KEREMETS (KIREMETI) AS NATURE SPIRITS AND ANCESTRAL DEITIES OF THE MARI AND SOME OTHER PEOPLES OF BASHKORTOSTAN

Keremets are one of the most important images and concepts in the traditional beliefs of the peoples living in the Ural-Volga region. Despite a large number of works dealing with the topic of Keremets, there is still no generalizing work devoted to this problem. The purpose of the study is to reveal the origin and nature of Keremets and their cult as nature spirits and ancestral deities among the Mari and some other peoples of Bashkortostan. Materials and methods. The article is based on scientific literature, as well as the author’s field research. The work mainly used the comparative historical method. Results. During the analysis of the images of Keremets, the following ideas were highlighted. The term “keremet” goes back to the Chuvash word “kiremet” and is a Bulgarian-Islamic concept. At this, among the peoples of the Ural-Volga region, including in the Republic of Bashkortostan, the cult of Keremets overlapped with local cults. Judging by some archaic names of keremets in the eastern Mari, it can be assumed that the most ancient image of Keremets was ornitho-like one. It is also possible that Keremets could be revered in the form of other animals. The connection of keremets with various objects (trees, springs) and landforms (mountains, ravines) is obvious. It is important to note that among the peoples of Bashkiria, the Chuvash and the Udmurts, keremets are still often referred to by their own names of natural spirits: vodyzh/tuҥ, jereh, lud kuzjo. The local Keremet cult was probably based on remnants of animistic and totemic beliefs. Conclusions. Thus, among the Mari, the Mordvins, the Tatars, the Chuvash, and the Udmurts, keremets are usually understood to be a category of spirits associated with wildlife and ancestral worship. Although some keremets, such as those of the Tatars, are directly related to the Islamic cult, a number of their fundamental components are exclusively “pagan”.