Memorials (Terms)
Frunze Canton
Memorial services are held on the third, seventh, 40th days, and on the anniversary of death.
Tokuzbulak
The memorial feast is appointed by the relatives of the deceased at their convenience — from a few days after death up to one year. Memorials are held on the seventh and 40th days. The feast is the last memorial.
Kokomerin
sayak
The feast is usually held in the autumn, regardless of the time of death. Kыrky — memorial on the 40th day; chach jidi (braiding hair)48. A feast is arranged for close relatives.
Wealthy families usually wait no less than a year before the feast, and if the death occurred close to autumn, then it is held after autumn.
Songkul
sayak
In the past, the feast was held even two years after death. Kyrkash — memorial after 40 days. Generally, only kyrkash and chongash were particularly emphasized.
Osh District
Kyrki — horse races on the 40th day. The feast is arranged on the third, fifth, sixth months, or after a year.
Memorials on the seventh day are called hatmi quran (complete reading of the Quran). On the 40th day — kyrk as. Memorials on the anniversary are called chongach (big feast).
Songkul
sayak
Kor bashi — visiting the grave by all close relatives of the deceased between kyrkash and chongash. They bring prepared food and eat it there after reading a prayer; nothing is left at the grave.
solto
Bait bait — prayer for the deceased at the grave on the 40th day.
Smaller Memorials
Frunze Canton, Tokuzbulak
Previously, during memorials, food was left at the grave for the deceased.
On the 40th day, a feast was made for close relatives, livestock was slaughtered, and a baiga was arranged. After the feast, when the men went to the races, the women stayed at home, and the guests braided the hair of the hostesses.
On the 40th day, they perform bait bashi — a prayer for the deceased at the grave. On Fridays, the deceased must be remembered.
Feast: Preliminary Family Meeting
Kokomerin.
sayak
Before the feast, the relatives discuss the form of the feast, refreshments, and other matters.
Feast: Elders' Meeting
sayak
The family of the deceased, having agreed, slaughters a mare, invites the elders, and asks for their sanction for the feast. The elders discuss among themselves and explain what they will collect from the people (their group) for the feast.
Osh District
The family of the deceased slaughters one or two mares, summons the aksakals of all their clans (marakalash). In case of a common error in calculations, the guests are placed in those yurts where there are fewer guests than expected.
Feast: Participation of the Deceased's Family
sayak
The family of the deceased sets up yurts and prepares livestock only for receiving close relatives and friends.
Feast: Participation of Related Villages
Kokomerin
sayak
Each village in the circle, involved in the active participation in organizing the feast, is offered to set up one yurt with all the furnishings and a host who will take care of the guests.
Osh District
Marakalash — a social union of close people. When organizing a toya, feast, and other gatherings, its members are mandatory participants, while other guests are invited at their discretion. At the preliminary meeting, the allies agree on the help each of them should provide51. They are received on the day of kalta baiga, and others (from afar) from the day of arrival.
By the day of kemege baiga, when the guests begin to arrive, those hosts of marakalash who promised to set up yurts for the guests have set them up (and remained in them). Other members of this circle will arrive at the same time as other guests.
After setting up the yurt, the host, in anticipation of the guests' arrival, is on their own service, having brought supplies with them, as women and children remain outside the territory occupied for the feast.
Feast: Help to the Family with Gifts
Kokomerin sayak
At the feast, just like in the case of death, the circle of relatives, as well as the entire uruk, depending on the importance of the deceased, gives in favor of the family of the deceased yntymak — one or more heads of livestock, large or small.
Osh District
Some relatives and friends (dos, tamyr) help the family of the deceased with livestock.
Feast: Invitations
Kokomerin
sayak
The elders, after the meeting, send out invitations to come on a certain day to a certain place.
Osh District
Invitations to each foreign clan are sent to several notable people, with the understanding that they will come accompanied by their relatives. When determining the union, the sizes of the clan (number of yurts) are taken into account.
Invitations to the feast are sent out depending on the distance, ensuring that the invitees can arrive on time. Invitations are also sent to marakalash (i.e., participants of the maraka), to one or two heads of the top clans, indicating the day of konok baiga.
Feast Organization
Songkul
sayak
For chong ash, a lot of dishes are prepared.
Alamedin
solto
For the feast (kemege baiga), carpenters specially made bowls and cups52.
