Archaic Origins of the Image of the Supreme Deity of the Yakut Pantheon in the Olonkho epic
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.25178/nit.2026.2.13Keywords:
Yakuts, Yakut folklore, Yuryung Aiyy Toyon, Olonkho, Yakut mythology, supreme deity, archaic worldview, attributive rudiment, mythological imageAbstract
The article examines the archaic origins of one of the most complex mythological figures — the image of Yuryung Aiyy Toyon, the supreme ruler of the Yakut pantheon of deities. The relevance of the study is обусловлена стремлением (driven by the intention) to investigate the mechanisms underlying myth formation. The novelty of the work lies in the absence of prior attempts within Yakut folklore studies to verify the origins of this image.
The source base of the research consists of texts representing the finest examples of Yakut epic tradition (olonkho), recorded and published in different years in both Yakut and Russian languages. Employing a comprehensive interdisciplinary approach that incorporates data from history, ethnography, archaeology, and linguistics, the study identifies early-stage conceptualizations of the image.
An analysis of the attributive rudiments associated with the figure (staff, seat, tree, hat, living water, horse, eagle) demonstrates that the foundational layer of the image reflects the dominance of elements of a non-dualistic worldview, far removed from polarized oppositions. The study highlights the preconditions for the emergence of the image, reflecting components of a cosmogonic worldview — primary elements, the staff, living water, and a stone seat with an отверстие (opening).
It is shown that historical layers of the image preserve earlier phytomorphic, ornithomorphic, and zoomorphic interpretations of the supreme deity as a product of early stages of consciousness (magism, fetishism, chthonic beliefs, totemism, animism). The dominant function of the deity, stable throughout the matriarchal stage of development, is identified as creation. More broadly, the functional specificity of the image becomes progressively more complex — from a giver of life and master of weather and natural phenomena to a helper and mentor, bearer of secret knowledge, punishing force, and giver of human souls.
The study concludes that the image of the supreme deity shares common roots with the ancient cultures of the Scythians and Huns, as well as with ancient Indian and Turkic traditions. The complex and lengthy process of the image’s formation—from an androgynous prototype to an anthropomorphic male deity—opens перспективы (prospects) for further research aimed at reconstructing the historical evolution of Yuryung Aiyy Toyon.
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Satanar M. T. Archaic Origins of the Image of the Supreme Deity of the Yakut Pantheon in the Olonkho epic. New Research of Tuva, 2026, no. 2, pp. 192-211. (In Russ.). DOI: https://doi.org/10.25178/nit.2026.2.13
Author Biography
-
Marianna T. Satanar M. K. Ammosov North-Eastern Federal University
Candidate of Philological Sciences, Senior Researcher, Sector “Olonkho Studies”, Research Institute of the Olonkho, M. K. Ammosov North-Eastern Federal University.
Postal address: 2 Lenina Ave., 677000, Yakutsk, Russian Federation.
E-mail: satanar68@mail.ru
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