Semantic universal "Hour of petitions" ("Tsykurayi sahat" / "Kurdiats sahat") in "Nartiada" and the ethnocultural tradition of the Ossetians

Abstract

This article is devoted to the study of the universal concept of the "hour of petitions" ("tsyuray sahat" / "kurdiaty sahat"), included in the conceptual field of the motif of "fulfilment of desires," which is very popular in the texts of the Ossetian "Nartiada." As an archetypal core, it represents the most important mythological meanings, among which one of the most significant is the initiatory motif of Nart Bora's marriage to the Heavenly Beauty. The symbolic paradigm of this cosmogonic myth is conditioned by the process of transforming Chaos into an orderly Cosmos, as it reproduces the events of the era of creation. The semantic reconstruction of this mythological plot, the primary cause of which was the wedding motif, clearly demonstrates the idea of transforming the personal into superpersonal. It is of considerable interest that the motif of "fulfilling wishes" in the plots of the epic explicitly includes religious and mythological and magical semantics. The heroes' prayers with various requests to the Creator are indicative, as they accurately reflect elements of ritual prayer, which is an essential component of Ossetian ritual culture. It is noteworthy that in the context of modern scientific and rational society, ideas about miraculous times continue to influence the worldview of society, remaining at the level of conscious attitudes. These beliefs have retained their relevance and are clear in the folklore and ethnographic traditions of the Ossetians.