Funeral and memorial traditions of the Ob Ugrians and Udmurts: experience of comparative analysis
English
journal number:
Journal’s Subject Headings:
History, ethnography, archeology
About author:
T. V. Voldina Ob-Ugric Institute of Applied Researches and Development, Khanty-Mansiysk, Russian Federation, [email protected]
T. G. Minniyakhmetova Institute for History and European Ethnology, University of Innsbruck, Austria, [email protected]
ABSTRACT
Introduction: the research continues the topic of the Permian-Ugric parallels in mythology and the ritual sphere. The study is based on the assertion of the existence of an ancient mythical layer that is common for the Ob Ugrians and Permians, historically formed as a result of migrations, interactions and contacts, and / or is the legacy of certain common ancestors.
Objective: to determine the authentic paradigm of death common to the Ob Ugrians and Udmurts underlying their funeral and memorial traditions and similar myth and ritual elements.
Research materials: materials of the authors and other researchers published earlier.
Results and novelty of the research: for the first time, the authors have undertaken a comparative analysis of the mythological funeral and memorial traditions of the Udmurts and Ob Ugrians. On the basis of the analysis, the general circle of ancient Permian-Ugric ideas about death is determined: the mythological spatial image of a river flowing into the lower world; the cleansing and protective functions of fire and water; the change in the status of living space that requires ritual «closure»; the separate existence of the soul-breath and the soul-shadow.
Key words: concept of death, Khanty people, Mansi people, Udmurt people, Permian-Ugric mythological parallels, funeral and memorial traditions, world of the living people, world of the dead people, rites.
Acknowledgments: the authors express their gratitude to the members of the Editorial Board, reviewers, and the editor of the English text, Professor Sarat Kumar Jena.
For citation: Voldina T. V., Minniyakhmetova T. G. Funeral and memorial traditions of the Ob Ugrians and Udmurts: experience of comparative analysis // Vestnik ugrovedenia = Bulletin of Ugric Studies. 2021; 11 (2): 368–377.
T. G. Minniyakhmetova Institute for History and European Ethnology, University of Innsbruck, Austria, [email protected]
ABSTRACT
Introduction: the research continues the topic of the Permian-Ugric parallels in mythology and the ritual sphere. The study is based on the assertion of the existence of an ancient mythical layer that is common for the Ob Ugrians and Permians, historically formed as a result of migrations, interactions and contacts, and / or is the legacy of certain common ancestors.
Objective: to determine the authentic paradigm of death common to the Ob Ugrians and Udmurts underlying their funeral and memorial traditions and similar myth and ritual elements.
Research materials: materials of the authors and other researchers published earlier.
Results and novelty of the research: for the first time, the authors have undertaken a comparative analysis of the mythological funeral and memorial traditions of the Udmurts and Ob Ugrians. On the basis of the analysis, the general circle of ancient Permian-Ugric ideas about death is determined: the mythological spatial image of a river flowing into the lower world; the cleansing and protective functions of fire and water; the change in the status of living space that requires ritual «closure»; the separate existence of the soul-breath and the soul-shadow.
Key words: concept of death, Khanty people, Mansi people, Udmurt people, Permian-Ugric mythological parallels, funeral and memorial traditions, world of the living people, world of the dead people, rites.
Acknowledgments: the authors express their gratitude to the members of the Editorial Board, reviewers, and the editor of the English text, Professor Sarat Kumar Jena.
For citation: Voldina T. V., Minniyakhmetova T. G. Funeral and memorial traditions of the Ob Ugrians and Udmurts: experience of comparative analysis // Vestnik ugrovedenia = Bulletin of Ugric Studies. 2021; 11 (2): 368–377.
