Image of the wolf in religious and mythological views of Khakas (end of XIX - XX centuries)

Purpose. The aim оf work is the determination the myth-ritual complex Khakases associated with the image of a wolf. Based on the objectives were as following tasks: identification of the role of the wolf in mythology and ritual practices; establishing the significance of his image in the socioregulatory matters; identification of the mechanism of its sacralization. Chronological framework works span end XIX-XX centuries. The choice of such temporal boundaries is caused, first of all, the state of the source base for the research topic. The work is based on an integrated, system-historical approach to the study of the past. The technique is based on the study of historical and ethnographic methods - scientific description, a concrete historical analysis, comparative historical, structural and semantic and relict. Results. Relevance of work is defined by its communication with current trends in ethnosocial processes of the people of Siberia, and Khakas in particular. They are characterized on the one hand, general unification of culture, and as a result - loss of its many components. With another - active aspirations of ethnic communities to preservation of the ethnocultural identity and as result - emergence of such phenomenon as neotraditionalism - the appeal to constants of traditional culture taking into account modern conditions and requirements of life and values of the people. The objective understanding of these processes isn't possible without complete complex studying of a traditional views on the world, society and the person. In outlook of the people its worldview of the nature and the animal world are fundamental. The major place in them is allocated for an image of a wolf. Lack of the scientific works devoted to studying of religious mythological ideas of Khakas about a wolf defines novelty of this research. Conclusion. In the mifo-ritual sphere of Khakas the image of a wolf was given the major place. It possessed the ambivalent characteristics in many respects determined by zoological features of this animal. The figure of a wolf was allocated with sacral lines and perceived as a totem, the conductor of soul of the person and her guardian. Along with it, the image of this animal was inseparably linked with the other world. It was allocated with htonichesky signs. At the same time, the injurious nature of a wolf which is quite often bringing a considerable loss to economy in consciousness of the people was perceived negatively. The image of the wolf as beings who had a direct bearing on sacral forces of nature and the person, organically entered ritual practice of shamans. Throughout the long period the mythological perception of an image of a wolf was exposed to continuous transformation. It was caused both the general sociohistorical changes, and cross-cultural interactions with other ethnic communities occurring throughout all history of Khakas.