Epic Tradition Research Articles

Развитие педагогической компетентности у студентов-хореографов в процессе изучения народного танца

The current state of the labor market dictates the necessity to develop personal and professional competencies in the current educational process of Kazakhstan. A modern specialist should both be educated and capable of generating knowledge and be able to respect and appreciate the opinions of other people, to negotiate with them to reach agreement, be active, emotional, communicative, and organized. Moreover, currently, much attention is paid to pedagogical competence in the professional training of a specialist – a future choreographer. The authors consider the development of personal and professional competencies of a future choreographer in the process of studying folk dance at the university as the main way to form pedagogical competence. Theoretical studies of the development of the future choreographer pedagogical competence in the process of studying Kazakh folk dance through the unity of the competencies identified by the authors – intellectual-pedagogical, communicative (empathy, extraversion), informational, and reflective – were carried out. The formation of these competencies helps in transforming knowledge about the content of Kazakh dance into knowledge about teaching and educating through Kazakh dance. Studying the history of national ballet art, analyzing its libretto, comparing and collating with modern national ballets will allow the future teacher-choreographer to reflect adequately in choreography the spiritual and moral foundations of national identity, culture, traditions, authenticity of epic traditions and awakening of national artistic and aesthetic consciousness. Through the involvement of students-choreographers in creative groups, creative thinking and personal qualities are awakened and activated, educational and creative activities are carried out, difficulties are overcome, and creative tasks are solved. The authors formulate proposals for the development of professional and personal qualities of students-choreographers. The authors consider the development and understanding of spiritual and cultural values, activity, self-analysis, performance skills of students-choreographers in the process of studying national dance at the culture and arts university as a solution to the problem of developing pedagogical competence.

『실낙원』의 사탄과 『금강』의 신하늬

Creating an epic was the dream of Korean poets in their first developing period of 1920-1940. When they first encountered the western epical poem they were much shocked, and admired its beautiful, musical effects and the interesting story of its heroes and their actions. As such, Korean poets began to imitate the western epic, and the first trial was Night on the Border Land by Kim Tong-Hwan. However, it was not successful, because its hero was so private as an epic, even though it told the tragedy of poor people wandering on the northern border. Other Korean trials were also not so good until 1960s when the first successful epic, Keumkang, was published by Shin Dong-Yup. Keumkang is an epic about the Donghak Rebellion, an uprising by farmers who were defeated by strong foreign troops, and its hero is much more characteristic compared to those of other Korean epics. This study tries to compare the heroes of Keumkang and Paradise Lost, which is also a story of revolt in heaven, and the hero of which, Satan, is a distinguished character in the long history of British literature. Shin Hanee of Keumkang is not so heroic character as Satan at first but he became stronger and heroic as the poem progresses. At last he becomes a great symbol of Korean farmer rebellion. We can compare the two heroes of Paradise Lost and Keumkang and think about the British great epic tradition and how it has inspired Korean poets in turn.

Mythical Association of Male Body in Baahubali Series

This study entitled as “Mythical Association of Male Body in Baahubali Series” explores how S.S. Rajamauli destabilizes the cinematic convention of the constructed female body in consideration of the male gaze in the Bollywood film industry. It investigates the entertainment industry’s presentation of the male body for both the male and female gaze in Baahubali Series. Moreover, the manuscript highlights the glorification of the male body through rigorous training and constant maneuver in resonance with the Eastern mythologies and Hindu scriptures. The study discovers the reworking of myth and archetype in film and an ideal male body prepared in gym centers and training institutions. Cinematic representations of Bhima, Krishna, Lord Vishnu and Arjuna mythologize male bodies. The research paper examines the texts from the perspectives of Body Studies and the body myth from the Eastern epic traditions, including Mahabharata, Ramayana and Hindu hymns. Similarly, the body of Baahubali rehearses Bhima and Krishna, the body of Bhalla Deva with Duryodhana and the body of Bajjala Deva with Dhritarastra. The Hollywood film industry’s projection of the body with resonance of myth and archetype subverts the traditional notion of body as impure trivial thing. Since the representation of the body in Bollywood movies has barely been explored, this study can be significant source for the researchers of myth, movie and masculinity in the future.

