Of the Anna Temkina and you will Lilit Zakaryan, Agencies of Sociology out of Personal Health insurance and Gender, European College within St.Petersburg, Russia and you can Federal Academy out of Sciences, Armenia

Karmir khndzor (Armenia)

Testing the woman’s love – because of research the woman Virginity – so you can affirm honour and status regarding the girl family relations is available into the a range of ‘sheet ceremonies’ from inside the patriarchal communities regarding the Mediterranean cultures to help you Latin Western peasantry and Indian castes, because Old (Kandiyoti 1988, Carpenter 2005, Ortner 1978: 19). The thing is that exists into the habit of blaga rakija in the Macedonia. Ladies virginity try from the personal stature given that good woman’s condition throughout the personal framework is scheduled by the exactly how ‘pure’ otherwise ‘polluting’ the woman is (Ortner 1978: 24-26). Which trust has been ‘implemented because of the logical and frequently a bit really serious control of ladies’ societal and especially sexual behaviour’ (Ortner 1978: 19). Centered on Simone de Beauvoir, virginity is a patriarchal make which objectifies women as the Most other (1949 ).

Karmir khndzor are rarely said regarding Armenian ethnography on the late nineteenth and you may very early twentieth years while the Armenian people is actually mainly hushed toward products regarding sexuality. Mostly men ethnographers failed to check out the the marriage night ceremonies for the sufficient detail the help of its lady informants. If for example the fiance is actually very younger, the new ritual was not did on matrimony night after all and was postponed for several years (Shagoyan 2011: 497). Yellow oranges used to enjoy another part regarding local rituals accompanying the increasing loss of the bride’s virginity (Shagoyan 2011). Because symbolic of fertility in accordance with an erotic connotation, fruit was utilized while the something special field to own silver precious jewelry, talented to your fiance. The brand new round model of the fresh new good fresh fruit displayed ethics and brilliance and you may new virginity of your own bride to be is likewise interpreted as the this lady ‘integrity’ (tselostnost, compare with tselka, ‘virgin’).

The modern form of karmir khndzor that’s used throughout the Armenia as well as in several diasporic groups shot to popularity through the Soviet period into the improve from urban migration about 1970s. The newest ritual gets the following the legislation: To the early morning pursuing the relationships, a small group of female (the new couple’s godmother or groom’s mother, maternal sister or married sibling), constantly a couple of, offer the mother off fiance a tray of oranges, candy and you can cognac. The fresh new groom’s mommy invites this lady neighbours otherwise intimate nearest and dearest, once more 2 or 3 people, more for java, tea, candy and you may fruit. The fresh godmother slices the newest apples on five pieces and shares them into the site visitors. Desserts as an apple are an appropriate present. This new behavior boasts about three measures: examination, sanctioning and you will validation. Following the groom’s mommy or other female search for outlines of blood into bedsheet of bridesmaid few (examination), brand new bride to be gets a gift in case there is their verified virginity otherwise a belief and you will censure in the event of failure (sanctioning). On the step three, a purple apple otherwise a holder which have oranges is distributed given that validation into the bride’s mommy, just who awaits which sign with family otherwise neighbors within the lady family (Shagoyan 2011, Pogosyan 2010).

Industry browse held on middle-2000s showed that karmir khndzor was did extremely carefully and you may faithfully inside the outlying areas where intercourse norms was more traditional and you will hierarchical. Throughout the towns, brand new practice got a very naughty ukrainian chat room reasonable function – brand new ritual are performed nevertheless virginity research are much more lenient (Temkina 2008, 2010). Several transform keeps assisted change the fresh routine given that 2000s (Temkina 2008, 2010, Pogosyan 2011). First, brand new ritual could have been articulated from the societal commentary by the news, NGOs and the women’s course, plus in instructional discourse, instructional courses and university courses to the intercourse, sociology, mindset and you will equivalent specialities. Virginity is politicised shortly after several NGOs (Wo-men’s room Funding Cardio away from Armenia, UTOPIANA, WOW) arranged performances intended for deconstructing the newest ritual with headings including ‘Red-colored Apple is only having eating’ and you will ‘I receive that the funeral service of Reddish Fruit into 8 of .’ It offers influenced this new effect from karmir khndzor by young years who became prone to notice it as an old-designed practice of intimacy handle. 2nd, it turned you are able to to produce virginity. Ladies who got premarital relationships could replicate the virginity because of their husbands and you may/otherwise moms and dads-in-law because of the in the process of a health hymenoplastic process so you’re able to reconstruct the new hymen and you will have shown their cultural love and honourable womanliness. By the medicalising brand new karmir khndzor routine, gynecologists could help ladies to build a frequent bio and also to improve their lives odds having a frequent age significantly more preferred to own partners so you’re able to will not take part in the fresh ritual or in order to ‘save’ the fresh women’s virginity. As the sexual relationship turned into way more liberal and regarded as belonging to an independent fields of personal lives, karmir khndzor was relegated to a great ceremonial and you can social icon in the newest national wedding and contains shed the connection so you’re able to virginity, for analogy is the case of a wedding veil in Russia.

Karmir khndzor is actually trapped throughout the tensions anywhere between national name and modernity. While the ritual stands for Armenian society and you can traditional sex positions, people that refute brand new routine chance are considered below proper Armenian owners and you will female. Yet people who rigidly proceed with the ritual might possibly be recognized as backwards and you can traditional because of the its competitors. But not, pro- and scam- perceptions to karmir khndzor are more effective regarded as being proudly located with the a spectrum. One another teenagers and you may people can get object with the virginity decide to try acting as a system of power over their intimacy and private life. Some days, people may want to keep the virginity just before relationship in order to consider this a significant social culture one fosters kinship solidarity. Specific could possibly get commit to manage their virginity, but dislike its social verification following wedding. Of a lot teenagers see low-relationship intercourse given that acceptable for both men and women and think karmir khndzor entirely archaic. Given that patriarchal sex program missing its rigidness, all of the positions concerning habit suggest too little people societal consensus concerning habit (get a hold of outlined problems to own undertaking the brand new routine from inside the Pogosyan 2010).

Recommendations

Poghosyan, A good. 2010. A few of the top features of the newest transformation of your own customs “Red-colored fruit”: Culture and you will Modernity from inside the Armenian People, Yerevan: Gitutyuan, 359-367

Shagoyan, G. 2011. ‘” Seven days, 7 nights”: Panorama of the Armenian marriage, Institute off Archaeology and you will Ethnography out of Federal Academy regarding Sciences, RA, 496-509