Functioning of “metal” epithets in Yakut and Altai epic texts

Abstract

A comparative study of the epic creativity of peoples related in the distant past remains relevant in modern epic studies. The article considers the epithets formed from the nominations of precious metals “gold” and “silver” in the Yakut and Altai epics in a comparative aspect to identify the similarities and differences in the functioning of these epithets in the epic of the two Turkic peoples based on the material of the Altai and Yakut epic texts. The novelty of the conducted research lies in the fact that the frequency of use, defined words, semantic loading and the nature of the functioning of epithets (urung) кemus (yak.) – кÿmÿsh (alt.) ‘Made of silver, silver’ were not considered earlier; kyһyl kemus (yak.) – altyn (alt.) ‘made of gold, golden’ in the indicated epic texts in comparison. A contrastive analysis, an analysis of dictionary definitions, as well as contextual and quantitative methods are used. In the course of the study, similarities were found in the structure, sound, semantics of groups of defined words and in the functioning of the epithets under consideration, which are due to the genetic commonality of the Yakut and Altai peoples. Differences were also revealed, in particular, the more frequent use of the epithet (urung) kemus ‘silver’ in the Yakut olonkho and the epithet altyn ‘golden’ in the Altai kai chӧrchӧk indicate the preference of the ancient Yakuts for silver, and the Altaians – for gold; accordingly, in the Yakut olonkho, the epithet kemus ‘silver’, in the Altai epic kai chӧrchӧk, the epithet altyn ‘gold’, is used as a component of the name of the proper positive characters; also the nominations of precious metals in the modern Yakut language (kemus ‘goldʼ, altan ‘copperʼ) in epic texts have been preserved in obsolete meanings (‘silverʼ and ‘goldʼ), etc. Differences and features in the functioning of these epithets in the Yakut and Altai epic texts go back to the stage the difference between the compared epics.

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

References

1. 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.)
2. Radloff W. Aus Sibirien. Niederlande, Anthropological Publications Oosterhout N.B., 1968, 489 p. (In German)
3. Potapov L. P. Historical connections of the Altai-Sayan peoples with the Yakuts (based on ethnographic materials). Soviet ethnography. 1978, No. 5, pp. 85–95. (In Russ.)
4. Zhirmunsky V. M. Turkic heroic epic. Selected Works. Leningrad, Nauka Publ., 1974, 727 p. (In Russ.)
5. Okladnikov A. P. Yakut epic (olonkho) and its connection with the south. In: History of the Yakut ASSR. Vol. 1. Moscow, Leningrad, Academy of Sciences of the USSR Publ., 1955, pp. 257–277. (In Russ.)
6. Meletinsky E. M. “Common places” and other elements of folk style in edical poetry [Web resource]. URL: https://www.studmed.ru/meletinskiy-em-obschie-mesta-i-drugie-elementy-folklornogo-stilya-v-eddicheskoy-poezii_986af5df450.html (accessed May 25, 2020). (In Russ.)
7. Surazakov S. S. Altai heroic epic. Moscow, Nauka Publ., 1985, 255 p. (In Russ.)
8. Pukhov I. V. Heroic epic of the Altai-Sayan peoples and the Yakut olonkho. Yakutsk, SB RAS Publ., Yakut filial, 2004, 328 p. (In Russ.)
9. Ivanov V. N. Yakutsk heroic epic olonkho in the context of comparative study. Vestnik of North-Eastern Federal University. Series Epic studies. 2016, No. 1, pp. 22–29. (In Russ.)
10. Propp V. Ya. Russian heroic epic [Web resource]. URL: https://litresp.com/chitat/ru/%D0%A5/hrolenko-aleksandr-timofeevich/yazik-foljklora-hrestomatiya/39 (accessed Decemder 1, 2020). (In Russ.)
11. Gabysheva L. L. Symbolic meaning of metal nominations in the epic of the Yakuts and other Turkic peoples. Vestnik of North-Eastern Federal University. Series Epic studies. 2012, vol. 9, No. 3, pp. 115–120. (In Russ.)
12. Pavshuk A. V. Linguistic nature and functions of the epithet in the literary text: on the material of Azorin's novel “Will”. Abstract of the dissertation of Candidate of Philological Sciences. Moscow, 2007, 21 p. (In Russ.)
13. Nyurgun Bootur the Swift: [olonkho]. Text by K. G. Orosin. Yakutsk, State Publ. House of the YaASSR, 1947, 409 p. (In Yakut and Russ.)
14. Kyys Debiliye: Yakut heroic epic. Narrator N. P. Burnashev. Novosibirsk, Nauka Publ., 1993, 330 p. (Monuments of folklore of the peoples of Siberia and the Far East). (In Yakut and Russ.)
15. Yakut heroic epic “Mighty Er Sogotokh”. Narrator V. O. Karataev. Novosibirsk, Nauka Publ., 1996, 440 p. (Monuments of folklore of the peoples of Siberia and the Far East). (In Yakut and Russ.)
16. Obstinate Kulun Kullustuur: Yakut olonkho. Narrator I. G. Timofeev-Teploukhov. Moscow, Nauka Publ., 1985, 605 p. (In Yakut and Russ.)
17. Maadai Kara. Altai heroic epic. Narrator A. G. Kalkin. Moscow, Nauka Publ., 1973, 474 p. (In Altai and Russ.)
18. Altai heroes. Altai heroic epic. Gorno-Altaysk, Gorno-Altaysk Publ., 2016, 800 p. (Monuments of the epic heritage of Altai; Vol. 2). (In Altai and Russ.)
19. Pekarsky E. K. Dictionary of the Yakut language. Vol. 1. Moscow, Academy of Sciences of USSR, 1958, col. 1–1280.
20. Pekarsky E. K. Dictionary of the Yakut language. Vol. 2. Moscow, Academy of Sciences of USSR, 1959, col. 1281–2508.
21. Pekarsky E. K. Dictionary of the Yakut language. Vol. 3. Moscow, Academy of Sciences of the USSR, 1959, col. 2509–3858.
22. 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.)
23. Reichl K. Türkic epic: traditions, forms, poetic structure. Transl. from english by D. A. Funk. Moscow, Vostochnaya literature Publ., 2008, 383 p. (Research on the folklore and mythology of the East). (In Russ.)
24. Neveleva S. L. Questions of the poetics of the ancient Indian epic: Epithet and comparison. Moscow, Nauka Publ., 1979, 136 p. (In Russ.)
25. Skaftymov A. P. Poetics and genesis of epics. In: Articles about Russian literature. Saratov, Saratov Book Publ. House, 1958, pp. 3–76. (In Russ.)
26. Lvova S. D. Comparisons in the Yakut and Altai epics (based on the olonkho “Mighty Er Sogotokh” and the kai chirchek “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.)