A Comparative Study of Arab and Turkic Mythologies

Shorustam Shomusarov

and Nargiza Shaumarova

Tashkent State University of Oriental Studies, Tashkent, Uzbekistan

Keywords: Myth, Intentional Art, Unintentional Art, Cosmological Beliefs, Mytholohaema, “The Wolf Legend”.

Abstract: This essay examines the mythology of Arab peoples in global folklore for the first time. It provides

explanations for the rise of popular mythological representations by examining the ways in which ancient

cultures understood nature via artistic patterns and discloses the basic structure of the story. Based on the

work's goal and thematic orientation, the research on myths of the Turkic peoples of Central Asia is separated

into different categories. The author views myth as a fundamental component of the shared mythology of the

Turks, discussing the story's ancient origins and epic growth in the folklore of the Kyrgyz, Kazakhs, Uzbeks,

and Turkmen. Three categories of mythology—Turkic tales that emerged during that time—are examined in

the scientific investigation.

1 INTRODUCTION

Ancient man's worldview and his symbolic

representation of reality through certain objects or

concepts are undoubtedly complicated psychological

phenomena. The ancient man tried to mythically

explain reality because he lacked an objective

understanding of the beginnings of the material

universe, its specific condition, the causes of the

genesis of natural occurrences, or the relationship

between man and nature. These rudimentary,

instinctive-artistic processes provided the foundation

for the emergence of one of the oldest forms of

creative interpretation of the world: myth-based

philosophy. These concepts are in fact connected to

the origins of the tradition that uses creative figures

to understand reality. The story conveys the

emotional perspective of the prehistoric man toward

reality.

2 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

We evaluate myth as the result of prehistoric man's

instinctual artistic endeavors, and here is where it

originates. Because our predecessors grasped the

substance of natural occurrences and attempted to

comprehend the mysteries of the surrounding

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material world, they were able to view the universe

fully, including its good and evil. The unconscious

guy just told them how he felt, unable to rationally

describe any particular item or situation.

Furthermore, the employment of characters and

artistic symbols is a mark of creative art, which is the

outcome of a deliberate perception of reality. H.G.

Geine's statements here support the idea that myth is

a creation of unconscious art:

"The ignorance of the reasons of natural

phenomena makes up the basis of mythology". We

might state that the interpretation of prehistoric man,

who was unaware of the fundamentals of reality, is

seen as an unconscious creative process, while also

illuminating the core of ideas of conscious and

unconscious art. When classifying folklore genres,

S.N. Abzelov separated them into two categories:

those created by conscious art and those created by

unconscious art. He believes that the made-up stories

that early humans believed to be statements of actual

occurrences are an example of unconscious art. A

unique aspect of a deliberate creative process is the

performer's awareness of the story's falsity and

creation of it, or their elucidation of reality through

artistic figures and symbolism.

The mythical concepts provided a constructed,

erroneous explanation for the world's birth, the rise of

flora and fauna, and the advent of man. Nevertheless,

1362

Shomusarov, S. and Shaumarova, N.

A Comparative Study of Arab and Turkic Mythologies.

DOI: 10.5220/0012966900003882

Paper published under CC license (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0)

In Proceedings of the 2nd Pamir Transboundary Conference for Sustainable Societies (PAMIR-2 2023), pages 1362-1368

ISBN: 978-989-758-723-8

those who created and performed these myths

believed them to be statements of actual events that

had happened. Regarding this, M.I. Steblin-

Kamenskly stated: "The myth is a narration, which in

the place, where it emerged existed, it was perceived

as true, however it would look like an improbable".

In fact, the person who analyzes myths is not a

believer. As such, the myth is not seen as a mirror of

actual reality in contemporary society. As a result, the

researcher develops his own theory on myth, which

ultimately holds that myth is a creation. Furthermore,

the story was accepted as genuine truth in the setting

in which it originated and persisted.

