The article explores the influence of the archaic mythological worldview on the genesis, formation, and subsequent evolution of female images in fairy-tale folklore. Drawing on the material of Slavic and Kazakh fairy tales, the paper examines the complex historical process in which ancient concepts of matriarchal deities, totemic ancestors, and the sacred functions of women were transformed into ambivalent images of female protagonists. Particular attention is paid to cross-cultural comparative analysis, which allows for a juxtaposition of chthonic female characters from different ethnocultural traditions. The article examines the dichotomy of these images: from wise helpers and donors to dangerous destructive forces, vividly embodied in such iconic figures as Baba Yaga, Zhalmauyz Kempir, and Albasty.

The study analyzes the mythopoetic roots of these characters and their direct connection with ancient initiation rites, fertility cults, and early cosmogonic models of the structure of the world. The scientific novelty of the work lies in reimagining the dynamics of the transition from ancient myth to fairy tale through the prism of gender-sacred transformations. The article explicates the universal and ethno-specific cultural codes underlying stable folklore plots. The study allows for an understanding of the mental nature of fairy-tale female images, reveals their archetypal basis, and traces the continuity of cultural meanings. The materials of the article can be used in academic courses on folklore studies, comparative mythology, cultural anthropology, and Turkology.