The article analyzes the academic and publishing experience obtained during the work on the published volumes of folklore of the peoples of Yakutia as a part of the academic series “Monuments of Folklore of the Peoples of Siberia and the Far East”. The purpose of the article is to define the importance of the series as an integrated interdisciplinary project undertaken to further develop the edification practice in Siberian science as a project offering the most optimal, comprehensively productive approach in the publication of folklore material with a demonstration of the living existence of Siberian folklore.

With the use of descriptive and comparative methods, the author sets top-priority tasks related to the need to actively fix the phenomena of traditional culture. In the face of the threat of a complete loss of language and folklore, which leads to the disappearance of the spiritual heritage of the Siberian peoples, the urgency of academic reflection and the search for ways to preserve traditional values ​is growing. The main result of the study is the author’s conclusion that all the main principles developed in the series concerning the language of folk texts, the features of performing the folklore, the musical texture are observed in the volumes of folklore the peoples of the North. The tasks of folkloristic translation, which is aimed to preserve the artistic and poetic meaning of texts, are solved. The scientific reference system, comments to the texts perform the functions assigned to them, explaining the national-specific realities. The panoramic demonstration of folklore of different nations presented in unified parameters and united by common requirements for the publication of the material from the viewpoint of multipurpose and interdisciplinary character determined the scientific approaches and the level of modern publications. In addition, the classification of the material undertaken in the volume of the Yakut non-fairytale prose is important for the further development of the criteria for distinguishing between myths, legends and historical legends of other Siberian peoples.

The successful fulfillment of the volumes of folklore the northern peoples was the key to the further development of the series itself. It is oriented to the future. A fundamentally new type of large-scale publication is being implemented, which has no analogues in the world scientific and publishing practice. This is a reliable source base, its scientific value and potential being immeasurably increasing as most of folklore traditions disappear.

The purpose of this article is to survey the signs of demonic (zoomorphic and zooanthropomorphic) images of the Nart epos of the Abkhazians – the main opponents of epic heroes in their functional and semantic aspects.

The relevance of the topic of the article is due primarily to the fact that the study of anthropomorphic images of the Nart epos is incomplete without the study of images of animals that appear simultaneously with epic heroes together and in conjunction with them as assistants or opponents. In addition, the fauna of the Nart epos of the peoples of the Caucasus has not yet been adequately studied in any of its versions. At the same time, the images of demonic characters of the epos were covered in a number of works by researchers.

The article is written on the basis of the principles of functional direction in folklore, combining textual, descriptive, structural-typological and structural-semantic research methods, which provide opportunities for revealing a number of characteristic features, mythological semantics of images of demonic characters.

The category of demonic characters of the Abkhazian Nart epos is first of all dragons (abkh. agyylshap) and giants (abkh. adauy), in the form of which human and animal features are combined. They are widely represented both in the Nart epos and fairy tales of Abkhazians, and in the folklore of other peoples of the Caucasus. All the characters of the Abkhazian Nart epos (both zoomorphic and zooanthropomorphic creatures) are more or less characterized by snake imagery. Signs that are characteristic of one or other of the characters have ambivalence, they are in many ways intertwined, synonymous, interdependent, enveloped in a ball of similar associations.

During the analysis of epic texts, it turned out that the characters considered inhabit a “different”, “otherworldly” locus, whose attributes are very close or similar. And this space symbolizes the boundary of the opposite worlds (like an abyss, a forest, a cave, a river, a mountain, etc.). The signs and functions of these characters, which can reflect the ethnic specifics of the Abkhazian Nart tales, are also very similar (for example: multihead, shaggy, frightening appearance, one-eyed / many-eyed, etc.). All these images mark the epic heroes themselves, with which they collide in different plots and motifs.

The article reveals the features of the formation and development of Izhmo-Kolva epic tradition. The analysis of folklore and ethnographic archival materials and own field records allows us to speak about the deep bi-ethnicity and bi-cultural origins of considered tradition. The convergence of two completely different cultures – Komi-Izhemtsy short time mastered the reindeer and the world of nomads, and the Nenets switched to a settled way of life, adopted the language and customs of Izhemtsy – here has acquired a systemic effect. The author considers a number of interrelated factors that determined the specifics of the folklore system “Performer – Text – Audience”. Semi-nomadic herding, combining the rustic lifestyle and the nomad world, created two epic worldview and two audiences, which were oriented singers. There appeared a special intra-family dual reality: Komi-Izhma girls marrying a Kolva-Nenets brought to the new life their language, their customs, their lyrical perception of the world, and men – carriers epic world, the epic of knowledge – in this case were the Nenets. Not less important factor for understanding of specifics of tradition was also the bilingualism of audience. Not only performers, but also listeners had the special language competence creating and special conditions for broadcast of folklore knowledge. All these processes are deeply intertwined with the life and folk culture as such. It is due to the interaction of the noted system factors in the Izhmo-Kolva epic, in spite of the later formation, it is possible to single out layers characteristic for genetically different stages of the epic development. Actually, the epic tradition organically combined both the Nenets folklore and the folklore world of the Komi-Izhemtsy. In terms of its composition and main themes, the Izhmo-Kolva epic tradition is typical of the original forms of the heroic epic, but it is inseparable from the fairy tale and mythological tradition of Komi.

