Teberik and Zhyrtys in the Karakalpak Funeral Rites

DOI: 10.33876/2311-0546/2025-1/226-234

Authors

Keywords:

Karakalpaks, gift exchange practices, teberik, zhyrtys, iyis, funeral rites

Abstract

In every culture, one can observe many customs related to the worship of death. The article is devoted to the study of funeral rituals practiced by the Karakalpaks, and the types of gifts usually presented at funeral ceremonies. At Karakalpak funerals it is customary to make offerings called "teberik" and "zhyrtys". Moreover, there is a certain order of their presentation. An analysis of these customs reveals that they contain elements of a magical nature and echo non-Islamic beliefs, such as the veneration of ancestral spirits. The article also discusses the rituals of washing the body of the deceased, as well as the special gifts usually given to those involved in this funeral rite. Such practices indicate deep cultural traditions associated with ideas about death and the afterlife in this ethnic community. The data presented in the study were concretized based on field records obtained during expeditions to various regions of Karakalpakstan. Empirical material was collected in the Muynak, Kungrad, Chimbay, Karauzyak, and Amudarya districts, as well as in the city of Nukus, the administrative center of the Republic of Karakalpakstan. The use of field research methods, including observation, interviewing, and recording of ritual practices, ensured the reliability and detail of the data presented in the work.

Author Biography

  • Bagila Tajetdinova, Karakalpak State University named after Berdakh

    Tajetdinova, Bagila N. — Intern-Lecturer of the Department of "History of Uzbekistan and Karakalpakstan", Karakalpak State University named after Berdakh (Nukus, Karakalpakstan, Uzbekistan). E-mail: bagilatazetdinova@gmail.com ORCID ID: https://orcid.org/0009-0006-6334-0207

    For citation: Tajetdinova, B. N. 2025. Teberik and Zhyrtys in the Karakalpak Funeral Rites. Herald of Anthropology (Vestnik Antropologii) 1: 226–234.

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Published

15.03.2025

Issue

No. 1 (2025): Вестник антропологии

Section

Funeral Rites