Wedding songs as part of the Siberian Tatars’ ritual culture

Abstract

The article analyzes the song tradition of the Tatar wedding ceremony in Western Siberia (the Tyumen, Tomsk, Omsk, Novosibirsk Regions). Based on the field recordings of I. Sh. Kadirov and I. G. Zakirova, archival materials and folklore collections, the systematization of ritual songs is carried out in accordance with the stages of the wedding - from matchmaking and lamentation of the bride to braiding, ransom, escorting the bride to the groom’s house and table dignifications. The study highlights the history of the Tatar folklore collection and study in Siberia, starting with the second half of the 19^th century (the works by V. Radlov and M. Sadri) and continuing with expeditions in the 1960s and 1970s (H. Yarmi, I. Nadirov, and others). The last recordings were made in the first quarter of the 21^st century. The article defines the key functions of the songs as magical (incantatory), initiatory (reflecting a change in the status), communicative-exchange, emotional-cathartic (expression of grief / optimism) and entertaining. The classification of songs includes lamentations, ritual, lyrical and entertaining forms, with an emphasis on their composition: Symbolic and real parts, idealized images and avoidance of direct appeals due to taboos. The peculiarity of rituals and wedding songs is related to people’s belief in the magical power of words and rituals. The songs, performed during the wedding feast, are often playful and constructed in a dialogical form. The poetics of the songs, which comment on ritual situations, are full of Turkic parallels, optimistic motifs and symbols, emphasizing harmony and continuity of traditions. The relevance of the work is related to the role the revival of rituals plays in preserving the cultural heritage of the Siberian Tatars and their national identity in the context of globalization. Wedding ceremonies and songs reflect the worldview of the people, they combine sacral and universal values.