Article

Name: The landscape code “water / river” in the ritual folklore of the Forest Yukaghir and its significance in the ethnic history of the people

Authors: L. N. Zhukova

The Institute for Humanities Research and Indigenous Studies of the North SB RAS, Yakutsk, Russian Federation

In the section Study of folklore

Abstract: The paper considers one of the main landscape codes of Kolyma Yukaghir hunters and fish-ermen, namely, the code of water / river. The significance of the water resources of the forest and taiga zone as lactating, transporting, and serving as a reference point in space is captured in the oral folklore of the forest Yukaghirs (Oduls). The image, functions, and significance of water/river according to folklore genres are considered. The pagan appeals to the deified “nursing” elements, their attendant rites, and modern functioning are analyzed. Lyric songs are closely adjacent to this genre, with the maternal nature of the water element functionally highlighted in them. In prosaic texts, the poetic component of the macro image of the water / river is reduced, and the text can directly or indirectly report a real or potential danger emanating from the water. The nursing function of the elements in them is only implied; the river acts as a transport artery, serving as a landmark on the ground. The ambivalent symbol-ism of water is clearly reflected in the ancient fairy-tale cycle about Mythical old people-cannibals, legends about the struggle with neighboring peoples, little stories. In the stories about shamans, the magical power of water is actualized. The analysis of the multi-genre texts showed the ambivalence of the water element, on the one hand, lyrically sung in songs and ritual folklore, on the other, bearing a real threat and the potentiality of meeting with hostile creatures. The basis of this algorithm is the feeling of constant anxiety, the need for a quick response, and the adoption of protective responses. The factors identified could influence the formation of the ethno-psychological world of the northern nomad.

Keywords: folklore of the Forest Yukaghir, the landscape code “water / river” in the ritual, the ambiva-lent symbolism of water

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