Rooks are universally considered a symbol of prosperity. Many peoples to this day have signs according to which these birds bring happiness with them to any place where they decide to settle.

In Russia, rooks have long been considered harbingers of spring. Our ancestors believed that the behavior of these birds can predict the weather with high accuracy.

Even the ancient Slavs noticed that rooks usually arrive from wintering about a month before the snow completely melts, and it will be possible to start sowing. And by when exactly this happened, one can judge how fine the spring will be, and how successful the whole coming year will be:

rooks arrived on March 17 or earlier- there will be a lean year, but the first berries will soon appear in the forest;

The birds returned later - a warm spring is coming, and in the fall it will be possible to harvest an extremely rich harvest.

Our ancestors believed that the behavior of these birds is also of great importance. So, if the returned rooks rush to take their old nests, the weather will be dry and warm.

It is believed that rooks begin to actively put their homes in order just a couple of days before the onset of the first thaws. So, if the birds are not in a hurry to update the nests, this is a bad sign: the frosts will probably last for a very long time. The restless behavior of birds does promise a sharp change in the weather (most likely for the worse).

The higher the rook builds its nest on the tree, the better the summer is expected.

The group sits huddled together with their beaks towards the wind - towards stormy weather.

An interesting sign: it is believed that if on the Day of St. Gerasim "Grachevnik" (March 17) you bake bird-shaped balls from sour rye dough, you can speed up the onset of warm days.

Since ancient times, it was believed that if rooks settle near the dwelling, the owners will be lucky in all household and family affairs. If the birds suddenly decide to leave their nests, expect trouble. In different countries, it was believed that the "flight" of birds could mean:

Sudden financial problems, up to the complete ruin of the family;

Gradual and inevitable death of the whole family (most likely, no heir will appear in the family).

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On March 17, the Orthodox Church venerates Saints Gerasim of Vologda and Gerasim of Jordan. The latter was assisted in his labors by a lion, who, after the death of the saint, died on his grave. In the folk calendar, the date was called Gerasim the Grachevnik.

The church holiday in honor of St. Gerasim coincided with the arrival of the rooks - one of the first signs of the onset of spring. The people said:

I saw a rook - meet spring.

Rook on the mountain - spring in the yard.

Gerasim the rooker leads the rooks.

The rook is the first spring bird.

Rook pecked winter.

March 17: traditions and customs of the day

March has already gained full strength, and is rolling faster and faster into summer. It's time for the rooks to return home. After all, if a rook arrived, then a real spring had come, and what it would be like was judged by the behavior of these migratory birds.

On the day of Gerasim the rooker, they baked bread in the form of rooks. This ritual was supposed not only to hasten the arrival of the first spring bird, but also emphasized the connection of the rook with field work and bread.

There was also a rather interesting ban for this day. The peasants did not put on new bast shoes for Gerasim. It was believed that the one who disobeyed would have his neck creaking all day.

According to folk beliefs, spring not only brings the long-awaited warmth, but also cleanses and renews nature, drove away the evil spirits that triumphed during the long and harsh winter.

What evil spirits are cast out on March 17, the day of Gerasim the rooker?

The day of Gerasim the rooker was considered the only time in the year when it was possible to expel kikimora from the house: “ Gerasim not only drives rooks to Russia, but also drives kikimora from Holy Russia". It was said that by this time she was especially obedient and meek, and in the house where she settled, she had already done so much that the owners were looking forward to the day of Gerasim the rooker with great impatience, hoping for his support and help.

In the mythology of the Eastern Slavs, kikimora, or shishimora, is an evil domestic spirit, a small invisible woman, possibly the wife of a brownie, who lives behind the stove. There were many versions of where this spirit came from: from a swamp, from a forest, or even from somewhere else. In appearance, the kikimora was very skinny and awkward, she was so small in stature that she was once again afraid to leave the house so that she would not be blown away by the wind.

