Typology and semantics of animal world images (based on the folk songs of the Ryazan region)

The aim of the research presented in this article was to identify typological complexes of animal world representatives embedded in the folk songs of the Ryazan region and to elucidate their semantic properties. The focus of the study includes images found in lengthy, wedding, dance, and round dance songs. The material for this research consists of underexplored texts from the Ryazan song folklore spanning the early to mid-20th century and the early 21st century. The analysis reveals stable semantic characteristics associated with several concepts. Wedding ritual songs predominantly reference ornithological images that symbolize purity, beauty, and fidelity. In lengthy lyrical songs, the dominant images include the nightingale, which serves as an object of admiration and evokes strong emotional responses, and the cuckoo, which is perpetually solitary and associated with unrequited love. The concept of the “horse” is particularly prevalent in lengthy songs of the military cycle and wedding ritual folklore. Additionally, the original images of the hare, mosquito, and fly possess intriguing conceptual characteristics that uncover unique thematic elements related to meaning and historical-cultural context in Ryazan songs.