According to T. Khaydarov, whose analysis of the

word "sav" was cited in Makhmud Qashghary's work

"Devonu lughat at-turk," this term shares three

characteristics with the Greek word "myth": (1) it has

been used since antiquity; (2) the ideas and meanings

expressed through it are of a generalized nature; and

(3) the meanings expressed take on a generalized

sense. This instance emphasizes how the Turkic

peoples also possessed "sav" (myth) and "savchilik"

(a kind of mythical art) at some point in their social

history as a natural social phenomenon that belonged

to all peoples worldwide.

The word "sav," or the phrase "mythological

texts," is employed as a broad term (or genre name)

in the oral traditions of the ancient Turkic tribes.

Should this prove to be true, then S. Kaskabasov's

opinion—that the stories of Kazakh folklore are

"samples of the ancient mythic genre, which were

preserved up to date in the form of remnants".

It is no secret that the way ancient humans lived

and the ways in which artists perceived nature

contributed to the development of common mythical

ideas:

First, the oldest myths retained their core ideas

and motivations even if they were included in the epic

genres of folklore belonging to different peoples. We

can reconstruct the original plot, that is, expose the

basic structure of the plot, by comparing similar

elements in classic motivations, which are regarded

as essential components of an epic subject.

Secondly, the system of shared epic fundamentals

also forms the basis of related peoples' system of

mythical perceptions, which is brought to a single

spine. Given that the story originated during a time

when certain peoples had not yet established

themselves as nations. Thus, all of the myths created

by the ancient Turkic tribes (such as totemic tales

about the wolf, who is revered as a totem-patron)

eventually came to be a shared narrative in the

folklore of the Uzbeks, Kazakhs, Turkmens, Kyrgyzs,

Bashkirs, Tatars, and Azeris, who formed as distinct

independent nations. The myths are seen as a shared

epic history, existing before the formation of national

folklore traditions. These myths are enhanced and

expanded upon in popular and national mythology.

The uniqueness of popular folklore constitutes the

common signs system, which unifies national

folklore plots into an epic framework.

Third, peoples that have lived next to one other for

a long time have close and comparable mythological

beliefs, character systems, stories, and motivations in

their folklore (even though they originated from

different ethnic groupings). For instance, stories from

various tales that have their roots in the Turkic epic

have found their way into Tajik folklore due to

cultural-economic ties, creative influences, and

connections between folklore traditions. In turn, some

of the ancient Persian-speaking tribes' myths, such

those of the Saks, Massagets, and Soghds, which have

been maintained to this day through Tajik oral

tradition, spread to the Turkic peoples as well. And

this explains why the mythology of the peoples of

Central Asia has figures like Semurgh, azhdar, peri,

Akhriman, dev, Khurmuz, Siyawush, chiltan,

childukhtaron, Khizr, and adjina.

Fourth, the sameness of patterns gives rise to the

sameness of mythical tractates and guarantees the

growth of the genre system of oral folk art.

Admittedly, the first man saw some distinctions

between himself and the natural world when he began

to see himself as apart from it, and he naturally

desired to know why. The explanations for these

disparities have been attempted to be understood

through the creation of made-up stories, nature's

mysteries, and the secrets of "another world, not

similar to him". As a result, stories concerning

celestial bodies, natural events, and the origin of

plants and animals have developed. Common

legendary storylines originated from the peoples'

shared cosmological ideas, which were based on

observations of the movement of celestial bodies and

shared by peoples from different ethnic groups living

in different parts of the earth. Specifically, a lot of

people throughout the world describe solar and lunar

eclipses as the result of mythical animals invading

their territory.

Fifth, the system of common myths is not just

produced by geographic closeness, ethnic and

linguistic similarity, or cultural-economic ties. A

shared religion is one of the social factors that gives

rise to an epic community. It is no secret that when

Islam first emerged, it encompassed both the good

aspects of previous theological doctrines and the

customs of Arab culture. Subsequently, when Islam

spread across the East and was adopted by several

A Comparative Study of Arab and Turkic Mythologies

1363

nations and peoples, many of the customs and tales

from their local folklore saw modifications but

eventually found their way into the system of Islamic

mythology. Because of this, Islamic mythology has

served as a valuable source that, on the one hand, has

enhanced the folklore of all peoples who have

accepted Islam and, on the other, has improved due to

the impact of epic traditions found in the local

folklore of the conquered nations.

