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Burnakov V. Images of the Hare in the Traditional Beliefs and Folklore of the Khakas (Late Nineteenth–Mid-Twentieth Centuries)

V. Burnakov
Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography Siberian
Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences
Novosibirsk, Russian Federation
ORCID: 0000-0001-9636-3081
E-mail: venariy@ngs.ru

 

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ABSTRAСT. The purpose of this article is to describe images of the hare in the Khakas culture. To achieve this goal, the following tasks have been solved: (1) analyzing linguistic, folkloric and ethnographic information on the matter, and (2) identifying the relationship between the biology of the animal in question and the mythological projection of its image in the traditional consciousness of the Khakas people. The chronological framework of the study covers the late nineteenth–midtwentieth centuries. The choice of the chronological scope is primarily due to the state of the source base on the research topic. The study is based on the principle of historicism. Dealing with particular folkloric and ethnographic materials, the author also applies the methods of semantic and comparative analysis. As a result of the analysis, he draws the following conclusions: (1) In the Khakas culture, the hare was assigned one of the most important roles; (2) In oral folklore, the image of the white hare (ah khozan) appears to be most common and has polysemantic features; (3) The mythological characteristics of the animal were determined by the biology of the animal itself, i. e. its appearance, lifestyle, and behavior, and the following zoological features were captured in the Khakas language and folklore: peculiar appearance, caution, alertness, extreme mobility, dexterity, ability to run fast and jump high, seasonal dimorphism, high fecundity, etc.; (4) Analysis of the images of this animal reveals many universal stereotypes existing not only among the Khakas, but also in the cultures of other peoples, and related to its perception as an extremely cowardly and weak being. Statements of the hare’s fertility and the resulting idea of fertility and erotic symbolism are common, as well as negative assessments of the hare in superstitious road signs; (5) Perceptions of the hare in the worldview of the Khakas reveal a number of specific features inherent only in it. Some physical abilities of this animal, in particular, such as high running speed, ability to jump high, certain maneuverability of its movements, etc., contributed to the convergence of images of the hare and the horse. These associations are widely used in oral folklore, from riddles and sayings to epics. The motive of chasing the hare became widespread. It has a certain relation to marriage, and is represented in the heroic epics; (6) Hare is a nocturnal animal. It arranges shelters in the ground: holes, burrows, hides under the roots of trees, etc. In the religious and mythological perceptions of the Khakas, the designated places were traditionally classified as chthonic space. In this regard, people were convinced that the hare has a mystical connection with the other world. They believed in its ability to be a shape-shifter, and its close contacts with the inhabitants of the otherworld. Therefore, it is obviously not accidental that certain demonic characters were endowed with hare-like features, such as teeth, etc. These circumstances contributed to the fact that the Khakas perceive the hare, among other things, as “the worst of the animals”, i. e. an unclean and potentially dangerous one.

 

KEYWORDS: Khakas, traditional culture, folklore, hare, image, symbol, myths, rituals

 

DOI 10.31250/2618-8600-2021-2(12)-29-51
УДК 398(=152.153)

 

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