In the religious-mythological outlook of the Bashkirs the cuckoo appears as a prophetic bird, possessing sacral power to influence on a fate, health, to predict length of one’s life. On the other hand, in such beliefs the cuckoo acts as a formidable bird yielding misfortune, disaster, death to people. There were some tribes called "cuckoo" among Bashkir clan nomenclature. Basic elements of the totemic holiday are traced in the Bashkir holiday named "Cuckoo tea".

Key words: totemism, cult, customs, legends, cuckoo.