White Stork in mythology of European peoples and modern notions about the origin of Indo-Europeans. - V.N. Grishchenko. - Berkut. 7 (1-2). 1998. P. 120-131.
Analysis of the mythology shows that the image of the White Stork has the big similarity at various Indo-European peoples: Germans, Slavs, Balts, Greeks, Armenians, etc. It is supposed the common origin of these beliefs in old Indo-Europeans. There are many hypotheses about the origin of Indo-Europeans. Two from them are considered as most proved versions: the homeland of Indo-Europeans is Central Europe (the Linear Pottery Culture, V mill. B. C.) or the middle and lower stream of the Danube and the northern part of the Balkan peninsula. Ornithological and ethnograhic data are compared with ma-terials of archaeology and linguistics. The reverence of the White Stork could arise in Central Europe or on Balkan but not in the present territory of Ukraine (hypotheses about Tripolye Culture and steppes to the north from the Black Sea). There are no eviden-ces that the White Stork inhabited the territory of Ukraine in that time. Main possible reasons of sacralisation are analysed: to-temism, migrations, feeding, colouring, synanthropism. Reverence of the White Stork has roots in Stone Age, but the whole comp-lex of beliefs in Indo-European peoples could be generated not earlier of the origin of agriculture. The White Stork appears at us in Indo-European beliefs as an envoy of gods arriving to the beginning of the agricultural season, "bringing" warmth and new life on waking up ground, up to the harvest it protects crops. The reverence is amplified by old totemic notions and synanthropism. Probably features of colouring of the bird have played the role too. Cult of the White Stork in Indo-European peoples has agricul-tural basis. It could not arise in pure pastoralist tribes. Origin of the name "stork" and related ones to it is discussed. These names are similar in German, Slavic and Baltic languages. Their old common origin is possible. [Russian].
Key words: White Stork, Ciconia ciconia, history, linguistics, mythology, cult, Indo-Europeans, origin, name.
Address: V.N. Grishchenko, Kanev Nature Reserve, 258300 Kanev, Ukraine; e-mail: vgrishchenko@mail.ru.