Dynastic marriages of the Middle Ages and modern wedding traditions: historical, philological and source-based aspects of the study

Abstract

The article examines the works of prominent folklorists and literary scholars on wedding traditions and their relevance in contemporary society as well as the folklore accompanying them. It is noted that the actualization of the scientific discourse on traditions is conditioned by the contemporary needs to elucidate the history of the Ukrainian wedding and the integration of ancient wedding rites into modern practice. The study provides an overview
of printed materials from Ukrainian and emigrant press that reflect wedding traditions. Through the prism of written sources, texts of Ukrainian and foreign literature and the authors’ own field research conducted in the Sumy region, it became possible to objectively study the main changes that family rituals have undergone from their origins to the present. The latest sources, works of art, informants’ accounts of wedding ceremonies contribute to an understanding of the role of the bride, groomsmen and elders and other wedding guests. The study also delves into the significance of toasts, wedding attire, dishes, utensils and entertainment and describes the ceremonies that meticulously reproduce the Ukrainian traditions on the eve of the wedding, such as the matchmaking ceremony, etc. The survey of respondents, who are folk art bearers, highlights their attitudes to wedding rites, which are still in use today, identifying the most popular types of weddings and tracing the main trends of modern wedding styles. Wedding customs of the 21st century are recorded, testifying to the role and significance of the church wedding in the ceremonial structure of Ukrainian weddings. The article also presents an authorial selection of texts from the works of domestic and foreign literary artists who depict the wedding (family) narrative in a historical context. It traces the engagement of Ukrainian and foreign writers with the wedding theme, providing specific examples of rituals depicted in their works and focusing
on plot structure, character systems, symbolic images, etc. Special attention is paid to the process of transformation of the European wedding style and the incorporation of its elements into the structure of the traditional Ukrainian wedding ceremony. Further research is needed on the transformation of family ritual creativity in the works of contemporary literary artists.