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HISTORIOGRAPHY OF THE SUBCULTURE OF OSSETIAN PRIESTS
Bagaev, Alan B.
Kavkaz Forum. 2025. Issue 24.
Abstract:
In the traditional Ossetian society, one of the male communities that influenced the life of the whole society was the priesthood. The priesthood was the custodian of the socially significant experience of the whole society and was responsible for its systematic reproduction. The priestly community developed a special subculture. Some aspects of this subculture were recorded by different authors in different periods. This article is devoted to the historiographical analysis of literature, in which elements of subcultural complex of Ossetian priests were found. The article traces the development of researchers’ interest in the subculture of Ossetian priests in different historical periods. The study revealed a significant interest in the subculture of Ossetian priests in the pre-revolutionary period. In the Soviet period, the problem considered has largely lost its relevance, but in the post-Soviet period, the topic of Ossetian priesthood began to attract attention again. In the historiography of the problem, researchers are interested mainly in two aspects of the subcultural complex of the Ossetian priesthood: their performance of religious and ritual functions during religious holidays held in various sanctuaries (The activities of the priest of Tbao’a-Huacilla in the Kfar Dargava are particularly highlighted); healing, often referred to as witchcraft. Very often mentioned in the literature of guardianship practices. In many works the explanation of the Ossetian name of the priest «dzuarlag» and «decanoz» is given. A number of authors have recorded the surnames of priests, most often mentioned the surname Guccat. The other parts of the subculture of the priests in the Ossetian material have either not been illuminated at all, or are covered on the surface.Sacred texts, ritual systems (purification and renewal rituals, food rituals, transition rituals) and other sacral knowledge passed from mouth to mouth are reflected very superficially. Such a significant aspect of the subculture of priests as the creation of calendars, their adjustment and disclosure are not considered in the literature under analysis.
Keywords: male subcultures of Ossetian, priest, dzuarylāg, sanctuary, sorcery, healing.
Language: Russian
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 For citation: Bagaev, A.B. Historiography of the Subculture of Ossetian Priests. KAVKAZ-FORUM. 2025, iss. 24 (31), pp.128-138 (In Russian). ← Contents of issue |
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