Yurii Pysarenko

Candidate of Historical Sciences (PhD), Senior Researcher, Institute of Philosophy named after H. S. Skovoroda of the NAS of Ukraine, Kyiv, Ukraine.

ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3247-1176

E-mail: zirin@ukr.net

Keywords:

gyol, carpet, equinox, solstice, chronotope

Abstract

The article talks about an interesting aspect of the ancient understanding of space, according to which the idea of the World, the cosmos, coincides with the idea of time – the calendar year. The object of the study is the symbolism of traditional images of the central part of the carpet – the so-called gyol. The points of the equinoxes and solstices, marked, respectively, with male and female signs, as well as a number of symbols accompanying them, including symmetrical images of day and night «duck-horses» around the symbol of the sun, the skin of a sacrificial eight-legged horse, symbols of spinning and weaving – a weaving shuttle and a reel for the spun thread. The central image of the gyol is decorated with a composition interpreted as a world (paradise) tree flower, which, at the same time, can represent the so-called «navel of the earth». The presence of symbols of weaving tools not only indicates that spinning and weaving are timed to certain calendar phases, but also the cosmogonic semantics of the weaving craft on the one hand, and on the other hand, the corresponding, figurative interpretation of cosmogony as «carpet maker’s work». In general, we can talk about the connection of the composition with Iranian mythology.

References

Averintsev, S. S. (1972).  K istolkovaniyu simvoliki mifa o Edipe [Towards the interpretation of the symbolism of the myth of Oedipus]. Antichnost’ i sovremennost’ – Antiquity and modernity (рр. 90–102). Nauka [in Russian].

Andreev, M. (1927). Sredne-aziatskaya versiya Zolushki (Sandril’ony). Sv. Paraskeva Pyatnitsa. Diw-i Safed [Central Asian version of Cinderella (Sandrillons). St. Paraskeva Pyatnitsa. Div-i Safed]. Po Tadzhikistanu: Kratkiy otchet o rabotakh etnograficheskoy ekspeditsii v Tadzhikistane v 1925 g. – Аround Tajikistan: Brief report on the work of the ethnographic expedition in Tajikistan in 1925 (Vol. I), (рр. 60–76). Society for the Study of Tajikistan and Iranian Peoples Beyond Its Borders [in Russian].

Andreyev, M. S., Peshchereva, Ye. M. (1975). Yagnobskiye teksty [Yagnobi Texts]. Nauka [in Russian].

Ardzinba, V. G. (1982). Ritualy i mify drevney Anatolii [Rituals and Myths of Ancient Anatolia]. Nauka. Gl. red. vostochnoy l-ry [in Russian].

Afanas’yev, A. N. (1985). Zametka Afanas’yeva o skazke «Yeruslan Lazarevich» [Afanasyev's note on the fairy tale «Eruslan Lazarevich»]. Narodnyye russkiye skazki A. N. Afanas’yeva v 3-kh t. – Russian folk tales by A. N. Afanas’yev in 3 volumes (Vol. 3), (рр. 356–362). Nauka [in Russian].

Afanas’yev, A. N. (1994). Poeticheskiye vozzreniya slavyan na prirodu. V 3-kh t. [Poetic views of the Slavs on nature. In 3 volumes] (Vol. 3). Indrik [in Russian].

Balushok, V. (1993). Svit seredn’ovichchya v obryadovosti ukrayins’kykh tsekhovykh remisnykiv [The world of the middle age in the rituals of Ukrainian guild craftsmen]. Naukova dumka [in Ukrainian].

Bessonova, S. S. (1983). Religioznуye predstavleniya skifov [Religious ideas of the Scythians]. Naukova dumka [in Russian].

Boryak, Ye. A. (1989). Traditsionnyye znaniya, obryady i verovaniya ukraintsev, svyazannyye s tkachestvom (seredina ХIХ – nachalo ХХ st.) [Traditional knowledge, rituals and beliefs of Ukrainians associated with weaving (mid-19th – early 20th century)] [Abstract of a Ph.D. dissertation] [in Russian].

Boryak, O. (1997). Tkatstvo v obryadakh ta viruvannyakhukraуіntsіv (seredina ХIХ – pochatok ХХ st.) [Weaving in the rituals and beliefs of Ukrainians (mid-nineteenth – early twentieth century)].Drukarnya SP «Ukraуіns’ka knyga» [in Ukrainian].

