The motif of feasting and the cult of wine in the Buryat “Geseriad” (based on the interpretation of Hormusta’s character)

Hormusta is a god of the sky in mythology of the Mongol peoples; his character was many-sidedly reflected in the Buryat epic “Geser”. One of the characteristic traits of Hormusta is his weakness for feasting. It must be noted that the feasts of skydwellers are close to certain historical realities of the drinking and feasting cult among the nomads. The mythlogeme of wine or heady drink has parallels in various mythologies. The supreme gods, regardless of their ethnic tradition, are prone to feast; and wine affects the model of their behavior. The phenomenon of the “too cheerful” god in the Buryat epic reflects the specificity of this folklore phenomenon in the context of the Mongol peoples’ ethnocultural traditions.