There are many interesting and interesting things in khabze in the customs and traditions of peoples, including in wedding ceremonies. Why Isn't it all superfluous? Is it necessary to comply with all the conditions? Thinking about a wedding in this way is worthless because people will condemn it more than that - they will consider it an immoral act a violation of khabze with the ensuing consequences. As it was noted, the khabze, including wedding rituals, were not invented at a cozy table in the quiet of an office and were not approved by a popular vote. When, with the consent of stakeholders and individuals ...

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HOSPITAL TRADITIONS 3

ATALY 3

JEGUACO & PSCHINATLI 4

FUNERAL RITE 4

MARRIAGES AT THE ADYGES 5

Matchmaking (lykhu). 6

Inspection of the house (unaple). 7

Registration of marriage (nechyhytkh). eight

A trip for kalym (uase I s). nine

Bringing the bride (nysashe). 12

Newlywed in a “strange house” (teshe). 15

Entering the young into a large house (unaeishe). 16

Literature. eighteen

HOSPITAL TRADITIONS

For a long time, the Circassians had very widespread customs of hospitality. Became a guest

anyone who came to the house, of course, if the guest did not have clearly hostile intentions. The Adygs used to say at all times “a guest in a reliable fortress”. This meant that the guest's personality is inviolable, the owner will protect him from any encroachment from the outside.

Each Adyg built a separate house for his guests - hakIesh. The interior of this house was often all the wealth of the owner. While the guest was at home, the owner took care of his safety and well-being. He made sure that the guest ate tasty, satisfying, and slept well. While the guest was in the house, the owner could not afford to leave him alone. The host tried to entertain the guest in every possible way, constantly trying to maintain an interesting conversation with him. The most widespread musical instrument of the Circassians was shykIepshyn - bowed instrument... The strings for this instrument were made from ponytail hair, which is why it got its name (literally, “ponytail instrument”).

If the guest was from another aul or from another country, then he was called "tichyle hakIe" - a guest of our aul. In the evenings, all the aul people gathered in the khakIesh, where the guest of the aul stayed. In honor of the guest, they organized jagu (games), accompanied by playing the shykIepshyn, kamyla (a kind of flute), pkhekIykI (ratchets). In honor of the guest, the young people organized competitions in the art of dance. In honor of the guest, the young men competed in strength, courage - they fought, competed in races.

Sometimes one owner tried to entice a guest from the previous owner. If this succeeded, he considered it a great honor.

ATALY

The Circassians had a custom of atalism. According to this custom, princes (pshchy) and noblemen (orcs) gave their children to be raised by one of their subjects. The teachers taught the boys to ride, handle weapons. The Adyg princes gave their children to be raised by one of their subordinate orcs or peasants. Orcs gave their children to be raised by peasants. It was considered an honor to bring up a son or daughter of a prince. Often after the birth of the prince's son, one of his subordinates came to the house, with gifts and requests persuaded the parents to give him their son for upbringing.

JEGUACO AND PSCHINATLI

Music making and dancing during the jaegu on the occasion of a wedding or reception were usually performed by special jaeguakos. Music and dance lessons at all times were considered obscene for the Circassians, especially the noble ones. A completely different attitude was towards the performers of psynatles - songs that narrate in a poetic form about any events. Pshinatli narrated about the events of the history of the people, about the life of the heroes of the Nart epic. Pshinatli were performed during the ceremony to mark the end of mourning a year after death. The funeral pshinatl was a voluminous poetic work, which told about the events of the life of the deceased, praised his deeds and good deeds. Special requirements were imposed on the compilers and performers of the funeral pshinatles. They were supposed to be famous and respected people.

FUNERAL RITES

The funeral rite of the Circassians in the 15th century retained many features of the funeral rites of previous generations. The deceased was placed on a platform erected in the field. Widow and most oldest relatives the deceased sat down in front of the platform. Nobody cried because it was considered indecent. Relatives and fellow villagers brought gold and silver jewelry, cups, bows, arrows, and weapons to the deceased. On the eighth day, the deceased, along with part of the gifts brought to him, was placed in a wooden block made of a tree split lengthwise and hollowed out in the middle of the trunk and carried to a previously dug grave. A mound was poured over the grave. After the funeral, commemoration began, which lasted several days. Numerous rituals were performed over the grave, expelling evil spirits.

During the year, the closest relatives of the deceased wore mourning for him. During mourning, they did not marry, did not attend the wedding, did not wear bright clothes and jewelry. As a sign of mourning for the deceased to a loved one the men cut off the tips of their ears.

A year later, a commemoration was held. Close relatives of the deceased, as well as the family where he was brought up as an atalik, went out to the numerous guests in mourning vestments. Those present at the funeral took turns giving memorial speeches, listing the deeds and merits of the deceased. Then the funeral pshinatl was performed, composed by one of the respected people who are closely acquainted with the deceased and his family. From that moment on, the mourning was considered complete.

At the beginning of the 15th century I. Shtilber observed the custom of one of the Adyghe tribes on the coast: “They put those killed by lightning in a coffin, which they then hang on tall tree... After that, neighbors come, bringing drinks, food, begin to dance, have fun, slaughter bulls, rams, distribute most of the poor. They do this for three days, repeat every year, imagining that a person struck by lightning is a saint. "

MARRIAGES AT THE ADYGES

There are many interesting and interesting things in khabze, in the customs and traditions of peoples, including in wedding ceremonies. What is a wedding? How did she become one? In order for two young people to unite their lives, have children, continue the human race, their relatives, relatives, acquaintances gather, organize celebrations, perform rather burdensome, time-consuming tasks, as well as formalities determined by the event, find everything that they do not have, wishing more magnificently, more solemnly, as best as possible to arrange everything connected with the marriage of a son or the marriage of a daughter. Why? Isn't all this superfluous? Do I have to comply with all the conditions?

It is useless to think about a wedding in this way, because people will condemn it, moreover, they will consider it an immoral act, a violation of the khabze with the ensuing consequences. As long as there is a person, as long as the family exists, the wedding is immortal, for it is the basis of the life of the clan, the beginning new family, part of being. Moreover, a wedding is one of the main rituals in any national culture, a kind of mirror that reflects many aspects of the ethnic essence of the people, their history.

As it was noted, khabze, including wedding rituals, were not invented at a cozy table in the quiet of an office, were not approved by a popular vote. They are the result of the search of more than one generation, on them - the notches of the distant past, swept away the social, economic, formational ups and downs through which the people went. Every episode, every detail of the wedding ceremony testifies to toi. Before becoming part of the custom, it had a real, magical, religious basis.

Proceeding from this, the Adyghe wedding began to have the following structure: matchmaking, house review, marriage registration, trip for kalym, bringing the bride, defining the young in a “strange house”, bringing the young into the “big house”, escaping the old woman, returning the young to his home , small re-entry of the bride into the “big house”, table dance, secondary drive of the young, girlish table, cup spinning, etc.

The Adyg wedding was beautiful and instructive then. When, with the consent of interested parties and individuals, it was held in compliance with all khabze. It began with the mutual love of the young and ended with the approval of this high human feeling elders. Everything that was undertaken at such a wedding was the guarantor of the creation of a strong, successful family, in which harmony would reign and happy children would grow up.

Matchmaking (lykhu).

Лъхъу - literally means "search". Before talking about matchmaking, it should be noted that all the above components of the Circassian wedding, except for lykhu, refer to the period when men began to dominate the family, that is, to the so-called patriarchy. However, one should think that lykhu took place, apparently, in those distant times when the clan was maternal. In other words, girls were looking for a groom, they decided. What a young man to bring into his own kind. Their children's ancestry was maternal. This is confirmed by examples from the ancient history of many peoples.

Thus, lykhu became a component of the Adyghe traditional wedding, and from the girls he apparently passed on to the guys, or rather to his surname. If abduction was in no way acceptable to the khabze for the Circassians, then a great manifestation of the adygage and namys was considered when the relatives of a young man, having learned about his chosen one, sent matchmakers to his parents. It was attended only by the elders of the relatives through the second persons of the surname. Naturally, everything began and came from the young. They met at some celebrations, recognized each other, fell in love, exchanged small gifts. Until the guy received the last, there could be no talk of marriage. And even after that, the girl did not immediately give her consent to get married. However, after some time, the girl, as if by the way, seemingly not attaching great importance to this, told the groom that he could send matchmakers to her relatives. What this meant was clear, and the guy, through a friend or son-in-law, informed his parents about his intention and the chosen one. So the wedding chores began.

It was never worth the trouble for the Circassians to determine that the matchmakers had come for their daughter. According to the khabze, entering the courtyard and dismounting, they identified the horses at the hitching post, but did not go either to the kunatskaya or to the house, but stood somewhere under a canopy or to the place where firewood was usually chopped. Some of the owners, noticing them, naturally guessed that these were not ordinary guests, as reported to the elders in the house.

An adult man came out to meet the matchmakers: the girl's brother, her uncle, or a neighbor. The senior matchmakers, shaking hands with him, asked about their well-being, life. Then the owner invited them into the house with the word "fykeblagye" (welcome), to which the matchmaker replied without unnecessary comments that they had come, if the clan did not mind, with a desire to be guests and relatives. After that, the one who came out to meet returns to the house to inform about the intentions of the guests.

The owners could answer: “We will consult, visit on such and such a day,” “Such and such an elder clan is absent,” etc. On the third visit, if the girl’s side accepted such a relationship, guests were invited into the house and the table was set for them. hastily, not particularly troublesome, that is, not giving any sacrifice, an obligatory khabze for guests.

Inspection of the house (unaple).

The elders and the girl's parents trusted two or three men who were respected, distinguished by their honesty and truthfulness to inspect the house. It is not necessary that they be related to the girl's surname. The caretakers did not hide their goals or intentions. The groom's parents would like to invite them and entertain them. However, thanking the owners, they scrupulously examined everything: the house outside and inside, the courtyard, outbuildings, a vegetable garden, livestock, etc. Moreover, they paid attention to how fat their dog, the sinewy oxen, how their neighbors treat them, what authority their elders use, what manners of behavior the future mother-in-law has, what reserves the family has, whose daughters-in-law are their daughters, how smooth are the handles of their pitchforks, sharp axes, etc.

If, after all this, the eldest of the caretakers turned and left the yard, the young and his family could not count on success. It was clear what he would say upon his return: they are no match for you, they will not be able to provide a tolerable life for your daughter. But if, saying goodbye, he extended his hand to the owners and said that they had been authorized to “look at the house” by such and such and they could ask them about the case again, the contented side of the groom invited the caretakers into the house, set the table. The more prosperous made sacrifices in honor of the guests, but usually made do with chicken or turkey. They raised a glass of mahsyme to the happy relationship. Two or three days after the departure of the unaple, the groom's relatives with small, purely symbolic gifts and fand (dry food and a jug of mahsyme so as not to go to future relatives empty-handed) visited the girl's parents, confident that now they would not be given gate turn. Of course, everything happened with the full consent of the young, whose opinion the elders learned through their friends, the younger members of the families.

The custom of the “bride at home” was mainly active among the peasants, free tokotls. There was no need to send to the princes and the Warks to check how they live. They could even take it as an insult, because they believed that they would always have something to support and how to please their daughter-in-law, if only she was beautiful and brought up according to the principles of adyge khabze.

It should be noted that it is psychologically difficult for many who are not familiar with the adyge khabze to understand its individual provisions and principles. To understand the Circassians and their Circassian khabze, one must penetrate them. When, after unaple, the groom’s party visited the girl’s parents, they were treated to it, but without much scope and without any solemnity, dancing, or fun. Immediately, future relatives agreed on nechikhytkh - the religious registration of marriage.

Registration of marriage (nechyhytkh).

As it became clear, the concept of "nakah" entered the Adyghe language from Arabic and, combined with the original Adyghe word "tkhyn" (to write), formed the term "nechyhytkh". Indeed, in the past, marriage conditions were formalized in Muslim form by the minister of Islam (efandy) in writing. Such a document remained in the scrap of the bride's parents. According to female informants, the marriage contract specifically stipulated, for example, what the shoulder straps on the bride's festive costume would be, eight-pointed or different, whether they would be with chains - balabolki, how many stomach-like golden pendants there would be on both sides of the chest, etc. Usually, women's wedding clothes were sewn from expensive spoilage of red, violet, lilac and other “rich” colors with one or three pairs of pendants on either side of the chest. The princely and wealthy Wark daughters were satisfied only with suits with large stars-epaulets on the shoulders and three pairs of pendants on the chest.

During the registration of the registered marriage, in addition to the efenda and the confidants of the girl and the boy, there were also witnesses. They all had to be wearing hats. It should be noted that in general among Muslims, marriage was entered into by the girl's confidant and the groom himself with the blessing of the minister of the cult. They all sat on the floor. In this regard, one should think that other witnesses at the Adyghe wedding and also the fact that all of them had to be in hats and stand when performing the ceremony are relics of a traditional Adyghe wedding. Nachykhtykh, as a rule, took place in the house of the bride's parents, where two or three men came from the groom's side. He was not particularly solemn. No dancing or any other fun was arranged. True, after the marriage was formalized, the table was laid, toasts were made to the happy twinning, to the young.

During the registration of the marriage, the efendy inquired from the trusted (uechil) young people if they had changed their minds, whether their wards agreed to become husband and wife. When the proxies (first the girls, and then the guy) confirmed the decision of the young, they, the proxies, in hats (like everyone else) stood against each other, stretching out their right hands. The palms of their hands barely touched each other, but at the same time the thumbs of the confidants rested as tightly as possible against each other at the same level. In this position, it was impossible to bend the other fingers, wrapping them around the partner's hand. This was watched by the efandy, who in turn clasped the thumbs of those trusted from above with his right hand.

After that, the efandy recited a prayer three times, asking each time the proxies in turn: "Are you giving it back?" or "Are you getting married?" The confidants answered: “Gave it away”, “Married”. Then the spiritual minister again read the prayer, which he concluded with the word “Amen,” and all those present made duua, raising their hands to the Almighty. The groom's representatives paid a small amount of money for the registration of the marriage. At the same time, the efendy who registered the marriage did not share this payment with anyone.

It would seem that this method of registration was not much different from the general Muslim registration of marriage. However, on closer inspection, there were also differences. First, there was neither a bride nor a groom at the Adygeyan registration. Secondly, all those present wore hats, which is not necessary for other Muslims. Thirdly, the ceremony was performed while standing, while in Arab countries those present are sitting, and, fourthly, the Muslim registration was performed between the groom and the girl's confidants without outside witnesses.

