Natalia Gromova
Candidate of historical sciences,
assistant professor of the Department of Ethnology and Local History,
Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv,
Kyiv, Ukraine
E-mail: natalia_gromova@knu.ua
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000–0002–9738–2396
DOI: 10.17721/2522–4611.2026.54.2
Rostyslav Konta
Doctor of Historical Sciences,
professor of the Department of Ethnology and Local History,
Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv,
Kyiv, Ukraine
E-mail: Konta_Rostyslav@knu.ua
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000–0002–6803–3242
DOI: 10.17721/2522–4611.2026.54.2
CONCEPTS OF THE TIMELINESS OF DEATH IN THE TRADITIONAL UKRAINIAN WORLDVIEW
Relevance. The article deels with the need to understand traditional Ukrainian ideas about the time of death as an important element of the folk worldview, reflecting the traditional values of Ukrainian society, its age hierarchy, ritual practices, and attitude towards life and death.
Purpose. The purpose of the article is to analyze folk concepts of “fulfilled,” “unfulfilled,” and “overlived” age in traditional Ukrainian culture, as well as to determine their influence on funeral rites, mythological beliefs and social norms.
Methods. The research is based on the application of historical-ethnographic, comparative, and structural-functional methods, as well as the analysis of folklore texts, ethnographic descriptions and scholarly works, which makes it possible to comprehensively examine the phenomenon within the context of the traditional worldview.
Results. It has been established that in traditional Ukrainian culture, death in old age was considered “timely,” whereas death at a young age was perceived as a violation of the natural order and required special rituals (in particular, a symbolic “wedding”). Child mortality was regarded as less tragic, which can be explained by the level of medical knowledge and the social and demographic specifics of the time. At the same time, notions of “overlived” age were reflected in archaic practices of killing the elderly, which were later transformed in folklore narratives into the idea of allowing them to live to a natural death due to their wisdom and the importance of their life experience for the community.
Conclusions. Notions of the timeliness of death constitute a complex system of beliefs that combines religious, social and ethical aspects of traditional culture. They regulated attitudes toward different age groups and determined ritual behavior. Further research may focus on a comparative analysis of these notions in a broader European and global context.
Key words: traditional worldview, death, unfulfilled age, fulfilled age, overlived age, “placing on a sledge” (ritual killing of the elderly).
Received 02.04.2026.
Revised 15.04.2026.
Accepted 20.04.2026.
REFERENCES
Borysenko, V. K. (2016). Simeina obriadovist ukraintsiv ХХ - poch. ХХI st. [Family rituals of Ukrainians ХХ - early. ХХI c.] Kyiv: IMFE, 253 [in Ukrainian].
Boriak, O. (2023). V ostanniu put [To the last way]. URL: https://www.youtube. com/watch?v=4XBTLLWswGw (date of application 5.04.2026) [in Ukrainian].
Buiskykh, Yu. S. (2010). Nyzhcha mifolohiia v systemi tradytsiinohoho svitohliadu ukraintsiv. (kinets ХІХ-pochatok ХХ st.) [Lower mythology in the system of traditional Ukrainian worldview (late ХІХ - early ХХ century)], Dys… kand. ist. nauk. 07.00.05 – etnolohiia. Kyiv, 243 [іn Ukrainian].
Veletskaia, N. N. (1976). Rudimenty yazychestva v pokhoronnykh yhrakh karpatskykh hortsev [Rudiments of paganism in the funeral games of the Carpathian highlanders]. Karpatskyi sbornik. Trudy miezhdunarodnoi komyssii po izucheniiu narodnoi kultury Karpat i priliehaiushchikh k nim oblastiei. [Carpathian Collection. Proceedings of the International Commission for the Study of the Folk Culture of the Carpathians and Adjacent Regions]. Pod red Bromlieia Yu. V. Moskva: Nauka, 106-111 [іn Russian].
