The traditions and customs of the Buryat people were mainly formed within the large Mongolian ethnic group. Many of their generations experienced strong cultural influence from the peoples of Central Asia, and after they became part of Russia, they also found themselves in the zone of influence of Western Christian civilization. It is quite difficult to briefly describe the traditions of the Buryat people, since they are very colorful and diverse.
Society and way of life
In the everyday life of the Buryats, the features of a patriarchal-tribal society were clearly manifested. The uluses were divided into clans, then into families, and each Buryat had to know his ancestors, be able to name his ancestors in the male line up to the ninth generation.
The nomadic people sacredly adhered to the traditions of mutual assistance. When performing particularly labor-intensive work that required a large number of people, representatives of the clan came to the person’s aid, helping, depending on the circumstances, to build a yurt, roll felt, organize a wedding or funeral.
The traditions of the Buryat people include the custom of inviting members of the clan for fresh meat when they slaughtered a ram or a bull. The rules regarding hunting prey were especially strict.
Among the traditions of the Buryat people that are interesting for children is the worship of the color white. Thus, the guest of honor was always seated on snow-white felt, and the shamans preferred to wear light-colored clothes. People of noble birth called themselves “white bone” in contrast to commoners, who were classified as “black bone”.
Games and holidays
The most entertaining traditions of the Buryat people for children are certainly the customs associated with games, holidays, and fun. The life of the Buryat pastoralists was not as boring and monotonous as one might imagine.
Getting together, the hunters amused themselves by reproducing the sounds of animals and the voices of birds as carefully as possible. The winner was the one who completed the task with maximum accuracy. Such games include “Hurain Naadan”, “Shonyn Naadan” and others.
Dance is a universal language that can express the life around us. The Buryats also thought so, reflecting their nomadic everyday life in their dances. What are the titles worth: “The Game of a Camel and a Baby Camel”, “Dance of the Mockingbird”, “Training of Leather”.
The traditions of the Buryat people also include the annual ritual grooming of horses. Every spring, the owner sheared his horses, after which he threw white hairs from the mane and tail into the fire along with pieces of meat, and also treated the guests.
Home traditions
The main unit of society was considered to be a monogamous family, which included its head, his wife, children and parents. According to the traditions of the Buryat people, the youngest son and his wife had to live with their father and mother to take care of them.
The custom was not strict regarding polygamy. It was possible to acquire a second wife, but the obstacle to this was the large size of the bride price - the bride price. Particularly enterprising and not particularly rich Romeos preferred to kidnap brides so as not to rack their brains over the money side of the matter.
The traditions of the Buryat people included the custom of betrothal to the bride and groom in infancy. The matchmakers arrived and bargained for a long time about the size of the bride price, making allowances for the financial situation of the parties.
Among the interesting traditions of the Buryat people is Andalat. Two families with children of both sexes, who were not able to pay a large bride price, simply exchanged brides for their sons from among their daughters.
The wise Buryats carefully observed the principle of exogamy, that is, the inadmissibility of incest. The bride must certainly be chosen from another clan, even if the relationship was conditional and expressed in a common ancestor through nine generations, a strict taboo was imposed on such a union.
Marriage
Buryat weddings are still a very colorful spectacle. The traditional ritual consists of several stages: conspiracy, matchmaking, setting the day, paying the bride price, bachelorette party, searching for the bride and sending the cortege, waiting in the groom’s house, celebration, consecration of the new family home.
The religious side of the wedding ceremony has changed over time. Initially, the Buryats trusted their shamans and, according to their instructions, gladly indulged in libations in honor of the spirits of their ancestors. The introduction of the Buryats to Buddhism also changed the religious component of the wedding. The lama gained great influence. He personally determined the wedding date, the color of the wedding horses and other details.
Children
Children occupy a special position in the life of the Buryats. Sons continue the family line, daughters replenish the family budget at the expense of bridewealth. In general, you can’t live without children. This is where the custom of adopting other people's babies came from when a woman turned out to be infertile. In addition, according to tradition, a man had the right to take a second wife into the house if the first one could not give birth.
Infant mortality in primitive society was quite high, but these misfortunes were attributed to the machinations of evil spirits, from which they tried to protect themselves. Thus, the birth of babies was accompanied by a whole complex of magical rituals and ceremonies.
There was also one curious custom when naming a newborn. In the event that a family had already suffered a whole series of early childhood deaths, the baby was called a deliberately ugly name in order to frighten evil spirits. So among the Buryats there appeared guys with the names Balta (stone), Teneg (stupid), Khazagai (crooked).
