The North Caucasus is inhabited by Ingush, Ossetians, Chechens, Kabardians, and Adygeis.
Anthropological characteristics: Caucasian race, Caucasian and Ibero-Caucasian groups (tall, long body, developed hair)
Language affiliation: North Caucasian language superfamily, Nakh-Dagestan branch.
Farming. Agriculture since ancient times (millet, wheat, barley, rye, rice, corn since the 18th century).Differences in cultures by region: Abkhaz-Adyghe peoples - millet, wheat is especially common in the North Caucasus, western Georgia - rice. Viticulture and gardening. Guns – wooden with iron tips. Light ones were used on soft soil in the mountains (small fields). Sometimes they made artificial arable land in the mountains - they brought the earth to the terraces on the mountain slopes. Heavy tools - plows (several pairs of oxen) - for deep plowing on the plains. The harvest was harvested with sickles and threshed with boards with stones on them. Cattle breeding on mountain pastures, transhumance (in the mountains in summer, on the plains in winter). Beekeeping and sericulture. Trade and craft. Carpet weaving, jewelry making, weapons, pottery and metal utensils, weaving, embroidery.
Material culture. Cultural unity of the Adyghe peoples, Ossetians, Balkars, Karachais. Types of housing depend on natural conditions . In the mountains there are dense buildings, the houses are closely adjacent to each other. On the plain it is more free, the house has a yard and often a small plot of land. Relatives settled together, forming a quarter. A typical 4-coal stone building with 1 or 2 pitched roofs is in mountainous regions. North Caucasus. Lowland areas of the North Caucasus - walls made of wattle fence, 2 or 4 pitched roof.
Cloth. There is great diversity, but there is a lot in common among the Adyghe peoples, Ossetians, Karachais, Balkars, and Abkhazians. Husband - beshmet(kaftan), tight trousers tucked into soft boots, a hat, a burka, a belt with silver decorations, on which a saber and a dagger were worn. The upper classes wore the Circassian coat - an outer, swinging, fitted garment with Gazyryami for cartridges. For women - a shirt, long pants, a swing-fitting dress, high hats, bedspreads. The dress was tied at the waist with a belt. Wearing corsets before marriage(tightened the waist and chest). In Dagestan, men's clothing resembles Adyghe clothing, women - a tunic-like shirt with a belt, long trousers, a bag-shaped headdress in which hair was hidden + heavy silver jewelry (waist, chest, temple).
Social relations. Patriarchal structure, maintaining family ties, strong neighborhood communities. Monogamy and polygyny are rare among the privileged sections of the Muslim population. Common among many peoples bride price The plight of women.
Religion. Christians and Muslims. From Armenia, Christianity penetrated into Southern Dagestan. The introduction of Islam in the North Caucasus by the Turks and Crimean Tatars. Local beliefs and fire-worshipping cults are strong.
Culture. Epic tales, epics. Abkhaz epic about heroes. Fables, legends, proverbs, sayings. Music, singing. Traveling folk singers perform songs to the accompaniment of musical instruments.
The Chamalals or Chamalins belong to the Andean peoples and live in the Chechen Republic and Dagestan. At the beginning of the 20th century, there were 3,438 Chamalals in the USSR, in 1967 - 4,000 people. According to the 2010 census, only 24 residents of Russia called themselves Chamalals. 18 of them live in cities, and 6 live in rural areas.
Religion and traditions
Chamalals are Sunni Muslims, that is, followers of the most numerous movement in Islam. Sunnis place special emphasis on following the Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad (his actions and sayings), on loyalty to tradition, on the participation of the community in choosing its head, the caliph. Among the Chamalians there are also those who preach Shafiism. To make a legal decision, the Shafiites use the Koran, the Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad, and the opinion of the companions of the Prophet Muhammad.
Some Chamalals believed in mountain spirits. The people practiced witchcraft, fortune telling, rituals of calling rain and sun, and magic.
Chamalin crafts
The Chamalals were traditionally engaged in agriculture and cattle breeding. They grew wheat, barley, and corn. Gardening, beekeeping, and viticulture were developed. The people produced felt, wove rugs, made copper dishes and wooden utensils. Nowadays, Chamalals are still engaged in livestock farming, farming and gardening (they grow apple trees, pears, plums, and apricots).
Traditional clothing
The clothes of the Chamalals differed little from the traditional clothes of others. Caucasian peoples. Women wore shirts, dark dresses belted with a long brightly colored belt, trousers, and sheepskin coats. They put a chukhta on their heads - a cap covering the head with a hair bag sewn to it. And over the chukta they wore a scarf made of homespun cloth.
Traditional men's clothing consisted of pants, a shirt, a Circassian coat, a beshmet, sheepskin coats, jackets, and a felt burka. The men wore a conical-shaped sheepskin hat on their heads.
Language and folk art
The Chamalin language belongs to the Andean subgroup of the Nakh-Dagestan language family. It is divided into two dialects: Gakvarinsky, which includes the dialects of the villages of Upper and Lower Gakvari, Agvali, Tsumada, Richaganih, Gadyri, Kvankhi, and Gigatlinsky - in the villages of Gigatl and Gigatl-Urukh.
