ANALYSIS OF MARRIAGE RITUALS IN KARAKALPAK FOLK EPICES

Abstract

Karakalpak national folk epics represent some reliable genetic sources of the marriage rituals, which explain numerous phenomena in the social life the ethnos in the earlier days of the establishment of the ethnic cultural group as a national unity. These works possess rich sources certifying the norms of ancient marriage.

The present article focuses on studying some earlier forms of the family – marriage relations basing on Karakalpak folk epics. The research of rituals and customs related to the wedding ceremonies with the use epic sources is important as it gives an opportunity to study thoroughly their genesis and certify their historical origins.

In this work, we studied a number of folk epics, analyzed the historical and genetic sources of the wedding rituals, and covered the ways of their transformation at various stages of the social development. Besides, we held some scientific-comparative analyses of literature on epic studies, ethnology and ethnography, concerned with wedding ceremonies. The epic sources were assessed from the social-historical point of view.

Basing on the epic materials, the author studied motives related to the tradition of choosing the bride and the groom, identified types of marriages, their ritual peculiarities and the basic conditions of marriage as “gures” – “wrestling”; “altyn qabaq atiw” – “shooting a golden pumpkin with an arrow”; “baygi” – “races, horse races”, etc. All these types of contests, set mainly by the bride, are aimed at testing the groom: whether he is worthy to marry him or not. The epic sources show that initially, the considered kinds of sports had an instant character to confirm maturity. Namely, at these contests, lads proved whether they were ready for the self-sufficient life. In their contents, such motives related to marriage in Karakalpak folk epics are characteristic of the matriarchal period. One of the characteristic features of this period is that the lasses-brides set some terms to a potential groom, and marries the batyr who carries out all terms, which were put to the groom. Before marrying, lasses tested the capabilities of their boyfriends chosen to become their husbands. They agreed to marry only those who won in the contest.

The research shows that the studied epic material associated with the custom of choosing the bride and broom was one of the earliest stages of wedding rituals, since they appeared, formed and developed on this base.

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