Plot-compositional structure and motifs of the Yakut olonkho Khaan Dzhargystay and the altai epic Maaday-Kara: similarities and differences

Abstract

Today, in folklore, it is important to study the genetic and typological connections of works of oral folk art, in particular, to conduct comparative studies of the epics of the Turkic-Mongol peoples in order to identify their similarities and differences.

An analysis of the historiography of the study of the comparative study of epics shows the need for a systematic in-depth study of the problem from the point of view of finding more effective methodology and research methods. The works of I. V. Pukhov to identify common features and differences in the epic heritage of the Turkic and Mongolian ethnic groups need additional research.

The article investigates the convergence and difference in the plot-compositional structure, motifs of the Yakut and Altai epics using the methods of comparative-structural and contrastive analysis. The source base was the monuments of the epic heritage of the Yakut and Altai peoples: the olonkho Khaan Dzhargystay and the Altai epic Maadai-Kara. As a result of a comparative analysis, the presence of typological and genetic links between the Yakut olonkho and the Altai heroic legend was confirmed. The analogies of the topic of matchmaking of heroic heroes and their heroic campaigns, the topic of battles with monsters in defense of their fellow tribesmen are established. The closeness of the plot-compositional structure of the epics has been proved: they contain the canonical elements of a plot structure that is stable for the Turkic-Mongolian epics, consisting of an introduction, starting point, development of an action, climax, and falling action. In both epics, there are ancient motifs (providing heroes with heroic armor, a horse, acceptance of heroic campaigns by heroes; description of a horse-friend, wonderful transformations of heroes; victory of a hero over enemies, his matchmaking and marriage; establishing a happy, calm life in the homeland of heroes, etc.), which make up the plot of the epics. Thus, evidence is presented that testifies to the indisputability of the origin of epic legends of the Yakut and Altai peoples at the junction of their historical and spiritual contacts in a single Turkic-Mongol world, about their common genetic and typological origins.

A comparative study of the plot and motifs in the texts of the epic heritage of the Yakuts and Altai peoples provides rich material for further comparative-contrastive studies of the Turkic-Mongolian epics and cultural and historical contacts of the ancient ancestors of the Altai and Yakut peoples.

Acknowledgments: The study was carried out within the framework of the NEF U research project
“Heroic epics of the Turkic-Mongolian peoples of Eurasia: problems and prospects for comparative study”.