Thus, it can be assumed that, although the nechikhytkh began to pass according to Muslim rules, the ancient khabze also survived in it. However, unfortunately, neither the written sources nor the information of the informants mention how the marriage was concluded in Adyghe.

A trip for kalym (uase I s).

So nechyhytkh and uase I s were independent rituals... The first was performed in the house of the girl's parents, the second was held at the relatives of the young man. It is clear that the marriage could not be formalized without mutual agreement of the terms of the kalym. But after the conclusion of the contract between the parties, the exact date was negotiated when the bride's relatives would be able to come for the kalym, because on that day all the cattle of the groom's family were not driven out to the pasture, but remained in the barn.

In the old days, right down to the end XIX century, kalym consisted mainly of a large cattle and one horse. Kalym ( uase - letters: price) was determined depending on the estate-class origin, her relatives, their nobility, etc.

At a wedding, including uase I oh, we drank mahsyme. Makhsyme was a good drink made from millet flour, honey and barley malt. It can be said that it did not harm human health in any way.

The methods of table setting and the order in which dishes were served depended on the guests of the Circassians. For uase I For example, after meeting the guests, they first brought some kind of meager snack, prepared in a hurry, and mahsyme. Under various pretexts, guests were invited to drink mahsyme: for their arrival, for the elders, for acquaintance, for kinship, for the young, to keep warm, etc. The toast followed the toast. Of course, the guests who knew about these tricks tried not to get hooked, joked, denied, thanked the hospitable hosts, behaved prudently, as advised by the elders who sent them here. Besides, they are uase. I oh, they should not allow themselves to be especially “pressed”. They can, abandoning any treat, go to the barn, choose everything they have come for, and say goodbye to the owners. Therefore, in such cases, “subtle diplomacy” was required.

Proceeding from this, from the side of the groom, they were seated at the table who knew how to organize a company, witty men who knew the adyge khabze in all the details. The thamada of celebration could be close friend the eldest in the house of the groom or a relative, but by no means any of the family members. Because the thamada, leading the table, had to make toasts to happiness, to the well-being of the house where the wedding takes place. And a family member, according to Adyge khabze, could not say good wishes addressed to himself, his family. There was no room at the table for either the young father, or the paternal uncles, or even the grandfather. And here it was believed that it was indecent for them to listen to the flattering, laudatory words that would be said at the table about their successes, humanity, adygage, etc.

The atmosphere of sublimity, sincere khabze reigned over the wedding table. For guests who came to uase I oh, there was his own shkhyegyeryt - a young man who, no matter how many hours the feast lasted, did not sit down. From the side of the owners, too, the bguesch stood out I es serving the table. If he needed anything for the table, he had helpers who were nearby outside the door, in full view.

At weddings and other celebrations, the Adygs drank only from a common large bowl (fal'e), which went around the circle. At such a table, they never used a drinking horn or any other utensil.

When the Circassians got along with traditional low tables ( I ene) on three legs, the table of the hosts' thamada was placed in the farthest corner from the door and, sitting behind it, he met the guests, if, of course, they were waiting for the latter, so as not to lead them into an empty room. By the way, it was inconvenient to sit at the Adyghe low table, sprawled, carelessly, it was impossible to lean on it even if you wanted to. Therefore, one must think, he acted on the person sitting behind him, mobilizing and disciplining.

The festive table was led and chaired by the eldest of the hosts. He was also a thamada. This happened in all cases, including uase. I s. This was the khabze. They tried to make those who came for the kalym drunk. This goal was pursued by both the thamada and the other bysim (hosts) who were sitting at the table. Naturally, the guests were of a different, opposite opinion. Therefore, wit, jokes, knowledge and observance of adyge khabze prevailed in the company. In fact, the Adyghe ritual celebrations were not so much a place where they ate and got drunk, but a kind of school where khabze and adygage studied. No matter what tricks and tricks go fast during uase I oh, no one could force the guests. Everyone drank as much as they wanted.

In the old days, wedding ceremonies, including uase I oh, happened only during the day. Wase members I s, after sitting for a certain time, they expressed a desire to unwind, dance. If they were among the guests from the side of the bride, then their eldest gave them the go-ahead, and the rest was given the thamada of the table. Inflamed by the kind mahsyme, young people and men knew how to have fun. Wase members I they behaved freely, danced recklessly. It is not in vain that the expression remained in the language of the Circassians: “He dances as if he had come for a kalym”. Not every girl could become their partner. In the dance, they did impetuous, peculiar steps, tried to touch the shoulder, chest of the girl with their shoulder, push her, unexpectedly, throwing out some deceptive movement, to embrace the gape of the beauty. But the last one was not a mistake either. She, taking advantage of some oversight of the gentleman, could, quickly dancing, easily walk around him, which was a shame for any guy.

How much to sit at the table, how much to dance and have fun for the young, the eldest of the guests decided. If he thought that they shouldn't be in a hurry, then they danced, and joked, and had enough fun. However, as already mentioned, it was beneficial for the hosts that the guests drank more without being distracted. Therefore, they tried to bring them into the house and sit at the table.

Time how long to sit uase I s, was determined by the eldest of the guests. He repeatedly hinted about this to the thamada sta. However, the latter pretended not to hear, was distracted, etc. the demands were repeated in various polite forms. It was considered indecent if the thamada immediately responded and fulfilled the wishes of the guests. This would mean that he was tired of the guests, that he was driving them out. Therefore, the thamada came up with various reasons: they say, there is a khabze, wait, everything has its own time, let us enjoy your company, the meat of the sacrificial sheep has not yet been cooked, etc. the cooked right half of the sacrificial ram's head, separately the prestigious left shoulder blade, the femur or forearm, the cruciform part of the spine, a couple of ribs, the pelvic bone - for the elders, on small trays - meat for everyone else. ...

Having finished with the sacrificial sheep and washed down the meat with shurpa, the members of the wase I They went to the barn to select the specified number of livestock. As already mentioned, on this day the animals were not driven out to graze. If they did not recruit the required number of well-fed, reference animals, they demanded two instead of one head. Thus, having taken possession of the kalym, the elders instructed one or two young people to drive the animals slowly, letting them graze, while they themselves went to the courtyard of the groom's parents, making it clear that they were in no hurry and would show how they could dance.

This is where the real uase began. I s kafek I NS. And it's good if the fun was sincere and ended well ...

Bringing the bride (nysashe).

After the registration of a religious marriage in the house of the girl's parents and a trip to the kalym, the fact that this or that family was marrying their daughter was no longer a secret, and everyone looked forward to, asked and clarified when the groom's side would come for the bride. There is no exaggeration in this. Life in the past was truly “not well equipped for fun”, and weddings were desirable not only because new families were formed, but also because old people could unwind on them, show off their wisdom, dance, demonstrate their beauty, attractiveness, dexterity, prowess, etc.

A wedding is a place where you can see people and show yourself.

Actually, a truly Adyghe traditional wedding began with a nysasha (trip and bringing the bride). This is a whole cycle of ceremonies, customs, rituals. If there was no misfortune, some kind of grief from one side or the other, the ceremony was not postponed. Usually weddings (nysashe) took place in the autumn period of the year, when the constellation Wagoba was in the crowns of trees, that is, about a month after the autumn equinox. At this time, according to popular beliefs, dry, beautiful weather was established, it was warm, so dances, fun and games were freely and on a grand scale arranged under the open sky. Of course, the completion of the field work was also important. Abundance, young growth encouraged people.

They sent for the bride during daylight hours, from Thursday to Friday. The elder of the surname announced the celebration to relatives, in-laws, neighbors, villagers, and his friends in advance. It began with "fizishe efe" (a feast for those traveling to fetch the bride). Respected men were invited to it not through someone else, but with a personal request on behalf of the elder. Gray-bearded old men came, but the majority were men of mature age and young people - excellent riders, knowing khabze well, reliable in all respects.

“The feast of those who go for the daughter-in-law” is said loudly. It didn't have a particularly lush treat. They set the table rather modestly to propose one or two toasts in honor of the upcoming joys. The main thing was how best to organize the celebrations, and the most important thing was the choice of a senior. The responsibilities were then assigned to the others traveling to fetch the bride to avoid any possible misunderstandings. To be selected by the fizishe shu (riders who accompany the carriage with the bride), men and young people considered it an honor to have the trust placed in them. They made a club, that is, they collected a little money for the performance of various rituals.

The riders did not just accompany the wedding procession: they had to overcome various obstacles and trials, show their agility and fearlessness. Above all, they must shoot well “at a flying target”, fight both horsemen and footmen, be able to sing songs, etc. In a word, it was responsible and dangerous.

So, if those leaving for the bride had a respected thamada, whom everyone listened to, if they remembered how not to violate the khabze and not embarrass their elders and those who remained at home, everyone tried to behave in an appropriate manner. As already mentioned, not everyone was taken to fizishe shu (horsemen). It was both honorable and responsible. At the same time, they had to be able to joke and understand a joke, not forgetting about their dignity, not dropping it and not giving in to any difficulties. All this, naturally, mobilized and disciplined young people, contributed to the education of brave and dexterous horsemen.

And this is not enough. Accompanying the wedding procession should be able to sing well, not relying on others, and be prepared for any surprises. However, not everyone is able to simultaneously dance masterly, and masterfully entertain the company, and have a beautiful voice. All this was also taken into account. And when the games "horse and foot", "carry-off of the cap" and others were arranged, then no one could give themselves a favor, chicken out, or retreat.

Depending on the class origin, wealth and respect enjoyed by the groom's family, the number of horsemen sometimes reached, according to the old-timers, who heard about this from their parents and others, a hundred or more. On the way, they followed the wagon in which they were supposed to bring the bride. They sang, djigited, arranged a struggle for horsemen, tossed the cap of a gaping comrade up and fired at it. The cart was covered with red material in a tent-like manner. Under it were the groom's sister or relative and the accordion player. Dzhigits twirled and circled around them, doing all kinds of exercises on horses.

In those cases when the wedding cortege moved through the settlements, the riders were divided into two groups, one of which went behind the cart, the other in front. Such precautions were not at all unnecessary. The inhabitants of these villages blocked the streets with cart, logs, rollers, etc. When the riders were clearing the road, teenagers and rural youth swooped down on them, snatching the whips from the riding, trying to cut the girths, stirrup belts, etc. But the most cherished dream of the attackers was to break off carriage red blanket. It was a big shame for the accompanying people if they could not save the canvas. Moreover, then they were forced to return for a new veil, because no one would give their daughter to an open carriage.

In addition, the women and girls of the village took out small things (pouches, handkerchiefs), as well as eggs, and laid out the cart-playing along the way. Riders at full gallop had to pick them up or break them with guns. Leaving eggs and unselected things on the road was not supposed to be left intact.

It was difficult to enter the courtyard of the bride's parents. Riders with stakes and clubs were greeted by local young people and everyone, except for the guests' thamada, indiscriminately - to animals and riders, and others were knocked down from their horses. But if any of the riders managed to break into the courtyard, everyone calmed down, and those who arrived were greeted according to all the rules of hospitality.

The knowledgeable khabze thamada made sure that all the customs were performed in order and in a timely manner. And from “everything” included a lot. After one or two toasts at the table, the head of the guests instructed his young people to start the duties that had been agreed upon before arrival.

After completing all the formalities, the young people informed their thamada that the bride was ready to hit the road. Then the senior guests took the honorary dish "half a head", broke it in accordance with all the rules of etiquette, handed it out to anyone, said a toast in honor of this khabze and the intermarried, wishing everyone happiness and health. At this point, a hot shurpa was brought. After tasting it, the guests got up to take part in the ceremony of taking the bride out of the parental home.

The bride's conclusion was accompanied by a beautiful wedding song with a wonderful chorus, which was sung by the men. When leaving, the bride should not look around, stumble, the threshold must be crossed without touching it, with the right foot, etc. These seemingly insignificant components of the khabze were common Adyghe, and they were given a certain importance for the life of the young in the new conditions. For example, if we consider that the souls of deceased relatives could sometimes settle under the threshold, as the Circassians believed, it becomes clear why it is necessary to be careful in such cases.

An accordion player sat to the left of the bride to the left of the bride, and to the right, a girl who had come to fetch the newlywed, sat in the cart to the incessant chants. At that moment, the riders surrounded them tightly so that the local guys would not tore their dresses on them.

The bride's side handed the riders' thamada a red banner (nyp) without any paraphernalia. It symbolized girlish purity, innocence, good breeding. From now on, her safety and honor are in the hands of the participants in the nysashe on the part of the groom. The symbol of virginity was also the red material on the carriage in which the newlywed would be carried.

Having received the banner, having bought off the gate guards, the cortege was still not allowed out into the street. Local guys three times tried to turn the cart with the bride in the courtyard against the movement of the sun (counterclockwise), and the horsemen resisted. There was a wild omen: if the cart can be turned around, the bride will dominate the new family, and what is most absurd is that she will outlive her husband much.

When the locals lagged behind the cortege and there was no longer any fear, the horsemen drew on a song. The more nimble ones, again, tore off their caps from their comrades, threw them up, while others, running over, shot at them, breaking them to shreds. The rider, to whom the thamada handed the banner, tried to gallop away from everyone. To those who caught up with him, he conceded the banner without any resistance. This is how the agility of the horses was tested. When a horseman or a footman met on the way, they arranged a chase after him. Sometimes the people they met managed to escape, but more often they quickly made their way to the carriage where the bride was sitting, and introduced themselves: "I am your guest, dear bride." This was enough not to be touched further. The horseman could join the cavalcade, no - so he was released in peace.

Newlywed in a “strange house” (teshe).

The Circassians observed this custom quite strictly in the past. The young woman was never taken directly to the house of the groom's parents. She was identified in a “strange house”. It usually could have been the home of a newlywed maternal uncle, and later others.

When the young woman was brought to a “strange house”, she was accompanied by a choir of both fizishe shu participants (horsemen) and village children. The musicians played the national harmonica, shichepshina, ratchets, fired guns and pistols, clapped their hands. In Malaya Kabarda, when a woman on the right and a girl on the left led the bride under the arms, young people threw daggers into the ground with a flourish and began to dance. Here they stopped the bride, the guys danced around her and daggers until the hostess of the house presented them a cup of mahsyme. There could be as many dancers as you like, but they were given only one cup. True, the young people demanded it two or three times. The bride was led on only when the guys took out daggers from the ground.

The newlywed was in a “strange house” for two or even more weeks. She was regularly visited by the relatives of the newlywed, his friends, comrades. As a rule, they had a techie with them. I e (a gift for entering the room where the young woman is). It consisted of small gizmos for the hero of the occasion herself, or the guys gave money for sweets to the girls who were with the newlywed. Such a khabze still exists.

