Corvids in the Buryat Traditional Worldview

Abstract

Using a structural-semiotic approach together with a comparative historical one, and based on ethnographic, lexical, and folklore sources, this study focuses on the raven and the crow as characters in Buryat mythology. Buryat terms for these birds are of Mongolian origin. Folk beliefs concerning the raven are more elaborate than those concerning the crow. The image of the raven is ambiguous, whereas the crow is an unambiguously negative character. The analysis of vocabulary and of the minor genres of folklore shows that Buryats paid attention to the various zoological features of these birds: plumage color and voice in the crow; plumage color, size, beak, flight duration, collectivism, emotionality in expressing joy and greed in the raven. The essence of both birds of prey was believed to be impure. The raven symbolized heaven, spring, vigilance, war, masculinity, and rancor. Being intelligent and independent, the raven was the Buddhist deity’s aide. Unlike the crow, the raven was patronized by evil spirits and other demonic characters. The crow was a feminine character, a symbol of sky, winter, water, bloodlust, and rumor. Both birds were associated with shape-shifting. The Buryat views, then, combined specifically ethnic and universal ideas about corvids.