Zoomorphic Imagery in Fi nno-Ugric People Cultu re of the Kostroma Region
The article examines the waterfowl and horse cults which are common to all Finno-Ugric tribes. The totemic worship to these animals is traced in Finno-Ugric culture of the Kostroma Volga region where the tribe Merya had lived up to the 10th century before assimilating with Slavic settlers. The elements of totemic beliefs have been revealed expressed in zoomorphic figurines of waterfowl and horse discovered during archaeological excavations. The proofs are based on mythological information. The reflection of worship in folklore, ethnography, and artifacts of different cultures is traced. The author provides a comparison with other Finno-Ugric tribe cultures such as Mordovians and Komi. The analysis of numerous and diverse sources suggests that the images of waterfowl and horse dominated the mythological world picture of Finno-Ugric tribes. The fact that these images are also found in the rituals of modern Finno-Ugric tribes is an indirect confirmation of the hypothesis.