a wedding, it is customary to arrange a ritual symbolizing the departure of the bride from family of origin and moving to her husband's house. This ritual has a clear resemblance to a funeral, because it represents the death of girlhood. The girl is placed on a chair and carried, demonstrating the transition to another world. Relatives and guests must approach the girl, drink to her health and put money to help the future family on a special dish that is placed next to her.

Meanwhile, the husband and friends arrive for the ceremony. One of the friends must lead the bride out of the house, holding a whip and a staff, and the girl herself must be covered with a sheet. Then she was escorted all the way to the church, carried on a sleigh or cart. The bride could travel with her parents, but after the wedding she had to go on the road only with her husband. Setu usually celebrates the wedding on Sunday and the wedding ceremony is performed on Friday. The bride should also give gifts to the groom's relatives to confirm her entry into the rights of a wife. Upon completion wedding ceremony the guests escorted the newlyweds to a special bed, which was located in a cage. In the morning, the newlyweds are woken up, and the bride's hair is styled in a special way - as it should be for a married woman. She was supposed to wear a headdress and receive items that accentuated her new status. Then it was time to bathe in the bathhouse, and only after that the festive festivities began. Song groups would certainly prepare for the wedding, telling in their songs about the holiday, the newlyweds and wishing them a happy life together.
Attitude to funeral rite Over the years, the Seto has not changed. Traditions equate physical death with important event, symbolizing the transition to another world. After burial, a tablecloth is laid out at the site of the deceased’s grave, on which all ritual dishes are laid out. Those mourning the deceased prepare food themselves, bringing it from home. Many years ago, the main ritual dish became kutia - peas mixed with honey. They put it on the tablecloth boiled eggs. You need to leave the cemetery as quickly as possible, looking for roundabout routes. Such flight symbolizes the desire to avoid death, which tends to overtake every person. The funeral is held in the house where the deceased lived. The ritual meal is modest and includes fried fish or meat, cheese, kutya, and jelly.

Culture

In Seto culture important role fairy tales and legends play. They have survived to this day. Most of the stories tell about sacred places, for example, chapels, burial grounds, as well as the Pskov-Pechersky Monastery and its numerous collection of icons. The popularity of fairy tales is associated not only with their content, but also with the ability of the speakers to read them beautifully.
There are very few museums dedicated to Seto culture. The only state museum is located in Sigovo. Located there private museum, which was created by a music teacher from St. Petersburg. The author's museum contains a lot of things, one way or another connected with the Seto people over 20 years. The preservation of culture during the Soviet years was hampered by deportations that affected the entire Baltic region.

Appearance

Setos usually have round faces with clear eyes. They can easily be mistaken for Slavs. Hair is usually blond or red and begins to darken with age. Women love to braid their hair; girls do two braids. Men wear beards that are mature age They often stop shaving altogether.

Cloth

We mentioned the mothers of song, whose words shimmer like silver. This comparison is not accidental, because silver coins are the main decorations for Seto women. Silver coins tied into single chains are not ordinary wardrobe elements, but entire symbols. Women receive their first chain of silver coins at birth. It will stay with her until the end of her days. When she gets married, she is given a silver brooch, symbolizing her status as a married woman. In addition, such a gift serves as a talisman and protects against evil spirits. IN holidays girls wear all silver jewelry, which can weigh approximately 6 kg. It's heavy, but it looks expensive. Jewelry can be different - from small coins to large plaques strung on thin chains. Adult women wear entire bibs cast in silver.
Traditional outfits also include a lot of silver jewelry. The main colors of clothing are white, red in different shades and black. A characteristic element of clothing, both for men and women, are shirts decorated with fine embroidery made of red threads. The embroidery technique is very complex, and it is not accessible to everyone. Many believe that Setu clothing was borrowed from the Russians, however, unlike them, Setu women wear sleeveless dresses with an apron, while Russian girls traditionally wore a skirt or sundress.
Seth had dresses and other clothes made from fine fabric. It was mostly wool. Linen shirts were worn. Women's headdress is a scarf, which is tied under the chin or a headband. Men use felt hats. Nowadays, few Seto people make their own clothes; traditional outfits are no longer in use, although the craftsmen who make them still practice their craft. A distinctive feature of the wardrobe is wearing a sash. Such a belt must be red, and the technique for making it may vary. The main shoes of the Seto are bast shoes. On holidays, boots are worn.

Religion

It is common for Setos to live with representatives of other nations. They accepted beliefs from them, but always preserved their religion. Now the Setos remain faithful to Christianity, most of them are Orthodox. At the same time, the Seto religion combines Christian customs and ancient pagan rituals, characteristic only of this people.
The Seto observe all the necessary rituals, including visiting churches, venerating saints, and baptism, but at the same time they believe in the god Peko, who symbolizes fertility. On Midsummer's Day, you are supposed to go to church, and then visit the sacred stone, to which you need to bow and bring a gift of bread. When important Orthodox holidays come, the Setos go to the Church of St. Barbara. On weekdays, services take place in small chapels, and each village has its own chapel.

