Historical Epics Research Articles

Ctirad and Šárka. Comparative analysis of selected aspects of the style of historical epics by Jaroslav Vrchlický and Julius Zeyer

The aim of the paper is a comparative analysis of selected aspects of the singular styles of the historical epics Šárka by Jaroslav Vrchlický (1853–1912) and Ctirad Julius Zeyer (1841–1901); classical authors of Czech literature from the so-called Lumira generation of the second half of the 19th century. The juxtaposition of thematically similar texts allowed for a more pronounced identification of the characteristic features of the singular styles of both poets, possibly the specificity of their historical and mythic epic poetry, ideally the stylistic dominance of the authorial styles of Jaroslav Vrchlický and Julius Zeyer in mutual comparison. In order to achieve the set objectives, the methods of comparative and mathematical stylistics were used.

Роль Владимира Мономаха в развитии литературы и государственности Руси

<p>The article is devoted to the contribution of Vladimir Monomakh to the development of literature and state system of Rus. Large works of authorship: “Teachings” by Vladimir Monomakh; “Tale of the Blinding of Prince Vasilko Rostislavich” by the hegumen Vasily, close to Monomakh; the literary and historical epic of early Rus - the II (Monomakh's) edition of “Tale of Bygone Years” (1116/1117) by the Mikhailovsky hegumen Sylvester — are important parts of the foundation of future Russian literature. The prominent place of Vladimir Monomakh in the literary and state development of Rus is emphasized by the modern historian A.Yu. Karpov, especially singling out Monomakh's destruction of the Old Kiev construction of the “rota ascent” of the princes of Russia to the Kiev great throne, his actions on the arrangement of the central region of Russia, which was inherited by him, with a new political center founded by him — Vladimir-on-Klyazma (1108), in the long run — the forerunner of Moscow.</p>

«SITUATIONAL TIME» IN HISTORICAL EPICS

Conceptual research stands as a cornerstone in uncovering linguocultural values and the collective psyche of diverse peoples, offering profound insights into their worldview. This article endeavors to unveil the manifestation of temporal context within historical epics, deeply intertwined with the epochs and narratives of the respective societies. The study seeks to elucidate the collective consciousness and societal understanding prevalent during the periods under study, achieved through an analysis of linguistic expressions denoting temporal concepts within historical poetic texts. Drawing upon scholarly evidence, the article delineates the mechanisms and distinctive attributes characterizing the portrayal of situational time within historical epics. It underscores the prominent role of grammatical constructs, particularly the active utilization of the verb's grammatical category, in conveying temporal nuances. Furthermore, linguistic analysis reveals the pivotal role of the temporal dimension in discerning historical veracity within these literary compositions. The scholarly significance of this research lies in its theoretical contributions to cognitive linguistics, linguoculturology, and the study of linguistic folklore. Additionally, the practical implications extend to educational contexts, offering enriching content for specialized courses such as "Linguistic Folklore Studies," "Cognitive Linguistics," and "Linguoculturology," thereby fostering a deeper understanding of temporal dynamics within cultural narratives. Key words: concept, cognition, historical epic, linguistic unity, time, situational time, grammatical category

Exploring the Literary Landscapes: A Journey through the Contrasting Realms of English Literature in the North and the South

This research paper embarks on a captivating exploration of the contrasting literary landscapes found in the North and South regions of India, delving into the rich tapestry of English literature that has flourished in these distinct cultural realms. The study aims to unravel the unique nuances and influences that shape the literary expressions emanating from these regions, shedding light on the divergent socio-cultural contexts that have given rise to a myriad of voices. In the North, the analysis encompasses the impact of Mughal and Persian influences, the exploration of historical epics, and the fusion of traditional storytelling with modern perspectives. Conversely, the Southern Literary Realm scrutinizes the interplay of Dravidian cultural elements, the significance of classical languages, and the emergence of contemporary voices rooted in regional identities. Through comparative analysis and close examination of selected literary texts, this research reveals the stark disparities between Northern and Southern English literature. While Northern literature often reflects the tumultuous history and political upheavals of the region, Southern literature tends to draw inspiration from its rich heritage of mythology, folklore, and classical traditions.Through this comprehensive examination, the research endeavors to provide a nuanced understanding of the variegated literary landscapes that contribute to the rich mosaic of English literature in India.

