Of the Anna Temkina and you will Lilit Zakaryan, Company of Sociology out of Societal Health insurance and Intercourse, European School at St.Petersburg, Russia and you can Federal Academy away from Sciences, Armenia
Karmir khndzor (Armenia)
Review the woman’s love – owing to evaluation the lady virginity – so you’re able to affirm honour and you will reputation out of the girl friends is present within the various ‘layer ceremonies’ in patriarchal societies on Mediterranean societies so you’re able to Latin American peasantry and Indian castes, due to the fact Old (Kandiyoti 1988, Carpenter 2005, Ortner 1978: 19). Parallels can be found towards practice of blaga rakija from inside the Macedonia. Lady virginity was with the public status while the good female’s standing in the societal structure is defined by just how ‘pure’ otherwise ‘polluting’ she is (Ortner 1978: 24-26). So it faith could have been ‘enforced by the logical and sometimes a bit really serious control of ladies’ public and especially sexual behaviour’ (Ortner 1978: 19). Predicated on Simone de Beauvoir, virginity are a patriarchal build and therefore objectifies ladies since the Most other (1949 ).
Karmir khndzor is rarely stated regarding the Armenian ethnography from the later 19th and you can very early twentieth many years given that Armenian culture was generally quiet on the factors of sexuality. Predominantly Lutheran local dating men ethnographers didn’t have a look at the marriage evening ceremonies for the sufficient detail making use of their women informants. In case the bride to be are most younger, the latest ritual wasn’t did towards marriage night after all and you will are defer for quite some time (Shagoyan 2011: 497). Yellow oranges used to play a special role on the regional traditions associated the increased loss of new bride’s virginity (Shagoyan 2011). While the a symbol of virility along with a sexual meaning, fruit was applied just like the something special box getting gold jewelry, skilled to the fiance. The fresh new round shape of the brand new good fresh fruit displayed stability and you can brilliance and you can the brand new virginity of your own fiance is actually on the other hand translated since the her ‘integrity’ (tselostnost, compare to tselka, ‘virgin’).
The modern sort of karmir khndzor which is being used during the Armenia and also in numerous diasporic groups shot to popularity throughout the Soviet period into the increase out of metropolitan migration in the 70s. This new routine gets the after the regulations: Into day adopting the matrimony, a tiny group of females (the fresh new couple’s godmother or groom’s mommy, maternal sister or partnered sibling), usually several, promote mom out-of fiance a holder regarding oranges, sweets and cognac. The latest groom’s mom invites this lady neighbors otherwise personal family, once more a couple of women, more having coffees, teas, sweets and you will fruit. The new godmother cuts brand new apples on the four pieces and shares her or him towards tourist. Desserts in the shape of an apple are also an appropriate provide. The brand new routine boasts about three tips: test, sanctioning and recognition. Following groom’s mommy or other lady seek contours out of bloodstream on bedsheet of the bridesmaid pair (examination), brand new bride gets a gift in case there is their verified virginity otherwise a belief and you can censure in the eventuality of failure (sanctioning). From the next step, a purple fruit otherwise a rack having oranges is distributed due to the fact validation towards bride’s mommy, which awaits it signal followed closely by family or neighbors at their household (Shagoyan 2011, Pogosyan 2010).
Industry lookup held throughout the mid-2000s indicated that karmir khndzor was performed really rigorously and you may diligently inside rural areas where sex norms were more conventional and you can hierarchical. On urban centers, the newest practice got a modest means – brand new routine is performed nevertheless virginity research are so much more lenient (Temkina 2008, 2010). Several changes enjoys helped change new practice since the 2000s (Temkina 2008, 2010, Pogosyan 2011). First, the fresh new routine might have been articulated on social discourse by the news, NGOs while the ladies path, along with academic commentary, informative programs and college programmes on the intercourse, sociology, psychology and you may comparable specialities. Virginity was politicised immediately after multiple NGOs (Wo-men’s room Funding Cardiovascular system of Armenia, UTOPIANA, WOW) structured shows geared towards deconstructing the new ritual which have titles such ‘Yellow Apple is to have eating’ and you may ‘We ask that the fresh funeral of your own Red-colored Fruit for the 8 out of .’ It’s got swayed the newest perception off karmir khndzor by more youthful years just who turned into expected to see it since the an old-fashioned habit of closeness control. Second, it turned into it is possible to to fabricate virginity. Women that got premarital relationships you are going to replicate their virginity for their husbands and you can/otherwise moms and dads-in law by the undergoing a medical hymenoplastic procedure so you’re able to reconstruct brand new hymen and you may have shown its social love and you will honourable femininity. By the medicalising the fresh karmir khndzor practice, gynecologists may help females to create an everyday biography in order to enhance their lives potential for a normal e much more prominent getting lovers so you can will not take part in the ritual otherwise in order to ‘save’ the fresh women’s virginity. Because sexual dating became more liberal and you will regarded as belonging to an autonomous sphere of individual lives, karmir khndzor is actually directed in order to good ceremonial and you can cultural symbol in the new federal relationship and has forgotten the connection to help you virginity, for example is the case regarding a married relationship veil inside Russia.
Karmir khndzor is actually swept up regarding stress ranging from national identity and modernity. Due to the fact ritual is short for Armenian culture and you can antique gender spots, individuals who reject the fresh new routine chance becoming considered to be less than right Armenian customers and women. Yet , individuals who rigidly follow the routine would-be thought to be backwards and you can conservative of the their rivals. But not, pro- and fraud- thinking to karmir khndzor function better thought of as being proudly located towards the a spectrum. Each other teenagers and you will people may object into virginity attempt becoming an apparatus out-of control over its closeness and personal existence. In other cases, girls may prefer to continue its virginity ahead of matrimony and to think it over a significant social culture you to fosters kinship solidarity. Specific can get commit to uphold the virginity, but dislike its public confirmation following marriage. Of several young adults view non-relationship gender since appropriate for both men and women and imagine karmir khndzor entirely archaic. While the patriarchal gender system forgotten its rigidness, all of the ranks regarding habit suggest deficiencies in people societal opinion concerning the routine (discover in depth problems to own starting the new ritual from inside the Pogosyan 2010).
Records
Poghosyan, A good. 2010. A few of the features of the fresh new transformation of your own customs “Red-colored fruit”: Tradition and you will Modernity during the Armenian Society, Yerevan: Gitutyuan, 359-367
Shagoyan, Grams. 2011. ‘” 1 week, eight nights”: Opinions of your Armenian marriage, Institute away from Archaeology and you can Ethnography regarding Federal Academy regarding Sciences, RA, 496-509