The article discusses the features of the image feature of the situation when a person contacts a mythological character or a phenomenon in oral mythological stories from the point of view of the speaker’s assessing the situation by the reliability degree. The study was conducted by the method of semantic and contextual analysis of perceptual vocabulary and verbal units expressing an assessment of reliability of the message. A comparative analysis was also used for the vocabulary of the fairy tales as texts of another modality. The study showed that the message of a mystical event in mythological narratives is especially marked, because it is an event the very reality of which can be questioned and which, therefore, is perceived as incredible. In mythological prose, unlike a fairy tale, the means of expressing an assessment of the reliability degree are very frequent, and the frequency of those words is much higher than in the general language. In mythological narratives, the values of both ends of the reliability scale are presented with all types of expressions for the speaker assessing his state of knowledge of the world, described in linguistics (situations of simple, categorical and problematic reliability).

This article attempts to define an “inconvenient” genre of legend. The author believes that the perception of reality is possible only through a certain genre. A legend has its own inherent ways and means of seeing and understanding reality, and is always a true story about an improbable event. The formula of the “legendary genre” is “incredible, but a fact”; the reliability of a legend can be described by the formula “- probability, + truth”. That is the source for the great potential of the legend: it does not only inform about the event, but furthermore, it is designed to construct the reality, raise or lower the status of an object (thing, locus, person). A fantastic event plunges a person into a state of mental discomfort, which one does not want to overcome. A legend remains a legend as long as the person experiences such cognitive dissonance. Cognitive dissonance generates the narrator’s “hesitation” (Tz. Todorov), which, in turn, is an essential characteristic of the nature of legendary texts. Signs of hesitation and doubts of the narrator always penetrate the text of the legend: it is equipped not only with the truth markers, but also with those of the improbability. Narrator’s hesitation is conveyed to the listener. That is the key to preserving the legend in time.

It is difficult to assess recollection of dreams by reliability of what happened despite the fact that the opposition “reality - dream” is considered a cultural universal. Such a task grows even more complex as one turns to recollection of so called lucid dreams. The article covers different types of messages published on the Dream Hackers forum. That online community is the largest Russian-language platform for publishing such texts. The dream-hackers believe that it is possible to control the dreams, create maps of the dreamed places and objects common for different dreamers and jointly experience dream plots. Among the stories of the forum participants one may find the stories about the so-called “talismans”, or, the specific objects that can be transferred from the dream to the material world, as well as the mentions of the different marks left on the body of a dreamer after waking up, such as scratches, wounds etc. Such beliefs blur the line between the dreaming and the wakefulness and question the credibility of the reality itself.Furthermore, the article analyzes the basic functions of the mapping of “lucid dreams” mapping. The most important of the functions is to increase the “awareness”, in other words, to achieve the key state of consciousness for the dream hackers.

In analyzing the pre-Christian culture of the Balts, the nucleus of which consists of pagan religious logic and mythology, there is a problem of the value and reliability of the recorded writings concerning the forner. The following article reviews and verifies the mythological information that directly relates to the grain harvest (Samborios/Sąbarios) celebration recorded by Matthaeus Praetorius (Matthäus Prätorius) in "Deliciae Prussicae oder Preussische Schaubühne" (Deliciae Prussicae or Prussian Theater, late 17^th century). Thereon, the paper discusses the interpretations made by the researchers in the 19^th - 21^st centuries who analyzed the mythological material on grain harvest recorded by Praetorius (Samborios/Sąbarios). The context of the research conducted in the 19^th - 21^st centuries reveals that the scholars of earlier periods gave different assessments to the reliability of the aforementioned mythological material provided by Praetorius: they did not question authenticity, but considered the information to be quite reliable, and used it in their works; the scholars noticed the authenticity problem, but did not try to solve it. The analysis suggests to determine whether the mythological material related directly to the grain harvest (Samborios/Sąbarios) celebration recorded by Praetorius is to be considered authentic and reliable.

Romantic graffiti come in two types: confessional and directive. Confessional graffiti are spontaneous, these are an outburst of feelings. A confession of love is usually accompanied by a name, but if the inscription is made right below the addressee’s window, the name is lacking. It is often substituted by a pet name which is more specific for the speaker than a name. A confession is expressive, it praises the addressee and expresses adoration of them. Congratulations are usually related to a birthday or to a birth of a child. Directive graffiti are well-thought-out; they sometimes feature quotes from popular texts. These graffiti include wishes of good morning, good cheer and health; pleas to forget one not and to come back, to date and to marry; pleas for forgiveness. They are written on asphalt, underfoot, on the house, scrapyard and waste-lot walls, nevertheless, both the addressees and addressants remain oblivious to the stylistic cacophony, they place more value on the publicity of the message. The graffiti are supposed to make the relationship between the addressee and the addressant known, which increases their social status. They do not aim for esoteric language: the inscription must be clear to everyone. Genuine intimate relationships are formed in public. Romantic graffiti resemble ditties in this respect.

The sixth international conference “Demonology as a semiotic system” was held at the Russian State University for the Humanities, on May 19-21, 2020. Once every two years, it becomes a scientific forum for folklorists, ethnolinguists, anthropologists, historians, culturologists and other specialists who study the “lower” level of mythology. The aims of the conference include the exchange of experience gained in the study of various data: ancient texts, medieval literature, ethnographic sources of the 19^th - 20^th centuries, the new field interview. The theme of that event is demonological plots and motives, nominations of mythological characters, their visual images, ritual forms of communication with spirits, social practices of various cultures and eras connected with witchcraft.