Marriage-related Customs among Udis and Georgians

Abstract

The Udis are one of the smallest peoples in the Caucasus. The Udis are the descendants of the Albanians
of the Caucasus. Albania, like Georgia and Armenia, was a Christian state. The Albanians had close cultural
relations with the Georgians, but the fall of the Albanian state and the dominance of the Turkish-speaking element there virtually destroyed that relationship. Only a small fraction of the Albanians, in the form of the Udi
people, survived. The Udis retained their own language, beliefs, and customs (of course, they were impacted
by Turkish-Azerbaijani influence). One part of the Udis maintained the Orthodox faith (part converted to Islam
or Monophysitism) and thus connected with Georgia.
In this letter, I would like to highlight some common customs related to marriage among Udis and Georgians. Similar wedding customs common among the Udis and Georgians are not limited to what is presented here, there are a number of other common customs that can be brought together and thoroughly studied in
the future.