Mytholoric space of Amerindian prosaic texts: cognitive-semiotic and narrative perspectives

Abstract

The paper suggests a new cognitive facet of ethnolinguistics for exposing ethno-cultural features embodied in mytholoric characters of literary prosaic texts. The term "mytholoric" is a coinage that reflects syncretic unity of mythic and folk lore of Amerindian culture. Myhtoloric space is defined as cognitive and semiotic construct that incorporates different types of mytholoric characters. Author’s mytholoric character is a cumulative cognitive and semiotic textual construal, which reflects behavior and deeds of the person who stands for the interests of Amerindian in modern American society and tries to adapt to the rules of existing in that new world. It has been proved that metamorphosis is a dominant linguistic means in creating mytholoric and author’s mytholoric character. Semiotic and cognitive analysis made it possible to construe the model of the main character, interpreted as ethnocultural symbol. Narrative analysis of the Amerindian prosaic texts outlined the ways and means of narrative perspectives highlighting metamorphosis and reverse perspective as the major ones in creating and interpreting the mytholoric space in literary text. The paper suggests linguistic and cognitive mechanism of reverse perspective in literary text. Models of mytholoric space are determined by the genre of the literary text and eclecticism of mytholoric characters.