Death
Different groups of Buryats buried their dead in their own way. Before the advent of Buddhism, the dead were buried in the ground, burned, and left in the forest. Those struck by lightning were considered the chosen ones of heaven and were seen off on their journey with special honor. They were dressed in a sorcerer's costume, taken to a special shaman's grove and laid on a platform, leaving food and wine nearby.
With the advent of Lamaism, and later Christianity, the life of the Buryats changed significantly. Particularly dramatic changes occurred in the 20th century, but the spirit of the original people remained unchanged.
Chagdurova Seseg Nikolaevna
Job title: Buryat language teacher
Educational institution: MBOU Secondary School No. 4 of Gusinoozersk named after Hero of Socialist Labor G.D. Tuchinov
Locality: Republic of Buryatia
Name of material: project
Subject: Traditions and customs of the Buryat people
Publication date: 08.09.2019
Chapter: secondary education
TRADITIONS AND
CUSTOMS OF THE BURYATS
PROJECT COMPLETED
CHAGDUROVA S.N.
Introduction
complex of spiritual values,
former.
The basis of the spiritual culture of the Buryats is
complex of spiritual values,
related to culture as a whole
Mongolian ethnicity. In conditions where
over the centuries the population
The Baikal region was influenced
many peoples of Central Asia, and later
and with residence in Russia, due to
that Buryatia found itself at the junction of two
cultural systems - Western Christian and
Eastern Buddhist - Buryat culture
would transform while remaining in appearance
former.
Large patriarchal family
the clans were closely related
blood ties.
Large patriarchal family
constituted the main social and
economic cell of the Buryat
society. Buryat society at that time
was generic, that is, existed
division into genera, clan groups,
then the tribes. Each family led
its ancestry from one ancestor -
ancestor (udha uzuur), people
the clans were closely related
blood ties.
Family and household customs
Strict exogamy was observed, i.e. the Buryats couldn't
marry a girl of your kind, even if
the relationship between them was very conditional, in
several generations. A large family lived
usually as follows - each ulus
consisted of several villages. There was one in the village,
two, three or more yurts with different extensions. IN
one of them, she usually stood in the center, lived
the elder of the family, an old man with an old woman, sometimes with
some orphans - relatives.
Some Buryats, like the Mongols, had the family of their youngest son, Odhon, who lived with their parents, who should
was taking care of his parents. The eldest sons and their families lived in other yurts. The entire village had common
At the head of the clan was the leader -
noyon. When the family grew greatly
and generations grew up, because
interests of its branches resorted to its
division - a ceremony was performed
departure from kinship when separated
the family constituted a separate clan -
side Everyone came to the ceremony
elders of the clan. Everyone prayed to the spirits
and ancestors. At the boundary - the border of the lands
families - they broke the cauldron and onions in two,
said:
“Like two halves of a cauldron and an onion
constitutes one whole, so two
the branches of the family will no longer unite.”
So one clan was divided into
clan divisions.
Several genera, in turn,
formed a tribe, the Buryats have a tribe
called by name
first ancestor. Or a tribe
was simply a commonality
people connected by tribal
bonds like those of the Bulagats and Ekhirites,
or the tribe had a head - like
usually the head of the oldest
kind of like the Hori - Buryats.
Separate groups of genera, in
in turn, they could also
stand out as tribal
education is like ikinat. IN
existed in Buryat communities
custom of mutual assistance
migrations, construction of yurts,
felt rolling, organization
weddings, funerals.
Later, in connection with the development of land ownership and haymaking,
assistance was provided in harvesting grain and making hay.
Mutual assistance was especially developed among women during dressing
leather, sheep shearing, felt rolling. This custom was useful
by the fact that by common efforts they were quickly and easily accomplished
labor-intensive work, an atmosphere of friendship was created and
collectivism.
WEDDING RITE
Stages of the ritual: preliminary agreement, matchmaking,
wedding appointment, groom's trip with
relatives to the bride and payment of bride price, bachelorette party
(basaganay naadan - girl's game), searching
brides and departure of the wedding train, waiting
in the groom's house, marriage, consecration of a new
yurts.
Wedding customs and traditions in different
ethnic groups had their own characteristics. By
existing traditions, all relatives of the bride
should have given her gifts during
weddings Parents of the newlyweds are good
remember those who gave gifts so that
subsequently repay with an equal gift.
Children
Children
Children occupy a significant place in the life of the Buryats. The most common and
The Buryats considered it a good wish: “Have sons to continue
your family, have daughters to give in marriage.” The most terrible oath
consisted of the words: “Let my hearth go out!” Desire to have children, consciousness
the need for procreation was so great that it gave rise to
custom: in the absence of one’s own children, to adopt strangers, mainly one’s own children
relatives, most often boys. According to customary law, a man could
take a second wife into the house if he had no children from his first marriage.