Life

Seth is very hardworking people. His people never shunned any kind of work, but they avoided fishing. They believe that this activity is extremely dangerous, so since ancient times it has been customary for anyone who goes fishing to take clothing for the funeral rite. Mourners mourned those departing in advance. It was a different matter if we were talking about plowing. Everyone who went to the field was accompanied with songs. All this led to the development of agriculture and animal husbandry. The Setus learned to grow crops from the Russians, grew a lot of flax, and raised sheep, poultry, and cattle. While feeding livestock, women sing songs, they cook with them, go to fetch water, and collect crops in the field. The Seto even have a sign that defines a good housewife. If she knows more than 100 songs, then she is good at housekeeping.

Housing

The Setu used to live in villages that were built next to arable land. Such settlements are considered farmsteads, and the houses are built in such a way that they form 2 rows. Each such house has 2 rooms and 2 courtyards: one for people, the other for keeping livestock. The courtyards were fenced with a high fence and gates were installed.

Food

The peculiarities of cooking have been preserved since the 19th century. The main ones in Setu cuisine are:

• raw materials;
• technology;
• compositional techniques.

Previously, only girls learned to cook, now men do it too. Cooking is taught from childhood by both parents and masters, who teach in workshops specially designated for this purpose. The main ingredients of setu are simple:

1. Swede.
2. Milk.
3. Meat.
4. Sour cream and cream.

The largest number of lenten dishes in their cuisine.

Video

The Seto (Seto) live in Estonia and Russia (Pskov region and Krasnoyarsk region).

Setomaa (Estonian - Setumaa, Seto - Setomaa) is the historical region inhabited by the Seto people, literally translated "land of the Seto". It is divided administratively into two parts: one part is located in the south-east of Estonia (in the counties of Põlvamaa and Võrumaa), the other is located in the Pechora district of the Pskov region of Russia.

In Estonia, Setomaa consists of four parishes: Meremäe, Värska, Mikitamäe and Misso. The Setomaa parishes have formed a unique association of self-governments located outside the county borders - the Setomaa Parish Union.

Pechora district is one of the border areas of the Pskov region. Its territory begins twenty-second kilometer from Pskov and borders Estonia and Latvia.

The area of ​​the district is 1300 square meters. kilometers. The population is 26 thousand people, among the residents of the area there are almost 1000 people of Estonian nationality, more than 300 belong to the Seto people. In the Pechora region, Seto representatives live in 48 settlements and in the city of Pechory.

To preserve the language and culture of the Seto people, ECOS, the Seto ethno-cultural society, has been working in the area for about 15 years. With the support of the Pechora District Administration, the society is organizing and holding folk festivals. For 37 years now, there has been a folklore ensemble of Seto songs from the village of Koshelki in the area; in the Mitkovice library there is an amateur club “Leelo”, whose members collect old folk songs, studying traditions, organizing folk art exhibitions.

In the Krasnoyarsk Territory, between the Mana and Kan rivers, the Seto settled at the beginning of the 20th century. The Siberian center of the Seto “land” is the village of Haidak, Partizansky district. Here, original elements of culture, language, folklore and self-awareness of the Siberian Seto have been preserved to this day, significantly different from similar Seto groups from other regions, including the Pskov region. All this attracts Russian and foreign scientists to the village of Khaidak.

In 2001, at a local school, through the efforts of teacher G.A. Evseeva was organized National Museum. And in the summer of 2005, with the support of the regional grant program, the Siberian Setu holiday was held for the first time in the village of Khaidak.

Local Setos consider themselves Orthodox. In 1915, the Trinity Church was built here.

Seto are the descendants of the Chudi-Ests. The separation of the Seto from the Estonians began in the 13th century. After the conquest of Livonia by the Crusaders and after the fall of the Russian Yuryev (Dorpt, Tartu), part of the Seto fled to the east, to the Pskov lands, where they maintained paganism for a long time. Here, being in the zone of influence of the Orthodox Pskov state, on the one hand, and the Catholic Livonian Order, on the other, throughout the Middle Ages, the Finno-Ugric population of the ethno-contact zone occasionally converted to Christianity, but the bulk of the population remained pagans.

The eradication of paganism among Chud, Izhora and Vod must be attributed to XVI century, when, by order of Ivan the Terrible, the Novgorod monk Ilya fulfilled this mission in 1534-1535. The intensive conversion to Christianity of the Chudi-Ests, who lived on the border of the Livonian Order and the former Pskov feudal republic, took place only during Livonian War in the second half of the 16th century. Their conversion to Orthodoxy strengthened the basis for the formation of the Seto ethnic group.

The activities of a powerful religious center - the Pskov-Pechora Monastery - cemented one of the main differences between the Seto and the Estonians - belonging to Orthodox Christianity.

