The Cult of “Momo” and Related Rites in the Uzbek Folklore

Abstract

The article examines the specific mythological representations and rites of the Uzbeks that are connected to the cult of “momo”. Ethnographic and folklore data from Southern Uzbekistan show that the cult of “momo”, reflecting some signs of following a fertility cult, genetically goes back to the ancient rituals and mythological views related to the cult of ancestors.