Consequently, although having no shared

ancestry, the theological similarities between Arab

and Turkic peoples are said to have had a major role

in the formation of respective communities.

“Concomitantly, the study of myths in

comparative - historical aspect shows that in spite of

several distinctive features the mythological prose of

the peoples of the world, has some commonality,

similar systems of characters and motives”- Tokarev

(1992).

Historical myth and religion are intimately

intertwined, which is the primary reason why

religious commonality has become a common feature

and has become a common item in the system of

mythical plots. The tale served as the foundation for

the old religious theories. The theological ideas were

interpreted through the lens of conventional

mythology. From this point on, the religious sources

become increasingly significant when the historical

underpinnings and stages of a particular myth's

growth are examined.

Some academics treat myths the same as religious

beliefs. Specifically, A. Timme came at the following

conclusion after contrasting the folktales with

proverbs and myths: "The myth is an expression of

religious ideas about God and supernatural things.

But the saying is a story about historical personalities,

abiding in specific space and time, and about the

events to have taken place in true reality. The tale isn't

related to any views and it doesn't portray the real

events in specific space and time. On its free time and

space coverage of development of events, the tale is

thus different from myth and saying" - Kvarsov

(1973).

Timme's theoretical conclusion contains two

accurate assessments: first, the researcher has

correctly identified the originality of the story's

storyline and the quirks unique to the saying’s genre.

However, there is room for debate regarding his

perspectives on myth and story. A. Timme, for

example, equates myth with "religious view". He only

cuts the substance of myth very narrowly by doing

this. While myths do contain religious themes and

characters, they do not represent the core principles

of religion as such. Instead, they portray the archaic

perspectives of prehistoric man about the natural

world and human civilization.

Comparative mythology has not yet been fully

established as a particular area of folklore studies,

although covering numerous pressing concerns that

need for specialized research. M. Muller studied how

myths developed based on linguistic characteristics in

prehistoric man's speech. He pioneered the

comparative-historical trend in source analysis and

went on to become one of the pioneers of "naturalistic

theory" - Muller (1963) – A N Afanasyev (1985) – I

M Dyakonov (1990) – V V Evsyukov (1988) also

conducted comparative studies of East and West

mythology.

In the development of methodology and research

in the field of comparative mythology, A.N.

Veselovsky's theoretical teachings on the techniques

of comparing the plots of Slavic tales with those of

global stories have a particular position.

From this vantage point, we should remind out

that a comparative analysis of Turkic and Arab-

Islamic mythology has not yet been conducted.

Despite the fact that a comparative-historical analysis

of Arab and Turkic myths can uncover original

characteristics, formation processes, artistic evolution

stages, topical and image systems, shared and unique

traits, creative influence, and cultural links between

these peoples on their historical roots—ancient tribes

that belong to distinct language families—this is the

case.

Following Arab conquest of Central Asia, Islamic

mythology—which combines elements of old Eastern

narratives with ancient Arabic mythology—took

shape as an enhanced artistic system and had an

impact on Turkic oral art. Based on its creation

history and multi-layered plot structure, Islamic and

Arab mythology was prone to generalization. The

multi-layered structure of the evolution of Turkic epic

tradition has been derived from the generalization of

plots within the framework of specific people's oral

creative labor, with the former belonging to

historically distinct epic places, or the exhibition of

myths of other peoples in mixed form.

Islamic mythology—which blends aspects of

traditional Eastern tales with ancient Arabic

mythology—took shape as an improved creative

system after Arab conquest of Central Asia, and it had

an influence on Turkic oral art. Islamic and Arab

mythology was prone to generalization because to its

multi-layered storyline structure and historical

development. The Turkic epic tradition's multilayered

structure has developed from the generalization of

plots within the framework of particular people's oral

creative labor, where the former are associated with

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historically distinct epic places, or the mixed form

exhibition of myths from other peoples.

The mythical writings of the Turkic peoples of

Central Asia have not yet been gathered or examined

in folklore studies. It is because myth has not survived

in the prose form of folklore as a sample of the entire

system; rather, the majority of the mythological

elements have permeated the systems of epos, tale,

legend, oral narrative, song, riddle, and ritual

folklore, in addition to a variety of customs and

beliefs.