Features of the Naming in the Epic of the Evenks

The epic of the Evenks – nimngakama nimngakan, in its diversity, imagery and volume is not inferior to the most famous examples of the epic genre of other peoples. The narrative parts consist of typed descriptions of nature, the actions of the hero, portrait characteristics, which are mainly motifs and traditional epic formulas. One of the key motives in the epic is the naming of the hero, because depending on the name, the fate of the epic hero also develops. The epic of each nation is unique, inimitable, peculiar. However, many motives, plots, images, formulas are similar. The subject of the study is the features of the naming motif in the heroic tales of the Evenks. The scientific novelty of the work consists in the fact that for the first time the naming motif in the nimngakans of the Evenks is analyzed in detail. The relevance of the work is due to the fact that research aimed at studying motives, plots will help to establish general patterns of the formation of the world epic tradition, at the same time, and identifying the specifics of each epic. The main research methods are comparative-historical and typological. Based on the materials of the epic, the author comes to the conclusion that the meaning of the name affects the plot of heroic tales, therefore, the indicated motive in the epic is an important link in the narrative. In the epic of the Evenks, the early features of the individualization of the hero-character are concentrated and reflected in his full proper name, therefore he has a mandatory definitive epithet.

There's No Place Like Home(land) in American and Soviet Fantasy Cinema of 1939: The Wizard of Oz and Vasilisa the Beautiful

There's No Place Like Home(land) in American and Soviet Fantasy Cinema of 1939: <i>The Wizard of Oz</i> and <i>Vasilisa the Beautiful</i>

Cummings of Altyre and the search for an ancient genealogy

An illuminated pedigree roll, ink on paper, possibly a draft for a more finished version, is analysed as a symbol of how the Cummings of Altyre, Moray, asserted their claim to be patrilineal descendants of the medieval Red Comyns of Badenoch, during the 18th–19th centuries. This article explores the family’s interactions with historians and antiquaries, and the tensions generated between the rational search for documented historical fact against the romantic desire to maintain epic tradition, conveying local bardic tales into the fixity of print. The descent claims are considered through six notions or ‘memes’ that elevated the family’s stature by rooting it in antiquity, but lacked compelling historical evidence. A close reading of documents from the era reveals the family’s role in influencing the creation of historical narratives, its own members emerging across the period as the chief authors of their ‘official story’.

Kamba Ramayanam, Which Describes Relationships and Friendships

Man has a tendency to live in groups. A closer look at the history of mankind shows that at all times, human beings have coexisted together as a group or as a great society. This quality, which is inherent in the very nature of man, forms the basis for the formation of relationships and the development and expansion of those relationships. A relationship can simply be defined as a relationship with a fellow human being. When viewed closely, the relationship consists of a vast body, namely, the blood relation and the social relation. The relationship that each of the members of the community has with others is responsible for the social movement, the formation of social institutions, and the extension of families. At this stage, this relationship and its superiority have been consistently emphasized in the literature as valuable. While ancient Tamil literature helps us to understand family relations and social relations, this article examines in detail the relationships and friendships of the Kamba Ramayana, a literary work of the Chola period, which occupies a special place in the Tamil epic tradition.

The Epic Tradition in the Song Natrinai

The reason for the pride and richness of a language is due to the grammar and literature that have emerged in the eyes of that language. The epics occupy a significant place in those verses. Homer's Iliad and Odyssey, considered to be the oldest epics in the world, have also been written in accordance with the epic tradition of that language. Indian language epics are also written within the epic tradition of the regional languages. These include the five great and minor epics that have appeared in the Tamil language; the Kamba Ramayanam, the Periyapuranam, etc. However, if we examine whether the Sangam literature, viz., the songs and the thokai, falls within the epic tradition, the Agam and Puram songs contain at least a few of the epic traditions of the Dandiya author. It can be seen that the majority of the epic elements have been matched in the Kalitthokai and the Pathuppaattu Songs. This study is intended to examine how the epic traditions have adapted to the song that has been taken up for the subject matter of the study. In particular, this study has revealed whether the epic grammar of the Dandiya author has been followed.

