The Mythological Bases of the Bashkir Folklore (the Сase Study of the Superstitious Omens, the Epos and Legends)

Abstract

This article examines Bashkir superstitious beliefs as well as epics and legends in order to discover the mythological basis of the folklore. The study reveals that in the Bashkir superstitious beliefs there are topics similar to those in the rest of the world, but at the same time some mythological concepts are influenced by the specific geographical conditions and local environment. The Bashkirs believed that every object of nature had its own master. This belief encouraged the Bashkirs to honour various mountains, caves, forests as sacred places, and they tried not to anger their hosts, they brought precious things such as coins and silver jewelry as offerings. They endowed lakes, mountains, roads, fi elds and forests with human qualities. In the list of mythological characters considered in the article there is Shurale, devil, water, deuce, host of wind, house spirit - all of them have their habits, their functions. They are different, and at the same time they are similar and represent the human world. In the main Bashkir epic «Ural-Batyr» the beginning of a new human life after people suffered two world floods is described through the mythological prism. The epic tells about the new resettlement of people, explains the essence of turning from hunting to cattle-breeding, considers the conquest of the living space and describes the fight against the dark forces. In some legends (for example, Akkoshatkantau - the literally version “Mountain Where the Swan was Shot” - and Crane’s Song) we reveal the Bashkir omen associated with totemic birds which must not be shot. The role of the superstitions in the life of modern Bashkirs is briefly discussed as well.