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Paper short abstract

The presentation examines the Komi mythological beliefs about the Sun and the Moon, analyzes the semantic and symbolic meanings of these celestial bodies and their expression in folklore and ritual texts, as well as in language.

Paper long abstract

In the mythological and narrative tradition of the Komi people, the images of the Sun and the Moon occupy a central place, reflecting ideas about the duality of the world, temporal cycles, and human nature. The aim of our presentation is to analyze the semantic and symbolic meanings of these celestial bodies and their expression in Komi folklore and language.

According to cosmogonic myths, the world was created by two brother-demiurges who embody opposing principles. The Sun (šondi) is the creation of the light En, while the Moon (tölys’) is associated with the dark brother Omöl. The creators’ antagonism forms stable semantic series of oppositions—light/darkness, day/night, warmth/cold—which are widely realized in various folklore texts through the representations of these celestial bodies.

In Komi narratives, the Sun is endowed with pronounced feminine symbolism, while the Moon carries masculine symbolism, which emphasizes the uniqueness of the Komi symbolic system compared to other traditions where the gender associations are often reversed. The celestial bodies are presented either as brother and sister or as a romantic couple. In several narratives, we encounter motifs such as the Sun’s motherhood, the Moon’s marriage to a human woman, and his role as a godfather to a poor stepdaughter. Gender symbolism is also expressed through color codes. The “silver Moon” and “golden Sun” are stable expressions widely represented in folklore and ritual texts. The epithets “silver” and “golden” are traditionally associated with male and female beauty, respectively, and find expression in both the Komi language and folklore.