Sounds of other world in the beliefs of the Eastern Slavs and Finno-Ugric peoples in Western Siberia

The article presents the beliefs about the sounds and voices of the characters of the other world of the Slavic and Finno-Ugric peoples of Western Siberia. The other world seemed to be a reflection of the real world. Ghosts could appear in the form of people, birds, animals, or they could be invisible. The sound of the infernal character ’s voice was a sign portending a change in fate, most often it was a warning of death. The voices of hobgoblins were ordinary sounds that could be heard at border times (at night, noon, at sunset, and during calendar holidays) and under special circumstances. The meeting of ghosts and people was considered possible when the bound of their “worlds” in time, space, or not long before death touched. The same “special” sounds reproduced by a living being may attract otherworldly characters. Therefore, there were taboos for certain types of noise at border times. The demonic sounds included knocking, whistling, laughter, singing, music, wind noise, voices of animals and birds and any unusual sounds. The mermaid ’s singing is associated with ideas about music that lures the soul and accompanies it to other world. Death could be felt by animals, birds, and they reported it with voices atypical for them. Silence was perceived as a sign of the other world, and its inhabitants were called dumb. “Muteness” of mythological characters (as well as “invisibility”) was a sign of their demonic nature and their belonging to other world, not visible, tangible, or audible for people. Some sounds were associated with the voices of demonic characters and attracted them (whistling, knocking on wood, singing near a pond), other sounds drove them away. The sounds that frightened away demonic characters and ghosts were the ringing of metal, bell ringing, loud voices and laughter ofpeople, filthy language, and loud music. Noisy rites were practiced to exorcise ghosts and demonic characters.