"DEATH" IN THE MENTALITY OF THE PEASANTS OF THE RUSSIAN EMPIRE

Abstract

The connection of the category of death is considered in the context of the natural, economic, social, spiritual existence of a peasant. Subjective and objective factors influencing the idea of death are analyzed. The dependence of peasant life on the environment is revealed, since nature occupies a special place in the structure of the peasant mentality. The article contains proverbs, sayings from fairy tales, confirming that the life of an individual was unsteady, was constantly under the threat of death. The theme of the Orthodox interpretation of death is touched upon, where the worldly and spiritual are interpreted as a kind of confrontation. An analysis of the perception of peasant views on child mortality is given, where the emphasis is on the fact that the peasant woman was responsible for survival of the whole family as a whole, all children, and not each individual child. The category of «peace» is affected as the highest pleasure. The embodiment of this highest value is paradise, and the way to achieve it lies through death, which relieves a person of the burden of responsibility. It is concluded that the main aspects, of the peasant way of death are connected with the concrete practical life of the peasant, the peasant family and the peasant community, which was supposed to take care of the life of communityю, as a whole, and not lose heart due to the death of a particular person.

Keywords

• peasant
• death
• nature
• fatality
• religion
• paganism
• child
• mentality
• community
• disease
• peace
• vitality