It is important that the Chamalals created a rich song folklore. The songs are sung in the Avar language, and the main musical instruments are zurna (a kind of pipe), pandur ( string instrument with strings made from animal intestines) and a tambourine.
Zurna Photo: Great Russian Encyclopedia
Traditional home
Each Chamalin settlement was surrounded by watchtowers. The village, as a rule, had 5-12 blocks. Each quarter had its own mosque, and in the center of the village there was a Friday mosque (juma). The village elder was chosen from among the influential tukhums. Tukhums are associations, a union of types that are not related to each other by blood, but have united to jointly solve common problems.
The houses of the Chamalins were stone, one-, two- and three-story. The roofs of the houses are adobe, but lately They began to be made from slate or roofing iron.
Chamalin cuisine
The traditional dish of the Chamalins is khinkal with meat and garlic. Pieces of dough cooked in meat broth are served with broth, boiled meat and sauce.
However, khinkal should not be confused with Georgian khinkali, which is a different type of dish.
Chamalalas eat mostly unleavened bread.
Development of the culture of the peoples of the Caucasus in the 16th and first half of the 17th centuries. took place in the difficult conditions of long and difficult wars.
A patriotic theme prevailed in Georgian literature of this time. It is heard in the works of the lyric poet Tsar Teimuraz, who dedicated the poem “Ketevatshani” to a description of the death of his mother Ketevana in Persian captivity.
In the second half of the 17th century. poet Joseph Saakadze wrote the poem “Didmouraviani” (Book of the Great Mourav) about the Georgians’ struggle for independence. Historical events reflected in the chronicle records, which were later included in the collection of Georgian chronicles “Kartlis Tskhovreba” (Life of Kartli).
Shota Rustaveli's poem “The Knight in the Skin of a Tiger” was rewritten and illustrated with miniatures. Its wide distribution contributed to the formation of a progressive social thought and poetic creativity.
Various forms of folklore continued to exist among the people: songs, legends, fairy tales, and proverbs. The architecture is characterized by ensembles of fortifications. These are the Ananur Castle in the valley of the Aragva River, the Gori Fortress, Atskur Castle, etc.
The architecture of domed baths, caravanserais, and feudal palaces was influenced by Iranian influence. Peasant dwellings preserved centuries-old traditions.
Fresco paintings of churches made in the 16th-17th centuries are quite numerous, but are distinguished by dry writing and poor color. Since there were not enough local artists, Russian icon painters who worked in Georgia in the first half of the 17th century were invited for restoration work.
The secular poetry of Armenia of this period is closely connected with folk song creativity. In the 16th century created by the poet Grigor Akhtamartsi, who was also a miniaturist, as well as the famous folk singer Kuchak.
IN late XVI c., in the context of devastating wars, monk Simeon Aparantsi wrote a historical poem about the past of Armenia, where he pursued the idea of restoring an independent Armenian state. The work of Arakel of Tabriz “Book of Stories” provides valuable information on the history of Armenia in the first 60 years of the 17th century.
A remarkable phenomenon in the cultural life of the Armenian people in the 16th-17th centuries. there was the emergence and development of printing in the Armenian language. The first Armenian printing houses arose in Italy in the 16th century; in 1639, a printing house was founded in New Julfa (an Armenian colony near Isfahan).
Painting developed mainly in the form of book miniatures, partly portraits and wall paintings. In the 17th century The Armenian artist Minas was famous.
An outstanding place in the history of literature and social and philosophical thought of Azerbaijan in the 16th century. belongs to the poet Fiyauli, who lived most of his life in Baghdad. His works had a great influence on the development of Azerbaijani literary language and Azerbaijani poetry.
The largest literary work Fuzuli - poem “Leili and Majnun”. Some of his poems have a strong anti-feudal tendency.
The traditions of Fuzuli in poetry were continued in the 17th century by the poet Masikhi.
In the folk art of Azerbaijan in the 16th-17th centuries. the genre of heroic-romantic poems was widespread, performed folk singers- ashugami. The poem “Asli and Kerem” glorified the love of an Azerbaijani youth for an Armenian girl.
The poem “Kor-oglu” about the struggle of the Azerbaijani people against the conquerors and local feudal lords was especially popular. The famous ashug of the 16th century. was Gurbani.
In the field of architecture, such buildings are known as the “Murad Gate” in Baku, a number of buildings in Ganja - a mosque, baths, a caravanserai. These buildings continue the tradition of portal-dome structures, characteristic of both Azerbaijan and Western Asia.
In the cities and villages of Azerbaijan it was common artistic craft- production of fabrics and carpets, glazed ceramics, various metal products.
The peoples who lived in the high mountain parts of the Main Caucasus Range and in the foothills of the North Caucasus knew almost no writing.
Oral folk art. Historical legends have preserved the memory of the events of the 16th-17th centuries.
Ritual songs reflected those who held among Caucasian highlanders pagan ideas.
In the mountainous regions of the Caucasus, stone construction was developed. By the XVI-XVII centuries. The construction of military towers will be carried out in Svayeti, Khevsureti and Ingusheti.
By this time, the architecture of multi-tiered mountain villages had developed, closely related to the conditions of the area.
