In the shamanic culture of the Yakuts, the shamanic rite known as “Ytyk Dabatyy (Sacred Ascension)” is a characteristic practice. Some of these rituals were performed to appease the Supreme Deity, Kyurye Jyehyegei Ajyy, and other deities. In some cases, depending on the intended purpose, “Ytyk Dabatyy” was a shamanic ritual aimed at healing the sick and restoring harmony between humans and the world of dark spirits. This study focuses on the semiotic analysis of this ritual, particularly its textual component and its therapeutic function. The object of the study is the system of the Yakut shamanic culture, and the subject is the semiotics of the shamanic ritual “Ytyk Dabatyy” performed for the recovery of a patient. The material for the study consists of the texts of shamanic rituals collected by researchers in various regions of Yakutia, particularly in the Vilyuisk, Verkhoyansk, and central districts. Based on this research, the authors concluded that despite the existence of several regional traditions (Vilyuisk, Northern, and Central), the general structure and semiotics of the rite are similar. This is confirmed by the identification of eight cultural codes (temporal, spatial, etc.), which form a complex sign system of shamanic rituals. The unifying element for all traditions is the sacrificial object, a horse of a specific color (ytyk), which acts as the central gift to the dark spirits of the Upper World in order to appease and gain their favor.
ytyk databyy; sacred ascension; sacrifice; shamanism; ritual; cultural studies; Yakut shamanism; semiotics; sacrificial animal; shaman