Hakluyt, Richard. "The Manners, Usages, and Ceremonies of the Russians".

Note

- this is a chapter from Hakluyt's travel book The Discovery of Muscovy and Other Histories

"Of the Emperor"

- Evan Vasilivich, i.e. the son of Vasilie

- beloved but many enemies, esp. the nation of the Tartarians

- when a person falls in the Emperor's displeasure, this person does not cut his hair nor beard

- the Emperor deals directly with all matters except religious ones

- his is devoted to serving God and to conquering his enemies

"Of Their Religious Men"

- the Metropolitan is next to God, the only higher rank is that of the Emperor

- many rich monasteries with images painted on the walls and roof

- superior abundance in beer and wine

- feed the poor

- have no preachers

- people bound to have holy images in each home

- claims their ceremonies to be according the Greek Church

- do not allow any other religion than theirs and the Greek one

- the crown of their head is shaved, the rest and the beard never cut

- unlearned people do not know the Belief, the Paternoster, or the Ten Commandments

"Of Their Baptism"

- a baby is to be baptised on Sunday only

- the more godfathers and godmothers it has the better

- a complicated ceremony

- the baby get a cross which must be worn about one's neck

- the Russians claimed the author not to be a Christian because he did not wear a cross

"Of Their Matrimony"

- the couple exchange several things of symbolic meaning before the marriage

- the bride behaves as if she did not want to go on the wedding day

- the man lets a glass fall and the first to tread upon it will be the master

- the way to church is accompanied by boys calling very dishonest words and two naked men dancing before the procession

- the husband puts money in one of his boots and if the wife pulls from the boot where the money is, it is hers, if not, she is bound to pull off his boots continually

- drinking lasts for three days

- marry very young

- the wife is beaten and kept very closely by her husband

- the husband is bound to get the wife colours to paint her face

"Of Their Burial"

- the death are put a testimony in hand as a passport to heaven

- put on a new pair of shoes

- their poor are extremely miserable, their rich extremely reckless

- the country is full of diseases and evil