Вибір масті худоби у традиційному господарстві українців крізь призму духовної культури

Abstract

The article highlights the traditional ideas of Ukrainians about the choice of cattle color that and clarifies the semantics of the use of animal hair in construction ceremonies. The study is based on both published and field ethnographic materials of the authors from Polissya, historical and ethnographic Volhynia, Boykivshchyna, Hutsulshchyna, Pokuttya. It is stated that sometimes the empirical approach was decisive in choosing the color of cattle. At the same time, Ukrainians were often guided by irrational motives, choosing cattle that were favorable for the economy: they sought the advice of a “healer”, took into account the “preferences” of the hobgoblin or its “color”, the color of the wеasеl or snake that lived on the housеhold. It is important that the wеasеl and the snake in many parts of Ukraine are also identified with the domestic spirit – the hobgoblin. As a rule, the best animals for breeding were those whose color corresponded to the hair color of the host, the color of the hobgoblin, the wеasеl, and/or the domestic snake. It was determined that the customs of “the construction start” and “entrance to a new house” played an important role in ensuring successful cattle breeding. In “construction start” the wool of some certain color was used as a “building sacrifice”. The interpretation of “zaklad” in the building as a symbolic sacrifice (which probably replaced the sacrifice directly by the animal) to the souls of the deceased is confirmed by the cases of identical use of wool in funeral rites. It was found out that the well-being of the farm and whether the owner would “keep” cattle of one color or another, Ukrainians associated with the assistance of the souls of the dead, including the hobgoblin.