The species common in the Caucasus were diverse applied arts- stone carving, used on the facades of residential buildings, wood carving, artistic treatment metal
Caucasus - a mighty mountain range stretching from west to east from Sea of Azov to the Caspian. In the southern spurs and valleys settled down Georgia and Azerbaijan , V in the western part its slopes descend to the Black Sea coast of Russia. The peoples discussed in this article live in the mountains and foothills of the northern slopes. Administratively the territory of the North Caucasus is divided between seven republics : Adygea, Karachay-Cherkessia, Kabardino-Balkaria, North Ossetia-Alania, Ingushetia, Chechnya and Dagestan.
Appearance Many indigenous people of the Caucasus are homogeneous. These are light-skinned, predominantly dark-eyed and dark-haired people with sharp facial features, a large (“humpbacked”) nose, and narrow lips. Highlanders are usually taller than lowlanders. Among the Adyghe people often found blonde hair and eyes (possibly as a result of mixing with peoples Eastern Europe), A in residents of the coastal regions of Dagestan and Azerbaijan one can feel an admixture of, on the one hand, Iranian blood (narrow faces), and on the other, Central Asian blood (small noses).
It is not for nothing that the Caucasus is called Babylon - almost 40 languages are “mixed” here. Scientists highlight Western, Eastern and South Caucasian languages . In Western Caucasian, or Abkhaz-Adyghe, They say Abkhazians, Abazins, Shapsugs (live northwest of Sochi), Adygeis, Circassians, Kabardians . East Caucasian languages include Nakh and Dagestan.To the Nakh include Ingush and Chechen, A Dagestani They are divided into several subgroups. The largest of them is Avaro-Ando-Tsez. However Avar- the language of not only the Avars themselves. IN Northern Dagestan lives 15 small nations , each of which inhabits only a few neighboring villages located in isolated high mountain valleys. These peoples speak different languages, A Avar for them is the language of interethnic communication , it is studied in schools. In Southern Dagestan sound Lezgin languages . Lezgins live not only in Dagestan, but also in the regions of Azerbaijan neighboring this republic . While the Soviet Union was a single state, such division was not very noticeable, but now, when the state border has passed between close relatives, friends, acquaintances, the people are experiencing it painfully. Lezgin languages spoken : Tabasarans, Aguls, Rutuls, Tsakhurs and some others . In Central Dagestan prevail Dargin (in particular, it is spoken in the famous village of Kubachi) and Lak languages .
Turkic peoples also live in the North Caucasus - Kumyks, Nogais, Balkars and Karachais
. There are Mountain Jews-tats
(in D Agestan, Azerbaijan, Kabardino-Balkaria
). Their tongue Tat
, refers to Iranian group of the Indo-European family
. The Iranian group also includes Ossetian
.
Until October 1917 almost all the languages of the North Caucasus were unwritten. In the 20s for the languages of most Caucasian peoples, except for the smallest ones, they developed alphabets on a Latin basis; published large number books, newspapers and magazines. In the 30s The Latin alphabet was replaced by alphabets based on Russian, but they turned out to be less suitable for transmitting the sounds of speech of Caucasians. Nowadays, books, newspapers, and magazines are published in local languages, but literature in Russian is still read by a larger number of people.
In total, in the Caucasus, not counting the settlers (Slavs, Germans, Greeks, etc.), there are more than 50 large and small indigenous peoples. Russians also live here, mainly in cities, but partly in villages and Cossack villages: in Dagestan, Chechnya and Ingushetia this is 10-15% of the total population, in Ossetia and Kabardino-Balkaria - up to 30%, in Karachay-Cherkessia and Adygea - up to 40-50%.
By religion, the majority of the indigenous peoples of the Caucasus -Muslims . However Ossetians mostly Orthodox , A Mountain Jews practice Judaism . For a long time, traditional Islam coexisted with pre-Muslim, pagan traditions and customs. At the end of the 20th century. In some regions of the Caucasus, mainly in Chechnya and Dagestan, the ideas of Wahhabism became popular. This movement, which arose on the Arabian Peninsula, demands strict adherence to Islamic standards of life, rejection of music, dancing, and opposes the participation of women in public life.
CAUCASIAN TREAT
Traditional occupations of the peoples of the Caucasus - arable farming and transhumance
. Many Karachay, Ossetian, Ingush, and Dagestan villages specialize in growing certain types of vegetables - cabbage, tomatoes, onions, garlic, carrots, etc.
. In the mountainous regions of Karachay-Cherkessia and Kabardino-Balkaria, transhumance sheep and goat breeding predominate; Sweaters, hats, shawls, etc. are knitted from the wool and down of sheep and goats.
Nutrition different nations The Caucasus is very similar. Its basis is grains, dairy products, meat. The latter is 90% lamb, only Ossetians eat pork. Cattle are rarely slaughtered. True, everywhere, especially on the plains, a lot of poultry is bred - chickens, turkeys, ducks, geese. Adyghe and Kabardians know how to cook poultry well and in a variety of ways. The famous Caucasian kebabs are not prepared very often - lamb is either boiled or stewed. The sheep are slaughtered and butchered according to strict rules. While the meat is fresh, they make it from the intestines, stomach, and offal. different types boiled sausage, which cannot be stored for a long time. Some of the meat is dried and cured for storage in reserve.