THE EPIC “EDIGE BATYR”: TYPOLOGY OF THE EXISTING TURKIC VERSIONS

Edige is a major figure who appeared on the stage of history in the second half of the 14th century, when the Golden Horde has weakened and was destroyed due to the strives between the rulers who were competing for the Khanate, and the once powerful state began to disintegrate. He was a famous bi and a brave batyr who ruled the country. Not only the Kazakhs, but also the Turks, the Kyrgyz, the Karakalpak, the Uzbek, the Turkmen, the Tatar, the Nogai, the Bashkir peoples honor him as a “heroic ancestor”. This situation shows that ones these peoples were called “Nogayli” and represented a whole country under one roof.The main goal of the article is to compare the national variants of the epic “Edige batyr” which takes great place in the literature of not only the Kazakh people, but also the Turkic peoples, and by comparing it with the epics and general historical heritage of other peoples, to prove that it is not a historical epic, but a genre which is between heroic and historical epic, and that the epic is a common heritage of the Turkic peoples. Typological comparisons have been conducted which show that the Kazakh, the Nogai, the Karakalpak and the Tatar versions of the plot have more typological similarities. To clarify that all national versions have mythical and fairy-tale motifs and episodes, and especially in Karakalpak, Bashkir and Tatar versions.

Образ Ильи Муромца в сравнительно-историческом и историко-функциональном аспектах

Introduction. Bylina is an ancient Russian epic song about the life and heroic deeds of Russian heroes, as well as about events or remarkable episodes in the national history of the 11th–16th centuries. Cycles of epics about Ilya Muromets are formed on the basis of ancient legends, united by the origin and character of the main character. It is not the name of the hero, but artistic plots inherited from the distant past that form the basis on which the historical epic develops. The purpose of the article is to identify the conditions for the formation and transformation of epic stories about Ilya Muromets. Material and methods. Classic works of Russian literary criticism and folkloristics, individual plots of the Russian epic and the epic of neighboring peoples are analyzed. Comparative-historical and historical-functional research methods were used. Results. The scientific work examines the history of the development of the image of the Russian hero Ilya Muromets as a gradual “democratization” of the hero of the ancient Russian epic. A wide range of works of Russian, Belarusian, Serbian, Adyghe, Georgian, Ossetian folklore is analyzed. The points of view of folklorists of the 19th–20th centuries on the history, existence, methods and means of broadcasting the poetic biography of Ilya Muromets are presented and interpreted.; their scientific methods and approaches. Epic plots are traced, united by the name of Ilya and having not only an “external” but also a deep internal connection, determined by folk ideas about the hero, his entire appearance, growing on the basis of the entire set of artistic plots. The Conclusion is drawn about the “reworking” in Russian epics of the motifs of magical-heroic fairy tales, the heroic epic of the peoples of the North Caucasus, Transcaucasia and other ethnic groups.

ჰუბრისის მოტივი კომპარატივისტულ ჭრილში (ანგლოსაქსური „ბეოვულფისა“ და ქართული „ამირანიანის“ მიხედვით)

