By the Anna Temkina and you will Lilit Zakaryan, Company of Sociology off Social Health and Sex, Eu College or university at St.Petersburg, Russia and you will National Academy regarding Sciences, Armenia
Karmir khndzor (Armenia)
Evaluation the girl love – using assessment their virginity – so you’re able to affirm honor and updates out-of the girl household members can be found in the a range of ‘layer ceremonies’ for the patriarchal communities regarding Mediterranean countries in order to Latin American peasantry and Indian castes, since the Dark ages (Kandiyoti 1988, Carpenter 2005, Ortner 1978: 19). The thing is that exist into the habit of blaga rakija inside the Macedonia. People virginity try associated with social prestige as the a great woman’s standing on the social framework is placed of the how ‘pure’ or ‘polluting’ she is (Ortner 1978: 24-26). That it trust might have been ‘enforced by scientific and frequently somewhat major control over women’s personal and especially intimate behaviour’ (Ortner 1978: 19). Considering Simone de Beauvoir, virginity are a good patriarchal make which objectifies ladies as the Most other (1949 ).
Karmir khndzor are hardly said regarding Armenian ethnography regarding late 19th and you can early 20th centuries because the Armenian people are mainly silent with the factors of sexuality. Predominantly men ethnographers failed to have a look at the wedding evening ceremonies from inside the sufficient outline making use of their women informants. Whether your bride-to-be try most more youthful, the latest ritual wasn’t did to your relationship night after all and you will are postponed for quite some time (Shagoyan 2011: 497). Red-colored oranges accustomed enjoy a special part about local traditions associated the loss of the brand new bride’s virginity (Shagoyan 2011). Since the symbolic of fertility in accordance with an erotic meaning, apple was utilized just like the a gift package to have silver jewellery, skilled into bride-to-be. The new round form of new good fresh fruit represented integrity and excellence and you can the newest virginity of the bride to be is actually at the same time interpreted because the lady ‘integrity’ (tselostnost, compare with tselka, ‘virgin’).
The present day kind of karmir khndzor that is used while in the Armenia plus multiple diasporic groups took off throughout the Soviet period into the raise from metropolitan migration regarding seventies. The latest ritual gets the following guidelines: To the day pursuing the relationships, a small band of people (the latest couple’s godmother otherwise groom’s mother, maternal sibling or married brother), constantly a couple of, give mom regarding bride to be a tray off oranges, sweets and you will cognac. The newest groom’s mom attracts this lady neighbors or personal family members, once more two or three lady, more having java, beverage, candy and you may fresh fruit. The newest godmother cuts the fresh apples for the four pieces and you may offers her or him towards customers. Cakes in the form of a fruit are also the right gift. The newest practice boasts around three methods: test, sanctioning and you can recognition. Following the groom’s mom or any other female search for contours of blood on the bedsheet of your own bridal couple (examination), the brand new bride-to-be receives a gift in case of the lady verified virginity or a belief and you will censure in case there are failure (sanctioning). About step three, a yellow fruit or a rack which have oranges is sent since recognition with the bride’s mom, who awaits it signal accompanied by family or neighbours in the the girl family (Shagoyan 2011, Pogosyan 2010).
Occupation browse held regarding the middle-2000s revealed that karmir khndzor is performed extremely rigorously and you can vigilantly inside the outlying places where sex norms was more traditional and you can hierarchical. On the locations, the new behavior took a more modest means – new routine is actually did but the virginity assessment was way more easy (Temkina 2008, 2010). Multiple alter have helped change the latest habit since the 2000s (Temkina 2008, 2010, Pogosyan 2011). First, the newest routine has been articulated regarding the social discourse of the mass media, NGOs and ladies way, plus educational commentary, educational courses and you will college or university programmes on intercourse, sociology, mindset and you will comparable specialities. Virginity has-been politicised after multiple NGOs (Wo-men’s Financing Heart out-of Armenia, UTOPIANA, WOW) organized activities intended for deconstructing the ritual that have headings such as for instance ‘Purple Apple is only for eating’ and you will ‘I invite you to the newest funeral of the Red Fruit into the escort services Lexington 8 out of .’ It has got influenced the latest effect out of karmir khndzor from the more youthful years whom turned more likely to view it because the an enthusiastic old-fashioned practice of intimacy manage. 2nd, it turned into you’ll be able to to manufacture virginity. Women that got premarital matchmaking you will definitely replicate the virginity due to their husbands and/otherwise mothers-in-law of the in the process of a health hymenoplastic techniques to rebuild the hymen and you can have indicated their social purity and honourable femininity. Of the medicalising the latest karmir khndzor habit, gynecologists could help females to build an everyday biography and also to enhance their lives chance to own a regular e way more preferred to possess lovers to will not participate in the new routine otherwise to ‘save’ the fresh new ladies virginity. As intimate dating turned far more liberal and you may regarded as belonging to an independent areas of individual existence, karmir khndzor is actually directed so you can an effective ceremonial and you can social symbol within the the brand new national wedding possesses missing the connection so you’re able to virginity, for example is the case out of a wedding veil into the Russia.
Karmir khndzor was swept up regarding stress anywhere between national term and you may modernity. As the ritual signifies Armenian society and antique sex roles, people that reject new routine chance getting considered to be less than best Armenian people and female. Yet , people that rigidly follow the ritual might be thought to be backward and you will traditional because of the its opponents. Although not, pro- and you will scam- thinking to help you karmir khndzor are better looked at as being located towards the a range. Both men and you will women will get object into virginity take to becoming a procedure out of control over the intimacy and private existence. Other times, ladies may want to remain their virginity just before wedding and to consider it an essential cultural society you to fosters kinship solidarity. Some get agree to keep the virginity, however, dislike the societal verification pursuing the wedding. Of a lot young adults see low-relationship intercourse once the appropriate for both males and females and you will believe karmir khndzor wholly archaic. As the patriarchal sex system lost their rigidness, all of the positions regarding the practice mean too little one personal opinion concerning the behavior (see outlined issues getting doing brand new routine from inside the Pogosyan 2010).
Sources
Poghosyan, Good. 2010. A few of the popular features of the newest transformation of one’s lifestyle “Reddish fruit”: Society and you may Modernity in the Armenian People, Yerevan: Gitutyuan, 359-367
Shagoyan, G. 2011. ‘” 7 days, seven night”: Horizon of your own Armenian relationships, Institute from Archaeology and Ethnography out-of National Academy off Sciences, RA, 496-509