THE LINGUISTIC IMAGE OF THE WITCH IN THE UKRAINIAN LINGUISTIC AND CULTURAL SPACE

Abstract

The article analyses the linguistic image of a witch as one of the key figures in the Ukrainian linguistic and cultural space. In particular, the main linguistic models of creating euphemistic designations for witches and the verbal representation of this image in the phraseology and texts of Ukrainian folklore are considered. It has been found that the image of the witch has absorbed the features of many ‘difficult’ mythological creatures with various supernatural properties that can be used for both evil and good deeds. However, only the pejorative representations of this taboo creature are actualised in the analysed genres. The study of secondary designations has led to the conclusion that, despite the fact that some of them clearly retain their euphemistic character, while others have already been erased, in conceptual terms they are all determined by the beliefs of Ukrainians about the typological features of the witch in particular and the supernatural world in general. Most nationally oriented expressions and sayings with the component witch are based on archaic Ukrainian perceptions of her as an evil and terrible woman who harms people and their households. The witch protection spells were strongly influenced by the Christian cultural tradition, which led to the modification of the original texts and was reflected in all their structural elements. Key features of apotropaic texts, as represented in proverbs and incantations against witches, include knowing the name of a taboo creature, neutralizing evil forces, establishing contact between two worlds, fulfilling an impossible condition, and using a special cumulative epithet, among others. The collection of mythological beliefs about the witch, as reflected in Ukrainian folk tales, makes it possible to reconstruct an essential fragment of the Ukrainian linguistic worldview.