Реконструкция мифопоэтического образа утки (Anas) (по данным письменных источников и фольклора балтийцев, славян и других И-Е народов)

LTReikšminiai žodžiai: Antis; Antis (anas); Baltai; Indoeuropiečiai; Indoeuropiečių religija ir mitologija; Mitologija; Lyginimas; Mitologija; Mitopoetinis anties įvaizdis; Mitopoetinis rekonstravimas; Pasakos; Rekonstrukcija; Slavai; Vaizdinys; Vanduo; Balts; Comparison; Duck; Duck(anas); Image; Indo-European religion and mythology; Indoeuropeans; Lithuanian mythology; Mitopoietic reconstruction; Mythology; Mythopoetic image of a duck; Reconstruction; Slavs; Tales; Water.

ENThe article deals with the reconstruction of the mythopoetical image of a duck (Anas), which is not subsumed – not only in digests on the Baltic mythology, but also in the works assigned to this subject – save for Maria Gimbutas’ proposition, that the symbolics of a duck can be correlated with the zoomorphic shape of the Lithuanians’ goddess of destiny Laima or Dalia, i.e. she should be perceived as a theophoric mythological image. Such a mythonym, i.e. a mythological character with an active personage connotation, is not mentioned either in researches and compendiums on Slavic mythology and ethnoculture, or in the collections of Old Russian myths, legends and annals. No evidence of its subsistence was presented in the researches on German, Celtic, Indian, Iranian, Italic, Ancient Greek, Hittite mythology and religion. Also it is elided in the ethnological and ethnographical works of all nations of the world. The importance of the mythological concept of a duck in relation to folklore data of the diff erent I-E peoples, including Balts and Slavs, was mentioned in V. N. Toporov’s article under the name From the history of Baltic and Slavic language connections: анчýтка, which partly deals with the mythological image reconstruction due to its position as the most widespread Russian name of an evil spirit. In accordance with the analysis made, it has been stated that the mythonym ‘duck’ terrestrial deity symbolics might be interpreted as an innovation of secondary origin owing to the convergency process of Solar and Lunar cults; on the functionality it correlates to an antipode of a devil and all-evil spirit; its most archaic alimentary function is characteristic not only for the Slavic and Baltic folklore motifs, but also for the cultural heritage of the other Indo-European peoples; the folklore image of an inactive character predetermines reconstruction of the mediator function.The article also deals with the etymological analysis of Russ. dial. анчýтка ‘devil, demon; Antichrist; hobgoblin, water-sprite, familiar, sylvan; trollop; poor person; pickle; curse’. Th e precondition is made that it refl ects the multipartite derivative: prefix Russ. на- + radix Russ. чуд- [with secondary -m- (phonetic recording) instead of etymological-д-] + suff. -ка- *начудкa. Being based on the lexeme analysis, Russ. dial. анчýтка is explained as a primordially Russian word, which contrary to V. N. Toporov’s hypothesis by no means might be compared with the water space birds’ names. Due to such decision it can not be explained as Baltism either. As to determination of the Protobaltic tribes’ presumptive borders of their residing territory in Russia, according to the areal distribution of the word, this is not possible. By virtue of the investigation results the inference was drawn, that the mythonym ‘duck’ (Anas) should be explained as an associative image of inactive character – mediator, emphasizing the static character of its action, because of the counterbalance of the active plan mythonym which could be characterised by the demiurge function, presented in the cultural tradition of the Finns and other, non-Indo-European peoples. [From the publication]

• Etnologija / Ethnology
• Kalbotyra / Linguistics