Seto are a fusion of two cultures, which resulted in the formation of a distinctive Seto culture, which reached its peak during the period of the Russian Empire. In those days, the Seto had cultural autonomy within the borders of the Pskov province.

The Russians sometimes called the place where the Seto lived Setukesia. The Estonian name for these lands is Setomaa, or “land of the Setos”.

After the Tartu Peace Treaty, the lands of the current Pechora region went to Estonia. Thus, all of Setukesia became part of the territory of the Republic of Estonia. In 1944, the Pechora district became part of the newly created Pskov region.

The border between the RSFSR and the ESSR divided the Seto settlement territory into two parts. This did not entail any tangible consequences for ethnocultural contacts, since the border had administrative status. The population could easily cross it in all directions. At the same time, Setomaa, split into two parts, never received cultural autonomy, since there were no clear ethnic boundaries, as is the case in ethnocultural zones.

With Estonia gaining independence, the Seto community was for the first time in history really split into two parts due to the state status of the border and the introduction of a visa regime between the Republic of Estonia and the Russian Federation.

The Seto population grew until the beginning of the 20th century. From the middle of the 19th century to the beginning of the 20th century, their number increased from 9 thousand to 21 thousand (its maximum). After this, the number of these people began to decline. In 1945, in the Pskov part of Setomaa, the Seto population was less than 6 thousand people.

The 2002 All-Russian Population Census recorded only 170 Setos, of which 139 people lived in rural areas and 31 people lived in the city of Pechory. However, according to the results of the same census, 494 Estonians live in the Pechora district, of which 317 live in rural areas.

It should be taken into account that the Russian population census of 2002 is the first and so far the only census in the world after World War II that recorded the Seto as an independent ethnic group. It is obvious that part of the Seto, according to tradition dating back to Soviet times, considered themselves Estonians. Therefore, the real number of Seto in the Pechora region is slightly larger than the population census showed, and it can be estimated at approximately 300-400 people.

According to the 2010 census, there are 214 Seto people living in the Russian Federation.

Unfortunately, I know very little about this family. I know that they live in the village of Rakovo. The eldest in the family, the mistress, Galina. Her kids: Ellie, Helga, Lembit.

Setu (Seto, Pskov Chud) are a small Finno-Ugric people living in the Pechora district of the Pskov region and adjacent areas of Estonia, which until 1920 were part of the Pskov province. The historical area of ​​residence of the Seto people is called Setomaa. The basis of the language is considered to be the South Estonian (Vorussian) dialect. Seto speech is perceived by Estonians as independent language, different from Estonian.

On Russian soil, the Seto retained paganism, and only with the construction of the Pskov-Pechersk Monastery did they convert to Orthodoxy. For several centuries, the Setos hardly studied the Russian language and, having adopted Orthodoxy in the form of rituals, but not spiritual culture, retained many pagan elements in their faith.

The unique Seto culture flourished at the beginning of the 20th century, subsequently the population declined due to various reasons, including assimilation. The carriers of Seto culture are currently people no older than 50 years old.

According to latest research 172 representatives of the Setu people now live in the Pskov region. After 1991, many Setu families moved to permanent place residence in Estonia, which provided them with economic and political preferences, persuaded about a thousand representatives of the Setu people - residents of the Pskov region - to move to Estonia. The largest number of Seto people was recorded in the 1903 census. Then there were about 22 thousand people. At the same time, Seto cultural autonomy was created. Seto schools developed, a newspaper was published, and a national intelligentsia began to form. Thanks to the development of economic ties, the welfare of the Seto people has increased. The main activity was high-quality processing of flax, which was in great demand in the Scandinavian countries.

Setu character and traditions

The Seto peasants have always been known as subsistence farmers who feared nothing. If there are no shoes, they will sew them themselves, if there are no dishes, they will make them themselves, if there is no food, they will grow them themselves, if there is no clothing, they will weave the flax themselves and cut the clothes themselves.

The Seto kept and protected their language. Conversations in this language were conducted at home, during breaks at school, because in tsarist times there were Russian schools, but it was possible to teach German and Estonian. After the war, there were two branches in schools: Russian and Estonian.

There were no teachers who taught in Seto. The Setos never had their own written language, but the Seto language never went away. The Seto peasants have been passing on the language and traditions from generation to generation for many centuries. One such tradition is jewelry made from silver coins. Without these decorations, the girl could not even think about marriage.

Sethu are very superstitious people. They never allowed people with dark eyes into their barn, and they didn’t even let people with dark glasses come close. They have their own conspiracies, their own amulets against the evil eye, against the evil eye. The red border on the sundress protects from the evil eye, and the ringing silver wards off evil spirits.

