Mitologia inferior

História do estudo

O termo foi introduzido pelo etnógrafo alemão W. Mannhardt, que foi o primeiro a realizar um estudo especial dessa mitologia. Mannhardt estudou extensivamente as representações de espíritos associados à colheita e à categoria mais ampla, espíritos da vegetação, representando o ciclo anual da vegetação moribunda e ressuscitando. В. Wundt acreditava que as representações de "demônios da vegetação" eram um estágio intermediário entre o "culto totêmico" pré-terreno e desenvolveu cultos de deuses. James George Frazer considerou deuses como Attis, Adonis, Osíris e Dionísio, relacionados através de estágios de transição ao espírito moribundo e ressuscitado da vegetação.

Em um estágio inicial no desenvolvimento de idéias mitológicas, os estudiosos sugerem a existência do fetichismo mitológico, dentro dos quais as coisas e os fenômenos eram animados e as funções sociais foram transferidas para eles. O ser demoníaco não era de todo destacado do objeto em que se acreditava habitar. Mais tarde, como resultado do desenvolvimento de uma economia produtiva, a mitologia avançou em direção ao animismo, quando a "idéia" da coisa e o poder mágico do demônio começaram a ser separados da própria coisa. O animismo original incluía a idéia do demônio como uma força que determina o destino de uma pessoa, o mal ou menos frequentemente benéfico. Em Homer, existem muitos exemplos de um demônio sem nome, sem rosto, de repente e aterrorizante. Desse instantaneamente surgindo e, assim como a partida instantaneamente a força fatal, o homem não tem idéia, eles não podem chamá -lo pelo nome e não podem entrar na comunhão. Posteriormente, existem idéias de demônios de coisas e eventos individuais com diferentes poderes de influência. No animismo desenvolvido, a transformação de um demônio ou Deus leva ao seu antropomorfismo, humanização.

A mitologia pode estratificar em relação à classe social. Contos e poemas sobre deuses e heróis considerados ancestrais de famílias aristocráticas são formadas. A mitologia sacerdotal específica também pode ser desenvolvida em empresas fechadas de padres. Ambos os tipos de mitologias constituem uma mitologia mais alta, muitas vezes oficial. As crenças folclóricas, uma mitologia inferior, caracterizadas como mais grossas e mais imediatas, mas a mais estável, sobreviveram por mais tempo. No folclore e crenças dos povos da Europa, é a mitologia mais baixa que sobreviveu. A mitologia mais alta desapareceu quase completamente e apenas se fundiu parcialmente com as imagens dos santos cristãos.

Distinção da mitologia superior

Personagens de mitologia inferior geralmente fazem uma parte ativa na vida das pessoas, encontrando -as, transformando -se em humanos, etc. Portanto, em muitas mitologias, esses personagens são mais importantes do que as divindades que agiam, geralmente durante o tempo mítico da criação.

As criaturas da mitologia inferior são frequentemente personagens dos gêneros folclóricos mais populares: contos de fadas, Bailichka e outros, enquanto os deuses são representados nas narrativas mitológicas.

No reino do ritual, as criaturas da mitologia inferior estão associadas a um complexo de superstições, bruxaria, práticas e ritos mágicos, divindades - com um culto tribal ou nacional. Mikhail Bakhtin chamou a tradição do carnaval folclórica, que usa imagens da mitologia folclórica, não oficial, em oposição ao culto oficial dos deuses. V. V. Ivanov se referiu à própria mitologia folclórica pelo mesmo termo.

A distinção entre mitologia inferior não oficial e culto oficial é mais pronunciada nos casos em que esses sistemas mitológicos têm origens histórica ou etnicamente diferentes. Essa situação é observada, por exemplo, nas regiões onde o budismo se espalhou (Sri Lanka, Tibete, Mongólia) e o cristianismo, onde este se espalhou relativamente tarde e absorveu um conjunto de mitologias locais (países da América Latina etc.).

