GAVRYLYuK E. Vegetable Symbolics in the Context of the Ukrainian Calendar Rites: a Problem of the Semantic-Functional Aspect.

The dissertation is devoted to the investigation of peculiarities of semantics and functions of vegetable symbols system in the traditional calendar rites of the Ukrainians. A hallmark of the work is the using of structural-semiotic, functional and comparative methods in the course of the research. There was established that the vegetable code in the Ukrainian calendar rites (in actionable, verbal and real dimensions) conveys the significant mythological information. Vegetable ritual symbols in the context of the traditional calendar feasts were conceived by people possessing in the myth-poetic vision of the Universe simultaneously either as the "keys" opening the doors of the "other" world or as the beyond. According to such semantics vegetable symbols in the Ukrainian calendar rites perform the group of magical functions. The results of the dissertation can be applied for the further investigation of the significant elements of mythological vision of the Universe and for working out of questions conc erning to the archaic Slavonic rites reconstruction as well.