The mythopoetic archetype of the Serpent as a linguocognitive matrix of chaos: from folklore to the contemporary military narrative

Abstract

The article examines the transformation of an ancient mythological code in the contemporary linguistic space of Ukraine. The aim of the study is to provide a comprehensive analysis of the semantic shifts and linguocognitive features involved in the transition of the Serpent archetype from the folkloric context to contemporary military and information discourse. The material of the study comprises Ukrainian folklore texts (fairy tales, incantations, and legends), the poetry of contemporary authors (S. Zhadan, H. Kruk, S. Povalyaeva, and O. Byk), and contemporary Ukrainian military discourse (official media texts, slogans, and military slang). The study focuses on the linguistic means and linguocognitive mechanisms through which the Serpent archetype is represented as a matrix of Chaos. To achieve this aim, the study employs a range of research methods: linguocognitive and conceptual analysis to identify mental structures and linguocultural constants; elements of critical discourse analysis to examine the pragmatic potential of military texts; and a descriptive method combined with contextual and semantic interpretation of linguistic units.

The findings indicate that, in archaic consciousness, the linguocognitive matrix of the Serpent historically embodied primordial chaos, chthonic destruction, threats to security, and the violation of sacred boundaries. The study shows that, in the context of the current war, this archetype has undergone significant reactivation: the image of the enemy is conceptualised through serpent-like metaphors such as “two-headed hydra”, “serpent’s lair”, and “Moscow asp”, while the struggle against the enemy is linguistically framed as sacred serpent-slaying. An analysis of the works of contemporary Ukrainian poets demonstrates that the Serpent archetype functions as an important means of dehumanising the aggressor, transforming rational fear into a mythopoetic model of inevitable victory. The use of such linguistic means also frames the front line as a boundary between Cosmos (order) and Chaos, transforming an archaic code into a dynamic instrument for constructing new meanings and reinforcing society’s psychological resilience. Further research may focus on a comparative analysis of the mythopoetic matrix of Chaos in Ukrainian and other European military narratives, as well as on other zoomorphic archetypes that have been reactivated in the discourse of the current war.