Faces of Russia. “Living together while remaining different”

The multimedia project “Faces of Russia” has existed since 2006, talking about Russian civilization, the most important feature which is the ability to live together while remaining different - this motto is especially relevant for countries around the world post-Soviet space. From 2006 to 2012, within the framework of the project, we created 60 documentaries about representatives of different Russian ethnic groups. Also, 2 cycles of radio programs “Music and Songs of the Peoples of Russia” were created - more than 40 programs. Illustrated almanacs were published to support the first series of films. Now we are halfway to creating a unique multimedia encyclopedia of the peoples of our country, a snapshot that will allow the residents of Russia to recognize themselves and leave a legacy for posterity with a picture of what they were like.

~~~~~~~~~~~

"Faces of Russia". Seto. “Godchildren of the Virgin”, 2011

General information

Setu(Seto, Pskov Chud) - a small Finno-Ugric people living in the Pechora district of the Pskov region (from 1920 to 1940 - Petseri county of the Estonian Republic) and adjacent areas of Estonia (Võrumaa and Põlvamaa counties), until 1920 they were part of the Pskov region provinces. The historical area of ​​residence of the Seto people is called Setomaa.

It is difficult to establish the exact number of Seto, since this ethnic group, not included in the lists of peoples living in Russia and Estonia, has undergone strong assimilation; The approximate estimate of the number is 10 thousand people. During population censuses, the Setos usually recorded themselves as Estonians and Russians.

According to the 2010 All-Russian Population Census, the number of Seto in Russia was 214 people (urban population - 50 people, rural - 164), according to the 2002 Population Census, the number of Seto in Russia was 170 people.

According to the ethnolinguistic classification, the Seto people belong to the Finno-Ugric group of the Uralic language family. The Seto language is based on the Vürussian dialect of Estonian. Although the Seto themselves believe that they have a separate language that has no analogues in Estonia.

The Setos, unlike the Lutheran Estonians, are Orthodox. For several centuries, having accepted the rituals of Orthodoxy and observing them, the Setos did not have a translation of the Bible. The Russians who lived nearby did not consider the Setos to be full-fledged Christians, calling them half-believers, often this name acted as an ethnonym.

The basis of the economy that had developed among the Seto by the middle of the 19th century was arable farming and animal husbandry. They grew grains, and flax among industrial crops, raised cattle, sheep, pigs, and kept poultry. In those volosts where the soil was unfavorable for growing flax (Seto villages near Lake Pskov), peasants were engaged in pottery production.

The Seto has a developed applied arts: patterned weaving, embroidery and knitting, lace weaving. Characteristically, there is an abundance of knitted woolen socks, gloves, and mittens.

Essays

Pääväst! Mõistat sa kõnõlda seto keelen?

Good afternoon Do you speak Seto?

So, we have a small vocabulary in the Seto language. Let's add information about the language itself.

The Seto language belongs to the Baltic group of Finno-Ugric languages. In 1997, the Võru Institute conducted a study in Setomaa. The results are as follows: 46% of respondents called themselves Setuks, 45% Estonians. The language spoken by the Seto was called the Seto language by those interviewed. It turned out that 50% of respondents speak the local dialect constantly, 23% speak sometimes, 8% rarely, and the rest do not speak at all. Among young people who value Seto culture, a return to the Seto language was noted.

Setumaa is the historical region inhabited by the Seto people, literally translated as “land of the Seto”. It is administratively divided into two parts: one part is located in Estonia (in the counties of Põlvamaa and Võrumaa), the other is located in the Pechora district of the Pskov region on the territory of the Russian Federation.

In Setomaa, you can hear the Seto language in a store or right on the street and understand that it is not so easy to understand, even though it is similar to Estonian.

Now, having received comprehensive preliminary information, you can immerse yourself in the history and life of the Seto people.

And we will start not with the legends of deep antiquity, but with the wedding ceremony. Through him, through this ritual, one can learn about the Seth in the smallest detail throughout his entire life.

The matchmaking took place in the evening

The Seto wedding of the 19th century was once described in detail by the famous linguist and folklorist Jacob Hurt (1839-1907).

The first stage, or pre-wedding complex (the longest in time: from three to four weeks to two to three months), included matchmaking, which was sometimes preceded by reconnaissance - a secret inspection of the bride's family's household, smoke (final agreement), betrothal.

There were cases when they matched in a dark way: the bride and groom only met at the engagement party. The matchmaking took place in the evening.

The matchmakers came with the groom. During matchmaking, they asked for the consent of the bride's parents and the girl herself for marriage (the latter's consent was often a simple formality).

The first symbolic gift from the guy who had not yet become the groom was a headscarf. The bottle of wine brought by the matchmakers, after drinking together, was covered by the girl’s parents, if they agreed, with a mitten or scarf. In addition, the hostess (mother) gave each of those who came a pair of mittens as a farewell gift.

