PRAYERS

PRAYERS are a verbal application to the deities uttered while  praying  (see  Feast  of sacrifice). Traditionally people spread P. orally, according to the  ethnic  beliefs,  they  were one of the most effective and safe ways to protect a person against diseases and bad luck. E.g. the Udmurt P. at the name-giving rite: “Osto, Inmar Kylchin the Great. / We wish to give the name to the newborn, / holding bread in our hands / we name it with the name chosen by its mother and father. / We name it Menyiliana, / let it live with its mother and father safe and sound, / Inmar Kylchin. Amen.” and others.

P. are not only the sacred texts connected with paganism (see Animism, Earth-Water, Calendar poetry, Rite poetry), but also a piece of art that exists and broadens the genre division in accordance with reality. As the oral tradition was lost, the Udmurt manner to utter kuriskons changed: a few priests still recite them, most of them ordinarily say them, however in a loud and expressive voice. The content of P. is also changing, some priests creatively rework the old texts and add some modern elements (see Kuala). In the ethnic culture of Bashkirs, Tatars, Mordovians, Udmurts, Chuvashed, Russians, Ukrainians and Belarusians it is possible to add verbal formulas in native languages to the texts of canonical Islam and Christian P. as a plea for protection, some boons or gratitude for patronage (see Great day, Raven porridge, Maslenitsa, Nauruz, Trinity and others).

I.G. Petrov, R.R. Sadikov