Motifs in the olonkho “Alaatyyr Ala Tuygun” by N. I. Stepanov – Nooroi (based on two versions of the olonkho text)

The article is devoted to the study of motifs in the olonkho text “Alaatyyr Ala Tuygun” by narrator N. I. Stepanov – Nooroy. Despite the fact that the main plot-forming motifs in olonkho are traditional in nature, the problem of studying the motifs of a particular olonkho and identifying their features remains relevant, since motifs largely determine the variability of plots, enriching it with new micro-plots.

The purpose of the work ois to study the motifs in the olonkho “Alaatyyr Ala Tuygun” by N. I. Stepanov – Nooroy. The novelty lies in the fact that for the first time an attempt was made to study the entire complex of motifs in the plot-compositional structure of our chosen olonkho based on the material of two versions of the text. To achieve the goal, the following tasks were set: to identify motifs characteristic of specific elements of the olonkho plot, to identify the main plot-forming and secondary motifs, their functions and meanings, to establish stable, traditional, and also unique motifs among them, to determine their role in the plot structure by comparing the plot-compositional structure of the two variants of the chosen olonkho. The methodological basis of the research was comparative typological and structural methods. The study used the works of A. N. Veselovsky, E. M. Meletinsky, V. Ya. Propp, B. N. Putilov, N. V. Emelyanov, G. U. Ergis, I. V. Pukhov and other researchers. In the course of the study, the main plot-forming motifs and their character within the plot-compositional structure were identified: the main motifs of the introduction, exposition, climax, denouement, among which a number of stable motifs were established, such as the description of the creation of the world, the description of the hero, the matchmaking of the hero abaahy on the girl Ayii, the battle of the protagonist with the enemy, the hero’s victory over the enemy, heroic matchmaking, establishing peace in the Middle World. A number of unique plotforming motifs were also identified, such as the hidden matchmaking of the hero, the campaign of the bogatyrka for heroic armor and a horse for the hero, the destruction of the enemy. Secondary motifs were identified that are characteristic of complementing the main plot, the abundance and variations of which enrich the text, thereby the same olonkho may have a different volume, as well as their stability and uniqueness. By comparing the set of motifs within the texts of the two versions of the olonkho “Alaatyyr Ala Tuigun”, the conclusion was drawn: the core of the olonkho plot in the two texts does not differ, the main plot-forming motifs are identical, the large volume of the second version of the text is due to the addition of mostly secondary motifs to the fabric of the plot.

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