Epic formula in the olonkho of Moma and Verkhoyansk Yakuts

Abstract

The aim of the article is to identify and describe the structural and semantic features of the epic formulas of the beginning and the dwelling of a bogatyr in the olonkho of Moma and Verkhoyansk Yakuts whose territories of residence lie in the Arctic zone of the Russian Federation, in comparison with the epic formulas of the olonkho of Yakuts of Central Yakutia and Vilyui Yakuts. This is a relevant article due to the lack of studies on the comparative coverage of epic formulas of the northern (Arctic) Yakuts and Yakuts of the Central Yakutia, as well as Viliui Yakuts. The paper applies the method of description and the structural-semantic method. The texts of the olonkho Kyotyor Myulgyun (olonkho of Moma Yakuts), Kyidaannaakh Kyys Bukhatyyr (olonkho of Verkhoyansk Yakuts) are used as the analyzed data. The comparative material is taken from the olonkho Mighty Er Sogotokh (olonkho of Vilyui Yakuts) and Stubborn Kulun Kullustuur (olonkho of Central Yakuts). It was established that the epic formula in linguistic terms is a binary attributive structure “specification + the specified”, which underlies the entire system of the Yakut language. In epic texts, this structure acquires a verse-forming character. It manifests itself in the form of alliteration and assonance substructures based on syngarmonism (at the level of syntactic constructions), with the help of which poetic lines are formed and linked. The syntactic substructure of this structure – concordance – acts as a means of linking the members of the parallelism, and parallelism, in its turn, is a form of realizing epic formulas. Parallelisms expressing the epic formulas in the discussed olonkho, in general, have a typical form typical of this epic genre of Yakut folklore. In terms of content, the formulas discussed are characterized by certain differences due to their variability and non-contact conditions of their occurrence. Such research of epic formulas should be continued, as the systemic features of the Olonkho epic formulas will be fully revealed when all main epic formulas of this epic genre of folklore are analyzed.

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