The image of swan in the traditional culture of the Komi (Zyryans)

On the basis of literary and field sources the symbolics of the image of Swan in everyday prohibitions and wedding rituals of the Komi (Zyryans) as well as some variants of the embodiment of the image of Swan in the objects of decorative art is considered.Fishing-hunting practices taking a significant place in the structure of economic activities of the Komis predetermined the preservation of the mythological texts about the origin of the animal world in which creation both demiurges took part. Swan in cosmogonic myths of the Komi (Zyryans) appears in the form of one of ornithomorphic incarnations of the Supreme God, the Creator. Fairy tales and legends emphasize the transformation of Swan, i.e. its ability to take both orni- thomorphic and anthropomorphic images. The motivation of fishing-hunting and culinary prohibitions connected with Swan finds reasons in the etiological myths of the Komi (Zyryans). Consideration of traditional everyday prohibitions in the context of wedding rituals of the Komi (Zyryans) suggests that the image of Swan was not only a symbol of the bride, her purity and innocence, but also a symbol of conjugal ties and future well-being of the married couple. Ritual re- moval of food taboo during the wedding rituals can be interpreted as a symbolic offering during the wedding feast, as a way of unity in one of the two parties of the bride and groom, creating a unified group of relatives by marriage. A dish of whole cooked swan was the attribute of a wedding feast where the bride’s un- cle on the mother’s side or her godfather cut the meat of a swan into pieces and handed it out to each participant of the ritual feast. The main role in the cere- mony was given to avunculate, which indicates the ancient origins of this rite, and its replacement by the godfather reflected the Christian traditions.The image of Swan, however, was rarely embodied in the objects of decorative art of the Komi (Zyryans).