THE CUSTOM OF AMENGERS IN TRADITIONAL KAZAKH SOCIETY

Abstract

The article tells about the custom of the Kazakh people ―amengerlism‖, which arose in ancient times and is occasionally preserved in modern life. Based on the works of Russian and Kazakh ethnographers, scientists who studied the Kazakh steppe, the meaning and content of this rite was revealed. The Amenger rite decided the further personal fate of the widow, as well as the related problems with children, livestock and property left by the deceased husband. Based on the data, the article considers that the widow, on the one hand, was protected by custom from various kinds of hardships and encroachments, on the other hand, she was controlled and limited in her daily life, from the point of view of decency, which were considered as such in traditional society. However, the application of the ―Amengerlism‖ rite to betrothed but not yet married brides made their fate miserable. In general, the custom arose from a humane attitude towards the remaining defenseless widow. However, under the Soviet regime, amengerstvo was considered as a ―relic of feudal ignorance‖, without taking into account the reasons for its appearance and existence.