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The Ethnology Notebooks. 2024. № 2 (176), 426—433

UDK 398(=161.2):599.323.7

DOI https://doi.org/10.15407/nz2024.02.426

IMAGE OF A ZINSKE PUPPY IN UKRAINIAN FOLKLORE: ETYMOLOGY AND GENESIS

HALAICHUK Oksana

  • ORCID ID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8052-6616
  • Ph.D. of Sciences in Philology,
  • Researcher of the International Institute of Education,
  • Culture and Diaspora Relations of Lviv Polytechnic National University,
  • 32, Stepana Bandery street, 79000, Lviv, Ukraine,
  • Contacts: e-mail: ok_halaychuk@ukr.net

Abstract. The article is devoted to the analysis of the zoomorphic image of the zins’ke schenia (Spalax) in Ukrainian folklore and ethnographic texts. The author emphasizes the lack of awareness of Ukrainians about this animal in general and the insignificant coverage of its image in oral folklore in particular, which is the relevance of the study. It has been found that the zins’ke schenia is sometimes considered a non-existent, mythical animal, dangerous to humans. The purpose of the article is to expand the Ukrainian bestiary with a little-known animal image. The tasks are to investigate the etymology of the name «zins’ke schenia on the basis of lexicographic material; to identify and characterize the image of the zins’ke schenia in folklore and ethnographic texts and to trace the ideas of Ukrainians about the origin of this animal.

The article reveals the meaning of the name «zins’ke schenia». It is stated that there is no consensus among scholars on the interpretation of this zoonim. On the basis of various folklore genres, the author analyzes the image of the zins’ke schenia. An attempt is made to reconstruct the cycle of stories about zins’ke schenia on the basis of fairy-tale and legendary folklore texts. The reproduction of this zoomorphic image in the works of Ukrainian fiction is traced. The issue of using the animal in folk medicine is considered. To realize this goal, both general scientific and linguistic methods of research were used: comparative and historical, descriptive, and complex analysis.

Keywords: image, zins’ke schenia, spalax, Ukrainian folklore, symbol, worldview, spiritual culture, folk medicine.

Received 22.02.2024

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