References

1. Propp V. Ya. Structural and historical study of a fairy tale. In: Propp V. Ya. Folklore and reality. Moscow, Nauka Publ., 1976, pp. 132–152. (In Russ.)
2. Meletinsky M. E. The origin of the heroic epic: early forms and archaic monuments. Moscow, Vostochnaya literatura Publ., 1963, 464 p. (In Russ.)
3. Okladnikov A. P. The Yakut epic (olonkho) and its connection with the south. Yakutsk, Saidam Publ., 2013, 64 p. (In Russ.)
4. Zhirmunsky V. M. Folk heroic epic. Leningrad, State Publ. House of imaginative literature, 1962, 431 p. (In Russ.)
5. Zhirmunsky V. M. Turkic heroic epic: Selected Works. Leningrad, Nauka Publ., 1974, 727 p. (In Russ.)
6. Putilov B. N. Methodology of the comparative historical study of folklore. Leningrad, Nauka Publ., 1976, 244 p. (In Russ.)
7. Surazakov S. S. Altai heroic epic and the legend “Maadai-Kara”. Siberian Pedagogical Journal. 2006, No. 3, pp. 106–121. (In Russ.)
8. Ergis G. U. Nurgun Bootur the Swift. Text by K. G. Orosin; Ed., transl., comm., introduction by G. U. Ergis. Yakutsk, Yakut Book Publ. House, 1947, 410 p. (In Yakut and Russ.)
9. Pukhov I. V. Heroic epic of the Turkic-Mongolian peoples of Siberia. Commonness, similarities, differences. In: Epic olonkho and epic poetry of Sakha (Yakuts). Comp. D. K. Sivtsev, ed. V. N. Ivanov. Yakutsk, Publ. House of the SB RAS, 2003, pp. 84–141. (In Russ.)
10. Pukhov I. V. Heroic epic of the Altai-Sayan peoples and the Yakut olonkho. Yakutsk, Publ. House of the SB RAS, 2004, 328 p. (In Russ.)
11. Pukhov I. V. Olonkho – the ancient epic of the Yakuts. Yakutsk, Saidam Publ., 2013, 48 p. (In Russ.)
12. Kuzmina E. N. Index of typical places of the heroic epic of the peoples of Siberia (Altai, Buryat, Tuvans, Khakases, Shors, Yakuts): Experimental Edition. Novosibirsk, Publ. House of the SB RAS, 2005, 1383 p. (In Russ.)
13. Funk D. A. Review to: E. N. Kuzmina. Index of typical places of the heroic epic of the peoples of Siberia (Altai, Buryat, Tuvans, Khakases, Shors, Yakuts): Experimental Edition. Ed. N. A. Alekseev. Novosibirsk, Publ. House of the SB RAS, 2005, 1382 p. Etnograficheskoe obozrenie. 2008, No. 2, pp. 173–177. (In Russ.)
14. Filippova N. I. The proper names of the characters of the Yakut olonkho and Buryat uligher. In: Questions of language and literature of the peoples of Siberia. Сollection of scientific works. Ed. E. I. Ubryatova. Novosibirsk, State public scientific and technical library of the SB RAS, 1974, pp. 151–155. (In Russ.)
15. Gogoleva M. T. Linguistic aspect of ethnocultural education: Altai epic and olonkho – common sources. Srednee professional'noe obrazovanie RF. Moscow, 2013, No. 1, pp. 46–49. (In Russ.)
16. Borisov Yu. P. The main features of parallelism in the Yakut olonkho and in the Altai epic. Philology. Theory & Practice. 2013, No. 11 (29), Part 2, pp. 44–50. (In Russ.)
17. Lvova S. D. Comparisons in the Yakut and Altai epics (based on the material of the olonkho “Mighty Er Sogotokh” and kai cherchek “Maadai-Kara”]. Vestnik of North-Eastern Federal University. Series Epic studies. 2019, No. 3 (15), pp. 126–139. DOI : 10.25587/SVFU.2019.15.36605. (In Russ.)
18. Khaan Dzhargistay: olonkho. Record by I. A. Khudyakov. Yakutsk, NEFU Publ., 2016, 289 p. (In Yakut)
19. Nikiforov N. Ya. Anossky collection: Collected of fairy tales of Altai. Omsk, Printing House of the headquarters of Omsk military district, 1915, [1], 293, XIV, [2]. (Notes of the West Siberian Branch of the Imperial Russian Geographical Society; Vol. 37). (In Russ.)
20. Lipets R. S. Images of Batyr and horse in the Turkic-Mongolian epic. Moscow, Nauka Publ., 1984, 264 p. (In Russ.)
21. Dmitrieva L. V. The image of the sacred tree in the heroic epic of the peoples of Siberia. Traditional Culture. 2011, No. 3 (43), pp. 12–18. (In Russ.)
22. Meletinsky M. E. On the oldest type of hero in the epic of the Turkic-Mongolian peoples of Siberia. In: Problems of comparative philology. Collection of articles dedicated to the 70^th anniversary of corresponding member of the USSR Academy of Sciences V. M. Zhirmunsky. Moscow, Leningrad, Nauka Publ., 1964, pp. 426–443. (In Russ.)
23. Maadai-Kara. Altai heroic epic. Narrator A. G. Kalkin, record, transl. and applications by S. S. Surazakov. Moscow, Nauka Publ., 1973, 464 p. (In Russ.)
24. Illarionov V. V. Traditions of the Verkhoyansk olonkhosuts in the notes of I. A. Khudokov. In: Khaan Dzhargistay: olonkho. Record by I. A. Khudyakov. Yakutsk, NEFU Publ., 2016, 289 p. (In Yakut)
25. Obstinate Kulun Kulustuur: Yakut olonkho. Narrator I. G. Timofeev-Teploukhov, record by V. N. Vasil'ev. Moscow, Nauka Publ., 1985, 605 p. (In Yakut and Russ.)
26. Nyurgun Bootur the Swift: Yakut heroic epic olonkho. Text by P. A. Oiunsky, transl. by V. V. Derzhavin. Yakutsk, Book Publ., 1982, 431 p. (In Russ.)