The rituals exchange as a map of political and social ethics of traditional knowledge (Begining)

To your attention the study of Nurlan Choybekov is presented. It is pretty interesting to consider the essential elements of the mentality of our citizens, expressed in the form of traditional knowledge. Text of the study is presented in five parts. For readability, all these are published in the form of five relevant chapters. Happy reading.

ABSTARCT

Due to globalization and market economy value of culture as informal law has been decreased. Instead of regulating social relations culture is serving as camouflage to perpetuate market economy values. Globalization and global economy as a consequence penetrated into informal strata of social life and changed in its favor. However, still there is part of society that is keeping and knows meaning of culture that contains traditional knowledge and wisdom. This research attempts to show culture of gift giving from the eyes of barriers of culture, form the eyes of first nation, but not from the sided globalized modern view.

Part I

With the development of globalization the huge amount of the traditions and their sense of societies have been forgotten. The lifestyle’s modernization leads the members of society replaces some traditions and modifies itself. Such tense occurs not always as the better one. But, anyway, all traditions as informal relationships regulators are functional base for society. This study is an attempt to observe the social institution such as the giving of presents in terms of Kyrgyz society, culture carriers themselves. The study involved seven respondents from all regions of the country, different age, gender, social, educational category.

The stability and functionality of public institutions, as like traditions, rituals take place, if they have an integral part of society. The German sociologist Emile Durkheim pointed out that an institution which was built on the, could not exist, and there will be only one institution that keeps the essence of things.[3] This postulate leads to the conclusion where the Kyrgyz society practicing the rituals of the past, so they keep the essence of the things that are important for the functioning of society. Kyrgyz society today continues to practice the tradition of giving gifts. Ritual gift, giving gifts in all societies has its own functionality and interpretation. For example, such people of New Zealand like Samoa, which receive a gift from someone means to get along with a gift and essence of the soul of the giver.[4] While the natives of Australian hunters divided the prey among the family and relatives, the size depending on the form of kinship with the hunter. The authors believe that such kind of society insures hunters in the future, and they will have the right to obtain the same amount of food. So society provides all meals. Anthropologists claim that “individuals or groups in a variety of cultures used to think that the transaction itself is a gift, although it is important that they create social bonds between the donor and the recipient. This because reciprocity says the relationship with the other person”.[5]

Like any social institution serves society the traditional ritual of exchange in Kyrgyz society also performs its functions, but other than that still keeps the knowledge of what motivates them to practice.

Ritual Gift transmission is divided into following categories: “Keshik” - the transfer of food from the feast participants of this feast; “yrysky” or “yryskeshik” / “ustukan” - the transfer of food from, a reputable person for the rest of the holiday table, “zhyrtysh” - gifts in remembrance of the soul after ceremony funeral as a scarf or a piece of cloth. And “yrysky” or “Yrys” are one of the synonyms for happiness in the Kyrgyz language, which covers its meaning all of the above rituals. In these species rituals giving gifts has a traditional philosophy and belief that occupies a significant place both for the individual and for society. These rituals include not only those social functions, relationship and communication with the other person, but also the belief that encourages individuals to practice these rituals exchange.

Part II

Between Kyrgyz people one or the another celebration is a sign of happiness. The study found that “Keshik” ritual for the respondents is not considered only as a simple dish with celebratory events that bring members of the holiday home, and is mainly the transmitter portion of happiness similar activities. This can be a wedding, anniversary, birthday, and so on. People share this “Keshik” not only with relatives, but also with friends or colleagues at work. And also this ritual is accompanied with history celebration, taken from the dish and beliefs that having tried a treat in the future will experience the same positive event in your life, whether it is a wedding, birth or other. This belief is not limited to holiday meals, but also with other tools of the celebration. As one respondent pointed out that - “sometimes even in homes where the conduct of the people can [still] spoons, forks with just such an understanding”. Not only ritual “Keshik” accompanied with a belief on the transfer of positive events through the object, the food, but the ritual “jyrtysh” - also includes this belief.

During the ritual, “jyrtysh”, the belief about “yrysky” (happiness) only can be present if the funeral took place of a person who lived a long life, educated, and educated all the children, who is according to the standards of the society there was good life. Food with such funeral adopts the same function as the “Keshik” and is also taken with the idea if only close relatives or close friends would like to eat food from a funeral, also will live a long, dignified life in the understanding of a given society or community. This belief applies regardless of whether it is the funeral of an elderly man or an old woman. In such cases, the funeral is not perceived by society as mourning, but as a holiday, celebration. And even the items from the dinner table as forks, spoons, and even a tablecloth can be cut and taken secretly with him. All this ideas are accompanied by believe that they will live a long life, as the man on whose funeral they were. Rituals described above indicate that a significant event or longevity can be transmitted through objects, food, other people indirectly, without direct contact with a person that had experienced or positive qualities such as advanced age, a wedding or the birth of a son. Ritual “ustukan” involves direct presence of the person who is the source of the positive in the eyes of society and who directly commits ritual “ustukan”. In all three rituals “yrysky” present understanding. Yrysky generally understood as a positive fraction of the fate destined by God to man, and when a person gets the dish from another respected person, then this meal called “Yrys – Keshik”. In order to present in this ritual is the same belief, as in previous ones, people that transmits “ustukan”, should be respected by this society. And when he / she passes this “ustukan” another member of the community, then pronounces the wish that, that he reached his old age, as does the donor, or made progress, took the same position or more in the future and was also respected. And when a person takes “ustukan”, he takes it with the belief that through this “ustukan” he passed all positive from a donor. People believe that some of it will go to the person who gave “yrysky”. The giver is supposed such food? That makes important this part of this ritual before somebody else taste this. In this case a very important source of positive direct contact with the dish or the subject, as it is then “yrysky” giver goes to the dish or subject. And comes to the point that people can drink up the remainder silently drink after a respected person or sit in the place where he sat, too, to get all of it positive.

To be continued ...

Developer of the research - Nurlan Choybekov

Bibliography
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