The ram in the traditional sacred practices of the khakas (late XIX — mid XX century)

Abstract

The subject of this article is the semantics of the image of a ram / sheep in the ritual of the khakas, associated with the sacrifice of an animal and other sacred manipulations with it. The research was based on ethnographic sources, including archival ones, which are being introduced into scientific circulation for the first time.

The paper analyzes the phenomenon of ram sacrifice in the khakas culture. It is concluded that the animal in question was extremely popular due to its high utilitarian and sacred significance. It was included in the ritual associated with many areas of human life and society. In religious and mythological terms, the designated animal acted as a symbolic projection-a "replacement" of the human soul, which had a close connection with the world of ancestors and deities. The image of the ram was strongly associated with the idea of vitality and fertility. The indicated artiodactyl was a key subject in gift-exchange processes, both within the human collective and in relations with the spirit world. The ram sacrifice was a key act in the cult practices related to the veneration of natural objects and elements: the sky, mountains, water, fire, etc. In the worldview of the khakas, much attention is paid to the idea of the bones of this animal, which were endowed with magical properties. These included: scapula, kneecaps, metatarsals and astragalus. They were used for mantic and apotropaic purposes. The high importance of the ram in the life of the khakas helped to ensure that its image was firmly established in the national calendar.