Unlike a brownie, the presence of a kikimora in a dwelling is not necessary, and even completely undesirable, because it is capricious and capricious, often causes all sorts of minor troubles (for example, it can break a pot, throw bulbs from the underground, beat dishes, pluck chickens, etc. ). Most of all, the kikimora loves to misbehave with yarn: either he will confuse or tangle the threads, or he will set fire to the tow. True, the housewives themselves are to blame for this: the kikimora will never touch the tow, spinning wheel, spindle, if at the end of the work the spinner crossed itself and crossed the needlework left for the night.

Kikimora in a sense helps to maintain cleanliness and order in the house. Sometimes she even helps good housewives (at night she lulls small children, helps the dough to rise well, unnoticed by the household washes the pots, etc.). But she does not like sloths and sluts and harms them in every possible way. Sometimes the kikimora's pranks are not motivated by anything, then they try to expel her from the house.

According to legend, the kikimora disturbed small children, harassed domestic animals, and the sounds of her spinning in the house promised trouble. It was believed that she was able to survive from the house of her masters and was especially hostile towards men.

Sometimes the kikimora left the house to live in a chicken coop or a sheepfold. From that day on, neither chickens nor sheep knew peace. Some of them ran around the village without tails, from others she tore out the wool in tufts - into yarn. The peasants, noticing that the rooster lacked feathers in the once luxurious tail, hung the chicken god from the perch - an amulet stone with a hole in the middle. Sometimes, instead of a pebble, they used an old bast shoe or the neck of a broken bottle. After the appearance of the amulet in the chicken coop, the kikimora stopped torturing the chickens, finding another occupation for herself.

According to the old people, a proven remedy in the fight against kikimora was camel hair, which was placed under the hearth. However, the conspiracy that our ancestors read that day was considered the most effective:

“Oh, you are a goy, brownie kikimora, leave my house as soon as possible, otherwise they will tear you up with red-hot rods, burn you with fire and fill you with black tar. My words are strong and sculpted from now on and forever. Amen".

March 17: signs and beliefs

1. If the rooks have arrived, then in a month the snow will come down.
2. Rooks frolic - to good weather.
3. If birds fly to old nests, spring will be friendly.
4. Rooks hover in flocks over nests, worry - to changeable weather.
5. The rooks are crying for the rain.
6. Whoever meets the first rooks in the morning will be lucky.
7. If the rooks who have arrived together set about repairing old nests, in a few days there will be good and warm weather.
8. Dreams from March 16 to March 17 will be fulfilled in twelve days.

Video: March 17 - Gerasim Grachevnik

Rook. Features

Rook is a representative of the crow family. This is a fairly large bird, reaching a length of 45 cm with a body weight of up to 500 grams. Its plumage has a characteristic black color with a bluish tint. But if you look at the photo, a rook is easy to distinguish from a crow in a number of ways. The main difference of this bird is a thinner, straight, light-colored beak at the base. However, calling him white is still a mistake. It is not the beak that turns white from constant picking, it is the front parts of the bird's head that are exposed from feathers. In addition, unlike the crow, the rook has a more elongated body and narrowed wings.

Heralds of Spring

Rooks are migratory birds that come to us from southern countries with the first warmth. The people said: “The rook on the mountain - so is spring in the yard», « I saw a rook - meet spring". From time immemorial, they were considered the messengers of spring. When the rooks arrive, the most amazing time of the year begins. The rays of the sun begin to warm the earth, everything around is awakening. In early March, as soon as the first thawed patches appear, flocks of these birds begin to walk through the fields and clearings in search of last year's crumbled seeds, young grass shoots, worms and bugs. Despite the fact that when the rooks arrive, it is still quite cold, these birds easily adapt to temperature fluctuations. Moreover, more and more birds prefer not to fly to warm countries for the winter, but while away the harsh winter time near human habitation, where it is easier to find food.

