Traditional Leisure-Time Activities in the Cultural and Communicative Environment of Mordvinian Ethnic Medicine

Abstract

Nowadays special attention is paid to studies on the role of leisure-time activities in the preservation of ethnic customs and traditions. Culture comprises the diverse fields of human activity and historical achievements - from economy to household aspects, including social, material, and spiritual spheres of human life. The spiritual one, in its turn, comprises the field of folk knowledge which is a sub-system of traditional culture. Ethnic medicine contains important and vast knowledge accumulated by the Mordvins. Yu. Bromley characterized ethnic medicine as a set of healing methods and means applied by a certain people. L. Nikonova notes that ethnic medicine also comprises methods of how to stay healthy, sanitary-hygienic standards, and disease prevention measures. Thus, in the realm of ethnic medicine leisure-time activities act as a means to prevent diseases and strengthen health with positive emotional effects. When it came to arrange such activities, the Mordvins gave attention not only to healthfulness but also to communicative opportunities. Communication is a universal way, form, and means of cultural activities, being based on processing and transmission of information obtained by mankind. The communicative function of culture is to accumulate, store, and transmit experience, knowledge, customs, traditions, etc. Leisure-time activities comprise holidays, games, gatherings, circle dances, theatre performances, etc. The paper concludes that folk leisure-time traditions play a significant role in health preserving and disease prevention for the Mordvin people. Active leisure-time arrangements facilitate the physical development of children and youth, the emotional uplift being essentially health-beneficial. For adult Mordvins those were means to diversify their activities, that somewhat added to psychological comfort. The emotional life of the ethnos was influenced by magic elements of holidays and games. Leisure-time activities also served to impart folk knowledge upon younger generations and develop skills required in adult life.