Mari Men and Women as Bearers of the Mari Language and Identity
N.Glukhova, V.Glukhov
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With their help they sometimes can change their place of living and
the
social layer to which they have previously belonged becoming drivers,
builders,
nurses, militiamen, clerks in small offices, shop-assistants, bookkeepers
etc.
Some scholars say that the contemporary level of civilization and technical
progress,
high level of urbanization, are harmful to the Mari community, to the
nation's
mentality. The most intellectual and communicative part of the population
is being
drawn into very intense contacts and assimilation with more powerful
and stronger
cultures and is lost to its own nation. Different life facts show that
the Mari at present
live in a sort of a transitional period not only from "developed socialism"
to "wild
capitalism" but also from a village life to life in towns, trying to
change their traditional
way of life (Solovyov, 2000:15).
Beside the features enumerated above, in our opinion, the most vivid
way of
representing identity is through national holidays, which are part
and parcel of a
traditional culture (61.6%). During the holidays the Mari prefer to
wear national
clothes, sing national songs, dance national dances, cook national
food, speak Mari
with their relatives, neighbors and friends.
As a part of their cultural heritage traditional Mari holidays and rituals
have been
preserved by the nation. The Mari ethnos managed to retain specific
features and
functions of several holidays and nowadays they serve as a connecting
link between
the past and present. Social changes since 1985 have eased the revival
of traditional
holidays and religious rituals. Formerly forgotten festivals such as
Uarnya
(shrovetide), Kugeche (in the Christian tradition Easter), Semyk (in
the Christian
tradition Whitsunday) (in some places a component part of Semyk was
Agavairem -
(Plow Holiday), then Kuso (a summer holiday before the Petrov day,
New Moon),
Uginde (Harvest Holiday), Shyzhe Kuso (Autumn Sacrifice Holiday), Shorykiol
(yule-
tide, Christmas time) are being actively revitalized nowadays. The
most important
holiday was considered Kuso. But since before it was a ritual of the
banishment of
evil forces and spirits (surem muzho) sometimes this holiday was called
Surem. It
lasted for two weeks. Usually, calendar holidays were held at regular
intervals and
they were dependent on the main cycle of agricultural work. Mari calendar
holidays
were 'attached' to the end and /or the beginning of another stage of
labor activities.
Among the principal calendar holidays there was, as a rule, a seven
week interval.
But between Semyk and Kuso the new moon broke the usual time space
for
celebration. Kuso had to be celebrated in the middle of summer. A seven
week
period of time was also interrupted between Shorykiol and Uarnya. Such
holidays as
Agavairem, Urlyk Lukmash were observed in spring and summer as they
should be
correlated with the beginning of spring work in the fields thus correcting
the time
interval. The first calendar holiday was Shorykiol (Etnografiya, 2001:106-117;
Prazdniki, 1992).
Since the 1990's pagan prayer ceremonies and Agavairem have been celebrated
not
only in the villages but also on the territory of the sacred Oak Coppice
in Yoshkar-
Ola. Shorykiol which had been widely commemorated in the villages became
quite
popular among the town youth. The urban Mari like the gatherings "Mari
Kas" (Mari
Evening Party) for different age-groups. Among other holidays one can
name two
new national festivity days: "Mari Taleshke Keche" (National Hero Day)
and "Mari
Tishte Keche" (Day of the Mari Written language).
Ethnographers note with regret that many festivity components constituting
the
complete structure of the holidays such as table manners during a festivity
or
religious ritual, public merry-making (without excessive drinking)
with visiting friends,
relatives and neighbors, youth games, sit-round gatherings known to
the generation
of the 1950.s and 1960.s have been lost.
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