Assim, uma mitologia inferior pode ser formada através do rebaixamento de caracteres mitológicos de classificações mais altas para o seu nível. Em vários casos, isso se reflete nas narrativas mitológicas. Em uma das histórias da mitologia Keti, o Deus Supremo expulsa sua esposa Hosedem, à Terra e ela gradualmente adquire as características de um espírito inferior.

Muitos seres de mitologia inferior estão associados a um culto xamânico: espíritos de partes do corpo usadas em rituais de cura, mestres espirituais, helpers de espíritos. Nas regiões onde há xamanismo desenvolvido, como a Sibéria e o sul da Ásia, acredita -se que esses espíritos estejam subordinados a divindades superiores, com quem o xamã também se comunica. Em algumas tradições asiáticas, siberianas e ameríndias, ao contrário do xamã, apenas o feiticeiro podia se comunicar com seres de mitologia inferior. Uma situação tipologicamente semelhante também ocorreu em várias tradições do antigo Oriente. De acordo com os textos cuneiformes da Anatólia do 2º milênio aC, uma sacerdotisa, ao realizar atos mágicos, em particular rituais de cura, se referiram apenas aos caracteres da mitologia inferior. Os sacerdotes do culto oficial se referiam a "mil deuses" do reino hitita. De acordo com a vontade do rei hitita Hattusili I, a rainha foi proibida de abordar as sacerdotisas (não oficiais).

Nas mitologias antigas, atos como canibalismo e sacrifício humano foram praticados em nome dos deuses (o culto de Zeus lykaios, dionísio, mitologia celta, cultos polinésios, etc. [citação necessária]). No processo de espalhar a proibição do canibalismo, tem sido cada vez mais associado ao mundo inferior de monstros, gigantes, bruxas, etc.

Personagens

Personagens de mitologia inferior incluem espíritos da natureza (floresta, montanha, rio, mar), espíritos associados à agricultura, a fertilidade da terra, espíritos da vegetação, personificações dos festivais do calendário (Yarilo Slavic, alemão, italiano Befana, etc.), Imagens de deuses pagãos - rebaixados na tradição folclórica não oficiais e substituídos por santos (patronos da fertilidade, russo os Veles, São Blaise, Mokosh, Paraskeva sexta , e outros.

Nas descrições de várias tradições mitológicas, o termo demônio é frequentemente usado, emprestado da mitologia grega e européia. A palavra é usada para designar seres sobrenaturais que são colocados mais baixos na hierarquia do que os deuses ou que estão no nível mais baixo do sistema mitológico. Em um sentido mais restrito e mais preciso, os demônios são chamados de espíritos malignos.

Muitas vezes, os personagens da mitologia inferior são animais reais, embora sejam frequentemente personagens de níveis mais altos até o panteão. Nos níveis mitológicos mais baixos, eles são apresentados como espíritos - clientes de vários locais naturais: florestas, campos, montanhas, desfiladeiros, rios, lagos, mares, pântanos etc. e como uma entidade maligna hostis às pessoas. Assim, o gato figura como uma modalidade (ou assistente, membro da comitiva) do ré, uma força impura. Os índios quíchua acreditam em um espírito maligno especial do gato, do qual os abarcam o poder emprestado. Na tradição japonesa, o gato era considerado uma entidade maligna. Várias tradições atribuem características do vampirismo ao gato. Por outro lado, os chineses acreditam em sua capacidade de dissipar os espíritos malignos. Na Europa, o gato tem sido constantemente associado às forças do mal, particularmente visto como um atributo de luxúria ou como um símbolo dos Satanás envergonhados em cenas de anunciação.

