Abstract
The article solves the problem of authenticity of Ossetian traditional musical instruments, which is directly linked to their morphology. Within the framework of the mythological approach, where sound itself appears as one of the instruments of primordial creation, providing a transition from chaos (cacophony) to cosmic order (euphony), musical instruments are directly derived from the thunderstorm myth. From this point of view, they imitate the sounds of a thunderstorm, like thunderclaps (percussion), and the crackling accompanying the passage of lightning (rattles), as well as wind gusts, inevitable in any thunderstorm (brass). These archaic features manifest themselves both in the choice of material for their manufacture, and in the technologies used in this process, in the elements of their design and methods of sound production, all that is associated with the tradition of their use in musical life. In this regard, it seems very appropriate to refer to the Scythian pommel from Bald Mountain, the composition of which includes a male figure with a beard with a bell in each of his hands. An even more informative and revealing source is the iconic bronze tips of standards with bells from the Kazbek treasure, decorated with sculptural groups with figures of people located on twisted ram horns. Ultimately, there is a very high probability of a connection, existing between musical instruments and the rite of sacrifice as the main way to renew the world. The proposed provisions are based not only on the materials of the oral folk art of Ossetians (primarily the epic of the Narts), but also on the first-hand information that was received from informants and published by researchers not so long ago.
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