Braginskiy, I. S., & Lelekov, L. A. (1982). Iranskaya mifologiya [Iranian mythology]. Mify narodov mira. Entsiklopediya – Myths of the peoples of the World. Encyclopedia (Vol. 1), (рр. 560–564). Sovetskaya entsiklopediya [in Russian].

Brihadaranyaka Upanishada(1964). (A. Yа. Syrkin, Trans., preface and comments). Nauka [in Russian].

Bourdieu, P. (2003). Praktychnyy gluzd [Practical fool]. (O. Yosypenko, S. Yosypenko, A. Dondyuk, Trans. from French). Ukraуіns’kiy tsentr dukhovnoуi kul’tury [in Ukrainian].

Vinogradova, L. N. (1982). Zimnyaya kalendarnaya poeziya zapadnykh i vostochnykh slavyan. Genezis i tipologiya kolyadovaniya [Winter Calendar Poetry of the Western and Eastern Slavs. Genesis and Typology of Caroling].Nauka [in Russian].

Gamkrelidze, T. V., & Ivanov, V. V. (1984). Indoyevropeyskiy yazyk i indoyevropeytsy [Indo-European Language and Indo-Europeans] (Vol. 2). Izd-vo Tb. un-ta [in Russian].

Gegeshidze, M. K. (1990). Oroshayemoye zemledeliye v Gruzii: Opyt istoriko-etnograficheskogo issledovaniya [Irrigated Agriculture in Georgia: An Experience of Historical and Ethnographic Research]. Metsniyereba [in Russian].

Dal’, V. I. (1998). Tolkovyy slovar’ zhivogo velikorusskogo yazyka. V 4-kh t. [Explanatory Dictionary of the Living Great Russian Language. In 4 volumes] (Vol. IV). Tsitadel’ [in Russian].

Dumezil, Zh. (1990). Skify i narty [Scythians and Narts]. Nauka [in Russian].

Eliade, M. (2001). Mefistofel’ ta Androgin [Mephistopheles and Androgyne]. Vydavnytstvo Solomіуі Pavlychko «Osnovy» [in Ukrainian].

Ivanov, V. V. (1974). Opyt istolkovaniya drevneindiyskikh ritual’nykh i mifologicheskikh terminov, obrazovannykh ot AŚVA – «kon’» (zhertvoprinosheniye konya i derevo aśvattha v drevney Indii) [An attempt to interpret ancient Indian ritual and mythological terms derived from АŚVА – “horse” (horse sacrifice and аśvаttha tree in ancient India)]. Problemy istorii yazykov i kul’tury narodov Indii – Problems of the History of Languages and Culture of the Peoples of India (рр. 75–138). Nauka [in Russian].

Ivanov, V. V., & Toporov, V. N. (1974). Issledovaniya v oblasti slavyanskikh drevnostey [Research in the Field of Slavic Antiquities]. Nauka [in Russian].

Kardini, F. (1987). Istoki srednevekovogo rytsarstva [The Origins of Medieval Chivalry]. Progress [in Russian].

Kashuba, M. S. (1977). Narody Yugoslavii. Kalendarnyye obychai i obryady v stranakh zarubezhnoy Yevropy. Konets ХIХ – nachalo ХХ vv. [The Peoples of Yugoslavia. In Calendar Customs and Rituals in the Countries of Foreign Europe. The End of the 19th – Beginning of the 20th Centuries] (рр. 243–273). Nauka [in Russian].

Kerimov, L. (1983). Azerbaydzhanskiy kover [The Azerbaijani Carpet] (Vol. 2). Gyandzhlik [in Russian].

Koshelenko, G. A. (1972). Ranniye etapy razvitiya kul’ta Mifry [Early Stages of the Development of the Cult of Mithra]. Drevniy Vostok i antichnyy mir – Ancient East and the Classical World (рр. 75–84). Izdat. Mos. un-ta [in Russian].

Kulischer, M. I. (1887). Ocherki sravnitel’noy etnografii i kul’tury [Essays on Comparative Ethnography and Culture]. Tip. I. N. Skorokhodova [in Russian].

