Why in Russia women were forbidden to sleep naked

In pre-Christian times in Russia, nudity was treated as calmly as in ancient Hellas. A beautiful, healthy naked body was considered beautiful and many rituals and rituals were, in one way or another, associated with nudity. But everything changed after baptism — the demonstration of the naked body began to be considered shameful and sinful, and female nudity was completely banned, even at home, at night and in bed.

After a rather long pagan period, when a naked woman in Russia personified fertility, prosperity and beauty, centuries of persecution of nudity came. Christianity controlled people in all aspects of their lives, including in the intimate sphere.

Sexual relations, which brought joy to people and were previously considered a natural manifestation of human physiology, have been revised and dissected by theologians and clergymen. They were declared base, sinful and permissible only for the God-pleasing purpose of procreation.

Getting pleasure in bed was out of the question, and besides, men and women were obliged to "watch themselves" and not succumb to temptation and "animal instincts". In order to observe this important rule, it was impossible to allow sinful thoughts that female nudity could lead men to.

A woman sleeping next to her without clothes, as it were, inclined her partner to copulation, involved in sin, like Eve Adam. Clothing protected morality, saved from temptation and was a sign of a true Christian. This also applied to married couples — the wife not only went to bed in a long nightgown, but also made sure that her husband did not see her changing clothes and did not watch her naked at all.

Strange as it may seem, but at one time in Russia there was even a ban on sexual intercourse without clothes. A long linen shirt was not removed by women even during intercourse, which was incredibly uncomfortable, but it was Orthodox and highly spiritual. But even this did not seem enough to the churchmen and they identified special days when the spouses could have sex.

Many scholars believe that the persecution of nudity, especially female nudity, is directly related to the desire of churchmen to completely eradicate paganism. Most pre-Christian holidays were held with games and ritual dances, and summer ones, such as Ivan Kupala, also with rites associated with undressing. In the spring, during the sowing season, women could walk around the fields and gardens naked — this, according to our ancestors, helped to harvest a good harvest.

Divination and other magical rites, considered sinful by Christians, also took place with nudity. Isn't this a reason to forbid walking, dancing, working and sleeping undressed? But some researchers are sure that nudity during sleep could have been negatively perceived long before the arrival of Christianity. For a long time, the Slavs believed that a naked person was not of this world.

The ethnolinguistic dictionary "Slavic Antiquities" says about it this way: "when a naked person is no longer a person or not quite a person." No wonder the priests of pagan gods often conducted their services without clothes — the naked body helped to establish a connection with the subtle world and communicate with otherworldly forces.

Most of the pagan evil spirits, in which our ancestors believed, also did not know clothes. Mermaids, bunnies, kikimores and buffoons did not wear robes and at best covered their nakedness with long hair. Witches, before beginning their demonic rites, also got rid of clothes. Naked, they flew on broomsticks and frightened lonely travelers in forests and churchyards.

In Russia, it was believed that a person without clothes was vulnerable to evil spirits, but while awake it was not too dangerous. But the sleeper was considered defenseless, and doubly so if he was not dressed. Therefore, in some Slavic tribes, even before the advent of Christianity, there was a ban on sleeping undressed.

The custom of sleeping in clothes is so ingrained in the minds of the fair sex that many ladies still believe that sleeping naked is strange and indecent. Meanwhile, doctors say that such a dream is much more useful and restores strength better, as it gives the body a break from the clothes that we have to endure for days.