Why not swim in August?

During the hot summer, one of the most popular ways of cooling is swimming in open water. However, many in the last month are afraid to go into the water, remembering the superstition of a ban on bathing. It is important to understand from what August you can not swim and why. It is worth mentioning that superstitions arose in the extreme antiquity and some of them are only the result of conjecture and folklore activity.

Why not swim in August?

Cool water, which can cope with the unbearable heat, is a real salvation for many, but in ancient times people saw in it a real danger not only for health, but for life.

To begin with it is necessary to understand, to what August it is possible to bathe in open reservoirs. According to widespread superstitions, it is forbidden to enter the water from the second of August, which is the day of Ilia the Prophet. In the old days, people not only respected, but also feared it, because they believed that the saint punished all bad people, destroying their crops, and rewarding the good. It is believed that on this day Ilya drives his chariot drawn by horses across the sky, sending thunder and rain to the ground.

There are several versions explaining why after the second August you can not swim. The most common version is that, during his walk through the clouds, one of the Thunderbolt's horses loses its horseshoe, which, when falling into a pond, cools the water. Even in ancient times, people believed that on this day on the earth goes unclean force, which settles in animals, and also defile the water. By the way, the fishermen, who on this day were fishing with red eyes, threw it out, believing that the devil took over. The ancient Slavs believed that if a person swims in a pond in August, then he will certainly have some kind of skin disease. Another variant of the interpretation of the sign says that on the day of Elijah the Prophet , mermaids return to the water, which can drag a person to the bottom of the reservoir.

Talking about whether you can swim in August in the lake, it is worth mentioning a more modern explanation, which refers to the fact that because of the increased temperature, water starts to bloom and this leads to the development of various bacteria, and they can already bring serious harm to health. In addition, on this day there are often thunderstorms, accompanied by frequent lightning, which can get into the water. If a person is at this moment to swim, then he can die.