Russian women near the Sharshenga River praying to trees
Russian women near the Sharshenga River praying to trees. Kozma Prazhsky in the Czech Chronicle (XII century) reported that the Slavs prayed to trees in sacred groves. A similar observation was made by the German chronicler Helmgold (XII century), who described the life and customs of the Polabian Slavs.
One of the veneration of trees among the Eastern Slavs, it is mentioned in the "Life of Constantine of Murom", and John Chrysostom spoke about the facts of the existence of special prayers to trees among the Slavic people. [He did more than that; he persecuted people who did that, in his own region of Syira and Asia Minor.] This practice is well known even today in Christianity. People didn't throw away their praying rituals of the past…
Photo source: Matea Vuković, Slavic Rituals The Sharzhenga (Russian: Шарженга, Шарженьга) is a river in Nyuksensky, Babushkinsky, and Nikolsky Districts of Vologda Oblast in Russia.