Echoes of pagan beliefs among Karachays and Balkars

Some of the North Caucasian peoples professing Islam still preserve echoes of paganism- beliefs and superstitions connected with the worship of animals, birds and plants. The Balkars and Karachais particularly worship animals.You cannot kill a snake, which lives in the yard - she is the keeper of the house, and while dying may curse the entire race. People used to put a cup of milk before her every day.The deer is a healer. Reindeer milk, according to popular tradition, heals the worst diseases. But the most revered animal was the wolf. Until the mid 20th century, in almost every Balkar house you could find a piece of fur or wool of black and brown foxes. Balkars believed that foxes protect one from hunger. To kill a fox was considered a sin.Horses were mostly worshipped among domestic animals. Balkar and Karachai ancestors were buried with their dead or killed horses.Sheep were also treated with respect. The faces of newly-borns were smeared with the blood of sacrificial sheep, as they were considered to have magic power. When building a house, people would bury ram's horns beneath it to protect the family from misery. Dogs were also highly worshipped. In the recent past, Balkars and Karachais had a lot of "animal" and "bird" names - Arslan (Lion), Kaplan (tiger), Ayu (bear). The 12 months are named after animals in the language: mouse, cow, tiger, rabbit, fish, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, eagle, dog, pig.Lada Ledeneva, Pyatigorsk. Exclusively for VK