Father and mother of a child
didn't call
own
names: to words
"father" or "mother"
name was added
child (for example,
Batyn aba - father of Batu).
Six or seven days after giving birth, a ritual was performed
putting the baby in the cradle. This ritual was
essentially a family celebration for which they gathered
relatives and neighbors who gave gifts to the newborn.
The name of the child was given by one of
senior guests. In families where often
children died, the child was named
dissonant name to
distract from him, thus
attention of evil spirits. That's why
names were often found
denoting animals (Bukha - Bull,
Shono - Wolf), offensive nicknames
(Khazagai - Crooked, Teneg - Stupid) and
names such as Shuluun (Stone),
Balta (Hammer), Tumer (Iron).
Settlement and dwellings
The nomadic way of life has long determined the type
hermetically sealed compact dwelling –
prefabricated structure made of lattice
frame and felt covering, round at the base
and with a hemispherical top. In certain
conditions, the yurt is a perfect design as in
both practically and aesthetically.
The dimensions of the yurt correspond to the scale of a person. Internal
the layout takes into account the interests and tastes of its inhabitants,
provides economic and household activities. Buryat
The name of the felt yurt is heey ger, the wooden one is modon ger.
The yurt is a lightweight prefabricated building,
adapted for transportation on pack animals.
The diameter of the yurt reached 10 meters. In the center, to support the ceiling, pillars with a beam were installed.
The ceiling of the yurt was covered with soaked bark, turf and planks. Inside the yurt was divided into two
half. In the western part - baruun tala - there were harnesses, tools and weapons, hanging on the wall
ongons are images of spirits, and in the eastern one - zuun tala - there was a kitchen and pantry. According to customs,
a married woman was prohibited from entering the western half. The northern part of the yurt – hoimor –
was located opposite the door. Here, under the protection of fire, they placed a shaky (corners) with a baby, planted
guests. In the middle of the yurt there was a hearth and a togoon - a large cast-iron cauldron. The smoke rose and
came out through a hole in the ceiling. The hearth was considered sacred, and numerous rules and
rituals. A wooden bed was installed in the north-west side, in the wall of the north-east side
shelves for utensils were built in or simply placed. Sometimes a porch was added outside, and there was
a hitching post was dug in - serge, the top of which was decorated with carved ornaments. Serge served as a subject of special
veneration and was an indicator of the family’s wealth, since its absence meant horselessness and poverty.
Cattle breeding and
agriculture
On the Buryat farm in the 17th century. played a dominant role
nomadic (Transbaikalia) and semi-nomadic (Baikal region)
cattle breeding. Hunting and farming had subsidiary
importance, and the degree of their development depended on cattle breeding.
The annexation of Buryatia to Russia gave a new impetus
further development of the Buryat economy: destroyed
natural economic structure, deepening commodity-
monetary relations, more progressive ones are formed
forms of farming. Sheep were of particular importance.
Meat was eaten, felt was made from wool,
and from sheepskin - clothing.
Along with cattle breeding, the Buryats
There was arable farming. To
the arrival of the Russians it was
mainly by hoeing, that is, in
the same form in which it was
inherited from the Kurykan. In the future,
mainly under the influence of the Russians,
the Buryat farmers had
wooden harrows and plows, into which
the horse was harnessed. The bread was removed
pink salmon braids, later – braids –
Lithuanians
The Buryats sowed rye, in a smaller
quantity - wheat, oats and barley. From
large crops in separate places
millet and buckwheat were sown.
Agricultural work is usually
met the traditional deadlines,
which were very compressed,
ended on the 9th.
tracking, stalking,
meat and fur animals.
Individual hunting, common
throughout the ethnic territory of the Buryats, in
forest-steppe zone was represented
active and passive forms,
in a variety of ways and techniques:
tracking, stalking,
luring, ambush, prey of a bear “on
den.” Passive form of hunting,
known to the Buryats, was used to hunt wild
meat and fur animals.
Hunting
The Buryats have long had two types of hunting:
collective oblavna (aba) and
individual (atuuri). IN
taiga and forest-steppe zone
the Buryats mined such large
animals like elk, wapiti, bear.
They also hunted wild boar,
roe deer, musk deer, hunted
squirrel, sable, ermine, ferret,
otter, lynx, badger. On the lake
Lake Baikal caught seals.
Crafts Buryat
Buryat art metal
is culture at the same time
material and artistic.
It was created by creative
through the efforts of blacksmiths, whose
artistic production served
one of the effective means
aesthetic design
folk life. Art
metal is drilled in the tightest ties
was associated with everyday life
people and reflected aesthetic
concepts of the people.
Monuments of jewelry art of past centuries
are iron and steel plates with silver
notch and silver surface with niello patterns.
