The story line about reincarnation of a heroic maiden into a heroic man in Khakas heroic tales

The article is devoted to the story lines about reincarnation of a heroic maiden into a heroic man in Khakas heroic tales. The relevance of the study is caused by the insufficient study of the story-line fund of Khakas epics with female characters in the main role. Reincarnation of epic heroines in Khakas heroic tales is studied for the first time. The scientific novelty lies in the fact that for the first time, using the example of Khakas epics, we show samples of texts with an artistic solution of replacing heroic maidens in the main role with male characters through their reincarnation. The purpose of the article is to identify common characteristic features in the story-line and imaginative systems of epics about reincarnation of the main character into a male hero. In this regard, the following tasks were solved: to study the composition and general motifs of the epics, to conduct a comparative analysis of the central and secondary characters (assistants and enemies). Descriptive and comparative typological methods were used in the study of epic texts; and the composition and motifs of the epics were analyzed for the first time based on the biographical principle. In the article, the topic of reincarnation of the main female characters is considered for the first time using the example of the epics “Altyn-Aryg” and “Three Orphan Sisters”. In previous scientific publications, a heroic man, born from heroic maiden Altyn-Aryg’s calcaneus, was interpreted as her son. Biographies of heroic maidens reveal common motives: a miraculous birth; violation of the ban and death as payback; the birth of a heroic man and his horse from the bones of heroic maiden and their horses; the matchmaking of a bride for a heroic man by his helpers. It is established that the birth of the heroines and their reincarnation into a heroic man occurred by the will of the Chaiaan gods. The reincarnated heroic men received honors and high social statuses: the defender of the domain equal to the khan (in epic “AltynAryg”), the khan-ruler of the paternal domain (in epic “Three Orphan Sisters”). Common parallels were revealed in the images of minor characters: the helpers of the heroic maidens are the defenders of possessions such as PisTumzukh-Plyo-Kharyn-Khuu-Inei and Khara Inei, and their sons heroic men Khulatai and Khatkhan Chula are the main enemies of the heroines. The appearance of legends with the story line about reincarnation of a heroic maiden into a heroic man is associated with a period of reassessment of the role of women in a patriarchal society. This story line is based on archaic ideas about the immortality of a soul and is not related to religious teachings about reincarnation.

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