The role of hyperbole in creating epic images of the Xinjian-Oirat version of Jangar

Abstract

Folklore is an expression of aesthetic consciousness and folk ideals, and each nation has its own ways and forms of expressing them. The heroic ideal determines the grandiosity and scale of images, the appearance of the epic world and the events that take place in it. The expression of historical ideals in the epic takes place through the understanding of the heroic past of the people, through the epic idealization of the real-life content of the epic. The high artistic merits and heroic character of the content are expressed in the poetic language and style of the epic Jangar. Generalization and idealization in the epic is achieved by fantastic hyperbolization. The technique of hyperbolization in epic poetics and stylistics is dominant and is embodied in stable figurative and poetic expressions. In order to understand the stylistics and image system of an epic work, it is relevant, in our opinion, to consider hyperbole and the technique of hyperbolization in the context of the main tasks of epics-the idealization of monumental images of the epic world and the assumption of fairy-tale and fantastic phenomena as real. The aim is to study the role of hyperboles in the creation of monumental epic images, objects and phenomena of the epic reality of the Xinjiang Oirat epic Jangar. Through the prism of heroic hyperbolization, the ideal image of the nomadic power of Bumba, its Supreme ruler Jangar, the beautiful bet-Palace, images of heroes and their exploits, space and time, objects and attributes of the epic world is comprehended. The image of Bumba's vast nomadic domain is hyperbolic, and the wealth of epic khans and saids is countless cattle of four kinds. The impressiveness of the Palace is emphasized by the description of the number of its main elements (windows, pillars, columns). Monumental images of the ruler of Jangar and warriors-heroes, endowed with superhuman strength and military valor, in an idealized form represent a man of heroic, military age. The use of hyperbole in the description of a heroic duel gives a special expression to the climax of the epic narrative. Epic hyperbole is characteristic in the transmission of the speed of movement of the hero, describing the speed and rapidity of the hero's actions in space and time.

Acknowledgements: This article was prepared as part of the research work of the Kalmyk Scientific Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences “The oral and written heritage of the Mongolian peoples of Russia, Mongolia and China: Cross-Border Traditions and Interactions” (No. of state registration AAAA-A19-119011490036-1).

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