The shape of plates of varying complexity - circle, rectangle,
rosette, combination of a triangle with a rectangle and
around, oval. In order to enhance the decorative effect
plates, semi-precious stones were used - carnelian,
lapis lazuli, malachite, as well as coral and mother of pearl.
Buryats are excellent
used in jewelry
practice of notching with silver and
tin on steel and iron,
filigree and granulation, silvering and
gilding, engraving and
openwork carving, inlay
mother-of-pearl and simple cut
colored stones, bluing and
blackening, casting and stamping.
Precious metals are cast and
undergo final processing
by forging and grinding many
items for women and men
decorations. These are the silver
bracelets, rings and bracelets.
Decorations are divided into
head, oblique, ear, temporal,
shoulder, waist, side,
hand decorations.
Food
Nomadic farming led to
nature of food. Meat and various
dairy products were the mainstay
nutrition Buryats. It should be emphasized
that meat and especially dairy
food had ancient origins
and were distinguished by great
variety.
The cows began calving.
Dairy products were consumed by the Buryats in
liquid and solid form. Made from milk
tarag (yogurt), khuruud, ayruul (dry cottage cheese),
urme (foam), airig (buttermilk), bislag and heege
(varieties of cheese). Butter was obtained
from whole milk, sometimes sour cream. From
mare's milk was used to prepare kumys, and from
cow - archi (tarasun). Abundance of dairy
food for the Buryats began from the beginning of spring, when
The cows began calving.
Meat food occupied exclusively
important place in the diet of the Buryats.
The value and quantity of its consumption
increased in winter. Most
hearty and best-tasting meat
horse meat was considered, followed by lamb.
Used for variety
animal meat - goat meat, sokhatina,
hare and squirrel meat. Sometimes they ate
bear meat, hog meat and wild
waterfowl. Existed
it is also a custom to prepare for the winter
uuse - horse meat.
Cloth
Buryat
Traditional Buryat men's clothing - a robe without a shoulder seam
– winter degel and summer terlig on a thin lining.
Traditional men's outerwear was
straight back, i.e. not cut at the waist, with
long flaring hemlines.
Men's robes drill Transbaikalia and
The Cis-Baikal region differed in cut. For
Transbaikal Buryats, Mongols is characteristic
loose clothing with the smell of the left hem on
right with one-piece sleeves. Deep
the smell provided warmth for the chest area
body, which was important during long-term
horse riding. Winter clothes were made from sheepskin,
5-6 skins were used to sew one degel.
Initially, degel from smoked sheepskins was not
decorated at the edges of the collar, sleeves, hem and
fur protruded from the bodice.
Subsequently, all edges began to be sheathed, edged with velvet, velvet or other fabrics. Sometimes degel
covered with fabric: for everyday work - cotton (mostly dalemba), elegant
degels - silk, brocade, semi-brocade, chesus, velvet, corduroy. The same fabrics were used for sewing
elegant summer terlig. Fabrics woven with gold or
silver – Chinese silk – patterns, images of dragons were made from gold and silver threads –
Probably, the traditional love for metal was reflected here. Since such fabrics were very expensive, not all
had the opportunity to sew a robe entirely out of silk. Then expensive fabrics were used for appliqué,
finishing of bodice, sleeves, sleeveless vests.
Male and female degels have everything
floors – upper (urda khorma) and
bottom (dotor khormoi), back (ara
tala), front, bodice (seezhe), sides (enger).
Fur products were sewn using the
huberdehe, sweeping loops through
the edge, the seam was then sealed
decorative braid. Clothes from
fabrics were sewn using the khushezhe method - “with a needle”
forward". One piece of fabric was sewn
on the other, then the edge of the bottom layer
turned up and stitched again.
Buryat settlements - uluses - appeared on the shores of Lake Baikal in the 17th century. The family structure was based on the patriarchal-tribal system. Groups of Mongols-Dzhugars and Sartols, who fled Mongolia due to tribal strife, settled together with the Buryats. When a Buryat is asked to name his clan affiliation, he begins to list his ancestors in the male line up to the seventh generation.
The Buryats survived in the harsh Siberian conditions only thanks to their experience of mutual assistance; with common help, yurts were erected, women made felt, and family rituals (weddings, funerals) were performed. Even with such a strong tradition of mutual assistance, social inequality existed among the clans. The top of the clan was richer, while ordinary members of the clan fell into servitude to the rich, who found a way to use the poor cattle breeders in their own interests.
Among the Buryats, the following centuries-old traditions were strictly observed:
- If a cattle breeder slaughtered livestock, then all the closest neighbors were invited to the fresh meat;
- Hunters had their own tradition, according to which they took part of their catch to a neighbor if he could not come to the hunter for a treat.
