The motif of fate in the folklore of the Mongolian peoples

Abstract

The article discusses topical issues of reflection and development of the motif of fate in the folklore of the Mongolian peoples in the light of their traditional ideas. The views of fate are the most essential part in the people's vision of the world and understanding of the destiny of man. Despite the fact that the topic of fate has long worried people and completely occupied their minds, there are still few works devoted to this issue. This is related to the relevance and novelty of our research. The purpose of this work is to analyze the reflection in folklore of mythological ideas about the fate of man and the world order, to determine the connection of these views with the Buddhist tradition, which is an integral part of the spiritual life of the Mongolian peoples. To achieve this goal, methods of interpretative and contextual analysis of myths, ritual texts, epics and oral narratives are used. The main provisions of the article have a promising continuation in the study of the ritual folklore of the Buryat people, followed by the publication of samples of cult poetry, which reflected the theme of fate and the predestination of human life. As a result of studying the folklore material, it was revealed that the concept of the ‘fate’ of zayaan differs in the pre-Shamanic, shamanic and Buddhist traditions, receiving different interpretations. In Buddhism, the word ‘fate’ of zayaan has many meanings, but it is more important to understand that a person's fate depends on his good or bad deeds in previous rebirths. In the broad popular understanding, which is reflected in folklore, a certain fate is given to a person from above, but a person can control it himself. In the ritual texts, epics and oral narratives of the Mongolian peoples, a multifunctional deity of fate stands out from the pantheon of the highest celestials, playing a dominant role in the human life cycle. The fate of man is predetermined by the supreme deities, as well as the deity of fire and the spirits who own the area. In the epic texts of the Buryats, the image of the book of fate is inextricably linked with the concept of ‘fate’, in which particularly significant events in the lives of the characters are painted, and instructions are given on how to act in a specific situation.

Acknowledgements: This research is carried out within the framework of the project of the Institute of Philology of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences “Cultural universals of verbal traditions of the peoples of Siberia and the Far East: folklore, literature, language” supported by a grant from the Government of the Russian Federation for the promotion of research conducted under the guidance of leading scientists, contract No. 075-15-2019-1884.

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