On the basis of the generalized data on the tradition obtained by the author, the necessity of further research on the Izhmo-Kolva folklore system is substantiated in connection with all the above-mentioned extra-folklore factors.

For many years there has been no loss of but even, vice versa, a rising interest in the study of various epics, for they are the phenomena unique not only for the folklore but for the literature, too. Oral epics have preserved the mythical tradition from centuries back. In many cultures, it is the epic that acts as a kind of the basic identity around which the national fine arts, music, theatre have then been coming to life and evolving. Taking written form, the epic turned into a factor that not only united the nation, but also served as the foundation for the formation of its literary language and literature in general. This is the role played in the Karelian and Veps culture by translations of the “Kalevala” epic.

The relevance of this study stems from the demand for publicizing the problems arising around the translation of the archaic Karelian-Finnish epic “Kalevala” into newly scripted Balto-Finnic languages: Veps and Karelian.

The main aim is to study all the available translations and their agreement with the original text. The material for the study is the original Karelian-Finnish epic “Kalevala” as well as its abridged Veps-language translation and two Karelian-language translations. It was analyzed how much the authors of the translations managed (or failed) to preserve the key artistic and stylistic features of the epic text, and the challenges they encountered in this effort. In particular, the search for the vocabulary to adequately render the original text was described. The study employs the structural-semantic analysis, which permits identifying elements of the poetic manner, as well as the method of comparison and collation, which investigates the variation of fragments of the text. The study has vividly demonstrated that for a translator of an archaic epic, various elements of its poetics can be quite challenging even when the translation is into a

Acknowledgements: The financial support for the research was carried out from the federal budget for the fulfillment of the state order (project № AAAA-A18-118030190094-6).

The article considers some features of collecting the Russian folklore within the Northern expedition of 1939-1941 organized by A. A. Savvin and S. I. Bolo, and also the ethnographic and linguistic expedition on studying the Russian oldtimers population in lower reaches of the Indigirka River of 1946 under the leadership of T. A. Shub. The study is based on the materials on the Russian folklore stored in thehand-written fund of the Yakut Scientific Center, Siberian Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences.

In folklore studies in general and within our project “Song and Narrative Folklore of the Russian Oldtimers of Yakutia in the context of Methodology and Reception of Vilyui Expedition”, we considered it relevant to study ways of recording folklore in the Russian villages: village of Pokhodsk, village of Russkoe Ustie of Allaikhovsky District in the period of its living existence. For the short period of 1939-1946, various materials were collected: lyrics, bylinas, fairy tales, small genres of folklore.

The research objective is to study the nature of recording the texts of folklore made during S. I. Bolo’s expedition, and stationary expedition under the leadership of T. A. Shub, which laid a basis for two important academic collections: “Folklore of Russkoe Ustie”, 1986, and “Russian Epic Poetry of Siberia and the Far East”, 1991. It is important that these collections used almost completely the texts that were written down by S. I. Bolo; T. A. Shub, N. M. Alekseev, and N. A. Gabyshev.

The methods. A comparison of the activities of the expeditions, as well as the ways of recording folklore texts is carried out. Thus, S. I. Bolo made records in Russkoe Ustie and on the Kolyma within the route expedition: in the fall of 1940 – in Pokhodsk, spring of 1941 – in Russkoe Ustie. T. A. Shub and his companions fixed texts of folklore in the spring of 1946 in the field conditions of stationary expedition.

On the basis of the comparative analysis, some features of the existence of the folklore epic works which were written down in the mid-20th century are considered. So, the fairy tales having a literary basis is studied “The Poor Maid”; the variants of the epic about the battle of Dobrynia and the snake are considered.

Conclusions. Records of the expeditions of the 1940s in the places of residence of the Russian oldtimers are essential as the Russian folklore of various genres was recorded in the period of its active circulation.

The relevance of the research consists in introducing into the academic practice new notation materials of epic songs of olonkho performed by the well-known olonkhosut U. G. Nokhsorov, which are very relevant for studying the performering art of the narrator, which will make it possible to clarify the available academic ideas about the peculiarities of the epic songs of the Yakut people.

The review of the current musical creativity in the Sakha Republic (Yakutia) (concerts, competitions of amateur folk art and other projects) shows that performers of epic songs use a very limited range of musical and expressive techniques (especially for pitch and tone).

