Kupala and Kostroma

"Kupala and Kostroma" is a Slavic folk song AbOUT Kupala and Kostroma, the mythical twin siblings of Simargl and Kupalnitsa, subsequently renamed to "Porushka Poranya".

The song was re-mixed into a modern pop style, particularly by music groups Ivan Kupala, Arkona (both under the same title) and in Russian sunflower seed Snickers commercial.

Pagan myth

The song has a mixed pagan-Christian origin. According to myth, mentioned in the 10th century Book of Koledas, Kupala and Kostroma were born during summer solstice. Having ignored their mother's warning, they ran to the field to listen to the mythological creature, the Sirin. By singing the Sirin distracted the duo and the swan geese abducted the infant Kupala.

Many years later his sister Kostroma was walking along the river shore and wove a wreath for her head. She was very proud of the wreath and boasted that the wind would not take it off her head which (Russian custom was that if it fell off she would stay unmarried). The gods, angered by her boasting punished her by blowing the wreath off her head. The wind took the wreath to the water where it was picked by Kupala, her long lost brother, who sailed by in a boat. Kostroma didn't recognize her brother, and the Russian custom was whoever recovered the wreath would be your husband.

A wedding was arranged, after which Kupala and Kostroma learnt that they are siblings. Kostroma decided to commit a [...] by drowning in the river but the Gods took pity and turned her into a mermaid, while Kupala threw himself into fire. The gods pitied him too and turned him into cow wheat.

Christian adoption

When the region converted to the Orthodox Church it tried to stop many pagan activities. When the Orthodox Church failed to prohibit the folk holidays associated with this legend, it adopted the character of Kupala into Christian lore by turning Kupala to John the Baptist and Kostroma to Mary (mother of Jesus), while the song title was changed to "Porushka Poranya" (The Siblings are also paralleled with Castor and Pollux.).

Lyrics

The lyrics of the song goes as follows:

Kostroma, fair and rosy,

Why do you love Kupala?

I love Kupala for his curly little head

And frizzy beard

"Porushka Poranya" has another rendition:

Hey, Porushka Poranya,

Why do you love Ivan?

I love Ivan for curly head

The curls wave to the face

I love fellow Vanya

During the Ivan Kupala Day people used to sing:

Behold a grass flower, the brother and sister

This is Kupala with Kostroma

The little brother is yellow

And the little sister is blue