Initiation. Narrative. Identity. On the Relationship Between the Compositional Units of the Narrative and Initiation Rites

Abstract

Historical Roots of the Fairy Tale, a book by V. Propp, still evokes mixed reviews from folklore researchers who critically perceive the main idea of ​​the work: the compositional elements of fairy tale plots are based on the ancient initiation rite. The Morphology of the Fairy Tale studies narrative systems; it was organically accepted by both researchers of mythopoetics and those studying contemporary narratives of new media, as well as scriptwriters-­practitioners. Whereas the ideas of the second book were perceived with great caution and were almost not considered productive. Even the supporters of the structural-­semiotic approach, taking into account both the different levels of text organisation and the disclosure of its semantic depths, saw prospects for the development of humanitarian knowledge, based on the opposition of their theories to Propp’s historical-­genetic method. However, it is essential that the ritual practices of initiation, underlying the compositional units of the narrative, performed the main socio-­cultural function of introducing the initiate into the life of the community through the acquisition of identity. Providing identity, the transitional rite of initiation essentially testified to the entry of the neophyte into life, endowed them with a status in the social hierarchy. Propp’s idea of ​​the connection between plots and ritual forms was reflected in such artistic practices as the dramaturgy of feature films, which gravitates toward a clear script structure.