NON-VERBAL RITUALS IN FUNERAL CEREMONIES AND PRAYERS FOR THE DEAD OF THE OLD BELIEVERS (ANALYSIS OF TEXTS FROM THE MONASTERY COLLECTION IN WOJNOWO)

Joanna Orzechowska

Instytut Słowiańszczyzny Wschodniej Uniwersytet Warmińsko-Mazurski w Olsztynie

Abstract

The library collection of the monastery in Wojnowo includes books which were used
during funeral ceremonies and prayers for the dead. These texts registered non-verbal
activities which accompanied prayers and which can be categorised as non-verbal rituals.
The author managed to trace rituals which are repeated in different texts, thus they can
be seen as characteristic of funeral ceremonies. There are two kinds of rituals described:
either of prescriptive or prohibitive nature.

Keywords:

funeral ceremonies, non-verbal ritual, Old Believers, monastery in Wojnowo