Scientific journal
Scientific Review. Historical sciences

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THE IMPACT OF THE CULT OF THE GREAT MARTYR THEODORE TYRONE ON THE IMAGE OF THE OSSETIAN PATRON OF WOLVES TUTYR

Багаев А. Б.
The impact of Christianity on the pre-Christian beliefs in different regions of the world and among various peoples was not homogeneous. The roots of the Christian doctrine did not go deep among the Ossetian people, however, it certainly affected many rites and rituals of the religious faith. With the official acceptance of the Christ’s doctrine the deities of the Ossetian pantheon lost their pre-Christian theonyms and accepted the names of Christian saints; in addition, Christianity probably had certain influence on their cults and appearance. This study focuses on highlighting the level of impact of Christianity on the ancient Ossetian cult of Tutyr – the patron of wolves and warriors. In this paper, the image Tutyr was analyzed on the bases of the data from the Ossetian mythology and folklore. The martyrology of the Great Theodore Tyrone was studied. In the framework of the religious systems that both cults refer to, their functions were studied. The things common to both cults were discovered, and an attempt was made to explain the reasons why the patron of wolves and warriors of the Ossetians’ ancestors was named as St. Theodore Tyrone in the period of Christianization.