In a "strange house, the young" was not only entertained. Often, she was given a kind of test. By the way, snotty boys with dirty faces, uncombed girls, were deliberately launched into the room where the newlywed was. If she washed them, tidied them up, weaved ribbons into the girls' pigtails, everyone, naturally, liked it. By the way, the future mother-in-law also became aware of such solicitude. When the newlywed was noticed that she was squeamish, insensitive, inattentive, indifferent, she was tactfully advised to monitor her reputation, but they did not arrange other tests.

Entering the young into a large house (unaeishe).

The most significant and beautiful, both in its composition and in other parameters, unaishe was the most interesting and remarkable ceremony in the Adyghe wedding.

Firstly, this celebration resembled a joyful event in the life of like-minded people, well-wishers. Secondly, all numerous relatives, relatives and friends-comrades were invited to the ceremony. And if the guests had no reason to grieve, they knew how to have fun, and have fun, and rejoice, and show adygage to each other.

At unaishe, they used to shoot blank cartridges from a gun for the following reason: “evil spirits” were afraid of the smell of sulfur. They also shot at the chimneys, so that “evil spirits would not get in”.

To the accompaniment of a wedding song and playing the accordion, the young woman, before being brought into the “big house”, was stopped in the courtyard: dances were organized here for a short time. Then the chant was resumed. Before being introduced to the “big house”, the young were showered with nuts, sweets, coins, which the children recklessly collected.

Having crossed the threshold, the newlywed stood on the skin of the sacrificial animal. It was believed that the young in the house will have as much happiness and joy as there are hairs on the skin.

In the “big house” the newlywed was greeted by elderly and older women at the table. One of the women lifted the veil of the newlywed, old women and young women approached her, congratulated her, hugged her. But the newlywed herself stood motionless, did not hug or shake hands with anyone. They warned her about it when she stayed with her parents with the registration of the nakah. If the newlywed was shaking hands at that moment, it was perceived as a manifestation of willfulness, caprice, frivolity, as a desire to subjugate everyone, rule the family, etc.

When the greeting ended, the woman who lifted the veil made the newlywed I uryts I el (smeared her lips with a mixture of freshly melted butter and honey). A young woman must be careful: she should never lick her lips. Otherwise, it would mean that the newlywed is a glutton, ate.

While all this was happening, the youth arranged dances in the courtyard. The guys "caught" the groom's married sisters and forced them to dance, for which they demanded pkhuzhybzhie from the women (pkhuzh - a married relative, sister, bzhie - a glass).

After these rituals, the newlywed, accompanied by a wedding song, playing the accordion, clapping hands and firing guns, was taken out of the big house.

The Adyg wedding also included many other ceremonies and rituals, such as: "Escape of the old woman", "Return of the young", "Mutual visits", etc.

Literature.

1. Mafedzev S. Kh. Adygi. Customs, traditions (Adyge khabze) // El - fa, Nalchik, 2000
2. Mamkhegova R. Essays on the Adyghe etiquette // Elbrus, Nalchik, 1993
3. Mafedzev S. Kh. Rituals and ritual games of the Circassians. Nalchik, 1979
4. Bgazhinokov B.Kh. World of culture // Elbrus, Nalchik, 1990

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The Circassians (Circassians / Adygs of Karachay-Cherkessia) are one of the indigenous peoples of the republic of Karachay-Cherkessia.

The Circassians were united into independent rural communities that had their own self-governing bodies (mainly from wealthy community members). Their members were connected mutual guarantee, enjoyed common land and pasture land, the right to vote at popular meetings. Patrilineal kinship groups (whose members sometimes formed special quarters in the villages), the customs of blood feud, hospitality, and kunakism remained. The large patriarchal family, which included several generations and numbered up to 100 people, prevailed until the 18th century. Family communities began to revive in part at the end of the 19th century. The marriage was strictly exogamous. Marriage prohibitions extended to all relatives on both lines, to the descendants of people who were in a dairy relationship. There were levirate and sororat, atalism, fictitious kinship. Marriages were concluded through the payment of kalym.
The emergence of most of the modern auls of Circassia dates back to the 2nd half of the 19th century. In the XIX - early XX centuries. 12 auls were founded, in the 20s of the XX century - 5. The estate was surrounded by a fence. Living quarters were usually built with a facade to the south. The dwelling had wicker walls on a pillar frame, plastered with clay, a two- or four-pitched wattle roof covered with thatch, an adobe floor. Consisted of one or more rooms (according to the number in the family married couples), adjoining in a row to each other, the doors of each room overlooked the courtyard. One of the rooms or a separate building served as Kunatskaya. An open hearth with a wicker smoker was arranged near the wall between the door and the window, inside which a crossbar was installed for hanging the boiler. Outbuildings were also made of wattle fence, often round or oval in shape. Modern Circassians are building square multi-room houses.

The main occupation is distant pasture cattle breeding (sheep, goats, horses, cattle; before the adoption of Islam, pigs were also raised), gardening, viticulture. Horse breeding took a special place. Circassian cloth was especially highly valued among neighboring peoples. Wood processing was developed in the south of Circassia. Blacksmithing and weaponry were widespread. The Circassians were united in independent rural communities "lepk", which had self-governing bodies from people from clan groups (mainly from well-to-do community members). Their members were bound by mutual responsibility, used common land and pasture lands, the right to vote at popular meetings.

Traditional men's suit - "Circassian" (tsey) single-breasted caftan with an open chest, just below the knee length, with wide sleeves. Young men at the age of a warrior wore short-sleeved Circassians - so that they would not hamper their movements in battle. On both sides of the chest were sewn gazyrs (Adyghe khazyr - ready-made) - narrow pockets sewn with braid for special sealed pencil cases, often bone ones. "Circassian" was strictly different for men according to the class belonging in color - white for princes (pshy), red for nobles (work), gray, brown and black for peasants (blue, green and other colors were not usually used). The beshmet (keptlal) resembled a Circassian in cut but had a closed chest and a standing collar, narrow sleeves, its length was just above the knee, was sewn as a rule from a light and thinner material, often the beshmet was quilted on a wadded or woolen basis. Pants (guenshadzh, guenchadzh) narrowed with a wide step to the bottom. The papakha (dust) was made of sheepskin, white, black or brown, the height varied. Also among the Adygs (Circassians) felt hats (uplкle dusta) were widespread in everyday life. Burka (shlaklue, klaklue) - a long, felt cloak, black, rarely white. Typesetting belt. His buckle was used as a chaise for cutting fire. Shoes - chuvyaki (wake) were made of red morocco, as a rule, were used by the upper class, peasants wore rawhide or felt. The dagger and saber were compulsory items in a man's costume. Dagger (kame) - the handle and scabbard were richly decorated with silver, as a rule, blackened - so as not to unmask the owner, like the handle of the checker (seshue), but the scabbard of the checker was decorated with galloon and gold embroidery (young girls of the highlanders were engaged in this work) Now only a few have a complete set of national costume and appear in it on holidays.

Women's clothing was very varied and richly decorated. Like men's clothing, it differed in class variations. The woman's costume included a dress, caftan, shirt, pants, a variety of hats and shoes. Dress - (bosty, bohcei, zegal'e, sai) long, swing-open with an open chest, sleeves are narrow or wide to the wrist or short to the elbow. Festive dresses were sewn from expensive, purchased fabrics: silk, velvet, taffeta ... brown shades... The edges of the dress and the seams were closed and trimmed with galloon and braid of gold and silver threads, the edges of the hem and sleeves were decorated with gold embroidery. Young girls from noble families, before the birth of their first child, wore hats (dysche pyle) on a hard, leather base, decorated along the rim with braids or embroidery with a rounded or cone-shaped top, the center of which was crowned with a silver ball, a crescent moon or the figure of a bird. A light silk shawl or an adornment (shkh'ats pysche) was thrown over the top of the cap, which was attached to the top of the cap with a thin cord and went down in the form of two long ribbons, behind each ribbon there were laces under which braids were stretched, such braids were decorated with gold embroidery and trimmings. Shoes - (wake), like men's, were sewn of leather or made of thin felt. Beads and bracelets were not very popular among Circassian women. Mandatory element the clothes of noble (aristocratic) Adyghe men were edged weapons. "Beshmet" was girded with a so-called saber belt, that is, a leather belt decorated with copper and silver plaques, to which a dagger and saber were attached.

In the summer season, mainly dairy products and vegetable dishes are consumed; in winter and spring, flour and meat dishes prevail. The most popular is puff bread made from unleavened dough, which is consumed with Kalmyk tea (green tea with salt and cream). Yeast bread is also baked. Corn flour and cereals are widely used. The national dish, libzha - chicken or turkey with sauce seasoned with crushed garlic and red pepper. Waterfowl meat is consumed only fried. Lamb and beef are served boiled, usually with sour milk seasoning with crushed garlic and salt (bzhynykh shchyps). After boiled meat, be sure to serve broth, after fried - sour milk. Makhsyma (a national low-alcohol drink) is prepared from millet and corn flour with honey for weddings and on major holidays. On holidays, halva is made (from fried millet or wheat flour in syrup), pies and pies are baked (lekume, delen, hyalive).

According to the French agent of the Swedish king Charles XII (King of Sweden) Abri de la Motre, long before 1711 Circassia possessed the skills of mass vaccination. Abri de la Motre left a detailed description of the smallpox vaccination procedure among the Circassians in the village of Degliad: "... a little girl of four or five years old was vaccinated ... The girl was referred to a little boy of three years old who was sick with this disease and whose pockmarks and pimples began to fester", etc. Let us recall that only on May 14, 1796, the English pharmacist and surgeon Jenner inoculated 8-year-old James Phipps with cowpox.

Currently, the main religion of the Circassians is Sunni Islam, the Hanafi madhhab.

Customs and folklore

The legal and ritual institutions of the Muslim religion were reflected in the culture of the Circassians, in its songs and folklore. Islamic ethics has become a component of the self-awareness of the Circassian people, their religious self-identification.

V ancient culture The central place of the Circassians is occupied by the moral, ethical and philosophical code "Adyghe Khabze", formed under the influence of the ancient value system of the Circassians and brought to perfection by the centuries-old history of the people. Following the Adyghe Khabze is one of the instruments of self-identification of the Circassians: the concept of “adyghe”, literally translated into Russian as or “Circassianness”, is the main evaluative criterion of an individual's behavior in Circassian society. "Adygage" means the conformity of human behavior to the criteria of Adyghe Khabze. "Ar adygagye mepseu" ("He acts in accordance with adygage") is one of the highest praises for the Circassian.

According to the Circassian custom, every visitor could call into any courtyard, dismount at the hitching post, enter the kunatskaya and spend as many days there as he considered necessary. The guest could be a man of any age, familiar and unfamiliar, even a blood enemy. The owner had no right to be interested in either his name, or his rank, or the purpose of his visit. Refusal of hospitality was unthinkable, and even insufficient care on the part of the hosts who received a guest was considered a shame: in the old days such a person was tried and punished. The guest took the most honorable place at the table. His treat was a whole ritual. Tables with food passed from more revered persons to less honorable and, finally, were taken out of the kunatskaya, where they were placed at the disposal of women and children. If a whole ram was served, then the meat was distributed according to the position of those participating in the feast. The head and shoulder blade, as the best parts, were offered to the guest. The owner was obliged not only to feed the guest during his entire stay in the house, but also to provide everything necessary for the journey. Kunak was usually received not in the living room, but in the house of the owner of the family. Unwritten etiquette required each family to have a kunak of a different nationality, who was considered a friend of the family and who were subject to marital prohibitions. Kunatskaya served as the residence of the entire male part of the family. Unmarried male youth spent the night in the kunatskaya, if there were no guests there. The Circassians in the house usually revered the threshold and hearth.

The duties of the kunak were much broader than just the owner, since the kunakism required the establishment of special relations such as twinning. This union was sealed by joint drinking from a bowl into which silver coins were thrown or silver shavings were cut from the handle of a dagger. Often this was followed by an exchange of arms. Such an alliance was concluded for life.

Adoption was considered an admission into a clan with the imposition of all duties and rights on the adopted person both in relation to the clan as a whole and to the family that adopted it. The rite of adoption consisted in the fact that the adoptee had to publicly touch his mother's bare breast three times with his lips. Touching a woman's chest with her lips served as a sufficient basis for adoption in other cases as well. The bloodlines often resorted to this. If the murderer in any way - by force or cunning - touched the mother of the murdered man, then he became her son, a member of the murdered family and was not subject to blood revenge.

Although formally the right of revenge extended to the entire family, it was carried out by the closest relatives of the murdered. In most cases, it was replaced by payments in cattle and weapons. The amount of the payment was determined by the social class of the killed. Reconciliation could also be achieved by raising a murderer's child from the line of the murdered.

The Circassian wedding rite was very peculiar, which consisted of a number of customs that stretched out in the past for more than one year. There was a custom of kidnapping the bride. Even if it was carried out with her consent - out of a desire to reduce the size of the kalym (bride price), to avoid the cost of the wedding, or because of the disagreement of the parents - even then it inevitably caused quarrels, fights between the girl's relatives and the kidnappers and often led to injuries and murders. As soon as the young man made his choice, he negotiated the price for the girl with her father. The ransom most often consisted of chain mail, sabers, rifles, horses, and a few bulls. After the agreement was concluded, the groom, along with his friend, took the girl to the home of one of his friends or relatives, where she was accommodated in a room intended for the spouses. Here she was while the groom's relatives were finishing preparations for the wedding. The marriage registration also took place here. From the day the bride was brought in, the groom went to the house of his other friend and visited the bride only in the evenings.

The next day after the bride was taken away, her parents went to the groom's parents and, feigning anger, demanded to know the reason for the secret abduction. The custom required not to show that the wedding agreement had been reached earlier. The next day, the wedding began, to which all relatives and friends gathered. Some accompanied the groom to kidnap the bride again, while others prevented them from doing it. All participants in the wedding procession depicted a battle during which the bride appeared at the door of the house, supported by two friends. The groom rushed forward and carried her away in his arms. Young girls started a victory song, and all the "fighting" united and accompanied the bride and groom. The wedding lasted five to six days, but the groom was not present.

The transfer of the bride to the groom's house was accompanied by various rituals, horse riding and horse racing. A man and a girl, selected from the villagers and relatives of the groom, went after the bride. The girls stayed with the bride and looked after her until the end of the wedding. The bride was usually brought in on a wedding cart. The bride was led into a special room, where she was put on an ottoman, and a girl was chosen to take off the scarf from her head. On the day of the transfer of the bride, they arranged a treat for all those present at the wedding. At the same time, the older men were in one room, and the younger ones in another.