Синьцзян-ойратские сказители: хранители эпической традиции «Джангара»

Introduction. Despite quite a number of Jangar-related issues have been duly studied, questions pertaining to existence, continuity (transmission) and preservation of the Xinjiang Oirat epic tradition, biographies of jangarchis and their repertoires remain somewhat insufficiently answered by Russia-based folklorists and, thus, seem as relevant enough. Goals. The article attempts an academic insight into the storytelling tradition of Xinjiang Oirat jangarchis, considers geographical borders of the epic, determines the role of a storyteller as bearer, keeper and performer of the epic heritage inherent to China’s Oirats. Materials and methods. The descriptive and comparative methods prove most instrumental in exploring the storytelling tradition of Xinjiang Oirats. The narratives examined are related editions in Oirat (Clear Script), Mongolian, and Kalmyk. Conclusions. Analysis of the Xinjiang Oirat storytelling tradition shows that the Jangar Epic was widely present in all ethnic groups of Xinjiang Oirats — the Torghut, Olet, Tsakhar, Khoshut, Zakhchins, and Uryankhai — throughout the 19th and 20th centuries, each population to have had renown jangarchis of their own with extensive repertoires numbering at least ten (and more) Jangar epic songs. The identified lines and patterns of transmission were clan-oriented. So, many jangarchis learnt epic narratives from storytellers of their clan — fathers, grandfathers, uncles, and brothers. The epic tradition was also contributed to by talented female storytellers who — having been unable to participate in meetings and contests since women were traditionally banned from epic storytelling — would recite texts in the family circle and teach storytelling to their children and grandchildren. In mid-to-late 20th century, the Xinjiang Oirat oral epic tradition started being paralleled by a written one.

Синьцзян-ойратские сказители: хранители эпической традиции «Джангара»

Introduction. Despite quite a number of Jangar-related issues have been duly studied, questions pertaining to existence, continuity (transmission) and preservation of the Xinjiang Oirat epic tradition, biographies of jangarchis and their repertoires remain somewhat insufficiently answered by Russia-based folklorists and, thus, seem as relevant enough. Goals. The article attempts an academic insight into the storytelling tradition of Xinjiang Oirat jangarchis, considers geographical borders of the epic, determines the role of a storyteller as bearer, keeper and performer of the epic heritage inherent to China’s Oirats. Materials and methods. The descriptive and comparative methods prove most instrumental in exploring the storytelling tradition of Xinjiang Oirats. The narratives examined are related editions in Oirat (Clear Script), Mongolian, and Kalmyk. Conclusions. Analysis of the Xinjiang Oirat storytelling tradition shows that the Jangar Epic was widely present in all ethnic groups of Xinjiang Oirats — the Torghut, Olet, Tsakhar, Khoshut, Zakhchins, and Uryankhai — throughout the 19th and 20th centuries, each population to have had renown jangarchis of their own with extensive repertoires numbering at least ten (and more) Jangar epic songs. The identified lines and patterns of transmission were clan-oriented. So, many jangarchis learnt epic narratives from storytellers of their clan — fathers, grandfathers, uncles, and brothers. The epic tradition was also contributed to by talented female storytellers who — having been unable to participate in meetings and contests since women were traditionally banned from epic storytelling — would recite texts in the family circle and teach storytelling to their children and grandchildren. In mid-to-late 20th century, the Xinjiang Oirat oral epic tradition started being paralleled by a written one.

Exciting Storms: Weather Phenomena as Catalysts of Chivalric Adventures

The tempest is a conventional figure in epic tradition. This essay examines the narrative position of weather phenomena in Middle High German courtly romances and their relation to the adventures of the active characters–most of them knights. In particular, storms, as severe meteorological perturbations, seem to excite heroic exploits as they mark the difference between the space of origin and a space of danger. To return to safety, the heroes undergo adventures, but also expose themselves to perilous situations in which they lose their agency. This (in some ways paradoxical) constellation between passivity and activity is processed through various narrative possibilities in which agency alternates between the prescient characters and meteorological ‘entities’. The essay is concerned mainly with the Eneas Romance (Heinrich von Veldeke), the anonymous Herzog Ernst (B), and the Arthurian Romances Parzival (Wolfram von Eschenbach), Iwein (Hartmann von Aue) and DiuCrône (Heinrich von dem Türlin).

