Pivkina Svetlana Vasilevna Candidate of Philological Sciences AI «Mordovia - 7 days» Saransk, Russia [email protected]
Abstract:The article deals with the incantations representing an archaic layer of spiritual culture which primarily is related to the worldview, ritualism and customs, habits and norms of behavior of people. The incantations are an integral part of the traditional culture of the Mordovian ethnos. They represent a complex set of ethno-cultural traditions and innovations, regional specific features which largely determine the features of a worldview of the Mordovian ethnos. The origin of initial forms of an incantation dates back to high antiquity, it is related to the religious and mythological beliefs of the Erzya and Moksha people under which people felt themselves in an indissoluble unity with nature. It represented as alive and active. Mordovian healers living in different regions of Russia try to help people including physical and mental illnesses with incantations appealing to the familiar gods, natural phenomena using the products of biological and mineral origin. People at all times discovered the healing power of water and found a lot of ways of its use. Water is the basis of life on earth, it nourishes and purifies. It was known about the healing properties of water since ancient times. The Erzya and Moksh people especially appreciated the healing qualities of water and appealed for help to the great Goddess-Patroness of water – Vedyava.
Key words: Goddess-Patroness of water, Vedyava, incantation, healer, magic, word, paganism, Erzya.