Motif of the hero's miraculous birth in the Khakas heroic epic

Abstract

According to many researchers, the motif of the miraculous conception and the miraculous birth of children is very ancient and typical for the mythologies of numerous ethnic groups. The relevance of the research theme is related to the study of the interpretation of motifs about the miraculous birth of the Khakas heroic epic. This article examines the motifs connected with the miraculous appearance of the main character, its close connection with the elements of mythological representations, as well as with traditional rites. The main purpose of the article was to analyze the main motifs of the birth of the main character in alyptyg nymakh. To achieve this aim, the author traced the reflection in the text of the heroic legends the motif of the origin of the hero of the epic from the horse, the motif of the origin of the hero from the stone, the motif of the miraculous conception, the miraculous birth of old parents, the immaculate conception. Descriptive and comparative methods were used to implement the research goal. The novelty of the study lies in a detailed study of the motif related to the origin of the main character alyptyg nymakh.

Тhe author of the study considered the motifs that are often found in the Turkic-Mongol epics, and focused on the more rare motifs of the miraculous birth. In the text of alyptyg nymakh, we can find the motif of the immaculate conception, where the main character is born by the power of thought. Here it is also developed the motif of the miraculous appearance, when the child can speak while being in the womb of his mother. A similar motif is found in the Yakut epic olonkho. Loneliness of the hero from the ignorance of his family can be rarely found in the Khakas heroic tales, but this motif is typical for the epic tradition, in particular in the Yakut olonkho we can meet with a lonely hero, who does not know his family.

In the ancient traditions of the Khakas epic, the motives of childlessness of elderly parents and the miraculous birth of a child in this family are very typical. Heroes born at the critical moment when the Chyurt is destroyed, the cattle are stolen, suddenly start having some magical abilities (rapid growth, great strength, the ability to become the werewolf, have some magic items). A late-born heir is the future defender of his people and their property.

References

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