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Russian (CIS)English (United Kingdom)
ISSN 2223-165X

V.I. ABAEV NORTH-OSSETIAN INSTITUTE FOR HUMANITARIAN AND SOCIAL STUDIES

OF VLADIKAVKAZ SCIENCE CENTRE OF RUSSIAN ACADEMY OF SCIENCE

AND THE GOVERNMENT OF NORTH OSSETIA-ALANIA

ИЗВЕСТИЯ СОИГСИ

Darchiev A. V. On The Meaning of Faty Bækh Horse in Ossetian Wedding Ritual // Izvestiya SOIGSI. 2015. Iss. 18 (57). P.25-32. Print

Keywords: Ossetians, matchmaking, son-in-law, pre-wedding gift, horse

The article discusses one of the most important elements of the Ossetian wedding ritual — a custom of donation a horse denoted as faty bækh («horse of arrow»). Research of this issue’s historiography reveals some significant uncertainties in the interpretation of the ethnographic information on faty bækh. In particular, the sources do not confirm the interpretation of faty bækh as a horse, that was given as a gift to the bride’s father. Sources analysis leads to conclusions about local specific features inherent this custom in different Ossetian societies: among Tagaurians and Alagirs the recipients of the faty bækh horse are not personified (relatives of the bride), while among the Kurtatians this gift was definitely presented to the bride’s mother.