The Ornitomorphic Image of the North-Russian Hut: A Semantic Reconstruction Drawn on the Materials of Slavic Culture

Abstract

The author lays down an argument that there might have existed a symbolic and semantic link between the images of the hut and the bird in archaic notions of the early Slavs. She explores a wide range of data on the Slavic folk culture. The image of the bird, which was often used as a sacrificial object in house building, most likely influenced the very appearance of the house itself. The article focuses on the ornitomorphic facets of the traditional North-Russian hut and examines the bird symbolism engrained in its features. The author dives into a variety of issues and topics from the tradition of decorating roofs with the images of birds to the use of bird-like architectural terms and other figures of speech and to the curious presence of birds in folk riddles about huts.