Researcher
Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography, National Academy of Sciences of Armenia, Shirak Armenological Research Center
Yerevan, Gyumri, Armenia
ORCID: 0009-0005-0144-6922
hasmikgalstyan1979@gmail.com 

Classification of Lower Mythological Characters in Armenian Folktales

Beliefs underlying human worldviews and mythological interpretations of natural phenomena are connected not only to higher deities but also to impure forces—so-called “lower” mythological beings. Analyzing the works of philologists and ethnographers from the 19th century to the present, within European, Russian, Iranian, and other philological traditions, it is evident that lower mythology is perceived as a multifunctional system that studies beliefs and representations concerning various spirits and supernatural beings. This study aimed to classify lower mythological figures in Armenian folktales according to types and functions, using historical-cognitive and historical-comparative methods. The general methodological foundation of the work is empirical research, which included observation, data collection, comparison, and analysis of folkloric and ethnographic sources.

 

Keywords: folklore, lower mythology, popular belief, classification, evil spirits