COMMEMORATING DAYS OF THE DECEASED IN GALI (BASED ON ETHNOGRAPHIC MATERIALS OBTAINED IN GALI REGION)

Abstract

Funeral and mourning customs are too conservative and encompass essential peculiarities, making them significant for the study of traditional viewpoints. In general, the cult of the deceased is a vast topic. Due to its broad scope, we will focus on specific details or material facts of historical-cultural memory that serve as evidence for the preservation of older traditions. In terms of Geography, the research theme covers the present-day Gali region, historically known as Samurzakano. Recent political-economic and relevant sociocultural circumstances have sparked interest in the ethnographic objects of this region. Today, the Gali population is dispersed across various Georgian regions, facing challenges related to their scattered presence. Consequently, their characteristic traditions are changing rapidly in comparison to those in Gali. In Gali, after the death of a family member, mourners used to initiate a ritual meal dedicated to the soul of the deceased within their own family. They divided the expenses into two parts: one related to specifically selected memorial days (the 7th Day, the 40th Day, and the first anniversary after the passing of the deceased), and the other associated with customs for other soul blessing days on different holidays. The paper includes ethnographic materials obtained in present-day Gali, revealing close typological similarities to customs found in different regions of Georgia. In Gali, the world of the deceased is referred to as Oshureti. The service for the souls of the deceased is also noteworthy, with the late souls being judged based on their sins and grace, as described in the ethnographic materials. According to religious beliefs, the deceased played a significant role in the lives of their family members and relatives, capable of bringing either good or bad luck depending on how the family members treated and served the souls of the deceased. The special commemorative days, common in Gali, demonstrated the supreme power attributed to the late souls. The foundation of customs related to the deceased is rooted in beliefs about the afterlife or the realm where they continue to exist following death. Informed by folk sources and Christian ideology, the afterlife is perceived as eternal. Life is conceptualized as having two parts, with an unbroken connection between them, forged during one’s earthly existence. This connection is expressed through ritual care not only for the living but also for deceased family members. Georgian beliefs shape this care, positing that the soul endures in the afterlife and requires provisions akin to those needed in earthly life. Various traditions illustrate this belief, such as placing dishes and drinks next to the deceased, lighting a candle, placing meals, money, and gifts in the coffin, settling debts, and observing Tabakish Dodguma – the laying of the table during soul memorial days. These practices reflect the perspective that a departed soul requires the necessities of life even after death. Therefore, family members and relatives engage in these rituals, believing that specially dedicated meals and sacrificial offerings (poultry, cattle) benefit the departed. Despite a recent trend of weakening and disappearing traditions, funeral and mourning rituals continue to maintain their vitality in traditional culture.