ALL
bride parents
ICH Elements 9
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Soọng cô Singing of the San Diu
In the Sán Dìu language, soọng means singing, and cô means intone. Soọng cô is a lyrical folk song genre of the Sán Dìu ethnic group, with lyrics between men and women. Soọng is written in the form of "seven words and four verses", created by the farmers themselves, passed down from generation to generation, mainly by word of mouth or recorded in ancient Han characters. The words are placed in the form of seven words and four verses, written in Han characters, and transmitted orally; There are 3 parts: call, tell and answer. They sing during leisure time, when men and women meet, gathering around the fire with the belief that they will be supported by the kitchen god. The theme is associated with daily activities, when having guests come to the house, having friends, greeting neighbors, getting acquainted, making love between men and women, and seeing off friends. Soọng cô has two forms: love songs associated with daily life and productive labor (hy soon Soọng cô) and response songs during festivals and weddings (sếnh ca chíu cô). In the first form, the singing content is both for learning and sometimes for showing off talent. In the second form, you must sing according to the required songs and melodies (the stage of performing wedding rituals). If singing at home, it must be sung in order to show the solemnity of the ritual (sing to greet the gods, ancestors, the elderly, then parents, relatives, neighbors, etc, then begin into singing content); When singing outdoors, lyrics can be improvised to suit specific circumstances, demonstrating the singer's creativity and flexibility. These songs are like blessings for the bride and groom and their families. Regardless of the form, Soọng cô singing requires the singer to have extensive knowledge, quick wit, intelligence, talent for responding, and good at creating new lyrics for songs and melodies. The singing rhythm is stable in length, often using 2/4, 4/4 rhythm; The vocal range is not too large, the sound intervals always follow each other evenly, there are few sudden ups and downs, and there are few sudden fluctuations.
Viet Nam -
Disentangling games
One of the Mongolian traditional games is the disentangling game. Without doubt, this must have been originated from a nomadic livestock breeder's livelihood as a demand to untie and disentangle difficult knots, ties, and entangled things. Consequently, parents took much care to train their kids to learn how to disentangling things and created a variety of disentangling games. First-hand materials were rope, thread, and whip-cord which were used for making diverse knots and used for children to untie the knots. For instance, "Khonih kholboo" (Chain stitch), "Bogtsnii uya” (Saddle bag tie), "Argamjaanaas biye salgakh" (Untie oneself from a tether), "Yeson nukh" (Nine holes), "Bogj niiliilekh" (Link the rings) and "Chodriin zangilaa" (Hobble knot) can be mentioned. There are stories that Mongolians would challenge the groom's smartness by a game Uurgiin huivnaas bogj salgakh" (Separating a ring from a sting) and challenge the bride's intelligence by games like "Link the rings” and "Run colts".
Mongolia -
FOTIHATUY, nonshikanon.
First feast ritual in the bride parent’s house, in which participate parents and some close relatives and friends of groom. In this ritual will be decided the day of wedding and other related customs.
Tajikistan -
SAFEDIGIRON, dahonbandon, rumoltiyon
A ritual which is held before the wedding in bride parent’s house, in which participate parents and 3-4 close relatives of groom and some relative s and neighbors of bride.
Tajikistan -
Betashar – Kazakh wedding
Beautiful rite of 'Betashar' (kaz. 'open face') symbolizes inclusion of a bride into a groom’s family clan. First bride’s mother arranges Kazakh traditional headwear “Saukele” on her daughter’s head covering her face with veil called “jelek”. The groom’s eldest sisters-in-law (“jenge”) bring the bride under their arms to the guests. Then the bride puts her feet on a white carpet with an image of Tengrian calendar embodying the Universe or lamb fleece – the symbols of fertility. Masters of improvised music poetry Akyns start the ritual by singing a bridal song “Betashar jyr” to the accompaniment of Dombyra. The song praises groom’s family ancestors, parents and all relatives in dedicated couplets. In return the bride with her sisters-in-law bow to every relative and family listed, thus giving her respect and greeting – “Salem beru”. The relatives, whom the bride has just bowed, reward Akyn with money for his performance. After introducing all the relatives and expressing good wishes, Akyn lifts the bride’s veil with the neck of his Dombyra, thus revelaing the bride’s face to everybody. Mother-in-law (“Ene”) takes off the veil, kisses and welcomes new member of the family. Then the groom takes the bride by the hand showing her to all guests. At this moment elder relatives shower the newlyweds with sweets and coins (“Shashu” ritual), wishing them happiness and abundances. In some regions Betashar includes: bride’s stepping over the fire, fumigation of bride with harmala (“adiraspan”) smoke and pouring oil on fire to endear the Spirit of fire.
