About one household item of the Altaians

Abstract

The article is devoted to the culture and religious beliefs of the Altaians and the use of household, family things in the course of rituals. In the traditional culture, reflecting the pastoral lifestyle of nomads, felt products occupy a special place. Everyday household items, such as felt, being included in the ritual field of the rite, acquire special significance. During a religious prayer, they can be presented as a bedding for the master spirit of Altai, celestial deities who can “descend from heaven” and sit on a carpet. In the first half of the XX century. in rituals, large felt carpets were widely used, which are used in everyday life as a “wrapping” material for newborn lambs and calves. Nowadays, the practice includes small family rugs, which the faithful take with them to individual or public prayers.