A Study on the Image of the Swan in the Life and Folk Tales of Siberian Indigenous Peoples

In Siberia, various Turkic, Mongolic, Finnic-Ugric, and Neo-Tibetan ethnic groups such as the Yakut, Tuvan, Khakas, Altai, Dolgan, Tatar, Teleut, Nenets, Buryat, Evenki, Even, Nanai, Khanty, Mansi, and Ket peoples reside. In their daily lives, there are various taboos, forms of veneration, and oral folk tales related to the swan. Research on folk tales in the Siberian region is undoubtedly limited by the scarcity of written records. However, even within these constraints, the task of deriving new meanings holds significant academic value. For the indigenous peoples of Siberia, the swan, along with the bear, crow, and wolf, holds a significant place as one of the major totems of the region. It plays the dual role of representing the primordial mother-ancestor that must be revered, as well as embodying the 'sun goddess-daughter' who signifies the rebirth of life and the arrival of spring on Earth. The children of the 'mother-ancestor,' that is, the swan’s offspring, were expected to honor the swan every spring and strictly observe various taboos and rituals associated with the swan.