Representations of totems and the image of the blue wolf in folklore

Abstract

The most important totem common to all Turkic peoples is the Blue Wolf (Kоk bori). The Turkic people, including the Kazakhs, consider themselves to have emerged from wolves, and highly value the wolf for its difference from other animals. The wolf is a freedom-loving, proud, vindictive, strong animal, and the Turki attributed these qualities to themselves, thereby emphasizing the resemblance to a wolf. In the genealogical mythology of the Turkic peoples, a blue wolf or a blue wolf female is depicted as saving people from the enemy's environment, starting campaigns and feeding helpless babies. In the totemic, mythical worldview of the people, the Blue Wolf has become a holy animal. The article discusses from a scientific point of view the evolution of the image of the Blue Wolf (Kоk bori) in totem performances and folklore of the Kazakh people.