Personagens de mitologia mais baixa também podem ser marcadores de forma. Na mitologia inferior, havia uma imagem especial de um lobisomem, frequentemente agindo como um parceiro de casamento falso, que às vezes pode substituir um noivo falecido ou ausente, noiva, marido, esposa. Na mitologia de Komi, uma mulher sob o disfarce de um marido ausente é o Kalyan de lobisomens, identificável por dentes de cavalo e cascos de vaca. As características sexuais-eróticas do lobisomem são inseparáveis ​​das do canibal e são expressas no vampirismo, ou no fato de a vítima ficar fina e pálida, possibilitando reconhecer o demônio. Lobisomens podem ser animais, plantas, objetos individuais ou espíritos que assumem a forma humana. De acordo com as crenças chinesas, um lobisomem (jing) pode ser um animal de vida de longa data (raposa, cobra, rato, tigre etc.), um item há muito esquecido no canto da casa ou a raiz de uma planta (Ginseng, mandrake, etc.). Na demonologia eslava do leste, os lobisomens podem ser uma fada, fantasma doméstica ou diabo e podem assumir a forma de um parente ou conhecido. No folclore eslavo, um lobisomem é um zmei que assume a forma humana. O lobisomem também pode ser uma característica inata ou adquirida da pessoa. No folclore europeu, havia a imagem de um lobisomem, um lobisomem humano, se tornando um lobo e, em chinês, a imagem do lobisomem da raposa.

Hinduísmo

At the lowest rung of the hierarchy of the Hinduism pantheon are forest and domestic spirits — patrons of cities, mountains, rivers, villages, houses, etc.

iraniano

The basis of Iranian mythology was the notion of confrontation between two mutually exclusive cosmic principles. The universal moral law of the universe Arta (Asha Vahishta), embodied in light and fire, was opposed to the Other, the embodiment of falsehood, darkness and ritual filth.The camp of spiritual forces, gods and demons was divided into followers of Arta and Drugh. Dualism also divided the earthly world.Iranian mythology is distinguished from other Indo-European traditions by its ethical colouring, the sharp dualism of the good spirits Ahura and yazats headed by Ahuramazda and dev, created and led by Angro-Mainu, who bring transgression, disease, death and seek to destroy the good into the world Ahuramazda created.Amesha Spenta represent the seven supreme good spirits, they are surrounded by hosts of good spirits, the ahurs and yazat.Above the devas is a triad: the spirit of lies (evil word) Druj, the spirit of evil thought Aka Manah, and the spirit of plunder (evil deed) Aishmoy.

Tajique

Tajik mythology is a combination of elements from Islamic mythology, Iranian mythology and the Tajik viewpoint itself. It developed in conjunction with the mythologies of neighbouring peoples — Turkic, especially Uzbeks, and Indian peoples.As a result of the displacement of Islam, Tajik mythology covered primarily the sphere of lower mythology, with many demonological characters dating back to Iranian or Arabic.Demons were conventionally divided into good ones (maloika, pari) and evil ones (Azhdahak, devas, albasti, ajina, shaitans, gul). It is believed that the presence of a person restrains evil demons who try to harm a person during the first forty days of his life.In Tajik mythology, the great sorcerer Shokhi Moron ("the serpent king"), who lives in the clouds of the mountains, lord of mountain serpents and dragons, is known.Fire is worshipped as one of the main elements of various rituals aimed at combating evil forces.Associated with the cult of the ancestors is the veneration of feasts — patrons of crafts. With the establishment of Islam, many feasts were replaced by characters of Muslim mythology (Daud became the patron of metal work, Bibi-Fatima became the patroness of women's domestic work, etc.) and Muslim saints took up their functions (Bahauddin[disambiguation needed], Diwan-i Burkh), although some retain pre-Islamic names (such as the patron of agriculture Bobo-Dehcon).The basis of cosmogonic beliefs is based on the images of Avesta "two great parents": mother-Earth and father-Sky, with whom, in particular, is connected with the image of grandfather-thunderer Kambar known to some groups of Tajiks. Spring and summer (the earth produces flowers and greenery) were connected with female figures, while winter and autumn were connected with male figures (the sky sends rains and snow that fertilise the earth). The notions of female personifications of the sky and thunder were preserved: mother sky, grandmother sky (momo-havo), grandmother thunder, cloud-cows spilling rain-milk on the earth.

