Adyghe people are considered one of the oldest in the world. Many people considered them "aristocrats of the mountains" or "Frenchmen of the Caucasus." Adyghe women always embodied the ideals of beauty, and men were the standard of masculinity. In our article we will talk about what religion the Adyghe people have, what is the size and history of the people, what are the features of the traditions and customs of the ethnos, and much more.
origin of name
Before proceeding to a detailed analysis of the religion of the Adyghe people or their traditions, you should familiarize yourself with the origin of the name - "Adyghe". Around this word is a large number of various disputes and myths. Of course, many of them may be fictitious or exaggerated, but most are based on the real history of the nationality, which should not be forgotten.
The most common version of the origin of the name of this people is that in translation from the ancient language it means "children of the sun", although there is no official confirmation of this theory. After the October Revolution, the Adyghe lands were divided into several parts, which significantly weakened the power of a single ethnic group. To date, the Adygei nationality includes the following sub-ethnic groups:
- Adyghi-Kabardians, who inhabited mainly Kabardino-Balkaria;
- the Adygs – Besleeneites, who were part of Karachay-Cherkessia;
- peoples living in the territory of Maykop and Kuban.
As you see, many ethnic groups belong to the Adyghe people, each of which has its own culture. That is why, when it comes to the traditions and customs of the Adyghe people, people give a lot of diverse and interesting facts. In the following sections, you will find a lot of detailed information about this.
Population and place of residence
Since the founding of the Soviet Union, the Adyghe people began to be considered a separate people, along with the Kabardins and Circassians. According to the 2010 census, about 123 thousand people live on the territory of the Russian Federation who consider themselves Adyghe. Of this number, approximately 110 thousand live in the territory of the Republic of Adygea, and the remaining 13 thousand live in the Krasnodar Territory (mainly in the coastal region of the Black Sea).
The Circassian genocide during the Great Patriotic War led a significant migration of this people abroad of the Soviet Union. To date, a very significant number of representatives of this ethnic group live in various countries. Among the most famous states:
- Turkey is approximately 3 million people.
- Syria - about 60 thousand Adyghe people.
- Jordan - 40 thousand inhabitants.
- Germany - 30 thousand people.
These were the basic data on the number of Adyghe people around the world. Also, in the United States, Israel, Bulgaria and Yugoslavia, according to various estimates, from two to three thousand Adyghe people live, although official data can vary quite a lot with reality. Despite the fact that most of the representatives of the ancient people live in Turkey, the inhabitants of the Adyghe Republic are very proud of their roots and honor the traditions and customs of their ancestors.
Appearance and character traits
Thinking about what is the appearance of the Adyghe? Photos from this section will allow you to fully answer this question. Of course, today few people wear traditional dresses, but during big holidays you can meet a lot of men and women dressed in clothes that their grandfathers and grandmothers wore. The distinctive features of the appearance of the Adygians include the signs described in the list below.
- Strong athletic build in men and fairly broad shoulders.
- Thick and straight hair in black or dark blond color.
- Straight nose with a fairly high nose bridge.
- Slender female figure with a thin waist.
- Fairly tall or medium height.
- Extremely long hair.
- Dark eye color.
In addition, Adyghe can be distinguished by certain character traits. Each man is characterized by masculinity from an early age and a very hot temper. Girls behave rather modestly and rely on men in almost everything. However, in case of danger, they can also show that jokes are bad with them. Complexity and modesty - this is not about the Adyghe people.
Life and traditional activities
Historically, the customs of the Adyghe people are inextricably linked with their way of life, as the people try to do the same things as their ancestors. The most common traditional occupation is farming and animal husbandry. Perhaps there is not a single Adyghe who does not know how to handle a plow or graze sheep. In the subsidiary farm, many Adygea residents keep chickens, geese, turkeys and ducks. In the mountains, shepherds usually raise sheep, goats, and in some cases, yaks and mules. Among crops, wheat, corn, barley and millet occupy a special place.
Also, viticulture is considered one of the traditional occupations, since this people has always been famous for its high-quality wines. Most vineyards are located off the coast of the Black Sea, because the local climate is considered the most favorable for the cultivation of traditional varieties. Among wine tasters, there is a rather interesting version that the famous name "Abrau-Durso" actually has Circassian roots - perhaps the mountain river or lake with clear water was once called that.
As for the crafts, they are very poorly developed among the Adyghe people, although the given people succeeded much better in this matter than most of their neighbors. In ancient times, almost every man knew how to process metal and forge various household items and even weapons from it. To date, blacksmithing is a thing of the past and only real masters are engaged in this occupation, the secrets of which are passed down from generation to generation from father to son.
Almost every Adyghe woman knows the art of dressing fabrics. In general, this people has always been famous for its beautiful outfits with beautiful embroidery. Dresses and caftans with gold embroidery on a red background were especially valued. Ornaments in the form of vegetation or geometric shapes on clothes today are considered traditional and are used only on those clothes that are intended for holidays and celebrations.
