Budalaal

The Budalaal are the mountain and hunting powers of the Avars, owners of the wild herds of the high crags. Turs and wild goats are said to be their livestock, 'the herds of the Budalaal'; a hunter is permitted only the beast the spirits have themselves eaten and then restored to life, and to kill beyond one's allotted share invites their punishment. Anthropomorphic yet invisible to ordinary people, they may show themselves in the shape of turs to those they favour, and belief in them was strong in Karata villages such as Irib and Gilib. Ambivalent and many-sided, the Budalaal also act as go-betweens linking the Supreme and the community, especially in the rites performed to bring rain.

Domains

• wild animals
• hunting
• mountains

Powers

• herds and revives the wild game
• mediates between heaven and people

Epithets

• Будалаазул боцӀи — the herds of the BudalaalСефербеков Р.И. «Боги охоты у аварцев», КиберЛенинка. (secondary)

Relations

• ally: BečedThe Budalaal intercede with the Supreme (Bečed) on behalf of the community.Сефербеков Р.И. «Боги охоты у аварцев», КиберЛенинка. (secondary)
• ally: Ts'adal хamaBoth are enlisted in the drought rites that petition heaven for rain.Сефербеков Р.И. «Боги охоты у аварцев», КиберЛенинка. (secondary)

Sources

• The Budalaal (Karata Budali) are the Avar mountain- and hunting-spirits who own the wild goats and turs; a hunter may take only game the Budalaal have already consumed and revived, and they also mediate in rain rites.: Сефербеков Р.И. «Боги охоты у аварцев», КиберЛенинка. (secondary); Сефербеков Р.И. «Мифологические персонажи традиционных верований аварцев-каратинцев», Вестник Института ИАЭ. (secondary)