Studying the myths of the Kazakh, Turkmen,

Kyrgyz, Karakalpak, and Uzbek people as a whole

requires, above all, documenting the myths that have

been preserved in these peoples' oral creative arts and

gathering mytholohaemas, which are poetic units that

serve as distinct motives, images, or poetic devices in

the topical development of folklore works.

It goes without saying that the core of the

mythological story is mytholohaema. As I.M.

Dakonov emphasized: "the mytholohaema is a tool,

which determines the main essence of plot of myth,

participating in artistic build-up of the folklore work,

as a plot-making epic character or traditional motive".

Consequently, exposing the uniqueness of

mythological rows in both peoples' folklore traditions

is the goal of the first step of comparative study,

which compares the artistic quality of Arab and

Turkic tales.

Folklore scholars have not examined the

mythology of the Turkic peoples of Central Asia in

great detail. The mythology of the Turkic peoples that

live in this region has been the subject of several

scientific studies published to date. They can be

classified into the following categories based on their

goals and thematic directions:

1) The connection between folkloric genres and

mythology. Scholars like S.A. Kaskabasov (1990), A.

Baimyradov (1992), K. Baijigitov (1985), M. Juraev

(1996), and J. Yusupov (1997) are recognized for

their investigations into the origins of Turkic myths,

the distinctive characteristics of the mythological

viewpoint system, as well as the function of myth in

various folklore genres.

2) The emergence of ancient mythical stories,

their classification, growth phases, and creative

function in folk dastans (epics). The scholars, such as

B.Sarymsakov (1981), Kh.G.Akramov (1977),

M.Juraev (1996), T.Khaidarov (1993), and

T.Rakhmanov (1993) focused particularly on the

study of myth's genesis, diversity, and relationship to

ceremonial folklore, myth's infiltration into folklore,

and the ways in which mythical perspectives are

transformed into components of creative thought.

3) An analysis of Turkic mythology through

comparison. In mythology, this is a relatively new

direction. The first scientific works in this area are

credited to M. Juraev (1986), T. Mirzaev (2001), and

Sh. Shamusarov (1997). They conducted comparative

analyses between Turkic myths and the mythologies

of various Eastern peoples, especially Arabs, and

ancient written sources.

One of the key paths in Turkic mythology is the

study of myth as a reality, reflecting the worldview of

primitive man or as an accumulation of primitive

perspectives combined into a single progressive

system. The 1980 textbook "Uzbek oral folk poetic

creative act" includes a distinct chapter titled

"Ancient myths." In that chapter, myth is defined as

follows: “Myth is a Greek word, the invented legend

about gods and epic heroes. The myth is considered

to be a result of primitive man’s strife to conceive the

nature. Indeed, the feebleness of man in the fight

against nature made him to explain somehow the

phenomena, unknown to him, and nurture certain

ideas and views. Thus, the primitive views emerged

about the world, and in their turn, they have begotten

myths about heaven, sun, moon, various creatures,

gods, epic heroes with supernatural powers” -

Khatamov, Sarymsakov (1978).

The author accurately described the essence and

character of myth in this term. He uses an

investigation of the mythology surrounding Ardwisur

Anaheet, Jamshid, and Qayumars to bolster his

theoretical position. But it's challenging to agree with

K. Imamov, the author of the previously cited chapter,

that the “evil forces were depicted through negative

myths about dragon, genie, and diva” - Khatamov,

Sarymsakov (1978).

Firstly, there is no custom in world mythology to

categorize stories as "positive" or "negative."

Although stories concerning evil entities have the

potential to evoke unpleasant feelings in human souls,

they cannot be used as a foundation for categorizing

and splitting myths into diametrically opposed

categories. The author appears to have been referring

to the figures in this instance as malevolent symbols,

but he used the phrase "negative myths" in place of

"negative mythological characters."

Second, the author confused two distinct concepts

in his conclusion: myth (genre, representing the

beliefs of antiquity) and mythical character

(character, or more accurately, character belonging to

a "low mythology"). The "dragon, genie, and diva"

are hence regarded as "negative myths."

