Remnants of the Snake Cult Among the Khakas (Late 19th to Mid 20th Century)
Archaeology, Ethnology and Anthropology of Eurasia June 26, 2019 V. A. Burnakov, A. A. Burnakov
On the basis of folklore and ethnographic data, some of which are introduced in this article, the Khakass mytho-ritual complex relating to the snake is reconstructed. It is demonstrated that these beliefs were central to the traditional Khakass worldview, and the snake was endowed with elaborate symbolic meanings. It was a sacred animal, associated with ideas of life and death. It played a key...