Semantics of the Mauling Scene of an Ungulate by a Feline Predator and a Griffin in the Eastern European Scythian Animal Style
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.24852/2587-6112.2023.5.23.37Keywords:
archaeology, Dionysus, Zagreus, Orphism, Pythagoreanism, Northern Black Sea region, Scythian animal style.Abstract
The authors consider the content of the motif of mauling of an ungulate by a feline predator and a griffin and the form of its realization in the Scythian animal style of the Eastern European area. A hypothesis is put forward about the ties of the subject of mauling in multi-figure compositions containing images of an ungulate (deer), a feline predator and a griffin with the ancient Greek myth about Dionysus-Zagreus, who was torn apart. The methods of general scientific hypothetico-deductive method with general system-functional and synchronic-diachronic approaches to the consideration of historical facts are used. Conclusions are drawn about the presence of characters of the ancient Greek myth about the struggle of Dionysus-Zagreus with Titans and about the use of figurative motives and techniques in creating a dynamic picture of the successive "transformation" of the characters. Some difference is noticeable in the embodiment of myth elements by means of fine arts in the Scythian animal style from how it is presented by Nonnus. Perhaps the Scythian artistic tradition of narrating the Orphic myth events differed from the oral and written ancient Greek tradition. The image of a deer is present and central in all compositions. The scene of mauling and the composition of artistic images in accordance with the myth of Zagreus make it possible to assume the spread among the Scythians of the version of Orphism already in the first half of the V century BC, that denied the absorption of Dionysus by the Titans, claiming his combining by Apollo and his further resurrection.
References
Alekseev, A. Yu. 2012. Zoloto skifskikh tsarey v sobranii Ermitazha (The Gold of the Scythian Kings). Saint Petersburg: State Hermitage Museum (in Russian).
Artamonov, M. I. 1961. In Artamonov, M. I. (ed.). Arkheologicheskii sbornik Gosudarstvennogo Ermitazha (Archaeological Bulletin of the State Hermitage Museum) 2. Leningrad: State Hermitage Museum, 57–87 (in Russian).
Artamonov, M. I. 1962. In Soobshcheniia Gosudarstvennogo Ermitazha (Reports of the State Hermitage Museum) 22. Leningrad: the State Hermitage Publ., 30−35 (in Russian).
Artamonov, M. I. 1974. Kimmeriytsy i skify (ot poyavleniya na istoricheskoy arene do kontsa IV v. do n. e.). (The Cimmerians and Scythians (from their appearance on the historical arena to the end of the IV century BC)). Leningrad: Leningrad State University (in Russian).
Bessonova, S. S. 1983. Religioznye predstavleniya skifov (Scythian religious beliefs). Kiev: “Naukova dumka” Publ. (in Russian).
Blavatsky, V. D. 1964. In Sovetskaia Arkheologiya (Soviet Archaeology) (2), 13–26 (in Russian).
Gerodot. Istoriia v 9 knigakh (Herodotus. History in 9 books). 1972. Leningrad: “Nauka” Publ. (in Russian).
Grach, A. D. 1972. In Tezisy dokladov III Vsesoyuznoy konferentsii po skifo-sarmatskoy arkheologii (Skifo-sibirskiy «zverinyy» stil') (Abstracts of the III All-Union conferense on the Scythian-Sarmatian archaeology (Scythian-Siberian "animal" style)). Moscow: Academy of Sciences of the USSR, Institute for Archaeology, 29–30 (in Russian).
Dobrovolskiy, L. S. 2023. In Vestnik antropologii (Herald of Anthropology) (2), 86–104 DOI: 10.33876/2311-0546/2023-2/86-104 (in Russian).
Dobrovolskiy, L. S., Sydykov, E. B., Umitkaliev, U. U., Kazhenova, G. T. 2023. In Povolzhskaya arkheologiya (Volga River Region Archaeology) 43 (1), 113–126 (in Russian).
Kantorovich, A. R. 2015. Skifskii zverinyi stil' Vostochnoi Evropy: klassifikatsiia, tipologiia, khronologiia, evoliutsiia (Scythian Animal Style of Eastern Europe: Classification, Typology, Chronology, Evolution). PhD Diss. Moscow (in Russian).
Kantorovich, A. R. 2020. In Levanova, E. S., Smirnov, N. Yu. (eds.). DIALOG 2017–2018. Dikhotomiya iskusstva v arkheologii: lokus, obrazy, genesis (Dialogue 2017-2018. Dichotomy of art in archaeology: locus, images, genesis). Moscow: Institute of Archaeology, Russian Academy of Sciences, 192–231(in Russian).
Korolkova, E. F. 2006. Zverinyi stil' Evrazii. Iskusstvo plemen Nizhnego Povolzh'ia i Iuzhnogo Priural'ia v skifskuiu epokhu (7–4 vv. do n.e.). Problemy stilia i etnokul'turnoi prinadlezhnosti (Zoomorphic Style of Eurasia. The Art of the Tribes of the Lower Volga Region and the Southern Urals during the Scythian Era (7th –4th Centuries B.C.). Issues of style and ethnic-cultural identity). Saint Petersburg: “Peterburgskoe vostokovedenie” Publ. (in Russian).
