Pásztor Emília (szerk.): Sámánizmus és természethit régen és ma - Bajai dolgozatok 23. (Baja, 2019)
Kerezsi Ágnes: Az állatáldozat jellegzetességei az oroszországi finnugor népeknél
The characteristics of animal sacrifice of the Finno-Ugric peoples of Russia The belief system of Uralic peoples, especially of the Finno-Ugric peoples, is generally characterized by polytheism, nature worship, the cultic respect of certain plants and animals and the triple division of the world. It is complemented with agrarian cults among farming people, and with totemism and shamanism among hunter-gatherers. All Finno-Ugric peoples also consider it essential to gain the benevolence of different deities and spirits in their lives to shape their destiny. The safest way to do this is to give them gifts, that is to say, to regularly offer sacrifices to them. Sacrificial ceremonies can be classified in several ways, for example, based on the type of sacrificial gift, the time and the frequency of the ceremony and the social status of the gift presenters. The most common divisions are: 1. regularly presented, 2. time-bound and 3. random, non-time-bound sacrifices which are required by different circumstances. The first group of sacrifices is mostly collective, involving a village, a local group or a clan. The second group is composed primarily of individual or family-based, and the third group can be both individual and collective. Further differentiation is possible within the above groups. These offerings can be divided into different subgroups such as atoning, thanksgiving, redeeming and conditional depending on the purpose they serve (VDOVIN 1977: 117-172). Finno-Ugric peoples cultivating the land have recurring sacrifices in certain periods of the year. They include ceremonies held before plowing or sowing, or after harvest, which take place more or less at the same time of the year. Our Siberian language relatives, however, hold recurring sacrifices before and after the fishing and hunting season during the year. These are usually large community ceremonies where women were not allowed to be present or could have only been present at a specific location. For example, they could not go near the place of sacrifice, they could only observe the ceremony remotely. Occasional ceremonies are usually used against major threats to the community, such as epidemics, famine, and long-lasting unsuccessful economic activity. Family and individual ceremonies are usually also included in this type. Such occasional offerings were held at birth, death, sickness, or passing through a holy place. Offerings can be made in many places. The main scene of community sacrifices is usually a sacred grove, where some peoples, such as the Udmurts, also have a building. Other peoples carry out them under the open sky, but at a strictly defined place. The peoples along the Volga-Kama rivers fenced off
