The structure and composition of the archaic epic The best of Men, Three-Year-Old Mekele

Abstract

The article is devoted to the analysis of the structure and content of the text of the epic tale The Best of Men, Three-Year-Old Mekele, recorded by the Oirats of Western Mongolia. The purpose of the article is to identify elements of ancient beliefs and ritual actions associated with them in the content of the epic text. The main material of the study was the text of the epic tale The Best of Men, Three-Year-Old Mekele, recorded in 1879 by Grigory Potanin in Western Mongolia by the epicteller Derbet Sarisan. In analyzing the text, based on the stated goal, an interdisciplinary approach was used, including methods of philosophical, religious studies and textual analysis. The epic text The Best of Men, Three-Year-Old Mekele is a unique example of an archaic epic, both in its volume and complex structure. The structural space of the epic text organically combines layers of ancient beliefs and Buddhist teachings of different times. The religious system of the Central Asian nomads was a complex of traditional shamanic rituals and the religious system of Tengrianism, based on the ritual of sacrifice. The epic hero makes a ritual sacrifice to the deities in honor of his first victory. He sets fire to his rival's horse and makes an offering by placing a part of the antagonist's body on a high place. Buddhist inclusions are scattered throughout the text of the tale. In addition, the structure of this epic narrative includes a plot of the hero's visit to Buddhist hell. He frees the living beings languishing in hell and receives instructions from the lord of hell, Erlik Nomun Khan. Such elements in the text of the tale testify to different stages of the evolution of ancient epic texts. They also provide an opportunity to reconstruct ancient religious ideas, without knowledge.

Acknowledgements: The study was supported by the grant of the Russian Science Foundation No. 24-48-03026 “Epic landscape of the Oirats of Russia, Mongolia and China (from archaic epic to book text)”.

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