5 Prohibitions For Women In The Russian Bath

2024 Author: Bailey Albertson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 12:53

5 prohibitions in the Russian bath, which concerned only women

In Russia, the bathhouse was considered a special place where, along with physical dirt, a person cleaned off from himself the spiritual: all kinds of sins and bad thoughts. All Christian holidays and significant events in life, from birth to funeral, were accompanied by the obligatory complete and thorough washing. However, there were some prohibitions for women associated with visiting the bathhouse.

Wash before men

Women in Russia washed only after men. Some historians associate this tradition with the patriarchal order.

According to another version, the girls received a ban on visiting the soap-shop in the forefront as a result of the Christian worldview. Women were considered "unclean" because of monthly ailments and, washing after, men were afraid to "pick up" sinfulness.

However, some researchers of Old Russian traditions adhere to a rational explanation. The bathhouse was heated very strongly. It was too hot for wives and children in the room, so husbands and grown-up sons steamed first.

To be alone

The Russians firmly believed in the existence of the guardian spirits of the soap-shop - Bannik and Obderikha. The first was considered a cruel spirit capable of scaring a person with screams or throwing scorching stones from a furnace. Obderikha could severely scratch and even peel off the skin.

It was believed that only a sorceress, fortune-teller or sorceress could enter the soap-room without being accompanied to perform magical rituals. So young girls were afraid not only of spirits, but also of possible accusations of sorcery.

Wash your hair on Monday and Wednesday

The Rusichi tried not to visit the bathhouse on Monday and Wednesday. Washing these days, according to legends, promised financial difficulties, household troubles and all kinds of ailments.

The girls adhered to the ban unswervingly, since they rightly feared the loss of the groom or the discontent of the husband. After all, the man saw in his wife the mistress of the house and the mother of healthy heirs.

Get out of the bath after childbirth

Midwives in Russia preferred to give birth in a bath. After all, the room had everything necessary for the process: heat, hot water at hand, the ability to wash the baby. However, the mother who was safely born was forbidden to leave the territory of the soap shop for several days after the event.

There is also a rational explanation based on caring for a woman in labor. A young mother, weakened by labor, could catch a cold due to temperature changes or catch an infection outside the soap shop.

Take someone else's broom

Women's bath brooms were different from men's. It was believed that oak, maple, elm and ash branches are suitable for guys. Women's broom was knitted from birch, linden, alder or willow.

In addition, there was a belief that someone else's broom transmits misfortunes washed away by the owner.