- The Buryats are famous for their hospitality and revere the poor, to whom they generously distribute alms. They do not deprive both visiting guests and travelers of their hospitality, providing them, if necessary, with a table and a house.
Hosting is one of the oldest traditions, when guests gather and visit nearby uluses. Usually such visiting takes place in the summer during a religious holiday - tailagan.
Why do Buryats especially value the color white?
The white color is highly revered by the Buryats, who personify this color with purity and nobility. To seat a guest on white felt means to honor him. The Buryats, who considered themselves to be among the nobility, considered themselves white-boned: sagan yasu, and the poor were accordingly called hara yasu, that is, black-boned.
Important!!!
Traditionally, as a sign of classifying himself as a Sagan Yasu, a noble Buryat settled in a yurt made of white felt. Shamans, who also considered themselves white-boned, wore only white clothes and preferred white horses for riding.
The life of a Buryat herder was not monotonous. They entertained themselves by dancing, games and choral singing. The games were mainly an expression of hunting traditions:
- "Hurain naadan" (grouse dance);
- "Baabgain naadan" (Bear game).
Advice
In all games and dances, the performers tried to reproduce as accurately as possible the movements, habits and voices of the animals depicted. For children's games, they rolled a ball out of wool. From an early age, children were taught to shoot a bow, ride a horse, and engage in wrestling.
Party
Special ongon-naadans were invited to youth parties, where they entertained the assembled youth. Some games and dances were of a ritual nature. The mass game “Zemkhen” was organized so that young people from neighboring uluses could get to know each other. During the game, couples could form and, if mutual understanding was reached between the parents of the bride and groom, then the bride’s parents would throw a bachelorette party.
The basis of the spiritual culture of the Buryats is a complex of spiritual values that generally relate to the culture of the Mongolian ethnic group. In conditions when, for many centuries, the population of the Baikal region experienced the influence of many peoples of Central Asia, and later with their stay as part of Russia, due to the fact that Buryatia found itself at the junction of two cultural systems - Western Christian and Eastern Buddhist - culture the Buryats seemed to be transformed, remaining in appearance the same.
Family and household customs of the Buryats
The large patriarchal family constituted the main social and economic unit of Buryat society. The Buryat society at that time was tribal, that is, there was a division into clans, clan groups, and then tribes. Each clan traced its lineage back to one ancestor - the ancestor (udha uzuur), the people of the clan were connected by close blood ties. Strict exogamy was observed, i.e. Buryats could not marry a girl of their own kind, even if the relationship between them was very conditional, lasting several generations. A large family usually lived as follows - each ulus consisted of several villages. In the village there were one, two, three or more yurts with different outbuildings. In one of them, she usually stood in the center, lived the elder of the family, an old man with an old woman, sometimes with some orphans - relatives. Some Buryats, like the Mongols, had the family of their youngest son, odkhon, living with their parents, who was supposed to take care of his parents. The eldest sons and their families lived in other yurts. The entire village had common arable land, mowing areas, and livestock. Further in the ulus lived their relatives - uncles (nagasa), cousins.
At the head of the clan was a leader - noyon. When the clan grew greatly and generations grew up, due to the interests of its branches, they resorted to dividing it - a rite of departure from kinship was carried out, when the separated family formed a separate clan - obok. All the elders of the clan came to the ceremony. Everyone prayed to the spirits and ancestors. At the boundary—the border of the families’ lands—they broke a cauldron and a bow in two and said:
“Just as the two halves of a cauldron and an onion do not form a single whole, so the two branches of the family will no longer be united.”
So one clan was divided into clan divisions, an example is the Batlayev seven among the Bulagats. Several clans, in turn, made up a tribe; among the Buryats, a tribe is called by the name of its ancestor. Either a tribe was simply a community of people united by tribal ties, like the Bulagats and Ekhirits, or the tribe had a head - as a rule, the head of the oldest clan, like the Khoris - the Buryats. Separate groups of clans, in turn, could also be separated into a tribal formation, like the Ikinats or Ashaabgats. In Buryat communities there was a custom of mutual assistance during migrations, building yurts, rolling felt, organizing weddings and funerals. Later, in connection with the development of land ownership and haymaking, assistance was provided in harvesting grain and storing hay. Mutual assistance was especially developed among women in tanning leather, shearing sheep, and rolling felt. This custom was useful in that labor-intensive work was completed quickly and easily through common efforts, and an atmosphere of friendship and collectivism was created.
The dominant form of family was the individual monogamous family, which included the head of the family, his wife, children and parents. The custom allowed polygamy, but it was found mainly among wealthy people, since a ransom (kalym) had to be paid for a wife.
