Етнопсихологічний аспект міфологічних уявлень про загробне життя душі у фольклорі українців Закарпаття

Abstract

The aim of the article is to comprehend the ethno-psychological specifcs of the mythological ideas of the Ukrainians of Transcarpathia about the life of the soul after death and its probable influence on people. The source base of the research was the folklore records of F. Zlotsky, P. Bogatyrev, Yu. Zhatkovych, P. Svitlyk, F. Potushnyak, I. Khlanta, I. Senko. The article analyzes the magical rituals associated with funeral rites and Transcarpathia stories about reincarnation, purgatory, feelings about death, about the dead who cannot rest in peace because of unfnished business or crimes committed by them. The ethno-psychological basis of stories, which reflect people’s beliefs in the conditionality of the soul’s life after death by its earthly deeds is considered (sin is redeemed either by the dead themselves or someone instead: the maid saves the soul of the deceased with drops of blood); the deceased needs forgiveness or sacrifce from the living (the woman forgives the deceased husband-traitor, the potercha receives a consecrated thing or name). Old stories artistically model different scenarios of the soul’s life after death, reflect the metaphorical way of overcoming fear of the dead, buying out to meet them, providing peace to the dead through sacrifce, reconciling man with the fniteness of his life and awareness of death as the beginning of a new existence. At the same time, the analyzed plots of mythological stories, beliefs and rituals reflect the faith of Ukrainians in the possibility of interaction with the world of the dead. The article considers the specifcs of Ukrainians’ ideas about the carrier of souls and the fee for the deceased to get to the afterlife. Folk beliefs about the soul’s path to the world of the dead, meeting the personifed days of the week or St. Peter, who judge it, metaphorically reflect the ritual of transition associated with difcult trials (the path of the soul through fre or stones, and hence the importance of shoes for the deceased). The article focuses on the symbolism of water, earth, grain, flour, salt, money, sieves, vodka in funeral rituals, clarifes their psychological basis. Magical rites aimed at setting aside the soul of the deceased from relatives, wife, household are considered. Thus, the magical rituals associated with the funeral rites were either to help the soul of the deceased to get to the afterlife, or to protect the living from the influence of the dead and the energy of death which can affect living relatives.