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15FERTILITY RITUALS IN OLD GEORGIA
PhD Sikharulidze K.
Georgia, Tbilisi, Ivane Javakhishvili State University
Abstract. The article reviews the rituals related to fertility observed in the Caucasus, namely, in Georgia which represent rudiments of the old mythos-religious system. Their Aim was coaxing the deity of fertility which was a patron of successful life. There is abundance of such actions but this article covers only some of them. The following calendar customs and traditions are described in the article: first plowing which had a magic function; visiting houses through which all members of the collective were engaged in asking for fertility; Berikaoba which was a large-scale festival dedicated to revival. The symbol of fleece which was described in the Legend on the Argonauts is also discussed.
Keywords: Mythology, rituals, fertility deity, agrarian cults, sheep skin
Introduction. It is known that mythological-religious thinking and the rituals formed based on it played a big role in formation of traditional society. The life of members of this society was entirely included in the ritualistic system. For them, the starting point of existence was the rituals as the only true reality (and not conventionality). The function of initiation-rituals is that they form the type of thinking and social values which have big importance for the group and civilization (Malinovsky, 1998, p.42).
For the traditional society, all rituals are inherited from gods and mythic ancestors. A human being repeats the actions performed in the time of beginnings by symbolic behavior and thus expresses his worship to supernatural forces. At the same time, he contributes to preservation of the universal order. For the old human, as well as the entire society, it was important to take care about the means of continuing the life and existence. Therefore, the entire collective performed rituals together with particular willingness and the purpose of these rituals was to please the divine forced associated with fertility. One of the first among them was the Earth, because first of all, a human being is a child of the Earth, residing on the Earth and fed by the Earth.
The agrarian topic occupied a leading place in the ritualistic practice in Georgia not only in the ancient times, but also in the first half of the 20th century. Certainly, they had been deprived of the religious basis that time and often performed an entertaining function, but the trace of old rituals is clearly seen in these folk customs and rituals.
Caucasus is one of the regions where agriculture was introduced. Multiple species of different corns and varieties of wheat are observed in this area archaeologically. Archaeological data have shown that Transcaucasia is the ancient center (7th millennium) of agricultural civilization like Western Asia. In V-IV millenniums the population carrying out agricultural activities lived on the territory of Georgia. These people had pits for storing corn as well as stone tools for crushing wheat. It is clear that agrarian cults and related rituals were formed here in the ancient era.
Results of researches.
Plowing the first furrow. Previously, the New Year started in spring. The earth, the nature wakes up and the renovation process begins during that time. According to people's beliefs, the fertility deity stayed in the underground during the winter period and returned on spring, brought a new life and abundance. That's why the New Year ritual was distinguished for abundance of products. The deity was welcomed with this sacrific0e, people prayed and asked it to give more power to its fertility and reward the people generously.
Major part of agrarian customs and traditions held in spring and autumn, i.e. when agricultural works begin and when the harvest is reaped were dedicated to the fertility deity. Meeting the spring as well as other agrarian customs and traditions were universal and the entire collective (village, community) participated in the ritual because unlike the family cults, the interests of the entire collective were included here. Plowing the first furrow was specially celebrated at the beginning of spring because the annual agricultural works began by this ritual. Existence of the collective depended on the obtained result. That's why it was specially celebrated to win the heart of the earth and fertility deity. Plowing the first furrow had a great importance in the agriculture. The time of plowing the first furrow ranged from March 20 to the end of the month. When the ground was ready for tillage the seniors of the village would announce the day of plowing the first furrow. Nobody had a right to start the spring tillage before conducting the ritual. It was considered that richness of harvest and the earth
depended on the person plowing the first furrow. Therefore, a person known for bringing a good fortune was selected.
After announcement of the day of ploughing in the village, big preparations for conducting the ritual began. During the feast, round breads (symbol of sun) were hung on the oxen horns, fat was applied on horns which meant giving them a fertility power. In some places, the yoked oxen were led by a woman which symbolizes the female principle in agriculture. Previously, women had the leading role in agriculture. Being the first visitor on New Year must also have been the woman's prerogative which is seen from the Georgian name of the ploughman (male) - "gutnis deda" (mother of plough). After use of horned cattle began in agriculture, the men took the leading position and the cult of the ox connected to the religion of fertility deity.
In places where men where shepherds, women took care of the earth and ploughed the soil as well. Before the ploughing started in spring, the elder woman of the family would take the ploughshare or the ploughing equipment in the land parcel and would dig the soil, or "wake up the soil". When the ploughing started, triangular unleavened bread was baked, lit candle was attached to the right horn of the oxen taken for ploughing. One-third of the candle had to be lit in the middle of the yoke as well. The unleavened breads would be broken, each piece of bread would be given to the oxen. A cup would be filled with vodka and the eldest person would say a toast. It was allowed to start ploughing and sowing only after conducting this ritual (Jalabadze, 1986, p.36).
The day of plowing the first furrow was considered to be a feast until the evening. People returned home from the field together, they made a feast together and arrange entertainments and competitions. Harvesting in autumn was performed according to the rule named "Jvarimamloba". A cross was inserted into the ground before starting working in the field and a worker would take it out after finishing the work. After reaping was finished, the workers had a dinner together where each participant brought a rooster. The reaper would receive the rooster from the hostess only after he gave her the field cross after returning from reaping. This rooster was called the "cross rooster" and the common dinner made with the rooster meat was called "Jvarimamloba".
All three forces of the earth deity system became united in the ritual of plowing the first furrow: Mother Earth, Place Mother and the Family Guardian. Therefore, both the earth and the ritual were particularly precious for the collective. They would not allow to transfer any land parcel to others to prevent penetration into their unity by a stranger who was not familiar with the cult of guardian of these places and violation of the order existing between the deity and population of that place.