Nevertheless, K. Imamov's scientific theories are

theoretically significant since they represent the

foundation of Uzbek mythology.

A Comparative Study of Arab and Turkic Mythologies

1365

N. Khatabamov and B. Sarimsakov provided the

most accurate and comprehensive definition of the

word "myth.".

“Myths - are the views of primitive men,

reflecting their beliefs and notions about gods, mythic

heroes, and phenomena, emerged as a result of

incomprehension on the part of primitive men of the

essence of natural phenomena, world. The

understanding of primitive man of the universe,

natural phenomena, and imaginations in his mind

make up the myth. The myths along their

development, while transiting various stages, mixed

up with beliefs and views of primitive men about

various cults” - Sarymsakov (1981). This view can

help define the core of myth as a representation of

popular culture by illuminating the origins and

developmental phases of myths.

While dwelling upon the ways of mythic

imagination, the scholar of folklore B.Sarymsakov

wrote that “such views existed among people in the

form of legends and stories” - Khatamov N, & et. al.

(1978). Further developing such view, he

underscored that myth “always lived and spread as a

legend, that is, through aesthetic code” - Khatamov

N., & et. al. (1978). In this aspect, M.Juraev's

researches, devoted to the study of the folk

cosmological legends, also acquire profound

significance. And amongst them, there are

cosmological legends about the moon, the sun, stars,

natural phenomena, as well as, about creation of the

world, its beginning and end, analyzed on the basis of

comparing with Turkic-Mongol, Indo-Iranian

mythologies and their interpretations - Sarymsakov

1981). We are able to categorize the myths of the

Turkic peoples according to the degree of historical

growth, subject matter, and phases of creation of

topical construction based on the study of the

historical emergence of sources of the plot bifurcation

and plot build-up.

When discussing the phases of Turkmen myth

development, the folklore researcher A. Baimyradov

defined the following sources:

a) Myths from the Mongol and Chinese empires.

b) Greek, Indian, and Arab myths.

He emphasized that Turkmen mythology

underwent the following stages of development while

being fed by these sources:

Stage 1: Stories concerning God.

2-stage: The formation of the earth, planets, and

the world.

3-stage: Adam and Eve's creation

4-stage: Saints and angels begin to emerge.

5-stage: The creation of beings.

6-stage: The laws of life begin to emerge.

This categorization falls short of capturing all the

phases of myth's evolution. Nor has it accurately

shown the creative starting point that provided the

framework for the creation of myth. The following

arguments can be used to support this opinion:

First, the folktales of the first ancestors, who are

supposed to have spoken the Altay-Ural languages,

comprise the legendary stories found in the oldest

stratum of mythology of the Turkic peoples,

including the Turkmens.

The fundamental themes of their forefathers' tales

were retained and enhanced within the context of

folklore tradition by the ancient Turks, who broke out

from the primordial society and assumed the form of

distinct tribe ramifications. The first layer of old

myths consists of the remnants of those mythical

ideas, which have been retained as a mytholohaema

in the narrative structure of the folkloric works.

Secondly, while discussing the origins of

mythology among the Turkic peoples of Central Asia,

we must also consider the folklore practices of the

ancient tribes that once inhabited this region, such the

Saks, Massagets, Soghds, and Tokhars. Given that the

Turkmens, Uzbeks, Kazakhs, and Karakalpaks are

descended from ancient Turkic tribes, who are

believed to have lived in Central Asia at some point

in the past, their folklore traditions embody the stories

of these ancient tribes.

Third, the Turkmen mythology emerged from A.

Baimyradov's classification of the sources;

nevertheless, he did not specify which criteria he

used. He stated Turkic, Mongol, and Chinese

mythology as a starting point, but he believed that

Greek, Indian, and Arab myths had a supporting

function. And here is where the question arises: in

general, the folklore of tribes speaking Persian has

influenced the creation of Central Asian Turkic

mythology, as have the theological dogmas of

Zoroastrianism, the stories and characters of

"Avesto," and more? Unquestionably, a portion of the

mythological stories found in the folklore of the

Kyrgyz, Turkmen, Uzbeks, Kazakhs, and

Karakalpaks are derived from ancient Iranian

mythology. As such, the mythical traditions of

ancient Iran should also be taken into account while

establishing the foundational ideas of the mythology

of the peoples of Central Asia.

