Food in rituals associated with the spirits-‘masters’ of loci in the tradition of the Russians in the Perm region (based on mythological texts)

The article discusses foods, dishes, and drinks used by the Russians of the Perm region in rituals related to the spirits-‘masters’ of loci (a spirit of the banya, house spirit, leshy (forest spirit), and mermaid). The research material included mythological texts recorded in various parts of the region and containing descriptions of these rituals. As shown by the analysis, it is more often that traditional dishes of Slavic cuisine become part of the subject code of rituals associated with the spirits of loci, while dishes and drinks that were incorporated into the culture later (candies, port wine, tea) are used less often. Only those dishes that possess certain characteristics having a symbolic meaning in Slavic culture become ritual. Such characteristics include smell, taste, color, structure, place and method of preparing/obtaining a product/dish, cooking sequence, ingredients for cooking the dish, shelf life of the food, frequency of eating the food product, the effect caused by eating the food, the use of the food product/dish in other ceremonies (primarily in funeral and memorial rituals). Dishes that were not traditionally Slavic and came to Russian cuisine later, but have one or more of the culturally significant features, were integrated into the existing system (candies found their place among sweet products, port wine - among alcoholic beverages of red color) and also became ceremonial. The study established that the main function of ritual food in the ritual tradition of the Russians inhabiting the Perm region is protective: dishes act as intermediaries between man and spirits as representatives of two different worlds - ‘human’ and ‘non-human’, and are supposed to protect people from possibly harmful effects produced by demons.