Customs and traditions of the Bashkirs: national costume, wedding, funeral and funeral rites, family traditions

Customs and traditions of Bashkirs, public holidays, entertainment and leisure contain elements of economic, labor, educational, aesthetic, religious nature. Their main tasks were to strengthen the unity of the people and preserve the identity of culture.

What language is spoken in Bashkortostan?

Bashkirs speak Bashkir, which combines features from Kypchak, Tatar, Bulgarian, Arabic, Persian and Russian. It is also the official language of Bashkortostan, but they speak it in other areas of the Russian Federation.

Bashkir language is divided into Kuvanki, Burzyan, Jurmati dialects and many others. Between them there are only phonetic differences, but despite this, Bashkirs and Tatars easily understand each other.

Modern Bashkir language developed in the mid-1920s. Most of the vocabulary consists of words of ancient Turkic origin. In the Bashkir language there are no pretexts, prefixes and gender. Words are formed with the help of affixes. In pronunciation, stress plays an important role.

Until the 1940s, the Bashkirs used the Volga Central Asian letter, and then switched to Cyrillic.

Bashkiria in the USSR

Before joining the USSR, Bashkiria consisted of cantons - territorial-administrative units. The Bashkir ASSR was the first autonomous republic on the territory of the former USSR. It was formed on March 23, 1919 and was ruled from Sterlitamak in the Ufa province because of the lack of an urban settlement in the Orenburg province.

On March 27, 1925, the Constitution was adopted, according to which the Bashkir ASSR retained the canton arrangement, and the people could, along with the Russians, use the Bashkir language in all spheres of public life.

On December 24, 1993, after the dissolution of the Supreme Council of Russia, the Republic of Bashkortostan adopted a new Constitution.

Bashkir people

In the second millennium BC. E. The territory of modern Bashkortostan was inhabited by the ancient Bashkir tribes of the European race. On the territory of the Southern Urals and the steppes around it lived many peoples who influenced both the customs and traditions of the Bashkirs. In the south there lived Iranian-speaking Sarmatians - cattlemen, and in the north - landowners-hunters, ancestors of the future Finno-Ugric peoples.

The beginning of the first millennium was marked by the arrival of Mongol tribes, who paid much attention to the culture and appearance of the Bashkirs.

After the Golden Horde was defeated, the Bashkirs fell under the rule of three khanates - Siberian, Nogai and Kazan.

The formation of the Bashkir people was completed in the 9th-10th centuries. E., and after joining the Moscow State in the XV century Bashkirs rallied and established the name of the territory inhabited by the people - Bashkiria.

Of all the world's religions, Islam and Christianity are most common, which had an important influence on Bashkir folk customs.

The lifestyle was semi-nomadic and, accordingly, the accommodation was temporary and nomadic. Constant Bashkir houses, depending on the terrain, could be stone brick or carved, in which there were windows, in contrast to temporary, where the latter were absent. Above, the photo shows a traditional Bashkir house - a yurt.

What was the traditional Bashkir family?

Until the 19th century, a small family dominated Bashkirs. But it was not uncommon to find an undivided family, where married sons lived with their father and mother. The reason is the existence of common economic interests. Usually families were monogamous, but often it was possible to meet a family where a man had several wives - from bais or representatives of the clergy. Bashkirs from the less well-to-do families married again, if the wife was childless, seriously ill and could not take part in household chores or the man remained a widower.

The head of the Bashkir family was his father - he gave orders not only for property, but also the fate of children, and his word in all matters was decisive.

Bashkir women had a different position in the family, depending on their age. The mother of the family was revered and respected, along with the head of the family, she was initiated into all family matters, and she supervised household chores.

After the marriage of the son (or sons), the burden of domestic cares fell on the shoulders of the daughter-in-law, and her mother-in-law only followed her work. A young woman had to cook food for the whole family, clean the house, watch the clothes and take care of the cattle. In some areas of Bashkortostan, the daughter-in-law had no right to show the face to other family members. This situation was explained by the dogmas of religion. But some of the Bashkir people still had some independence - if they mistreated her, she could demand a divorce and take away the property that she was given as a dowry. Life after the divorce did not bode well - the husband had the right not to give the children or demand a ransom from her family. In addition, she could not remarry.

