ABOUT SOME UNIQUE WEDDING CEREMONIES AND RITUALS OF EASTERN TURKMENISTAN
Journal Title: Історичний архів. Наукові студії - Year 2016, Vol 0, Issue 16
Abstract
They were transmitted from generation to generation, were respected as sanctities, they develop, become perfect, getting a proper continuation in the palette of nowadays realities. Studying the peculiar national wedding customs of the Turkmen comprises one of the most rapidly developing directions of the country’s ethnographic science. A great number of monographs and scientific publications is devoted to this theme. At the same time, scientists-ethnographists claim that the studies of ethno culture of the population of the East Turkmenistan carry fragmental character, and their results are performed with partial data which are given by the authors of some scientific articles. It is obvious that wedding (the custom of marrying) takes the central place among the numerous traditional holidays on the whole territory if Turkmenistan including the eastern regions of the country. It symbolizes the birth if a new family-the fundamental cell of a society, and therefore it is accepted to celebrate it in a special and joyful atmosphere. Entering a legal marriage-is a conscious decisions of the youth to unite their destinies from then and forever. Exciting and joyful at the same time those moments of this celebration remain in the memories by colorful customs and rituals, each of which contains hope for long and happy joint life of a young couple. In the mental nature of the Turkmen the notion «happiness» is indivisible from such spiritual categories as family, native hearth, home with bread and salt, joyful laughter of children, respect and honor in a society which is gained due to the faithful service for the sacred Motherland, for the benefits of the society and the state. And wedding being one of the symbols of the birth of a new family and therefore of happiness, becomes of course a joyful, exciting and expected event. The date of the celebration is appointed in agreement with the sides’ preferences selecting for that the most lucky, according to ancient beliefs, days – «sahetli gun» (lucky, blessed day). The people of the middle current of the Amudarya who lived during the second part of the XIX-th century and in the beginning of the XX-th century appointed the day of the celebration on the first day of the week and considered the lunar months of the Muslim calendar – Kurban, Meret, Ramadan to be the most appropriate and lucky ones for the marriage. Nowadays wedding is celebrated on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays of the week. Wedding, in difference to other traditional celebrations, possesses a great number of beliefs, rituals and customs. The ritual of match-making is of special interest. Not written law of hospitality dictates its own code of daily norms of behavior. For example, it is impolite to ask the guests about the reason of their visit. Here is hidden one of the secrets of the traditional etiquette: hospitable hosts shift towards the guests a bright colorful pillow – «gurama yassyk», which means a slight hint on the reason of a visit of the unexpected guests. If the guest turns the pillow in the same manner (the colorful side upwards) in reply, it means that he confirms the guess of the hosts. They bring a bundle with sweets and candies as a sign of respect, but they do not tie its endings («in order that the girl’s happiness not to be tightly tied»). This action is repeated again and again until the marriage is done-in this case the bundle is tied twice by firm knots so that the young couple would live in love and agreement and their family hearth would be strong. The next morning after the wedding the endings of a snow-white kerchief of a bride are also twice tied on her forehead, four braids of a girl are undone and then again the hair is done into two braids and are left on a back. All this symbolizes the end of careless life of a young girl and at the same time, it symbolizes the pride for gained happiness and created family hearth. People of Eastern Turkmenistan used to gather the nine attributes of the dowry of the bride-«dokuz» (which means «nine») in nine days of the wedding. It consists of well attired dress for bride, neatly hand- made carpet bag, small homespun bag for personal things, big bag for packing clothes and for personal usage and beddings (blanket, mattresses and pillow). The quantity of each kind of things that mentioned before must be couple. It is said, that goods things in man’s life must be with its couple, with its own pair – love-agreement, children-happiness, kindness-kindness). And here is the date of long – awaited wedding ceremony. In the very morning, the bride’s house is filled with joy; confidantes make ready the young bride to the door of bridegroom’s house. In the villages east of Turkmenistan girls and young ladies sing a full of life song «oleng». Sometimes girls improvise their wishes with this song. The second song is a merry melody of ringing diamonds which is capable to turn all events to bright, colorful events. In some villages the wedding song «oleng» is sang by the professional, old ladies. They sing it accordingly with the melody of timbre. The «oleng» is very interesting song in the point of view of performance. The great part of this song is rhymed by the facetious containing text which emphasizes the merits and demerits of bridegroom and his family. Never feed the racehorse, With the rye hay, Never let your young girl, Marry with a featherbrain. In some villages this ritual song «oleng» is sang in turn by ladies in both sides who attend to this ceremony. Chests with full of sundries Were put in the line there. To watch this happy wedding, Matchmakers were in line there! Family and relatives of bridegroom enter to the house with merry motets and dances. They cover the head of bride with snow – white headscarf which is the symbol of virtue and chaste. This ritual is preceded by extemporary «scrimmage» – bridesmaids do their best not to let the relatives of bridegroom to be near the bride. With all this joyful, facetious «withstanding» they cover the head of bride with along white headscarf. After this they prepare