Zoomorphic code in the mythological and ritual tradition of Altaians

Abstract

The article reveals the peculiarities of the zoomorphic cultural code implementation in the mythology and rituals of the Altai people. Folklore texts of different genres: myths, legends, historical legends, tales, and ritual works of Altaians were studied using the descriptive method, the method of semantic reconstruction, and the method of motivational analysis used in ethnolinguistics. The concept of “double coding” serves as a methodological basis for studying the zoomorphic code in the mythological picture of the world of the Altaians. The culture code is understood as a way of expressing meaning when describing the material and spiritual world in the cultural space by native speakers, as well as a linguistic way of conceptualizing the surrounding world. Cultural codes in mythological texts are enclosed in lexical representatives-mythemes denoting various objects of the material and spiritual world and united by a theme. The author concludes that the zoomorphic code is one of the main ones involved in the coding of conceptual cultural meanings in the language picture of the world. The mythological interpretation of certain mythemes as zoomorphic entities in the mythological and ritual culture of Altaians provided one of the means of coding and reflecting the world picture. The zoomorphic code plays a role in the conceptualization and formation of various myths: theonyms, demonyms, names of cult objects, cosmonyms, and chrononyms. In addition, motivational models of mytheme formation are identified.