All aspects of family and marriage relations were regulated by customs and traditions. Exogamy, which survived until the beginning of the 20th century, did not allow persons belonging to the same clan to marry. For example, the Buryats of the Gotol clan took wives from the Irkhideevsky, Sharaldaevsky and Yangutsky clans. There was a custom of conspiring with children in infancy, even when they were still in the cradle. As a sign of the conclusion of the marriage contract - khuda orolsolgo - the parents of the bride and groom exchanged a belt and drank milk wine. From that moment on, the girl became a bride, and her father had no right to marry her off to someone else.
To avoid expenses for bride price, they sometimes resorted to the custom of “andalyat” - an exchange that consisted of two families, each having sons and daughters, exchanging girls. According to customary law, the dowry - enzhe - was the complete property of the wife, and the husband had no right to it. In some places, in particular among the Kudarin Buryats, kidnapping was practiced - kidnapping the bride.
The wedding ceremony usually consisted of the following stages: preliminary agreement, matchmaking, setting the wedding, the groom and his relatives traveling to the bride and paying the bride price, a bachelorette party (basaganai naadan - a girl’s game), searching for the bride and departure of the wedding train, waiting in the groom’s house, marriage, consecration new yurt. Wedding customs and traditions in different ethnic groups had their own characteristics. According to existing traditions, all the bride’s relatives were supposed to give her gifts during the wedding. The parents of the newlyweds remembered well those who presented gifts, so that they could later repay them with an equal gift.
Children occupy a significant place in the life of the Buryats. The most common and kind wish among the Buryats was: “Have sons to continue your family, have daughters to marry.” The most terrible oath consisted of the words: “Let my hearth go out!” The desire to have children, the awareness of the need to procreate was so great that it gave rise to the custom: in the absence of one’s own children, to adopt strangers, mainly the children of one’s relatives, most often boys. According to customary law, a man could take a second wife into his home if he had no children from his first marriage.
The child’s father and mother were not called by their proper names: the child’s name was added to the words “father” or “mother” (for example, Batyn aba - Batu’s father).
Six or seven days after the birth, the ritual of putting the baby in the cradle was performed. This ritual was essentially a family celebration, where relatives and neighbors gathered to give gifts to the newborn.
The name of the child was given by one of the older guests. In families where children often died, the child was given a dissonant name in order to distract the attention of evil spirits from him. Therefore, there were often names denoting animals (Bukha - Bull, Shono - Wolf), offensive nicknames (Khazagai - Crooked, Teneg - Stupid) and names such as Shuluun (Stone), Balta (Hammer), Tumer (Iron).
From an early age, children were taught knowledge of their native land, customs and traditions of their fathers and grandfathers. They tried to instill labor skills in them, to introduce them to the productive activities of adults: boys were taught to ride a horse, shoot a bow, harness horses, and girls were taught to crumple belts, sheepskins, carry water, light a fire, and babysit. From an early age, children became shepherds, learned to endure the cold, sleep in the open air, stay with the herd for days, and go hunting. In the Buryat family there were no strict measures for offenses.
Settlement and dwellings. Life of the Buryats
The nomadic way of life has long determined the type of hermetically sealed compact dwelling - a prefabricated structure made of a lattice frame and felt covering, round at the base and with a hemispherical top. Under certain conditions, a yurt is a perfect structure, both practically and aesthetically.
The dimensions of the yurt correspond to the scale of a person. The internal layout takes into account the interests and tastes of its inhabitants and ensures household activities. The Buryat name for a felt yurt is heeey ger, and for a wooden one – modon ger. A yurt is a lightweight, prefabricated structure, adapted for transportation by pack animals.
In the 19th century a significant part of the Buryat population lived in settlements - uluses, scattered along river valleys and highlands. Each ulus consisted of several families - ayls or khotons, united according to their clan. The population spent the cold season in the uluses, which is why they were also called winter roads. The number of courtyards in them varied - from 10 - 12 courtyards to 80 dozen. On the winter roads there were multi-walled wooden yurts, Russian-style huts, and outbuildings. In the summer, the Buryats of the Cis-Baikal region migrated to summer camps, which were located near pastures. They usually lived there in felt or wooden yurts. In the Baikal region, felt yurts began to disappear even before the arrival of the Russians, and in Transbaikalia they were widespread until the revolution.
