Living Space Structure in Bashkir Traditional Etiquette

Introduction. In traditional culture, proxemic behavior is of great importance. The article is based on the results of the research on the structuring of the dwelling and the observance of ethno-etiquette norms within the framework of the traditional living space of the Bashkirs. The aim was to study the structure of the living space, interiors, and the stylistics of behavior in the traditional dwelling. Materials and methods. The main research sources were the author’s unpublished field materials, as well as published folklore texts, reports of the participants of academic expeditions of the 18th century, which contain valuable information about the temporary and permanent dwellings of Bashkirs. Methods used for the analysis were comparative-historical, typological, structural-semantic, and descriptive. The chronological framework of the study covers the period between the 18th and early 20th centuries. Results. The research shows that the structuring of living space is closely related to ancient beliefs, religion, and the ethnic history of the people. Vertical and horizontal divisions of the dwelling and analysis of space distribution inside the yurt indicate that the dwelling was perceived as a model of the world. The horizontal structuring of the inner space was associated with the ancient knowledge of the Bashkirs about the cardinal points, later enriched with Muslim teachings. In their behavior in the interiors, the Bashkirs were guided by the structural-semantic model of the dwelling, the entire developed space. In this aspect, gender, age, and social status were important factors of the traditional etiquette. The dwelling represented a cultivated, protected space, separating “one’s own” space from “other’s”, according to the structure of the internal space, and creating conditions for variable behavior; family members and guests followed binary oppositions, such as left versus right, male versus female, honorable versus less honorable, the parts for guests and household activities, top and bottom, center and periphery.

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