On the Origins of the Yuyyz Koymagy Ritual among the Bashkirs

УДК 392.81 ББК 63.521(=632.2)

Abstract

The article is devoted to the study of a once-widespread Bashkir ritual of offering their relatives, close friends, and neighbors yuyyz koymagy — pancakes made from colostrum — after a cow’s calving. The study describes the widely practiced cult of Zanke-Baba, the protector of humans and master of cattle. Pancakes made from colostrum primarily symbolized the sacred cow, the totemic primordial ancestor. In the context of totemic ideology, the consumption of colostrum pancakes was a magical act of communion with the totem by ancient people, a remnant of the intichiuma ritual, believed to promote the proliferation of the totemic animal, the continuation of the human lineage, the fertility of the land, and the rejuvenation of nature. Such beliefs were characteristic of a wide range of people worldwide and have deep historical roots. The relevance of this study is determined by the growing interest in identifying the genetic roots of specific motifs and narratives in oral tradition, customs, and rituals among the Bashkirs. Examining folk traditions, rituals, and customs associated with the veneration of objects in the organic world — particularly the cow — within Bashkir daily life makes it possible to reconstruct various aspects of the ethnic history of the Bashkir people.