Funeral and memorial rites of Caspian Kazakhs: rituals, performed before the funeral

Abstract

The article tells about the burial rites and commemorations of the Caspian Kazakhs, performed after death before burial, that is, before the funeral. One of the most important family customs of Kazakhs is rites performed after the death of a person. In this regard, the people have a saying: “If the dead are not satisfied, the living will not be enriched.” It can be seen from this proverb that Kazakhs pay special attention to respecting the memory of the deceased and performing funeral rites with honor and dignity. As a rule, the patient, being in a bed, I felt that he will die soon and in advance I said goodbye to the family, close, to brothers and sisters. It is known that no one wants to lose a loved one, and our people, who know that no matter how afraid they are of death, cannot escape from it, and prepared for it during their lifetime. Since the 19th century, Kazakh funeral rites began to be held in accordance with sharia law. However, in a number of rites related to death, remnants of pre-Islamic traditions have been preserved. Although the customs of the Caspian Kazakhs are generally similar to those of other regions of the country, in some cases they have their own specifics. The article reflects a number of rites among the Caspian Kazakhs in western Kazakhstan, ranging from preparing the patient for death to before the funeral. These include farewells, wills, indebtedness, mourning, guards and preparation of kebin. Key words: Caspian, Kazakhs, ethnography, funeral and memorial, custom, farewell, will, notification, due.