Nesting

When rooks arrive, the first thing they devote their time to is building or restoring their nests. These birds nest in colonies, arranging entire settlements. To build a fairly large nest, reaching about 70 cm in diameter and up to 65 cm deep, the male and female use old branches. Inside, everything is lined with dry grass, straw, feathers. Often rook nests are a multi-tiered building. Already in the third decade of March, the female lays from three to 6 eggs, and after 18-22 days, the cries of hungry chicks are announced around the district. The parents feed the offspring together. By the end of May, the chicks “take wings” and leave the nest.

Helpers of farmers

Rooks in history and culture

These birds are very popular in England. Legends and legends are dedicated to them. According to one of them, a rook that settled on the territory of the estate is an excellent omen. On the contrary, if the family of these birds leaves the nest they have chosen earlier, this threatens with troubles for the family of the owner of the estate. Under pain of punishment, it was forbidden to kill rooks. One of the most famous paintings by Alexei Sarasov "The Rooks Have Arrived" was duly appreciated by Pavel Tretyakov and immediately bought out by the collector. To this day, this creation is exhibited in the Tretyakov Gallery and delights art lovers.

We inherited a huge variety of different signs and superstitions from our ancestors. Some of them are connected with the natural world: herbs and flowers, trees and shrubs, the behavior of insects and birds. The latter are indispensable heroes of more than half of folk tales, myths and legends.

Feathered neighbors have long lived next to humans. With their habits and voices, they told the peasants what spring or summer to expect, whether there would be a snowy and frosty winter, whether it was time to sow and harvest. In addition, birds have always been considered messengers of the dead, liaison between our world and the other world. Rooks possess all these abilities to the full, but their “narrow specialization” is meteorological forecasts.

• In honor of the rooks, one of the spring days is even named March 17. He is called "Gerasim the rooker", since, with the correct alignment of events, it is on this day that feathered soothsayers are supposed to appear in their native lands. Being late portends a protracted and cold spring, and early arrival means a lean year at all.
• When rooks appear, it is worth observing their behavior. If they immediately begin to repair old nests or build new ones, then one should be wary of a friendly melting of snow and a large flood.
• The location of the rook's dwelling is also important. If the birds settle on the top of the crown, then the summer will be hot. Have you noticed that smart builders are working on the lower branches? You can not hope for a fine season, because weather forecasters with beaks have already smelled cold and rain.
• Upon the arrival of winged soothsayers, our ancestors determined the time of sowing grain. It was supposed to start exactly three weeks after the first black silhouettes appeared in the sky and the piercing “gra-gra-gra” began to be heard.
• The weather prospects for the coming days can be judged by how the rooks behave in the skies. If they circle and play carelessly for a long time, then a bucket is guaranteed, but the birds that reluctantly leave their nests promise bad weather.
• Our ancestors were especially alarmed by the black "garlands" of bodies tightly pressed against each other, decorating the branches of trees. If, moreover, their beaks are directed downwind, then it is worth getting ready for the revelry of the elements. It is very likely that a heavy downpour will break out soon and a terrible thunderstorm will break out. It is possible that the "heavenly office" has also prepared hail for young crops.
• Rooks like to settle in whole colonies, occupying several nearby trees at once. If one of them was ignored by birds, then we can safely say that it will soon collapse, as it is stricken with a disease or becomes a victim of a lightning strike. If such a specimen grows next to a building, it is urgent to cut it down, not waiting for the fall of a powerful trunk to harm your property.
• You should be wary if a nearby bird colony suddenly leaves their homes. This behavior of sensitive creatures portends a natural disaster that threatens to soon fall on your area.
• Not only weather predictions are associated with rooks. These serious birds are well "versed" in the material side of life. If they have chosen your yard or nearby trees for permanent residence, then you can no longer hope for wealth. It’s already good if you can just make ends meet and not fall into real poverty. But gloomy “financiers” who periodically visit your site or window sill will attract powerful cash flows to your house.
• Rooks that fly into your garden or yard year after year are a sure sign of family decline. This kind begins to gradually impoverish and degenerate, heirs cease to appear, and marriages become frankly unsuccessful.
• Quite logically, a rook in his mourning attire looks at the cemetery. The people believe that this is the incarnation of the souls of the dead, who left some unfinished business in this world and continue to worry about this. If the bird sits on a specific monument, then the relatives of the deceased must ensure that all the posthumous wishes of the deceased are fulfilled.
• It is not a good sign to see a rook outside your window. On wings, he brought gloomy news, and if he also knocks on glass, then you should prepare for bad changes in life. Moreover, the prediction will be connected precisely with the area of ​​\u200b\u200bactivity that you were thinking about at the time the gloomy oracle appeared. To neutralize the effect of the prophecy, urgently tie a red ribbon or strip of fabric to the window handle.
• A particularly bad omen is a feathered guest in a black "suit" who suddenly appeared in the house: flying in through a window or through a door. His visit unequivocally predicts the sudden death of one of the household members. However, it is possible to minimize the consequences if you allow the bird to leave the house freely, and after it throw a pinch of salt.

