Zoomorphic hypostases of the Earth in the folklore of the Northern peoples

Kashlatova L. V.

The oldest layer of Ugric mythology is saturated with evidence of the existence of ideas about the organic relationship between man and animal, the leading role of the female principle in the creation of Nature. One of the Oldest Mothers of nature is mother Earth, represented in zoomorphic form. Folklore materials of the Ob Ugrians indicate that the earth itself was thought of as a living being and was identified in the ideas about it with images of animals. The purpose of this article is to introduce readers to the ancient ideas of the Ob Ugrians. The materials of the study were folklore texts published in various collections, historical sources of famous Russian and foreign ethnographers. The research materials can be useful for folklorists, ethnographers, historians, religious scholars and students studying the language and culture of the Ob-Ugric peoples, and can also be used in the preparation of theoretical materials on the history and culture of the peoples of Western Siberia.

Keywords:Mother of nature, Great mother, zoomorphic appearance, elk, bear, Kattas-Imi