Gaining newfound relevance for the scientific sources on folklore in the revival of Mansi ritual practice

Abstract

The work is devoted to the most important ritual sphere of the traditional culture of the northern Mansi, associated with the worship of a bear, that lost a number of essential components in the 20^th century. The ritual folklore of Bear’s Holidays consists almost exclusively of songs, and exactly they were what was forgotten. These are “bear songs”, songs of farewell to a bear at night and its morning awakening, songs of the end of a holiday, and invocation songs for the spirits. The task of the study is to analyse the experience of updating the works of Russian and foreign researchers of Mansi folklore in the process of revival of a Bear’s Holiday. As a result, in this regard the most significant materials of A. Kannisto are identified, which are considered along scientific and practical lines. The first line is implemented in the form of Russian translations of texts with subsequent publication, combined with a version in the modern literary Mansi language. Samples of songs recorded on a phonograph in the form of notes and in a digital version on a disk have also been introduced into academic circulation. The practical line of updating was carried out in 1994-2020 in the form of lectures for the Mansi youth and joint learning of songs and scenes of a Bear’s Holiday according to these sources.