THE DUAL NATURE OF THE FEMALE CHARACTER IN MYTHOLOGY AND ITS HISTORICAL AND SOCIAL FOUNDATIONS
This article analyzes the dual nature of the female image in mythology and its historical and social foundations. The study illuminates the complex semantic nature of woman in ancient mythological thought, where she is, on the one hand, a symbol of life, fertility, motherhood, and protection, and on the other, associated with chaos, danger, and demonological forces. The historical transformation of the female image is examined through the figures of Umay, Alvasti, and female shamans in Turkic mythology. Furthermore, the functional changes of the female image within the mythological system, resulting from the shift between matriarchal and patriarchal worldviews, are investigated using comparative-mythological and structural-semiotic methods. The article scientifically substantiates the archetypal characteristics of the female image, its religious-mythological roots, and its place in the cultural consciousness of Turkic peoples.
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