Kazakhstan -
Customs and rituals related to marriage
Soiko saluu Soiko saluu is an engagement ritual when the young man’s parents and relatives pay visit to the young lady’s house to make a proposal. The groom’s family gives engagement earrings to the bride and bride price to her family called kalyn. Bride price is considered as a gratitude to her parents for raising a woman who will become a wife and mother of future husband’s children. The bride’s side prepares dowry, which includes various household items needed for a newly formed family. It includes felt carpets, cushions, matrasses, etc. Kyz uzatuu Kyz uzatuu is a ritual of seeing off a bride when groom’s party comes to take her to the groom’s house. This ritual takes place before the wedding ceremony. This ritual is conducted by bride’s family and friends. There is also a ritual called arkan tartuu. When the groom’s party is coming to take away the bride, bride’s friends pull the rope across the rope, thus, symbolically blocking the way to the bride’s house. The groom’s party gives gifts and money to people holding ropes, thus, earning a right to pass forward. Nike kyiyuu Nike kyiyuu is the main wedding ceremony. A cup of water is prepared for this ritual. Some sugar is added to water and sometimes a silver coin is placed at the bottom of the cup. After reciting verses from Quran, the newly-wed couple drinks water from the cup. The meaning of sharing water is that a couple agrees to live through thick and thin, life’s ups and downs together. When drinking water, the bride and groom make a wish to be pure as water and live long and happily. By adding sugar, they wish to have a sweet life and coin stands for prosperity. Water is a symbol of purity, eternity and sacredness; that is why it is used in a wedding ceremony. Kyrgyz wedding feasts are big. The number of guests vary depending on family’s income. Nowadays, wedding is done in various styles but all of them have abovementioned traditional rituals. Otko kirgizuu According to Kyrgyz traditions, a newly-wed bride cannot go visit houses of grooms neighbors, relatives and friends. That is why the latter invite the newly-wed bride and her husband to their house. This ritual is called otko kirgizuu. The purpose of this ritual is to get acquainted with a new daughter-in-law. A daughter-in-law can go to this ritual with her husband, mother-in-law or other close relatives. When a bride enters the house, she is supposed to bow to the hosts. The newly-wed bride helps pouring tea and serving food as if she was in her house. The hosts give her their blessings and a gift such as dish set, garment, etc. Only after that, a newly-wed bride can freely come to this house and help around during feasts and rituals. After some time after wedding, the newly-wed bride goes to visit her own family. This visit is called torkuloo. She does not go home on her own but rather with her husband and parents-in-law. There are smaller rituals done within this big ritual. This is considered as otko kirgizuu for the newly-wed groom. Despite the changes happening in a modern society, every custom and a ritual reflects the essence of Kyrgyz people and their culture. These rituals highlight the sanctity of family values and transmitted from generation to generation without coming at odds with current worldviews of Kyrgyz people.
Kyrgyzstan -
Performing art of songs
There are various types of performed singing genres. Love songs is the most spread mass genre of singing art of the Kyrgyz. Love songs reflect not only moral and aesthetic worldview of the people, but love of native land as well. Their lyrics are often built on comparisons of images of nature and a loved one. They praise the beauty of surrounding world and motherland. Edification-songs represent other genre of the Kyrgyz folk singing. They reflect philosophical views about human character, family relations, society and peace, and contain catchwords and conclusions about natural phenomena. They are often sung during celebrations of important life events. Lyrical songs may be performed without accompaniment or with accompaniment of komuz or accordion. They sound more often without accompaniment during traditional and family celebrations of so called oturush, and sherine, as well as during folk song contests such as sarmerden and yr kese (singing chalice). No repertoire of folk singers (yrchy) is complete without lyrical songs. Ceremonial songs of the Kyrgyz, first of all, are connected with celebrations of various events. They have a solemn character and are performed with musical accompaniment. So, for example, toi bashtar (wedding song or feast song) marks the beginning of a wedding celebration or jubilee celebration, and jar-jar is the song of a greeting of groom and bride. There are ceremonial songs that are performed without musical accompaniment. It concerns the lamentation song performed by the bride’s mother at a dramatic moment of the wedding, when the bride leaves her parents’ house; or the lullabies that are performed during of the ceremony of encradling the newborn child. A vivid expression of the epic beginning of Kyrgyz folklore is demonstrated in lamentation songs performed at funerals. Songs of bakhshi and dervishes are other well preserved song genres of the Kyrgyz. They are performed in the form of melodic recitatives at praising and appealing to the God, and at purification rituals. Contemplation song is one of the genres of lyrical traditions of the Kyrgyz. They are built on folk philosophy, teaching, and artistic representation of the reality, which are transmitted from generation to generation. They comprise moral principles and ethno- pedagogical views of the nation in them. Similar to the other folk song traditions, contemplation songs are presented in rhythmic and poetic form.
Kyrgyzstan -
Custom of beseeching a bride
The custom of beseeching a bride starts with sending two individuals on white horses as matchmakers to ride to the family of the chosen woman to be a bride. When matchmakers reach the bride’s family and offer an honorable scarf to the father of bride saying to him, as “we have a deer hunter, you have a dove tailor of sables”. Parents of the chosen woman return the matchmakers with a reply that the decision shall be made upon consulting among their relatives. After a few days, the father with his son to be a groom and a special someone ride on to the parents of a woman to be a bride. They bring along the present to the parents of the bride. Once they arrive, the father of the son offers honorary silk scarf to the father of a bride. The second visit is to hear for their consent and decide the wedding day.
Mongolia -
ARUSTALBON, talbon, haftatalbon
Ritual of visiting newly-weds to the house of bride’s parents.
Tajikistan