V.F. Ryan is a leading British Slavic philologist, a member of the British Academy, President of the British Society of Folklorists, and an excellent expert on the Russian language and medieval manuscripts. His book is a fundamental study of the deep roots of Russian culture, and is an unparalleled, extensive compendium of Russian folk beliefs and superstitions, magic, witchcraft and fortune telling. It also introduces readers to a wide range of European analogies - Balkan, Greek, Scandinavian, Anglo-Saxon, etc. CONTENTS: A.V. Chernetsov. About this book and its author 5Preface to the Russian edition (Translated by L.I. Avilova) 111. HISTORICAL SKETCH (Translated by L.I. Avilova)1. Kievan Rus and the legacy of Byzantium 252. After Kievan Rus 273. Magic and the Orthodox Slavs 284. Written tradition 345. Jewish and Eastern influences 366. “Stoglav” and “Domostroy” 407. Western influences 452. FOLK MAGIC (Translated by L.I. Avilova)1. Introduction 562. The Evil Eye 593. Corruption 624. Ancient deities, evil spirits and magic 655. Protection from magic, witchcraft and evil spirits 776. Magical time 827. Magical places and directions 888. Parodies of the Christian cult 963. SORCERERS AND WITCHES1. Introduction 1112. Magus 1153. Sorcerer 1204. Witch 1285. Witch Doctor 1356. Soothsayer (witches, fortune teller) 1377. Iconography of witchcraft and sorcerers 139Appendix. RUSSIAN NAMES OF WITCHCRAFT AND WITCHERS1. What is the name of magic 1402. What is the name of magicians 1414. FOLK DIVINATIONS (Translated by I.I. Sokolova)1. Introduction 1522. Magical protection during fortune telling 1523. Folk fortune-telling in fiction 1534. Yuletide fortune-telling 1565. Fortune-telling about an upcoming marriage 1596. Folk fortune-telling on various topics 1745. SIGNS, SIGNS, PREDICTIONS, CALENDAR FORECASTS (Translated by O.V. Belova)1. Introduction 1882. General characteristics of the examinations 1883. Calendar predictions 1964. Heavenly signs 2025. Guruspication 2056. Fortune -telling on the spatular bone 2067. “Volkovnik” 2106. Interpretations of dreams and fortune -telling associated with the human body (per. E.B. Smilyanskaya) 1. Dreams and dream books 2252. Physiognomy 2323. Palmistry 2354. Urinoscopy 2365. Sneezing and yawning 2366. Involuntary shuddering and itching: “Trembler” 2377. CONSPIRACIES, SPELLS AND FALSE PRAYERS (Translated by I. I. Sokolova)1. Introduction 2432. Russian conspiracies 2463. History of conspiracies 2474. Structure and nature of conspiracies 2505. Types of conspiracies 2558. TALISMANS AND AMULETS (Translated by I.I. Sokolova)1. Introduction 3092. Everyday objects as amulets 3113. Other household talismans 3174. Other non-Christian amulets: knots and stones 3185. Magic rings, wands, mirrors, books, dolls 3226. Christian objects as talismans 3277. Incense 3659. MATERIA MAGICA ( Trans. O.B. Belova)1. Introduction 3832. Herbs, Witchcraft and Poisons 3833. Herbs and Roots 3844. Food 4025. Materials Associated with the Human Body 4026. Animals and Parts of Their Bodies 4047. Fish 4068. Birds 4079. Metals and Other Minerals 40810. Water 40910. TEXTS AS AMULETS (Translated by I.I. Sokolova)1. Introduction 4182. Epistles of Christ and King Abgar 4193. Seventy-two names of the Lord 4204. Letter of St. Nicholas or Peter. 4215. “The Dream of the Mother of God” 4256. “Epistole of Jesus Christ about the Week” (“Epistole of the Holy Week”, “Jerusalem Scroll”, “The Message of Our Lord Jesus Christ Falling from Heaven”) 4287. “The Tale of Twelve Fridays” 4298. Magic Square SATOR 43111. THE MAGIC OF LETTERS AND NUMBERS (Translated by E.B. Smilyanskaya)1. Introduction 4392. Magic words and names: general notes 4393. Bibliomancy 4424. Fortune telling from the Psalter 4435. The Passion of Christ 4466. Magic of numbers 4467. Particularly significant numbers 4478. Onomancy (fortune telling by name) 4489. Number of the beast 45110. Fortune telling with dice and throwing lot 45711. “Wheel of Fortune” and “Circle of King Solomon” 46412. Playing cards 47012. GEOMANTY (Translated by L.I. Avilova and A.V. Chernetsov)1. Introduction 4832. Geomancy attributed to the prophet Samuel (Khail) 4853. Geomantic figures in the Radziwill Chronicle 4894. “Rafli” and “Aristotle’s Gate” 49013. ALCHEMY AND MAGICAL PROPERTIES OF STONES (Translated by I. I. Sokolova)1. Introduction 5152. Byzantine sources 5153. Muscovy: “The Secret of the Secret” 5184. After the book “The Secret of the Secret” 52414. ASTROLOGY: BYZANTINE TRADITION (Translated by N.I. Shlenskaya)1. Greek education and the Slavs 5362. Astronomical knowledge in Kievan Rus 5413. Astrological texts 5424. “Gromnik” and “Molniyanik”: predictions for thunder, lightning and earthquakes 5455. “Lunnik” 5456. “Koliadnik”: calendar predictions 5477. “Happy” and “unlucky” days 5488. Astrological terminology 55215. ASTROLOGY: POST-BYZANTINE INFLUENCES (Translated by N.I. Shlenskaya)1. Mathematics and astronomy 5632. Attitude to astrology 5643. Influence of Judaism 5684. Eastern influences 5735. Western European influences: almanacs, horoscopes, folk astrology 5766. Astrological terminology 58416. MAGIC, CHURCH, LEGISLATION AND THE STATE (Translated by E.B. Smilyanskaya) 591Bibliography 626Index 677List of abbreviations 714