Ethnogeography of the Bashkirs according to the data of epic legends

the epic tales considered in the article make it possible to distinguish various ethnogeographical groups within the Bashkirs. The epic "Kongur-Buga" reports on the division of the Bashkirs into southern and northern. The northern Bashkirs come to the aid of the southern Bashkirs, who are attacked by enemies. The heroes of the epic "Aldar and Zukhra" are Aldar, a representative of the steppe Bashkirs, and Zukhra, a representative of the forest Bashkirs. The south-eastern Bashkirs of the Nogai and Siberian roads were called steppe, and the north-western Bashkirs of the Kazan and Osa roads were called forest. Aldar arrives at Zukhra's father, Kidryas, who is a nomad in the area of Lake Kandra. Kidryas summons near and far guests to jiin - a gathering, a folk holiday. The epic names six groups of Bashkirs who arrived on the jiin, marking them by the names of the rivers: the first group includes the Bashkirs living on the Karmasan River, the second group includes the Bashkirs living on the Bir River, the third group includes the Bashkirs living on the Dema River, the fourth group includes the Bashkirs living on the Ufa River, the fifth group includes the Bashkirs living on the Ashkadar River and up the Belaya River, the sixth group includes the Bashkirs living on the Chermasan River. The function of maintaining social and political ties between the clan structures of the Bashkirs was performed by people's assemblies - yiyins (jiins). Zukhra marries Aldar and arrives at his camp on the Ural River. The hero of the epic "Ek-Mergen" came from the steppe Bashkirs. He rallied the forest Bashkirs around him and led their struggle against the Kazan Khanate. The division of the Bashkirs into groups did not violate the unity of the ethnos. The Bashkirs have a common ethnic identity, language and religion, lead a nomadic lifestyle, are engaged in cattle breeding, come to the aid of each other, and marry each other.

южные и северные башкиры, степные и лесные башкиры, эпические сказания, «Конгур-буга», «Алдар и Зухра», «Ек-Мэргэн»