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How the Cossacks ... Celebrated a Wedding

The next in the series of How the Cossacks ... lessons. This time, the Cossacks fight down evil spirits, inspired by the works of Gogol. CLIL / Content-based for C1 learners.

by Glyn James

reading, speaking, video, wedding

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What’s in this lesson

Every slide, written out. The lesson itself is a board you present and annotate.

Slide 2

Recap

Cossacks Gray and Oko dream of their weddings in the past, although both have long been married and have children. At night, someone kidnaps them, and Tur follows their tracks. He arrives at the village, where it turns out that the Cossacks have been taken by their wives. Tur is the only one who is still unmarried and he becomes sad. But soon he meets an orphan girl with whom he falls in love. She promises to marry Tur, and Tur wants to give the bride shoes, because the poor girl has to go barefoot.

Looking for a place to buy shoes, Tur goes to the fair. Gray and Oko follow him and reach a stone with three arrows pointing in different directions. The Cossacks argue about which direction is right, while night falls. Various evil spirits move past the stone: someone invisible in boots, a living scarecrow, and witches riding broomsticks. On the other side of the stone, a portrait of the Elder Devil is revealed. Realizing that Tur is in trouble, Gray and Oko follow the evil spirit.

The Cossacks reach an old mill, which turns out to be an inn for evil spirits. The owner of the boots drinks a mixture of alcohol with negative and positive and becomes visible: it turns out to be the Elder Devil. One devil has brought a drunkard. He listens to what evil the visitors of the inn have done. The innkeeper, in turn, talks about how he gave Tur beer with a sleeping pill and that Tur is now sleeping in the pantry. The evil spirit wakes the Cossack and the Elder Devil offers an exchange: the boots in exchange for Tur's soul. Tur tries to draw his saber and defend himself, but it turns out that only one hilt remains of the saber.

Gray and Oko watch this through the window and figure out how to save Tur. They disguise themselves as Death and order the Elder Devil to climb into the barrel. Tur closes the barrel and then the Cossacks grab the rest of the evil spirit, which they lock in other barrels. They also free the drunkard. The drunkard swears to "tie up" with vodka. The Cossacks throw the inn into the river, and in its place they find a treasure chest. In addition to the jewels, there are expensive boots. Tur also finds wedding rings there that will suit him and his fiancée.

Tur gives the boots to his bride and they get married. A drunkard at the wedding tells what he saw at night, but no one believes him.

Slide 3

discussion

How much did you enjoy this episode?

What were its most memorable moments?

Did the recap reveal anything new for you?

This one was quite dark and even absurd. Did you like this change in atmosphere?

The original of The drunkard swears to "tie up" with vodka is П'яниця присягається "зав`язати" із горілкою. Can you make sense of it?

Slide 4

Who is this guy?

What is he best known for?

How might he be connnected to some of the events in How the Cossacks ... Celebrated a Wedding ?

Slide 5

Student A: read about St John's Eve

Student B: read about Christmas Eve

As you read, pay attention to anything that is similar to the events in How the Cossacks ... Celebrated a Wedding

Slide 6

St John's Eve

"St. John's Eve" (Вечер накануне Ивана Купала) is one of the stories in Nikolai Gogol's Evenings on a Farm Near Dikanka and is among his darkest tales.

Petro, a poor young labourer, is in love with Pidorka, the daughter of a wealthy Cossack. Her father refuses to allow the marriage unless Petro can acquire a fortune. Desperate, Petro is approached by the sinister Basavriuk, a mysterious stranger widely believed to be in league with the devil. On the eve of the feast of St. John, Basavriuk leads Petro into the forest to seek a magical fern flower, which folklore says blooms for a single moment and reveals hidden treasure.

To claim the treasure, however, Petro must perform a terrible sacrifice. Under a supernatural spell, he murders a young boy, after which the treasure appears. He awakens with no memory of what he has done but suddenly possesses immense wealth. He marries Pidorka, yet their happiness quickly dissolves. Petro is haunted by inexplicable terror and visions, while Pidorka grows increasingly disturbed by his strange behaviour. Eventually the truth is revealed: Petro's bargain with evil has damned him. He vanishes in a terrifying supernatural judgment, his riches turn to worthless shards, and Pidorka abandons worldly life to enter a convent, leaving behind a tale of greed, guilt, and the fatal price of dealing with dark powers.

