Жизненная сущность человека в представлениях обских угров и удмуртов: к вопросу об угро-пермских параллелях в мифоритуальных традициях

Abstract

Introduction: the Ob-Ugric and Permian traditions have preserved elements of the ancient mythological consciousness, the study of which together with the available data of related sciences would shed light on the history of the formation of these ethnic cultures traditionally. The solution to such a complex problem is possible on the basis of a comparative analysis of the individual aspects of the perception of the worldview, including its basic values. The authors do not pretend to be unambiguous in their interpretation of limiting themselves for a start to the definition of a single worldview field with the existing of uniqueness, originality and individuality of the cultures of the communities under consideration. Objective: to examine the complexity of the general and specific ideas of the Khanty, Mansi and Udmurts about the components of the human spiritual essence (souls), its characteristic and exceptional properties, including reincarnation, family relations/ties and patronage of descendants under the perception of their traditional worldview of human life and its basic values. Research materials: the research materials are based on (a) the proceedings of the field study materials during interaction with the communities specified which are considered as the primary resources of the study undertaken by the researchers, (b) secondary materials are taken from the scientific articles, book chapters and literature etc. published so far, (c) similar research findings by the scholars in this area of study, and (d) archival resources of the nineteenth and twentieth century. Results and novelty of the research: the study of the ideas about the human soul among the examined ethnicities of the selected communities in this study have their own historical context; nevertheless, a comparative analysis of the findings lead to the novel reflections and conclusions those reveal both universal concepts for the ethnic groups and distinctive/specific characteristics peculiar to the Udmurts or the Ob-Ugrians. The Ugric and Permian people have a clear concept of the presence of two components in a human defined as two souls which are the necessary condition for a life. On the basis of this idea, certain judgments, norms of behavior, and ritual actions have been developed traditionally. The common ideas of these people are also based on the concepts about the role of the ‘mother goddess’ and the influence of the departed on the creation of the life and their ability to endow a newborn with a soul. A distinctive feature of the worldview of the Ob-Ugrians is the presence of a system of ideas about the reincarnation of the souls of the ancestors in descendants and about the connection between the soul and the flower(s) in the worldview of the Udmurts.