Сравнительный анализ мотивов в якутском и шорском эпосах

Introduction. The study examines some identified typological ties between the Yakut heroic epic and epic traditions of the Shor people. The research results obtained through the involvement of extensive comparative materials can essentially facilitate further scientific insights aimed at clarifying the role of Turkic epics in the shaping and development of the Yakut epic tradition, determining the bulk of motifs typical for both the Yakut and Shor epic narratives. Goals. The article aims at delineating similarities and differences inherent to plot motifs of the Yakut and Shor epics. Materials and methods. The work employs a number of research methods, such as the comparative historical, structural/typological, and comparative/descriptive ones to analyze classic texts of Yakut and Shor epic heritage. Results. The paper concludes the Shor epic tradition contains no canonical themes characteristic of Yakut heroic tales, such as peopling of the Middle World by future defenders, peopling of the Middle World by the rejected destined to become heroes of the future, emergence of earliest people in the Middle World — which indicates the epic 146tradition of the Shor people had been evolving individually after its separation from the Turko-Mongolian world. The revealed stable motifs traced in both the epics are as follows: ‘time of the first creation’, ‘land of the hero’, ‘appanages of the hero’, ‘house of the hero’, ‘hitching post’, ‘world tree’, etc.

MANAS DESTANINDA YAS TUTMA, CENAZE MERASİMİ VE AĞIT SÖYLEME GELENEĞİ

Death is a physiological phenomenon that will eventually confront every living thing. Curiosity for the unknown has led to more reflection and research. For this reason, death has been the focus of attention of researchers in many fields such as religion, philosophy, sociology, psychology, and medicine, as well as in the field of literature. Likewise, death appears as the main theme in both Turkish and Kyrgyz epics.In this study, based on the Manas Epic, the mourning, funeral, and lament traditions of the Kyrgyz people will be examined and the information on these issues will be revealed in terms of their similarities with the mourning, funeral, and lament beliefs and practices of the Avshar tribes living in Turkey.Epics are cultural assets that carry people's cultural memory from their historical depths to the present. Based on these features, in this study, firstly, the concept of death in the Manas Epic is discussed. The "Manas" epic, which has a very important place not only in the Turkish epic tradition but also among the world epics, is the longest and only living epic in the world. So it has a good reputation. The traditions, customs, and celebrations of "Marriage-Birth and Death", called "Mourning and Burial", are directly related to the world of myths and beliefs. There are two kinds of death. The first is physical death, the second is spiritual death. As a result of spiritual death, the hero is cleansed of sins, reborn, and continues to fulfill his obligations. There is death, but there is also resurrection due to duty and death again after the mission is completed. Thus, national heroes have immortal characters. When the society is in trouble, while this problem is being tackled, the spirit of the heroes emerges and stands on the side of those who struggle, often fighting in the eyes of the enemy.In the analysis, the funeral ceremony after the death phenomenon was mentioned. It is customary to give food and clothing to the poor after the burial. Today, in both Kyrgyz and Anatolian funeral homes, food is cooked and served to those who come. Although the cost of this meal is supposed to be met by the funeral home, it is usually shared among relatives. The main reason for delaying the burial of the dead, in Anatolia, in the epic of Manas, and among today's Kyrgyz people, is to ensure that distant relatives can attend the funeral on time.Finally, the lament ceremony is discussed. As in the epic of Manas, today's Kyrgyz also bury their dead before taking them to the cemetery. The Qur'an is recited during the burial. Before and after the burial, women continue to lament in the tent. In both cultures, on the 3rd, 7th and 40th days of the death, the Qur'an is recited for the soul of the deceased. Among the Kyrgyz, if the relatives of the deceased do not know how to recite “koshok”, a koshok reciter is found and they get him to recite it. The laments continue for three days after the death event takes place. When the men returning home after the burial are seen, the koshok reciting begins again.