Despite its diversity and rich tradition, the epic genre is less represented in the Georgian folklore. In Georgian folklore, there is no evidence of a historical epic, there is no clearly defined historical or pseudo-historical hero. In Georgian folklore Amirani belongs to the genre of tragic epic, where the drama of the rise and fall of a man is told by means of heroic-adventure and mythological motifs. Despite the fact that Amiranian is often discussed in relation to the myth of Prometheus, it has much more in common with Greek classical drama than with the myth of Prometheus. "Amiranian", like Greek drama, is built on hubris (Z. Kiknadze 2011). The present article discusses the motif of hubris in a comparative perspective according to the Anglo-Saxon “Beowulf” and the Georgian “Amiraniani”.Every character in epics has his own fate which, however, can be similar to another hero’s fate. He may gain reputation, win or lose, and at last he may fall and die because of hybris. Hybris is the condition which tests the hero and pushes him towards such situations where his heroism is challenged; if he passes successfully through all obstacles, he is a real hero, but if not, he falls and dies. Hybris is indeed some kind of challenge for the hero, and not all heroes can cope with it. It is like a test case on which it depends on how well a hero can face all challenges.The heroic adventures of Beowulf and Amiran belong to different cultures, but both of them were finally formed in the Christian epoch and have many motifs and elements in common. The path of both heroes begins with doing a good deed. They help people and free them from a hard life by protecting them from demonic creatures. However, at some point their strength becomes fatal for them. Step by step, Amiran’s strength loses its meaning. In the beginning, there was no living soul that could defeat him until his tempestuous nature woke up and his desire to fight his own godfather chained him forever to a rock. Beowolf’s goal is to help others. It seems that his only purpose on earth is to live for the sake of others, but when he starts boasting to Unferth about his heroic actions, his fall begins: even though Beowulf can look back on a lot of victories, this will surely bring him to an inevitable defeat. Both heroes have the opportunity to change themselves, but none of them takes this chance. They cannot avoid arrogance, pride and haughtiness. Life gives them hints and lessons that should be a reason of their awakening, but pride has such an impact on these characters that none of them turns out of his way. The godfather provides Amiran with three opportunities to contemplate and come to his senses: in the castle, Hrothgar exhorts Beowulf to avoid a path that is full of glory and wealth because it might end up fatally. Amiran and Beowulf have the opportunity to make a different choice, but one of them wants infinite power and the other is passionate about secret treasures. Both characters ultimately sacrifice themselves to these pursuits in the end. Their ways are the same because hybris always leads to an end. Chart:Common steps in Amiran's and Beowulf's paths: Common features and characteristics of Beowulf and Amiran: Indications of hybris and death due to hybris:

The Demonized «Inimico altero» and Its Representations in the Context of Italian and French Epic on Lepanto

The ethically controversial figure of the “Other” is at the heart of the traditionally antinomic system of the heroic Christian epic. An age-long myth, a cultural projection and an essential literary theme (Ceserani 1998), the image of the “Stranger”, the “Adversary”, or, in other words, the “Other”, being frequently endowed with demonic connotations, is found to be part and parcel of the allegorical dichotomy of good and evil. The literary tendency towards demonizing the complex image of the “Other” is particularly evident in the poems belonging to the category of “modern” historical epic on Lepanto. The present essay aims to investigate various ways of transposing the figure of the historical adversary onto the “chessboard” of “modern” Christian epic, as well as to analyze the variety of literary modalities of merging the figure of the Ottoman “Other” with the dimension of the “demonic marvellous”, adopted by the poets to enrich, complicate and counterbalance the heroic sacrality of the epic text.

A Contrastive Phonosemantic Study of Some Selected Hollywood Movies’ Titles

This study is an attempt to reveal the effect of sounds on the meaning of the form (word) that they formulate. A contrastive phonosemantic study is made on four historical epic, action, comic and romantic movies’ titles to show how sounds can reflect meaning and associate with feelings, emotions and attitudes. The Universal Theory that Agrawal suggested is used as a model in this study. The results show that sounds are meaning-bearing elements. Furthermore; they reveal that the titles reflect the events of their movies.

