Akatuy

After a great day (mănkun), the Chuvash began to prepare for spring field work: remo ^[2] nted agricultural implements, prepared seeds. In late April, before going out to the arable land, they began to prepare for celebrations on the occasion of field work. To carry out the ritual part of akatui, beer is brewed in advance, food is prepared, eggs are painted. Akatuya celebration in different houses begins on different days. The holiday lasts a week. Prepared for the holiday on a certain day convenes relatives and neighbors. By their arrival, a rich table is set in the hut. Altăr (brother) with beer is put at the head of the table, in the middle of the table on a specially embroidered towel is a dish with a loaf of bread and a circle of cheese.

As soon as all the invitees have gathered, the owner appoints one old man who knows the ritual as the leader, and he starts to fulfill his duties. A beer mug is brought to each of those present, and a piece of edible made from grain and animal products is handed out. This is usually a slice of kalach with cheese or butter. As soon as the distribution is over, the leader sings the old song “Alran kaimi aki-sukhi” (“Sev and arable land is our eternal business”), and everyone picks up this hymn to agricultural work. After the song is completed, under the direction of the elder, everyone performs prayers, turning, as usual, towards the ajar doors. In the old Chuvash life, all the houses in the village were built with doors to the east. From time immemorial, Turkic peoples performed their prayers, turning towards the rising of the sun. This tradition was held by the Chuvash until the beginning of the 20th century.

In prayers, the Chuvash asked the supreme Tură (the main god) and the good spirits of a plentiful harvest subordinate to him, livestock, wealth and health arrived for family members, all relatives, neighbors and acquaintances. After the end of the prayer, everyone ate their share, drank their mugs and sat down at the table. Then began the feast of the mountain. Abundant refreshments were supposed to contribute to the same abundant harvest of bread.

To complete the ritual part of the Akatuy festival, each kindred group went into the winter field. They took with them a loaf of wheat bread, a circle of cheese, eggs, wheat or barley balls, pies, shartan and, of course, beer. All supplies were carried solemnly, solemnly. Bread and cheese were carried on a carved plate, and the plate was kept in front of them on a richly embroidered ritual towel (selkĕ), a carved bucket of beer (loaf) was also covered with an embroidered towel. All participants in the ritual are in festive attire. They came with a special song intended for this occasion.

In the field, everyone settled down at the end of the pen, facing east. The elder kinsman, addressing the spirits of the earth (çĕр йышĕ), read a prayer and “treated” them with pieces of brought food and beer. Each of those present in honor of the spirits of the earth poured a few drops of beer and scattered crumbs of bread and cheese on a winter wedge.

After completing the prayer, the youth began divination on eggs and sticks. The guys threw eggs into the field and watched who had the egg broken and who did not. They believed that a whole egg portends a rich harvest of spring bread. Guessed on sticks in the same way. It was considered a bad sign when a stick lies along the line from west to east, that is, the position in which the dead are buried.

After fortune telling, songs, dances, fun began in the field. They returned from the field only in the evening. These rituals were obligatory for everyone. Violators from rural society will not live. Everyone believed in the power of the ceremony, thought that in this way it is possible to influence the future crop. Ignoring the traditions, according to the Chuvash, brought disaster to the whole rural society, could cause drought, cold or hail.

The whole village, having spent the ritual part of the Akatuy festival, went out to spring plowing. Each minor step of the spring field work was furnished with a number of magical rites, prayers, prohibitions, etc. The initiative of the first furrow, the removal of seeds into the field, the beginning of sowing and its completion were especially noted.

At the end of the whole cycle of spring agricultural work, the solemn part of the Akatuy festival was held. In ethnographic literature, the term “akatuy” is often explained as “plow wedding”, but this is not entirely true. It would be much more correct to translate "akatuy" as a "holiday of agriculture." The whole course of the holiday shows that it is dedicated to the completion of spring field work.

For the most solemn final cycle of Akatuy began to prepare in advance. Young men were prancing through the streets on horseback. They collected prizes to award winners in competitions. Young people traveled around the village with a long pole, to which the youngsters tied their best embroidered towels and woven belts. Others carried wicker bags - pesteri for collecting eggs. In some places, the guys embroidered towels stuck in rows in their belts, so that something like an apron or skirt formed. Almost every house donated something to Akatuy: pieces of cloth, scarves, shirts, towels, eggs, etc. Rich people sometimes donated money for which they bought a ram.

