Features of the Transmission and Reading of Incantations Among the Eastern Slavs

Abstract

This article examines the characteristicss of charms transmission among East Slavic healers. The tradition of passing on charms from the older generation to the younger, both inside and outside the family, and the trend of transferring magical knowledge for free, as well as the practice of limiting the transfer of especially important fragments of incantations (the so-called ‘locks’ or ‘fixings’) is highlighted in this piece. In the second part of the article, the author explores the rules of the healer’s treatment with a charm as a magic tool: the attitude to a verbal charm as a material object, the practice of restoring the power of charms, the types of healer, as well as the regulations governing the choice of incantation object.