Vegetable dishes are atypical for North Caucasian cuisine, but vegetables are eaten all the time - fresh, pickled and pickled; they are also used as a filling for pies. In the Caucasus, they love hot dairy dishes - they dilute cheese crumbles and flour in melted sour cream, drink chilled fermented milk product - ayran. The well-known kefir is an invention of the Caucasian highlanders; it is fermented with special fungi in wineskins. The Karachais call this dairy product " gypy-ayran ".
In a traditional feast, bread is often replaced with other types of flour and cereal dishes. First of all this various cereals . In the Western Caucasus , for example, with any dishes, they eat steep meat much more often than bread. millet or corn porridge .In the Eastern Caucasus (Chechnya, Dagestan) the most popular flour dish - khinkal (pieces of dough are boiled in meat broth or simply in water, and eaten with sauce). Both porridge and khinkal require less fuel for cooking than baking bread, and therefore are common where firewood is in short supply. In the highlands , among shepherds, where there is very little fuel, the main food is oatmeal - fried until brown wholemeal flour, which is mixed with meat broth, syrup, butter, milk, or, in extreme cases, just water. Balls are made from the resulting dough and eaten with tea, broth, and ayran. Various types of food have great everyday and ritual significance in Caucasian cuisine. pies - with meat, potatoes, beet tops and, of course, cheese .Among the Ossetians , for example, such a pie is called " fydia n". On the festive table there must be three "walibaha"(pies with cheese), and they are placed so that they are visible from the sky to St. George, whom Ossetians especially reverence.
In the fall, housewives prepare jams, juices, syrups
. Previously, sugar was replaced with honey, molasses or boiled grape juice when making sweets. Traditional Caucasian sweet - halva. It is made from toasted flour or cereal balls fried in oil, adding butter and honey (or sugar syrup). In Dagestan they prepare a kind of liquid halva - urbech. Roasted hemp, flax, sunflower seeds or apricot kernels are ground with vegetable oil diluted in honey or sugar syrup.
Excellent grape wine is made in the North Caucasus .Ossetians for a long time brew barley beer ; among the Adygeis, Kabardins, Circassians and Turkic peoples replaces him buza, or maxym a, - a type of light beer made from millet. A stronger buza is obtained by adding honey.
Unlike their Christian neighbors - Russians, Georgians, Armenians, Greeks - mountain peoples of the Caucasus don't eat mushrooms, but collect wild berries, wild pears, nuts . Hunting, a favorite pastime of the mountaineers, has now lost its importance, since large areas of the mountains are occupied by nature reserves, and many animals, such as bison, are included in the International Red Book. There are a lot of wild boars in the forests, but they are rarely hunted, because Muslims do not eat pork.
CAUCASIAN VILLAGES
Since ancient times, residents of many villages, in addition to agriculture, were engaged in crafts
. Balkars
were famous as skilled masons; Laks
manufactured and repaired metal products, and at fairs - unique centers of public life - they often performed residents of the village of Tsovkra (Dagestan), who mastered the art of circus tightrope walkers. Folk crafts of the North Caucasus
known far beyond its borders: painted ceramics and patterned carpets from the Lak village of Balkhar, wooden items with metal incisions from the Avar village of Untsukul, silver jewelry from the village of Kubachi. In many villages, from Karachay-Cherkessia to Northern Dagestan
, are engaged felting wool - making burkas and felt carpets
. Bourke A- a necessary part of mountain and Cossack cavalry equipment. It protects from bad weather not only while driving - under a good burka you can hide from bad weather, like in a small tent; it is absolutely indispensable for shepherds. In the villages of Southern Dagestan, especially among the Lezgins
, make gorgeous pile carpets
, highly valued all over the world.
Ancient Caucasian villages are extremely picturesque
. Stone houses with flat roofs and open galleries with carved pillars are molded close to each other along narrow streets. Often such a house is surrounded by defensive walls, and next to it rises a tower with narrow loopholes - previously the whole family hid in such towers during enemy raids. Nowadays the towers are abandoned as unnecessary and are gradually being destroyed, so that the picturesqueness little by little disappears, and new houses are built of concrete or brick, with glazed verandas, often two or even three floors high. 
These houses are not so original, but they are comfortable, and their furnishings are sometimes no different 
from the city - a modern kitchen, running water, heating (although the toilet and even the washbasin are often located in the yard). New houses are often used only for entertaining guests, and the family lives either on the ground floor or in an old house converted into a kind of living kitchen. In some places you can still see the ruins of ancient fortresses, walls and fortifications. In a number of places there are cemeteries with ancient, well-preserved grave crypts.
HOLIDAY IN A MOUNTAIN VILLAGE
High in the mountains lies the Iez village of Shaitli. At the beginning of February, when the days become longer and for the first time in winter the sun's rays touch the slopes of Mount Chora, which towers above the village, to Shaitli
celebrate the holiday Igby
". This name comes from the word “ig” - this is the name given to yezy, a baked ring of bread, similar to a bagel, with a diameter of 20-30 cm. For the Igbi holiday, such bread is baked in all homes, and young people prepare cardboard and leather masks and fancy dress costumes..
