Author’s name:
Lubov’ V. Nedostupova – Voronezh State Technical University, Voronezh, Russia
Abstract
This study reconstructs a sacred memorial tradition of the mid-20th century. The relevance of addressing this research topic stems from the author’s interest in the memorial rituals practiced in small rural settlements of their native region during the previous century. The article focuses on the mourning custom within the family cycle. The aim of the study is to reconstruct the memorial tradition of the 1950s–1960s in the village of Vysokoye, Talovsky District, Voronezh Oblast, as reflected in the folk speech and worldview of the dialect speakers, using the methods of interviewing, analysis, and description. The resulting scenario of commemorating the deceased is presented as a mourning act consisting of several stages: reading a memorial prayer in memory of the deceased at the beginning of the ceremony; a meal at the table (commemorating the dead person with a slice of bread and an egg, eating ritual hot food which necessarily includes a meat dish, a dairy dish as well as some other dishes, pastries, and beverages); reading a memorial prayer and a prayer for the health of the family of the deceased after consuming the ritual food which must be prepared from products of natural farming. In the worldview of the Vysokoye residents, these rites express the following values: sym-pathy for the misfortune and grief of fellow villagers; compassion for those in mourning; goodness and mercy; participation in the lives of others; and preserving elements of sacredness and ritual attributes that have existed for decades as part of the shared spiritual culture. This unique perspective of rural residents is an expression of important family rituals. The author concludes that the tradition of commemoration, reflected through the Southern Russian dialect, is fixed in local customs and laws and serves as a kind of shrine. The rules of conduct and norms of the mourning ritual developed over many years before taking a specific format. The mourning custom was part of the folk worldview, in which the role of the older generation was significant. In the new realities of the 21st century, the memorial ritual in the village is undergoing transformation. The novelty of the research lies in the description of an interesting mourning ritual of residents of a small rural settlement in the Voronezh region. The practical value of the work is that the collected fresh dialect data can supplement the database of materials collected by the project “The Lexical Atlas of Russian Folk Dialects” as well as by the Center for Regional Linguistic Studies at Voronezh State Pedagogical University.
| Section | LANGUAGE AND CULTURE |
| DOI: | 10.47388/2072-3490/lunn2025-69-1-101-115 |
| Downloads | 3 |
| Key words | funeral memorial tradition; village ritual; picture of the world; folk speech; Voronezh dialect |