Cossack Military Culture as Expressed in Folklore

Abstract

The article presents main examples of Cossack military culture and his role in the daily lives of Kuban, Ural and Kazakh Cossack communities. The investigated material consists of a corpus of oral works (songs, proverbs), examples of rituals, elements of the physical education system and folk games. Cossack folk culture and traditions were based upon the fundament of military society. Its members placed their identity in the broader context of warfare, which they understood both as a source of income and glory, as both a practical and ethical interpretation of their historical role. The article's methodology is based on the functional analysis, ethnographic studies and comparative literature methods. Research on this aspect of Cossack culture is an important element of broader studies on Cossack identity. The analyzed materials shed light on the process of creating historical memories and identities of Cossack communities and fits into a wider range of Cossack studies. Keywords: Cossack folklore, military culture, Kuban Cossack, Kazakh Cossack, Ural Cossack.