The morning of the holiday arrives. A squad of “wolves” takes to the streets - guys dressed in sheepskin coats turned outward with fur, with wolf masks on their faces and wooden swords. Their leader carries a pennant made of a strip of fur, and the two strongest men carry a long pole. “Wolves” go around the village and collect tribute from each yard - holiday bread; they are strung on a pole. There are other mummers in the squad: “goblins” in costumes made of moss and pine branches, “bears”, “skeletons” and even modern characters, for example “policemen”, “tourists”. The mummers act out funny siennas, bully the audience, they can throw them into the snow, but no one is offended. Then “quidili” appears on the square, which symbolizes the past year, the passing winter. The guy portraying this character is dressed in a long robe made of skins. A pole sticks out of a hole in the robe, and on it is the head of a “quid” with a terrible mouth and horns. The actor, unbeknownst to the audience, controls his mouth with the help of strings. "Quidili" climbs onto a "tribune" made of snow and ice and makes a speech. He wishes everyone good people good luck in the new year, and then turns to the events of the past year. He names those who committed bad deeds, were idle, hooligans, and the “wolves” grab the “culprits” and drag them to the river. More often than not, they are released halfway, only to be rolled out in the snow, but some may be dipped in water, though only their legs. Distinguished good deeds"Quidil", on the contrary, congratulates them and hands them a donut from the pole.
As soon as the “quidly” leaves the podium, the mummers pounce on him and drag him onto the bridge over the river. There the leader of the “wolves” “kills” him with a sword. A guy playing “quidili” under a robe opens a hidden bottle of paint, and “blood” pours abundantly onto the ice. The “killed” is placed on a stretcher and solemnly carried away. In a secluded place, the mummers undress, divide the remaining bagels among themselves and join the merry people, but without masks and costumes.
TRADITIONAL COSTUME K A B A R D I N C E V I C H E R K E S O V
Adygs
(Kabardians and Circassians) have long been considered fashion trendsetters in the North Caucasus, and therefore their traditional costume had a noticeable influence on the clothing of neighboring peoples.
Men's costume of Kabardians and Circassians developed at a time when men spent a significant part of their lives on military campaigns. The rider could not do without long burqa : it replaced his home and bed on the way, protected him from cold and heat, rain and snow. Another type of warm clothing - sheepskin coats, they were worn by shepherds and elderly men.
Outerwear also served Circassian . It was made from cloth, most often black, brown or gray, sometimes white. Before the abolition of serfdom, only princes and nobles had the right to wear white Circassian coats and burkas. On both sides of the chest on a Circassian sewed pockets for wooden gas tubes in which gun charges were stored . Noble Kabardians, in order to prove their daring, often wore a torn Circassian coat.
Under the Circassian coat, over the undershirt, they wore beshmet - caftan with a high stand-up collar, long and narrow sleeves. Representatives of the upper classes sewed beshmets from cotton, silk or fine woolen fabric, peasants - from homemade cloth. The beshmet for peasants was home and work clothing, and the Circassian coat was festive.
Headdress considered the most important element of men's clothing. It was worn not only for protection from cold and heat, but also for “honor.” Usually worn fur hat with cloth bottom ; in hot weather - felt hat with wide brim . In bad weather they would throw a hat over their hat cloth hood . Ceremonial hoods were decorated galloons and gold embroidery .
Princes and nobles wore red morocco shoes decorated with braid and gold , and the peasants - rough shoes made of rawhide. It is no coincidence that in folk songs the struggle of peasants with feudal lords is called the struggle of “rawhide shoes with morocco shoes.”
Traditional women's costume of Kabardians and Circassians reflected social differences. The underwear was long silk or cotton shirt in red or orange color . They put it on a shirt short caftan, trimmed with galloon, with massive silver clasps And. It was cut like a men's beshmet. On top of the caftan - long dress . It had a slit in the front, through which one could see the undershirt and the decorations of the caftan. The costume was complemented belt with silver buckle . Only women of noble origin were allowed to wear red dresses..
Elderly wore cotton quilted kaftan , A young , By local custom, you weren't supposed to have warm outerwear. Only their woolen shawl protected them from the cold.
Hats changed depending on the age of the woman. Girl went wearing a headscarf or bareheaded . When it was possible to match her, she put on “golden cap” and wore it until the birth of her first child .The cap was decorated with gold and silver braid ; the bottom was made of cloth or velvet, and the top was crowned with a silver cone. After the birth of a child, a woman exchanged her hat for a dark scarf ; above a shawl was usually thrown over him to cover his hair . Shoes were made of leather and morocco, and holiday shoes were always red.
CAUCASIAN TABLE ETIQUETTE
The peoples of the Caucasus have always attached great importance to observing table traditions. The basic requirements of traditional etiquette have been preserved to this day. Food was supposed to be moderate. Not only gluttony, but also “multiple eating” was condemned. One of the writers of everyday life of the peoples of the Caucasus noted that the Ossetians are content with such an amount of food, “with which a European can hardly exist for any long time.” This was especially true for alcoholic beverages. For example, among the Circassians it was considered dishonorable to get drunk while visiting. Drinking alcohol was once akin to a sacred ritual. “They drink with great solemnity and respect... always with their heads naked as a sign of the highest humility,” an Italian traveler of the 15th century reported about the Circassians. J. Interiano.
