earticle

영어

This study examines the marriage culture of the Altai Belt peoples from a feminist viewpoint, focusing on aspects that have traditionally been overlooked?especially the central roles played by women. By conducting a cross-cultural comparison among the ethnic groups of the Altai Belt, the research investigates the commonalities and kinship patterns shared across the region. Furthermore, the study applies Turner’s (2012) Theory of Social Drama as an analytical framework to understand how female-centered marriage customs unfold as social performances. The findings reveal that women among the Altai Belt peoples often played larger and more central roles in the institution of marriage than their male counterparts. Women were not merely passive participants but key agents in shaping marriage practices, often positioned as initiators and creators within their communities. The study also shows the persistence of matriarchal traditions within the marriage systems of these societies. This includes customs such as deril-sawi(a form of bridegroom adoption), ug-Gui(matrilocal marriage), and ch?-ga-sari(a practice where the husband lives with the wife’s family). These patterns point to a heritage in which women held considerable social power. Marriage, in this context, was not regarded as the end of a life phase but rather as a transformation into another performative process within society. Women played an active role in leading and shaping the success of the marriage, not just within the family, but as visible participants in public social rites. Among the Altai Belt peoples, including Korea, marriage rituals were often marked by symbolic performances referred to as “abduction dramas.” These included traditional practices such as hoesaum(mock battles), ssireum(wrestling), handling the groom, yobai, yeddi, dongsangrye, and nantu-geuk(various forms of staged conflict). These rites functioned as corrective behaviors and symbolic enactments that helped integrate the marriage into the communal order, reinforcing social bonds through shared cultural scripts.