The project: «The Walpurgis Night»
The student:Yulya KuchumovaForm 10 “A”The teacher:Ivashina Tatyana Dmitrievna
General educational establishment“The comprehensive school № 375
with the profound studying English”
The aim: To find out the specificpoints of this holiday.
The theme: The Walpurgis Night.
The tasks are:to learn more about traditions of Walpurgis Night to set out connection between its pagan and religious meanings
to identify causes of belief about witches Sabbaths at this nights
to indicate the importance of this holiday for our generation
The problem: Contradiction of its name and content
The hypothesis: If the Walpurgis Night disappeared during the
Inquisition, the majority of famous authors would lose bright images and plots for their creations, and culture of
the World would become poorer.
Glossary
Inquisition[ınkwı´zıSən]-инквизиция
Pagan[´peıgen]-языческий
Solstice[´solstıs]-солнцестояние
Walpurgis[wol´pə:gıs]-Вальпургиева(ночь)
Devonshire[devəun´Saıə]-Девоншир
Faust[´fəust]-Фауст
Goethe[´gə:Θe]-Гётте
Beltane[´belteın]-Белтейн(Вальпургиева Ночь у Кельтов)
Sambain[´səmbeın]-Сембейн(Хеллоуин у Кельтов)
Sabbath[´sǽbeΘ]-шабаш
“Life without holidays is a long way without the inn.”
Demokritus.
The Walpurgis Night is one of the most important paganish festivals devoted
to fertility
The history of ancient Celts’s folk
Eight pieces of the year:Summer and winter
solstice
Groundhog Day(Imbolc)
Walpugis Night(Beltane)
Helloween(Sambain) and others
Both holidays opened gate to another world,a country of the elves
Dancing around the May pole decorated with flowers and
ribbons
Forcing the cattle to go between bonfires
Dancing around and jumping through the fire
St.Maria Theresa Walpurgia
Was born in Devonshire about 710
Spent 26 years in Unborn monastery
Is called the first English and German writer
She became holy after mystical storm
The sea calm down immediately
The St. Walpurgia’s monastery was restored by bishop Ayshadata after
100 years
The first conclusion:
The 1st of May is St.Walpurgia’s day. In this way people united this catholic name with pagan Beltane.
Sabbath at the Bald Hill
This belief appeared as a result of people’s gossips
Walpurgis Night in cultural creations of the universe
The Walpurgis Night captured in the Fifth
part of “Fantastique
Symphony” byHector Berlioz which is
called “Dream in the Night of the Sabbath”.
Symphonic Fantasy by Modest Mussorgsky's "Ivanov Night on Bald
Hill."
The second conclusion: The Walpurgis Night is an important element of the World culture.
People’s opinion
What do you associate the Walpurgis Night with?
don't know anything about the Walpurgis
Night; 37%
with witches and dark forces;
32%
with bonfires; 20%
with flowering fern; 11%
with witches and darkforces
with bonfires
with flowering fern
don't know anything aboutthe Walpurgis Night
Does the Walpurgis Night contain more religious or pagan motives?
pagan; 54%
religious; 46%
pagan
religious
In what areas is the Walpurgis Night celebrated?
Europe; 51%
USA; 29%
Australia and New Zealand;
20% Europe
USA
Australia and NewZealand
Since what time has the Walpurgis Night been celebrated?
since the Saint Inquisition; 29%
since ancient Celts; 28%no answer; 43%
since ancient Celts
since the Saint Inquisition
no answer
Have you ever taken part in such celebration?
have taken part in the same holiday,the
Ivanov Day; 56%
have taken part in the Walpurgis
Night; 3%
not,yet; 41%
not,yet
have taken part in thesame holiday,the IvanovDay
have taken part in theWalpurgis Night
What are the defferences between these two holidays?
no answer; 19%
they are celebrated in
different periods of time ; 21%
divination is held on the Ivanov Day with the
help of wreaths ; 24%
mass bathing on the Ivanov Day;
36%
they are celebrated indifferent periods of time
divination is held on theIvanov Day with the help ofwreaths
mass bathing on theIvanov Day
no answer
Nowadays Walpurgis Night has become a big entertaimant amoung people of all ages
Conclusion: The Walpurgis Night is a great chance for people to spend joyful time together, to preserve the ancient
traditions and transmit them to posterity by works of great authors.
The list of literature:
WikipediaFaust by J.W. von GoetheThe encyclopedia: “The hystory of Great Britain”http://paranormal.about.com/“Master and Margarita” by M.Bulgakovhttp://kulturoznanie.ru/interesno/The encyclopedia:”Nations of the Ancient World”
