Expedition Materials of Ts.-D. Nominkhanov, 1924–1925: A Comparative Analysis of Wedding Rites Practiced by Dorbets of Western Mongolia and Those of Russia (Kalmykia)

Introduction. The article discusses wedding traditions of Western Mongolian Dorbets — and Kalmyk Dorbets of Russia. The point is that before the 17th century those had been constituting a single Oirat ethnic community further divided across differing states with differing ethnic environments and lifestyles. Materials and methods. The paper analyzes 1924–1925 field data of Ts.-D. Nominkhanov pertaining to wedding rituals of Mongolia’s Dorbets, these be compared to  descriptions of traditional wedding rites observed among Dorbets of Bolshederbetovsky Ulus (Stavropol Governorate) by I. Bentkovsky in 1869, and of those practiced by Dorbets of Maloderbetovsky Ulus (Astrakhan Governorate) and published by I. Zhitetsky in 1893. Special attention is also paid to publications of researchers to have examined wedding rites of Western Mongolian Dorbets, such as Ts. Ayuush, Ts. Baasandorj, A. Ochir, K. Vyatkina, and V. Darbakova. The study employs the descriptive and comparative research methods. Results. The conducted analysis asserts a structural similarity of wedding rites practiced by Dorbets of Western Mongolia and Kalmyk Dorbets of Russia. Despite the centuries-long isolation from related Oirat communities, the Kalmyks had retained the original set of wedding rites to the 19th century. The absence of references or descriptions of any particular rite gives no ground to assert the latter never existed, since the sources of information about wedding rites of Kalmyk Dorbets are somewhat fragmentary and scattered. The analysis of Ts.-D. Nominkhanov’s materials suggests those deal with the most significant wedding rites and rituals. In general, the following similarities can be traced in wedding rites of the Dorbets: allegory expressed via symbolism of certain ritual actions, use of white kerchiefs and khatags to formalize the establishment of family relations, importance of dairy products and their derivatives as ones with sacred meanings, preservation of ancestor and fire cults, vestiges of matrilocality traced in rites of the groom’s inauguration. 

1. Kalmyk Scientific Center (RAS), Scientific Archive.

2. Ayuush Ts. The Dorbet. In: Ethnography of Mongolia. Vol. 2: Oirat Ethnography, 19th–20th Centuries. 2nd ed. Ulaanbaatar: Monsudar, 2012. Pp. 27–106. (In Mong.)

3. Baasandorj Ts., Ochir A. Oirat Wedding Rites: Late 19th – Early 20th Century. Ulaanbaatar: Soyombo Printing, 2005. 278 p. (In Mong.)

4. Bakaeva E. P. The Legend of Uurkhan Sang Burkhan: Ethnic specifics of Kalmyk Buddhism revisited. In: Buddhist Tradition in 20th-Century Kalmykia. In Memoriam [Ven.] O. M. Dordzhiev (Tügmüd Gavji, 1887–1980). Elista: Kalmyk Humanities Research Institute (RAS), 2008. Pp. 13–22. (In Russ.)

5. Bayanova A. T. Ts.-D. Nominkhanov Collection at the Scientific Library of Kalmyk Humanities Research Institute (RAS). Bulletin of the Kalmyk Institute for Humanities of the RAS (Oriental Studies). 2008. Vol. 1. No. 2. Pp. 90–91. (In Russ.)

6. Bentkovsky I. V. Kalmyk woman of Bolshederbetsky District in physiological, religious and social perspectives. In: Collected Statistical Data on Stavropol Governorate. Stavropol: Stavropol Statistical Committee, 1869. Vol. 2. Pp. 141–167. (In Russ.)

7. Darbakova V. P. Dorbets of the MPR: Some family rites reviewed. In: Ethnographic Collection. Vol. 1. Elista, 1976. Pp. 153–162. (In Russ.)

8. Erdenebold L. Traditional Beliefs of Oirat Mongols: Late 19th – Early 20th Century. Ulan-Ude: Buryat Scientific Center (SB RAS), 2012. 196 p. (In Russ.)

