143-147 The Poetics of Uzbek and Russian Riddles about Natural Phenomena 143 AMERICAN Journal of Language, Literacy and Learning in STEM Education www. grnjournal.us AMERICAN Journal of Language, Literacy and Learning in STEM Education Volume 3, Issue 4, 2025 ISSN (E): 2993-2769 The Poetics of Uzbek and Russian Riddles about Natural Phenomena Feruzaxon Tillabaeva Senior Lecturer, Department of Uzbek and Russian Languages, University of Economics and Pedagogy, Doctoral student of Andijan State University feruza.tillabayeva@inbox.ru Abstract. Riddles reflecting cosmogonic and meteorological motifs are considered in the article, examples of meteoronyms used to describe natural phenomena in riddles are given, mythological view of the people in cosmogonic riddles is reflected. Key words: riddles, myth, rite, tradition, byt nation, cosmogonichesky, motif, priznak. In the texts of riddles, to understand the influence of celestial bodies and natural phenomena on weather, some cosmological and meteorological motifs are projected to one degree or another, in which snow, rain, wind, fog, and various other meteoronyms are used to describe the weather. Among them, a number of concepts related to the fact that snow is, first of all, the main sign of winter, a white and cold thing, include the meaning and image of riddles about it. Applied to snow, its white covering of the earth's surface is usually compared to a white tablecloth laid out on a table: Russian riddle Uzbek riddle White tablecloth White tablecloth. The most interesting thing is that these riddles belong to two peoples speaking different structural languages, but it is worth noting that the image of snow in them is compared by the same thing: the image of "white tablecloth." In Russian and Uzbek riddles about "snow" / "qor," the image of snow is personified. In the Russian riddle, it is described that snow covers the surrounding world, and in the Uzbek riddle, it is also said that snow covers the entire universe. There are many different riddles about snow. Such diversity emphasizes that the image of snow is intertwined with many similar objects. For example, with goose, ice, salt, and the personification of any living creature: Russian riddles Uzbek riddles White blanket Compared to a living being Flying like a goose, They will take their place like ice. Like g'ijirlar saxtiyon, It's bitter, like salt. (Snow, frost) Compared creatures: goose, ice, morocco boots, salt In the courtyard - a mountain, With mountains and water. White chicken, With white chicken 144 AMERICAN Journal of Language, Literacy and Learning in STEM Education www. grnjournal.us And in the hut - with water. (Snow) The cage is cold. (Storm) With a white cow It is no coincidence that snow is compared to white geese flying in the sky or to various creatures, such as a white chicken or a white cow. This is because snow particles fall from the sky to the ground in various unique forms. This amazing phenomenon led to the creation of a series of riddles about "snowflakes": There is one such flower. You can't wrap it in a necklace. Blow on it a little: There was a flower - and there is no flower. (Snowflake) From the sky - a star, And in the hand - water. (Snowflake) In these riddles, the uniqueness, lightness, and fragility of snowflakes, compared to colors and stars, are vividly described, and such properties as abundance and colorfulness are emphasized. Since "snow" includes a number of concepts of the mythopoetic level, the concept of "snowman" also has its place in this system, and it has been observed that in comparison with the image of the snowman, there are several riddles about the snowman in Russian folklore. Of these: He doesn't feel cold in the frost. He has a carrot-like nose, And when spring comes, It will melt and turn into a puddle. (Snowman) I lived in the middle of the courtyard, Where children play, But from sunlight I turned into a stream. (Snowman) The first riddle is aimed at describing the characteristics of the snowman. So, through the riddle, one can learn that since it is a snowman, it does not suffer from cold and frost, its nose is like a carrot, and with the arrival of spring, it melts and turns into a puddle. The second riddle is told directly from the tongue of Snowman, who reports that he lives in the middle of his yard, where children play, but the sun's rays turn him into water. Snow is one of the natural phenomena that unites and connects the worlds of sky and earth, "upper world" and "lower world" and shows the movement between them1. In this sense, we also encounter riddles created about "ice". Winter glass I took a drink from the ditch. (Music) It flowed in spring. (Ice) I gave up my rifle. The ice is compared to winter glass, the icicles that hang from the roofs like shotgun cartridges actually melt and flow when it gets warmer in spring. And people were amazed that the ice, although it had no hands and no construction tools, served as a bridge for crossing rivers and lakes. These facts constitute the content of the aforementioned riddles. In the content of Russian and Uzbek riddles about ice/muses, the main feature is noted that ice does not burn in fire and does not sink in water. It does not burn in the fire. It doesn't sink in water. (Ice). It doesn't burn in fire Water doesn't sink. (Music).2 1 Жўраева М.Ю. Ўзбек халқ топишмоқларининг генезиси: Филология фанлари бўйича фалсафа доктори (PhD). – Т., 2017. – 42 б 2 Топишмоқлар. Ўзбек халқ ижоди. Кўп томлик. – Тошкент: Ғафур Ғулом номидаги Адабиёт ва санъат нашриёти, 1981. – Б.20. 