FORFEIT REDEMPTION IN LATVIAN FOLKLORIC CHOREOGRAPHIC MATERIALS: THE ASPECT OF PUNITIVE MECHANISMS

Abstract

Forfeit redemption in the Archives of Latvian Folklore (ALF) is classified as a subcategory of choreographic materials, characterized by punitive parameters applied in cases where game rules are violated and players are consequently subject to punishment. Although there is research of choreographic folklore (Elīna Gailīte, Rita Spalva (1953–2025), Harijs Sūna (1923–1999), Elza Siliņa (1895–1989) and others), but their research has primarily focused on plays and dances, while the phenomenon of forfeit redemption has not been particularly studied.

This article is devoted to an analysis of the phenomenon of forfeit redemption in Latvian folklore, based on choreographic materials covering the period from 1920 to 2006.

Two typological approaches to forfeit redemption can be identified: Prinduļu Pauls’s division into two groups (forfeits involving kissing and forfeits without kissing) and the ALF classification into ten categories according to the form of forfeit redemption. The task of the article is to interpret and typologize the forfeit redemption materials found in the ALF, with particular attention to the aspect of punishment.

It is concluded that forfeit redemption functions as a symbolic mechanism of social control, triggered by rule violations and supporting internal game order. Its fragmentary documentation and lack of context limit unequivocal interpretation, as meanings are situational and linked to cultural context and participants’ perceptions.