Gergokova, Leila S.
Kavkaz Forum. 2023. Issue 16.

Abstract:
Mythology has always had a special meaning for the people; people in ancient
times considered themselves to be related by blood to animals. Therefore, there was
a cult of animals. One of the most famous characters of Karachay-Balkar folklore
is a fox, which is also one of the revered animals in their ancient mythological
ideas. According to popular belief, the silver fox, as a totemic progenitor, plays the
role of a patroness, giving people well-being, happiness and health. Studying the
character of this animal allows us to illuminate the worldviews and beliefs of the
Karachays and Balkars in a given time space. In this work, using the example of
a number of works of oral folk art of the Karachays and Balkars, an attempt is
made to analyze the image of the animal – the fox. Attention is drawn to the fact
that this character is ambivalent: capable of exhibiting different polar qualities of
character. A fox can be quick-witted, intelligent, wise, dexterous and resourceful,
but in other cases it can be evil, cunning, mean, and predatory. The study conducts
a comparative analysis of the characters of the selected character in the narratives
of the Nart epic and the texts of fairy-tale prose. Analyzing the zoomorphic image,
it is concluded that in the works of the Karachay-Balkar Nart epic this image is
exposed as totemic. In fairy tales, elements of the cult of the animal are still
preserved in the images of wonderful helpers. In animalistic works, the image of
a fox moves away from the ancient totem and becomes an allegory of a man.
Many researchers of folklore attribute anthropomorphic features to animals and
zoomorphic ones to humans, identifying and transforming them into each other,
which is a relic of cult ideas.

Keywords: folklore, Nart epic, fairy tales, tales about animals, character, cult of animals, totemic image.

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