Mythologization of death among Ossetians in the context of funeral Rites

The subject of this article is the analysis of the ideological, material and social aspects of the funeral practice of the Ossetian people. The purpose of the work is to conduct a study of the mythological representations of Ossetians in the context of their funeral rites. The novelty of the research topic is demonstrated in several key contributions: first, an attempt is made to analyze the mourning culture of the Ossetians as an ethno-cultural phenomenon; second, the distinctive features of the Ossetian funeral cult are identified and established through the lens of worldview concepts related to the dual structure of the universe; and third, new field-based ethnographic material is presented, collected by the author in several villages of the Republic of North Ossetia-Alania, including Dagom, Dargavs, Nizhny Lars, and Elkhotovo.The practical significance lies in the fact that the provisions and conclusions of this article can help: a) to overcome the prevailing stereotypes regarding the spiritual values of small ethnic groups of Russia; b) to provide modern historians with interesting material with the prospect of using it in educational and educational practices; c) to make it possible to use the basic provisions and conclusions, based on understanding of a wide range of different sources, in the formation of new approaches to the study of the Ossetian mourning complex. The author's special contribution consists in revealing the specifics and essence of the mythological concept and funeral ritual of the Ossetians in their unity, presented for the first time. The methodological basis of the research was the general philosophical theories about the role of the people in the creation of spiritual and material culture and the idea of the influence of the environment on the specifics and identity of the development of the worldview of Ossetian society. Based on the analysis, it is concluded that the Ossetian people have developed a distinct conception of the afterlife over centuries. This gave rise to the belief in an immortal soul residing in an otherworldly astral plane, which is perceived as nearly indistinguishable from the world of the living. These views clearly exhibit layers of relics from early beliefs and world religions, rooted in a semiotic perception of the universe, including the binary opposition of being and non-being. They formed the basis of the cult of the dead, which mandated abundant sacrifices, numerous commemorations, funeral rites, and other practices. These rituals maintained a connection between the living and the departed, under the assumption that the latter would, in turn, protect their living descendants. The objectivity and reliability of the results are ensured by the methodological validity of the study's initial parameters, grounded in the principles of socio-cultural determination and socialization. The author declares no conflicts of interests.

Keywords

Authors

References