Korolkova, E. F. 2015. In Senichenkova, T. B. (ed.). Arkheologicheskii sbornik Gosudarstvennogo Ermitazha (Archaeological Bulletin of the State Hermitage Museum) 40. Saint Petersburg: State Hermitage Museum, 157–188 (in Russian).
Korolkova, E. F. 2020. In Levanova, E. S., Smirnov, N. Yu. (eds.). DIALOG 2017–2018. Dikhotomiya iskusstva v arkheologii: lokus, obrazy, genesis (Dialogue 2017-2018. Dichotomy of art in archaeology: locus, images, genesis). Moscow: Institute of Archaeology, Russian Academy of Sciences, 17–31(in Russian).
Kuzina, N. V. 2008. In Vestnik Nizhegorodskogo universiteta im. N.I. Lobachevskogo (Vestnik of Lobachevsky University of Nizhni Novgorod) (6), 178–182
Kuz’mina, E. E. 1972. In Tezisy dokladov III Vsesoyuznoy konferentsii po skifo-sarmatskoy arkheologii (Skifo-sibirskiy «zverinyy» stil') (Abstracts of the III All-Union conference on Scythian-Sarmatian archaeology (Scythian-Siberian "animal" style)).Moscow: Academy of Sciences of the USSR, Institute for Archaeology, 51–52 (in Russian).
Kuz’mina, E. E. 1976а. In Melyukova, A. I., Moshkova, M. G. (eds.). Skifo-sibirskiy zverinyy stil' v iskusstve narodov Evrazii (Scythian-Siberian animal style in the art of the peoples of Eurasia).Moscow: “Nauka” Publ., 52–65 (in Russian).
Kuz’mina, E. E. 1976. In Sovetskaia Arkheologiya (Soviet Archaeology) (3), 68–71 (in Russian).
Losev, A. F. 1996. Mifologiya grekov i rimlyan (Mythology of the Greeks and Romans). Moscow: “Mysl” Publ. (in Russian).
Makarov, I. A. 1999. In Vestnik drevnei istorii (Journal of Ancient History) 228 (1), 8–19 (in Russian).
Meletinsky, E. M. (ed.) 1990. Mifologicheskiy slovar' (Mythology Dictionary). Moscow: “Sovetskaya entsiklopediya” Publ. (in Russian).
Perevodchikova, E. V. 1994. Iazyk zverinykh obrazov. Ocherki iskusstva evraziiskikh stepei skifskoi epokhi (Language of Animal Images. Sketches of Art from Eurasian Steppes in Scythian Time). Moscow: “Vostochnaia Literatura” Publ. (in Russian).
Polidovich, Yu. B. 2017. In Klochko, L. S., Polidovich, Yu. B. (eds.). Muzeini chytannia. Materialy naukovoi konferentsii “Iuvelirne mystetstvo – pohliad kriz viky” (Museum studies. Proceeding of the scientific conference “Jewelry art - a view throw the times”). Kyiv: “Feniks” Publ., 89–108 (in Russian).
Raevsky, D. S. 1977. Ocherki ideologii skifo-sakskikh plemen. Opyt rekonstruktsii skifskoy mifologii (Essays on the ideology of the Scythian-Saka tribes. The reconstruction experience of Scythian mythology). Moscow: “Nauka” Publ. (in Russian).
Raevsky, D. S. 2006. Mir skifskoy kul'tury (World of Scythian culture). Moscow: “Yazyki slavyanskikh kul'tur” Publ. (in Russian).
Rusyaeva, A. S. 1978. In Vestnik drevnei istorii (Journal of Ancient History) (1), 87–105 (in Russian).
Skrzhinskaya, M. V. 2012. In Bosporskie issledovaniia (Bosporan Studies) XXVI, 104–132 (in Russian).
Toporov, V. N. 1972. In Meletinsky, E. M. (ed.). Rannie formy iskusstva (Early art forms). Moscow: “Iskusstvo” Publ., 77–103 (in Russian).
Fedorov-Davydov, G. A. In Masson, V. M. (ed.). Uspekhi sredneaziatskoy arkheologii (Achievements of Central Asian archaeology). Leningrad: “Nauka” Publ., 23–28 (in Russian).
Shelling, F. V. 1936. Sistema transtsendental'nogo idealizma (System of Transcendental Idealism). Leningrad: “Sotsekgiz” Publ. (in Russian).
Farkas, A. 1977. In Artibus Asiae (39) 2, 124–138.
Hartner, W. 1965. In Journal of Near Eastern Studies. (24) 1/2, 1–16.
Hartner, W., Ettinghausen, R. 1965. In Oriens. (17), 161–171.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2023 L.S. Dobrovolskiy, U.U. Umitkaliev
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
