THE GLOBAL FLOOD IN MYTHS AND LEGENDS OF THE PEOPLES OF THE WORLD
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17721/sophia.2025.26.5Keywords:
global flood, flood, ark, myths, legends, cultural heritage, religious texts, religious traditionsAbstract
B a c k g r o u n d . The article examines in detail the most famous literary monuments containing descriptions of the Great Flood. Particular attention is paid to the structural analysis of these narratives, their chronological correlation and possible ways of mutual influence between different cultural areas. The article also analyzes the further development of the legend in different cultures, as well as the main fragments of the stories about the events before, during and after the Flood. .
M e t h o d s . This study applied a comprehensive approach and used a combination of historical, comparative, structural-mythological, hermeneutic and semiotic methods, applied religious analysis to study the religious and symbolic meaning of myths in the context of different traditions and comparative-mythological analysis to identify archetypes and cultural parallels.
R e s u l t s . The global nature of the phenomenon of the Great Flood is reflected in the myths and folklore of many peoples, which indicates a common cultural experience and a possible connection with real historical events or natural disasters. Cross-cultural analysis and study of these legends allows us to compare the worldview of different civilizations, identify common motives and peculiarities of the interpretation of natural disasters in different cultures. The religious and mythological significance of the flood story plays an important role in many religions and their analysis helps to better understand the evolution of religious ideas of mankind.
C o n c l u s i o n s . The conclusion notes the universal nature of the flood motifs in world culture, which may indicate both the common archetypal foundations of the human psyche and the possible historical reality of catastrophic floods in the past of mankind. The research contributes to a deeper understanding of the mechanisms of preservation and transmission of cultural memory through mythological narratives, as well as the role of archaeological research in verifying ancient traditions and their scientific reinterpretation in a modern context.
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