Mythology of hedgehog in Kalmyk folklore

The article examines mythologies of the hedgehog in Kalmyk folklore. Previous works identified Hedgehog the Wise as a creator of wedding rites within the folklore tradition. Our insight into the hedgehog’s ‘order’ - erēn cōxurān büseleqtün ‘to get (the yurt) belted with dappled (many-colored cloth)’ - and analysis of semantic features attributed to the mentioned elements (the dappled be the horsehair belt/cord хошлң, the many-colored be the suspending ribbons өлгц, and the yurt’s belt proper) reveal typological similarities to the rites of requesting a child’s soul observed among Turko-Mongols. The yurt symbolizes a center of the universe and the male principle, the hedgehog running around the yurt acts as a symbol of the womb. The former’s cincture with a dappled (black-and-white) rope/ belt stands for a union of cosmic forces - Heaven and Earth - and symbolizes a navel cord. The suspending ribbons (өлгц) ritually attached to салбак by Tuvans, оттыŋ залазы by Altaians, залаа by Buryats, салама by Yakuts and to хошлонг by Kalmyks were to articulate the request of a child’s soul. The tying of ribbons/threads to a horsehair rope is synonymic with cincture, this intensifying the function of uniting, a key symbolic meaning contained in wedding rites. When put together, these symbols manifest pre-Buddhist beliefs of the Kalmyks and specifically the ancient rite of requesting a child’s soul, the latter related to the tradition of joining a clan, its extension through the ritual imitation of basic life-cycle elements - death and resurrection. So, this wedding rite of the Kalmyks comprises a ritual rudiment, though a most significant one - suspending ribbons (өлгц) aimed at requesting a child’s soul.