The groom stayed with his friend until the end of the wedding, and only after its completion they arranged a ceremony for the young husband to return to his home. Upon his return, the newlywed had to perform a ceremony of "reconciliation" with his relatives: at night he would come to his home and receive food from his father and the elder men of the village. Two or three days later, a dinner was arranged for him, which was attended by his mother and other women.

The room for newlyweds was a sacred part of the Circassians' dwelling. It was not allowed to speak loudly and do household work around her. A week after the young wife's stay in this room, the ceremony of introducing her into a large house was performed. The newlywed, covered with a blanket, was given a mixture of butter and honey and showered with nuts and sweets. After the wedding, she went to her parents. After some time (sometimes only after the birth of the child), the wife returned to her husband's house and began to take part in all the household work of the new family. During his married life, the husband visited his wife in their common room only at night. During the day, he was in the men's half or in the kunatskaya.

In turn, the wife was the sovereign mistress in the female half of the house. The husband did not interfere with the household at all.

The maternity rite of the Circassians included a number of measures aimed at protecting the pregnant woman from evil spirits. The expectant mother had to comply with numerous prohibitions, including not fanning the fire and not going to the cemetery. When the man was informed that he would be a father, he left the house and appeared there for several days only at night. Two weeks after the birth, the ceremony of putting the child in the cradle was performed, to which the naming of the newborn's name was usually timed.

Obvious echoes of traditional ancient beliefs were images on grave monuments of objects that might be needed by the deceased in the other world. A person killed by lightning was considered the chosen one of God and was buried in a special way. Even animals killed by lightning were expected to have an honorable funeral. This funeral was accompanied by dancing and singing, and chips from a tree struck by lightning were considered healing.

Many religious practices were closely associated with agriculture... These included, first of all, the rituals of making rain during a drought. Sacrifices marked the beginning and end of agricultural work.

The Circassian community very solemnly, with the participation of the entire population of the aul and with the invitation of respected people from other auls, celebrated the completion of plowing and sowing. Women prepared festive meat dishes, sweets and intoxicating drinks. All this was brought to the field on the day of the holiday.

In folklore, the central place is occupied by legends about common Adyg plots, the Nart epic. The art of storytellers and songwriters (djeguaklue) has been developed. Songs of crying, work and comic songs are widespread. Traditional musical instruments - shyklepshine (violin), bzhemi (flute), pkhetslych (rattle), various tambourines played with hands and sticks. At the end of the 18th century, the harmonica became widespread.

The art of storytellers and songwriters (jaguaklue) has been developed. Weeping songs (gybze), labor and comic songs are widespread. Traditional musical instruments - shyklepshine (violin), bzhemi (flute), pkhetslych (rattle), various tambourines played with hands and sticks. At the end of the 18th century, the harmonica became widespread.

Circassian sayings: "Shapsug does not like to burn gunpowder", "the death of a rider in battle is crying in his house, and the loss of a weapon is crying in the whole people", "a real educated horseman should leave the feast so that he could immediately be present again the same treat. "

The Circassians did not have professional musicians in the past. The songs were passed by word of mouth. Singers performed in front of the audience not only as vocalists, but also as storytellers and musicians, for which they were highly respected. Circassians compose their songs and perform them with great skill during family and religious holidays. There are heroic, labor, everyday and historical versions of songs. Short ditties, often of satirical content, is usually sung at parties in the winter.

The most common among the Circassians are pair dances to the accordion and ratchet or clapping of hands, as well as a dance of the Lezginka type - Islam, which is practiced from an early age. For girl ( married women do not dance) dances - a look at her beauty, grace, dress. The first entrance to the dance is, as it were, a recognition of the girl's majority. Dances are performed on the occasion of weddings, parties and general celebrations. The dance tunes are many and varied. Folk musical instruments: violin, various tambourines played with hands and sticks, as well as a harmonica. It is played mainly by Circassians, while all other national instruments are played only by men.

Sayings about the Circassians

... Circassian agile
Wide steppe, over the mountains,
In a shaggy hat, in a black burka,
Leaning to the bow, to the stirrups
Leaning slender legs,
I flew at the behest of a horse,
Getting used to war in advance.
He admired the beauty
Abusive and simple clothes:
Circassians are hung with weapons,
He is proud of him, he is comforted:
He is wearing armor, a squeak, a quiver,
Kuban bow, dagger, lasso
And checker, eternal friend
His labors, his leisure time.
Nothing bothers him
Nothing blurts out; foot, equestrian -
He is still the same; still the same view
Invincible, unyielding ...

A. Pushkin "Prisoner of the Caucasus"

He raised his bright brow,
I looked and was internally proud!
That he is CHERKES, that he was born here!
Between the unshakable rocks alone,
He forgot the transience of life,
He, in the thoughts of the world, is the ruler,
I would like to appropriate their eternity.

M. Yu. Lermontov. Historical sketch about Ishmael
Atazhukine, the poem "Ishmael - Bey". 1832.

She is sweet - I will say between us -
The thunderstorm of the court knights,
And it is possible with southern stars
Compare, especially with verses,
Her Circassian eyes ...

There are three qualities that in these parts give a person the right to be famous - courage, eloquence and hospitality; or. sharp sword, sweet tongue and forty tables.

KHAN-GIREY

FAITH, MORES, HABITS, LIFESTYLE CHERKESOV

I. Religion

II. Upbringing

III. Marriage and wedding ceremonies

IV. Festivities, games, dancing and bodily exercises

V. Passing time

Vii. Burial and commemoration

I
RELIGION

The only religion of the Circassian tribes (with the exception of a very small number of inhabitants inside the mountains, who still adhere to paganism) is the Mugamedan, Sunni sect. The restless lifestyle of the Circassians is the reason that they poorly perform the rituals prescribed by this religion, although many of them are ready to give their lives for the slightest insult to their confession. I happened to see between them people who surpassed the Turks themselves in religious fanaticism and diligence in fulfilling the rules of confession, which the clergy teaches them. The Circassians unanimously say and believe that people will be punished for their sins in the future life, in proportion to their criminal acts, but that, being a Mughamedan, a person will not become an eternal sacrifice, but will return again to the bliss of paradise. This is the main distinctive dogma of the Circassian faith.

As for their ancient confession, overthrown by the introduction of the Mughamedan religion between them, it was, as elsewhere, pagan. The Circassians believed in polytheism, performed festivities in the name of thunder, paid divine honors to corruptible beings, and many other beliefs of idolatry marked their delusion. During pagan times, the Circassians had the main deities:

1. Mezith (god of forests). They pleaded with this deity, who, in their opinion, had the fate of animals, for success in fishing. In absurd beliefs, they imagined him riding a gold-bristled pig, believing that by his command the deer converge in the meadows and that some maidens were milking them there.

2. Zeikuth (deity of equestrianism). The imagination of the Circassians created this deity, which was supposed to patronize their famous craft - arrivals, but legends do not implement it in forms.

3. Pekoash (princess of the waters). The deity who ruled over the waters. If the Circassians knew painting, then, of course, they would have portrayed him in the form of a beautiful goddess, for their imagination represented the princess of the waters as a maiden.

4. Ahin. This deity was represented as a very strong being, and one must assume that they revered him especially as the patron saint of cattle, because to this day there is one family in the mountains, which in known time in the fall, he usually drives one cow out of his herd to a sacred grove or tree, tying cheese and bread to her horns. Residents of the surrounding area accompany this sacrifice, which is called the self-extinguishing Ahinova cow (Ahin and tchemlerico), and upon reaching the sacred place they slaughter it. It is remarkable that when making a sacrifice, the skin is not ripped off at the place of the slaughter, and at the place where the skin is removed, meat is not boiled, and where it is cooked, it is not eaten there, but gradually they move from one place to another. During the cooking time, the people gathered under the tree of sacrifice dance with their heads bare, while singing special prayer songs loudly. They assure that a cow from the herd of the aforementioned family goes to the place of sacrifice at the time of the Achin festival itself, which is why it was called self-exiting. During the flooding of the rivers, the people accompanying Achin's cow hesitate on the way, bypassing the tops of the rivers, but the cow swims across the rivers and reaches the tree of sacrifice herself. There she is waiting for the arrival of the owner with the people. When the time of the sacrifice approaches, the cow, chosen by Achin, with a roar and in various movements, lets the owner notice that she has been chosen as a sacrifice to Achin. It goes without saying that all such stories about the supernaturalness of the Achin's cow are nothing but absurdities, but it is true that in former times sacrifices were made to this deity with the greatest reverence.

5. Sozeresh. This deity was revered as the patron saint of agriculture. From a tree called khamshkhut by the Circassians, a stump with seven branches was kept by every family man in a grain barn. At the onset of Sozeresh's night (after harvesting the bread), each family gathered in their houses, brought an idol from the barn and put it among the hut on pillows. Wax candles were glued to its branches, and they prayed to him with open heads.

6. Emish. The pagans revered this deity as the patron saint of sheep breeding and in honor of him they celebrated a festival in the fall, when mating rams. However, all these gross delusion, invented deities, whom the Circassians revered, did not prevent them from comprehending the essence of the supreme creator of the universe. Speaking: Thashho (great god), it seems they understood him. It is also noteworthy that the Circassians did not sacrifice people, like the Slavs and other pagans, like the Slavs and other pagans, did not drink their blood and did not make cups of health from their skulls.

During pagan times, the Circassians, in addition to deities, had saints, Narts: among them, Sausruk was revered more than anyone else; on a certain winter night, a feast was celebrated in honor of his, and the best food and drink for Sousruk was taken to the living room, and hay and oats were prepared for his horse in the stable. Of course, Sausruk did not appear, but a guest who accidentally dropped in replaced him, and everyone, considering the arrival of a guest as a good omen, happily treated him. If no one happened to come that night, the joy of the holiday was not so solemn. Thus, the very superstition made the Circassians hospitable. It is noteworthy that in the Circassian song about this imaginary saint, the land Uris, or Russia, is mentioned.

Blacksmiths revered some Leps as their patron, and it seems that all the people had a special reverence for him. And now, when caring for the wounded, about which we will say further, they sing a song in which they ask Leps about the patient's recovery.

There are a lot of pagan rituals left in the fresh memory of the mountain Circassian tribes, and a detailed description of them would be very interesting. We will restrict ourselves to what has been said here, but nevertheless, we note also that by a strange coincidence, upon the adoption of the Mughamedan faith by the Circassians, some of the ancient saints or those who were reputed to be such during pagan times, especially from the Narts, turned into famous warriors and other heroes of Arabian history. So, for example, they say that of the Circassian sledges Albechko-Tutarish was the one who is known in the stories of the Arabians as Khamze-Peglevana, and the first caliph Abubekir was the hero whom the Circassians called Orzemed, and the caliph Aliy, the son-in-law of Mugammed, he, which was called by the Circassians Meterez. Further, that one of the Egyptian kings, or pharaohs, was the one whom the Circassians called Sausruk. One must think that the Circassians, who initially learned to interpret the Mughamedan books, with the intent of their saints and heroes of the times of paganism, whom they still did not completely stop honoring, transformed them into famous faces that they found in Arab legends.

Examining the remnants of the rituals of paganism among the ancestors of today's Circassians, we find clear traces of Christianity. So, for example, the Circassians have a song in honor of St. Mary, in which they sing the words: "Mary the great, mother of the great God." The Christian names of the days have also survived. Finally, the use of the image of the cross is an undoubted sign of the Christian confession. Everything confirms us that the ancestors of today's Circassians were Christians. But here it seems somewhat strange that in the remnants of the ancient confession of the Circassian people there are signs of Christianity and idolatry in the same religious rites. This circumstance makes one think that not all Circassians were Christians, contrary to the opinion of some writers, but that only some tribes adopted the Christian confession due to the influence of the Greeks, and when the Greeks could not support the faith they introduced, it, gradually weakening, turned to paganism, forming a special a sect, the rites of which were composed of the rites of the former idolatry, mixed with the rites of the Christian faith. Thus, the transformed idolatry, into which the ancestors of the present Circassians were immersed for a long time, before they adopted the Mugamedan faith, left between the descendants now visible, clear traces of Christianity and paganism, mixed together. However, how to reveal the past centuries-old events where all the past is absorbed in the abyss of obscurity, where the explorer's curiosity vainly listens to the deceptive echo of dark legends? Such is the fate of the unenlightened peoples: their life and deeds, passing, are lost in the darkness of oblivion.

Speaking about the beliefs of the Circassian people, it would not be superfluous to mention their superstitions. Let us offer here a description of some of the prejudices left over by the Circassians from the times of paganism.

Fortune telling on a lamb's shoulder is in some way a common habit among the Circassians, as well as among other Asian peoples. Looking at the features on the planes and protuberances of the ram's shoulder, they predict imminent military actions, famine, harvest in the coming summer, cold, snows of the coming winter and, in a word, portend all forthcoming prosperity and disasters. Chance reinforces the belief of the people in such divinations. Here is an example that the Circassians tell: a Circassian prince, spending the night in one aul, looked at a fortune-telling bone at dinner and said who were here that there will be anxiety on the coming night. He went to bed without undressing. Indeed, at midnight, a party of robbers from a neighboring tribe attacked the aul, which was near the place where the prince-soothsayer was sleeping, who, being ready, set off after the party of robbers and forced them to leave the captives they had captured and seek salvation in flight, leaving the body of their murdered comrade. Unaware that the prince might have been warned of the enemy's intentions, or that his prediction was an accidental combination of circumstances, everyone remained confident that he foresaw the attack by means of fortune-telling. They also say that recently there lived two brothers, fortune-tellers on bones, who foresaw the future. Once they were both visiting in a neighboring village and were in the same apartment. In the evening, the elder dined in the living room of his master's neighbor and, returning, did not find his brother at the apartment. When asked about the reason for his absence, the owners replied that his brother looked at the fortune-telling bone at supper, ordered the horse to be saddled, and hastily left to no one knows where. The elder brother asked the bone, which his brother was looking at, and, examining it diligently, with a laugh announced to those around him that the bone showed his brother a man with his wife in his house, why he hurried off there, but that jealousy blinded him, for he did not see that the man in his house was his wife's little brother. Surprised by this explanation, the hosts sent a messenger after the brother of the soothsayer, and the messenger returned with the news that everything had happened exactly as predicted. This story, of course, is an obvious fiction of some lover of such miracles, but nevertheless it affirms a prejudice of this kind in the Circassians.

