Means of healing and resurrection in the Khakas heroic tales

Abstract

Important components in stability of the tradition are stable poetic descriptions and epic formulas, in the structure of which reference words and phrases are necessarily found. The study purpose is to identify and describe magical objects with the semantics of “healing, resurrection”, contributing to the development of a certain plot and motifs in the epic narrative of the Khakas people. The realization of this purpose provides for the solution of the following tasks: identification and description of stable poetic descriptions using the example of magical objects with the semantics of “healing, resurrection”, with the detailed analysis of specific magical attributes, similarities and differences in the texts of different storytellers, determination of the degree of reference to the epic plot and motifs. The category of magic items under consideration includes: triple-joint grass, white flower, living water, lake with healing water, white silk handkerchief, whip with a golden handle, feather. The introduction of magical objects with the semantics of healing and resurrection into the poetic texture of the epic contributes to the further disclosure of the motifs associated with heroic matchmaking, with trials and exploits of the hero/hero woman. Despite the fact that the analyzed magical objects are not mandatory attributes, they contribute to the development of a certain plot in an epic piece of work, the connection of various sections of the text, ensuring their semantic coherence. The study relevance is due to the lack of research on the poetic and stylistic system of Khakas heroic tales. In the study, the consideration of certain ethno-poetic constants is very important, since they play an important role in shaping the structure and content of an epic plot. In Khakas folklore studies, this problem has been studied on a piecemeal basis. The scientific novelty of the work is in the fact that for the first time ethno-poetic constants are considered on the example of magic objects. The novelty of the research is also manifested in the fact that the information, revealed from folklore works, will significantly replenish the factual base of research in the field of studying the motivational fund of the Khakas people’s folklore. To achieve this goal, descriptive and comparative methods were used in the work.

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