Wooden yurts, common in the Cis-Baikal region, had a sloping roof and were most often built with eight walls of round larch or half logs laid in 12–14 rows. The diameter of the yurt reached 10 meters. In the center, to support the ceiling, pillars with a beam were installed. The ceiling of the yurt was covered with soaked bark, turf and planks. Inside, the yurt was divided into two halves. In the western part - baruun tala - there were harnesses, tools and weapons, ongons - images of spirits - hung on the wall, and in the eastern part - zuun tala - there was a kitchen and pantry. According to custom, a married woman was forbidden to enter the western half. The northern part of the yurt - hoimor - was located opposite the door. Here, under the protection of fire, they placed a shaky corner (corners) with a baby and seated guests. In the middle of the yurt there was a fireplace and togoon- large cast iron boiler. Smoke rose up and came out through a hole in the ceiling. The hearth was considered sacred, and numerous rules and rituals were associated with it. A wooden bed was installed in the northwestern side, and shelves for utensils were built into the wall of the northeastern side or simply placed. Sometimes a porch was built outside, and a hitching post - serge - was dug in, the top of which was decorated with carved ornaments. Serge served as an object of special veneration and was an indicator of the family’s wealth, since its absence meant horselessness and poverty.
Cattle breeding and agriculture
The traditional economy belongs to the economic and cultural type of pastoral nomads of the dry steppes of Eurasia, which existed in this area for three millennia. Cattle breeding, the main occupation of the Buryats in the 17th–20th centuries, determined the way of life of the people and the specifics of their material and spiritual culture. On the Buryat farm in the 17th century. The dominant role was played by nomadic (Transbaikalia) and semi-nomadic (Baikal region) cattle breeding. Hunting and farming were of secondary importance, and the degree of their development depended on cattle breeding. The annexation of Buryatia to Russia gave a new impetus to the further development of the Buryat economy: the natural economic structure was being destroyed, commodity-money relations were deepening, and more progressive forms of farming were being formed. Sheep were of particular importance. Meat was used for food, felt was made from wool, and clothing was made from sheepskin.
Along with cattle breeding, the Buryats had arable farming. Before the arrival of the Russians, it was predominantly a hoe, that is, in the same form in which it was inherited from the Kurykans. Later, mainly under the influence of the Russians, the Buryat farmers acquired wooden harrows and plows, into which a horse was harnessed. Bread was harvested with pink salmon scythes, and later with Lithuanian scythes.
They threshed bread with flails and winnowed with wooden shovels and sieves. In the 19th century Alar, Udi, and Balagan Buryats, who lived in fertile river valleys, were widely engaged in agriculture. In the open steppe regions, the fields were located close to housing and did not require much effort to cultivate, but the yield was low due to frost and winds. Preference was given to mountainous and wooded areas, although uprooting forests and plowing land required great effort and was accessible only to wealthy people.
The Buryats sowed rye and, in smaller quantities, wheat, oats and barley. Among the large crops, millet and buckwheat were sown in some places. Agricultural work usually fit into traditional deadlines, which were very tight, for example, sowing of spring crops began on May 1 and ended on the 9th.
Hunting
The Buryats have long had two types of hunting: collective hunting (aba) and individual hunting (atuuri). In the taiga and forest-steppe zones, the Buryats hunted such large animals as elk, wapiti, and bear. They also hunted wild boar, roe deer, musk deer, and hunted squirrel, sable, ermine, ferret, otter, lynx, and badger. A seal was caught on Lake Baikal.
Individual hunting, widespread throughout the ethnic territory of the Buryats, in the forest-steppe zone was represented by active and passive forms, various methods and techniques: tracking, pursuit, luring, ambush, catching a bear “in a den.” The passive form of hunting known to the Buryats was for the production of wild meat and fur animals.
In the taiga zone, the Buryats installed various traps on animal trails and in other narrow places: they dug trapping holes, adjusted crossbows, hung loops, built mouths, stationary traps, sacks and sacks, and built ambushes. In the steppe zone, wolves and foxes were caught using poisoned baits and traps. The hunting equipment of the Buryats consisted of the following production tools: bow, arrows, spear, whip, stick, knife, gun, crossbows, loops, sack, bag, mouth, die, decoy for wapiti, roe deer and musk deer.
Traditional food
Nomadic farming also determined the nature of food. Meat and various dairy products were the basis of the Buryat diet. It should be emphasized that meat and especially dairy foods had ancient origins and were very diverse.
Dairy products were consumed by the Buryats in liquid and solid form. Tarag (yogurt), huruud, ayruul (dry cottage cheese), urme (foam), airig (buttermilk), bislag and heege (varieties of cheese) were prepared from milk. Butter was made from whole milk and sometimes sour cream. Kumis was prepared from mare's milk, and arkhi (tarasun) from cow's milk. The abundance of dairy food among the Buryats began in early spring, when cows began to calve.
Meat food occupied an extremely important place in the diet of the Buryats. The importance and quantity of its consumption increased in winter. Horse meat was considered the most satisfying and best-tasting meat, followed by lamb. For variety, they consumed animal meat - goat meat, sokhatina, hare and squirrel meat. Sometimes they ate bear meat, hog meat and wild waterfowl. There was also a custom of storing uuse - horse meat - for the winter.
