VERSANT

“To be a good tamada demands close
observation of the surrounding social world.”
Talking stops when the tamada begins to give a toast. To continue
talking is considered impolite. At a supra, informal talking is hardly
possible, because the themes to be talked about are prestructured to a
certain degree in accordance with the canonic order of toasting.
Discussions keep getting interrupted by a toast. The tamada manages
to start the toasting by suddenly raising his glass and calling a
formula, or xalxo (folks), or some personal form of address. Anyone
speaking is then expected to stop in order to listen to the tamada.
The toast normally stands out distinctly from other talking activity by
gestures, intonation, position shifting, and addressing.
Although the toasts are well-known over generations, there is never
one toast like the other. The tamada produces performances that are
similar rather than identical, as is typical for oral genres. Changes
from one concrete performance to the next are determined by the
preferences of the individual speaker, his perception of the audience’s
taste, and sometimes by the audience’s open reaction. The audience is
constantly taken into consideration.
There is no formal teaching in how to give a toast; one trains to
become a good toast giver by listening to the toasts given at the table.
People talk about the toasts delivered during an evening later on. The
evaluation of special toasts is also a common theme. Criteria of judgment
include the manner of delivery, the balance of traditional and
creative performance features, the fluency of speaking, and the sensitive
finding of social qualities to praise.
When a marriage is discussed, one necessarily also talks about the
excellence and originality of the toasts presented on that occasion.
Excellence is judged by the perfect fulfillment of the generic norms,
while originality is judged by the creativity used within the given
procedure. Both should be optimally matched.
Praise to the people present and to those absent is a central function
of the toasts. Since praise is a social endeavor, the tamada has to
be a good social observer. The person who is the subject of the toast
is honored by the whole group; thus, the genre helps to establish and
re-establish social bonds and norms. To be a good tamada demands
close observation of the surrounding social world.
By praising known and unknown qualities of living and deceased
people, a good tamada shows that he is more than simply a man of
words. He is the one who makes people see new dimensions of the
subject, and who keeps the memory of the deceased alive.
The tamada has to guarantee that the dinner ends with good feelings
among all the participants, a goal which is highly valued and
respected by Georgians.
Formulae are used in every toast, and there is a fixed set that provides
a stock for every tamada, for example, “me minda shemogtavazot,
sadghegrzelo” (I want to offer you a toast), “kargad qopna” (to their
well-being), “ janmrteloba vusurvot” (I wish them health), “bedniereba
vusurvot” (I wish them good luck), “mshoblebs dagilocavt sul qvelas”
(I bless all your parents/best wishes for all your parents), “ghmertma
gaumarjos sul qvelas” (God shall give all of them his favor).
However, a toast that consists only of formulaic phrases is considered
to be a poor one. A good tamada combines traditional and creative
phrases. He can give voice to his own individuality, and at the same
time be sensitive to the audience’s pleasure.
Men gather for a funeral supra to honor the
passing of a member of their community.
versant.com • 19