Uzbek proverbs and stories were compiled and

published by M. Muradov. According to legend, he

separated myths into two categories: social myths

from modern society and myths from antiquity.

According to the author, societal myths are predicated

on “invention and falsification, which cannot take

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1366

place in the nearest prospect or at any time”. “He

relates the stories about prominent investigators and

detectives to such myths”.

Such inflated tales of "alone heroes" going on

adventures are not appropriate to classify as examples

of myths, as the primary purpose of myths is to

explain things and provide information about hard-to-

conceive natural facts. In actuality, the phrase "social

myths" may be used to refer to both the creation

myths and the tales concerning God and the origin of

certain clans and tribes. However, we disagree with

M. Muradov's assessment since "stories, made up in

contemporary times" cannot be classified as myths,

even when they contain an excessive amount of

creation. These folktales are associated with the "oral

narrative" type of the folk prose. The stages of

development of Uzbek myths are rightly defined by

B.Sarymsakov, who thinks that the path of

development of Uzbek mythology consists of three

stages and includes the ancient, classical, and

medieval myths. He describes main peculiarities of

each stage as follows: “The main peculiarity of

ancient myths is that the struggle between chaos (the

non-existence) and universe (the existence) is

reflected in it in the broad aspect, where the animistic

and totemic views play a decisive role. Another

important feature of ancient myths is that one can find

neither polytheistic nor monotheistic religious views

in them. However, the scope of the conflict between

chaos and the universe is rather constrained in ancient

mythology. The polytheistic religious beliefs prevail

in them. The fire-worshipping and Zoroastrianism of

the Central Asian peoples also base their

mythological foundations upon classical myths, but

the monotheistic views dominate in them”.

As the aforementioned illustrates, the

development of medieval mythology is closely

associated with the dissemination of monotheistic

religion—that is, Islamic teachings—among the

peoples of Central Asia.

The following forms the foundation that made

sure the mythology of the Turkic peoples of Central

Asia developed:

1) Old Turk ancestors' totemic, animistic,

dualistic, and magical beliefs.

2) ritualistic rites with symbolic meaning in

prehistoric men's daily life.

3) Old Turkic tribes' shamanic beliefs.

4) Fire worshipping dogmas, which required a

unique.

5) Fertility cult, associated with prehistoric

farming societies.

6) Islam's teachings and Arab folklore sources

made their way into Central Asia with Islam.

7) The creative influence of Greek, Chinese,

Indian, Buryat, and Mongol myths.

The following criteria for periodizing the stages

of epos' creative development were written by T.

Mirzaev and B. Sarimsakov, who are credited with

shedding light on the historical evolution of folk

dastans: “Certainly, the Uzbek folk epos developed in

the close link with ethno-genetic history of Uzbek

people. However, the epic heritage of the Central

Asian peoples, created prior to the 10th century, is

common for all Turkic peoples. Concomitantly, when

we speak about stages of development of epos prior

to the 10th century, that is, before the rule of

Karakhanid dynasty, then we mean not only the

Uzbek epos, but also all-Turkic one”.

When discussing the myth's historical origins and

epic growth in Kazakh, Uzbek, Kyrgyz, and Turkmen

folklore, we also take it into consideration as a

component of all Turkic mythology. Specifically, we

categorize the phases of myth creation and

development of Turkic peoples as follows:

1. Legends surrounding the tribal merger of the

Altay and Urals. It is well known that linguistics

contains concepts like "pro-Altay language" and

"altaistics." Proponents of the "altaistics" idea claim

that the prehistoric ancestors of the Turkic, Mongol,

Buryat, Tungus, and Manchurian peoples were

members of a single tribe who spoke a "pro-Altay

language" or "pro-Altay dialect" (some scientists also

add the languages of Korea and Japan) - Poppe N

(1972). In terms of language studies, the historical-

genetic community of the peoples speaking the Altay

language family has been carefully and in-depth

examined. Based on the primary findings of this

theory, we hypothesize that Turkic, Mongol, Buryat,

and Tungus - Manchurian folklore contain splits of

old stories that together constitute the shared creative

laver. The majority of this shared epic legacy has

been perpetuated as old myths, which have

traditionally been regarded as elements of "pro-Altay

mythology" or "folklore." The Turkic mythology

refers to the myths and legends (or the relics of myths,

preserved in the form of plots, characters, and

motives) that were found in oral creative art of the

Mongol – Buryat and Tungus – Manchurian peoples,

or versions of them.