Philosophy

The eleventh volume of the Studia Praesocratica series presents a welcome challenge to scholars of early Greek philosophy to get to grips with the exciting and valuable material found in the Herculanean testimonia. These texts provide a resource that has often been overlooked even by those seeking relatively recently to present comprehensive collections of texts and evidence on the Presocratics, and Christian Vassallo has done a great service in producing this extensive collection of textual evidence, along with English translations and commentary. As Vassallo makes clear in his introduction and individual commentary sections, a close study of the reception of early Greek philosophy in the Epicurean tradition throws up exciting new perspectives that may well provide a basis to challenge standard narratives, particularly with respect to early epistemology and theology. The work is explicitly designed to be of value not just to papyrologists but to scholars of early Greek philosophy too. With this in mind, Vassallo presents the evidence separately for each individual Presocratic, with separate commentary sections aiming to put the evidence into its Epicurean context. He extends the coverage of his already monumental work by including a useful appendix on ‘Diogenes of Oinoanda's Criticism of Presocratic Philosophy’ (595–645). Any scholar of early Greek philosophy seeking to undertake a comprehensive survey of the textual evidence will be grateful to Vassallo for the work he has done and for how accessible he has rendered these texts.

Between the Sacred and the Profane: The Works and Days of Lee Breuer

Between the Sacred and the Profane: The Works and Days of Lee Breuer

BELINDA’S WORLD OF TRIVIALITY IN THE RAPE OF THE LOCK: A MICROCOSM OF EIGHTEENTH-CENTURY ENGLAND AND THE IRONIC JUXTAPOSITION OF HER STORY WITH THE CLASSICAL EPICS

The Rape of the Lock is one of the best examples of mock-epic or mock-heroic poems written in English History. It is an imitation of Horatian satire, written in the Eighteenth-Century by Alexander Pope, in which he uses irony, sarcasm, and exaggeration to expose follies and vanities of the aristocratic or upper class in England in an undignified and grandiose manner. Written in heroic couplets about a trivial subject matter, the poet juxtaposes the trivial world of the upper class with the heroic deeds mentioned in the classical epics. This paper navigates the epic allusions used in The Rape of the Lock to mock the shortcomings of the upper class in England and to also satirize the epic tradition itself.

Нове видання досократичних фрагментів: матеріали Геркуланумських папірусів. Vassallo, C. (2021). The Presocratics at Herculaneum. A Study of Early Greek Philosophy in the Epicurean Tradition. Berlin: De Gruyter.

Review of Vassallo, C. (2021). The Presocratics at Herculaneum. A Study of Early Greek Philosophy in the Epicurean Tradition. Berlin: De Gruyter.

Günümüzde Halk Hikâyeleri ile Türkülü Aşk Hikâyelerinin İcra ve Dokusundaki Değişmeler

En eski devirlerden günümüze Türk edebiyatının sözlü kültür ürünlerinin anlatıcıları/aktarıcıları kam, baksı, ozan ve âşıklar olmuştur. Dinamik bir yapıya sahip olan sözlü edebiyat ürünleri kendine has özellikleri ve kaidelerini bozmadan çağın şartlarına, toplumun ve bireylerin hassasiyetlerine uygun olarak şekillenmiş; zamanla yerini bir başka edebî mahsule bırakmıştır. Türk destancılık geleneğinin yerini alan halk hikâyeleri ve türkülü aşk hikâyeleri de kendi oluşum sürecinden itibaren farklı kültür ortamlarında kendine yer edinmiştir. Zamanla sözlü kültür ortamının yerini yazılı ve elektronik kültür ortamı almasıyla beraber icracı/âşık ile dinleyici kitlesinde de birtakım değişimler yaşanmıştır. Halk hikâyelerinin ve türkülü aşk hikâyelerinin yapısında icracı/âşıkların, özellikle icra ortamından doğan koşullar ve değişimlerden ötürü birtakım farklılaşmalara ve yönelimlere gittiği saptanmıştır. Bu durum hem sözlü kültür ortamından yazılı kültür ortamına, sonrasında gelişen teknoloji ve imkânlarla TV, radyo, sinema, internet gibi ortamlara taşınmış hem de dinleyici kitlesinin psikolojik, sosyolojik, siyasi vb. durumlara uygun şekilde bilhassa hikâyelerin nazım kısımlarında görülecek değişimlere doğru bir farklılıklar zinciri oluşturmuştur. Bu çalışmada halk hikâyelerinin tarihî gelişiminin yanı sıra bir gösterim olarak halk hikâyesi ile türkülü aşk hikâyelerinden yola çıkılarak icra ortamından, âşık ve dinleyici etkileşiminden kaynaklanan gelişim ve değişimler ele alınacaktır.

