Rituals of Herb-Gathering in M. Velyakov’s Manuscript of the 1890s: Transformation of Tradition

Abstract

This paper analyzes a manuscript from the 1890s ascribed to M. Velyakov. The manuscript contains a heterogeneous mix of botanical, medical, and household information: it includes several copies of herbals,1 extracts from medical books, recipes, a catalogue of books on botany, household notes, and so forth. A section of Velyakov’s manuscript concerns details of herb-gathering: “Prayers regarding the collection of herbs and instructions on how to pick them” (f. 134r—136r). It contains a list of canonical prayers, non-canonical prayers and charms (“How to approach the herb,” “About picking herbs and digging up roots,” “An answer to the picking of herbs,” “A general prayer for herbs,” “A general charm for herbs”) as well as a description of the herb-picking rite on St. John’s Day and “Detailed instructions on how to gather herbs.” Such sections were not typical of the Russian herbal tradition of the 17th—18th centuries. Therefore, the Velyakov manuscript data is here analyzed in the context of oral and written traditions.