Beer and Related Terminology in the Mountains of Georgia

Abstract

Beer, a commonly accepted dessert product, is simply and plainly defined in the Georgian dictionaries as the mild alcoholic beverage made from cereal flour, malt and hop flowers. An entirely clear and concise definition, it completely fails to portray the essence and value it has as a cultural phenomenon for the Georgian Highlander, particularly for the Khevsurian and the Tushetian conscience.

Beer is not merely a drink— an attribute of dinner, evening, a snack table, or something drunk after a meal— but it is sacral, ritual drink and is made only for the Supras (“feasts") on special occasions. Such Supras were not rare in the mountainous regions but happened rather frequently: 1. common religious celebrations in winter and summer; 2. weddings; 3. big Supras for the respect of the cult of the deceased (i.e., a whole chain of ceremonial procedures dedicated to the commemoration of the departed); 4. related to some kind of hard work when there is a need for an additional work force (particularly, the helping hand of neighbors or clansmen); 5. certain special occasions accompanied by the great consumption of drink, namely, the consecration of a newly built house, the so-called სახლის სამხდო; the blessing of a flock of sheep (დაკოჭვა) by the Khevsurian archpriest; or the so-called სახევსუროები (sakhevsuroebi), the Khevsurs’ semi-pagan gathering to meet a guest with a sacrificial killing.

In Khevsureti and Tusheti, regions with a long and ancient history of Georgian beer production, there is a never-ending circle of a chain of agricultural activity and symbolic-sacral actions that take place long before the “nectar” from the sacred earth ever undergoes its transformation into beer and a priest standing with a priestly bowl in his hand in the brewing room next to a კოდი (kodi - “a special bowl”) with candles at its edges makes a toast in praise of God.

Every step in the long marathon of man’s domestic work that is connected to the production of beer is stamped with a sacred mark. Sacred is the field where the brewer’s barley is sown – it is called ჯვარისყანა (“cross-field”). Sacred is the ritual where the ploughman performs the bringing of the ox and plough to this field – the Tushetians call this უღელდება (“ugheldeba”), and it takes place on a special day ოცობა (otsoba). Prayers are recited at the time of the harvesting of the field, at the reaping and threshing, when the beer is boiled and the already boiled beer is poured into the კოდები (kodebi – “the special bowls”) and they are blessed. Sacred too are the storerooms and facilities where the beer is boiled and brewed (საქვაბე, საფუარი) – womenfolk and “evil” persons may not step foot in them.

The themes mentioned above provide an abundant set of specialized vocabulary discussed in the paper.