Polish Slavic folk band Łysa Góra released the music video for their version of the traditional Belarusian song Kupalinka.
The song is a folk metal version that differs from the one that appears on the band’s most recent album, Oj Dolo, recorded acoustically. The video anticipates the next (and fourth) work of these Poles, which will be a Folk Metal album, with no release date confirmed as of yet.
Kupalinka tells of a girl who picks roses in the garden to make a wreath. More specifically, the lyrics refer to the pagan festival dedicated to the Slavic goddess of water and fertility, Kupala — Kupalo in its male version, god of the Sun — (Christianized as Ivan-Kupala or Feast of St. John the Baptist). The ritual is celebrated from the early evening of the 6th until the early evening of the 7th of July in the Julian calendar, during the summer solstice.
Kupala (2015) | Andrey Shishkin
On the occasion, young people light big fires on the banks of rivers, lakes and jump over the flames. The celebration is a symbol of youth and health.
The wreaths made by the girls are deposited on the surface of rivers. If a wreath floats away, it means that the girl will be married. If it returns to the bank, then the wedding will not take place. However, if it sinks, it is a sign that the girl will get sick.
See also: Łysa Góra releases acoustic Slavic Folk album
During the night of festivities, people entered the forest to look for paparats-kvetka (fern flower). Its flowering occurs for a short period of time on the summer solstice. It is said that a man who found a fern flower would be able to understand the language of birds and animals, find all hidden treasures and have access to all the secrets of the earth.
Flor de samambaia (1875) | Witold Pruszkowski | National Museum of Poland
Links
| Website | Facebook | YouTube |
| Instagram | Spotify |
