|
|
Semantically there are two systems of images in archaic cultures on the patterns of Volga-Kama region:
1. totemic - corresponds to the gentile constitution
2 . cosmological - constitutes itself at the stage of formation of stratified societies.
Functional communication defines the structure and semantic content of archaic imagery systems [1; 2].
The first images of imagery are totems: beast (various species of animals); plants, tree, mountain, sun and others. There are totemic images of Neolithic epoque in archaeology of Prikamye region: duck, elk, deer, bear, wolf, etc.
Ideological meanings of totemic system determine the archaic concept of being - concept of life-death.
Totemic image system is a reflection (in perception) of experience of social life of human groups - in the animal world. Images of the "beast - totem "," bird - totem ", etc., or parts thereof were signs of generic differences. Function of image or its sign: protection, belonging to the genus (clan), attacks, becoming a totem in the care of eternity.
Images of the second cosmological system are associated with "the picture of the world", i.e. ideas about the structure of the world: the World Tree, the World Mountain, "Sky-Father ", and "Earth-Mother".
The semantic content of the second imagery (cosmological) system is the world's order - "the picture of the world". With the transition to producing forms of household (farming), - especially to bronze metallurgy (2nd millennium B.C.) and iron metallurgy (1st millennium B.C.), totemic concept of life - death is replaced by the concept of creation of the world . Stratified society is to be alive in the artificially created environment - the picture of the world.
This is the visible embodiment of visual images. Images of cosmological system are back to the formative stage of human races. Ancestral totem tree is replaced by the World Tree, Tribal Mountain - Mount World, etc. The 2nd semantic system is formed in the coexistence of the genus and patronymic in the transition from a generic class- stratified societies of Potestarian type.
These two archaic worldview concepts of "life - death of totem" and "peace building" are defined as nonlinearly and contradictory development of cosmological semantics.
These images are represented in ancient cultures and art of the Volga-Kama region.
Any ancient created by human hands is a cluster of utilitarian and significative meanings. The principles of semiotics and its main concepts, such as text, context, sign, iconic, symbolic, index, code, language, seem to be very promising for the investigation of the latter. Semiotics providing various methods, the approach the authors adhere to is based on the theories of Ch. S. Pierce and Yu. M.Lotman.
286
|