Scoring the Hollywood Actor in the 1950s Gregory Camp

The 1950s were a pivotal decade in the history of Hollywood music. The great movie studios had dominated the early days of sound film production and distribution but were battered in 1948 by the Supreme Court’s antitrust Paramount Case, which forced them to divest from the theatres they had previously controlled and through which they had exerted an effective monopoly on the distribution of their product. As a result of the ruling, studio profits cratered over the next decade, leading to a crisis within the film industry. This crisis was compounded by the traumatic experience of the House Un-American Activities Committee hearings, which devastated Hollywood in the late 1940s and early 1950s as writers, directors, actors, and composers were forced to testify and inform on one another regarding any political activity deemed to be subversive. But the worst shock to Hollywood’s old order came from the advent of television. As the baby boom generation emerged in the wake of Second World War, TV presented a stay-at-home alternative that caused attendance at cinemas to drop precipitously. To lure viewers back to the cinema, Hollywood rolled out a succession of enticing attractions in the 1950s: spectacular new Widescreen formats such as Cinemascope or Cinerama that provided opportunities for sweeping vistas in historical epics like Ben Hur and thrilling genres such as science fiction and horror, which presented astonishing monsters and flying saucers. At the same time, a relaxing of the strict censorship code that Hollywood, fearing boycotts from the religious right, had imposed on itself since the early 1930s, led to increasingly frank depictions of sex and violence on the screen that reached a culmination with Hitchcock’s boundary-pushing Psycho in 1960. All of this provided new opportunities for musical expression: science fiction and horror films, with their emphasis on the strange and unfamiliar, inspired composers to experiment with modernist techniques such as atonality and electronic music, while movies dealing with contemporary topics such as addiction and teenage crime invited the dangerous and thrilling sounds of jazz and rock’n’roll into the heretofore rather sheltered late-Romantic musical universe of Hollywood film. A new generation of American composers, including Alex North, Leonard Rosenman, Elmer Bernstein, and Henry Mancini, entered the film-scoring scene during this period and proceeded to expand the stylistic palette available to film composers with elements of jazz and modernism. It is not surprising, then, that the 1950s has provided a particularly rich terrain for film-music scholars. An important early contribution to the analysis of pivotal scores by North and Rosenman, among others, was George Burt’s monograph The Art of Film Music (Boston, 1994). In recent years, a number of books, chapters, and articles have explored this turbulent and fascinating decade, including ‘Scoring East of Eden: The Division of the “One”: Leonard Rosenman and the Score for East of Eden’, in Graeme Harper, Ruth Doughty, and Jochen Eisentraut (eds.), Sound and Music in Film and Visual Media: An Overview (New York, 2009); Stanley C. Pelkey II and Anthony Bushard (eds.), Anxiety Muted: American Film Music in a Suburban Age (New York, 2015); and James Wierzbicki, Music in the Age of Anxiety: American Music in the Fifties (Chicago and Springfield, IL, 2016).

Turkic elite of the Golden Horde

The article analyzes the formation of the Turkic political elite, their features and position in the complex and large-scale management system of the Golden Horde.The administrative structure of the Golden Horde had its own characteristics in comparison with all the states that emerged after the collapse of the Mongol Empire. Including the active role of nomadic Turkic-Mongolian aristocrats in the structure of the administration of the Golden Horde and its social and political life, was reflected in the ranks of the military aristocracy (noyons, beks, emirs). In the article, the main attention in the analysis of the activities of the Turkic political elite was paid to the information of geneology, heroic epics and legends, as well as medieval written sources. Information from written sources was compared with samples of historical epics and Kazakh genealogies. The article analyzes several ways and factors that contributed to the transformation of natives of nomadic Turkic-Mongolian tribes into the political elite of the Golden Horde. The Beks, who came from local tribes, went down in history as influential figures who played a special role in the history of the Golden Horde.As a result of Kypchakization, the ideology of Genghis Khan underwent changes. However, it formed its worldview in the post-Golden Horde, including in the late period of the Kazakh Khanate, and remained in the history of our people to this day in the form of legends, epics, architectural monuments.

