Page:The Folk-Lore Journal Volume 7 1889.djvu/104

96 vosatya has finished consecrating the sacrifice, he throws the contents of the ladle into the fire. All the worshippers simultaneously fall on their knees, look at the fire, and pray while the offering is being burnt, sometimes raising up their hands, sometimes letting them fall, and crying to Cham Pas and to the other divinities. While this is going on the vosatya is standing with the yanbeds near the fire, watching how the flesh, bread, and salt burn. When all this has been consumed, the vosatya again mounts the seat at the foot of the sacred tree and cries out three times in three directions:

"Sakmede."

All are silent, and now begins the second part of the ceremony.

The vosatya, with four old men from the crowd, take "the sovereign's barrel," and sets it on a large door. He puts candles lit from the sacrificial fire upon the barrel, round which one or more players on the pulama (bagpipe) kneel down. The people, still on their knees, raise their hands aloft, and with their faces to the west sing to the accompaniment of the bagpipes:

"Lord God Savagoth, Lord God Savagoth, Lord God Savagoth, Ange Patyai Pas, mother, most holy mother of God, protect the white Kussian Czar."

Meanwhile several men take the door and hoist it up, barrel, musicians and all, sometimes heaving it up in the air, sometimes lowering it to the ground, sometimes hoisting it upon their heads. But when the vosatya's command, "Sakmede!" again rings forth, all are silent, while he repeats:

"Cham Pas, Nishhi Pas, Svyet Vereshki Pas, save the white Czar."

The musicians again begin playing, and all the people on their knees sing the above prayer.

The same ceremony is repeated with the second and third barrels for the welfare of all mankind and of the government. The vosatya then takes the sacred ladle from the pryavt, fills it with beer, approaches the fire, mounts upon the seat near it, raises the ladle aloft, and cries out:

"Cham Pas, take notice! accept!" &c., adding at the end, "protect the white Czar, have mercy on the white Czar, defend the white Czar."