FROM THE HISTORY OF ONE RITUAL RELATED TO THE DECEASED

Abstract

Georgians, like other nations, paid great respect to the "honoring" of the deceased, a practice bound to numerous rituals. Among these is the ritual of "returning" the soul of the deceased to the house, particularly when the death occurred outside due to various accidents. This ritual was described in *Droeba* in 1876 under the pseudonym Leon Dadian, in the letter "Finding the Soul of the Dead." Concealed behind this pseudonym was the young poet, folklorist, and recorder of ancient customs, Akaki Tsereteli. The ritual described here from one part of our country, specifically Samegrelo, has spurred investigation, as many researchers have documented similar practices in different regions of Georgia (S. Makalatia, N. Janashia, D. Giorgadze, T. Ochiauri, N. Kharchilava, and others), though it lacks the generalized treatment we aimed to present in this article.

During the research process, both similar and differing elements of the mentioned ritual were identified, each significant for examining the ethnographic practices associated with the burial of the deceased, which are maintained regularly across various regions of Georgia.

Key words: Deceased; Ritual; Soul searching and returning; Rooster; Lamb;  Tulum.