Today many traditions associated with the wedding are being revived. One of them - the bride and the groom wear a Bashkir national costume. Its main features were multi-layered and a variety of colors. Bashkir national costume was made from home cloth, felt, sheepskin, leather, fur, hemp and nettle canvas.

What holidays do Bashkirs celebrate?

Customs and traditions of the Bashkirs are vividly reflected in the holidays. They can be divided into:

• State - New Year, Defender of the Fatherland Day, Flag Day, Ufa City Day, Republic Day, Constitution Day.
• Religious - Uraza Bayram (the holiday of fasting in Ramadan); Kurban Bayram (feast of sacrifice); Mawlid an Nabi (the birthday of the Prophet Muhammad).
• National - Yyynyn, Kargatui, Sabantuy, Kyakuk Xiaye.

State and religious holidays are celebrated almost the same throughout the country, and there are almost no traditions and rites of Bashkirs. Unlike them, national ones completely reflect the culture of the nation.

Sabantui, or Habantui, was observed after sowing operations from about the end of May to the end of June. Long before the holiday, a group of young people went from house to house and collected prizes and decorated the square - the Maidan, where all festive activities were supposed to take place. The most valuable prize was a towel made by a young daughter-in-law, as the woman was a symbol of the renewal of the family, and the feast was timed to coincide with the renewal of the land. On the Sabantuy day in the center of the Maidan a pole was mounted, which was oiled on the day of the holiday, and on the top an embroidered towel fluttered, which was considered a prize, and only the most clever could climb up to it and take it. There were a lot of different games at Sabantuya - fighting with sacks of hay or wool on a log, running with eggs in a spoon or bags, but the main ones were jumps and wrestling - kuresh, in which rivals tried to knock down or drag the opponent with a towel. The wrestlers were watched by the aksakals, and the winner, batyr, received a slaughtered ram. After the fight on the Maidan they sang songs and danced.

Kargatui, or Karga Butkami, is a holiday of the awakening of nature, which had different scenarios depending on the geographical location. But the common tradition can be considered as cooking millet porridge. It was held in nature and was accompanied not only by a collective meal, but also by the feeding of birds. This pagan holiday was also up to Islam - the Bashkirs addressed the gods with a request for rain. Kargatui also did not do without dances, songs and sports competitions.

Kyakuk Saye was a women's holiday and also had pagan roots. He was celebrated by the river or on a mountain. Celebrated it from May to July. Women with treats went to the place of celebration, each thought of some desire and listened to how the bird cuckoo. If it's ringing, then the wish is fulfilled. There were also various games at the festival.

Yeynin was a men's holiday, as only men took part in it. They celebrated it on the day of the summer equinox after the people's congress, at which important questions were dealt with in the affairs of the village. The council ended with a holiday, which was prepared beforehand. Later it became a common holiday, in which both men and women participated.

What customs and traditions are observed by Bashkirs?

Both family and wedding traditions were formed under the influence of social and economic changes in society.

Bashkirs could marry relatives no closer than the fifth generation. The age of marriage for girls is 14 years, and for boys - 16. With the advent of the USSR, the age was increased to 18 years.

Bashkir wedding was held in 3 stages - matchmaking, marriage and the holiday itself.

Wedded to the girl were respected people from the groom's family or the father himself. With the consent of the agreed kalym, wedding expenses and the size of the dowry. Often children were wooed while still babies and, discussing their future, the parents fixed their words with a bath - diluted water koumiss or honey, which was drunk from a single bowl.

With the feelings of the young were not considered and could easily give the girl for the old man, since the marriage was often based on material considerations.

After the collusion, families could visit each other's houses. Visits were accompanied by feasts of matchmaking, and only men could take part in them, and in some regions of Bashkiria and women.

After most of the kalym was paid, the bride's relatives came to the groom's house, and in honor of it a feast was held.

The next stage is a marriage ceremony held in the bride's house. Here the mullah read a prayer and announced young men and women. From that moment until the full payment of the kalym, the husband had the right to visit his wife.

