Keremet / Lud Worship in the midst of the Udmurts and its Reflection in Toponymy
Keremet is one of the most complicated and discrepant images in Udmurt mythology and religions ritualism not only in the midst of the Udmurts but in the midst of the Chuvash, the Mari and other peoples of Eurasia. There is another equivalent of the word Keremet. It is a religious term Lud and it is typical of the Southern and Central groups of the Udmurts - the Kalmez. The playings took place in sacred grove on the hills from sunset to sunrise and only men could take part in them. Keremet and Lud prayings considered to be very strict and frightening. The Middle and Low Cheptsa Udmurts = the Vatka and the part of Southern Udmurts «Bydzim Kuala Vizhi» refused accepting this strange worship. Keremet worship penetrated Volga and Ural regions coming from the Near East thanks to the Khazars and the Volga and the Kama Bulgars. There are still plenty of Keremt traces that can be observed in the toponymy of Udmurtia and neighboring regions.