Nuristan

Nuristan mythology at the lowest level includes demons and various spirits. The former are distinguished by their immense size and power.

Grego antigo

In ancient Greek mythology the demons were usually represented as material, sensual beings. They possessed an ordinary body, although arising from different kinds of matter, they consisted of the four elements.Ancient animistic demons were usually represented in a disorderly and disharmonious form.Teratological myths tell of monsters symbolising the forces of the earth. Hesiod tells of the sky-born Uranus and earth-born Gaia Titans, Cyclopes and Hecatoncheires. Among the creatures of the earth were Erinyes, grey, bloody old women with dog-heads and with snakes in their loose hair, who keep the statutes of the earth and prosecute any offender against the earth and the rights of the maternal kin. Echidna and Typhon give birth to the dog Orpha, a copper-headed and fifty-headed bloodthirsty guardian Hades Cerberus, the Lernaean Hydra, the Chimera with three heads: lion, goat and snake, and the Sphinx, killing all who have not solved her riddles. Echidna and Orphus also gave birth to the Nemean lion.Myxanthropic (combining human and animal traits) demons are represented by sirens (half-bird half-woman) and centaurs (half-horned half-human).

Nórdico

Such characters of Norse mythology include the Alves, nature spirits opposed to the gods Asam. Germanic mythology includes characters like elves, werewolves, the Wild Hunt (ghosts and evil spirits), Rübezal (mountain spirit), and Holda (Christmas character), etc.

eslavo

Slavic mythology includes fairy characters, presumably participants in ritual in their mythologized guise and leaders of classes of beings that belonged to the lowest level: Baba-Yaga, Koschei, Chudo-Yudo, forest king, water king, sea king.Various classes of non-individualized, often non-anthropomorphic evil spirits and animals belonged to the lower mythology. They were associated with a mythological space from home to forest, swamp, etc. These included domovye, les, water, mermaid, vila, fever, marae, morae, kimory, sudichki among western Slavs; of animals — bear, wolf. The religious and mythological integrity of the Slavs was destroyed during their Christianization.The higher mythology of the ancient Slavs is known in fragments, while more information is available on the lower mythology.Indirectly, in all Slavic traditions is reflected frost, Morozko, a character of Slavic fairy tale and ceremonial folklore.One of the later characters also known is Maslenitsa, a Russian anthropomorphic character to whom the name of the calendar holiday of the seeing off of winter and meeting of spring was transferred.The character of the lower mythology of spring rituals was Yarilo, represented by the image of a girl dressed in white and on a white horse, in the doll of the Southern Slavs and in the effigy of the Russians.

