Article

Name: The images of soul sülde and sünesün in the folklore of Mongolian peoples

Authors: Liudmila S. Dampilova, Ekaterina V. Sundueva

Institute for Mongolian, Buddhist and Tibetan Studies of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Ulan-Ude, Russian Federation

In the section Study of folklore

Abstract:

This study identifies the preservation of archaic mythological representations of the soul within contemporary Mongolian traditions. This study represents a pioneering effort in distinguishing the varied interpretations and roles attributed to the concept of the soul, referred to as sülde and sünesün in Mongolian, and rendered in Russian as “dusha” (“soul”). The analysis reveals that these are not identical concepts: they perform different roles within folklore texts and ritual practices. The soul sülde is a stable substance that enters the human body as an embryo, functioning as a vital force that only departs upon death or forced substitution. In contrast, the sünesün – the human doppelganger – is characterized by its mobility. A conceptual link between the sünesün (soul) and “spirit” is established: if the sünesün fails to return to the body for an extended period, it can transform into a negative demonological being. Consideration is also given to the role of sünesün as a wandering substance in the rite of soul recovery and the role of sülde as the primary life force in the rite of soul substitution. Furthermore, it should be noted that the nuances of these terms depend on narrative context, ritual action, and regional interpretations. While some narratives clearly distinguish between the two souls, others rely on a more intuitive differentiation between these ontological concepts.

Keywords: mythology, folklore, rite, soul, life force, doppelganger, soul return, soul substitution

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