Lelekov, L. A. (1971).O nekotorykh iranskikh elementakh v iskusstve Drevney Rusi [Some Iranian Elements in the Art of Ancient Rus’]. K 2500-letiyu iranskogo gosudarstva. Iskusstvo i arkheologiya Irana. Vsesoyuznaya konferentsiya (1969). Doklady – To the 2500th Anniversary of the Iranian State. Art and Archaeology of Iran. All-Union Conference (1969). Reports (рр.183–190; tabl. XXIII, XXIV, signatures to them on the p. 352). Nauka. Gl. red. vostochnoy l-ry [in Russian].

Lelekov, L. A. (1978). Iskusstvo Drevney Rusi i Vostok [Art of Ancient Rus and the East]. Sovetskiy khudozhnik [in Russian].

Murodov, O. (1979). Drevniye obrazy mifologii u tadzhikov dolini Zeravshana: etnograficheskiye issledovaniya k istorii religii i ateizma [Ancient Images of Mythology among the Tajiks of the Zeravshan Valley: Ethnographic Research on the History of Religion and Atheism]. Donish [in Russian].

Narty. (1989). Osetinskiy geroicheskiy epos [Narts. Ossetian Heroic Epic](Book 2). Nauka [in Russian].

Otchet. (1916). Otchet Imp. Arkheologicheskoy komissii za 1912 god [Report of the Imperial Archaeological Commission for 1912] [in Russian].

Persidskiye narodnyye skazki [Persian Folk Tales] (1987).(M.-N. Osmanov, сompiled). Nauka [in Russian].

Petrov,V. P., &Makarevich, M. L. (1962). Ob izobrazhenii na drevnerusskom braslete [About the image on an ancient Russian bracelet]. Kratkiye soobshcheniya Instituta arkheologii, 12, 43–47 [in Russian].

Pуsarenko, Yu. (2002). «Na odinom kovre»: pro symvol «braterstva» knyaziv na Rusi [«On the same carpet»: about the symbol of «brotherhood» of princes in Russia]. A sе yеgo srеbro. Zb. prats’ na poshanu M. F. Kotlyara, z nagody yogo 70-richchya (рр. 99–104). In-t istorіуі Ukraуіny NANU [in Ukrainian].

Pуsarenko, Yu. G. (2010). Kalendar’ na kovre (K postanovke problemy)) [Calendar on the carpet (To the problem statement)]. Orіеntal’nі studіуі v Ukraуіni. Do yuvіleyu L. V. Matvееvoуі. Zb. nauk. statey (рр. 369–383). Іn-t skhodoznavstva im. A.Yu. Krims’kogo NANU [in Russian].

Propp, V. Yа. (1986). Istoricheskiye korni volshebnoy skazki.[Historical roots of fairy tales] 2nd. ed. LGU [in Russian].

Pushkarev, L. N. (1980). Skazka o Yeruslane Lazareviche [The Tale of Eruslan Lazarevich]. Nauka [in Russian].

Rayevskiy, D. S. (1982). Skifo-sarmatskaya
mifologiya [Scythian-Sarmatian mythology]. Mify narodov mira. Entsiklopediya – Myths of the Peoples of the World. Encyclopedia (Vol. 2),(рр. 445–450). Sovetskaya entsiklopediya [in Russian].

Rigveda. (1989). Mandaly I–IV [Mandalas I–IV] (Prepared by T. Elizarenkova). Nauka [in Russian].

Rybakov, B. A. (1981). Yazychestvo drevnikh slavyan [Paganism of the Ancient Slavs].Nauka [in Russian].

Rybakov, B. A. (1987). Yazychestvo drevney Rusi [Paganism of Ancient Rus’]. Nauka [in Russian].

Semenov, Yu. I. (1966). Kak vozniklo chelovechestvo [How Humanity Came to Be].Nauka [in Russian].

Sikirich, Ye. I., Zubov, D. N. & oth. (2004). Mify o svyashchennom vremeni i prostranstve [Myths about Sacred Time and Space]. Proceedings from II Int. Conf.: Prostranstvo i vremja: fizicheskoe, psihologiche-skoe, mifologicheskoe – Space and Time: Physical, Psychological, Mythological (рр. 135–147). Cultural Center «New Acropolis», [in Russian].

Skazaniya o nartakh.(1978). Osetinskiy epos [Tales of the Narts. Ossetian Epic]. (Yu. Libedinsky, Trans. from Ossetian). Sovetskaya Rossiya [in Russian].