Caucasian feast - a kind of performance where the behavior of everyone is described in detail: men and women, older and younger, hosts and guests. As a rule, even if the meal took place in the home circle, men and women did not sit together at the same table . The men ate first, followed by the women and children. However, on holidays they were allowed to eat at the same time, but in different rooms or at different tables. The elders and the younger ones also did not sit at the same table, and if they sat down, then in the established order - the elders at the “upper” end, the younger ones at the “lower” end of the table. In the old days, for example, among the Kabardians, the younger ones only stood at the walls and served the elders; They were called that way - “propping up the walls” or “standing above our heads.”
The manager of the feast was not the owner, but the eldest of those present - the “toastmaster”. This Adyghe-Abkhaz word has become widespread, and now it can be heard outside the Caucasus. He made toasts and gave the floor; The toastmaster had assistants at the large tables. In general, it is difficult to say what they did more at the Caucasian table: they ate or made toasts. The toasts were sumptuous. The qualities and merits of the person they were talking about were extolled to the skies. The ceremonial meal was always interrupted by songs and dances.
When they received a respected and dear guest, they always made a sacrifice: they slaughtered either a cow, or a ram, or a chicken. Such “shedding of blood” was a sign of respect. Scientists see in it an echo of the pagan identification of the guest with God. It’s not for nothing that the Circassians have a saying: “A guest is God’s messenger.” For Russians, it sounds even more definite: “A guest in the house - God in the house.”
Both in ceremonial and everyday feasts, great importance was attached to the distribution of meat. The best, honorable pieces were given to guests and elders. U Abkhazians the main guest was presented with a shoulder blade or thigh, the oldest - half a head; at Kabardians the best pieces were considered to be the right half of the head and the right shoulder blade, as well as the breast and navel of the bird; at Balkarians - right shoulder blade, femoral part, joints of the hind limbs. Others received their shares in order of seniority. The animal carcass was supposed to be dismembered into 64 pieces.
If the owner noticed that his guest stopped eating out of decency or embarrassment, he presented him with another honorable share. Refusal was considered indecent, no matter how well-fed one was. The host never stopped eating before the guests.
Table etiquette provided for standard invitation and refusal formulas. This is how they sounded, for example, among the Ossetians. They never answered: “I’m full,” “I’m full.” You should have said: “Thank you, I’m not embarrassed, I treated myself well.” Eating all the food served on the table was also considered indecent. The Ossetians called the dishes that remained untouched “the share of the one who clears the table.” The famous researcher of the North Caucasus V.F. Muller said that in the poor houses of Ossetians table etiquette observed more strictly than in the gilded palaces of the European nobility.
During the feast they never forgot about God. The meal began with a prayer to the Almighty, and every toast, every good wish (to the owner, the house, the toastmaster, those present) - with the pronunciation of his name. The Abkhazians asked the Lord to bless the one in question; among the Circassians, at a festival, say, regarding the construction of a new house, they said: “May God make this place happy,” etc.; The Abkhazians often used the following table wish: “May both God and people bless you” or simply: “May people bless you.”
Women, according to tradition, did not participate in the men's feast. They could only serve those feasting in the guest room - the “kunatskaya”. Among some peoples (mountain Georgians, Abkhazians, etc.), the hostess of the house sometimes still came out to the guests, but only in order to proclaim a toast in their honor and immediately leave.
FEAST OF THE RETURN OF THE PLOWERS
The most important event in the life of a farmer is plowing and sowing. Among the peoples of the Caucasus, the beginning and completion of these works were accompanied by magical rituals: according to popular beliefs, they were supposed to contribute to a bountiful harvest.
The Circassians went to the field at the same time - the whole village or, if the village was large, along the street. They elected a “senior plowman”, determined a place for the camp, and built huts. This is where they installed " banner of the ploughmen - a five to seven meter pole with a piece of yellow material attached to it. Yellow symbolized ripened ears of corn, the length of the pole - the size of the future harvest. Therefore, they tried to make the “banner” as long as possible. It was vigilantly guarded so that plowmen from other camps would not steal it. Those who lost the “banner” were threatened with crop failure, but the kidnappers, on the contrary, had more grain.
The first furrow was laid by the luckiest grain grower. Before this, the arable land, bulls, and plow were doused with water or buza (an intoxicating drink made from cereals). They also poured buza on the first inverted layer of earth. The plowmen tore off each other's hats and threw them on the ground so that the plow could plow them under. It was believed that the more caps there were in the first furrow, the better.
During the entire period of spring work, the plowmen lived in the camp. They worked from dawn to dusk, but nevertheless there was time for cheerful jokes and games. So, having secretly visited the village, the guys stole a hat from a girl from a noble family. A few days later she was solemnly returned, and the family of the “victim” organized food and dancing for the entire village. In response to the theft of the hat, the peasants who did not go to the field stole a plow belt from the camp. To “rescue the belt,” food and drinks were brought to the house where it was hidden as ransom. It should be added that a number of prohibitions are associated with the plow. For example, you couldn’t sit on it. The “offender” was beaten with nettles or tied to the wheel of a cart thrown over on its side and spun around. If a “stranger” sat on the plow, not from his own camp, a ransom was demanded from him.
