Title of the article:

THE IMAGE OF THE “HORSE-BIRD” IN THE ARCHITECTURE OF THE NORTHERN RUSSIAN LOG HUT: SEMANTIC RECONSTRUCTION ON THE MATERIAL OF SLAVIC CULTURE

Author(s):

Svetlana D. Sinchuk

Information about the author/authors

Svetlana D. Sinchuk — PhD in Pedagogical Sciences, Associate Professor, Stavropol State Pedagogical Institute, Svobody pr., 14, 357430 Zheleznovodsk, pos. Inozemtsevo, Russia. E-mail: svetlana.sinchuk@yandex.ru

Section

Theory and history of culture

Year

2017

Volume

Vol. 47

Pages

Pp. 74-92

Received

August 22, 2017

Date of publication

March 15, 2018

Index UDK

008+398

Index BBK

71.05(2) + 85.113(2)

Abstract

The article studies the hypothesis of the existence of semantic matching between the architectural image of the house and the image of the horse once offered as the sacrifice at house-building in accordance with Slavic folk beliefs. Considering this the author analyzes traces of “horse” themes, preserved in the folk culture reflecting beliefs of the ancient Slavs and associated with this animal. This approach allows the examination of North Russian house in terms of the hippomorphic code and establishing the reasons for the origin of its “horse” signs captured in architectural decor, folk dialects and rituals. The paper also attempts to determine the semantics of the fantastic image of “horse-bird” observed in the Slavonic folklore and decorative art.

Keywords

wooden architecture, horse, bird, image, talisman, totem, archaic thinking.

References

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