What threatened her husband's mistress, why mothers choked children and other family traditions in Russia.

Family life in Russia was clearly regulated by Christian canons. It was understood that married couples who entered into church marriage would zealously observe them. However, men and women did not always adhere to the commandments, because there were secret ways of punishment for those or other sins. Some features of family life and inter-sex relations have traditionally remained a taboo subject, which was not accepted to discuss.

Magic rituals will drain the mistress

In Ancient Russia women with particular scrupulousness related to personal things. They tried not to leave their kerchiefs and scarves, aprons, hairpins and other small accessories unattended. When combing carefully collected all the remaining hairs on the crest, which, together with cut nails burned in the oven. The zealous protection of her clothes had a simple explanation for those times. Any left unattended thing could serve to perform a black ritual.

Suspected of another woman's rival, the wives were not particularly ceremonious and immediately turned to village sorceresses for help. They offered to get even with the mistress in the most effective way - namely, to bring damage. It could be of varying degrees of severity: from illness to death to a rival. But in order for the ritual to have its effect, it was necessary to bring the sorceress to any thing of the razluchnitsy, even the usual ribbon, which had previously been woven into a scythe.

Conspiracy to die is not the only option for punishment for depraved behavior. Courage or not having waited for the conspiracy, the deceived wife could drag the mistress by her hair or inflict serious beatings on her. And that all neighbors learn about her improper behavior - smear the gate with tar.

To be happy - it's better to be like a father

At a time when there was still no question of genetic examination, the most important reason for blood relationship was external resemblance. Since the first days of life, the child has been trying to discern his father's features - for example, pointed nose, blue eyes or plump lips. If he had a different color of hair or was completely different from his parents, the mother could be accused of adultery and cruelly punished.

Now that there is knowledge about the recessive gene and the procedure for the genetic establishment of paternity is available, similar ways of determining kinship look insufficient. However, in the old days such children were treated with obvious disapproval and did not miss the opportunity to recall the mother's misdeed. And sometimes they even gave them to orphanages or simply drove them out of the house.

Often, the fathers, not finding their features in infantile faces, abandoned their own child, and unjustly subjected their wives to terrible physical punishment and disgrace. And along with this, they genuinely loved children who had the same green eyes, fair-haired or curly hair. Although the latter did not guarantee a complete genetic relationship. Thriving in those days "snohachestvo" sometimes ended in a woman's pregnancy from a father-in-law. As a result of illicit communication, a child resembling an official husband was born, who in fact was not his native.

Sick children are a heavenly punishment or intrigues of evil spirit

In Ancient Rus to the birth of a child treated ordinary. Families usually had about ten children, sometimes more. They learned to circumvent themselves from childhood and help their parents in everyday life. Care for the younger sisters and brothers in most cases was shifted to older children. At the same time, parents preferred that they have more sons. In the future, they became assistants and always remained in the family, unlike girls.

The birth of a sick child was perceived as a heavenly punishment or intrigues of evil spirits. If the midwife noticed any physical deviations in the newborn, he was doomed. They could be anything: inadequate development of fingers or toes, albinism, other shortcomings. Heavy financial position and fear of becoming the object of attacks forced parents to go to extreme methods. Such babies could be left in the forest or discreetly thrown into the "scoundrel". In Russia so called common graves, where, as usual, buried drowned people or frozen people, whose identity was not established.

In a fit of desperation, the mother resorted to extreme measures. At night, as usual, putting the baby to sleep next to him, they allegedly accidentally piled on him, which led to strangulation. In this case, it was impossible to prove fault, so legally such situations were not regulated in any way.

Sodomy was punishable by deprivation of all property and by reference

Unnatural sexual relations between men, although they happened in Russia, have never been common. However, this did not prevent Peter I to establish a "military article", according to which all unnatural adultery of men with men, boys and cattle should be punished by burning at the stake. The situation concerned only the military, civilians were still punished for such sins by the church.

As a repentance, the last appointed long-term excommunication from the sacrament, the need to perform a large number of earthly obeisances or adhere to a strict fast for a period determined by the priest. Ordinary people were not punished financially, nor was their freedom restricted.

Over time, the sovereign reconsidered the military regulations and replaced the death penalty with corporal punishment, which was expressed in public whipping with a whip. In cases where sodomy was not carried out with goodwill and was aggravated by the use of violence, an eternal reference was added to physical punishment.

The legal permission for spanking for same-sex contacts existed until the reign of Catherine II. Later, the Empress abolished him, believing that the guilt of sodomy is enough for the shame and dishonor that they experienced during the arrest. After that, the physical punishment for homosexual relationships was no longer applied. As a measure of punishment left a lifelong exile in Siberia and the complete deprivation of all rights to property.
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