E-mail: julia.barkova@gmail.com
Tel.: +7 (903) 750-64-49
31–1, Lomonosovskiy av., Moscow, 119192, Russian Federation
PhD (Cultural Studies), associate professor, Department of Comparative Literature and Culture
of Faculty of Foreign Languages and Area Studies of Moscow State University named after
M.V. Lomonosov
The article focuses on research of Gaelic folk songs for waulking the tweed in traditional culture of Scotland. The author makes attempt of culturological interpretation of this phenomenon that is understood as feminine labor and ritual sonп сomplex. In the article the following problems are regarded: special aspects of manual production of cloth in Scottish Gaelic tradition; distinctness of musical accompaniment for waulking the tweed; verbal magic and im- provisatory basis of regarded songs; musical, poetic and mythological aspects of the consecration of the cloth. Comprehension of singing element in traditional waulking technology in its dynamics gives foundation to speak about original continuum of music and poetic “web” connecting the Past, the Present and the Future of Gaelic culture. The musical accompaniment of waulking process begins with laments for dead that reflect the Past and the main elements of ethno-cultural memory and ethnic history of Gaels including names of persons, history of clans, all that organize the basis of folk culture. Then the songs of moderate tempo follow and embrace the key facets of the Present — love, special aspects of daily living, relations between people, traditional mytho- logical worldview.
Songs of improvisatory and competitive character strengthen intention and dynamics of wor- king process, forming a live connection with concrete time, space and context of waulking. Mu- sical and poetic accompaniment of the ritual of concecration of the cloth is the process aimed to Future and its meaning manifests in guarding function of hand-made tweed for husbands, children and relatives. Furthermore the tradition of tweed production becomes apparent not only as labor process accompanied with songs, but as feminine song ritual-labor complex. Its ritual element is reflected in sacred foundation of feminine working space that is organizes by verbal magic, in ritual movements made sunwise during labor process and guarding actions, in cer- emony of consecration of the cloth, in mythological symbolism of waulking table and joint meal.
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