The Issue of Historical Epics in The Classification of Kazakh Epics

Tarih öğretiminin sözlü anlatılarla sağlandığı yazı öncesi sözlü kültür ortamlarında destanların rolü büyüktür. Bilindiği gibi bir milletin tamamını ya da bir kısmını etkileyen bir olay sonucunda halk arasında oluşan bir şiir ya da türkü, destanın ilk safhasını teşkil eder. Bu şiir, dilden dile yayılır, zamanla başka olaylara bağlı şiirlerle genişler ve bir destancı tarafından düzenlenerek destan biçimini alır. Bu anlamda destanlar tarihten bağımsız değillerdir. Ancak her destan, tarihî gerçeklerle birebir örtüşmez. Yüzyıllarca sözlü kültürde yaşayan bir anlatının gerçeklerden uzaklaşması olağandır. Tarihle yakından ilişkili olan destanlar, tarihî destan olarak adlandırılır. Kazak destanlarının konularına göre yapılan tasniflerinde tarihî destanların ayrı bir destan türü mü yoksa bahadırlık destanları içinde mi değerlendirilmesi gerektiği meselesi dikkat çekmektedir. Araştırmacıların bazıları Kazak tarihî destanları diye ayrı bir grup olduğunu kabul etmezken bazıları Kazak tarihî destanlarının bahadırlık destanlarından farklarını ortaya koyup ayrı bir grup ya da ayrı bir destan türü olduğu görüşündedir.Bu çalışmada Kazak destancılık geleneği bağlamında tarihî destan kavramı ve tarihî destanların temel özellikleri ele alınmış ve tarihî destanlar hakkındaki görüşler ortaya konularak araştırmacıların meseleye yaklaşımları değerlendirilmiştir. Sonuç bölümünde tarihî destanlara ilişkin tespitlere yer verilmiştir.

Формулы женской красоты (на материале эвенской и якутской эпической традиции)

The purpose of the research is to systematise and characterise the categories of attributive and figurative female beauty formulas in epic texts of the Evens and the Yakuts. The paper considers the formula of female characters’ beauty in the Even and the Yakut epic heritage in a comparative aspect. The authors studied eight categories of attributive female beauty formulas and one category of a figurative formula (the comparison formula). The functional features of figurative means in these categories were characterised. The work is novel in that it is the first to identify the main functions of figurative means of the category of the female beauty formula in Even and Yakut epic texts. This issue has not yet been the object of special study in Siberian folkloristics. The main research findings are as follows: 1) the “«body’s own» light emission” category of the attributive beauty formula is present in all epic genres of Even and Yakut folklore; 2) the “celestial bodies as «body parts»” category is found only in the Even epic; 3) the largest number of categories (7) are found in the Even epic; 4) in addition to the main categories identified by scholars, the authors also considered two more categories emphasising female beauty (“long braid” and “name of a female character”); 5) the research shows that there are no female beauty formulas in Even and Yakut fairy tales about animals. As the material under study has demonstrated, the identified categories of the female beauty formula are presented in a peculiar way in all the epic traditions of the Evens and the Yakuts. There are figurative means (epithet, simile, parallelism, hyperbole) found in all the studied epic genres. Their functional role in the text is to emphasise, enhance, colourfully embellish the image of an epic beauty.