A few days later, the girl’s parents went to see the groom’s farm and meet their future new relatives. This custom was called “smoking” (conspiracy). If the smokers did not like the people and the household (they say they are poor and rude), then the scarf given by the guy to his chosen one during matchmaking was returned back to the loser groom.

And that meant a break.

If the scarf was not returned, it was considered that a conspiracy (smoking) had taken place.

About a week before the wedding, the betrothal took place - “big wine” (suur vino). The groom with his relatives and matchmakers again came to the bride's house. The gathered girls and women sang songs of praise, and the groom gave his betrothed an engagement ring and money.

Actually, only after the engagement the guy and the girl officially became the bride and groom in the eyes of society. By the way, it was from this time that the girl-bride began to wear special “bad” clothes: a white scarf, a shirt without woven decorations, a white sundress or a blue kitasnik.

Many older women claim that the bride also stopped wearing metal jewelry during this period. Others make it clear that wearing jewelry was not prohibited. But the modest behavior of the betrothed girl had to be matched by modest decoration.

When both parties completed preparations for the wedding and its day was determined, then the bride, along with four to six friends, began to visit relatives and neighbors whom she invited to farewell and to the wedding.

The farewell took place in the courtyard of the godfather or godmother. The bride, accompanied by her friends, walked around everyone present “in a circle,” bowed and addressed everyone with a special lamentation, intended only for this guest. During the farewell, the bride mourned herself, the imminent separation “forever” from her family, community, friends and former “heart friend”.

This custom of wedding lamentations is the most variable and emotionally intense. Two or three days before the wedding, and in the 19th century after the wedding, but before the wedding feast, the bride’s bed was brought to the groom’s house - the future marriage bed, which the bride (her friend) laid out in a crate.

The bride herself remained silent

On the morning of the wedding day, the bride sat under the icons, dressed for the crown, next to her godfather and mother. Relatives and fellow villagers, coming up one by one, drank to the bride’s health and put money on the dish standing in front of her.

All this happened amid the continuous lamentations of relatives and friends, while the bride herself remained silent.

Soon the groom's party arrived with his groomsmen (truzka) at their head. A friend with a whip or staff entered the house, from where he took the bride out after the parental blessing, covered with a special large scarf - the bride's veil (kaal, suurratt), and the wedding train set off for the church.

In the first sleigh, which was driven by the groom, the bride and her godparents were riding, and the groom was sitting in the second sleigh. While the wedding was taking place, the dowry chest (vakaga) was transported to the groom's house. The young couple and their friends returned from the wedding in the same sleigh. When they got out of the sleigh, the friend always went first, drawing protective signs - crosses - in the air with a whip or staff. If they got married on Sunday, then after the blessing of the young groom's parents, the wedding feast began immediately.

On wedding feast the guests gave gifts to the young woman. The young woman, in turn, gave gifts to the groom's relatives, which marked her entry into a new family.

After gifting, the newlyweds were escorted to the cell - to the marriage bed.

Morning next day began with the ritual of awakening (from the verb “to wake up”) the young. They woke up the young friend or godfather.

Then the woman's headdress, linik, was put on the young woman. This meant her transition to a new social and age group and the beginning of a new stage of the wedding, which usually lasted from one to three days.

At the same time, the young woman again gave gifts to her mother-in-law and other new relatives. After this, the young people were taken to the bathhouse. In the 20th century, the ritual bath acquired the character of a comic event. From that moment on, fun wedding games with jokes and mischief began. They tried to drag godparents and guests into the smoky bathhouse. Mummers appeared at the wedding: a blacksmith who wanted to shoe the bride, and other “masks.” On the third day, the whole wedding party went to the house of the young couple’s parents.

After the wedding festivities are over, the mother-in-law takes the bride out to the water for the first time to a stream or well. Here the young woman again gifts a scarf or mittens to the source from which she draws water. Then she is taken to the barn, where the young woman must put a towel or mittens on the cow - to bestow the spirit, the owner of the barn.

Many features of the Seto wedding rituals make it similar to Karelian and Izhorian, others - to Estonian and Latvian. However, the main stages have a common local interethnic version of the wedding ritual. And it is typologically close to the Russian (Orthodox) northwestern tradition.

A patient fisherman knows that he must wait for luck

Let's take a break from everyday life and listen to a fairy tale that is very similar to a song. From the fairy tale “Aivo and the One-Eyed Pike” we learn a lot of interesting things about the national character of the Seto.

Aivo once went out into the lake in a shuttle in the morning and set a large net. The sun began to rise, as if in a mirror, looking into the blue water of the lake. Aivo lifts the net - there is not a single fish, not even a small roach, not even a nimble ruff. Aivo again launches the net into the depths of the lake waters.