Religion Adyghe
This nation went through three religious periods: from paganism to Christianity, from Christianity to Islam. In ancient times, the Adyghe worship was a worship of various gods, as well as the belief that man is one with the cosmos. People believed that the earth was round and surrounded on all sides by lakes, fields and forests.
For the Adygheans from antiquity, there were three worlds: the lower (the kingdom of the departed), the middle (the world of people) and the higher (the abode of deities). These three worlds were interconnected by a sacred tree, which still plays a sacred role. For example, a very famous tradition is that at the time of the birth of a grandson, grandfather must plant a tree in the yard, which the child will subsequently look after.
Today, most Adygheans practice Islam, although there are also Christians who appeared here only at the end of the 16th century. The period of the Caucasian wars negatively affected the colonial policy of the Ottoman sultans and part of the population accepted Christ as God.
As for more ancient times, the main supreme deity was considered Tha - the creator of the world and laws. In some myths, you can also find Perun - the god of thunder and lightning, which is very similar to the Greek Zeus. It is also impossible to imagine the Adyghe religion without the various patron spirits that people worshiped before going hunting or before sowing the harvest.
Culture of the people
A huge role in the culture of an ethnic group is played by a traditional dance, which is considered not only very ancient, but also conveys the soul of the people who perform it. A lyric event is usually attended by one man acting as an eagle, and two girls who are under his wing. The music is very modest and calm, but at the same time it is particularly proud of the people. This moment is especially noticeable when the girls begin to respond to the courtship of the gentleman.
As for music and literature, the Adyghe people were always famous for their unique writers and composers, but only in their own circles. Schools usually study works from Russian classics, so you also have to attend extra-curricular classes on the culture of the Adyghe people.
Wedding traditions
The most famous traditions of the Adyghe people are their unique weddings. For example, in most cases, the girl chose the groom, alluding to this family narrowed by a small gift. After that, negotiations began between relatives about a future union and the appointment of a matchmaker: on the part of the man, relatives came to the bride's house and stood in the place where firewood was usually chopped. Such visits were usually conducted at least three. If the relatives were invited to the table for the third visit, this meant that the bride side agreed to the union.
Also, relatives very often went to the groom's examination to assess his material well-being. Such an action was mandatory so that the bride did not marry a man from a dysfunctional family. If what he saw fully satisfied the visitors, the bridegroom was obliged to give a kalym, which usually consisted of cattle, the amount of which was determined by the well-being of the family.
Birth traditions
Now you know a lot about what the Adyghe people look like (photos were given in the previous sections) and what kind of life style they lead. However, in order to understand in more detail the features of the life of this people, it is necessary to study their traditions, the most common of which is the hanging of flags when a boy is born in the family.
Also, many Adyghe people are very wary of preparing a dowry for the baby before birth, as this is considered a bad omen. The cradle is made by relatives of the child only after it is born. As a building material, hawthorn is necessarily used so that the aroma of the tree soothes the baby.
As soon as the child begins to walk, all relatives gather in the house to conduct the "First Step" ceremony. The hero of the occasion is given a bunch of gifts, and his legs are tied with a satin ribbon, which is then cut. Adyghe people believe that such actions will give the baby quickness and the ability to go through all difficulties without obstacles.
Traditional Adyghe cuisine
Most of the products that the Adygheans eat do not represent anything special (flour, milk and meat are used as ingredients), but this does not mean at all that the national dishes of this people are considered tasteless. For example, in everyday life quite often people eat boiled lamb, and the broth is used in order to prepare a delicious soup. Also, some dishes are prepared from poultry with the addition of spicy sauce based on hot pepper and garlic.
Adyghes usually make cottage cheese or cheese out of milk, adding solid breeds of grass, herbs and even fruit. After the Moscow Olympics in 1980, the whole world learned about the delicious Adyghe cheese, which was made in tons especially for foreign guests. This product can be found on the shelves of Russian supermarkets to this day. According to one legend, the recipe for this product was told to a young girl by the god of cattle breeding Amysh for saving a lost herd of sheep during a storm.
As for traditional drinks, in Adygea, as mentioned earlier, winemaking is quite widespread. Almost every adult man knows how to make real nectar of the gods from home grapes and has his own recipe for making this wonderful drink. In the cellars of the Adyghe you can see bottles of red and white wine, whose age is several tens of years. However, excessive alcohol consumption is not welcomed in Adygea, so stewed fruit and fruit teas are a very good alternative to wines.
Video and conclusion
We hope our article helped you better understand the traditions and customs of the Adyghe people. If the above information seemed to you too little or you have any questions, we recommend that you watch a short video from which you can learn a lot of things that were not mentioned in our article.
As you can see, life, culture and even the faith of the Adyghe people are quite rich and diverse. These people honor their traditions with great pride and live as their fathers and grandfathers bequeathed. For such an attitude to his life, great will and perseverance are needed, which Adyghe people can not occupy. In addition, this people is considered one of the oldest and is proud of it.