Young people prepared horses for participation in horse races, generously fed them with oats, others even gave raw eggs. On the eve of the holiday, young people rode horses and organized trial competitions "to warm up the horses' legs."

To conduct the competition, a peculiar jury was composed of respectable and influential old people, which was recognized not only by the inhabitants of this village, but also by the whole district.

On the day of Akatuy, the village took a festive look, cheerful reigned on the streets. Competitions were held in a meadow outside the village. Usually choose a place near the river and forest. Even before noon, the population of the village began to flock to the traditional venue for horse racing. Ahead were elected old men. Together with them, one of the guys rode on a horse, carrying a long pole with a towel tied to the upper end - a kind of holiday emblem. Many went on akatuy on carts, tarantasses. Horses and harnesses were festively decorated, multi-colored ribbons and brushes made of woolen yarn were woven into manes, and an arc was wrapped in a colored cloth or towel.

At the edge of the forest in an honorable place the old members of the commission were seated. A long pole was dug into the ground near them with a towel on the upper end - akatuy yalavĕ (flag of akatuy).

When enough people gathered, competitions-running, racing, jumping, wrestling, archery on the target, etc. began. As a rule, the competition was started by boys. At first they competed in a half-half run. Winners received up to a dozen eggs. Children were replaced by adults, they ran a distance of one to two miles.

The most popular form of akuatu competition is belt wrestling. A towel is used as a belt. Each wrestler holds a towel in his hands, covering him with the waist of the opponent. Boys also began to fight, gradually the turn reached adults. The remaining undefeated fighter received the title of a hero (patăr). He was usually awarded a ram.

One of the central points in the competitions of the festival of akatuy were horse races of three, five, sometimes up to eight miles. Embroidered towels were given to the winners of the races, prizes were usually tied to the necks of the horses.

Akatuy festival was decorated with various comic competitions such as "running in a bag", "running on three legs", "breaking a pot", "youngsters with a rocker", etc. Strength and dexterity were shown in games such as fighting with bags on a log, lifting weights, various kinds of tug of war, etc.

After the competition, young people were divided into several age groups, and each of them started their own games. Boys and girls danced, sang songs. The fun lasted until late in the evening.

Old men and couples returned to the village immediately after the competition. They invited relatives and acquaintances who came from neighboring villages to their homes and feasted until late.

The neighboring villages usually tried to conduct akatuy at different times. Therefore, young people, and adults alike, managed to take a walk on several holidays in a row: in their own and neighboring villages. Athletes from several villages participated in the wrestling competitions, and thus the champion of the entire district was identified. Such pattar was universally respected.

For nomadic peoples in the past, competitions in strength, dexterity and accuracy have very ancient origins. Their meaning is not so much sports as practical, social. At the general race competitions held in early spring, the strongest, most dexterous and well-aimed men were revealed. For the period of seasonal summer migrations, these heroes became the head of the whole clan. The well-being of the entire nomadic community depended on their strength, quick wits, courage, dexterity and met-bone. Who besides such a batyr and his retinue could save the main wealth of the clan - his herd - from numerous enemies in the steppe? Therefore, the heroes (patăr, ulăp) became the leaders of the clans (ulput). It is no accident that in the Chuvash language the words ulăp “hero, hero, giant” and ulput “barin”, “prince”, “dignity” of one root. This suggests that among the distant ancestors of the Chuvash, sports during the spring-summer cycle holidays were extremely important. They served as the most democratic and effective way of choosing leaders of clans and tribes. Even after the almost complete loss of nomadic traditions, these competitions, as an important means of preserving the well-being of the clan, were preserved and organically became part of the agricultural holidays.

Akatuy - mouth. solemnly celebrated in the old days the festival of spring sowing. From aka “arable land” + thuja “triumph”, “feast”, “wedding”. See K.V. Elle. Akatuy. Cheboksary, 1935

- Etymological dictionary of the Chuvash language ^[3]

• Sabantuy

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