A patient fisherman knows that he must wait for luck... The sun rose higher, the blue in the sky and on the water turned golden. Aivo is dragging the net again. Again, there is no catch at all in the net, the net is light, as in the beginning. There is no herring in it, no pike, no heavy pike perch. For the third time, patient, humble Aivo throws his reliable, strong net into the depths - and again he waits. And already overhead the sun is shining and shining, the crown of the head is hot.

For the third time, Aivo sorts through the net - not a single fish. The scales do not sparkle, the net of its resin does not shine like silver... And then Aivo, patient, humble Aivo, became angry with the Master of the Water, with the Lord of the Lake. He spat into the water, got angry, hit the surface of the water with his fist, and splashes flew out. And in his hearts he shouted: “Why, Lord Peipsi, don’t you let the fish into the net and don’t give me the catch?!

I’ve been fishing for years, we’ve been friends for a long time, and you’ve always sent me good luck from the depths. And my nets were always full of large catches, pike perch and pike. I always gave you very generous gifts: before every fishing trip, bread wrapped in birch bark, and sometimes I even sent food to you on the wave. And on holidays, I always poured a pot of intoxicating honey into the water so that you could have fun... Why didn’t I please you, and why were you angry? What do you want from me?!"

And from Aivo’s hot words the surface of the lake boiled, the waves suddenly raged, the sky suddenly became covered with a black shroud, thunder struck, and a big storm arose. And the dugout shuttle Aivo rushed towards the shore in a storm and hit a stone, a coastal rock, and immediately broke into splinters. And the fisherman himself, like a piece of wood, flew over the water from the mighty blow and fell with such force that he lost consciousness.

And he lay there like a dead man until sunset. But he woke up, stood up and remembered what had happened, looked around, shook himself off... He saw that the lake was calm, and at his feet a large pike was lying on the sand.

"Well, thank you. Water! - shouted the revived Ivo, - you crashed my faithful shuttle, but you left me alive, and now I’ll return home with this pike!

Ivo reached out to the pike, which was lying and gasping for air with its toothy mouth. I took it and immediately dropped it in amazement. This pike was one-eyed! Yes, the fish was looking at him with just one eye...

“What a miracle?! — he whispered, “I have never seen one-eyed fish in my life...” Only at that very moment poor Aivo was amazed again: the pike suddenly spoke! With human speech, the one-eyed fish turned to the fisherman, opening her toothy mouth: “Listen to me, Aivo! And having listened, release him, give him to the water... I am the messenger of the ruler who rules the lake water and owns Lake Peipus.

He ordered me to tell you: you are too arrogant, Aivo, that in the village and in the area you are the luckiest in your fishing skill, that your net is always full of the best fish. You boast to everyone, Aivo, that you and the Lord of the Lake have long become friends. So he decided to check whether you are his friend or foe. You give few gifts in gratitude to Vodyanoy. What bread and intoxicating honey is there! No, go and prove that you don’t regret anything in the world for Vodyanoy - give him a wife!

Until the morning, let your dear wife, the most beautiful Marya, the mother of your five children, go to the bottom. Vodyanoy has long known that in the entire lake region there is neither a more beautiful woman nor a housewife. So give Marya as a wife to Vodyanoy before dawn! Let her serve him... Otherwise, you won’t see any luck. Not only will he not let any fish into your net, he will completely drown you... This storm is just a deposit, just a lesson for you, fisherman! That’s all I told what Vodyanoy told me. Now let me go free, fisherman, quickly...”

Aivo threw the pike into the water, sat down on a stone and he cried with burning tears. Poor Aivo cried for a long time, even though he never cried even in a child’s cradle... How not to cry if Maryu more life he loved. Only he knew about the fierce temper of the lake ruler, he knew that he could not only leave him alone without a catch, but also all the fishermen from the coastal villages, otherwise he would destroy them all! If you lift a finger, all our fishing villages will be flooded with violent water. Grandfather told me that this happened in the old centuries... No, they don’t joke with Vodyanoy, and you can’t contradict him... “But how can I live without Maryu? - Poor Aivo thought bitterly. “I can’t live without her...”

And Aivo comes home.

Everyone at home has long been tired of waiting for him. And they sleep. The children are sleeping, and Marya is dozing... He takes her in his arms and, shedding tears, carries her to the lake. There he boarded his neighbor’s boat and in the darkness before dawn went out into the lake, seating his wife next to him and holding her tightly so that she would not wake up. Aivo came out to the middle of the deep expanse, threw down the oars, stood over the boat, picked up his wife in his arms, picked up Marya to throw him into the blue depths...

At that moment, on the farthest edge of Lake Peipus, the first ray of dawn sparkled and the face of the sleeping Marya was illuminated, illuminated...

And again I saw Aivo, how beautiful she was! And he cried out: “No, Master, King of the Lake, Water! You will not receive this tribute, I will give you another. You need a faithful friend more than a wife. I am a skilled fisherman, I know the secrets of Lake Peipsi as well as you, and I will be your reliable assistant forever. I will not give you Marya - let her live in the world among people, and I will always be with you under water. Get me!”

