Simple rituals & charms against evil spirits used by ethnic groups in Russia

Bashkir triangles

The Bashkir people use triangular shaped objects to protect themselves against evil spirits. The simplest ritual is to take a small piece of paper and write ritualistic words of protection on it (usually quotes from the Koran, but not always). Then, the paper should be folded in the shape of a triangle and wrapped in a small piece of cloth or a handkerchief. Such protective charms are usually worn around the neck, in a handbag or in the pocket of an item of clothing.

Yakut silver

The Yakut people believe that silver jewelry provides reliable protection against evil forces. However, the silver has to be matt and dark, not shiny and polished. Not only women, but also men and children used to wear plenty of such jewelry. And jewelry with a rhombus-shaped ‘bies kharakh’ ornament (translated as “five-eyed”) is regarded as one of the most powerful charms in terms of its alleged protective powers. 

Chukchi spoons

With the Chukchi people, the majority of rituals for warding off evil spirits involve a ritual sacrifice, but there is also a more humane way of scaring them away. You need to keep an ordinary spoon with you and use it to beat furniture loudly. The Chukchi believe that loud noises keep evil spirits away.

Tatar steel & stones

Carnelian

The Tatar people frequently use stones of different varieties as a way of protection from dark forces, preferring carnelian, most of all. For an ordinary stone to have protective powers, it has to have a shape resembling an arrow-head.

The Tatars also believe that any object of steel placed under the pillow will offer protection against evil spirits. This was particularly important for children and women giving birth.

Bashkir pepper & garlic

The Bashkir people also use red pepper pods and garlic for protective purposes. These need to be placed above the front door to prevent spirits from entering the house. And to reinforce the effect, horseshoes should be suspended above the outside of the door or a nail needs to be placed under the front doorstep.

Evenk bonfires & dressed sheep

The majority of Evenk protective rituals, as is the case with many of the small ethnic groups of Russia, involve fire. More often than not, a small bonfire was used and, depending on the purpose, specific foodstuffs were sacrificed to the spirits: For instance, for cleansing one’s soul from dark forces, it was necessary to pour vodka onto the flames and, to gain the favor of the spirits, meat had to be sacrificed to them (the spirits liked reindeer meat best of all, but because of its scarcity, it would be substituted with lamb). Present-day Evenks have almost completely stopped killing animals for ritual purposes: Increasingly frequently, they prefer not to kill a sheep, but to dress it in ceremonial garb and release it into the forest.