9. Korsunkiev Ts. K. The plot of a good shot. In: The Jangar and Epic Creativity of Turko-Mongols. Moscow: Nauka, 1980. Pp. 277–285. (In Russ.)

10. Muniev B. D. (ed.) Kalmyk-Russian Dictionary. Moscow: Russkiy Yazyk, 1977. 765  p. (In Kalm. and Russ.)

11. Nominkhanov Ts.-D. About Dorbets of Western Mongolia. In: Economy of Mongolia. Vol. 3. Ulaanbaatar, 1926. Pp. … (In Russ.)

12. Nominkhanov Ts.-D. Dorbets of Western Mongolia: Oral Folklore Patterns. Parts I-III. Vol. 1. Ulaanbaatar: Institute of Linguistics (Mongolian Academy of Sciences), 2008. 216 p. (In Mong.)

13. Nominkhanov Ts.-D. Kalmyk Script: A Historical Essay. Moscow: Nauka – GRVL, 1976. 138 p. (In Russ.)

14. Nominkhanov Ts.-D. Materials for the Study of Kalmyk. Moscow: Nauka – GRVL, 1975. 327 p. (In Russ.)

15. Nominkhanov Ts.-D. Oirats: The Treasury of Oral Folklore. Parts VI-VIII. Vol. 3. Ulaanbaatar: Institute of Linguistics (Mongolian Academy of Sciences), 2009. 220 p. (In Mong.)

16. Nominkhanov Ts.-D. Studies of Western Mongolia: 1924–1925. Vol. 1. LXI. Ulaanbaatar: Soyombo Printing. 2016. 170 p. (In Mong.)

17. Nominkhanov Ts.-D. Studies of Western Mongolia: 1924–1925. Vol. 2. LXII. Ulaanbaatar: Soyombo Printing. 2016. 210 p. (In Mong.)

18. Nominkhanov Ts.-D. The Son of Burkhan Khaan Bum-Erdene. Parts IV-V. Vol. 2. Ulaanbaatar: Institute of Linguistics (Mongolian Academy of Sciences), 2009. 163 p. (In Mong.)

19. Nosov D. A. Leningrad Institute of Living Oriental Languages: Students’ expeditions and their significance for the study of Mongolian folklore in the 1920s. In: Skrynnikova T. D. (comp., ed.) The World of Turko-Mongols: History and Culture. Jubilee conference proceedings. Moscow: Vostochnaya Literatura, 2019. Pp. 128–137. (In Russ.)

20. Ochirova N. G. Tseren-Dordzhi Nominkhanov (1898–1967) — the first representative of Kalmykia awarded the degree of Doctor of Philological Sciences. Bulletin of the Kalmyk Institute for Humanities of the RAS (Oriental Studies). 2008. Vol. 1. No. 2. Pp. 83–86. (In Russ.)

21. Pyurbeev G. Ts. (ed.) Unabridged Academic Mongolian–Russian Dictionary. In 4 vols. Vol. 4: Х–Я. Moscow: Academia, 2002. 532 p. (In Mong. and Russ.)

22. Sodnompilova M. M. Functions of a yurt’s central pillars in Buryat and Mongolian wedding rites. In: Culture of Central Asia. Written Sources. Vol. 5. Ulan-Ude: Buryat Scientific Center (SB RAS), 2001. P. 52–58. (In Russ.)

23. Todaeva B. Kh. A dictionary of the Xinjiang Oirat language (according to Jangar songs and field data collected by the author). Elista: Kalm. Book Publ., 2001. 493 p. (In Rus. and Oir.)

24. Vyatkina K. V. Mongols of the MPR. In: East Asian Ethnographic Collection. Moscow, Leningrad, 1960. Vol. LX. Pp. 159–257. (In Russ.)

25. Zhitetsky I. A. Essays on Household Life of Astrakhan Kalmyks: Ethnographic Observations, 1884–1886. Moscow: M. Volchaninov, 1893. 87 p. (In Russ.)

26. Zhukovskaya N. L. Nomads of Mongolia: Culture, Traditions, Symbols. Moscow: Vostochnaya Literatura, 2002. 247 p. (In Russ.)