The famous game " shaming chefs." A “commission” was chosen, and it checked the work of the cooks. If there were any omissions, the relatives had to bring treats to the field.
The Adygs especially solemnly celebrated the end of sowing. Women prepared buza and various dishes in advance. For shooting competitions, carpenters made a special target - kabak ("kabak" in some Turkic languages is a type of pumpkin). The target looked like a gate, only small. Wooden figures of animals and birds were hung on the crossbar, and each figure represented a specific prize. The girls worked on the mask and clothes for the agegafe ("dancing goat"). Azhegafe was the main character of the holiday. His role was played by a witty, cheerful man. He put on a mask, an inverted fur coat, tied a tail and a long beard, crowned his head with goat horns, and armed himself with a wooden saber and a dagger.
Solemnly, on decorated carts, the plowmen returned to the village . On the front cart there was a “banner”, and on the last one there was a target. Horsemen followed the procession and shot at the tavern at full gallop. To make it more difficult to hit the figures, the target was specially rocked.
Throughout the entire journey from the field to the village, the agegafe entertained the people. He got away with even the most daring jokes. The servants of Islam, considering the liberties of the agegafe as blasphemy, cursed him and never participated in the holiday. However, this character was so loved by the Adygams that they did not pay attention to the ban of the priests.
Before reaching the village, the procession stopped. The plowmen were setting up a platform for sharing a meal and games, they used a plow to make a deep furrow around it. At this time, the agegafe went around houses, collecting treats. He was accompanied by his “wife,” whose role was played by a man dressed in women’s clothing. They acted out funny scenes: for example, the agegafe fell dead, and for his “resurrection” they demanded a treat from the owner of the house, etc.
The holiday lasted several days and was accompanied by abundant food, dancing and fun. On the final day there were horse races and horse riding.
In the 40s XX century the holiday of the return of plowmen disappeared from the life of the Circassians . But one of my favorite characters - agegafe - and now can often be found at weddings and other celebrations.
HANCEGUACHE
Can the most ordinary shovel become a princess? It turns out that this happens.
The Circassians have a ritual of making rain, called "khanieguashe" . “Khanie” means “shovel” in Adyghe, “gua-she” means “princess”, “mistress”. The ceremony was usually performed on Friday. Young women gathered and made a princess out of a wooden shovel for winnowing grain: they attached a crossbar to the handle, dressed the shovel in women's clothing, covered it with a scarf, and belted it. The “neck” was decorated with a “necklace” - a smoked chain on which the cauldron was hung over the fireplace. They tried to take her from a house where there had been cases of death from lightning strikes. If the owners objected, the chain was sometimes even stolen.
The women, always barefoot, took the scarecrow by the “hands” and walked around all the courtyards of the village with the song “God, in Your name we lead Hanieguache, send us rain.” The housewives brought out treats or money and poured water over the women, saying: “God, accept it favorably.” Those who made meager offerings to Hanieguash were condemned by their neighbors.
Gradually, the procession increased: women and children from the courtyards where Hanieguache was “brought” joined it. Sometimes they carried milk strainers and fresh cheese with them. They had a magical meaning: just as easily as milk passes through a strainer, it should rain from the clouds; cheese symbolized moisture-saturated soil.
Having walked around the village, the women carried the scarecrow to the river and placed it on the bank. It was time for ritual bathing. The ritual participants pushed each other into the river and doused each other with water. They especially tried to douse young married women with small children.
The Black Sea Shapsugs then threw the stuffed animal into the water, and after three days they pulled it out and broke it. The Kabardians brought the scarecrow to the center of the village, invited musicians and danced around Hanieguache until darkness. The celebrations ended with pouring seven buckets of water over the stuffed animal. Sometimes instead of it, a dressed up frog was carried through the streets, which was then thrown into the river.
After sunset, a feast began, at which the food collected from the village was eaten. Magical meaning There was general joy and laughter in the ritual.
The image of Hanieguash goes back to one of the characters in Circassian mythology - the mistress of the rivers Psychoguashe. They turned to her with a request to send rain. Since Hanieguache personified the pagan goddess of waters, the day of the week when she “visited” the village was considered sacred. According to popular belief, an unseemly act committed on this day was a particularly grave sin.
The vagaries of the weather are beyond human control; drought, like many years ago, visits the fields of farmers from time to time. And then Hanieguashe walks through the Adyghe villages, giving hope for a quick and plentiful rain, cheering the old and young. Of course, at the end of the 20th century. This ritual is perceived more as entertainment, and mainly children participate in it. Adults, not even believing that rain can be made in this way, gladly give them sweets and money.
ATALICITY
If modern man asked where children should be raised, he would answer in bewilderment: “Where if not at home?” Meanwhile, in ancient times and early Middle Ages was widespread a custom when a child was given to someone else’s family to be raised immediately after birth
. This custom was recorded among the Scythians, ancient Celts, Germans, Slavs, Turks, Mongols and some other peoples. In the Caucasus it existed until the beginning of the 20th century. among all mountain peoples from Abkhazia to Dagestan. Caucasian experts call it a Turkic word "atalychestvo"
(from “atalyk” - “like a father”).
