Which languages could be spoken in Mari keremet groves?

In the context of traditional Mari religious practices, rituals are often conducted in forest groves. The language spoken in these settings is the Mari language, which belongs to the Finno-Ugric division of the Uralic language family.123

The Mari people primarily utilize three major dialects, any of which could be spoken depending on the geographic location of the grove:

• Meadow dialect: Spoken by the largest group, primarily in the Mari El republic north of the Volga River.24
• Mountain (Hill) dialect: Spoken mostly south of the Volga River, between the Volga and Sura rivers.24
• Eastern dialect: Spoken by groups who emigrated from the Meadow region, particularly in areas around the Kama River and in Bashkortostan.243

While the Mari have historically faced pressure toward Russian acculturation, their native language remains central to their cultural and religious identity.213