Mountains and Caves in the Andis' Rites of the Sun and Rain Making

Mod and Bakhargan were the most revered mountains for the Andis. According to the authors, the Andis used mountains and caves, as parts of the sacred landscape, on calendar holidays and in the rites of meteorological and healing magic. Thus, rites of the sun and rain making were held here. On the mountain of Bakhargan, there was a spring with healing water. The mountain of Bakhargan was used in the ceremonies of folk medicine: praying for healing, sick people described three circles round the rocks of the sacred mountain in the counterclockwise direction. In the mythology of the Andis, the tops of the mountains were the habitat of the supreme god and mountain angels. The Andis associated mountains with legends, containing the motifs of the biblical legend of the Flood. After converting to Islam, the most revered mountains were turned into places of worship, where the rite of dhikr was conducted and alms were dealt out during the prayers. Many of the rites for changing weather were led by local religious authorities or elders. Besides the use of mountains and caves in the rites of the sun and rain making, the Andis also had other rites of meteorological magic. The most common of them was the rite with a mummer. There were also rites with the use of the skull of a stallion and a snake, probably related to zoolatry. Analysis of orolatry, meteorological and healing magic of the Andis testifies to the syncretism of their spiritual culture. This confusion of traditional beliefs and Muslim religious prescriptions is peculiar to the so-called "everyday Islam". This syncretism was common to other peoples of Dagestan and the North Caucasus

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