And as soon as poor Aivo, having laid his sleeping wife on the bottom of the boat, straightened up, preparing to jump like a pebble to the bottom, a fish shot up from the water, its white scales sparkling, like living lightning! I recognized the one-eyed, wonderful pike in her. And with a single sparkling dark golden eye, the pike spoke again: “Go, Aivo, in peace to your home, take Marya with you. You proved your fishing loyalty to the ruler of the lake. He believes you from now on. He knows that you won’t spare your life for him... So live a long life!”

And she went back into the water... And Aivo soon moored to the cape, to his native shore. And then Maryu woke up and said in surprise: “Why did you bring me to the lake and put me in the neighbor’s boat? After all, yours is a good one, here it is, your reliable shuttle, filled to the brim with fish, a new net next to it!..”

And Aivo answered his wife: “I didn’t want to wake you up, so I brought you here, so that again, like in our young years, we could meet the dawn together!”

Life captured in song

A beautiful fairy tale, it really needs to be sung, not told. As for Seto folklore as a whole, a wealth of amazing beauty and diversity has survived to this day. folk poetry Setu: songs, music, dances, fairy tales, legends, proverbs, riddles, games. All calendar and family rituals, all stages labor activity, everyday life Setu are captured in song, each ritual action is reinforced by sound and image.

The discoverer of Seto folklore was Friedrich Reinhold Kreutzwald, but the largest collector and specialist in the field of Seto poetry is Jacob Hurt. An expert on Seto culture, he wanted to publish “The Book of Seto,” but, unfortunately, he was unable to realize his plan. Only three volumes of Seto Songs (1975 song lyrics), published in 1904 - 1907 by the Finnish Literary Society, saw the light of day.

According to the observations of Jacob Hurt, the Setos had their own classification of songs. They divided them into three groups:

1) ancient (wana laulu), “inherited from ancient times,” songs of fairy-tale, legendary or mythological, as well as moralizing content, i.e. lyric-epic; 2) regular or serial (korra laulu) - all songs that pass from generation to generation and are repeated from year to year, from life to life, that is, work, ritual, game; 3) vain songs, that is, improvisations (tsorts laulu) - songs, by the way, including obscene ones. All of them, being an expression of spiritual mood, are forgotten as quickly as they arise.

In the 19th century, the guardians of the Seto song and poetic traditions were women; the best of them, who possessed the gift of improvisation, were called Mothers of Song in Setomaa. Playing musical instruments was considered an exclusively male activity.

Like all Baltic-Finnish peoples, the oldest and most revered musical instrument among the Seto was the cannel.

The channel was made by the Creator from juniper

According to legend, God made the cannel from juniper. And everyone else musical instruments(pipe, flute, pipe, horn, violin, accordion) was invented by the devil to seduce people.

Seth believed that the miraculous power contained in the cannel could ward off death. During Lent, when all noise and fun, even mischief of children over seven years of age, was prohibited, playing the cannel was considered a godly activity: the cannel is a wonderful instrument of Jesus (annel - illos Eessu pill).

In the narrative folklore of Seth, the fairy tale deserves special mention. Among the Setos there were many storytellers (storytellers) who had the ability to unfold the plot. Here Estonian folklorists have recorded the most long tales. It is characteristic that if the tale contained poetic inserts, then the Seto actually sang them.

Legends were not as popular as fairy tales, but the Setos still have plenty of them. Many legends recorded by ethnographers of the 19th century can still be heard today. They haven't changed much. For example, there is a legend about a man who tried to use the Ivanov stone for household needs.

Most of the Seto legends are local in nature and are associated with local sacred stones, stone crosses, chapels, springs, burial grounds, miraculous icons and the history of the Pskov-Pechersky Monastery.

Among the latter there is a legend about the Pechersk hero, called Kornila. In this unique Seto Kalevala (more correctly Seto-Võru, since the “Pechersk hero” is also the hero of the legends of the Võru Estonians), in addition to military feats, among the deeds of the hero - the builder of the walls of the Pechersk Monastery, is a remarkable death or immortality.

Tradition tells that the hero, after cutting off his head by Ivan the Terrible, took it in his hands, came to the monastery and went to bed, predicting that he would not rise from the sleep of death until a feud began so great that blood would flow through the monastery walls he had built.

This Seto legend about the Pechersk hero is comparable to the Estonian legend about the heroes Kalevipoeg and Suur-Tyl and the Russian legends about the Monk Cornelius and St. Nicholas.

The latter, too, according to the Seto, lies in Tailov - the most protected Seto parish of the 19th century - and will rise in the hour of the last battle.

The themes of songs and stories among the Seto are the same as among other agricultural peoples of Eastern Europe. But it was in the folklore of the Setos that the characteristic features of their socio-confessional community were most consistently reflected: the group consciousness of Orthodox peasant community members who did not experience the tyranny of the landowners.

What about proverbs? The collection Eesti murded (“Estonian dialects”, Tallinn, 2002) contains several Seto proverbs and riddles (thanks to Sergei Bychko for the translation). Without them, the Seto folklore cosmos would be incomplete.