МАРКЕРИ ЕТНОКУЛЬТУРНОЇ СВІДОМОСТІ УКРАЇНЦІВ (НА ПРИКЛАДІ ІСТОРИЧНОЇ ЕПОПЕЇ ІВАНА ОГІЄНКА «НАШ БІЙ ЗА ДЕРЖАВНІСТЬ»)

The article outlines the main lexemes with ethnocultural marking, used in the historical epic Ivan Ohiienko «Our fi ght for statehood». The idioms, presented in the analyzed text fragments, which contain an ethnonational component in their structure, directly refl ect the worldview and thinking of Ukrainians. Ivan Ohiienko, researching the history of the formation of the Ukrainian state, very aptly emphasized the features of Ukrainians as bearers of national culture, which contained connections with vari-ous spheres – thinking, worldview, worldview, world understanding, speech, cultural interpretation etc. These deep structures of human intellectual activity in their interre-lationships created a unique code of national culture of Ukrainians who defended and continue to defend Ukrainian independence all their lives. In the historical epic of the epic, Ivan Ohiienko not by chance uses lexemes to denote objects of spiritual national culture, covering the national, religious, partly mythological and territorial-geographic sphere. One of the central markers in the work is the lexeme Ukraine, which, accord-ing to the author’s beliefs, is a personifi ed component of the ethno-cultural space of Ukrainians. The evaluative meanings used to characterize the indicated lexeme are mostly negative (burns, cries, dies, burns, trembles, freezes). The description of the basic ethnocultural phytonyms (willow, viburnum, poplar, oak) used in the work tes-tify to the mythopoetic worldview of Ukrainians. A number of used toponyms (for example, Kyiv, Lubenshchyna, Volyn, Novgorod, Berestechko, Lviv, Rohatyn etc.) are representatives of the geographical location in the work. The inseparable connection with the Motherland is presented through the description of symbols – objects of a certain territory – hydronyms (Dnipro, Dniester, Black Sea, etc.). Considerable atten-tion in the work is devoted to the religious and spiritual sphere, which is represented through the use of lexemes church, God, metropolitan priest, Cross, image etc. In gen-eral, the meaning fi eld of the epic is ethno-cultural dominants broad and multifaceted, since such lexemes are in the verbal plane implement various types of interaction of Ukrainians in society at the level of comprehension and assimilation of cultural herit-age of previous generations

Interpolations in the Valmiki Ramayan and Rationality Behind It

The present research paper investigates the interpolations in Valmiki Ramayan byfocusing on 'Bala Kanda's Original Ramayan (Mool Ramayan) and 'Uttara Kanda',which is composed around 500 CE. The Valmiki Ramayan is the first epic writtenby the first poet of the Literary world, the 'Adi Kavi' Guru Valmiki. It may be calledthe national epic of India. This paper highlights how the 'Uttara Kanda' stands apartnot only in its content but also in the texture of the text and the apparent gap in thequality of the poetry. Moreover, this research paper engages with several events in'Uttara Kanda' and how it differs from the other six Kandas. It also engages with thenuances in the poetic style of 'Uttara Kanda' by examining the language, style,emotion, and expressions. While depicting the incidents, a major focus of thepaper is to explore interpolation by examining various incidents, such as thePhalashruti at the end of 'Yuddha Kanda', Sita's banishment, Shambuk'stermination, the story of Valmiki Ramayan sung by Lava-Kusa, Sita's AgniPariksha etc.The Ramayan means journey or progress of Sri Ram. Sri Ram was not an ordinaryperson but Prince of solar dynasty and future king of Kaushal Pradesh. In thisunmatched and grand historical epic, we see the Journey of progress from being aprince to becoming the ruler of the heart of the people and national conciousnesstill date. By looking at the major points, this paper aims to negate and debunkcertain demeaning and baseless non-factual things which were created to blemishthe cultural fabric of India.

Gender, Homeland, and Homecoming in Sarrocchi's Scanderbeide

This article considers the gendering of Scanderbeg, the protagonist of Margherita Sarrocchi's 1623 historical epic, the Scanderbeide, arguing that his tendency to femininity is part of an overall project to rework traditional gender roles in the poem. Scanderbeg's femininity is most visible through his conversion to Christianity, which echoes that of Tasso's Clorinda and precipitates the war that will position him as defender of the city of Croia. While his conversion at the point of death associates him with a class of female characters in early modern epic, it also serves as a form of homecoming and links him to an ancient male predecessor, Odysseus. This figurative homecoming ultimately diminishes the importance of a geographical homeland in the poem, transforming the epic concept of patria into a symbolic motherland comprised of Scanderbeg's Christian community.