Another kind of fortune-telling is done on beans, but women and mainly old women are engaged in it. Their predictions are even funnier than prophecies from a lamb bone; despite the fact that they are often resorted to on different occasions.

The most terrible product of superstition among the Circassians is the suspicion of people in intercourse with some kind of evil spirits, and among the Circassians, like among other unenlightened peoples, it is a source of cruel persecution. They think that people who have a connection with spirits can turn into wolves, dogs, cats and walk invisibly. They are called uddi and are credited with slow childhood illnesses, a headache that suddenly happens, the death of calves, lambs and, in general, livestock, which they supposedly jinxed. Finally, the unfortunate sorcerers are even suspected of killing their own children. There is a belief among some Circassian tribes that the Uddis on a well-known spring night flock to a mountain called Sbroashkh and is located within the Shapsug tribe; they come there on horseback on various animals, domestic and wild. There they feast and dance all night, and before dawn, grabbing several sacks, of which one contains the harvest, and the others contain various diseases, they fly home; those who did not get the bag chase others. From such a belief, one can guess that all the diseases that they suffer in the spring are attributed to the Udda, and in the old days they were often subjected to horrors of torture: they put a tied Uddi between two fires, flogged him with prickly rods, and tormented inhumanly unhappy victims of superstition confessed to the crimes, of course , unknown to them. Then they forced them to swear that henceforth they would no longer harm others. Kiev witches are real sisters of the Circassian uddam, like all such legends among all peoples are twins.

"Ignorance, superstition and deception always help each other, and everywhere, although in different forms, but united forces oppress the human race," said one of the clever writers justly.

Every nation had and still has more or less pernicious superstitions. We will not dwell on the superstitions of the Circassians here, but only say in conclusion that although since the spread of the Mughamedan religion in Circassia, the superstitions of the Muslim clergy have increased many of the prejudices of the people, but gave them a more humanitarian direction. Now no torture or anything of the kind is seen against sorcerers; prayers and talismans have replaced all other ways to get rid of them.

I
UPBRINGING

There is no example in Circassia that the children of a significant person were brought up in the parental home under the supervision of their parents; on the contrary, at the birth of a baby, they immediately give him up for education in the hands of others, that is, in the hands of a person chosen as an uncle. The chosen one often comes even before the birth of the baby to the house of the one from whom he received consent to take up his future child, and waits for permission from the mother's burden of his future pupil. Then, having made a decent celebration in his parents' house, he returns to himself with the newborn and brings him up to a perfect age.

It is easy to imagine that a baby carried away in this way under someone else's cover, who still does not know how to distinguish objects, having come in his youthful years, only knows his parents, brothers and sisters by ear, for whom he cannot always naturally have tender love. Alienated from his parents' house, he gets used to those people who have every minute care of him; he honors them as his parents, and almost always loves their children more tenderly than his brothers and sisters. This habit also chills in some way the parental tenderness of the father for the children. Evidence of this, and very clear, is the fact that parents have a more tender affection for those of their children who are brought up by a neighbor, and therefore, under their supervision. Is it surprising after the fact that children often show dislike for their parents, whom they are accustomed to respecting, so to speak, as outsiders? Is it surprising that almost always brothers, who by habit became the children of strangers, harbor mutual hatred, being disposed in part by the daily examples given by their educators, who, looking one before the other for the affection of a strong parent of their pupils, keep to each other the eternal enmity? Finally, is it surprising that children of the same parent, in adolescence and youth, accustomed to harbor vicious hatred for each other, which they sucked into themselves with their mother's milk, when they came to maturity, do not spare each other, like the most fierce animals? This is the source of the enmity that is tearing apart the families of the upper class in Circassia, and the beginning of civil strife that is swallowing up the happiness of thousands of people in that region.

The reason for the introduction of this kind of upbringing into the habit was, it seems, the following: the princes have long sought all possible means of tying the nobles to themselves in order to increase their strength, and the nobles, in order to always protect and help themselves in all cases, always wanted to get closer to the princes: the poor always and everywhere they need the help of the rich, and the weak need the protection of the strong, whose power is increased by the vastness of their influence on others. For mutual rapprochement, it turned out to be the surest means of raising children, which, linking two families, in a sense, by blood kinship, brings mutual benefits, the consequences of which gave rise to a strange and harmful habit to popular morality, which has now taken on the force of law among the Circassians, sanctified by time and supported by ingrained opinion people, that the prince, whose children are brought up in his own house, is weak in his own country, having no connections. Such an opinion would harm his power, and besides, they would consider him a curmudgeon, which is considered the greatest shame among the Circassians. In order to avoid such an opinion, princes and significant nobles sacredly adhere to the introduced custom, the reason for which seems to be easily explained in this way.

Let's describe the way of raising a Circassian. The educator, or atalyk, makes sure that his pupil is dexterous, courteous in dealing with the elders, with the younger, respect the decency of his rank, and equally tireless in horse riding and courageous in the use of weapons. The Ataliks travel with their pupils to distant tribes in order to acquire friends and acquaintances for the newcomer on the path of equestrianism. When the pupil reaches a perfect age, the teacher returns him to the parent's house with a celebration, which consists in the fact that the atalyk with his family, accompanied by his relatives and friends, with carts filled with food and drinks, comes to the house of the parents of his pupil, whom on that day they are richly dressed and armed with shiny armor. A seven-day feast opens here; games, fun and dancing are replaced by one another. In this case, the teacher's wife dances, despite the prohibition of women to dance, because only girls have the right to do so among the Circassians. At the end of the celebration, the father of the pupil generously gives the teacher and those who were invited by him to the feast. After that, the atalyk and his friends return to their homes. Such a triumph for sure happens even before the complete return of the pupil to the parental home, when they bring him to the show to his mother.

A girl given up for foster care is brought up under the care of the wife of an atalik, or a foster mother. She is accustomed to needlework, decent handling, in a word, to everything that is necessary for her future life in marriage. The adoptive mother goes with her to the festivities, accompanied by dancing, and under her supervision the pupil spends time there dancing. When the pupil returns to the parental home, the same rituals are observed that are performed when the pupil returns.

Not only the educator's family enters into a close relationship with the pupil's family, but even all his relatives and all his subjects come under the pupil's protection.

Everything we have said refers to the highest rank; however, it is observed in proportion to the state of each family. As for the common people, people with a good fortune also very often give up their children of the lower rank to be raised in the wrong hands. Of course, the poorest enjoy the favor of the rich, and if a poor man from a petty nobleman takes to his upbringing the son of a rich man from the title of free farmers, then this adoptive, proud of such a connection, spares nothing to satisfy the educator. He becomes a real "bourgeois in the nobility" and for arrogance often becomes the subject of ridicule. However, among ordinary people, home education is considered more decent, and education in other people's homes does not generate such strong hatred between brothers as in the highest circle.

Atalik cannot have more than one pupil without displeasure from the first pet. When a pupil from a princely family dies, the teacher, as a sign of his deepest sorrow, sometimes cut off the ends of his ears in former times; now they are content with a year of mourning.

When the pupil marries, the teacher receives a large gift from the pupil's spouse from the payback given for the girl.

In general, it is surprising how strong the attachment of educators to the children raised by them and those to their educators is.

Speaking about ataliks, by the way, here I can say that ataliks can be acquired, being already in years of courage. When a nobleman wants to get closer to the prince, he invites him to himself, celebrates and presents him with gifts, which usually consist of weapons, with the fulfillment of the custom observed in reconciliation and consisting in the fact that one must kiss with his lips the nipples of the wife of the nobleman who is being done atalyk. In the lower ranks of the people, these customs are observed, but much less often. A noble pupil may have several atalyks; among them is the one who for the first time shaved the head of a young prince or nobleman and keeps his hair.

III
WEDDING AND WEDDING

Young Circassians, having a free appeal with girls, have a chance to please each other and make them understand their feelings. After such an explanation, the man asks for the wife of the chosen girl from her parents through his attorneys. If the parents agree, he gives the girl's father or brother a gift called euzh, which corresponds to the betrothal, or conspiracy. After this ceremony, the chosen maiden belongs to her groom. Then conditions are made about the time of payment of the full or agreed part of the ransom. A brother or a close relative of a person entering into a marriage with numerous friends, on this occasion invited, comes to the bride's house, where they spend several days before the transaction regarding the payment of the ransom, and the invited friends of the groom each pay something for him. In the course of this time, there are no daring and funny jokes, which would not be subjected to those who came for the bride. Every night, young people gather in the house where guests are located, and spend the whole night in noise, games and pranks. All good clothes are removed from the guests, usually giving them the most worn-out ones in return, which is why those who come for the bride often dress in bad and worn-out clothes.

Just before leaving, one of those who came to fetch the bride must, having entered the house where she is, surrounded by many women, touch her dress, to which the crowd of women with the bride tries not to admit, which they often manage to do. In order to avoid such a struggle, gifts are made to elderly women, who in this case, so to speak, have a ceremony, and after that the groom freely receives the bride. This practice is called the withdrawal of the bride.

If the house designated for the initial stay of the bride is not in the same aul, then she usually rides on a cart drawn by a pair of horses or oxen. Horse crowds ride in front and behind carts, singing drawn-out, merry songs, folded on purpose for wedding occasions, and incessantly firing from guns and pistols. If someone meets with a wedding train, they usually bother him, but otherwise the young people amuse themselves with discourteous travelers, shooting their hats, throwing them off the saddle and ripping off their clothes.

Singing and shooting continue throughout the train. The bride is rarely brought directly to the groom's house, but usually the friend's house is appointed, at the door of which the whole train stops. The bride is led into the chambers, and those accompanying her disperse, making a few more shots, usually directed at the chimney of the house where the bride is.

During her stay in this house, the bride is called teishe. Here they also get married according to the rituals of the Mughamedan religion. If the husband of the newlywed has parents or an older brother, then usually he retires to the house of some of his friends and from there he visits the young wife at sunset, accompanied by a young man. Before his arrival, as a rule, there is no stranger. The young wife stands by the bed in silence until the accompanying spouse leaves the room. The couple usually leave before the sun rises.

Often, the beginning of the entry of the newlywed into the house designated for her temporary stay is accompanied by a celebration, and the end of her stay there is always commemorated in the most solemn way: the owner of the house where the young woman is, having prepared everything necessary for the upcoming celebration, gathers the people. The girls from the surrounding villages come at his request, the celebration opens with dances, which sometimes last for three days in the house where the young woman lives, and on the fourth day the newlywed is taken to her husband's house. She walks, surrounded by a large crowd of women and girls, with loud noise and songs. The procession is opened by several people sitting in a cart pulled by horses or strong bulls. The arba is sometimes covered with a red silk cloth, which the wind blows when it moves quickly. The people pursue this solemn chariot, trying to rip off the veil, and those who are sitting in the cart try not to allow those who run on the sides, and for this, forcing horses or bulls, they rush quickly. Large crowds of people running after them make a terrible noise. At the very fence of her husband's house, those accompanying the newlywed stop her. Here the husband's relatives must spread silk fabric on the ground, starting from the doors of the fence to the doors of the house, for the young wife to enter the house along it, where a new era of life will begin for her. If a young woman is traveling, then the araba in which she is placed is also covered with a cloth.

On the threshold of the husband's house, the newlywed is showered with crackers made on purpose, which is called shedding. After that, they bring her a dish with honey and butter or nuts. The old women empty the dish. For three days, solemn dances and games continue again. And here, as at home, the former owner treats the people. On the seventh day of solemn amusements, they leave for their homes, and the owner, who invited the guests, thanks the most honorable of the guests. Before the congregation is about to leave, a large, solid, yellow sack, smeared with butter or lard, is thrown at the people from the dais, and the crowds, rushing at it, try, each vyingly, to drag it to their side in order to have time to carry it away from myself to my aul. The struggle sometimes continues for several hours and is accompanied by the noise and shouts of the crowd of foot and horsemen. This game belongs only to the wedding celebration, although, however, it is not used everywhere.

The owner of the house, where the young wife stayed for some time, becomes her husband's atalyk, just like the educators.

In these days of joy and fun, the inhabitants of not only the aul where the celebration takes place, but even the neighboring auls participate in it. Only the young spouse remains in solitude or goes on raids and not before the end of the wedding celebration and all the rituals, while observed, returns home.

Wedding ceremonies among the common people are consistent with the ceremonies accompanying high-ranking weddings, in accordance with the state of each person. The poorer one invites less, as is the case everywhere, guests and treats them more easily.

Marriage must be contracted for equality of birth. Princes take wives from princely families and evenly give daughters only for princely sons. Noblemen unite by marriage with noblemen.

When the girl's parents do not agree to give her up for the one who asks for her hand in marriage, the groom stealthily takes the bride away and marries her without the parents' will, which is often done because marrying girls for their parents or their brothers is associated with significant costs: must dress the bride as richer as possible, give her a servant as a servant, etc., which can be avoided when taking the bride away. Therefore, the Circassians look at the kidnapping of girls, so to speak, through their fingers. It also happens that the father marries his son without asking his wishes, and to such a person whom he has never seen, which, however, happens very rarely. Weddings often take place against the will of the girl and her parents. A young man, in love with a beauty, gathers a crowd of young comrades and friends and, choosing an opportunity, grabs the girl and gives her to the house of a person respected by the people. There he enters into a forced marriage under his auspices. It is easy to imagine what unfortunate consequences such an inhuman custom and a marriage contrary to common sense must have for spouses!

IV
CELEBRATIONS, GAMES, DANCING AND BODY EXERCISES

During the prosperity of the people, hours free from business are usually devoted to pleasures. On the contrary, with the disasters that befall the people, their pleasures become less frequent. The Circassians, having never achieved the degree of proper prosperity and having undergone severe disasters, have now alienated themselves from many games and folk amusements, which once gave them the greatest pleasures during idle hours.

