[연구서평]A Preliminary Research Note on Wedding Rituals and Laments of the Northern European Russians: A Bibliography

Abstract

The original impetus for this bibliographical work came from my interest in studying the question of what the typically Russian world-view, mindsets, or mentalities are, as epitomized in the term, Russkaia dusha. While narrowing down for the specific scope of my research, I have selected traditional Russian wedding rituals and wedding laments in the sense that they present perfect models capable of proving Russian peasants' system of values as well as system of survival in the Russian peasant community. The time line this bibliography draws on encompasses mostly the 19th century and well into the early 20th century before the October Revolution. The regional scope the compilation focuses on limits itself to Northern European Russia, which is referred to in Russian as Russkii Sever. The reason for the choice of this topographical framework lies in that the northern part of Russia has been envisaged as being a natural sanctuary of oral traditions, such as epic, songs, and folk-tales by both folklorists and ethnographers. Building on this premise I make an effort to catalogue a long historiography regarding publications on traditional wedding rituals and wedding laments practiced among the Russian peasants.