Symbols in Mari Wedding Songs

Abstract

The article deals with symbols and symbolized objects which are used in Mari ritual songs. Mari wedding songs consistently reproduce the main stages and features of the wedding ceremony. The procedure of Mari wedding is strictly fixed and every stage of it expresses a special meaning. The aim of the article is to study a symbol in Mari wedding songs. The surrounding world, the wedding ceremony, its participants and guests, their characteristics, actions and conditions are the main objects of symbolization. The results show that the wedding ceremony in songs is presented as the process of picking up berries, a harvest, road connections, cutting of trees. Unripe berries, a rowan, a poppy, a beautiful, golden bird, a chicken are the symbols of a bride. A groom is associated with a high-spirited horse. Symbols and images of the groom’s parents are created by using such characters as a white dove, hatching dove. Some symbols are common in all Finno-Ugric languages. Some unique symbols which appear only in Meadow Mari and Hill Mari wedding songs are described in the article. Some symbols such as a harvest, unripe berries are similar to the symbols of Russian folk songs. The similarity of symbolized objects can be explained by direct contact the Mari have with the Russians. Symbols are the most productive and functionally significant means of expression in Mari wedding songs is a symbol.

DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2015.v6n3s7p17