Azhdakh ( Bashk. Azhdag ) - the character of Bashkir mythology, an evil demon in the form of a monstrous snake. It is phonetically wrong to identify with the Iranian Aji-Dahak , whose name is in the original Zahhak, Zogak . The correspondence with the dialect әҙәҡә and the Old English áðexe in the meaning of a lizard is much closer . Present in the tales of Bazhov P.P. in the image of the Mistress of the Copper Mountain .
Description
In most cases, portrayed as a multi-headed gigantic serpent with a fire-breathing mouth. In folk tales it can be 3-, 5-, 7-, 9- and 12-chapter [1] .
According to the ideas of the Bashkirs, an ordinary snake that has lived to be a hundred years old turns into azhdah [2] . Having lived to 500-1000 years, she turns into a demon Juha .
Azhdaha can also appear in the image of a beautiful woman. For example, in Bashkir traditions , the azhdah girl marries the khan, who later exposed her [3] .
It lives in rivers, lakes, in swamps, sometimes in a well. People are obliged to sacrifice a girl for him to allow him to use the water from the source.
The size of azhdah can be judged by the fairy tale “Red Pillow” , in which the daughter of the king of snakes and her two friends hide the seven-headed azhdah in the bushes, although there are indications that it is several tens of fathoms long [4] .
In the epic " Ural-Batyr " and " Akbuzat "
According to the plot of the epic " Ural-Batyr ", its main character Ural-Batyr is fighting for the happiness of people with evil spirits, with evil forces of nature, including azhdakha named Kakhkakh (related word ҡәһ - sorcerer, ҡәһәр - curses) ( head. Ҡәһҡәһә ) .
I heard - not far from here
There is a country of Azhdah-snake,Padishah there by the name of kahkahi
He lived with a magic wand.
She, if desired, will flare up with fire,
And if necessary - spill water
Or raise such winds
What is worse than hurricanes.
But now, I heard, no one knows where
Some fellow came to him,
Ural-Batyr declared
And either flattery, or cheating
Kidnapped this magic stick
And he called himself a padishah ...
In folk tales
In many Bashkir folk tales, for example, “Akhmet-batyr and Khudaybirde-batyr”, “Eget, who defeated the thousand-headed azhdahu” and others, the batyr saving the girl enters the battle with azhdaha and defeats him. According to the traditions of the Bashkirs, clouds sometimes carried azhdah to Mount Kaftau [5] .
See also
- Astakh (Chuvash version of Azhi-Dahak)
Notes
- ↑ Khisamitdinova F.G. The mythological dictionary of the Bashkir language
- ↑ Rudenko S.I. Bashkirs: historical and ethnographic essays. - M .; L., 1955. S. 316-317
- ↑ Rudenko S.I., 1955.S. 317; Snesarev G.P., 1969.S. 30-32, 283
- ↑ Efimova E.S. Bashkir mythological dictionary. - Ufa: Vagant, 2010 .-- 156 p. - C.9
- ↑ Bashkortostan article: Brief Encyclopedia Archived on June 10, 2013.
Literature
- Khisamutdinova F.G. Mythological dictionary of the Bashkir language. - M.: Science, 2010.
- Bashort halyk izhadi. Epos. / Tөҙөүse A. M. Sөlәyimәnov. Inesh һүҙ yaҙyusy M. M. Sәғitov, һүҙ ahyry Ә. M. Sөlәyimәnov men R. Rәzhәpov. Aңlatmalar M. M. Sәғitov menәn Ә. M. Sөlәyimәnov. Yauaples editors N.T. Zaripov. Өfө, 1998.448 b.