THINGS IN THE SPACE OF UDMURT SACRIFICES: ON THE BORDER OF THE UTILITARIAN AND THE SACRED

Abstract

The article examines the composition and functions of things used at the traditional sacrifices of the Trans-Kama Udmurts, the adherents of the ethnic religion from the Republic of Bashkortostan and the Perm Krai. Rites with sacrifices represent a vivid manifestation of the form of religious cult and involve an offering of sacrificial gifts (animals, things) to the deities and require the use of a wide range of objects of the material world like ritual dishes and utensils, working tools and devices, ritual clothing, textiles. The entire set of cult objects constitutes the material embodiment of ritual activity which clearly characterizes the worldview, evolution, and the current state of national culture. The results of the study show that the things used in the rituals are used for their utilitarian purpose while the ritual nature of their use endows them with symbolic functions, thereby preserving their sacred status. Comparison with historical data shows that the number, composition and functions of objects used for cult purposes have remained the same, but their types, shapes, material and manufacturing method have changed. The work was prepared on the basis of published and archival sources, the authors' own field ethnographic materials.