WHEN DEAD PEOPLE VISIT PERVOMAYSK. FUNERAL CEREMONIES IN THE LOCAL COMMUNITY

This article is the result of field research conducted in Northern Moldavia and Transnistria in 2002 and 2003. Presented materials were collected in the form of ethnographic interviews with the villagers of Pervomaysk, and also Stircea, Koshkodeny, Beltsy, Rybnitsa and Ivanovka. It must be underlined that the author witnessed funeral ceremonies called 'provody' in Beltsy, Pervomaysk and Koshkodeny in may 2003. The main theme of this article is the cultural role of ceremonials related to the All Souls' Day and funerals in the local society. He believes that these rites are used to bind identity of the local community as well as to create internal differences and divisions. He also shows how they are being manipulated by religious and secular ideologies. The main accent however is being put on the role of the gift (so-called 'pomana') and alcohol used during All Souls' Day and funeral ceremonies.