After the bride was paid in full, the wedding (tuy) was held, which was held in the house of the bride's parents. On the appointed day, guests came from the girl's side and the groom came with family and relatives. Usually the wedding lasted three days - on the first day everyone was treated to the party of the bride, in the second - to the groom. On the third young wife left her father's house. The first two days were jumps, wrestling and games, and the third performed ritual songs and traditional lamentations. Before leaving, the bride walked around the houses of relatives and gave them gifts - fabrics, woolen threads, scarves and towels. In return, she was given cattle, poultry or money. After that the girl said goodbye to her parents. She was escorted by one of her relatives - her mother's uncle, her elder brother or girlfriends, and she was a matchmaker to the groom's house. The wedding train was headed by the groom's family.

After the young woman crossed the threshold of the new house, she had to kneel three times before the father-in-law and mother-in-law, and then distribute gifts to all.

On the morning after the wedding, accompanied by the youngest girl in the house, the young wife went to the local spring for water and threw a silver coin.

Before the birth of the child, the daughter-in-law avoided her husband's parents, concealed her face and did not speak to them.

In addition to traditional weddings, bride kidnapping was not uncommon. Similar wedding traditions of Bashkirs took place in poor families, who thus wanted to avoid wedding spending.

Maternity rites

The news about pregnancy was accepted in the family with joy. From that moment the woman was released from heavy physical labor, and she was shielded from the experience. It was believed that if she would look at everything beautiful, then the child would also be born beautiful.

During the birth, a midwife was invited, and all the other family members left the house for a while. If necessary, only the husband could come to the woman in childbirth. The midwife was considered the second mother of the child and therefore enjoyed great honor and respect. She entered the house with her right foot and wished the woman a light birth. If the birth was difficult, then a series of rituals was performed - before the woman in labor she was shaken with an empty leather sack or lightly beaten on the back, washed with water, which the sacred books wiped.

After the birth, the midwife performed the next maternity ceremony-she cut the umbilical cord on a book, board or boot, because they were considered amulet, then the umbilical cord and the latter were dried, wrapped in a clean cloth (kefen) and buried in a secluded place. In the same place they buried the laundry items that were used during childbirth.

The newborn was immediately placed in the cradle, and the midwife gave him a temporary name, and on the 3rd, 6th or 40th day, the celebration of the name (isam tui) was held. On a holiday invited mullah, relatives and neighbors. Mulla put the newborn on a pillow in the direction of the Kaaba and read in turn in both ears his or her name. Then served lunch with national dishes. During the ceremony, the mother of the baby presented gifts to the midwife, mother-in-law and her mother - a dress, shawl, shawl or money.

One of the elderly women, most often a neighbor, cut off a bunch of baby hair and laid it between the pages of the Koran. Since then she was considered the "hair" mother of the baby. Two weeks after birth, the father shaved off the child's hair, and they were stored with the umbilical cord.

If a boy was born in the family, then in addition to the ceremony of naming, a sunnah was performed - circumcision. It was conducted in 5-6 months or from 1 year to 10 years. The rite was compulsory, and it could be held as the elder man in the family, and specially hired man - a babay. He went from one village to another and offered his services for a nominal fee. Before the circumcision, the prayer was read out, and after or a few days later a holiday was held-the sunnat tui.

How to see off the deceased?

Islam had a great influence on the burial rites of the Bashkirs. But it was possible to find elements of pre-Islamic beliefs.

The funeral process included five stages:

• Rituals associated with the protection of the deceased;
• Preparation for burial;
• Seeing off the deceased;
• Burial;
• Wake.

If a person was dying, he was invited to a mullah or a person who knows prayers, and he read Surah "Yasin" from the Koran. Muslims believe that this will ease the torments of the dying and drive away evil spirits from him.

If a person has already died, they put him on a hard surface, stretched his arms along the body and put something hard or a piece of paper on his chest over his clothes with a prayer from the Koran. The deceased was considered dangerous, and therefore he was guarded, and they tried to bury as quickly as possible - if he died in the morning, then before noon, and if after noon, then until the first half of the next day. One of the survivals of pre-Islamic times is to bring the deceased alms, which then was distributed to the needy. You could see the face of the deceased before washing. The body was washed by special people who were considered important along with diggers of the grave. They were also given the most expensive gifts. When the grave began to dig a niche, then the process of washing the deceased began, in which 4 to 8 people took part. First, the bathers performed ritual ablution, and then washed the deceased, poured water and wiped dry. Then the deceased was wrapped in three layers in a shroud of nettles or hemp fabrics, and a leaf with verses from the Koran was placed between the layers so that the deceased could answer the questions of the angels. For the same purpose, the inscription on the bosom of the deceased was "There is no god but Allah and Muhammad is His Prophet." The shroud was tied up with a rope or stripes of fabric above the head, in the belt and on the knees. If it was a woman, then, wrapped in a shroud, she was wearing a handkerchief, a breastplate and trousers. After washing the deceased, they shifted the bast on a curtain covered with a curtain or carpet.