Assimilation by the young singers of a set of epic songs performed by U. G. Nokhsorov and other narrators unique in the compositional scale and complexity of the melodic material can bring novelty to both modern folk singing and innovative creativity of national composers. Thus, the study of the song heritage of U. G. Nokhsorov is relevant not only for musicology, ethnomusicology, folklore, but also for the development of professional, amateur musical creativity, as well as for national musical pedagogy.

The purpose of the study is to study the individual singing style of U. G. Nokhsorov, manifested in the performance of songs of olonkho. The work used structural-typological, comparative, complex research methods, as well as methods of musical folklore.

As a result of the study of the creative heritage of U. G. Nokhsorov and his contemporaries, there appeared the need for theoretical development of the genre classification of the song creativity of the Yakut people: after N. N. Nikolayeva’s assumption, the author of the article distinguishes the self-absorbed and shamanic singing of the kuturuu as the third independent style of Uyulga yrya (Uyulga song).

Promising research issues can be the study of the phonetic structure of speech in the highly developed singing creativity of U. G. Nokhsorov. Practical problems were also revealed. The researcher needs to contribute to the process of preservation and development of musical folklore. The necessary organizational conditions are: the production of audio records of olonkhosuts monographic character; complex study of the performing arts of narrators, which should contribute to the creation of a fundamental source of musical and folkloric traditions of Yakut people.

The article analyzes the problem of recreating the poetics of the Armenian heroic epic “David of Sassoun” in the Russian translation of its consolidated text, since this text, which since 1939 is constantly reprinted, makes it possible to most objectively consider this problem. This problem is one of the most important in the study and evaluation of translations of samples of folk epic creativity, for it is in poetics that the individual character of the artistic thinking of the people who created the epic is reflected, and this causes the relevance of this study.

The purpose of the article is to determine the features of the recreation of the poetics of the Armenian national epic “David of Sassoun” in the translation of the consolidated text into Russian. Based on the monograph “The Poetics of the Epic “Sasna Tsrer” (Yerevan, 2013, in Armenian), Azat Komunarovich Yegiazaryan’s monograph, which highlighted and characterized the most important features of the poetics of the Armenian epic, is shown on concrete examples how these features are reproduced in the Russian translation of the consolidated text. The author highlights among the characteristic features of Armenian poetics: the dynamism of the epic narrative, expressed in the use of verbs of movement, action, verbs, reflecting the state of the hero; various functions of repetitions, which have characteristic features in contrast to the translations of “Kalevala” and Russian bylinas; distinctive features of the epic formulas embedded in the speech of the heroes of the epic; figurative thoughts, expressions, comparisons etc. One of the shortcomings of the translation the author notes characteristic of the translation practice in the 30s of XX century literal translation of Armenian stable expressions, idioms, transliteration of interjections, which should emphasize the national originality of the epic. Summarizing, it is noted that, despite some shortcomings, the Russian translation gently reproduces the characteristic features of the poetics of “David of Sassoun”. That is why in Russian criticism on the basis of this translation, gentle and accurate observations and thoughts on the artistic originality and richness of the Armenian epic were expressed.

Sakha folklorists have established that the Sakha narration school, depending on the territory of its existence, consists of three local traditions: Central, Vilui and Northern. Traditions of narration were connected with the peculiarities of material and spiritual development of indigenous peoples of Yakutia inhabiting one or another territory. The phenomenon of recreating Olonkho texts, geographically distinct from each other, has not yet been fully studied in science, and thus remains relevant. The article attempts to identify regional traditions, distinctive features of the northern Olonkho by the method of comparative analysis of the image system, its plot with the established traditions of the Olonkho of the Central and Vilui regions. As a result, the peculiarities of the Srednekolymsk Olonkho were revealed as one of the local traditions among the northern olonkhos. In the Olonkhos that we examined, there is no colorful description of the world, the beauty of nature, the miraculous birth of the hero of the Aiyy, the appearance of the heroes. There is also no traditionally stable motive of the settlement by the celibate goddesses of Aiyy in the Middle World to protect the inhabitants of the Middle World from the invasions of the abaahy monsters. From the traditional mythological images there is no image of the sacred tree Aal Luuk Mas, and the name Yurung Aiyy Toyon is only mentioned. There are original images of fish Luo balyk, monsters mongus. The horse is not given by the deities, the hero gets a horse specifically, or it is absent. The contents of both Olonkhos are related to the life of the northern peoples, in connection with this, there are objects of use of northern peoples: arkan (lasso), tut (skis), etc. There are words used only by the northern Sakha Kyyl (beast) instead of “man”, Oygol, nolbet mogul ‘holy water’,Wal-buudjal buollun, Uoi-jallyk buolun, etc. The house of Mas Batiya is build from the snow that melts neither in winter nor summer snow; instead of a horse, he has tuutskis. The name of the hero of the abaahy Timir Tuuchchahtay comes from the Yakut word for “nelma” fish.

