The rite of worship of sheashvy

“The study of ethnic traditions and customs are extremely important from the point of view of pedagogy, since without them the upbringing of the younger generation is not possible” [1, pp. 9]. From this point of view we are going to analyze some facts about the beliefs of the Abkhazians concerning myths that besides being the side of general interest brings light to the specific features of the national upbringing as well.

Abkhazia from ancient times worshiped many gods. The main Creator was considered (Анцэа) Great God. They arranged annual holidays in his honor. According to the beliefs of the Abkhazians, there were deities – patrons of the forest ,game , hunting, livestock, agriculture , crafts, sacred groves, ancestral cults, etc. For example, “the deity named Ahyn is recognized to be the patron of cattle” [4, pp. 250] or the protectors of the forest, game, hunting was Airg and Ajvaipsha. Without mercy no man could kill the beast. Protector of cattle was considered Aytar. To protect from predators cattle, lost in the forest, people turned to Aytar prayers to preserve the life of their cattle. Also worshipped the goddess of water – Dzizlin, the goddess of bee - Anana-Gunda . One of the strongest of the gods after God was considered the patron of the blacksmith's craft Sheashvy. He was considered a skilled armorer, blade, forged them with daggers and swords were thinner than the thinnest hair, but it could cut even iron.

Processing of iron very difficult job. The people who do blacksmithing, believed that blacksmithing involves beyond the man power. So blacksmiths were considered to be strong not only physically but also in spirit [3].

In the family of our informer, Flora Tsvizhba Vladimirovna, born in 1938, to this day hold the ancient rite of the worship of the forge. This festival takes place in the night from 13 to 14 January singing and dancing in a family circle. We asked her: "Why this holiday is so revered by the Abkhazians?". The answer to the question was the story of how occurred and how to spend this holiday. "When the first people arrived on earth, they were weak and defenseless. The people had no weapons, something to defend themselves, nor the tools than to feed themselves. Therefore, before the forces of nature the people were helpless and facing death. But at this time, among them was a man who knew blacksmithing. He began to make the people weapons and implements, thus saving them from death .People began to honor and respect him, and nicknamed him "the Blacksmith". The place where the blacksmith was producing its products, considered sacred, as it was the place where the God of blacksmithing - Sheashvy.

Each genus or family name was Smith, which gave the rite of worship every year or every 3 years. He conducted his blacksmith-priest. For this rite was performing a sacrifice ritual was cooking dumplings in the form of a month. For each family member produced a candle, which at the end of the ritual were combined into one single candle and burned. The rite of worship of Sheashvy began only after sunset. Before sunset at the blacksmith, where conducted the ceremony, had a live goat, then all who came to the forge (only men) knelt, face to the sunrise. Only after that, the priest began his speech: "Now we are showing an animal then show the heart and liver of it", and then thrice looped around itself, the goat and brought his sacrifice, shedding his blood on the grass. Only after the sacrifice women had the right to prepare ritual dumplings conical shape with cheese, cooked meat of a slain goat. When the sun goes down, began the main ceremony. In the forge brought the cooked dumplings, meat, and skin of the slain goat. The necessary objects of worship were also hammer and anvil, before which all knelt. Cooked dumplings and meat had to be wine, which is specially made for this ceremony and kept in the ground in clay jars. After all these preparations the priest took up the candle and started his speech: "our Patron of Sheashvy! We got you a heart, liver, and candles, as shown to us by our ancestors. Bless us! Our entire family race, adults and children, wherever they were: at home, in the mountains, in the forest, in the sky, in the water, on the road protect and save us from all troubles and differences."After those words, everyone had the right to try the meat dumplings, the priest handed everyone a piece of the heart and liver of a goat, all sat at the table and begin to feast.

According to the rules, when he died, the blacksmith, the priest, all his ritual duties passed to his older son. So from generation to generation navigates this rite of worship of Sheashvy "- finished his story the grandmother.

Here is one example of worship held among the Abkhazians, which originate in antiquity, but still not forgotten and are important in the life of the Abkhazians.