Not carrying firewood into the forest, not pouring water into the well “Where are you going, a grey jacket? — Shut up, you, wide-opened mouth!” Don’t be afraid, this is not banter of some drunken hooligans. It is a traditional Chuvash riddle.

The answer is simple: smoke coming out from the door of chimney-less hut.

The Chuvash people themselves are also worth to tell something about. The Chuvash are known to have joined Russia in the middle of the XVIth century. Currently, there are 1 637 200 Chuvash people in the Russian Federation (according to the 2002 Census). Among them almost nine hundred thousand reside within the Chuvash Republic. Other live in several districts of Tatars tan and Bashkortostan, in the Samara and Ulyanovsk Oblasts, as well as in Moscow, the Tyumen, Kemerovo, Orenburg, and Moscow Oblasts of Russia, in the Krasnoyarsk Krai, in Kazakhstan and Ukraine. Their language is Chuvash, the only representative of Oghur branch of the Turkic languages still spoken. It has two dialects – Upper (which has both o and u) and Lower (which has only u for both sounds). The difference is not so significant, but quite clear and easily perceivable. Ancestors of the Chuvash believed in independent existence of human soul. Ancestor spirit patronized family members, but could also punish them if they were not respectful enough.

Chuvash paganism was characterized by certain dualism: on the one hand, its proponents believed into benevolent gods and spirits headed by Sulti Tura (the supreme deity), on the other hand they acknowledged existence of evil gods and spirits led by Shujttan (the Devil). Gods and spirits of the Upper World were good, while those of the Netherworld evil.

Chuvash religion reflected in a way the hierarchical structure of the society. Above the multitude of divine beings was Sulti Tura with his family. Nowadays the principal religion of the Chuvash is Eastern Orthodox Christianity; yet influence of paganism as well as of Zoroastrianism and Islam can still be identified.

Chuvash orthography was developed a long time ago. It was based upon the Russian alphabet. In 1769 the first grammar of Chuvash language was published. Establishment and regulation of Chuvash moral and ethical norms has always been strongly influenced of public opinion within the settlement (yal men kapat — “what the fellow villagers would say”). Immodest behavior and strong language are much frowned upon, to say nothing of drinking, so uncommon among the Chuvash until the beginning of the XXth century. Theft usually resulted in lynch justice. From generation to generation the Chuvash instructed each other: “Chavash yatne an syort” (don’t disgrace the Chuvash name).

Orthodox Chuvash celebrate all Christian holidays.

Seven different herbs for food U

nchristian Chuvash have holidays of their own. For example, Semik, celebrated in spring. Prior to this day in spring one has to have used seven different herbs in his meals, e.g. sorrel, dandelion, nettle, cow parsnip, lungwort, caraway, aise-weed. Nettle is especially revered, for if you manage to eat some nettle before the first thunderstorm, you will be healthy for the whole year. It is also beneficial for one’s health to come out to the street during thunder and shake one’s clothes.

For Semik the Chuvash bake pies, brew beer and kvass, and prepare bath switches out of young birch tree. Upon the celebration day everybody takes a bath – always before sunrise. Before lunch, taking their best clothes on, people go to cemeteries and invite their late relatives to join them at home. Men call men, while women invite women.

After Christianization the Orthodox Chuvash especially revere those Church holidays that coincide in time with their traditional pagan festivals (Christmas and Surhuri, Maslenitsa and Savarni, Trinity and Semik), celebrating them with both Christian and pagan rights. Under ecclesiastical influence, Patron Saints’ Days became prominent in Chuvash life. By the beginning of the XXth century Christian holidays and rituals started to dominate the life of Christianized Chuvash.

Chuvash youth also have their holidays. During the spring-summer season young people of the settlement (sometimes even from several settlements) gather together in the open air for ring-dance.

In winter young people gather in those homes where elder hosts are temporarily absent. Girls spin wools, but as boys arrive, games start. Attendants sing songs, dance, and indulge into playful conversation with members of opposite sex.

The festival of Maiden Beer is held in midwinter. Girls gather together, make beer, bake cakes, and then invite boys for a party. The Chuvash distinguished three different forms of marriage: 1) with full wedding rites and matchmaking, 2) marriage “away”, and 3) theft of the bride, most often upon her own consent.

The groom is accompanied to the bride’s house by a large wedding train. In the meanwhile, the bride bids farewell to her relatives. She is dressed in girl’s outfit, cover with a blanket. She then starts to sing mournfully and weep. The groom’s entourage is met at the gates with bread-and-salt and beer.

After prolonged and very picturesque poetic monologue recited by the elder groomsman, the guests are invited to come into the yard, where tables are set. The party begins, cheers and greetings are heard, and the guests dance and sing. The groom’s train lives.

The next day the groom’s train lives. The bride is either mounted upon a horse, or rides standing in a wagon. The bride strikes her thrice with a whip (in pretence, of course) in order to drive away the evil spirits of her clan (a nomadic Turkic tradition). Celebrations continue at the groom’s house with the bride’s relatives also present.

The bridal night is spent in a store-room or other such chamber not intended for dwelling. According to the custom, the newlywed wife takes off her husband’s shoes. In the morning she puts on woman’s clothing with a traditional “hush-pu” headgear. First of all she goes out to bow to the local spring and leave sacrifice for it, then starts working at home, preparing food. The first child is born in the house of mother’s parents.

Man is the master in Chuvash family, yet woman also enjoys some authority. Divorce was a very rare occasion. At some time minorat was practiced: the youngest son always stayed with his parents.

Many are surprised to learn that when parting with their dead, the unchristened Chuvash sing not only funeral songs, but also joyful songs, even wedding ones. This can be accounted for. Pagans consider themselves to be children of nature, that’s why they are not afraid of death. For them, it is not something awful and terrible. One simply passes to another world and they see him or her off. With songs, both happy and sad. Chuvash songs are very diverse indeed. There are folk songs. They are divided into household songs, lullabies, children songs, table songs, joke songs, dancing songs, etc. There are ritual songs, labour songs, social-themed songs, historic songs.

The following folk musical instrument are widespread: shahlich (a flute), two types of bagpipe, kesle (harp), varghan and palnaya (reed instruments), parappan (drum), hankarma (tambourine). Violin and squeezebox has long been familiar to the Chuvash.

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