Symbolic Functions of Traditional Karelian Travel Outfit

Introduction. In contemporary scholarly literature, there are gaps in the study of the semantics of traditional Karelian clothing, particularly the symbolism of the travel costume, as the culture of mobility among the Karelians has long remained outside the interests of researchers. The aim of the study is to analyze the sign-symbolic functions of the Karelian travel costume, which will provide insights into the mythological beliefs and rituals of the people related to the road, as well as into Karelian spatial mythology as a whole. Materials and Methods. The source base of the research comprises archival ethnographic collections and the author’s field materials recorded among southern Karelian groups between 2018 and 2024. In preparing the article, the analysis of the sign-symbolic functions of Karelian clothing was applied within the framework of the functional approach, which made it possible to identify the main components of the travel costume that served as an additional protective amulet. Results and Discussion. As a travel outfit, the Karelians used everyday clothing, supplementing it with specialized types of outerwear. Analysis of the sign-symbolic functions of the costume identified the mandatory elements of a traveler’s clothing: a headdress, outerwear, a belt, mittens, and footwear. These components were endowed with symbolic meaning: they prevented the influence of hostile forces on the traveler, established a boundary between the person and the “foreign” world, creating a safe zone around the traveler in a potentially dangerous road environment, and served as a person’s road marker. Conclusion. The research results contribute to the study of the traditional worldview of the Karelians and the national specifics of their material culture through the lens of movement. The materials presented in the article may be useful for researching the travel culture of related peoples. The prospects for further research are seen in the continued study of the symbolic function of Karelian travel footwear.