essay

Archaic elements in the charms of the Russian population of Siberia

Russian traditional culture: religion, gender, and customary lawArmonk, N.y.Published In 1992 • Pages: 71-84

By: Bolonev, F. F. (Firs Fedosovich).

AbstractBrief abstract written by HRAF anthropologists who have done the subject indexing for the document
This is a literary analysis of the structure, motives, symbols and artistic qualities of the texts used in traditional Russian charms. The author finds double-layered images and symbols. At their core, the charms reflect the worldview of peasant farmers primarily concerned about illness, evil spirits, and crop loss from natural hazards. Although charms superficially appear to be prayers to Christian angels and saints, they are believed to have mystical powers that safeguard individuals and communities from natural and supernatural forces. The analysis reveals changes in the poetic images and symbols of charms that closely parallel change in the material culture of Siberian peasants from stone to iron.
SubjectsDocument-level OCM identifiers given by the anthropology subject indexers at HRAF
Metallurgy
Preventive medicine
General character of religion
Magic
Verbal arts
cultureCulture name from the Outline of World Cultures (OWC)
Russians
RegionThe area the document pertains to
Europe
Sub RegionThe more specific area the document pertains to, which is located within the Region
Eastern Europe
Document TypeMay include journal articles, essays, collections of essays, monographs, or chapters/parts of monographs
essay
Evaluation
Creator TypeThe type of person writing the document, e.g. Ethnographer, Missionary, Archaeologist, Folklorist, Linguist, Indigenous Person, and so on.
Anthropologist
Document Rating A ranking done by HRAF anthropologists based on the strength of the source material on a scale of 1 to 5, as follows: 1 - poor; 2 - fair; 3 - good, useful data, but not uniformly excellent; 4 - excellent secondary data; 5 - excellent primary data.
4: Excellent Secondary Data
5: Excellent Primary Data
AnalystThe HRAF anthropologist who subject indexed the document and prepared other materials for the eHRAF culture/tradition collection
Teferi Abate Adem ; 2019
Field DateThe date the researcher conducted the fieldwork or archival research that produced the document
1967-1982
Coverage DateThe date or dates that the information in the document pertains to
1800-1982
Coverage PlaceLocation of the research culture or tradition (often a smaller unit such as a band, community, or archaeological site)
Siberia
NotesAdditional notes
F. F. Bolonev
Includes bibliographical references
LCCNLibrary of Congress Control Number
92004775
LCSHLibrary of Congress Subject Headings
Ethnology--Russia (Federation)
Folklore--Russia (Federation)
Russians--Intellectual life
Russians--Folklore
Russia (Federation)--Social life and customs