Introduction to traditions, immersion into history and culture of a particular nation are probably the best and most authentic ways to get acquainted with another culture and get imbued with worldview of another people. The Caucasus is a concentration of ancient customs and centuries-old traditions in Russia. And today we will learn the most common customs of Muslim peoples of the Caucasus.
The first custom is fosterage
The Circassians have an ancient, but long outlived custom. It is called fosterage (atalyk). What is its essence?
Parents gave their child to their subordinates for upbringing. When the boy came of age, he was brought back to his family. The girl, on the other hand, only saw her parents before she was married. Naturally, parents did not see their child during that time, and the return was accompanied by witnesses, so that there was no doubt that the child had been replaced. This custom symbolized friendship between families, and in some cases it could prevent blood feud. Nowadays it is no longer practiced.
The second custom is hospitality
In the Caucasus, especially in Dagestan, there is a widespread belief that it is a bad day when no guests arrive. Regardless of the weather, the time of day or the political situation, doors of highlanders are always open and any guest, even a late one, is welcome. During meals, members of a family put an extra plate on their table and leave a portion of food for unexpected arrival of guests. Anyone, even a total stranger, is most welcome dear there. Hospitable hosts make sure to keep a fur coat in their house, in case a traveler gets cold on a long journey.
Interestingly, a guest can stay at a highlander’s house as long as he or she needs. Of course, according to the ancient tradition, for the first three days nobody asks the traveler anything, and on the fourth day the traveler becomes a member of the family. It goes without saying that guests are given presents, provision and gifts to go with them.
The third custom is a child’s first introduction to the world
The Karachays have an interesting ancient ritual of introducing a child to relatives and friends. Through the ritual of putting a baby into a cradle the baby officially becomes a member of the family. The eldest women of the family are invited to participate in the ritual. They control the whole process. Parents do not take an active part in the ritual, indicating a high degree of trust and respect for the elderly.
The baby is initiated into a new family at the mother-in-law’s house. The baby is placed into a cradle on pillows embroidered in gold, swaddled tightly and then lulled to sleep with lullaby songs. At this time, preparations for the feast take place: women bake national khychins, while men cook meat over the fire, and an animal carcass is divided into 24 parts, each part going to a certain person depending on his kinship and status.
The fourth custom is adoption
The adoption process among the Circassians is of particular interest to researchers. A child who was adopted had to lean against the breast of his or her new mother. From that very moment the child acquired all the rights and responsibilities in the new family. It even happened that this rite helped to avoid blood feud and violence.
The fifth custom is saving orphans of Alania
There is a special cave in dense mountains of Ossetia. According to legend, in this cave, at the time of Tamerlane’s invasion, one woman (called Zadaleskaya Nana) saved children – orphans of Alania. It is considered to be a good sign if an eagle begins circling in the sky while somebody climbs into the cave.
The sixth custom is majority in Chechnya
A Chechen boy reaches his majority a bit earlier than is customary, at the age of 15. According to the tradition, on this day relatives give the boy a lot of presents, but the most significant one is papakha. Papakha is the main attribute of Chechen men’s clothing, a symbol of their honor and dignity. When the boy puts on a papakha, it means he has become mature and takes full responsibility for his every action.
A self-respecting man always wears a papakha in public. It is not customary to take it off, even indoors. It is an unbelievable insult to a Chechen if anybody knocks a papakha off his head. There is only one case when a papakha is taken off – when a man is asked to spare him from blood feud.
The seventh custom is respect for elderly people
A tribute to ancient traditions is also observed within the family in the Caucasus. Recognizing authority and supremacy of the elderly is the key foundation of family organization. It is worth noting that many scholars explain the phenomenon of Caucasian longevity by the fact that age and wisdom are still revered in this region.
If an elderly person enters a room, young people stand up and greet him or her first. One may not sit down at the table or start eating until the elderly come. Moreover, it has long been customary that the word of the elderly is law, and any decision they make is known to be right. It is still impolite to look unkempt and speak loudly in the presence of elderly people. It is customary to speak quietly to elderly people, using concise language, for fear of offending or annoying them.
The eighth custom is respect for women
The first thing the Caucasians are associated with is patriarchal traditions within family and relegation of women to the background. It is fair to note that this is far from being the case. In fact, there is a cult of mother, sister and daughter in the Caucasus. Boys are taught from their childhood to treat women with respect. Girls in turn are often spoilt, and it is considered to be unacceptable to raise one’s voice at female representatives. However, from a young age, they are taught to be careful, sensitive and discreet – it is essential for Caucasian girls to handle any situation with dignity.
In addition to it, an old mountain proverb says: ‘A man humiliated by society can be saved by a woman, but a man disgraced by a woman cannot be saved even by an entire village’. Women have long held a special position in Caucasian society; therefore, their voice carries significant weight.
The ninth custom is ‘wedding hiding’
Wedding traditions of numerous ancient Caucasian peoples are highly original. For instance, it is customary to celebrate weddings for several days and at different houses (at one of them, the groom, his relatives and best friends, and at the other one – the bride and her relatives). There is even a separate term – ‘wedding hiding’.
A young husband and wife meet at the threshold of the house. The wife is the first to cross the threshold with her right foot, with her face covered. The newlyweds are showered with grain and small coins to make the house prosperous.
Relatives give presents not to the newlyweds, but to each other in recognition of the kinship.
The tenth custom is the kunak’s traditions (friendship)
In Karachay-Cherkessia, the kunak’s traditions are still very popular. A kunak is not just a friend, but a brother, equal to a relative. It is believed that kunaks secure destinies for life. A kunak is closer than any friend or brother to a Cirkassian. Moreover, the history of the Cirkassians has witnessed cases when a man sacrificed his life in order to save his kunak.
Ilmira Gafiyatullina