her to go to the bridegroom’s house. On the way to the wedding cortege bridesmaids and matchmakers stand on the front of the door and demand present from the friends and family of the bridegroom, otherwise they don’t let bride go to the cortege. This ritual is called «to keep the door». Then they let the friends of bridegroom to take the bride and the cortege sets off. Before, when bridge was taken away at the luxuriously decorated go-cart, established on a camel, little boys covered the street, fraying through the gracefully weaved rope – «aladja». Tasty sweets and gifts became a payment for mischievous children and wedding train moved further. Mother-in-law and other relatives of the groom look forward to meet the weeding cart. Earlier the camel with decorated wedding cart, and today – decorated car with the bride, goes round the fire three times, passing a clarification ceremony with sacred fire, and only after that the bride get in the house. The bride crosses for the first time a threshold of her new house with the right foot. Dipping her right hand at first into flour, then – in a bowl with drawn butter people wish her kindness, peace, abundance in the house, the consent and prosperity. Then in each hand of the bride given the baby, symbolizing the wish of many children. In some settlements on hands of the future mother-in-law given the child and put them in the centre of a new blanket of the bride. Ends of blanket are held by close relatives of the groom and raising the ends of blanket, start to roll them here and there, and wish peace, consent in the house, abundance of the home, and to the mother-in-law – many grandchildren. In the east of Turkmenistan the ceremonies made in the house of the groom, are considered as the basic wedding celebrations. Therefore these weddings become very cheerfully and interesting, with a great number of people. Sometimes the number of invited guests becomes thousand or more. In early times such scale, bright and colorful weddings named «gonakly toy» (gonak means «guest»). The entertaining horse jumps, traditional and national games, fights of fighters-palvans of national struggle «goresh» alternated with competitions of original singers – bahshees. Atmosp here of general pleasure and fun was supplemented with performances of masters-wits. It is necessary to notice that these competitions were in very entertaining form, at the big congestion of spectators and fans. The most talented players became owners of valuable prizes – a camel, a bull or a sheep. Traditional national horse riding was also indispensable attribute of cheerful weddings. Next morning after wedding big white scarf is removed from the head of new bridge, her hair braid in two plaits and throw to back. A magnificent maiden ornament – tahya with gupba (a skullcap with ornaments) in which the bride has entered into the house of the groom, gives it to younger sister of the husband – the sister-in-law. To the head of the bride tie a bright scarlet scarf. Scarf edges fasten in double dense knot. In the people this ritual called «bash salma». In many villages on termination of a ceremony «bash salma» bride makes original ritual – puts the right hand on the heart and slightly worships her head, greets relatives of the groom three times. For the answer the bride is given gifts. This ceremony lasted about ten days before, now – it is three days. The gifts that given to bridge called «salam haky». In east Turkmenistan ceremonial celebrations proceed even after wedding – matchmakers come from the groom side and the bride side. In that occasion invited a small amount of guests (usually no more than 8–10 persons from close relatives). This celebration is called «guda chakylygy». With the help of that celebration people can know each other more closely. When visitors leave they are given memorable gifts. At first guests are accepted by the relatives of the newly married husband, then they by relatives of newly married bridge. The Turkmen wedding ceremonies and rituals of East Turkmenistan, however, as well as all territory of the country, are extremely rich and diverse, ancient and original. They haven’t lost the urgency in our days, and are strictly executed, confirming in consciousness of people as the continuity of primordial spiritual sources. Each of these ceremonies and rituals is filled by sacral sense, the special maintenance. The mentality of the people, way of life, etiquette and aesthetic canons are formed in them. They prove the ancient roots and an eternal value of the spiritual heritage which are the integral component of a treasury of universal culture.
Authors and Affiliations
A. Baltaev
Keywords
Related Articles
- EP ID EP235365
- DOI -
- Views 61
- Downloads 0
WORSENINGOF THE POLISH-UKRAINIAN CONFRONTATION ATTHE TURN IN GALICIA OF THE XIX – XX CENTURIES
The policy of «new era», proposed by K. Badeni with a purpose of normalization of relations between the Poles and the Ukrainians in Galicia, ended in fiasco. The issues of school education in the Ukrainian language, esta...
.
This paper presents the results of the author’s continued research on the history of the Black Sea central naval archives. The history of the archives’ loss and documents confirming their export to the Russian Federation...
КІМНАТА МАНУСКРИПТІВ У МУЗЕЇ КНИГИ ТЕХНІЧНОГО УНІВЕРСИТЕТУ м. ДРЕЗДЕН
У статті розглядаються давні манускрипти з Музею книги, які збері-гаються в Технічному університеті м. Дрезден. Дане дослідження роз-ширює поняття про такі наукові галузі, як: археологія, історична хроно-логія, музеологі...
ARCHIVAL MATERIALS IN THE RESEARCH OF STALINIST REPRESSIONS AGAINST CITIZENS OF POLISH NATIONALITY IN SOUTHERN UKRAINE IN 1930s
In the article based on archives and other sources is the analysis of the state of scientific development of problem of repressions representatives of Poles in 1930th on South of Ukraine. Documents of State archives fund...
GERMAN COLONIZATION OF SOUTHERN UKRAINE XVIII – XIX CENTURIES: PERIODIZATION OF THE PROBLEM
The article is devoted the problem of periodization German colonization of Southern Ukraine of XVIII-XIX centuries. In this context elucidated the reasons of colonization, highlighted the main stages of the policy of re...