Kalmyk Cultural Heritage Project (FUNERAL)

Created:	2015-04-22 14:18
Institution:	Department of Archaeology and Anthropology
Description:	Kalmyk funerary rites have the following functions: (1) to mark someone’s death, (2) to help the deceased depart from the world of the living and obtain a good reincarnation, (3) to cleanse the family members of the departed from symbolic impurity and return their lives to normality, and (4) to restore the border between the world of the living and that of the dead which was destabilized at someone’s death. When someone dies, the relatives of the deceased go to a Buddhist monk or astrologist to consult with him about who should touch the corpse first and how, when and where to bury. Only after that can the deceased be dressed in new clothes, or sometimes left in the ones they died in, but with buttons undone and belt unfastened. A candle or light is put by the head of the deceased for 49 days to illuminate the dead person’s perilous journey into the hereafter. Until burial, which usually occurs within three days following one’s death, Buddhist prayers are read on a round-the-clock basis and at mealtimes the deceased’s soul is ‘fed’ by family members by frying flour in a dry pan. Prior to taking the corpse out to a burial place, the ritual of dailgn is performed. A plate with butter, milk and crumbled biscuits (pieces of cooked meat are also permitted) is rotated three times clockwise over the head of the deceased by a male relative asking the departed to pass on their blessing to the living relatives. Younger members of the family also touch the leg of the deceased in a ritual request to grant them forgiveness and blessing. The grave has to be dug on the day of burial to prevent it from being occupied by evil or uninvited entities. To purify the ground, a sheet of paper containing salt and incenses is burnt inside the hole. Traditionally, women were banned from participating in funerals. After the funeral, all participants cleanse their hands with water diluted with milk, smoke themselves with fire and incenses, and rub their hands with butter. The funeral is followed by a period of mourning characterized by the continuation of a state of symbolic impurity for the bereaved. It is not only the deceased that is in transitional state (that is, in transit to the world of the dead) but their living relatives are too. Since during this period the two worlds are believed to be still linked, it is important for the mourning relatives to strictly follow traditional taboos and bans to prevent misfortunes, the escalation of pollution, and to successfully detach the deceased from the world of the living. For example, during this time it is forbidden to show excessive emotional attachment to the departed (by calling their name, crying, etc.), to take personal belongings of the deceased out of their house (in order to keep symbolic pollution localized), to take out rubbish (especially in the period between death and burial and for three consecutive days following the end of the mourning period) and to leave mirrors or objects with reflective surface uncovered (so that the soul of the deceased does not get stuck in a mirror). The end of a transitional period, or mourning, is marked by a memorial service, usually held 49 days following burial, although the date may change depending on the age of the departed. If it is a child, the ceremony is usually held twice, on the 7th and 49th days after burial. In the case of old people, the ceremony may be performed on the 21st day. The memorial service consists of the ritual of gal tyalgn (sacrifice on fire) followed by lunch at which all relatives and friends of the departed come together. As a multi-functional clan ritual aimed at appeasing ancestors, consolidating kinship groups, and securing reproduction among their members, gal tyalgn is performed not only at funerals but also during other transitional periods, including following the birth of a baby (i.e. addition of a new member to the clan), and during weddings. The sacrificial animal is usually the sheep – a magical being whose wool, skin, and bones are believed to possess cleansing and fertility-inducing powers.

Media items

This collection contains 37 media items.

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Media items

Alexandr Tarancheev, About Funerals

2:35

30 views

Alexandr talks about a funerary custom: Before a funeral we do the following. We look for a person who was born in the same year as the deceased. That person is asked to pull the...

Collection: Kalmyk Cultural Heritage Project (FUNERAL)

Institution: Department of Archaeology and Anthropology

Created: Sun 28 Apr 2019

Alexandra Sangadzhieva, What to Do When You See a Funeral Procession

5:46

22 views

Alexandra says the following: If you cross a road with a funeral procession, you will have a tumor. In order to get rid of the tumor, take a sheep’s skull and prick the tumor with...

Collection: Kalmyk Cultural Heritage Project (FUNERAL)

Institution: Department of Archaeology and Anthropology

Created: Sat 12 May 2018

Andrei Boldyrev, About Traditional Funerals

9:01

121 views

Collection: Kalmyk Cultural Heritage Project (FUNERAL)

Institution: Department of Archaeology and Anthropology

Created: Sun 29 Dec 2019

Andrei Boskhomdzhiev, Death, Afterlife and Rebirth

2:18

26 views

Collection: Kalmyk Cultural Heritage Project (FUNERAL)

Institution: Department of Archaeology and Anthropology

Created: Wed 13 Dec 2017

Badma Ochirova, About Funeral

1:30

46 views

When a person dies it is required that a special ritual of remembrance be performed once a year. Fat, butter or margarine is thrown into fire. It is believed that the smell of...

Collection: Kalmyk Cultural Heritage Project (FUNERAL)

Institution: Department of Archaeology and Anthropology

Created: Fri 19 Feb 2016

Boba Kokueva, About Tachal

1:31

31 views

Collection: Kalmyk Cultural Heritage Project (FUNERAL)

Institution: Department of Archaeology and Anthropology

Created: Wed 17 Jan 2018

Boris Dochkaev, Tachal

6:05

20 views

Tachal refers to a state when the deceased misses his/her living relatives and develops attachment.

Collection: Kalmyk Cultural Heritage Project (FUNERAL)

Institution: Department of Archaeology and Anthropology

Created: Wed 18 Jul 2018

Borla Ochaeva, About Funerals

1:45

19 views

Collection: Kalmyk Cultural Heritage Project (FUNERAL)

Institution: Department of Archaeology and Anthropology

Created: Sun 16 Jun 2019

Chimdya Anyasheva, About Clan Rituals and Funerals

4:11

12 views

Collection: Kalmyk Cultural Heritage Project (FUNERAL)

Institution: Department of Archaeology and Anthropology

Created: Mon 1 Apr 2019

Dordzhi Barkhaev, About Funerals in the Past

5:11

13 views

Dordzhi talks about funerals in the past:

Collection: Kalmyk Cultural Heritage Project (FUNERAL)

Institution: Department of Archaeology and Anthropology

Created: Sat 4 May 2019

Dordzhi Barkhaev, About What Happened During the Cremation of Kyogshin Zeerd

1:25

14 views

Dordzhi says the following: I heard this from one old woman. When people were cremating Kyogshin Zeerd bagshi, three pigeons flew out of the fire. There was even a photo showing...

Collection: Kalmyk Cultural Heritage Project (FUNERAL)

Institution: Department of Archaeology and Anthropology

Created: Sat 4 May 2019

Dzhidzha Araeva, About Funerals

4:45

22 views

Dzhidzha talks about funerary rituals, her mother’s funeral and her dreams.
This is her story: It is believed that after death, a person’s soul ends up in a pure world where...

Collection: Kalmyk Cultural Heritage Project (FUNERAL)

Institution: Department of Archaeology and Anthropology

Created: Mon 14 May 2018

Elza Badaeva, About Funerals in the Past

1:12

20 views

Elza says that Kalmyk funerals in the past were different. For example, women did not go to burial places, nor did children. It was only men who were allowed to. Seven days after...

Collection: Kalmyk Cultural Heritage Project (FUNERAL)

Institution: Department of Archaeology and Anthropology

Created: Thu 20 Dec 2018