Finno-Agrinco

In Finno-Ugric mythology on the land, in addition to the deities (patrons of the trades), there lived spirits, masters of nature (leshie, water and others).The Mordovian, Mari, Udmurt, Saamic and Estonian mythologies are characterized by spirits — mothers of nature and the elements: forest, water, fire, wind, etc.The lower world was inhabited by evil spirits and the dead, along with the adversary of the god, the creator of evil. Until recently, Komi believed in spirits, the leshiy-vorsa and others.Among the lower spirits of the Umdurts are the water vu-murt, numerous evil spirits keremets (luds; a reduced image of the enemy of god Inmar, Keremet, Lud), shaitans (whom Inmar pursues with lightning), peri (which may sometimes be servants of vorshud spirits), spirits of diseases (Kutyś or Myzh), and spirits of plagues (Cher and others).A characteristic feature of Mordovian mythology are the images of spirits, the "mothers (ava)" of phenomena of nature, vegetation etc., including: Vir-ava (mother of forests), Ved-ava (mother of water), Varma-ava (mother of wind), Moda-ava (mother of earth), Tol-ava (mother of fire), Norov-ava (mother of fields), Yurt-ava (mother of houses), Nar-ava (mother of meadows), etc. There were also corresponding male characters, atya "fathers".In Mari mythology, the lord of the afterlife Kiyamat, is the head of evil spirits (the god of death Azyren and others). The Mari patron god Kugurak or Kuguen has a large number of spirits in his subordination. Besides deities, some phenomena of nature are embodied by numerous spirits - "mothers" (avas): vyut-ava - water spirit, keche-ava - sun (patroness of a family), mardezh-ava - wind, shochyn-ava - fertility, tul-ava - fire, mlande-ava - earth, etc. Other categories of spirits are vodoji: kudo-vodyzh, the keeper of the family hearth, vyut-vodyzh, the master of water, kuryk-vodyzh, the mountain, etc.The lowest level of the Khanty-Mansi pantheon consists of numerous spirits, in Khanty the lungs. The Mansi distinguish between guardian spirits and ancestor spirits - pupigi on the one hand, and evil spirits and disease personifications - kul - on the other. Of the demonic personages, the best known are the forest ogre giants - the menqui. The forests are inhabited also by the man-hating uchi (uchi, ochi). The human-friendly physiognomy of the menqes resembles that of the menqes.The ideas about the different spirits and other inferior characters in Hungarian mythology are close to the corresponding images in the mythologies of the neighboring European peoples: ghosts, the spirit of leaders, various kinds of witches: Bosorkan, Lutsa - a ghostly being with the gift of foresight, Vashorru-baba - Yaba-yaga, etc.

Samoiedic

The lowest level of the pantheon of Samoyedic mythology includes many spirits subordinate to the main deities or serving shamans.They fall into several categories: patron spirits embodied in cult objects (hehehe with the Nenets, kaha/kihu with the Enets, koika with the Nganasans, porke with the Selkups, kaigo with the Motor), spirits acting as assistants to the shaman (tadebzo with the Nenets, samadi with the Enets, Dyamada among Nganasans, one category of vines among Selkups), evil spirits and disease spirits doing the will of an evil god (ngyleka among Nenets, amuke (amuli) among Enets, ngamteru among Nganasans, some vines among Selkups).Numerous demonic beings are usually hostile to humans and reside outside the pantheon. Unlike beings of the pantheon, they are mortal and can appear to any man. Nenets and Nganasans usually have one-legged, one-armed and one-eyed baruchi (barusi), Nenets have giants - ogres sudbya, forest witch parne (parngue, porngue), dangerous for children ngemunzi, sihirtia dwelling under the ground, feeding on the smell of food mal tenga ("corked ass"), two-faced sit sita, in Selkups - cannibal giants pune (puneguse, punekysa), multi-headed devils, etc.

Turco

In mythology of the ancient (Orkhon) Türks, at the level of lower mythology, probably, was spread a belief in harmful spirits (el, ek), guardian-spirits kut (personification of a soul), spiritual masters of separate tracts and places .The mediator between people and the spirit world was shaman (kam). The indications of sources on the existence of shamanism among the ancient Turkic population, Yenisei Kyrgyz, refer to the VIII-X centuries.The Mythology of the Turkic-speaking peoples of Asia Minor and Central Asia, Kazakhstan, Caucasus, Crimea and Western Siberia, who adopted Islam, is basically Muslim (Islamic). Islam gradually supplanted and destroyed the former mythology. A predominantly inferior mythology has been preserved, with no unified picture of the demonological characters of the peoples of the region.Some local deities (Bobo-Dehkon, Chopan-ata, Burkut-baba, Korkut, etc.) have been transformed into images of Muslim saints. Images associated with Iranian mythology were preserved, the influence of which continued after conversion to Islam: azhdarha, dev, pari, Simurgh, chiltan, kyrk kyz, Bibi-Mushkusho, Bibi Se-shanbi, albasty (the latter is associated with Iranian mythology only partially).Ancient Turkic low mythology was preserved in the images of ee - spirits-masters of various places among the Kyrgyz, Kazakhs, Turkmens and West Siberian Tatars, guardian-spirit of Kut among the Kyrgyz. Shamanism, widespread among Central Asians, has undergone significant changes. New images linked to the culture of the Iranian-speaking population of Central Asia appeared - spirits assisting the shaman pari and chiltans, and evil demons albasty and dev. In addition to them, shamans invoked Muslim prophets and saints.Mythology of the Tatars and Bashkirs is also Muslim in its basis. Some images of lower mythology have survived from pre-Muslim culture. Many characters of lower mythology are not known in most other Turkic mythologies: bichura, shurale, ubyr, spirits - masters of dwellings (oy iyase, abzar iyase, yort iyase) The spirits - owners of water su iyase, snake yuha (Yuvha), ghost oryak, personifications of diseases ulyat, chyachyak-anasy, etc.