Of all the folk games, now almost forgotten, the most remarkable is the one called dior. It is very likely that it remained among the people from the times when the rites of paganism and Christianity were mixed (in the dialects of some Circassian tribes, dior means "cross"). This very game began with the onset of spring. Inhabitants in all auls were divided into two parties, horse and grassroots. The dwellings in the eastern part of each aul were called the upper reaches, and the western lower reaches, and this division still exists in large and oblong-located auls. Each took up a long pole, on top of which an attached basket was stuffed with dry hay or straw. Thus, the armed parties opposed one another, lit baskets and with these huge torches attacked one side against the other, shouting with all their might: Diora, Diora! The game usually began with the onset of nightfall, and the sight of the lights blazing in the darkness of the night produced a very remarkable sight. The parties, mutually attacking one another, as far as possible seized prisoners, who, with their hands tied, were brought to the guest house of the elders, where, after the end of the struggle, each party gathered separately. Here they negotiated among themselves, exchanged prisoners, and then each party ransomed or released the rest, taking from them a promise to deliver the ransom appointed for them, which usually consisted of food supplies. Thus, the collected supplies were entrusted to one of the elders of the party, who prepared the feast, invited other elders of the aul to his place or to the guest house of one of them, where they brought tables with food and drinks. They feasted there all day or just in the evening, spending time in full joy of carefree fun. The game was started from both sides by young people with baskets, but elderly people also came running to them, as if in alarm, and even elders came, partly to look at the fun and breathe, remembering the past years of youth, partly to take precautions against fire, which could easily have caused baskets, in the madness of fun, quickly carried from one corner of the aul to another. Old men were often taken prisoner, being weak and unable to resist the strong young fighters who put belt chains on them. However, such captives cost the winners dearly, as well as the party from which they were kidnapped: in order to reconcile with them, they had to be satisfied because, not respecting their gray hair, they were taken prisoner, and in this case the culprits prepared food and drinks , and reconciliation with the elders was a new treat.

Princes and nobles, mainly during their stay in the field or at congresses, were divided into two sides, and one announced its demands to the other under some pretext. Judges were elected, before whom the defendants defended themselves by the power of eloquence, and the accusers did not spare strong expressions for the victory of their opponents. Thus, a field was opened where foremen, princes and nobles showed the power of their eloquence and knowledge of the existing legalizations of the popular and feudal rights of the ancient families of their nation. This amusement, or, if I may put it that way, an exercise in oral eloquence, served as a school for the Circassians, which formed orators for them.

Here's another game: in winter, after harvesting bread and hay, the inhabitants of the aul, also splitting into two parties, attack each other. First, they fight with lumps of snow, then it comes to hand-to-hand combat and then they capture prisoners who are forced to pay off, followed by a treat.

In a large aul, when there is a congress and many young princes and nobles gather, they often amuse themselves in this way: the youth of the highest rank, that is, princes and nobles, make up one side, and the youth of free farmers the other, and both enter the struggle. The first, how many captives from the second, brings them with tied hands to the guest house of one of the noble elders of the aul; the second brings her captives into the drawing-room of one of her elders. This game also starts with young people, but, nevertheless, it always comes to old people. The side of the highest rank begins to seize the elders of the common people in their homes, and the commoners, in turn, attack the elders of the highest rank and take them, often without mercy and caution, into captivity. Then negotiations begin, prisoners are exchanged or released on terms. The nobles give various things for the ransom of theirs, and the farmers undertake to deliver oats for the horses of noble youths and similar needs, decent for their place of residence. This is followed by the satisfaction of honorable people. Outsiders who have not participated in the game are elected elders who determine satisfaction. Usually, sentences are concluded by the fact that the side of the simple, having prepared a lot of food and drinks, comes with a submissive head to the guest house of the senior prince or nobleman, where everyone gathers and feasts, and the princes and nobles give gifts to the elders, who, without respecting their gray hair, were taken to captivity, and thus peace is established.

Circassians play chess and checkers, especially checkers in great use. We will talk about other games that take place at commemorations and at weddings when describing these rites.

Circassian dances are divided into two categories: some are called udchi and are preferred. The men, taking the girls by the arms, stand in a circle, in the form of a Russian round dance, and gradually move to the right side, stamping their heels. Sometimes the circle is so large that musicians, violinists, flute players, strangers are placed inside it, and often the children of the elders are brought there, on horseback, when they dance in an open place. All decent people, with the exception of the elderly, dance in large gatherings, such as: when noble persons marry, when they have children, give them up for upbringing and return to their parental home. In such meetings, a few quick people are appointed to oversee the order in the circle of the dancers. Their duty is that the people do not crowd out the dancers, as well as that the equestrian riders do not come too close. In addition to these overseers, several more honorable people are appointed according to the special choice of the owner, and their duty is considered the most important: they bring the girls to the dancing men, strictly observing the accepted decorum, which is that visiting guests do not remain without ladies, and so on. It should be noted that public opinion demands that a girl should not dance too often and for a long time with one man, and on the contrary, it is considered more decent to dance with many in turn. The girl can leave her gentleman, or more correctly the gentlemen, who are on both sides of her, and go to another, and also return to the room to rest. Then she is accompanied by elderly women, usually with princesses and noble maidens, and when they dance, the attendants do not take their eyes off them, standing in the distance. The maidens are also accompanied on their return to the room by persons chosen for that and the house friends of the host who gives the celebration. A man in the midst of dancing, on the contrary, should not at all leave his lady, but he can dance without her.

The dancers talk freely with the girls, and the girls answer them freely and without timidity, of course, observing all decency, do not laugh, do not mutually talk about what is obscene to sex and rank; at least, this is the way it should be according to the generally accepted law of community, not following which girls are considered bad educated, but men are rude and alien to the knowledge of decency characteristic of a nobleman. During the dance, the musicians stand up against the noblest maidens: the violinist plays beside her, and the humor shouts at the top of his lungs that “maiden such and such, dancing with such and such is surrounded” and that “they will take a handkerchief from her (usually tucked into the belt with which the dancer wipes sweat from his face) ". Then he says: "Does her gentleman have friends who could buy his lady?" Then the friends of the gentleman appear and give some thing, mostly a pistol (and, when they give it, they usually shoot in the air). The musician's assistant proclaims, picking up the donated thing, that “so-and-so made a gift for so-and-so,” after which the donated thing is hung on a pole placed for this in the circle. Often, even the horses given in this way are led into a circle, of course, when they dance in the open air, which always happens if the weather does not interfere.

When the circle is large and there are a lot of musicians in the middle, shooting from donated pistols incessantly continues and smoke rushes over the circle of dancers. The noise, the talk, the cries of the people crowding in the circle, merging with the sounds of instruments and gunshots, announce the air. Young riders with beauties, who are the objects of their sighs, sometimes, plunging into sweet dreams, then indulge in pleasant hopes of the future and do not miss an opportunity to put in a word to each other about those feelings that fill hearts at that time. Thus, the dance continues for several hours in a row, and then it is replaced by a more noisy and very dangerous game. Crowds of foot, armed with huge stakes, crowd out the mounted riders who are ready to join the battle to show the agility of their runners and their own agility. The pedestrians rush at them in dense crowds, shouting, and beat both them and the horses, without mercy. The riders also, for their part, do not spare the footmen, trample them with their horses, fearlessly rushing into the middle of the crowd, ruthlessly striking them. Often, horsemen overcome pedestrians, disperse them under the protection of the walls of houses, even into the very houses, and the heated daredevils on dashing runners sometimes jump over high fences surprisingly easily, breaking weak structures with the chest of a horse. These attacks continue until one side defeats the other. Sometimes the matter comes from both sides to a frenzy, and then the old people, entering into mediation, stop such a dangerous amusing battle.

It is easy to imagine that accidents are almost inevitable here. Often they kill horses, even people, or inflict heavy blows, smash their limbs. It is not for nothing that the Circassians say that "whoever is not afraid on the day of such a game will not be afraid even in battle." Indeed, this reckless play can in some way show courage and courage, qualities so necessary in battles.

After dancing and games, the feast begins to fatigue. Guests and honorable persons are served drinks and tables, burdened with food. The people gather in different places, the inhabitants of one aul in one, and another in another place, and so on. Food is carried everywhere and distributed under the supervision of a select few, who make sure that the elderly and honorable persons are decently treated and that young mischievous people do not steal food, which often happens.

Such festivities sometimes last for several days, and at the end of them, the owner, that is, the one who gave the celebration, expresses his gratitude to the most honorable persons who honored his celebration with their presence, and the people go home, satiated with pleasures, food and drinks.

Musicians receive gifts and, in addition, as a reward for their labors, they take for themselves the skins of bulls and rams slaughtered for a feast. Gifts made to them during the dance, they return to those who gave them, having received several charges of gunpowder for each, and sometimes the princes give them especially different things and horses.

These festivals are also performed among the common people, but they are then consistent with the condition and significance of the persons who give them.

As for the other kind of dance, it consists in the fact that one, speaking to the middle of the audience, dances, performing various difficult movements with his feet very dexterously. He approaches one of those present, touches his clothes with his hand, and then he replaces him, and so on. Girls also participate in this dance, but both they and men do not make obscene gestures, which happens with other Asian peoples. However, such a dance is not in respect.

Large celebrations in general are now becoming less common in Circassia due to incessant worries. This is also facilitated by the preaching of the clergy, which presents all kinds of public amusements to the Mughamedan religion in association with women, and in the absence of the fair sex no public amusements can already be enlivened with pleasure, even among a half-wild people.

It is noteworthy that the ancestors of the present Circassians in the days of paganism, invoking the blessings of the objects they worshiped or expressing their gratitude to them, danced, which is evident from the ancient dance songs. There are old people today who have repeatedly participated in such dances, when festivities were performed in honor of thunder, and so on. They say with regret that the blessed times of antiquity had many charms, which today, amidst the tumultuous worries of life, have become rare in their homeland.

During plowing, the inhabitants of the aul are usually divided into two sides: those who are in the field make up one, and the others, who remain in the aul, make up the other. The first ones come to the aul, grab the hat of a girl of a noble house and take it to their huts. They are pursued, but rarely catch up, because they come and make their foray in secret. A day or more later, the hat is returned, wrapped in a scarf, and, moreover, food and drinks, prepared for such an occasion, are brought from the field to the girl's house, and there they often feast and dance all night, gathering all the inhabitants of the aul. At the end of the amusement, the girl's father or brother makes gifts, but for the most part young princes or noblemen living in the aul do not allow this, and generously reward the kidnappers from themselves.

The other side, in revenge on the opposite side, gathered in a crowd, goes into the field; there, grabbing the belt with which the plow is tied (it is called in you), carries it away, defending itself from the pursuers. To help out the belt, food and drinks are brought to the house where the belt is laid and they spend the whole evening in fun. When the plowmen return, the other side meets them and a fight begins; each side tries to push the other into the water while wearing clothes. Often women are doused with water or dragged into the river. This fun is considered very important, because there is a belief that it should be done for the harvest.

Lifting weights, throwing nuclei and stones, wrestling, running into runs, horse racing, jumping over fences and raised cloaks, and so on. Circassians also have fun items that strengthen the body and are useful for health. But the most important subject of bodily exercises is to wield weapons and a horse with special dexterity, in which the Circassians are truly inimitable. With incredible speed, at all the gallop of the fastest horse, they load their rifles in the cases, but a good rider needs only one moment to grab the gun from the case and shoot. Circassians constantly shoot from pistols and rifles, but not every one of them is a good shooter, although those who are famous for their art achieve considerable perfection in it. Often they try to pierce a rather thick board with an arrow fired from a bow, and there are those who draw the bow with amazing force and shoot from it. In a word, the whole life of the Circassian is spent in more or less belligerent amusements and exercises.

V
PASSING TIME

With the vastness of a person's knowledge and the circle of his actions expands. Circassian, whose occupations are limited to the subjects necessary for his simple life, spends most of his time in idleness or in exercises invented by idleness. The highest ranks, consisting of princes and nobles, consider it indecent to their dignity to exercise in the sciences, which provide a means of knowing the country in which we live, customs, mores, and finally nature itself. They evenly consider it not only inappropriate to their rank, but even shameful to live peacefully at home, in bliss, which is why they spend most of their time on horseback traveling.

Spring and autumn are two seasons of the year, which can be called equestrian among the Circassians. Then the princes, having gathered parties of young nobles, leave, as they say, in the field and, choosing a convenient place, settle in huts for the whole autumn or spring. Here, each of them opens classes, which they correct with full pleasure. Servants and youth drive around at night to auls for prey, capture and bring in bulls and rams for food, which sometimes, depending on convenience, they do during the day, and send them to nearby auls for provisions that cannot be acquired by the youth, somehow for millet. milk, cheese, etc. Meanwhile, the best riders go to distant tribes. There they steal herds of horses, seize people and return with the prey to their comrades, who, every night feasting at the expense of the blunders of the surrounding villages, look forward to the return of the riders. At the same time, the prince, the leader of the party, sends his bridles from himself to the prince of another tribe, his friend, and he gives generously sent ones. Often the princes themselves go to other princes and personally accept gifts, which in such cases are usually prisoners, or in a herd of horses forcibly captured. In such predatory, but warlike exercises, they spend autumn almost before the onset of winter, and spring before the intense heat of summer. If this kind of fishing is successful, then during the entire stay in the field, one might say, incessantly, the Circassians sing songs and cheerful cries announce the air, and shooting, a sign of good luck in raids, accompanies joy, and the echo of the forests far echoes the signs of triumph.

Finally, when the time comes to travel home, they usually exchange the captives and horses that have been preyed for goods, and then the division of everything acquired begins, for which they select people from among themselves, on whose impartiality they rely. They divide the booty into equal parts, according to the number of people who make up the party, and each, starting with the older one, chooses the part that he likes best. Thus, the division of production continues to the end. Here there is a special respect for old age and age in general, so that each of the party, although he would be just a cook, is older than the prince in years, before his prince has the right to choose a part from the division that he likes. However, the prince-leader, and some other persons are equal, receive a special share regardless of the division. If the divisible booty consists of such an object that those from whom it has been taken, having discovered the kidnappers, can demand satisfaction from their leader, in this case, the leader sometimes offers the party to receive only half of the booty for general sharing, and give half to him, so that he will give satisfaction in the case of collection, or propose to divide everything appropriately equally, so that in case of collection, everyone will contribute the part he has received, and so on. Such conditions are often confirmed by an oath.

The cooks are provided with the skins of rams and bulls eaten during the party's stay in the field.

At the end of the division, the prince returns to his place, dismissing the party to their homes. The inhabitants of the auls congratulate the riders who have returned from the field, and they usually make gifts to the congratulatory ones, especially the old people and elderly women.

During the summer and winter, riders stay at home and feed their beloved horses, prepare new harnesses and weapons, or renew and decorate the old ones before the rider season, when they again embark on their craft and indulge in free pursuits, looking, moreover, in them for such cases that could to glorify them, at the same time delivering booty. In the intervals between visits, taking advantage of the opportunity and depending on the circumstances, they make raids, robberies, thefts, etc., as well as correct the needs of household chores: they go to meetings or to people's congresses and visit each other.

Old men and foremen, if age and circumstances do not allow them to participate in predatory enterprises, go about the affairs of the people and their household.

