„ცხენის დაკურთხების“ რიტუალი ხევსურეთში

(ეთნოგრაფიული ლიტერატურისა და საარქივო ვიზუალური მასალის ანალიზის მიხედვით)

Abstract

In this article I explore the “Horse Consecration” ritual, a significant funeral custom once prevalent in various regions of Georgia, with a focus on Khevsureti, a mountainous area in eastern Georgia. This ritual involves locals mourning over the horse and personal belongings of deceased individuals particularly, young males. Through this practice, we gain profound insights into the metaphysical worldviews, material culture, and customs of the vernacular mountainous community.
Adopting a holistic approach, my analysis extends beyond ethnographic literature to include archival written and visual materials. These materials are kept in the archive of the Ivane Javakhishvili Institute of History and Ethnology, Georgia. A pivotal component of this study is the examination of black-and-white photographs from a 1947 ethnographic expedition, The photographs here vividly capture the key elements of the ritual – mourners, the horse belonged to the deceased person, and his or her personal belongings. Due to the lack of information about these photographs, we do not know the exact data about where and when they were taken, that’s why additional information and fieldwork reports about the 1947 ethnographic expedition were also analyzed.
We also argue that a holistic approach requires special attention to methodology, in this case – modern methods of visual analysis. Employing methodologies from Pauwels’ “An Integrated Conceptual Framework for Visual Social Research” and Sebeok’s “An Introduction to Semiotics”, we interpret these historical images within their broader cultural and historical contexts. According to Sebeok, symbols in general (and in these images in particular) conventionally represent societal realities, indicating that the deceased’s horse, clothing, swords, and other items symbolize not only the individual but also the local cultural ethos posthumously.
Ultimately, this article highlights the “Horse Consecration” ritual as a window into the intricate fabric of Khevsureti’s cultural heritage, illustrating how material objects and mourning practices intertwine to reflect deeper vernacular societal values and belief systems.