The transformation of epic genre in Evenki folklore: the Chinanay cycle

This study investigates the genre evolution of the Chinanay epic cycle within the Evenki folklore tradition. Contemporary research on Evenki folklore necessitates a comprehensive approach that examines both its intrinsic genre dynamics and its interplay with other forms of cultural expression. The relevance of this study stems from the need to analyze unique local traditions, particularly the Chinanay cycle among the Olyokma Evenki, which has remained understudied. The scholarly novelty of this work lies in its introduction of previously unpublished texts into academic discourse and its identification of distinctive features of genre transformation, wherein epic narratives retain their mythological core despite processes of comization. The research aims to reconstruct the evolutionary stages of the cycle: from archaic to desacralized forms. Employing structural and contextual analysis methods, this study elucidates the dialectic between the sacred and profane in the protagonist’s characterization. Special emphasis is placed on the figure of Chinanay, who embodies both culture hero-demiurge and trickster attributes.

Key motifs were identified (the fool’s antics, attempts at the impossible, ethnogenetic explanations), illustrating the genre’s progression from sacred myth to quotidian narrative. These motifs exemplify the dynamic interplay between mythological preservation and folkloric adaptation in Evenki oral tradition. The study is grounded in the theoretical frameworks of V. Y. Propp, M. M. Bakhtin and E. M. Meletinsky, with particular emphasis on local specificities within the Evenki material. The primary source material consists of nimngakan (heroic epic) recordings from the Olyokma Evenki, published in the anthology Folklore of the Olyokma Evenki (2021). These previously unpublished texts represent short narrative cycles preserved exclusively among the Tyanya Evenki subgroup, indicating their distinct regional provenance. Our analysis identified three defining characteristics of this Evenki narrative tradition: the persistence of mythological foundations alongside increasingly prominent comedic elements; significant local variation in narrative performance; a unique synthesis of culture-hero and trickster attributes within Chinanay’s characterization. The examined Chinanay motifs reveal archetypal narrative patterns characteristic of Siberian mythological and epic traditions. These motifs epitomize the classic trickster paradigm – a boundary-crossing figure whose transgressive acts generate unexpected consequences ranging from comic to tragic. The Chinanay cycle constitutes a significant case study in folklore dynamics, demonstrating how epic narratives adapt to evolving cultural contexts while maintaining continuity with archaic roots. Contemporary research on Evenki folklore necessitates a multidimensional approach that examines both intrinsic genre development and cross-cultural interactions. Of particular scholarly interest is the transformational process whereby heroic narratives gradually shed their sacred dimensions while acquiring new expressive features.

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