THE EARTHEN VERTICAL OVEN (T‘ONIR) IN THE TRADITIONAL CULTURE OF THE ARMENIANS OF MOUNTAINOUS KARABAKH (ACCORDING TO ETHNOGRAPHIC AND FOLKLORIC MATERIALS OF THE 19th-21th CENTURIES)

Authors

  • Tork S. Dalalyan Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography; H. Acharyan Institute of Language 0000-0002-8686-5341 (unauthenticated)
  • Nvard Kh. Vardanyan Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography;
  • Shogher Marlesti Minasyan H. Acharyan Institute of Language,
  • Armen Yuriki Sargsyan Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.32653/CH223%25p

Keywords:

Nagorno-Karabakh, t‘onir, “house of t‘onir”, “t‘onir mariage” bread, dish, belief, worship

Abstract

This article explores the traditional customs and beliefs of the Armenians of Mountainous Karabakh or Nagorno-Karabakh associated with the t‘onir, an earthen bread oven. The aim of the article is to present for the first time the ethnographic and folkloric features associated with the t‘onir of Nagorno-Karabakh. The article uses the methods of fieldwork observations and typological analysis. Drawing on ethnographic and folkloric materials recorded from the late 19th to the early 21st centuries, as well as our own fieldwork, an attempt is made to describe in detail the unique features of the t‘onir construction among the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh, the types of bread and other dishes prepared in it, and associated cultural practices. Karabakh folklore samples that preserve traces of distinctive concepts related to the t‘onir are also examined in the article. The field research was conducted by Armen Y. Sargsyan between 2000 and 2020 in all regions of Nagorno-Karabakh, encompassing more than 50 settlements. The main conclusion of the article is that the ideas associated with t‘onir among the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh, on the one hand, share similarities with those found in other ethnographic regions of Armenia and the Caucasus, and on the other hand, they exhibit distinct features – ranging from the unique construction of the t‘onir to its specific ritual vestiges. In traditional Armenian culture, the t‘onir was identified with the hearth and was believed to ensure the household’s well-being and the unity of the family. This concept is especially prominent in formulaic expressions found in folklore (“formulaic folklore”).

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Author Biographies

  • Tork S. Dalalyan, Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography; H. Acharyan Institute of Language

    Ph.D., Vice-director, Head of department of Folklore Studies;

    Senior Researcher

  • Nvard Kh. Vardanyan, Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography;

    Ph.D., Senior Researcher

  • Shogher Marlesti Minasyan, H. Acharyan Institute of Language,

    Ph.D., Researcher

  • Armen Yuriki Sargsyan, Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography

    Ph.D., Researcher

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Published

2026-09-30

How to Cite

1.
Dalalyan TS, Vardanyan NK, Minasyan SM, Sargsyan AY. THE EARTHEN VERTICAL OVEN (T‘ONIR) IN THE TRADITIONAL CULTURE OF THE ARMENIANS OF MOUNTAINOUS KARABAKH (ACCORDING TO ETHNOGRAPHIC AND FOLKLORIC MATERIALS OF THE 19th-21th CENTURIES). ИАЭК. 2026;22(3):608-619. doi:10.32653/CH223%p