Female Demonic Characters in the Myths and Folklore of the Peoples of Western Siberia: Genesis, Functions, Attributes

Abstract

The results of a comparative analysis of female demonic characters that exist in the myths and folklore of the peoples of Western Siberia are presented. It is noted that the total assimilation and leveling of the peculiarities of distinctive cultures did not occur, despite the fact that the rituals and myths of the West Siberian peoples were subjected to processes of mutual influence, flow and adaptation for centuries. The relevance of the study is due to the need to study the existing picture both in its integrity and in individual fragments. It is reported that the image of a female witch, a malicious old woman, is found in the myths and tales of most of the peoples living in Western Siberia. The article analyzes the etymology of the names and attributes of female demonic characters: Porne in Khanty mythology, Parne in Nenets mythology, Forest old woman and Albasty among Siberian Tatars, Baba Yaga among Slavs. The authors pay special attention to the commonality of mythological motifs, the similar structure of fairy tales, arising on the basis of demonic images of the feminine type. The possible relationship of these images with totemic representations, common in ancient cultures, is indicated. The question of the correlation of the folklore plot “the boy and the witch” with the ritualism of the West Siberian peoples, in particular, with the rites of birth, initiation, and fire worship, is examined. By comparing the traditions of neighboring cultures, the archetypal nature of the initiation scenario while maintaining its ethnospatial specificity is proved.