This is how the princes and nobles in Circassia spent their time, when she was more enjoying the tranquility. One evil eradicates or diminishes the other. Since the Circassians were subject to incessant and general anxiety, the violent time of equestrianism, when the villagers did not know the rest from the attacks of parties of equestrians in the field, has passed, as everything goes on in the world. Nowadays, the Circassians have begun to spend less often the fall and spring on visits, although, however, the dangers have not diminished too much, because the nobles still go to the princes and serve with them for whole years, and the princes still make mutual visits, accompanied by equestrian robberies and thefts. As before, the highest ranks spend their time on horseback and in warlike raids, but the spirit of thirst for the glory of horsemanship, which had inspired everyone before, has noticeably diminished.

As for the simple title of farmers, after sowing bread in the spring before haymaking, they prepare arb (carts on two high wheels) and other household and agricultural implements. Others with nobles and princes share their time on visits and take advantage of their rewards or wander themselves, with the aim of stealing something somewhere. In droves and singly, they go in search, and the passion for theft reaches in them to a contemptuous degree. Others sit at home, doing nothing, and fearfully await the time of harvesting the grain, that is, the time of the worker. At the end of the cleaning, they again indulge in idleness, which again awakens the passion to steal someone else's property. With the onset of deep winter, using the sled route, they carry firewood for the whole summer, and after this work they plunge back into idleness, which is occasionally interrupted by caring for livestock for some time.

In Circassia, as elsewhere, the inhabitants of places where there is less convenience for their meager farming are more industrious than the inhabitants of the beautiful plains and do not quite know the useless months of idleness, as they call the last time from spring sowing to the beginning of mowing and harvesting bread. This proverb proves the inclination of the Circassians, the inhabitants of the plains, to an idle life, which gives rise to many vices.

We talked about passing the time of men, let's say about the activities in which Circassian women spend their time, who do not like idleness at all, or do not have the opportunity to be idle.

Women and girls of the highest rank are incessantly engaged in needlework. The duty of a Circassian wife is heavy: she sews all clothes for her husband, from head to toe; moreover, all the burden of home management lies with her; the food and drink prepared for her husband and guests should be known to her, and evenly she watches over cleanliness.

When all the dishes are ready and already on the tables for taking to the guesthouse, the hostess, in the highest rank, is let know about it, and she goes to the kitchen to inspect the cleanliness and order, and then returns to her department. At the end of lunch or dinner, close family members tell her about whether her husband and guests were happy.

The girls, being daily witnesses to the fulfillment of the duties of their mothers, are accustomed to heavy services associated with the title of Circassian wife.

As for the lower rank, it should be added that, in addition to all the work of managing the house and raising children, the wife of a simple farmer also helps her husband in harvesting bread. She goes with him to reap, stack stacks of bread, stacks of hay, and so on. In a word, the diligence of the Circassian wives replaces all the shortcomings arising from the idleness of their husbands, and they spend their whole lives in their studies, and in joy because they are not alien to the curiosity inherent in the fair sex everywhere, they are glad to have the opportunity to meet to talk and gossip.

The rituals observed by the Circassians when keeping the wounded, the most important remnants of the times of the paganism of the Circassian people, continue to this day unremittingly and everywhere with unimportant differences and changes. For the most part, a wounded person of noble birth is placed in the owner's house closest to the aul where he was wounded. The owner of the aul, due to the duty of hospitality and customary decency, invites the wounded to his place, and without special circumstances does not refuse to accept offers of shelter, for refusal can offend.

The minute of bringing the patient into the house designated for his premises is preceded by superstition: the threshold of the doors is raised by nailed to it with a thick board. A girl under 15 years old draws a line around the inner wall of the house with cow feces, hoping to protect the patient from the harmful influence of evil eyes, as the Circassians say. A cup of water and a chicken egg is placed at the patient's bedside, and an iron plow with a hammer made of the same metal is immediately placed. A visitor who visits a patient for the first time, having approached him, hits the plow three times with a hammer, then lightly sprinkles a blanket on the patient from the cup where the egg is placed, saying: God make you well! Then he steps back from the patient's bed and takes a place decent to his age and rank.

Those who enter the patient's house and leave from there carefully cross the elevated threshold, fearing to hit him with a foot, which is considered an unfavorable omen. The visitor always strikes the plow with a hammer so hard that the sound can be heard by everyone in the house. There is a belief that if a visitor is a fratricide (mehaadde) or a murderer of an innocent person (kanla), then the hammer blow will not make a sound, and also that when he touches a cup of water, an egg will burst there, which serves as proof of the visitor's crimes. They notice that the obvious killers do not touch the water with their hand, trying, however, to hide such an act from the eyes of the people who are here.

Many of the visitors comprehend the absurdity of such superstitious rituals, but all observe them without exception with the utmost rigor. Prejudice in the opinions of the people is very deeply rooted. It must be said, however, that these beliefs, out of all the prejudices generated by ignorance, are completely harmless! They say that in the old days, obvious fratricides and those who shed the blood of innocents avoided visiting a sick person, because the people were sure that their presence could harm the sick, and now many hold this opinion; and as there are many obvious killers between visitors, the ignorance of those looking after the patient ascribes to their presence bad changes in the state of health of the sufferer, proving smoothing by the fact that an egg placed in water is found cracked, without at all thinking that it is from water, especially in winter, or from accidentally touching the cup, it could burst by itself.

Howbeit, kind people they look with contempt at the obvious murderers present at the patient's bedside, and such superstitious and ridiculous beliefs prove that the ancestors of today's Circassians were more abhorrent and afraid of the presence of criminals, respecting virtue until these feelings, shining in the impenetrable darkness of ignorance, did not were consumed by a disorder of morals.

After transferring the patient to the house, they immediately call the person who uses the wounded, who remains with the patient until he is cured. The aul, where the patient is, becomes a gathering place not only for neighboring, but even distant nobles and all the highest rank from the surrounding auls. Every night, newcomers and those staying in the aul, as well as old people and young people of all ranks, come to the patient. It is considered decent for fathers and mothers of families to have their daughters visit the sick, which is sometimes preceded by an invitation from the wives and daughters of the owner of the house where the sick person is. But it should be noted that women are strictly prohibited from entering the sick, when girls are even encouraged to do so.

With the onset of dusk, everyone begins to gather to the patient and singing is heard under the arch of his dwelling. Visitors are divided into two parties, each trying to outperform the other. First they sing songs for such a case, folded, and then move on to ordinary songs, if the patient is out of danger and is cheerful; otherwise, the old songs continue to the point of weariness. Having stopped singing, they begin various amusement games and amusements, in which the girls especially take part. Of the amusements, which do occur, the most important is hand-holding: one of the visitors starts the game; going up to one of the girls (of course, predominantly the pretty ones are chosen), demands that she hold out her hand; he hits her in the palm, after which she, in turn, approaching one of the men, also hits him in the palm, which continues from one to another for quite a long time, because no other fun in these gatherings gives so much pleasure to men ... Probably, girls do not feel unpleasant to have fun with young riders, who attract their attention, because they play handicraft very willingly.

Then various other games begin, accompanied by shouting, noise, excitement and crushing. Finally, all these funny pranks gradually subside, and songs related to the state of the wounded, again begin to sing in hoarse voices, but not for long. For dinner, there are tables laden with food and drinks, in jugs for guests of honor and in huge tubs for the people. The girls, accompanied by the owner's friends, return to the women's department, and from there in the morning they go home, and around dusk they again gather to see the patient.

At the end of the supper, having sung a few more merry songs, everyone, with the exception of those who are always with the sick person, leave until the next night. Again at dusk, everyone comes to the patient, with renewed vigor after resting during the day, and many with new plans against the beauties.

Such gatherings continue until the patient is cured or until his death. Of course, if there is no hope of recovery, when the patient is clearly approaching the coffin, the gatherings are not cheerful, traces of despondency are noticeable on the faces of visitors, who in this case are few and consist mostly of friends of the patient and the owner of the house that maintains him. But the songs do not stop even on the last night of the patient's life.

The patient himself participates in fun and singing, often overcoming unbearable pain, and at the entrance of an honorary visitor or girls every time he gets out of bed. If this courtesy is not possible for him, then at least he rises from the head, despite the user's prohibitions.

I saw a man on the deathbed, so close to the coffin that there was no longer any hope, but at our entrance, when he heard that we had come to visit him, he made such an effort that he injured the broken bones and fainted from terrible pain ... It was pitiful to look at his convulsions, and three days later he died, praised for his courageous patience.

If the patient groans, frowns and does not get up at the entrance of visitors, then he incurs a bad opinion of the people and is ridiculed; this circumstance makes the Circassians incredibly patient in illness.

In the course of treatment, the relatives and friends of the owner, the patient's ata-lyk and acquaintances, often even completely outsiders, but noblemen living in the vicinity, bring and send cattle for cooking, and all the drinks necessary for keeping the patient.

Upon the recovery of the wounded, the owner of the house where he was treated sometimes makes a feast for the recovered person in his house, and presents him with gifts consisting of weapons, and brings him a horse with all the horse harness. The owner who uses the patient is also given large gifts to the healer, in addition to the fact that he owns all the skins of bulls and rams eaten by the people in the house where the patient was kept during his use.

A cured person gives a woman who has washed bandages, rags, and so on. during his treatment, as well as those who were always with him in the service. Moreover, he makes a gift to that young girl who has drawn a line around the inner walls of the house where he was treated. Subsequently, the wounded owner himself, if he is a prince, sometimes gives a family of people or a prisoner, and friendship is established between them.

What we said about the content of the wounded belongs to people of noble, higher rank, and as for people of less significant, the image of their content, although the same, with the difference that gatherings and treats are consistent with the significance and condition of the wounded and the owner of the house , where he is kept, if he is not in his house, which, incidentally, rarely happens among the common people.

In the lower rank, they also almost always bargain with doctors who undertake to treat the wounded, which is rarely done at the highest rank, because in this case a noble who knows decency considers it offensive to negotiate, and the doctor in every possible way confirms such a belief, because they never lose from him ...

Justice demands to say in conclusion that disinterested observance of decency sometimes produces truly magnanimous actions among the Circassians. A young nobleman, or whatever the rank of a warrior, ready to sacrifice himself for glory, catches up with the enemies who have made an unexpected raid, and, regardless of their number or danger, rushes at them, fights and receives death or a serious wound. In the event of his death, the first noble person to find the body, after the burial of the body, at his own expense, does everything that the religion orders the relatives of the deceased to render to his memory. If he finds him wounded, then he takes him to himself, supports him in the best way, pays the doctor who uses him, and finally, upon recovery, he gives him a beautiful horse with all horse harness and full equipment for one person, even clothes, and does everything. from honor alone, meaning no reward other than the praise of the people. The desire to become famous often forces the Circassians with true selflessness to do good and defend innocence, but these noble traits of morals, unfortunately, are often disfigured by the inert notions of the Circassians about glory: they often shed streams of blood, endanger their lives, and all only to gain popular praise. not bringing any benefit to the fatherland, rejected both by God and the laws of mankind.

Vii
BURIAL AND DEMEND

Since the adoption of the Mughamedan faith by the Circassians, many changes have followed in their indigenous, ancient customs. In no other case is this manifested so strikingly the opposite as in the rituals observed during the burial of the deceased and during the commemoration of him. I offer a detailed description of the ceremonies observed during the burial and commemoration of a noble person.

As soon as the patient lets out his last breath, a lamentable cry rises in the house; mother, wife, children, relatives, friends and everyone in the house fill the air with groans. The women beat their breasts and pinch their faces; men scratch their foreheads until they bleed, and blue spots from blows to the body remain with them for a long time, even often there are severe wounds on mutilated places. Such signs of deepest sorrow are left especially by the wife, friends and relatives of the deceased.

All the women of the aul agree to multiply crying. Strangers who come to the bed of the deceased begin to emit a lingering cry before reaching the house, where the deceased lies, continuing to cry, enter the house and, coming closer to the body, stay for a short time, leave the house, but rarely stop crying before, as already outside. Those who wish to express more signs of special sorrow remain in the house, or after leaving there, stop at the wall of the house and continue to cry.

Meanwhile, the old people, having ceased crying themselves pretty soon, dispose of the preparation of the body for burial. They admonish the loved ones of the deceased not to indulge too much in grief and advise them to show mental firmness to endure the blow of fate. Older women do the same for women.

First, a mullah is called, who washes the body of the deceased with the help of one or two of his disciples or assistants; those who wash the body put bags on their hands made of the same white fabric from which the deceased is sewn? under a shroud, like a bag, open at both ends, put on a corpse and called kefin. The body is washed thoroughly, even the nails of the deceased are often cut off, and some of the mullahs perform this duty with special zeal, which makes the people revere them.

The body of a woman is washed and prepared for the burial of an old woman, just like the body of a male. Where there is no mullah, those who know at least a little to read prayers replace him. Preparing the body for burial, they also prepare the grave. It has not been heard in Circassia that workers were ever hired for that, and, on the contrary, all the inhabitants of the aul flock to the house of the deceased, from where the required number of people go to the cemetery and there they dig a grave, vying with each other in a hurry to replace one another in work and counting the digging of the grave everyone's responsibility. The body of the deceased is placed on tied planks, and mostly on short stairs, paved so that the body lies motionless; the top is covered with a rich brocade blanket and carried in his arms from home to the cemetery. Relatives of the deceased cry with their remains, as well as women, whom honorary elders often beg to return before reaching the grave. In the course of the procession from the house to the cemetery, they stop three times, and the mullah reads prayers. Those accompanying the body are vying to replace the carriers of the deceased. Before lowering the body into the grave, a prayer is performed over it; then the mullah accepts the gifts they bring from the relatives of the deceased, a search, and makes a devir, that is, several times asks about the voluntary offering of gifts. Getting started, he first asks: how old was the deceased and what was his behavior? Then he reads the established prayers. Those who bring gifts to the grave hope to destroy, or at least reduce by them, the sins of the deceased. Finally, the body is lowered into the grave, head to the west, and tilted somewhat on the right side, so that it lies obliquely to the south. In other places, handwritten prayers are placed in the grave.

Falling asleep to the grave, all work alternately, yielding to one another a wooden shovel; no one hands it over, but puts it on the ground. Here a ram is sacrificed, and the mullah reads a chapter from the Koran. Sometimes people who are released by the will of the deceased or at the own request of his heirs and friends are then declared freedom.

Usually, at the end of the whole ceremony, the grave is poured with water, and then everyone retreats from the grave forty steps, and the mullah, remaining on the grave, reads the talkin prayer, about which the superstitious say that if the deceased is not burdened with sins, then he repeats it word for word after the mullah ... Mulla returns to those who are waiting for him and, after completing the prayer, everyone goes home. Here those present express their regret * to the relatives of the deceased about their loss, and the most honorable people admonish them to be firm, obedient to God and not to indulge in sorrow.

