Mansi - Marriage and Family



Marriage. Marriages were arranged by matchmakers or by the potential groom and an entourage of supporters after the potential groom had decided on a bride. He would then work in his wife's home for a period of three to four years. Bride-price was arranged; the bride's mother was important in the neogtiations, though the bride was not directly consulted. Bride-price was usually equivalent to dowry, but was paid in money and livestock. Brides received a dowry consisting of clothing and utensils and sometimes a reindeer harness. Marriages with widows were concluded without bride-price. Ethnographic data suggest the survival of levirate and sororate customs and cross-cousin marriages. Within the bounds of exogamous groups, marriages were possible only among relatives whose relations were four or more generations back. Today a high percentage of Konda and Ob Mansi marry non-Mansi. Among the Sosva-Lyapin and Upper-Lozva Mansi, marriages are primarily with Mansi.

Domestic Unit. In the past both large and small patriarchal families were common among the Mansi. In the middle of the nineteenth century families usually consisted of five or six individuals, but there were also multigenerational families with ten to fifteen members living in one house and owning land in common. Modern families are comprised of one to three generations. Families with a large number of children are rare.

Inheritance. Inheritance of property among the Mansi follows the male line.

Socialization. In the past, Mansi culture left much of the process of socialization in the hands of children themselves, either through their own learning by observation of adults or in games played among themselves. Boys played hunting games in which the rules and goals varied according to the animal (bear, elk, rabbit) that was the object of their imaginary hunt. Girls played with dolls, taking on roles that prepared them for the domestic part of their adult lives. Parents provided explanations to the children and oversaw such activities as target practice. Children took part in productive activity when they were strong enough to do so and also participated in religious ritual and sacrifice. There is no recorded information on particular rites of passage. Today Mansi children attend either schools in the villages in which they live or boarding schools. They have the opportunity to study for a particular profession or prepare for higher education, but there are also interest groups and clubs in the schools, such as hunting circles, which allow students to participate in traditional activities.


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