There are many signs of birds. For example, our ancestors believed that the house in which pigeons live would never burn down. Whoever has pigeons in his yard, his household is in full swing, that is, it abounds.

At the same time, a bird flying through the window most often predicted misfortune.

However, it all depends on the type of bird flying through the window. According to popular beliefs, a dove flying through the window portends good news, a swallow - a wedding, but a tit - illness or death. But still, most of the bird signs relate to the weather.

Bird signs for rain

Finch rumbling - to the rain. The finch sits quietly, quietly, monotonously sings - to the rain. A large woodpecker taps a bough with its beak on a fine summer day - be rain. Seagulls swim a lot - unfortunately.

You will not hear a capercaillie a few days before a bad weather. Pigeons cooing - to the bucket, hiding - the weather is getting worse.

Rooks hover high in flocks and descend like an arrow to the ground - it will rain. Rooks in flocks with a cry hover over the nests, then sit down, then take off again - wait for the weather to change.

On a fine spring evening, woodcocks do not “pull” - expect bad weather. Thrush screams sharply in bad weather.

If suddenly in the middle of summer swifts disappear from the city - wait for a lingering rain. If poultry do not hide from the rain, then it will be for a long time. Cranes fly low and fast, silently - bad weather will come soon.

The oriole on a sunny day makes sounds reminiscent of a flute melody, and before the weather worsens, it screams piercingly.

The heart-rending cry in dry weather of homebodies - jackdaws - is also a sure sign of rain in both summer and autumn.

The larks are sitting, ruffled, - to a thunderstorm. Kites are circling in the air, their drawn-out “pee-and-it” is heard - before bad weather.

Partridges, black grouse are removed from the trees and fly away from open places into the depths of the forest - wait for the storm.

In the summer, before the rain, rooks often “graze” on the grass than on roads and plowing. The owl screams at night - to rain and cold. Owls and quails call before the rain.

The pheasant sits on tree branches in the evening - a dry, quiet night, hides in the bushes - rain and wind.

Seagulls on the shore raise a hubbub - to bad weather. Seagulls remain on the shore and roam with a squeak among the coastal cliffs or sandbanks - soon there will be a storm.

Blackbirds begin to whistle piercingly, hide - there will be a storm, rain.

Jackdaws and crows perched on the lower branches of trees - wait for the wind. Before rain, the hooded crow usually perches on a bough or hedge, puffs up, hunches over, lowers its wings, and sits like an ancient old woman.

Sitting and croaking. The raven flies and croaks - to the rain.

Bird tips for good weather

A seagull walks on the sand - it promises melancholy to a sailor, a seagull sat on the water - wait for good weather. Seagulls fly far into the sea - to the bucket. If seagulls land on the water, on the mast or rigging of the ship, there will be good stable weather.

Seabirds land on the water - for good weather.

