Despre obiceiurile funerare la carașoveni. Studiu de caz
On the Karashovean Funeral Customs. Case Study

Summary/Abstract: The starting point for the Karashovean funeral customs description and analysis in the current article is field research conducted in the Karashovean villages, located in the south-west of the Banat county. These customs and their related practices are important for forming an accurate overview image of the funeral phenomenon in this ethnological region. The paper briefly presents the key moments of the Krashovean funeral customs, being intended as a modest contribution to a better understanding thereof. The examination of the material collected has resulted in a rich representation of the funeral customs at different levels. A first conclusion that has emerged is that these ceremonies and rituals, well-preserved even today, contain plenty of archaic elements from the repository of Slavic traditions (Serbian and Balkan). A comparative analysis has identified numerous customs similar to other populations in the Balkan region; the mutual influences with the Romanian customs have been highlighted, given that the population under scrutiny has lived together with the Romanians for centuries. The changes that have taken place over time are in fact direct consequences of the external factors mentioned, starting with the changes in clothing (very few Karshoveans are still buried in their traditional clothes, mainly old people), continuing with the Romanian language influences (words that have penetrated the local dialect), and finishing with the influences of the Romanian funeral customs (eg. the nine day alm, poltergeist beliefs). However, these mutual influences have not changed completely the structure of the Karashovean customs; they are mostly present in the Banat area, where they are also stronger and more numerous.

• Details
• Contents