Snegirev, I. M. (1839). Russkiye prostonarodnyye prazdniki i suyevernyye obryady [Russian popular holidays and superstitious rites](Vol. IV). Universitetskaya tipografiya [in Russian].

Snesarev, G. P. (1969). Relikty domusul’manskikh verovaniy i obryadov u uzbekov Khorezma [Relics of pre-Islamic beliefs and rites among the Uzbeks of Khorezm]. Nauka [in Russian].

Stepi. (1989). Stepi yevropeyskoy chasti SSSR v skifo-sarmatskoye vremya. (Arkheologiya SSSR) [Steppes of the European part of the USSR in the Scythian-Sarmatian period. (Archaeology of the USSR)]. Nauka [in Russian].

Strabon, (1879). Geografiya Strabona v 17 kn. [Strabo’s geography in 17 books]. (F. G. Mishchenko, Trans. from Greek) by. Published by K. T. Soldatenkov.Tipografiya T. Ris [in Russian].

Sumtsov, N. F. (1886). K voprosu o vliyanii grecheskogo i rimskogo svadebnogo rituala na malorusskuyu svad’bu [On the influence of the Greek and Roman wedding ritual on the Little Russian wedding]. Kievskaja starina – Kiyevskaya starina, 1, 17–40 [in Russian].

Toporov, V. N. (1987). Ashvamedkha. Mify narodov mira. Entsikopediya – Myths of the Peoples of the World. Encyclopedia (Vol. 1), (рр. 143–144). Sovetskaya entsiklopediya [in Russian].

Toporov, V. N. (1995). Iz «russko-persidskogo» divana. Russkaya skazka *301A, V i «Povest’ o Yeruslane Lazareviche» – «Shahnamhe» i avestiyskiy «Zam-yazat-yasht» (Etnokul’turnaya i istoricheskaya perspektivy) [From the «Russian-Persian» Divan. Russian Fairy Tale *301A, B and «The Tale of Yeruslan Lazarevich» – «Shah-nameh» and the Avestan “Zam-yazate-yasht” (Ethnocultural and Historical Perspectives)]. Etnoyazykovaya i etnokul’turnaya istoriya Vostochnoy Yevropy –Ethnolinguistic and Ethnocultural History of Eastern Europe (pp. 142–200). Indrik [in Russian].

Toporov, V. N. (1988). Pryazha [Yarn]. Mify narodov mira. Entsikopediya – Myths of the Peoples of the World. Encyclopedia (Vol. 2), (рр. 343–344). Sovetskaya entsiklopediya [in Russian].

Toporov, V. N. (1988a). Pup zemli [Navel of the universe]. Mify narodov mira. Entsikopediya – Myths of the Peoples of the World. Encyclopedia (Vol. 2), (р. 350). Sovetskaya entsiklopediya [in Russian].

Uspenskiy, B. A. (1982). Filologicheskiye razyskaniya v oblasti slavyanskikh drevnostey [Philological Research in the Field of Slavic Antiquities]. Izd-vo Mos. un-ta [in Russian].

Tsagarayev, V. (2000). Zolotaya yablonya nartov: istoriya, mifologiya, iskusstvo, semantika [The Golden Apple Tree of the Narts: history, mythology, art, semantics]. Respublikanskoye izdatel’sko-poligraficheskoye predpriyatiye im. V. A. Gassiyeva [in Russian].

Tsutsiyev A. A. (2015). Para ptits na Dreve zhizni. (Osetinskiy ornament kak istoricheskiy istochnik) [A Pair of Birds on the Tree of Life. (Ossetian Ornament as a Historical Source)]: Monograph.IPTS SOIGSI VNTS RAN i RSO-A [in Russian].

Chebanyuk, O. Yu. (2001). Deyaki skhidni reministsentsiyi y paraleli v ukrayins’komu fol’klorí (Do pitannya svitoglyadnikh kontseptiv) [Several similar reminiscences and parallels in Ukrainian folklore (On the problem of ideological concepts)]. Bukovins’kiy ístoriko-yetnografíchniy visnik, 3, 106–108 [in Ukrainian].

Chunakova, O. M. (2004). Pekhleviyskiy slovar’ zoroastriyskikh terminov, mificheskikh personazhey i mifologicheskikh simvolov [Pahlavi dictionary of Zoroastrian terms, mythical characters and mythological symbols]. Vostochnaya l-ra [in Russian].