Walking door to door. Ritualistic walking door to door occupied a significant place in calendar customs and traditions. The ritual participants would visit each family and sing special texts dedicated to celebration of feasts, blessing, asking for victuals.
As a rule, walking door to door was not an independent ritual but represented a part of any feast. The main elements of this custom - visiting each resident, ritualistic blessing (mainly abundance was wished) and giving ritualistic food (primarily, egg) as a gift - make it clear that it is associated with the name of fertility deity (Sikharulidze, 2006, p.127).
One of the old symbols of fertility, origin and renewal of life is egg (that's why it was introduced in the Easter feast), therefore it is not a suprise that the primary sacrifice to the praying persons visiting the families was an egg.
The door to door visitors never entered the house. The deity which they represented was a community (or a higher rank) deity. Internal space of the family (house) entirely belonged to the family guardian angel and the senior deity did not interfere into its locality. The participants would stop by the door of the yard and waited for the hosts there. By such visiting, the deity made every family participate in the feast. Maybe it even checked their readiness and generosity to pay them back as they deserved. Such situation is described in a later legends. The God used to visit families in the image of a poor man and the God defined their life according to the way they welcomed the guest.
The door to door walking ritual is very old. It dates back to the time when deities did not have a place in the form of a praying house, cult items or own estates. They used to accompany the persons selected by them and informed people of their will through them.
Berikaoba and skin symbol. Berikaoba-Keenoba, a feast dedicated to awakening of the nature and agrarian cult service consisting of various episodes and lasting for many days was the most large-scale among the spring feasts.
Similar to the above discussed rituals, Berikaoba is also associated with the cult of fertility, but is more large-scale and enriched with dramatic episodes. Berikaoba underwent certain transformation over time, but the methods of ensuring fertilization, enrichment of the harvest and cattle breeding, rich agricultural traditions are seen in these rituals. Characteristic elements of the feast
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are: masks and clothes with animal and human images, warrior Berikas, customs actions (dances, erotic scenes, marriage) and the main signs of restorable deities.
The participants wore masks, and sheep or goat skin dominated in their clothes. Tavberika (the main Berika) distinguished himself among them, a horn hung on his neck. He was a King and he had his "Queen" who was represented by a boy wearing a motley dress and jewellery. Their marriage scene was played, after which the "King" died, while the "Queen" and other participants mourned his death. Meanwhile, the "Queen" was kidnapped. At that moment the "King" came back to life and returned his wife after a fight. After that boundess amusement began which strongly resembles the episodes of orgy cults of goddesses of Asia Minor. The necessary elemens of these feasts was rolling the participants down on the ground which would lead to rich harvest (Rukhadze, 1999, p.211).
Door to door walking where the participants were hosted was a consisting element of Berikaoba. At that moment the host tried to take fur from Berika. Sometimes Berika would tear fur out of his hide coat and give it to the hostess. The latter would put it into the manger, nest or on the central pillar because it brought abundance.
Sheep or goat skin as well as a mask are observed in these rituals. The man plowing the first furrow used to wear the sheep skin coat covered with hair. Wearing a skin is a ritualistic entry. The person wearing skin actually personified the deity whose attributed was a sheep.
Sheep skin is a symbol of fertility deity which was represented by the image of a woman and had a sheep head. Female figures with a sheep head are discovered in Georgia and one of the ancient among them dates back to the 2nd millenium BC (Muskhelishvili, 1978, tab.10).
Participation of animals in the rituals and increase of their sacral importance corresponded to the agricultural interests. Therefore, ox, sheep and goat became sacrificial animals and occupied a significant place in mythological beliefs.
Increase of beliefs and ideas related to sheep is associated with development of sheep farming. This animal is known for particular fertility and this caused it to become the attribute of th fertility deity.
Generally, the skin symbols were created in the early agricultural cultures which were closely associated with the cult of the Mother Earth. The sheep and its skin acquired particular importance among the selected animals of the goddess - it became the symbol of the fertility goddess and the clothes of her priestesses as a token of sharing the power and secrets of the goddess. From here the idea of the sheep skin as the symbol of richness and power is created.
Sheep/goat skin used to be hung on the tree, and then on the stick in Caucasus in general. People used to walk around a certain territory with a stick with skin and this implied that the skin is a predecessor of flag. The flag personifies the deity and walking round with a flag means encircling the sacral space.
Conclusions. As we can see, these rituals had a vital importance for the entire society. This tradition was very strong and this is certified by the fact that people did not forget them and brought the rudiments of the old mythos-religious system related to fertility almost until the present time. As it seems, this system had a complicated structure and consisted of various parts. This is proved by distribution of functions and roles between the participants, the texts to be expressed, actions and special attire as well as the symbolic meaning of the used items.
The confirmed rituals in Caucasus suggest that the Golden Fleece hung on the tree in the Legend of the Argonauts were not invented by the Greek people, but are based on the religious-cult values of this regions.
REFERENCES
1. Jalabadze, G.(1986). Culture of Field-crop Cuntivation in East Georgia. Tbilisi: Georgia.
2. Malinovski, B.(1998). Magic, Science, and Religion. Moscow: Russia.
3. Muskhelishvili, D.(1978). Dwelling in Khovle, Arceological materials. Tbilisi: Georgia.
4. Rukhadze, J.(1999). The Georgian Folk Festival of the Revival of Natural Foces. Tbilisi: Georgia.
5. Sikharulidze, K.(2006). Caucasian Mythology. Tbilisi: Georgia.