145 AMERICAN Journal of Language, Literacy and Learning in STEM Education www. grnjournal.us Rain, like snow, is one of the natural phenomena connecting the world of sky and earth. There are also many riddles that require knowledge of the properties of rain. The tall one was walking - If it falls to the ground, it will become mud. I sank into the ground. (Rain) It will enrich the farmers. (Rain) Everyone is waiting for me, In the Russian version of the rain riddle, it is observed that the rain is personified and presented in the form of a "thin person." The riddle states that the rain is tied to the ground while falling from the sky. In the second and third Russian riddles about the rain, it is said that everyone is waiting for it, if it does not come, it is called, and when it comes, everyone runs away from it and hides. There is truth in all of this. In fact, people, mostly farmers, performed a special "Ritual of Summoning Rain," during drought. Among Uzbeks, such a ritual is called "Sust xotin." In the above-mentioned Uzbek folk riddle, the description of rain as "enriching the farmers" can be understood as a direct indication of the purpose of this ritual among farmers.And during this ritual, a large bucket is taken, filled with water, then the bottom is pierced and the water is drained. Therefore, this event related to the "Ritual of Summoning Rain" is also motivated by rain riddles. Usually, when the sky is covered with thick black clouds and they collide, thunder and lightning are heard, then it rains heavily. Observing this, the person composed riddles with the names "thunder and rain" or "cloud and rain" together. In this regard, the following riddles can serve as proof of our opinion: Thunder and rain Cloud and rain Chermandas of the sky There's no paqir, only water. In the first riddle, the thunder is likened to a "sky drum," and the rain to a beautiful dancer dancing to the sounds of this drum. In the second riddle, the cloud is compared to a person who splashes water without a bucket or shakes a mulberry tree. Dance movement can also be applied to another natural phenomenon - wind: Jo'shib kuylar akasi, His younger brother is dancing. (Wind, plant) Often during rainy weather, a rainbow of seven different colors appears in the sky, which is why this natural phenomenon has not escaped people's attention. The sun commanded: "Stop, Seven-Colored Bridge is steep". The cloud concealed the light from the sun. The bridge collapsed, but there are no chips. (Rainbow) In this riddle, knowledge about signs indicating the appearance of a rainbow is expressed in a unique way. For example, based on the idea that the rainbow appears as a bridge of seven different colors at the command of the Sun, it means that it is formed under the influence of sunlight, but when a cloud conceals sunlight, this bridge breaks down and this means that the rainbow disappears under the influence of the cloud and remains invisible. It is known that for the life of every existing living organism, human life, plants, and animals, there are four important things: These are: water, air, earth, and fire. Taking this into account, several riddles were invented about these natural phenomena. The following riddles about water, reservoirs and water structures. 1. Riddle about water: В морях и реках обитает, Но часто по небу летает. А как наскучит ей летать, Ўйиб олдим, Изи йўқ. (Сув) Қилич урдим, 146 AMERICAN Journal of Language, Literacy and Learning in STEM Education www. grnjournal.us На землю падает опять. (Вода) Ўрни йўқ. (Сув) Узун терак, Сояси йўқ. (Сув) 2. On water bodies and water structures: Ditch Keeps going, keeps going, He doesn't look back. (Water, ditch) River It flows, it flows, it doesn't flow, It runs, it runs - it won't run out. It flows in, it flows out, It spins itself on the ground. (River) Slightly trembling in the breeze Wide-area tapes, A narrow end in a spring, And wide in the sea. (River) Sea All around is water, And the trouble with drinking. (Sea) Lake In the middle of the forest, In the middle of the field, There is a blue mirror. And the frame is green. (Lake) Well Where does the water stand like a pillar? (in the well) The sun doesn't touch the earth. (Well) Hanging from the sky, Excavated from the ground. (Well) The construction of bridges over water bodies is not left aside. It is noteworthy that there are riddles about him, where the name of the river and the bridge is kept secret. For example: The horse galloped away. And the saddle remained. (River and bridge). In this riddle, water is likened to a running, black horse, and the bridge built on it is a saddle that makes it easy to ride a horse, which shows the wise ingenuity of the people. In some riddles, the name of the river is kept secret along with the shore and the grass. Of these: One runs, Another one is lying, The third one bows. (River, shore, grass). The river in this riddle is represented in the image of flowing water, the stretched shore, and the grass leaning towards them on the shore. From this, one can conclude that there are many meteorological riddles in Russian and Uzbek folklore. Various meteoronyms are used in them. The world-modeling function of riddles about water, air, earth, and fire lies in the fact that for life on the planet, natural resources are necessary for the life of all existing living organisms, that is, humans, flora, and fauna. By creating riddles, people poetically conveyed to future generations the traditions of treating flora and fauna with care. Bibliographic list: 1. Аникин В.П. Русские народные пословицы, поговорки, загадки и детский фольклор. – М.: Учпедгиз, 1957. – 148 с. 2. Жаҳонгиров Ғ. Ўзбек болалар фольклори. – Т.: Ўқитувчи, 1975. – 102 б 3. Капица Ф.С., Колядич Т. – М.: Русский детский фольклор. Учебное пособие для студентов вузов. – М.: Флинта: Наука, 2002. – 316 с. 4. Мадаев О., Собитова Т. Халқ оғзаки поэтик ижоди. Академик лицейлар учун дарслик. – Т.: Шарқ, 2003. – 208 б. 147 AMERICAN Journal of Language, Literacy and Learning in STEM Education www. grnjournal.us 5. Жўраева М.Ю. Ўзбек халқ топишмоқларининг генезиси: Филология фанлари бўйича фалсафа доктори (PhD). – Т., 2017. – 50 б 6. Мирзаева С.Р. Ўзбек халқ романик достонлари поэтикаси. Ўзбекистон Республикаси ФА “Фан” нашриѐти.Тошкент.2004. 286 б