Chancellor, Richard, -1556; Europe -- Description and travel; Russia -- Description and travel; Willoughby, Hugh, Sir, -1554
All their churches are full of images, unto the which the people, when
they assemble, do bow and knock their heads, as I have before said, that
some will have knobs upon their foreheads, with knocking, as great as
eggs.
All their service is in the Russian tongue, and they and the common
people have no other prayers but this, “Ghospodi Jesus Christos esine
voze ponuloi nashe.” That is to say, “O Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God,
have mercy upon us;” and this is their prayer, so that the most part of
the unlearned know neither Paternoster, nor the Belief, nor Ten
Commandments, nor scarcely understand the one-half of the service which
is read in their churches.
_Of their Baptism_.
When any child is born, it is not baptised until the next Sunday; and if
it chance that it be not baptised then, it must tarry until the second
Sunday after the birth. And it is lawful for them to take as many
godfathers and godmothers as they will; the more the better.
When they go to the church, the midwife goeth foremost, carrying the
child; and the godfathers and godmothers follow into the midst of the
church, where there is a small table ready set, and on it an earthen pot
full of warm water, about the which the godfathers and godmothers with
the child settle themselves. Then the clerk giveth unto every of them a
small wax candle burning; then cometh the priest, and beginneth to say
certain words which the godfathers and godmothers must answer word for
word, among which one is, that the child shall forsake the Devil, and as
that name is pronounced, they must all spit at the word, as often as it
is repeated. Then he blesseth the water which is in the pot, and doth
breathe over it; then he taketh all the candles which the gossips have,
and, holding them all in one hand, letteth part of them drop into the
water, and then giveth every one his candle again. And when the water is
sanctified he taketh the child and holdeth it in a small tub, and one of
the godfathers taketh the pot with warm water, and poureth it all upon
the child’s head.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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