Hajjilyk tradition in Gagauzes and other Balkan Christian peoples: historical context.

Abstract

The article examines the religious and ethnocultural phenomenon among the Ga-gauz people known as hajjilyk – pilgrimage to Jerusalem for the worship of the Holy Sepulcher. This tradition, which is one of the oldest forms of worship among the Chris-tians, has been preserved within the Gagauzes for many centuries without any change. The motives for this pilgrimage are based on the religious beliefs about the necessity of labor for the sake of God. It was considered the greatest of all kinds of pilgrimage and was therefore perceived as a spiritual feat. Based on the study of the historical forms of this phenomenon and the analysis of functions and codes of ritual practice the author came to the conclusion that, for a number of reasons, the hajjilyk differs significantly from all other forms of Orthodox pilgrimage. The purpose of its commission was not just spiritual renewal, but the complete rebirth of a person by performing a series of initial rituals (worship of the Holy Sepulcher, bathing in the Jordan River, perceived as a rite of washing away all sins, obtaining the title hajji and etc.). The unique combination of these components made the pilgrimage to Jerusalem a symbol of the Orthodox faith and a lifelong dream for the Gagauzes, who had the necessary resources and inner aspiration. Its characteristic feature is the fact that it was common among ordinary people. An integral part of this religious tradition were the farewell and welcome-home rituals by the whole village community, which “inscribed” it into the traditional culture and contributed to its preservation. Pilgrimage to the Holy Land (Christian East) is an important part of Orthodox cul-ture and the traditional outlook of the Gagauzes. This phenomenon penetrated all spheres of people’s livelihood and was a part of their religious and ethnocultural identi-ty. This tradition was interrupted with the outbreak of the First World War and was lost in the Soviet period and at present it is gradually being revived.

Keywords

• orthodox christian piligrimagem gagauzes
• balkan peoples
• hajj
• hajjilyk
• hajji
• religious identity