Kudel-Drem: An Interpretation of the Red Hill Rituals among the Don Cossacks

The article provides a general description of the rituals of the Red Hill among the Don Cossacks and a detailed reconstruction of the Kudel ritual, recorded by the author in the village of Lukovskaya, Nekhaevsky District, Volgograd Region, in 2008. This ritual was performed here on the Red Hill until the mid-1980s. Based on her field materials, the testimonies of other folklorists, and previously published texts of round dance songs related to spinning and weaving, the author provides an interpretation of this ritual, identifies the main features of the collective image of Kudel-Drem, and shows its connection with the other world and the souls of deceased girls of marriageable age. In this case, we are talking about a specific category of girls who, during their lifetime, had committed “wrong” actions, such as neglecting their feminine crafts and engaging in premarital relationships. According to popular beliefs, the unspent life force (share) of these deceased individuals should be included in the total life force/share of the girls of marriageable age in a particular village. In addition, the Kudel ritual served as a socializing/educational function, symbolically marking the transition between different time periods and associated collective activities among young people.