üä ’ tunnus äü, ’ ’ tunnus ’ikkust. A good child is recognized in a cradle, an evil dog is recognized as a puppy.

ä ä ’, õõ ä ä purug’. You don’t see a log in your own eye, but you see a crumb in someone else’s eye.

Inemine om kur’i ku kõtt om tühi, pin’i om kur’i ku kõtt om täüz’.

A man is angry when the bag is empty, a dog is angry when the bag is full.

Koolulõ olõ ei kohutt.

The dead are not afraid.

And a couple of Seto riddles from the same book.

Kolmõnulgalinõ ait kriit’ti täüz’ - tatrigu terä. The quadrangular barn is full of chalk (buckwheat grain).

Hõbõhõnõ kepp’, kullane nupp’ - rüä kõr’z’. Silver staff, golden knob (rye ear).

But it’s true that a rye ear is very similar to a silver staff with a gold knob.

Seto National Museum

The Seto people have an ancient Baltic-Finnish ethnic basis. For more than five hundred years they lived sedentarily in the south-east of Estonia and on the lands of the Pskov-Pechersky Monastery. They called their land Setomaa. Having converted to Orthodoxy, they prayed with Russians in the same churches and celebrated together church holidays, but this did not stop them from preserving their ancient pagan traditions, honoring the god Peko, bringing him gifts, and believing in amulets. The Seto practiced subsistence farming and lived separately. The museum is located in a barn-shed on the estate of a Seto peasant, where fragments of Seto life are collected. Every thing there reminds of its creators and owners: household utensils, household items, national clothing.

The originality of this museum lies in the fact that it preserves the memory of specific people and is located in its original historical and natural environment. After visiting the museum, you will get acquainted with the history and life of the Seto people, you will be invited to drink tea with herbs and listen to amazing Seto songs; You will see a loom in action (it is also possible to buy self-woven tracks).

The first mention of its representatives in historical documents
dates back to 1675. According to one version, they are a “shard” of an ancient miracle,
which the Slavs met when they settled the north-west of the East
European plain. Another version is that they are descendants of Estonians who fled
in the Middle Ages from forced Catholicization... They are called half-religious
tsami for Orthodox faith and a powerful layer of pagan elements, and
also a language that is not understandable to either Russian or Estonian, but until recently
I was considered Estonian. One religion with the local Russian population
allowed the Seto to adopt a number of elements of material culture from the Russians,
successfully incorporating them into your own, completely unique one.
Today, according to the Pechora district public
organization "Ethnocultural Society of the Seto People" has a small number of
The numerical strength of the Seto people in the Pechora region is about 337 people.
century, and the maximum number of Seto for the entire time of their existence is
over 20 thousand.

Features of the Seto culture are direct
our reflection of the cultural situation of the Estonian-
Russian borderland. At the same time, Seto
are a completely unique people, co-
who, unlike their neighbors (Estonians and Russians),
ski), many elements of traditional culture
centuries ago.
The pagan component of Seto culture is reflected in
First of all, in clothes - on shirts, on cloth outerwear
- a traditional red border that protects from evil spirits and the evil eye.
Seto clothing was decorated with distinctive patterns. By
Seto female line inherits family wealth - silver
decorations. Fibula (large brooch 29 cm in diameter), which is worn on
breasts married women, the mother will then pass it on to the youngest mother in
family - daughter or daughter-in-law. The fibula in women covers the breasts. Se-
ribbed chains strike the brooch and ring, driving away evil spirits.
An interesting Seto ritual on Christmas night: the mother puts under
pillow for my daughters with silver jewelry, and in the morning, when everyone wakes up,
They are ready, she puts the fibula in a basin, fills it with water, and the daughters wash themselves.
On this day, girls were forbidden to leave the house and go
visiting friends. Traditionally, on this day, the first person to enter the house should be
a man was to enter - like God, and if a woman entered, she could
bring misfortune...

There is also a purely male tradition. On Pokrov, men always leave
They celebrated the harvest, and they had an idol of the god Peko. The men were gathering
in the evening, we took with us bacon, eggs, traditional moonshine on bread,
together they prayed that there would be enough harvest for food and to sow
next year. Next, the idol of the god Peko was handed over to a man who
When the harvest turned out to be the poorest, the idol was placed in a barn, and it
was supposed to bring good luck.
On holidays, guests first gathered in houses, had a meal, then
They collected everything from the table and went out into the street, where they came from all the houses.
And the one who had the most guests was proud.
One of the distinctive characteristics of Seto life is homespun
woolen towels, which were used to decorate only icons. In a Seto house
by the window stood a loom on which they wove everything - from the finest weavings to
weight to thick rugs. Huge wooden chests were filled with
not worn with home clothes, and when getting married, the bride took special clothes with her
alal wedding chest.
The richest, most amazing in beauty and variety has survived to this day.
variety of Seto folk poetry: songs, music, dances,
fairy tales, legends, proverbs, riddles, games. All calendar and family
ceremonies, all stages of work activity, everyday life of the Seto
captured in song, each ritual action is reinforced by sound
and manner.