Minkh recorded a memorate function a few teenagers, aged 20-25, concerning engagement off a beneficial koldun , Filat Semenov, when you look at the a married relationship inside Saratov state
They were landless, elderly and terrible (Ramer 1991: 214), nevertheless they had received a huge body out of enchanting, and often natural knowledge, and you can gathered a credibility that’ll allow them to eke away a lifestyle from the starting a number of features with other peasants.
Phenomenal therapists provided healers (men znakhar’ , girls znakharka ), fortunetellers (male kudes’nik , females vorozheia ) and you can sorcerers (male koldun , female koldun’ia ). Peasants put these types of terminology instead broadly, and sometimes interchangeably. It stems partially on proven fact that magical therapists did an excellent form of overlapping features, and get on account of local otherwise individual variations. One number one difference in healers and you may sorcerers is actually the fact that sorcerers derived their energies away from an enthusiastic “unclean force” ( nechistaia sila ), which could refer to the assistance of petty demons, or the “unclean” lifeless (people who had sunken, committed committing suicide, died unbaptized, otherwise had skilled sorcery while you are life) (Ivanits1989: 97; 104). When 
you are an excellent koldun you’ll display similarities inside function with a professional or a good koldun’ia , one part that was specifically accorded in order to your was regarding honored invitees and you will protector of peasant matrimony.
Semenov approached new horses, and you can shouted “hi your-We me am here!
A study of the fresh koldun inside single mode will help so you’re able to teach the brand new hazy boundaries between benevolent and you may malevolent miracle, and to stress a specially men category of enchanting practitioners just who peasant denounced for particular serves off witchcraft. Even though the koldun apparently functioned since a protector off wedding events, a diagnosis from peasant views shows that new peasantry held which sorts of koldun within the a far more ambivalent value. The marriage koldun will bring a lucid exemplory case of just how peasants you’ll mistake enchanting practitioners to own witches, even in the event it did benevolent and you can prophylactic features.
Just after peasants stumbled on accept that an other villager are about the misfortunes, it often decided to handle him or her as a consequence of violent setting, approved from the society. The fresh new osud ) into an effective deviant or criminal ability either on it this new concur out of this new community council ( skhod ), that will involve the latest participation, myself or indirectly, of your entire community. If not a little number of peasants usually takes they abreast of on their own to clear a community off hazardous issues; the fresh work nonetheless could be approved by people when the norms, well-becoming, or monetary living was in fact threatened (Frank 1987: 239-265).
To understand how an effective “protector” koldun you are going to sustain the latest wrath of their fellow villagers, you will need to understand that peasants will dreadful, known, and you will resented such imposing rates. For example, when you look at the 1887 new ethnographer An effective. In matrimony procession in advance of heading to church, the new ponies would not proceed and you will reared up (Minkh 1994: 285). Peasants thought such as relatively lightweight misfortunes as proof “spoiling” (Kuznetsova 1992: 125). ” ( Ei vy–ia sam tut !), from which brand new horses started out at the high-speed. Similar to this, Semenov eliminated a fairly brief act out of observed spoiling. Semenov failed to endear himself to their fellow villagers, as there are proof to indicate that they sensed following through up against your. From the an afterwards matrimony he pressed this new traffic so you can hug and you will kiss the brand new postings supporting the awing outside a peasant’s hut. Minkh’s informants stated that peasants for the a meeting of community system had talked about thrashing Semenov. Whether or not this outrage stemmed regarding collective effect of his dangers and imposing stature, otherwise so it solitary indignation is not clear. The newest ethnographer’s statement cannot say even though it was carried out, but this will be nevertheless an essential little bit of evidence, although, as we come across that peasants performed think providing violent action facing a koldun while he had turned out to help you be useful in one such as for example.