The Udins of Azerbaijan

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Date: Tue, 13 Feb 2001 07:54:45 +0200 (EET)
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Subject: The Udins of Azerbaijan

From: MINELRES moderator <[email protected]>

Original sender: Eldar Zeynalov <[email protected]>

The Udins of Azerbaijan 


(Translated from Russian by MINELRES) 


THE UDINS EAT PORK AND DO NOT MARRY RELATIVES

Baku, 10 February 2001 ("Echo")

"I am keen on ethnography at the amateur's level. Azerbaijan is of
special interest to me in this respect. Please, tell me about the
Udins. Where are they from, what is their faith, maybe you know where
else they live, besides Azerbaijan? I will be very grateful [for 
your comments]." 
B.Mikhailov (Samara) 


In the Institute of archeology and ethnography we were told that in
the beginning of the previous millenium a powerful Christian state
Caucasian Albania existed in the territory of Azerbaijan. After the
conquest of Azerbaijan by the Arabs the most of its population
assimilated, dissolved in conquerors. However, some part managed to
retain its distinctive identity. The Udins and Hanaligs belong exactly
to this group. Some scientists claim that the Udins resided in the
territory of Nagorny Karabakh, but with the arrival of Armenians they
were squeezed from their native area and settled in the territory of
two regions - Oguz and Gabaly. They call themselves Udi, speak the
Udin language which belongs to the Lezgin linguistic sub-group. They
are not many - only seven thousands people. Small group lives also in
Georgia in the territory of Kvareli region. By religion the Udins are
Christians, both Ortodox and Mogophists are among them. They adopted
much from those Caucasian peoples with whom they lived side by side.
For example, the Udins' cuisine little differs from the Azeri one,
with the exception that they can afford eating pork. However, the
custom existing among all Caucasian peoples - marriages with relatives
- is absent among Udins at all.           

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