The snake image in folklore, rites and contemporary practices of the peoples of the Murmansk region

The paper summarizes fragmentary knowledge about the snake image significance in mythology and folklore of the Kola Sami people and the Pomors into a holistic view. The semantics and symbolism of a snake seem to be described in detail in the works dealing with other ethnic groups of neighbouring northern territories. However, this article is the first attempt to examine a similar subject using the material of the Murmansk region. The research is based on the essays dating to the XIX and the XX centuries, dictionary data, and field materials collected by the author between 2014 and 2019. The snake image is poorly preserved in the oral tradition of the Kola Sami and the Tersk Pomors, but it is represented in modern cultural activities as a regional brand and relevant factor of both territorial branding and ethnographical tourism. This study can be complemented by research into visual snake images used by the artisans of the Kola Peninsula and enhanced through comparative method.