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Concept
Dziady
Summary
Dziady (Belarusian: , Russian: , Ukrainian: , Dziady, Ilgės; lit. "grandfathers, eldfathers", sometimes translated as Forefathers' Eve) is a term in Slavic folklore for the spirits of the ancestors and a collection of pre-Christian rites, rituals and customs that were dedicated to them. The essence of these rituals was the "communion of the living with the dead", namely, the establishment of relationships with the souls of the ancestors, periodically returning to their headquarters from the times of their lives. The aim of the ritual activities was to win the favor of the deceased, who were considered to be caretakers in the sphere of fertility. The name "dziady" was used in particular dialects mainly in Poland, Belarus, Polesia, Russia and Ukraine (sometimes also in border areas, e.g. Podlachia, Smoleńsk Oblast, Aukštaitija), but under different other names (pomynky, przewody, radonitsa, zaduszki) there were very similar ritual practices, common among Slavs and Balts, and also in many European and even non-European cultures.
In the context of the pagan holiday of the dead, the most popular name is "dziady". The word "dziad" comes from the Proto-Slavic word *dědъ (pl. *dědi) meaning primarily "father of the father, father of the mother", "an old man with an honorable position in the family", "ancestor" and "old man". Second meaning is "spirit, demon” (compare Polish dziadzi (adjective) considered a euphemism from diabli (adjective of "devil"), Kashubian. dżôd "evil spirit, which threaten children, domestic spirit”, Czech děd "domestic deity", Russian died (dialect) „chort, domestic spirit”, Pskov, Smolensk: diedý (pl.) "ritual to honor the dead", Ukrainian didý (pl.) "shadows in the corners of the room (at dusk)" (colloquially), "a day of remembrance of the dead, All Souls' Day", Belarusian dzied, dziadý (pl.) "ritual to honor the dead, a day of remembrance of the dead, All Souls' Day"). Related words are associated with the second meaning, i.e. Proto-Slavic *dedъka: Russian diedka (dialect) "devil, chort, domestic spirit", diedia "devil" (e.
Official source
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