Parallels in the astral myths of the Turks and Finno-Ugrians: on the example of the mythologies of the Milky Way and the Polar Star

The subject of this article is a comparison of the astral mythology of the Turks and Finno-Ugrians using the example of key mythologems-astronomers of the Milky Way and the Polar Star. The main research method was the analysis of the available ethnographic literature on the astral mythology of the Turks and Finno-Ugric peoples. As we have found out, the eschatological myth of the dog stars (wolves), which are tied with ropes to the Pole Star, is very popular among the Turks. The comparison of the Milky Way with the "road of birds" was known to the Turks and Finno-Ugrians, but, according to experts, it arose mainly among the Uralic peoples. Nevertheless, we assumed that the basis of the myth of the emergence of the "bird's road" as a path of migratory birds most likely originated in the Ural-Volga region. The comparison of the Milky Way with a "ski trail" (or just a trail in the sky) was common among the Finno-Ugrians. It probably went back to the Siberian myth of the heavenly hunt. The likening of the Milky Way to snow, rather, as we see it, has a Turkic origin. In our opinion, the comparison of the Polar Star with the "nail" was preceded by the mythologeme of the "world pillar", celebrated by all Turks and Finno-Ugrians. The original mythologeme of the "world pillar" among the Turks was the idea of a Golden Pillar. In addition, the Turks, as specialized cattle breeders, were characterized by the idea of the Polar Star as a hitching post. The peculiarity of the Finno-Ugric names of the Polar Star is that they can directly relate to a bird sitting on top of a world pillar, or even a star goddess.