THE MYTHOLOGICAL ORIGINS OF MOUNTAIN CULTURES IN THE NORTHEASTERN REGION OF AZERBAIJAN: TALES, TRADITIONS, AND LEGENDS

One of the oldest and most enduring facets of the national spiritual culture in Azerbaijan is theMountain Cult. Mountains are seen as living things, bridges between Earth and Heaven, andguardians of the ancestry in this intricate mythological system, which goes beyond simplerespect for geography. The Upper World: The peaks, frequently covered in clouds, are thehomes of gods or holy spirits. In Azerbaijani mythology, as in other Turk and Caucasiancultures, the mountain serves as the vertical connection between the three realms. The slopesof the Middle World are home to both people and animals. The Lower World: The caverns andmountain base, frequently connected to the underworld or ancestors. This research synthesizessome seminal legends from the Sheki region—"White Silence," "Seven Brothers," and "TheMountain Man", ―White rock‖—to identify a unified system of indigenous governance. UsingCollaborative Ethnography and Functionalist Analysis, the study reveals how these narrativesregulate internal social conduct, mobilize external defense, and enforce environmentalstewardship. The findings suggest that the personification of the mountain serves as apowerful psychological mechanism for maintaining communal resilience. This studyadvocates for the "Applied" use of these legends in modern conservation and social mediationefforts within the Caucasus.