Larks walk around the field - to clear, good weather. Notes on birds. The lark sings - to clear weather. Before the warmth, the bird in the cage sings more cheerfully.

Cranes fly high in autumn - to good weather. By dry, clear and warm weather, capercaillie, like many other birds, sit on the very tops of trees. .

By clear and dry weather, larks sing a lot and for a long time, but if they are not heard from the very dawn, it will rain. Kulik flies to the field - to clear weather.

Swallows and swifts fly high above the ground - tomorrow without rain. The swans leave the polynyas and disperse along the ponds - to heat.

Swifts flying high above the buildings until late twilight are a sign of the preservation of warm good weather.

When capercaillie mating on a rainy morning, one can hope for an improvement in the weather. The nightingale sings all night - before a fine, sunny day.

The lapwing flies low - to prolonged dry weather, calls in the evening - to clear weather.

Bird tips for spring

Early crowing of roosters in severe frosts is a harbinger of warm weather. The bullfinch under the window chirps - to the thaw. The white wagtail - a recognized harbinger of ice drift - always arrives on the eve of the opening of the rivers.

Rook on the mountain - spring in the yard. The rook has arrived - in a month the snow will come down. The seagull flew in - soon the ice will go.

The rooks arrived before March 14 - the snow will melt early. Rooks fly right to the old nests - there will be a friendly spring, hollow water will run away all at once. The rooks arrived early - by the warm spring.

The lark sang - it's time to go to the arable land. When the nightingale sang in mid-May, spring will come together. A migratory bird flies together - and spring will be friendly. Early arrival of cranes - by early spring.

Bird signs for frost, cold snap, snow

Jackdaws gather in large flocks and scream loudly - for clear weather, in winter - for frost.

If a magpie flies close to housing and climbs under the roof, there will be a blizzard. If the cranes went south on John the Baptist (September 11), wait for early winter.

The finch flies away - wait for a cold snap, and the lark arrives - it will be warm. Birds insulate their overnight stays on the eve of severe cold snaps. Titmouse begins to squeak in the morning - expect frost at night.

Titmouse screams in the morning - to frost. Titmouse tend to climb under the roof - to bad weather, cold, snowstorms.

Bullfinch whistles - winter is coming. The owl screams - the cold broadcasts. Black grouse and partridges fly away in winter from open places and rare copses - under the protection of boron or forest - soon a snowstorm. A few hours before a snowstorm, they hide in the snow.

Signs by birds what summer will be

Birds build their nests on the sunny side - by the cold summer. The nightingale sang - the water subsided. If you hear the nightingale before the cuckoo, the summer will be successful. If the nightingale sang on bare trees - crop failure on fruit.

Steppe harriers make nests in the steppe - the summer will be rainy, in the swamps - dry.

Signs on birds to change the weather

In summer, the great spotted woodpecker announces the change of weather with its drum roll. Birds sit on the ground - to the bucket, on the roofs - to bad weather. They sing merrily - for good weather. They hide in nests during the day - to rain.

If in winter jackdaws and crows croaked with the whole flock and sit on the tops of trees - this is to frost, and they arranged round dances in the sky and curl in the air - to snowfall; they sit on the snow - there will be a thaw.

Notes on birds

swallows

Swallows fly high for good weather and low for rain. Swallows and swifts fly up and down before a storm. The swallows have disappeared - the cold will come. A swallow catches a fish - wait for a thunderstorm. The swallows have arrived - it's time to sow peas.

Swifts fly high above buildings until the very late twilight - a sign of good weather.

Cuckoos

The cuckoo cuckooed - mushrooms went. A cuckoo cuckoos on a dry tree - to frost. The cuckoo began to crow - there will be no frost, the old-timers say.

The prolonged cuckooing of the cuckoo indicates the establishment of warm weather and the cessation of cold matinees.

chickens

In the summer, roosters suddenly, for no reason at all, begin to crow in broad daylight, arranging a roll call throughout the village - it will rain.

