Mythoritual context of “Yel” (wind): specifics of the folklore image and its transmission in ritual practices. Part 2

The wind holds a place among the primary natural phenomena of the universe (alongside fire, earth, and water). It has found both direct and indirect reflection in myths, rituals, and all genres of folk art. This study presents the multifaceted (in accordance with the meteorological essence of the element) and polyfunctional folkloric image of the wind, emphasizing its mythopoetic, artistic, anthropological, and lexico phraseological aspects. The vivid metaphorical richness, informational depth, and polysemantic nature of wind related narratives stem from the centuriesold empirical knowledge and wisdom of nature worshipping ancestors about Nature, its character, and the power of the elements. The wind, permeating time, spaces, and places, functions in folklore genres as a harbinger of exceptional present and future events. Hence, in myths, yel (wind) appears as a messenger of supernatural forces and an attendant of malevolent entities, while in folk songs, proverbs, and omens, it conveys the transient nature of existence and the fragility of life. The analysis reveals that the sacralization and veneration of this element exhibit universal patterns across the traditions of many peoples. The Bashkir folkloric ethnographic complex concerning yel (wind) aligns with analogous traditions among Turkic, Turko Mongolic, Slavic, and other ethnic groups, while also projecting distinct ethnic specificities. It becomes evident that the ritualistic, healing, and everyday practices, as well as the archetypal mythopoetic representations of the Bashkirs regarding yel (wind) - as reflected in folklore - contain profound semantic codes related to ontology, anthropology, and philosophy. Studying these representations is valuable for uncovering primordial layers of ethnic worldview, reconstructing a holistic picture of national mythology, and elucidating the specifics of how one of the universe’s most dynamic elements is folklorized. The body of knowledge about yel (wind) constitutes a unique repository of ancestral ecological wisdom.