Udmurt art and customs are particularly intertwined due to the close nature of the two. Udmurt society, based mostly upon a few beliefs, allows for particular patterns to show in their art and customs. From marriage rituals to talismans and symbols, Udmurt culture and art are dependent on each other.
Udmurt tokens and objects often had properties that would supposedly protect the wearer from evil spirits and demons. Many children wore small dolls made of bits of string around their necks to protect them from spirits. These dolls were usually faceless to prevent the spirits from possessing the doll and thus allowing the doll to cause harm to the owner.
Another method of demon warding was by cleaning one’s ears. Many ancient Udmurt peoples had decorative bone or wood ear cleaners that they would use to scrape out anything near their ears. It was believed that dirty ears allowed demons and spirits to enter the body and cause harm.
Many tokens, however, had an overarching theme to them. Many were either painted with the black, white and red of the Udmurt Flag, or adorned with the eight-pointed star seen in the center of the Udmurt flag. These can be made of clay and painted or made of folded or woven straw. Other pieces can be made of woven straw, such as boxes, trays, or ornamental wall decorations. Many children begin learning the art of weaving at a young age and schools often practice weaving either during or after school.
Many tokens, however, had an overarching theme to them. Many were either painted with the black, white and red of the Udmurt Flag, or adorned with the eight-pointed star seen in the center of the Udmurt flag. These can be made of clay and painted or made of folded or woven straw. Other pieces can be made of woven straw, such as boxes, trays, or ornamental wall decorations. Many children begin learning the art of weaving at a young age and schools often practice weaving either during or after school.
A particular piece of art that is important in many rites of passage is the towel. Girls began at an early age learning and examining the towels of other women. In preparation for her marriage, she would embroider somewhere around 30-40 towels to prepare herself for a new home and a new family. As part of her ceremonial wedding garb, she would wear a towel decorated with the udmurt colors in three bands, symbolizing birth, life and death. (Red, white and black in that order.) The towels would be presented and shown to the family, where some might even copy the designs. A small marker, usually made up of a bunch of strings, would indicate the original from the copies. Each woman would create her own unique marker to use with her towels. The embroidery was intricate and usually around the ends of the towel, but it could be covering the towel. Each symbol usually had a meaning or a story to tell. Symbols represented plants, animals, objects hopes or wishes.
Towels would also be given to soldiers when they left for battle to remind them of their homeland. It might be embroidered with symbols representing success or safety and given to the soldier by his wife or family member. Before the soldier left, however, they had to stick a piece of fabric, usually with a coin inside, into the piece of wood above the doorway of their home and the home of relatives. This was a promise to return home to them and to ensure that if the did return, they would visit all of their family members. If they did not return, the item would stay where it was to memorialize the fallen soldier. The dead would be wrapped in a towel for death as well.
To the Udmurt people, music is a huge part of their life and culture. Nearly every ritual has a musical component. Weddings especially were quite musical. Along with the bride and groom, all people were required to sing or they would be smacked with a towel. To accompany the singing, the bride would wear coins, usually attached to a piece of leather or cloth, around her neck to protect her chest. This was passed down from generation to generation, usually with coins from each generation attached to the necklace. The bride would also cover her head in a special headdress covered in coins that usually arched above her head. Brides were in most cases older than their husbands because of the traditions surrounding the embroidery of the towels. Another marriage ritual would tell if the husband would be a good husband or a bad husband. The bride, in preparation for the wedding ceremony, would go to the nearest stream to gather water in buckets- usually attached to either end of a long pole stretched across her shoulders. If her husband is a good husband, he will help her carry the water back to the village. If he is a bad husband, he will make her carry it on her own.
-Morgan S.
To the Udmurt people, music is a huge part of their life and culture. Nearly every ritual has a musical component. Weddings especially were quite musical. Along with the bride and groom, all people were required to sing or they would be smacked with a towel. To accompany the singing, the bride would wear coins, usually attached to a piece of leather or cloth, around her neck to protect her chest. This was passed down from generation to generation, usually with coins from each generation attached to the necklace. The bride would also cover her head in a special headdress covered in coins that usually arched above her head. Brides were in most cases older than their husbands because of the traditions surrounding the embroidery of the towels. Another marriage ritual would tell if the husband would be a good husband or a bad husband. The bride, in preparation for the wedding ceremony, would go to the nearest stream to gather water in buckets- usually attached to either end of a long pole stretched across her shoulders. If her husband is a good husband, he will help her carry the water back to the village. If he is a bad husband, he will make her carry it on her own.
-Morgan S.