As soon as a son or daughter was born into a respected family, applicants for the position of atalyk rushed to offer their services. The more noble and richer the family was, the more willing there were. To get ahead of everyone, the newborn was sometimes stolen. It was believed that an atalyk should not have more than one pupil or pupil. His wife (atalychka) or her relative became the nurse. Sometimes, over time, the child moved from one atalyk to another.
They raised adopted children almost the same way as their own. There was one difference: the atalyk (and his entire family) paid much more attention to the adopted child, he was better fed and clothed. When the boy was taught to ride a horse, and then horseback riding, wield a dagger, a pistol, a gun, and hunt, they looked after him more closely than their own sons. If there were military clashes with neighbors, the atalyk took the teenager with him and stitched him up with his own body. The girl was introduced to women's housework, taught to embroider, initiated into the intricacies of complex Caucasian etiquette, and instilled with accepted ideas about female honor and pride. An exam was coming up in his parents' house, and the young man had to show what he had learned publicly. Young men usually returned to their father and mother upon reaching adulthood (at age 16) or at the time of marriage (at age 18); girls are usually earlier.
The entire time the child lived with the atalyk, he did not see his parents. Therefore, he returned to his home as if to someone else’s family. Years passed before he got used to his father and mother, brothers and sisters. But closeness with the atalyk’s family remained throughout life, and, according to custom, it was equated to blood.
Returning the pupil, the atalyk gave him clothes, weapons, and a horse. . But he and his wife received even more generous gifts from the pupil’s father: several heads of cattle, sometimes even land. A close relationship was established between both families, the so-called artificial relationship, no less strong than blood.
Kinship by ancestry was established between equals in social status people - princes, nobles, rich peasants; sometimes between neighboring peoples (Abkhazians and Mingrelians, Kabardians and Ossetians, etc.). Princely families entered into dynastic alliances in this way. In other cases, a higher-ranking feudal lord would hand over a child to be raised by a lower-ranking one, or a wealthy peasant would hand over a child to a less prosperous one. The father of the pupil not only gave gifts to the atalyk, but also provided him with support, protected him from enemies, etc. In this way, he expanded the circle of dependent people. Atalyk gave up part of his independence, but gained a patron. It is no coincidence that among the Abkhazians and Circassians, adult people could become “pupils”. In order for the milk relationship to be considered recognized, the “pupil” touched the breast of the atalyk’s wife with his lips. Among the Chechens and Ingush, who did not know any pronounced social stratification, the custom of atalism did not develop.
At the beginning of the 20th century, scientists offered 14 explanations for the origin of atalism. Anytime now serious explanations two left. According to the prominent Russian Caucasian expert M. O. Kosven, atalychestvo - remnant of avunculate (from Latin avunculus - “mother’s brother”). This custom was known in ancient times. It has been preserved as a relic among some modern peoples(especially in Central Africa). Avunculate established the closest connection between the child and his maternal uncle: according to the rules, it was the uncle who raised the child. However, supporters of this hypothesis cannot answer a simple question: why was it not the mother’s brother, but a stranger who became the atalyk? Another explanation seems more convincing. Education in general and Caucasian atalyism in particular were recorded no earlier than at the time of the disintegration of the primitive communal system and the emergence of classes. Old consanguineous ties had already been broken, but new ones had not yet emerged. People, in order to acquire supporters, defenders, patrons, etc., established artificial kinship. Atalism became one of its types.
"SENIOR" AND "JUNGER" IN THE CAUCASUS
Politeness and restraint are highly valued in the Caucasus. No wonder the Adyghe proverb says: “Do not strive for a place of honor - if you deserve it, you will get it.” Especially Adygeis, Circassians, Kabardians are known for their strict morals . Great value they give their appearance: Even in hot weather, a jacket and a hat are indispensable items of clothing. You need to walk sedately, talk slowly and quietly. You are supposed to stand and sit decorously, you cannot lean against the wall, cross your legs, much less casually lounge on a chair. If a senior person, even a complete stranger, passes by, you need to stand up and bow.
Hospitality and respect for elders - cornerstones Caucasian ethics. The guest is surrounded with constant attention: they will allocate the best room in the house, they will not leave him alone for a minute - all the time until the guest goes to bed, either the owner himself, or his brother, or another close relative will be with him. The host usually dines with the guest, perhaps older relatives or friends will join, but the hostess and other women will not sit at the table - they will only serve. The younger members of the family may not show up at all, and forcing them to sit at the table with the Elders is completely unthinkable. They are seated at the table in the accepted order: at the head is the toastmaster, that is, the manager of the feast (the owner of the house or the eldest among those gathered), to the right of him is the guest of honor, then in order of seniority.
When two people walk down the street, the younger one usually goes to the left of the older one. . If a third person joins them, say someone middle-aged, the younger one moves to the right and a little back, and the new one takes his place on the left. They are seated in the same order on an airplane or car. This rule dates back to the Middle Ages, when people walked around armed, with an shield on their left hand, and the younger one was obliged to protect the older one from a possible ambush attack.
