ИЗВЕСТИЯ СОИГСИ

The symbolism of the number evokes great interest in the context of the study of epic works. Extensive research and theory view the semantics of numbers in the folklore sources, but no comparative studies on the symbolism of numbers in the epic of the Iranian peoples and the Ossetians have been undertaken so far. However, it is reliably proven in the historical science that the Persians and the Ossetians share common historical roots, are bound by cultural and social ties. This fact is reflected in Shahnameh by Ferdowsi, who repeatedly mentioned Alan in his work. The Iranian peoples have a rich epic tradition, which goes back to ancient times and has preserved cultural, mythological and religious symbols. Both in the the Ossetian Narts’ epic, and in Shakhnameh, the concept of "Number" is widely used as the basic concept of culture. The task of the present article is to study the concept of "Number" in the Persian and Ossetian epics, to identify similarities and differences in the interpretation of their symbols. It is known that numbers have long played an important role in people's lives in different parts of the world and, apart from the quantitative index they have hidden semantic codes. The study of these meanings and the influence of the qualitative and semantic characteristics of certain numbers, such as three, four, seven, thirteen, forty and others, on the life of the Persians and the Ossetians shows their considerable similarity. As a result of the research it was proved that the numbers presented in Shahnameh and the epic legends about the Narts are inextricably linked with the mythological consciousness of peoples, with sacred symbols of their traditional culture and testify to common historical roots, cultural contacts and influences.

Keywords: Shakhnameh, Narts’ sagas, number, symbol, the Ossetian language, the Persian language.

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