Feast: Arrival of Guests
sayak
Guests arrive during the day, on kemegesin chavat53, i.e., on the day when the hearths are dug outside the yurts.
Osh District
On average, guests begin to arrive at kemege baiga54.
Feast: Accommodation of Guests
sayak
On the appointed day, guests begin to arrive. They are accommodated 8-10 people in a yurt for the night and refreshments.
After kemegesin chavat and other games, singers announce that they will now distribute guests among yurts so that everyone gathers in groups (by clans). The relatives of the organizers of the feast are not guests but hosts. Everyone lines up, and special organizers indicate to the hosts of yurts who should receive which guests. That night they are treated, and in the morning, they are served tea.
Osh District
Guests are received in yurts set up by relatives.
Jasauyl — from each of the seven clans (a case in Azhik), one elderly person was chosen to watch for the appearance of guests on the horizon, ride to them, find out who is coming, and return with a report. New arrivals would stop at a distance and wait for their reception. Jasauyl would return to them accompanied by others who wished to go to meet the guests and lead them to the yurts designated for them.
[/b]Duration of the Feast
Osh District
The memorials last four days: 1) kemege baiga — day of digging hearths; 2) gengesh baiga — day of meetings; 3) kalta baiga — horse races over a short distance; 4) konok baiga — races for guests (big baiga).
The feast lasts one to three or five days.
Feast: Livestock, Meat, Refreshments
Songkul
sayak
The meat (for refreshments) is chopped by the young men, rice is cooked as for pilaf, mixed together, and distributed to the guests. Heads and skins of the slaughtered animals go to the mullahs.
Osh District
Rams for the union are given on the day of kalta baiga. When determining the union (quantity), the sizes of the clan (number of yurts) are taken into account. The designated number of rams does not change depending on the actual number of arrivals, and guests dispose of what they receive as they wish, for example, they can drive the rams home.
Feast: Gengesh Baiga
Osh District
It is arranged for the reception of arriving guests. The closest neighboring clans that help the hosts of the feast in this case: chet'turu: karabargy, sarabargy, tazbargy, tasma, tengizbay, boru, mongol59.
"Allies" are also invited to kengesh baiga.
[b]Comments:
48 Chach jidi _ literally, "gathered hair", i.e., braided hair. A braided braid among many peoples served as a sign of belonging to the world of the living, while an unbraided one, on the contrary, indicated the desocialization of the bearer (Traditional worldview of the Turks. II. P. 175). This is why the hair of deceased women was unbraided. Since the widow also had to "leave" with her deceased husband to the other world, she (and in many peoples, close female relatives of the deceased) had to mourn him with loose or cut hair (Yuternberg L.Ya. Op. cit. P. 205; Snesarev G.P. Relicts... P. 132; Pisarchik A.K. Death... P. 123; Babaeva N.S. Op. cit. P. 37-38; Sidikhmenov V.Ya. Op. cit. P. 88; Lane E.U. Op. cit. P. 396; Toleubaev A.T. Op. cit. P. 95-96. See also note 33). Braiding hair, however, meant the end of mourning for the widow, her return to the world of the living. The end of mourning was accompanied by a change of mourning clothes and headgear. From then on, the widow had the right to remarry.
49 Kyrk shikaru — conducting the fortieth day memorial.
50 Names of Kazakh clans.
51 On clan mutual assistance, see the section "Wedding Rites" (note 21).
52 Wooden, most likely. Apparently, wooden dishes had a certain sacredness, as they were specially carved for annual memorials (the most crowded). As already mentioned, among many peoples, wood was considered a living being, and the properties of wood were preserved in the products made from it (see note 2).
53 Kemegesin chavat — (from kemege — hearth outside the yurt, chavat, more precisely, chapat, atchap — horse races) races held on the day of digging hearths.
54 Kemege baiga (kemege baige) — also races held on the day of digging hearths. Usually, these are small races. They involve ordinary racehorses. They were held on the eve of the main races for less honored guests (Yudakhin K.K. Op. cit. P. 95).
55 Literally, "day when livestock is slaughtered".
56 Literally, "day when meat is eaten".
57 Literally, "distributing meat".
58 At chavalat — races of runners.
59 Chet'turu//zheti uru — seven clans. The Kyrgyz clans that migrate in the Osh district are listed.
Mourning. Ritual life of the Kyrgyz at the beginning of the 20th century. Part - 15