On a cloudy rainy morning, roosters begin to sing - the weather clears up, there will be a bucket. The chicken flies around the hut - to the frost.

November 14, on Kosmodemyan, chicken name days: chicken on the table. Begins to shed early in the fall - by a warm winter. In severe frost, the turkey screams - a warm wind will blow.

They fly up to the highest objects - soon it will rain. Chickens pluck all the time, cackle, bathe in the sand and flap their wings - to be bad weather.

If the chickens do not hide from the rain, then it will not be strong and short-lived. Chickens twirl their tails - be a blizzard. The mother hen puts the chickens under her - to bad weather. The rooster sings in the evening - to a change in the weather.

Early crowing of roosters in frost - to a thaw. In winter, before a severe frost, chickens sit early on a perch and try to climb higher - it is warmer there.

Chicken fat drives the scab off the face. The chicken fell from the perch - to a commotion.

geese

In frost, they flap their wings - for a thaw, for a long time splashing in a pond, flapping their wings, screaming, diligently grease their feathers - for rain.

Geese fly high - to a friendly spring flood, fly low - to low spring water.

Of migratory birds, wild geese are the first to arrive in spring. Geese and ducks bathe in the snow - for a thaw and a snowstorm. The goose will cackle in winter - to warmth.

The goose raises its paw - to the cold. The goose sits cross-legged - to the cold. If the goose presses its paw or hides its head under the wing - to the cold.

The goose stands on one leg - to the frost. The swan flies - to the snow (in late autumn), and the goose - to the rain (in early spring).

ducks

An hour or two before a storm, wild ducks begin to hide in coastal thickets, and sometimes even come ashore, where it is easier for them to hide from the wind. Wild ducks arrive in the spring fat - the spring will be long.

Wild ducks before rain and wind go to the coastal thickets for the day. Ducks and geese hide their heads under their wings - to the cold and cold. Ducks splash and dive endlessly - to be bad weather.

In the spring, upon arrival, the ducks do not cry much. If wild ducks build their nests near the water, then the coming summer will be dry, and the farther from the water, the rainier.

sparrows

In winter, the sparrows shouted in unison - for a thaw, they hide - for frost or for a snowstorm, in summer they bathe in dust - for rain, they sit puffed up - before the rain, they chirp in a long bad weather - wait for the onset of clear weather.

In good weather, sparrows are cheerful, mobile, sometimes pugnacious. Sparrows gather in flocks on the ground, become lethargic, sit, ruffled - to the rain.

If sparrows suddenly begin to actively collect fluff and feathers in the middle of winter, frost will hit in a few days. Sparrows sit on trees or buildings secretly - there will be snow without wind.

Sparrows nest nests - to the bucket. Sparrows hide under the eaves - to a strong wind. Sparrows hide in shelters or climb into heaps of brushwood - in the cold or in a snowstorm. Cheerful sparrow - to the bucket.

Sparrows climbed early under the roof - by the rain. If sparrows fly in flocks or sit in flocks - to a warm snowstorm or rain, that is, to warming. They fly in flocks - to dry fine days.

Sparrows chirp together - to heat, in winter - to snow. Sparrows fly near the water - to the rain.

crows

If on Plato and Roman (December 1) a crow walks along the road - to heat. Raven bathes in spring and summer - to heat and rain. A crow croaks in summer - to rain, in winter - to a blizzard.

Crows soar into the clouds - to bad weather, crest - to bad weather. Crows gather in a flock in winter, croak and shout - wait for snow or frost.

Crows and jackdaws hover in the air in winter - before the snow. Crows and jackdaws start a game with a cry - to the thaw.

The crows sit down somehow, with their heads in different directions - a windless warm night, they sat down with their heads in one direction, but on a thicker bough - there will be a strong wind from the side where their heads are.

Crows walk with their mouths open - before a thunderstorm. Crows frolic - winter will still stand. Crows fly low - to the cold; fly high - to the heat. Crows pluck - to the rain.