Animal Sacrifices in Honor of Orthodox Saints аmong the Komi-Permyaks

Abstract

Sacrificial customs of the Komi-Permyak had been studied and described in literature of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, yet they remain a topic that has not received due attention to date. The article attempts to address this issue in order to bring disparate available data into focus, considering the current rise of interest towards re-examining folk traditions. I discuss Komi-Permyak’s rites of sacrificing livestock and poultry to gods and saints, and explore their variability and origins. I argue that Komi-Permyak’s customs generally stemmed from their beliefs in patron saints of household animals, who could be appeased by sacrifices. The similarity of these rites to customs of other peoples of Orthodox faith points to the fact that, in later historical periods, they might have been influenced by the church and neighboring cultural traditions. I further touch upon the issue of transformation and restoration of folk customs in the twenty first century.