Sacrifices to the Spirit Master of Water in the Religious and Mythological System of the Khakass (Late 19th- Mid-20th Centuries)

The aim of the work is to characterize the rite of sacrifice to the spirit master of water - sug eezi - in the traditional Khakass culture. The sources of the research are folklore and ethnographic materials, a significant part of which is introduced into academic discourse. Folklore works are epics and myths published in the Khakass language. Excerpts from some of them were first translated into Russian by the author. The chronological framework of the study covers the late 19th - mid-20th centuries, which is determined by the state and possibilities of the sources on the research topic. The study follows the principle of historicism, when any cultural phenomenon is considered in the development and with due account of the specific situation, and employs historical and ethnographic methods of relict and semantic analysis. The Khakass ritual associated with the worship of sug eezi is reconstructed and analyzed. It is proved that the water element and its specific personification - the water master - played one of the key roles in the Khakass culture. This realia was determined by the natural landscape of Khakassia itself: its territory is covered with a variety of water sources -streams, rivers, lakes, etc. Everyday life, household and economic activities of the Khakass were closely associated with them. Moreover, in the traditional Khakass consciousness, the connection between a person and designated natural objects is not limited only to rational interaction. The Khakass deeply believed in the enormous mystical possibilities and powers of this natural genius. In this connection, they strove to establish harmonious relationships with sug eezi. Periodic disruptions of this interaction were believed to lead to an imbalance in the nature and in people's life. For the latter, this turned into various disasters and misfortunes. The ritual practice of the traditional society in this situation was aimed at restoring the disturbed balance and, as a result, resolving the emerging contradictions between the worlds and protecting the vital interests of people. A huge role in this process was assigned to the rites of sacrifice to the spirit master of water. They had various forms: from the simplest individual to complex collective ritual actions - sug taiyg.

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