At night, the clergy gathers in the house of the deceased; there, sometimes until dawn, they spend the night in prayers for the tranquility of the soul of the deceased and forgiveness of his sins, and after supper they go home. Often three nights in a row these things continue to read prayers .. On the seventh day they make the first commemoration, and on the fortieth day the second. The clergy and people gather for the commemoration: the first read the Koran, having received the agreed payment for reading, and the second are fed with food and drink, prepared for such an occasion .. The third commemoration is often sent on the sixtieth day or at the end of the year. All the rituals described here regarding burial and commemoration, excluding the obligation to cry indiscriminately to all persons with a drawn-out cry, tormenting oneself to relatives and friends, and uniformly free work in the cemetery, are the customs introduced between the Circassians by the Mughamedan religion.

Today's Circassians almost do not know how the bodies of their ancestors were buried during pagan times, but one must assume that the weapon of the deceased was buried along with the body, judging by the fact that today weapons are often found in the bowels of the earth along with human skeletons. Nowadays, the rites of the so-called great commemoration, remaining from ancient times, are especially curious.

The death of the father of the family or a significant member everywhere and in every nation plunges into the bitter, if not always emotional, at least pretended despondency of the surviving relatives of the deceased. But such despondency nowhere leaves such terrible traces and such long-lasting tears as in Circassia. Not only friends and acquaintances of the deceased, but even those who barely knew him, visit his relatives to express their spiritual participation in their loss. Having arrived at the house where the wife or mother of the deceased is, the visitors dismount from their horses, take off their weapons, go to the house and, approaching, begin to cry, and often with tripods, and sometimes with a whip, they whip themselves on the open head; in this case, they meet them, hold back the blows they inflict on themselves, and bring them to the house. If visitors do not have belts in their hands, they are not greeted, and they walk, quietly moving forward and covering their faces with both hands. With a cry they enter the house, where the women answer them in kind; leaving the house, they appear in the living room and express their regret for their loss to the relatives of the deceased there, with a sad look, but already without crying. When visitors do not cry, entering the house of women, they do not cry in their presence, but as soon as the visitor comes out, they fill the air with a piercing cry, extremely touching the soul; the especially pitiful voice of the orphans shakes the heart. Orphans often continue to sob during visits almost until the end of the year, therefore, and the lamentable groaning in the house of the deceased does not stop for a very long time. Those who were prevented by an important circumstance from coming for a personal expression of their grief, send people who deserve respect. Of course, not all those who weep cry because their grief is great, but they follow generally accepted customs, non-observance of which deprives the people of respect and exposes them to reproaches.

On the grave of the pupil, an iron trident is placed in the form of a fork on a pole, to which a black or red cloth is attached. In former times, instead of a trident, iron crosses were placed, also with cloth.

For the pupil, they wear a year's mourning; the wife also wears a year of mourning for her husband and during this time does not sleep on soft beds. It should be noted that the husband does not cry for his wife, and if he shows sorrow during her illness or death, he is inevitably subjected to ridicule.

Relatives and friends of the deceased for a long time shy away from amusements and retain a sad look. Failure to perform all of these rituals is considered shame.

After a year, a large commemoration or feast day is sent. Such commemoration, or funeral feast, according to a noble person, whose heirs are able to maintain the decency of their home, begin with the fact that when the appointed day approaches, those who have undertaken the commemoration prepare an extremely large amount of food and drinks. Close and even strangers, as usual, bring ready-made meals and drinks and bring in the cattle assigned to the slaughter. A few days before the day of the solemn commemoration, people are sent to neighboring villages to invite people. They go to the honorable persons to ask to honor the funeral with their presence, and if circumstances do not allow them to leave, they send the most respected people to the noble persons, instructing them to apologize to the persons whom they invite that they themselves could not personally come to them.

On the eve of the funeral feast, invited persons come to the invitee, or stay in neighboring villages. Meetings are often so numerous that it becomes impossible to accommodate in one aul.

The celebration of funeral feast opens with a horse race. Even before the light, the horses are sent to the appointed place. An honorable person is sent with them, who, placing them in a row, lets everyone in suddenly. First prize goes to the first horse to gallop towards the goal; second prize - second, third - third; sometimes even the very last horse is appointed as a reward of some trinket. Horse crowds greet the returning horses and often annoy them with the fact that each party urges its own horses. After returning from the race, the most honorable of the guests gather in the living room, where they bring tables laden with food. The clergy present here read a prayer before the beginning of the dinner. However, honoring such commemorations, in which one playfulness is replaced by another and the whole people is in celebration, contrary to the Mughamedan religion, they do not always attend them. Other guests, who are accommodated in their apartments for dinner in the aul, are served tables with food and drinks in large vessels. People gather in the open air, in the courtyard, under awnings and near buildings in crowds. Drinks and tables with food are also spread to the people, but so that no one is left without food or drink, bread, pies and other dry foods are served in cloaks and distributed to everyone without exception. To maintain order, people are appointed who see that everything is done in the right way. Drinks to the people are placed in the open air in barrels, and selected people are to supervise them. Whoever wants can go to drinks and drink. The enforcers of order have sticks in their hands, which they feed to young rascals, and carefully watch that the old people are decently treated. As the feast continues, a multitude of horses, covered with colorful fabrics, stand in the courtyard; they are brought by relatives, friends and acquaintances of the deceased to dedicate to his memory. In former times, the ends of the ears were cut off to the horses dedicated to the memory of the deceased, but now they are content with one of their drives in rich bedspreads called shdyan.

Crowds of large people, lively with gaiety, noise, talk, neighing horses, standing next to each other, in rich attire, with multi-colored bedspreads, fussing women who do not miss an opportunity to show themselves to men in brilliance and sometimes look at them slyly - all this makes a very entertaining spectacle. On the same day, the arms and clothes of the deceased are laid out in the house. Young princes and noblemen eagerly await the end of the meal, and good shooters, agile youth and boys of all ranks do not give in to them impatiently, for each of them will have different fun. As soon as they cease to be satisfied, the riders immediately mount their horses, surround the riders sitting on covered horses *, and, giving them time to scatter, set off in pursuit, and after catching up, they try to rip the veil from them when they try to gallop away from their pursuers. If they succeed in doing that, then, after carrying the fluttering cloth for some time, they throw it among the crowd of foot people, between whom there is a struggle, and the cloth is torn into small pieces.

On the other side, riders in helmets and shells woven from hazel jump out into the field, and a hundred riders start after them; some try to gallop as far as possible with their trophies, while others as quickly as possible take away the trophies from them and be crowned with them themselves, while still others strive to fill their pockets with nuts. If, finally, none of the pursuers succeeds in fulfilling their desire, then helmets and shells are thrown among the crowd of foot people, from which noise and struggle begin. Shooting at the target, meanwhile, does not stop: some are shooting on foot, at a distance of two to three hundred steps, and those who hit the target receive prizes; others on horseback, as they galloped past the target, usually shoot from pistols and the victim takes the assigned prize. In another place, a special spectacle opens up: a very long pole is placed, to the upper end of which a small round board is nailed. Dexterous riders, having a bow and arrows at the ready, "fly on dashing horses one after another, so that the horse of the rear gallops straight after the horse of the leading one; the rider does not control the reins, and only left leg it remains on the saddle, and its entire * body is kept below the horse's mane. In such a difficult position, carrying like a whirlwind, past the pole (kebek), at the moment when the horse at full gallop is equal to the pole, the rider lowers the bow "and the feathered arrow pierces the board attached to the top of the pole, and sometimes, breaking it, falls at the feet of the audience. Such a game, or rather, the experience of unusually clever horse-riding, belongs to the highest class. At the same time, in another place, nimble boys crowd around a post, cleanly planed and smeared with bacon from top to bottom. At the top of its very thin pillar is attached a basket filled with different things, and whoever gets in there without any other help, except for his hands and feet, takes all his things. Everyone here shows their boldness, pushes each other against each other, everyone makes noise, scolds, and the laughter of the audience increases the noise. Sly boys, filling their pockets and sinuses with ash or sand and wiping the post with them, often get to their goal, but if all their efforts are in vain, good shooters shoot at the stick with which the basket is attached to the post - it falls, and the boys and the big ones rush to grab things, with a terrible crush, a dump, noise and shouting.

Games, shooting, horse racing throughout the field and in the aul continue all day long. Motley crowds rush from one end to the other; one rips the other off his horse, rolls to the ground: everyone is spinning in a madness of fun. It is easy to imagine that the life of riders is often endangered when they rush along ravines and potholes across fields or force horses to jump over fences and fences in aul. There are not uncommon examples of misfortunes that happen from excessive fun, but dexterous riders are rewarded with approving smiles of beauties.

Noise, talking, shouting, shooting end with the end of the day, and with the onset of night, saturated with the pleasures of the spectacle, food and drinks, the people disperse and disperse to their homes. The silence of the night takes the place of the excitement of the feast day or the solemn commemoration of the deceased. We spoke here about the burial and commemoration of people of the highest rank, but the common people also observe, but take into consideration the state and circumstances.

Let us note in conclusion that all these rituals are decreasing from day to day in Circassia, and in other tribes they have completely stopped since the time of the strengthening of Islamism by the diligence of the clergy and due to increased anxiety. The inhabitants of Circassia cannot but reproach their clergy for reckless fanaticism if they are trying to destroy all the ancient customs of their ancestors, as if external humility softens the destructive passions of the soul. The Circassians cannot but mourn the current state of their homeland, whence internecine strife, war and the weakening of morals drove out calm and abundance, and at the same time cheerful national celebrations.

The proud people of the North Caucasus, the Adygs (Adyghes, Circassians, Kabardians) are distinguished by their rich traditions and customs.

Marriage or marriage takes a huge place in the life of the Circassian, and this event is enriched with many customs and rituals. The whole procedure for entering into a marriage consists of several stages, such as matchmaking, house review, marriage registration, travel for ransom (kalym), arrival of the bride to the groom's house, identifying a young girl in a “strange house”, bringing the young bride into the “big house” and other.

Wedding traditions Circassians

The rite of matchmaking among the Circassians could begin after the girl with whom the guy met made some kind of symbolic gift young man or hinted unequivocally that she was not opposed to him sending matchmakers to her house. After that, the matchmakers went to the girl's house, but at the same time did not enter the house, but modestly stood in the place where they were chopping wood. This meant that they had come to woo. But, only on the third visit of the matchmakers, the girl's parents voiced their decision, and this was done by inviting them to the house and laying a modest table for the guests.

After the matchmaking, the girl's family sent their representatives(not necessarily relatives) to inspect the groom's house and draw appropriate conclusions about the prosperity and well-being of the future groom's family. Only after the representatives of the girl's clan made sure of the well-being of the groom's house, it could be argued that the wedding preparations would continue. Therefore, after a while, the groom's relatives visited the girl's parents with purely symbolic gifts.

Adyghe wedding

The Adygs' marriage was concluded according to Muslim custom in writing, and this marriage document was kept in the house of the bride's parents. At the conclusion of the marriage, there were efends, confidants of a girl and a guy, as well as witnesses. Everyone had to put on their hats. Registration of marriage or nechyhyytkh took place in the house of the bride's parents. After the conclusion of the marriage contract, the parties agreed on the exact date when the girl's side could come for the kalym. Kalym or uase consisted of one horse and cattle. This was followed by the ceremonial event of the waseIkh, which was led by the thamada. An atmosphere of sincerity and sublimity reigned over the table. The table was served by a young man. It should be said that at a wedding or other events, the Adygs drank only from a large common bowl (fal'e), which went around the circle.

After the kalym was paid, the bride was brought in (nysashe). This was accompanied by great festivities, the actual Adyghe traditional wedding began with this. On the way to the bride's house, the groom's riders faced all sorts of difficulties and trials. And when they came to the bride's house, the riders were greeted with stakes and clubs, everyone got it, except the thamada, But as soon as one of the riders broke into the house of the bride's parents, everyone calmed down and greeted the guests with hospitality. The guests were treated. Then the bride left the house at the same time, she did not have to look around, stumble, cross the threshold, and so on. The bride and the girl sat in the carriage, who came with the riders for the bride. The bride's face as the purity, innocence and good manners of the girl handed the thamada a red banner or red material. But, the young woman was not taken straight to the house of the groom's parents. She was assigned to a “strange house” (teshe). This was usually the home of the groom's maternal uncle. In a "strange house" the newlywed was not only entertained, but also arranged all sorts of tests. There, the groom came to her at sunset and left at dawn. After a while, the bride was given the unaeishe ceremony — the introduction of the young woman into a large house, that is, into the house of the groom.

Actually the Adige Circassians are slender and broad-shouldered. Their hair, most often dark blond, frames the face with a beautiful oval, with shiny eyes, almost always dark. Their appearance breathes with dignity and inspires sympathy.

The national costume of the Circassians consists of beshmet or arhaluk, Circassian coat, buttons, chevyakov, burka and a cap, trimmed with galloon, with a head that resembles a Phrygian cap.

Weapons - a checker (the name passed to us from the Circassians), a gun, a dagger and pistols. On both sides there are leather sockets for rifle cartridges, on the belt there are fat cases, a screwdriver and a purse with accessories for cleaning weapons.

Women put on a long shirt of coarse calico or muslin, with wide sleeves, over the shirt, a silk beshmet, chevyaki trimmed with galloon, and on their head a round hat, wound with a white muslin turban. Before marriage, girls wore a special corset that squeezed their breasts.

Traditional dwelling

The Circassian manor is usually located in a secluded position. It consists of a sakli, built of turluk and covered with straw, a barn on pillars and a barn, surrounded by a dense tyna, behind which there are vegetable gardens sown mainly with corn and millet. From the outside adjoins the fence Kunakskaya, which consists of a house and a stable, fenced with a palisade. Saklya consists of several rooms, with windows without glass. Instead of a stove in the earthen floor, there is a fire pit, with a wicker pipe coated with clay. The furnishings are the most unpretentious: shelves along the walls, several tables, a bed covered with felt. Stone buildings are rare and only on the tops of the mountains: the warlike Circassian considered it shameful to seek protection behind stone fences.

National cuisine

Circassians are very undemanding in food. His usual food: wheat soup, lamb, milk, cheese, corn, millet porridge (pasta), booza or mash. Pork and wine are not consumed. In addition to cattle breeding and hunting, the Circassians cultivate beekeeping.