Tropes in Olonkho: Stability and Variation

Abstract

This article explores the use of rhetorical devices in the epic imagery of Yakutian epic poetry. The study focuses on the continuity of tropes such as epithet, hyperbole, simile, metaphor, and metonymy, drawing upon various recordings of Olonkho texts from different time periods. The main attention is given to tropes found in the earliest texts (1840-1860s), as this was a period of greatest diversity and variation in their usage. The author proposes a classification of tropes based on their period of usage and spread. It is noted that in the diachronic analysis, there is a demythologization of the image of the “milk lake” and an evolution of the artifact of the “bone bow”. The conclusion is drawn that by the mid-19th century, Yakutian epic art, with its already established regional traditions, possessed a highly developed arsenal of rhetorical devices for epic imagery. It is suggested that the peak of mutual influence among storytellers occurred during the heyday of gold mining in the Bodaiibo residence (1870-1900s), as many Olonkho performers have biographical data indicating their involvement in mining activities in Bodaiibo, where they would have encountered other prominent Olonkho performers. After this period, similarities in the use of tropes can be observed in Olonkho texts. The relevance of this research is driven by the increasing interest in contemporary Russian society towards the ethnocultural diversity and uniqueness of different peoples.