CLOTHING OF A DECEASED IN THE CONTEXT OF FUNERAL AND COMMEMORATIVE CUS-TOMS AND RITUALS OF THE CHUVASH

Abstract

Funeral and commemorative ritualism as a set of magical and religious rituals related to the burial of a deceased, is a rich historical and ethnographic source. These rituals are rooted in the thickness of centuries and reflect the most ancient beliefs and ideas. Despite mass Christianization, funeral and commemorative customs and rituals of the Chuvash people preserved many elements of the pre-Christian (pagan) funeral cult. Household items, including clothing and individual items play an important role in the organization of substantive processing of funeral customs and rites. Being included in the ritual action, they brought in additional information about the essence of the performed actions, enhanced their sensory perception and acted as expressive markers and symbols. In this context, magical perceptions and actions with the clothing of a deceased are of particular interest. Almost at every stage of the funeral rites, the Chuvash performed a number of purposeful actions with the clothes of a deceased that were aimed to accompany step-through the deceased from the profane to the sacred space or to the world of ancestors. In the form of rudiments, they still exist at present time.