When carrying out the deceased, animals or money were given as gifts to those who would pray for the soul of the deceased. They usually turned out to be a mullah, and all present were given alms. According to the beliefs that the deceased did not return, he was brought forward with his feet. After removal of the house and things washed. When there were 40 steps to the gates of the cemetery, a special prayer was recited - Yinaz Namaz. Before the funeral, prayer was recited again, and the deceased on hands or towels was lowered into the grave and laid facing the Kaaba. The niche was covered with boards so that the earth would not fall on the deceased.

After the last lump fell on the grave, everyone sat down around the mound and the mullah read a prayer, and in the end, alms were distributed.
The funeral process completed the wake. They, unlike the funeral, were not religiously regulated. They were celebrated on days 3, 7, 40 and a year later. On the table, apart from the national dishes, there was necessarily roast food, as the Bashkirs believed that this smell drove away the evil spirits and helped the deceased easily answer the questions of the angels. After the funeral feast, at the first funeral feast, they gave alms to everyone who participated in the funeral-the mullah guarding the deceased, we wash and dig a grave. Often, except for shirts, bibs and other things, they gave coils of thread, which, according to ancient beliefs, symbolized the transmigration of the soul with their help. The second wake was arranged on the 7th day and passed the same way as the first.

The funeral for 40 days was the main, since it was believed that until this moment the soul of the deceased wandered around the house, and at 40 completely left this world. Therefore, all relatives were invited to such wake ceremonies and covered a generous table: "guests were accepted as matchmakers". Necessarily, the horse, ram or heifer was hammered and national dishes were served. The invited mullah read prayers and gave alms.

The wake was repeated one year later, which concluded the funeral rite.

What customs of mutual aid did the Bashkirs have?

Customs and traditions of the Bashkirs also included mutual assistance. Usually they made holidays, but could also be a separate phenomenon. The most popular are Kaz Umame (Goose Aid) and Kis Ultyryu (Evenings).

At Kaz Umakh, a few days before the holidays, the hostess walked around the houses of other familiar women and invited her to help her. Everyone happily agreed and, putting on all the most beautiful, gathered in the house of the invited one.

There was an interesting hierarchy here - the owner was hammering geese, women were plucking, and young girls were washing birds at the hole. On the shore of the girls were waiting for the young men who played the accordion and sang songs. Back in the house, the girls and boys came back together, and while the hostess was cooking a rich soup with gander noodles, the guests played "forfeits." To do this, the girls gathered things in advance - ribbons, scallops, kerchiefs, rings, and leading asked a question to one of the girls who stood with her back: "What is the assignment to the mistress of this fantasy?" Among them were such as to sing, dance, tell a story , Play the kubyz or look at the stars with any of the young people.

At Kis Ultyryu, the hostess invited her relatives. The girls were engaged in sewing, knitting and embroidery.

Having finished the work, the girls helped the hostess. People's legends and fairy tales were necessarily told, music was played, songs were sung and dances were performed. The hostess served tea, sweets and pies for guests.

Which dishes are national?

Bashkir national cuisine was formed under the influence of wintering in the villages and a nomadic way of life in the summer. Distinctive features - a large amount of meat and a lack of a large number of spices.

The nomadic way of life led to the emergence of a large number of long-term storage dishes - horse meat and lamb in boiled, dried and dried form, dried berries and cereals, honey and sour milk products - horse sausage (kazy), fermented milk from mare's milk (koumiss), cherry (Muyyl Maya).

Traditional dishes include beshbarmak (soup from meat and large noodles), vak-belish (pies with meat and potatoes), tukmas (goose meat soup with thin noodles), tutyrlgan tauk (stuffed chicken), kyyrylgan (potato salad, Fish, pickles, mayonnaise and greens, wrapped in an omelette).

Bashkir culture today is a reflection of the historical path of the people, which, as a result, absorbed only the best.