Slide 7

Christmas Eve

"Christmas Eve" (Ночь перед Рождеством) is one of the best-known stories in Nikolai Gogol's Evenings on a Farm Near Dikanka, combining folklore, romance, and comedy.

On Christmas Eve in a Ukrainian village, the devil steals the moon to plunge the countryside into darkness, hoping to hinder the local blacksmith, Vakula, who has painted an unflattering picture of him in the church. The scheme creates confusion as villagers lose their way in the snow, while witches, gossiping neighbours, and would-be lovers become entangled in a series of comic misunderstandings.

Vakula is deeply in love with the beautiful but vain Oksana, who teasingly declares she will only marry him if he brings her the slippers worn by the Empress herself. Despairing at the impossible demand, Vakula captures the devil and forces him to carry him through the air to St Petersburg. There, with the help of friendly Cossacks, Vakula gains an audience at the imperial court and receives the Empress's slippers as a gift.

Returning home, Vakula discovers that rumours of his death have caused Oksana to realise she truly loves him. She confesses she no longer cares about the slippers, but Vakula presents them anyway. The story ends with their joyful reconciliation and wedding, while the devil's schemes end in complete humiliation.

Slide 8

Now summarise what you've read for your partner

Slide 9

Discussion

How familiar are you with Gogol's literature?

Have you heard of / read Evenings on a Farm near Dikanka?

Have you seen any movies based on any of his works?

Do you know any biographical information about the writer?

Wikipedia opens with, "Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol was a Russian novelist, short-story writer, and playwright of Ukrainian origin." Is this a controversial statement?

Slide 11

Based on the cartoon (or anything else you might know), what happened at a traditional Cossack wedding?

Think about:

- before the wedding

- the wedding day

- the feast

- rituals

Slide 12

Before the wedding

Matchmaking (svatannia)

The groom's representatives (often respected older men) formally visited the bride's family to ask for her hand.

If accepted, the families shared bread and drink; if rejected, the matchmakers might jokingly receive a pumpkin.

Betrothal

The engagement became publicly recognised.

Gifts were exchanged and the wedding date agreed.

Preparing ritual bread

Women baked an elaborately decorated round loaf (korovai), symbolising prosperity and fertility.

The baking itself was accompanied by songs and was considered almost sacred.

Wreath and clothing

The bride wore a flower wreath with long ribbons and an embroidered shirt.

The groom wore festive Cossack dress, often including a sash, embroidered shirt, wide trousers (sharovary), boots, and sometimes weapons as ceremonial symbols.

Slide 13

The Wedding Day

Blessing by the parents

Before leaving home, the couple knelt while their parents blessed them with icons and bread.

Church ceremony

The Orthodox marriage service included:

exchange of rings,

crowning of the couple,

drinking from a shared cup,

ceremonial procession around the lectern three times.

Procession

Musicians led the wedding party back through the village.

Villagers often joined in singing and dancing.

Slide 14

The feast

Huge communal tables laden with food.

Bread, roast meats, dumplings, fish, pies, and pickles.

Plenty of horilka (vodka) and mead.

Toasts by family and honoured guests.

Musicians playing fiddles, banduras, pipes and drums.

Circle dances and lively Cossack dances such as the hopak.

Comic games, practical jokes, riddles and friendly competitions.

Singing of traditional wedding songs, alternating between humorous and sentimental.

Rituals

Unveiling the bride

Late in the evening the bride's maiden wreath was removed.

A married woman's head covering (such as an ochipok) was placed on her instead.

This marked her transition into married life.

Sharing the korovai

The ceremonial bread was cut and distributed among guests as a blessing.

Gifts

Family and friends presented livestock, household goods, textiles, tools, or money to help establish the new household.

Slide 15

Discussion

How many of these traditions featured in the episode?

How many are the same as the ones in your country?

Are there any traditions that stand out as being a bit weird?

Do you know of any strange wedding rituals / traditions around the world?

How important is it to preserve such traditions?

Slide 17

the old drunkard

The episode ends with the drunkard telling stories about the things he has seen.

In your experience, how common is it for old drunkards to tell made-up stories?

Why does this seem to happen so much all over the world?

Do you find it funny / charming / sad / annoying?

Can you think of any times when an old (or even young) drunkard (or a taxi driver?) tried convincing you of something out-of-this-world that happened to them?