Ohverdamine Kaama-tagustel udmurtidel
Sacrificial rites of the Votyak people on the other side of the Kama river

Summary/Abstract: A small group of heathen Votyaks living on the other side of the Kama river (in the Northwest Bashkiria and in the Kuyeda region of the Perm oblast) still hold on to the ancient heathen religion which has been influenced by the developing world religions. The current article observes the sacrificial customs in the religion of the Votyak on the other side of the Kama in the context of ritual behaviour. In some cases it also views the traditional customs of other Votyak ethnic and ethnographic groups. The sacrifice had, and still has, an important role in nearly every Votyak ritual, whether it be collective or daily, random or special. Collective sacrifice was performed, and still is, on certain holidays of popular calendar, on family and kindred festivities. Special collective sacrifice was performed in case of bigger emergencies in the village or the region. Every sacrifice irrespective of the type of the ritual had its organisers: sacrificial priests and their assistants. Every ritual procedure had a specific site and structure. The family sacrifice had an significant role as well, it was performed at the beginning and finishing major works and at important family events. Individual sacrificial rites which in some way influence the whole surrounding world were performed, if necessity called, any time and anywhere. The offerings of the Votyaks on the other side of the Kama could be divided in two groups: food and other objects. Almost all the types of the offerings described by the earlier researchers have been preserved until today. Still, the sacrifice of horses and cattle is performed very rarely, also the custom of sacrificing wild fowl and silver coins is almost obsolete. The former offerings are replaced by inexpensive and easily accessible objects.

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