Kuban Ukrainian-Cossack Wedding: Songs & Ceremonial, structural analysis

In current article author presents traditional Kuban Ukrainian-Cossack wedding, on the ground of typological data, archived in 268 items, recorded in 46 settlements of historical Chornomorya (contemporary Kyban lowlands region of Russian Federation), transcribed and archived according to the historically reconstructed wedding ceremony of procession 29 magical rites. Overall the collection is subdivided upon the rites of initiation, wedding & post-wedding ceremonies; by 62 structural-melodical typology-recitatory-exclamational (134), cantilena (31), of mixed types (102), dancant (1). The recitatory-exclamatory songs constitute the core of wedding ceremonies, cantilena mixed - the historical epic songs, cantilena mixed dancant – the core of common non-ritual songs. The initiation rites (82) correspond to 10 ceremonies-wooing, betrothal, engagement, crowning of a wreath, maiden evensongs, summon songs, wedding feast, orphan songs, wedlock. 178 items illustrate 16 wedding rites of ceremony, according to wedlock, wedding feast, redemption of the bride, treatment of bride, ritual maiden evensongs, wedlock attire, the departure of the bride. 8 songs correspond to three rites of post-wedding ceremony. The recitatory-exclamatiory songs are performed on every ceremony of a rite (as an integral rite) or interferential (as co-habitative, musicianship of a ceremonial), formulating a polythem atic and polysemantic ceremony. In dramatical-epic songs the melodic embellishments flourish over the vocalized vowels. 15 non-ritual lirycal songs were performed irregarding of the ceremony. Ethnomusical analysis arguably supports the theory of common historical origin and background of songs and rites under consideration, preserved in commemoration of singers, the legacy of kuban history' historical traditions, of rytmicall cowariative combinatories and art of vocalizing and embellishments.