Publication details
Sur i udmurtskije svad'by : Ispol'zovanije piva v obrjadovoj žizni udmurtov
| Title in English | "Sur" and Udmurt weddings : the use of beer in the ritual life of the Udmurts |
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| Authors | |
| Year of publication | 2023 |
| Type | Article in Periodical |
| Magazine / Source | Vestnik Udmurtskogo universitěta : Serija istorija i filologija |
| MU Faculty or unit | |
| Citation | |
| Web | https://journals.udsu.ru/history-philology/article/view/8068/6935 |
| Keywords | Udmurts; beer; the three Udmurt weddings; Finno-Ugric people; culture of beverages; traditional beverages; rites; rituals |
| Attached files | |
| Description | The article discusses the issue of using beer in particular rituals of the Udmurt people, called the three weddings, which has not been studied in modern historiography yet. A certain time after giving birth, a nuny shuan (baby's wedding) is held, in which the newborn is betrothed to the world he will live in. The central event in life is a shuan, the wedding itself. The third wedding – myddorin shuan (wedding inside out, wedding vice versa) represents the final marriage of the deceased to the cold earth. Each of these weddings is accompanied by many rituals and ceremonies originating from ancient times. The methods of celebration have common and distinctive features; authors' attention is focused on the connecting aspect of the consumption and ritual use of beer (sur in Udmurt). Analysis of linguistic data, ethnographic sources, field materials of expeditions and scientific works devoted to the cultural and historical heritage of the peoples of the Ural-Volga region allows us to determine three principal purposes of beer: 1) the direct function of an alcoholic drink 2) the magical ritual use that establishes a dialogue with the world of ancestors and gods and 3) supporting element of initiation during the rites of the passage rituals. Studying the culture of beverages is a valuable supplement to the main historical and ethnographic research; the special rules for the use of food reflect the religious principles of each nation and its values. For the first time, a reflection of beer through the prism of the rituals of Udmurt weddings is presented, which shows us that this beverage: 1) serves as an intermediary between people and the world where their ancestors and gods live, thus being an instrument of the ancestor cult; 2) is considered an attribute of women's holidays, carries female symbols 3) is used in the rites of the life cycle. |
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