Veletskaia, N. N. (1978). Yazychieskaia simvolika slavianskikh arkhaicheskikh ritualov. [Pagan symbolism of Slavic archaic rituals]. Moskva: Nauka, 239 [іn Russian].
Hrymych, M. V. (2000). Tradytsiinyi svitohliad ta etnopsykholohichni konstanty ukraintsiv [Traditional worldview and ethnopsychological constants of Ukrainians]. Kyiv: VIPOL, 380 [in Ukrainian].
Hrinchenko, B. D. (1897). Etnohraficheskiie matierialy, sobrannye v Chiernihovskoi i sosiednikh s niei huberniiakh [Ethnographic materials collected in Chernigov and neighboring provinces]. V 3 t. Chernyhov: Typ. hub. zemstva,. Vyp. 2: Rasskazy, skazki, predaniia, poslovitsi, zahadki i pr. 390 [in Ukrainian].
Hurevich, A. (2007). Kultura sriednieviekovoi Yevropy. [The Culture of Medieval Europe.] Sankt-Pietierburh: Izdatielstvo Sankt-Pietierburhskoho universitieta, 544 [іn Russian].
Zablovskyi, A., Umebaiashi, M. (2002). Zvychai «sadzhaty na lubok» ta «ubaste» v ukrainskii ta yaponskii etnokulturnii tradytsii. [Calls “sajati na lubok” and “ubaste” in Ukrainian and Japanese ethnocultural traditions.] Etnichna istoriia narodiv Yevropy [Ethnic history of the peoples of Europe]. Kyiv, 13, 99-101 [in Ukrainian].
Kurochkin, O.V. (2016). Parodiinyi obriad «stareche vesillia» [The parody rite of the ‘old man's wedding’]. Narodna tvorchist ta etnolohiia [Folk art and ethnology]. Kyiv, 2, 66-77 [in Ukrainian].
(1985). Lehendy ta perekazy. [Legends and retellings]. Uporiad. ta prymitky A. L. Ioanidi, vst. st. O. I. Deia. Kyiv: Naukova dumka, 400 [in Ukrainian].
Litvinova, P. (1885). Kak sazhali v starinu liudiei starykh na lubok. [How old people were placed on a sledge in ancient times]. Kievskaia starina [Kievan antiquity]. Kyiv, 6, 354-356 [іn Russian].
Piatachenko, S. V. (2000). Rozvidka P. Lytvynovoi-Bartosh «Kak sazhaly v starynu liudei strarykh na lubok» (1885) ta polemika navkolo nei. [Investigation of P. Litvynova-Bartosz “How old people were placed on a sledge in ancient times” (1885) and the Controversy Around It.]. Sivershchyna v istorii Ukrainy. [Severshchina in the History of Ukraine]. 13, 218-222 [in Ukrainian].
Svientsitskyi, I. (1912). Pokhoronni holosinnia [Funeral laments.] Hnatiuk, V. Pokhoronni zvychai y obriady [Funeral customs and rites]. Etnohrafichnyi zbirnyk [Ethnographic collection]. 31-32. Vydaie Etnohrafichna Komisiia Naukovoho Tovarystva imeni Shevchenka. Lviv, 1-129 [in Ukrainian].
Shcherbak, I. (1998). Davnii ukrainskyi obriad pokhovannia tykh, khto pomer u «nevyzhytomu» vitsi [The ancient Ukrainian rite of burial of those who died at an "unlived" age]. Narodna tvorchist ta etnohrafiia [Folk art and ethnography]. 5-6, 109-113 [in Ukrainian].
Tommaselli, L. (2019). Ki era s'akkabadora? [Who was s'accabadora?]. URL: https://www.facebook.com/laura.tommaselli/posts/pfbid021Q23zAy3gbtVNKMpXpL9ycDyEy8MnknMoQzuQdFXUyD3jk2jX8WQEjpCRGJFGM7l (date of application 5.04.2026) [іn Italian].