Acknowledgments: The study was carried out with the financial support of the Russian Foundation for Basic Research in the framework of the scientific project No. 16-06-00505 (a).

The article considers peculiarities of the verse in “Ala-Bulkun” Olonkho by a famous Yakut olonkhosut Timofey Zakharov – Chaabiy. This text is one of the first written texts of the epic of the Yakut people. The history of recording and publication of the olonkho text are given at the beginning of the article, as well as the information about the person who wrote it down and about the narrator himself.

“Ala-Bulkun” consists of two parts, with the total length of the olonkho at 9,097 lines. This epic is an interesting material for the verse analysis; it has a number of features, thus attracting attention of poets.

The text of the Chaabiy’s olonkho was studied with a special technique developed by Professor N. N. Toburokov. A thorough analysis was applied to the rhythm, alliteration and the rhyme. The part of the epic, which is read in recitative, is studied. We believe that the olonkho recitative is very important for the origins of the Yakut versification system.

The analysis of the olonkho vocabulary shows the usage of monosyllabic, disyllabic, disyllabic, and four syllabic words.

The article discusses the sound organization of the “Ala-Bulkun” olonkho. The study showed that the following Yakut consonants are most often used for initial alliteration: K – 22%, T – 10%, X – 9% , C – 8%; and the following vowels: A – 20%, Y – 15%, У – 7%, O – 6%.

Thus, the olonkho is dominated by 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 syllable lines, also there are 12, even 15-17 syllable lines; 5 and 6 syllable lines were used less than in other olonkho, only 5 and 9 versions. The peculiarity of the “Ala-Bulkun” olonkho is long poems: 9 syllabic – 34 versions, 10 syllabic – 40 versions, 11 syllabic – 51 versions, 12 syllabic – 48 variants, 13 syllabic – 58 variants, 14 syllabic – 39 variants, there are many 15, 16, 17 syllabic ones; the initial alliteration is used in “Ala-Bulkun” – 41% of the lines; 57% of the lines of the olonkho is rhymed. Almost all the rhymes are phonomorphological, they consist of exact coincidence of words’ sounds of the same part of speech, or they have the same consonants with only different vowels. There are a lot of samples of the tautological rhyme, verbal rhymes, rhymes with morphemes denoting the belonging of one object to another. Rarely, but there are rhyme-echoes, rhyme with truncation or with the addition of sounds; the language of the olonkho reproduces well the peculiarities of the Yakut speech of the late 19th century, its grammar, syntax, phonetics, all the expressive means are fully preserved: comparisons, epithets, metaphors, figures of speech.

The article is timed to the forthcoming jubilee, the 150th anniversary of the olonkhosut T. Zakharov – Chaabiy.

The article reviews the echoes of human sacrifice and cannibalism in epic works on the example of Ossetian Nart epic and Russian bylinas. A relatively comparative analysis of the ritual-ceremonial side of the traditions of the Scythians (ancestors of Ossetians), Ossetians and Slavs is carried out. In particular, the sacrifices on the material of the Nart epic and Russian bylinas are considered in connection with sympathetic magic and totemism (the transition of “spiritual substance” from the dead to the alive), exocannibalism, eating heart and liver, infanticide, twinning ceremonies, absorbing the victim’s blood, chopping off the head and parts of the body (for example, the right hand).

The purpose of the article is to identify the traditions of human sacrifices and echoes of cannibalism in the Nart epic and Russian bylinas. Within the framework of the article, a comparative analysis of the traditional epic of the Ossetian and Russian peoples is carried out.

The subject of the study was the integral model of the semantic parallels between the Russian and Ossetian Nart epics, within which the genesis and later modifications of folklore-mythological archetypes are traced. The oldest culture, perceived in the semantic and axiological aspects, constitutes an integral “cultural memory” in a single metasystem “myth – folklore – literature”.

During the various epochs, close contact was first between the Proto-Slavic and North Iranian ethnic groups, and then between the Eastern Slavs and the Scytho-Sarmatian-Alanic peoples. This explains the presence of similar mythological characters and the genetic connection of motives fixed in the Slavic and Scythian-Ossetian traditions.

The main core of the bylinas, in all probability, was formed in the VIII-X centuries in Southern Russia – in the Black Sea and the Sea of ​​Azov regions, precisely where the close relations with the heirs of the Scytho-Sarmatian-Alanian culture were observed in the areas of compact residence. In the south of Russia ancient epic tales, dating back to the Scythian time, were preserved for a long time.

The main sources are the Onega bylinas, collected by A. P. Gilferding in the Russian North, and the body of the Ossetian Nart epic, including the Digor dialect.