To the question of studying plots non-fairy prose of the Khoshuts of Kalmykia

Abstract

This work is a continuation of the study of the oral heritage of the Khoshuts of Kalmykia, which was widely used in past centuries. The relevance of the study is dictated by the preparation for publication of a corpus of Khoshut folklore texts in the book “Historical and cultural heritage of the Khoshuts of Kalmykia” (2023). The purpose of the article is to describe the plot composition of Khoshut non-fairytale prose. The source of the study was the personal field materials of the authors (2006–2021), recorded in the city of Elista and the regions of Kalmykia, as well as archival materials stored in the Scientific Archive of the Kalmyk Institute for Humanitarian Research of the Russian Academy of Sciences and the National Archive of the Republic of Kalmykia. For comparison, texts from printed publications were used, as well as expeditionary materials collected by the authors in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region of China (2012–2019). When writing this article, the authors relied on the descriptive method, the comparative typological method and the comparative analysis. Source analysis of archival and published materials, decoding of records from magnetic tapes (1960–1978), carried out by the authors of the article, made it possible to shed light on unknown and little-known works of non-fairytale prose, recorded by Kalmyk scientists (N. N. Ubushaev (1967; 1970), A. V. Badmaev (1970), A. Sh. Kichikov (1970), L. S. Sangaev (1978), E. B. Ovalov (1982) and others) in the second half of the 20th century from Khoshut storytellers Ochir Badmaev (1896–1992), Nuskha Tyurbeev (1900–1986), Yegor Mukabenov (1903–1980), Chimid Komaev (1903–1992), Boris Boktaev (1927–2014) and Shani Boktaev (1933–2010) . Comparison with non-fabulous plots of other nations contributed to the classification and systematization of some plots of myths, legends, tales and oral stories of the Khoshuts of Kalmykia. The similarity of plots with Oirat, Mongolian and Buryat works testifies to a common national folklore fund, and the coincidence of some plots with samples of non-fairytale prose of other peoples can be interpreted as a result of historical contacts, as well as the mental capabilities of human societies that were at the same stage of development. As a result of the analysis of the considered texts, interpretations and differentiating elements of the plots of myths, legends, historical traditions and oral stories of the Khoshuts of Kalmykia, related to their local tradition, are established.

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