The distribution of boiled meat at the table depended on the degree of honor and social status of the guests. The head (toolei) was served to the most honored guest, to other guests: shoulder blade (dala), femur (possibly semgen), two lower large ribs (under khabhan), humerus (adhaal). The closest guest was treated to the aorta (golto zurkhen) along with the heart. Expensive treats for visiting relatives included: lamb brisket (ubsuun), lamb sacrum, dorsal spine (heer), large intestine (khoshkhonog). When slaughtering an animal and treating guests, blood sausage was always prepared in different variations. In winter, raw liver (elgen), kidneys (boore), and lard (arban) of a horse were especially tasty.
Buryatia is a country beyond Lake Baikal, a country where the sun always shines. A country of picturesque landscapes, wide steppes, high mountains and blue rivers, a country where the Buryats live... Buryatia, and its capital, have a special spirit, a special culture - this is not yet Asia, but it is no longer Europe. At the intersection of cultures, the city’s architecture and its special style emerged. In new, modern buildings, along with Western “functionality”, there are also the outlines of a Buryat yurt.
Ulan-Ude has the most delicious and natural meat and dairy products; the products of the Ulan-Ude meat processing plant are famous throughout Siberia. Meat dishes in Buryat cuisine are very refined and varied. The very first place is occupied, of course, by the famous Buryat Buuzes (poses). Every visitor to the city should try this dish. Buuzy is a cult dish in Buryatia. There are many options for preparing buuz and every housewife in Buryatia has her own secret.
Another national dish is buhler. Buhler is prepared from fresh, finely chopped beef or lamb meat with the addition of potatoes; in the old days it was prepared only from meat and wild onions. The uniqueness of this dish is its ease of preparation. Fragrant, rich, hot meat broth in the conditions of cold Siberia, which better shows care for the guest who may have traveled a long way.
Among the Buryats, a table without dairy products is considered empty. Hanachan zoohey (salamat), hurgechen eezgey (curd snowballs), urmen (dried foam). Milk and dairy products are considered sacred white food among the Buryats (Sagaan edeen). It is presented to the gods, treated to guests of honor, and is the first to be placed on the festive table.
And the most important thing in Buryatia is its people. The most beautiful Buryat women live in Ulan-Ude. The most educated Buryats live in Ulan-Ude. The most talented artists live in Ulan-Ude. The most hospitable people live in Ulan-Ude.
Like all Siberian peoples, hospitality is the main tradition of the Buryats. And today, when inviting a guest to a Buryat family, you will be received, observing Buryat traditions. When entering a Buryat yurt, you must step over the threshold. In ancient times, it was believed that a guest who deliberately stepped on the threshold indicated his bad intentions and could safely be considered an enemy.
It was also believed that by leaving weapons and other luggage outside the yurt, a guest shows his good intentions and respect for the owners. The entrance of the yurt always faces south. This arrangement continues today. The northern part of the yurt is more honorable; guests are received here. But without an invitation, a guest cannot settle there. The eastern half of the yurt is for women, the western half is for men.
When presenting a meal to a guest, the hostess, as a sign of respect, hands the bowl with both hands. And the guest should receive it in the same way - showing respect for the home. Many traditions came to the Buryats from Mongolia; the cultures of these two nomadic peoples are closely intertwined. For example, the revered custom of the right hand. Serve food and accept any offering only with your right hand or with both hands. When greeting a guest, in order to emphasize special respect, he is presented with two hands, palms folded together, as in a Buddhist bow; shaking hands in return is also done with two hands.
As in many other countries with Buddhist culture, when entering a house, it is customary to remove shoes at the threshold. The Buryats have a pleasant tradition of giving gifts to the guest of honor. You can’t refuse a gift, and it would be nice to give something to the owners too. A gift is a sign of respect for you, but it is also a sign of your respect for the owners. A Buryat proverb speaks about this custom: “Hands extended with a gift do not take them back with a gift.”
You will show great respect to the owners by listening to their stories about family, parents, pedigree, since family relations among the Buryats are a national value. Toasts at a Buryat feast also have their own long-standing traditions and their own sequence: first the hosts make several toasts, and only then the guest makes the toasts.
Out of respect for the hosts, you need to try all the dishes, you will not regret it, because Buryat national dishes are very tasty, and the main task of the hosts who receive the guest is to feed and drink him to his fill. It is impolite to rush to leave, because having a guest in a Buryat’s house is a great joy, and they will certainly try to keep you longer. You need to warn the owners about your departure several times before leaving the house. Friendship begins with a visit to a Buryat home. With a visit to the Buryat capital, acquaintance with Buryatia begins, and with a visit to Baikal, love for an amazing land begins, where everyone will find an object of special adoration.