Chuvash

In Chuvash mythology there are more than 200 deities and spirits of various ranks and functions, inhabiting the earth, the sky and the underworld.In the service of the god of destiny are the messengers Pulech and Pichampar, the god - creator of bread is served by the spirits "founder of bread", "producer of bread", "keeper of bread", "grower", "producer of field fruits", etc., the god - creator of bees is served by the spirits "sending down bees' womb", "giving sweetness", "producing the bees' movement". The same functions of deities could be reproduced at different mythological levels.So, in addition to the deities patronizing the house (Kilti tura) and cattle (Kartari tura), there was a house god (Khert-surt) and a spirit - a master of the barn (karta puse). The specific Chuvash characters of the inferior mythology include demonic beings Vulcan (sometimes Vopkan) causing epidemics and Khytam, which was a soul of the person who was not remembered after death, and it was considered the cause of the cattle death.The figures in Tatar and Bashkir mythology are similar to the leshiy arsuri (corresponds to shurale), evil spirit vupar (close to ubyr), spirits "water mother" and "water father", shiv amashe and shiv ashshe (close to the "water grandfather" su babasa and "water mother" su anasy), "stable master" karta pute (corresponds to abzar myase), house ghost khert-surt (corresponds to oy iyase), etc.Some images of Chuvash mythology go back to Islamic mythology: the patron spirit Ashapatman karchake (from the names Aishi, wife of Muhammad and his daughter Fatima), death spirit Esrel, angel Pireshti, devil shuittan and others. The spirit yereh (patron of the family and household) and possibly the spirits wut ami ("mother of fire") and wut asi ("father of fire").In Chuvash mythology are also known kiremet - a category of spirits into which the souls of worshipped people (ancestors, sorcerers, etc.) were transformed. Related names are found in other peoples: Kormos - the lower spirits of Altaic, Kurmush - the patron spirit of the house of Teleuts and others.

Altai, Shorian e Khakass

In the lower mythology of Altaic, Shorians and Khakasses, the images of yer-su spirits and the idea of the life force (soul) kut (hut) go back to the ancient Turkic tradition.In Altai mythology the upper world is inhabited by principal good deities and spirits headed by Ulgen, the earth is inhabited by good deities Yer-su, clan deities (Toshi) and guardian spirits, the lower world is inhabited by monsters, spirits and deities harmful to people. Among the sources of clan cults was veneration of spirits - masters (ee) of mountains, valleys, glaciers, rivers, springs, etc.The Khakass pantheon was less developed. The spirits were divided into "pure", good (aryg tos), and "black", evil (chobal tos, hara tos), with which the shaman fights. Numerous spirits are known as masters of places: mountains and taiga (tag-eezi), rivers (sug-eezi), lakes (kel-eezi), etc.In Tuvinian mythology, the lord of the underworld Erlik-khan is the Erlik spirits (Erlikens, sometimes - Elchi). In the middle world there live spirits, on whom people's lives depend: good spirits eren, spirits - masters of places (very influential spirits of water and hearth, master of taiga, etc.), evil spirits - kara-buk (sometimes - beech, puk), aza (sometimes - möge, hi-yum), albys, shulbu (shulbus), kai-byn-ku, chetker, chylbyga and others.The spirits aza, shulbu and chetker are of Mongolian origin and princed by Buddhism (cf. ada, shimnus, shulmas). With the spirits of the upper and middle worlds (eerens) the "white" shamans communicated, with the spirits of the "dark" world the black ones.

