Images of daughters, sisters, brides in Nivkh folklore (based on materials of texts in literary rendition by V.M. Sangi)

Abstract

Folklore is an integral part of the cultural heritage of any nation, reflecting its worldview, traditions and values. The Nivkhs (Gilyaks) are a small indigenous people in Russia. They live in the lower reaches of the Amur River and on Sakhalin Island. Nivkh folklore, being a rich source of myths, legends and fairy tales, stands out among the cultural traditions of the peoples of the North and Far East of Russia and serves as an object of research. An important component of this folklore are female images, which embody not only traditional roles and qualities of women, but also deep symbolic meanings. The study of female images in Nivkh folklore contributes to a deeper understanding of gender roles and representations in traditional Nivkh society and also reveals the influence of these representations on contemporary Nivkh culture. In this connection, the present study aims to research and describe the images of daughters, sisters and brides in Nivkh myths, legends, and heroic epic, for which purpose the authors resort to analyzing female images in the texts of t'ylgur and nastunds from V.M. Sanghi's book «Legends of Yikh-Myth».