From the experience of collecting information about the olonkhosut of the Vilyuisky and Verkhnevilyuisky districts of Yakutia

Abstract

In the 1940s, the Institute of Language and Culture of the Yakut ASSR systematically collected materials on the Vilyui region. Employees of the Institute S. I. Bolo and A. A. Savvin recorded the richest folklore material during the expedition. Continuing the work of their outstanding predecessors, in the period 2016–2019, the staff of the Olonkho Research Institute of the M.K. Ammosov North-Eastern Federal University organized folklore expeditions in Vilyui and Verkhnevilyuysk uluses. In addition to videotaping the performance of song genres, legends, tales and other genres of Yakut folklore, the expedition participants collected information about the Olonkhosut of the two uluses. The purpose of this article is to analyze information about the olonkhosut of Vilyuisky and Verkhnevilyuisky districts, who have an important position in the Vilyui olonkho storytelling tradition. The material of the study was questionnaire data, manuscript, audio and video materials obtained during the expeditions. The authors briefly characterize the creativity of the olonkhosut of the mentioned uluses, consider the peculiarities of storytelling skills and traditions, as well as factors influencing the formation of their creative personality. The biographical method of research is applied: materials of the biography of the olonkhosut, memories of relatives, fellow villagers, acquaintances, various records, interviews, etc.) are studied. Particular attention is paid to the creativity of the olonkhosut of the border heritages of the Vilyuisky and Verkhnevilyuisky districts. The author of the article comes to the conclusion that the distinctive feature of Vilyuisky and Verkhnevilyuisky olonkhosuts is the strong influence of shamanism in the formation of an olonkhosut.

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