islâmico

To the Islamic character gul goes back the image of the mythological creature gul-yabani in the mythologies of Turks, Azerbaijanis (also gulaybans, biaban-guli), Kyrgyz (gulbyaban) and Tajiks (gul, gul yovoni).

Buryat

The lowest order in Buryat shamanic mythology consists of anthropomorphic spirits: ada and anahai - the souls of sinful unborn women, dahuly and dahabari - the souls of illegitimate children, mu-shubun - the souls of girls who have never known love.The least dangerous are the bokhandoi, the souls of those who have died a violent death. Buryat and Kalmyk mythology knows dzayachi, guardian spirits and grantors of good fortune.In Buryat mythology there are zayans (zayanuuds), a class of lower spirits, like khans, ezhins and others, mediating between the heavenly gods and people, and including both good and evil characters. These spirits are replenished from among the dead shamans.In Kalmyk low mythology there is a kun-mus ("man-mus") - a wool-covered humanoid giant.

Adyghe

Examples of inferior characters in Adyghe mythology are psykho-guasha, who looks like a beautiful woman and sometimes engages in intimate relations with men, and udy, witches and werewolves, who look like an ugly old woman.

vietnamita

There are a lot of lower demons in Vietnamese mythology. Cults of local spirits - patrons of the communal house (dinh), spirits - patrons of crafts and professions - are common.Perceptions of the lower mythology of the Viets were influenced by Buddhist beliefs. The demons Dạ xoa (from Sanskrit: यक्ष Yakṣa, Yaksha) inhabit the earth, the heavens and the void. In the popular beliefs of the Viets, they have also become the spirits of the underwater world.

taoísta

The Taoist pantheon includes thousands of all sorts of immortals, saints, spirits, demons, heroes of local cults, characters of lower mythology and over 30 thousand spirits of the human body.The Chinese syncretic mythology features spirits - servants of the underworld, numerous ghosts, shadows, demons, united by the term gui, etc.

polinésio

In Polynesian mythology because information about the gods belonging to the higher pantheon is sacralized, they occupy an important place in incantation-prayers, hymns, genealogies and lists-"catalogues", but appear much less frequently in narratives. However, at the lower levels of the hierarchy there are characters with the same names (e.g. Hiro) who appear as characters in narratives, legends and tales.At lower levels of Micronesian mythology are characters with the names of gods, for example, Puntan, the god and man of great cunning in chamorro mythology, Nareau, demiurge and trickster.A larger role than the gods in Micronesian mythology is played by demigods, spirits and heroes. There are known earthly and heavenly spirits, good ("their") and evil ("alien"), such as the bladek and delep of the Palau.

Europa

Such creatures as vampires, turners, witches belong to the lower mythology of Europe, dwarves, mermaids, incubus, succubus, fairy, Lamia, mara, undines, etc., originating in various traditions (ancient, Germanic, Slavic, etc.), but which have entered into the worldwide folklore.One of the rituals of lower mythology of the peoples of Europe is Carnival, an anthropomorphic embodiment of the calendar festival of farewell to winter, celebrated on the eve of the Great Lent.

Veja também

DemonologyFolk religionLegendary creature

Literatura

Ames М. Buddha and the dancing goblins. «American Anthropologist». 1964. V. 66, № 1Leach E. R. Pulleyar and the Lord Buddha