2. Mythology of the old-Turkic tribes.

The majority of the old stories that have persisted

in Central Asian Turkic folklore have been

perpetuated to this day because they have influenced

oral folk art. The oral tradition of the ancient Turkic

tribes was dominated by totemic, animistic,

cosmological, ethnological, and ethno-genetic myths,

which were created on the basis of a mythological

A Comparative Study of Arab and Turkic Mythologies

1367

worldview. According to O.M. Friedenberg,

“totemism was in place in the pre-tribal period of

history of humanity, but the mythology - is the

product of the tribal period”.

According to S.P.Klyashtomys, who researched

the mythology based on Urhun - Enisey written

works, the Turkic myths, created at that period can be

divided into three mythological groups:

1) Cosmogony and cosmology: a) the myths about

creation and make-up of the world, b) the myths about

cosmogonical apocalypse or about end of the world;

2) Pantheon and socium: a) the myths about god

and heavenly forces, b) the myths about heavenly

birth of rulers and mythic kings:

3) Ethnogeny and genealogy: - Klyashtormy S.G.

(1977) - a) the myths concerning the Turkic tribes'

ancestry, b) the myths concerning "cultural heroes"—

old ancestors

The mythical thematic groupings indicated above

constitute the foundation of old Turkic mythology

and are regarded as the shared epic beginning of all

Turkic peoples' folklore.

Totemism, whose economic foundations stem

from our ancestors' manner of life, in which hunting

was a primary means of subsistence, gave rise to a

unique category of mythical stories in oral folk art.

According to G.Akramov, the “analysis of the

main motives, system of characters, and content of

Uzbek totemic myths” shows that they developed,

mainly, in two directions. The stories about totems, or

ancestors, make up the first direction. The stories

about plants and animals, which were seen as man's

allies and patrons, make up the second.

The oldest known Uzbek tale concerning totems,

or ancestors, is the wolf fable. About that myth, the

eminent folklorist Kh Zarifov wrote the following:

"The character of wolf is regarded to be positive and

even the sacred for some Turkic peoples, including

for some Uzbek tribes, which is due to their ancient

beliefs, when they worshiped wolf and revered it as a

totem. Uzbek tribes, who lived a semi-nomadic life in

the past (kyrk, kungrat, katagan, kangli, and others)

maintain that Uzbek people consist of 92 tribes. In

line with the legend, recorded on the authority of

Uzbeks, who live in Mirzachul steppe, there were as

if 92 children in one tulum (sheepskin coat). And the

wolf was alleged as their father and 92 Uzbek tribes

originated from these children. This legend

undoubtedly takes us to the epoch of totemic views".

3 CONCLUSIONS

In fact, there was a tale among the Turkic peoples

regarding the origins of the "tribe of wolves": an

adversary invaded and completely destroyed one of

the Hun tribes. Only a boy, 10 years old, survived. His

assailants abandoned him in the meadow after

chopping off his limbs and legs. He was found by the

she-wolf, and they cohabited. The kid fathered 10

children from the she-wolf in the cave high in the

mountains. Among them, Ashina was the strongest.

As he got older, he rose to the position of tribal head.

The "head of the goldfish wolf" appeared on his

banner - Bichurin (1950).

According to the foremost scholar on the history of

the Turkic tribes, L.N. Gumilyov, the word "Ashina"

denoted the "noble wolf" in the vernacular of our

forefathers.

The storyline of the totemic tale of the wolf is

prevalent in Turkic folklore - Kiselev S.V. (1991),

and it has historical and genetic origins that date back

to the creation of old myths based on Turkic peoples'

beliefs.

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