Entomological images in Karelian beliefs

Introduction. Insects act as an element of the mythological system and rituals, provided by a variety of functions, occupied a certain place in the rituals, beliefs and medical practice of the Karelians. Among domestic insect parasites, the lice are most widely represented in the Karelian language a...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Finno-Ugric World
Main Authors: Yevgeniy V. Karakin, Tatyana V. Pashkova
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Russian
Published: National Research Mordova State University; MRSU 2021
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.15507/2076-2577.013.2021.02.136-142
https://doaj.org/article/bb7c67271be24ef1a1335757e16ca4d1
Description
Summary:Introduction. Insects act as an element of the mythological system and rituals, provided by a variety of functions, occupied a certain place in the rituals, beliefs and medical practice of the Karelians. Among domestic insect parasites, the lice are most widely represented in the Karelian language and rituals. The research novelty of the study is determined by the fact that researchers did not turn to the question of the functioning of insects in mythological views and the ritual tradition of Karelians. However, such research is necessary in order to recreate the integrity of the mythological picture of the Karelians, which determines the relevance of this article. Materials and Methods. The material for the study was entomological images in the beliefs and folk medicine of the Karelians. They were considered using comparative historical, comparative and comparative and ethnolinguistic methods. Results and Discussion. The authors dwell on the mythological views of Karelians about domestic parasite insects using the example of lice. These beliefs are reflected in the causes of diseases, methods of treatment, as well as in mythological stories and folklore. Conclusion. The collected and analyzed linguistic and ethnographic data make it possible to come to the conclusion that the lice are the representatives of the entomofauna. Karelians have many beliefs connected with lice, which are reflected in the linguistic picture of the world and traditional culture.