Apocryphal prayer

[2] Apocryphal prayers and hagiographies adapted for "protective" purposes are much more common in the folk tradition than canonical church texts.

One source of apocryphal prayers in the Orthodox tradition is Abagar, the first printed book in Bulgarian, authored by Bishop Philip Stanislav.

In the popular environment of the Eastern Slavs, this prayer occupies a dominant place and is revered on a par with Our Father and Psalm 90.

Thus, according to a number of Serbian Bailichka, protection from weshtitsa (female demonological beings) are prayers uttered in time: "I have Jesus!

The first letters of the name of the Virgin and Jesus Christ, carved above doors, windows, on hiding places with grain, are also considered as amulets against the penetration of evil spirits into the house.

Apocryphal prayers that include an account of the life and crucifixion of Christ are illustrated by the following text from southeastern Poland, uttered for safety during a thunderstorm: "W Jordanie się począł, / W Betlejem narodził, / W Nazaret umarł.

/ A Słowo stało ciałem / I mieszkało między nami" ("In Jordan began, in Bethlehem was born, in Nazareth died.

The apocryphal prayers also include texts in the form of questions and answers about the structure of the Christian world, built along the lines of Dove Book and having bookish origins.

An account of the cosmic nature of the world and an enumeration of the values that ensure its equilibrium and cultural state was perceived as a reliable defense against the forces of chaos.

- Twelve Holy Apostles" (hereafter only answers) - "Ozinatsatsi koskal'nykh", - "the ten Commandments of Bosnia, given to us on the mountains of Symon", - "Dziewiec khorów angels", - "Gosem sven prophetü", etc.

In the West Belarusian tradition it is believed that the questions are asked by chet, and the answers from these texts save the innocent soul from the unclean force.

A. N. Veselovsky considered such texts as "catechism of church-school origin, which meets the primary mnemonic requirements of spiritual learning" and found variants of this "tale of numbers" in almost all European traditions.

These include such common prayers with apotropheic semantics as "Let God arise, and His enemies be made waste..." (in the East Slavic folk tradition it is usually called "Sunday Prayer") and the 90th psalm "Alive in aid..." (usually reworked by popular etymology into "Living Help"), as well as "Our Father" and "Virgin Mary, Rejoice..." (in Catholic tradition - "Zdrowiaś, Maria...").

Basil the Great, "In you rejoice, O Grace, all things, the angelic assembly and the human race..." may be recited by the master during the driving of the cow to pasture.