Some aspects of funeral rites among modern abkhazians
https://doi.org/10.31143/2542-212X-2023-1-202-215
EDN: EEAILE
Abstract
The article is devoted to the study of the funeral rite in modern Abkhazian society. For a long time, the ancestors of modern Abkhazians got acquainted with Christianity and Islam, and these world religions have left their mark on the ritual life of Abkhazian society. Despite their influence, it is important for modern Abkhazians to observe not so much religious norms as what they consider their traditional «Abkhazianism», demonstrating some local differences, to which special attention is paid in the article. The article reflects the role of relatives-mourners, whose lamentations during the funeral «make even a stone cry». The concern about the state of the soul of the deceased is also noted, which is manifested because the Abkhazians send belongings together with the deceased, which in their opinion will certainly be useful to him. Some things, it is believed, the deceased requests in a dream, and through them, the connection between the living and the deceased is maintained.
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Review
For citations:
Zelnitskaya R.Sh. Some aspects of funeral rites among modern abkhazians. E-Journal “Kavkazologiya”. 2023;(1):202-215. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.31143/2542-212X-2023-1-202-215. EDN: EEAILE
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