The Cyclical Nature of the Concept of «Time» (Based on the Texts of Historical Epics)

Language learning in the cognitive direction has become one of the most actual problems today. In particular, the consideration of folklore texts, in which a large linguistic stock of information has been accumulated, in the cognitive aspect will become the basis for obtaining information about the cognition, being, life of this nation. After all, historical songs are one of the most unique genres, in which the rich heritage of our people is collected, the richness of our language is revealed. The concept of «time» is a concept that requires study in linguistics. The fact is that the concept of «time» is one of the main concepts that can give a linguistic picture of the world. In science, this concept is recognized as common to many ethnic groups, creating a linguistic picture of the universe, depending on the national characteristics and experience, background knowledge of each people. In this article, the linguistic units denoting the concept of «time» are extracted from the texts of historical songs, it’s cyclical nature is determined. In linguistic studies, a sufficient number of characters of the concept of «time» are given. Time has cyclic, linear properties. However, the cyclicity of time that we analyze is considered one of the main models proven by science. Our study proves that the cyclical nature of the concept of «time» is connected with the worldview, way of life, religion of the nation. Cyclic time in historical songs is explained by the repetition of processes and it is determined with the lexical units: four seasons, 24 hours, day, night, morning, evening. In addition, examples are given and proved that the lexical units denoting «time» in our language had a symbolic meaning.

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.

HISTORICAL COMIC’S SUPERPOWERS: THE CREATIVE POWER TO COMMUNICATE VISUALLY HISTORICAL EPICS

Comics are an indisputable part of popular culture. But compared to any other audiovisual media products, the production of this form of entertainment is relatively cheap. Thus, on this fact alone comic book artform could be used to fill the demand for local historical genre in popular culture and, in turn, to contribute significantly to the formation of a modern national identity among the youngest generations of the country. However, that is not the only or even the best superpower of the medium when it comes to production of fictional historical epics for entertainment purposes. In this article, the author explores comic medium’s creative aspects that could be used to effectively communicate the various visual aspects of the past. Findings suggest that the most important visual medium’s communicative tool that creates a unique and immersive experience is stylisation, in tandem with spatial and temporal systems. Additionally, the author discusses the challenges and opportunities for comic media to emerge in an educational context.

KH.DOSMUKHAMEDOV ABOUT THE ORAL HISTORY OF THE KAZAKHS

The article highlights one side of the huge scientific and educational work of an outstanding representative of the Kazakh national intelligentsia, one of the founders of the Alash movement, a statesman Khalel Dosmukhamedov, whose bright, full of struggle and suffering life for the bright future of his people coincided with the period of socialist reorganization and the establishment of Soviet power in Kazakhstan. Despite his services to the Soviet authorities in the speedy cultural modernization of the Kazakh society, he was repressed in the late 30s of the twentieth century. His research on oral history is still relevant and important for the development of Kazakh historiography. Kh. Dosmukhamedov was one of the first to draw the attention of researchers to the connection of epic and folklore with the daily life of the Kazakhs. Kazakh epic poems, such as "Kobylandy batyr", "Narikoglu Shora", "Alpamys batyr", "Kambar batyr", "Shora batyr", "Edige Murza" in 1922-1923, in the period work in the Kyrgyz * (Kazakh) scientific commission. Together with A. Divaev, the book "Anthology of samples of Kyrgyz (Kazakh) literature"(«Хрестоматия из образцов киргизской (казахской) литературы») was written. Further development of the problem of the oral history of the Kazakhs was continued in his collections "Words of Murat-akyn", "Isatai-Makhambet" in 1924 and "The legend of the construction of the Kogeltash madrasah in Bukhara", published in Tashkent in 1927-1928 in which, in his opinion, fragments of the five-century history of the Kazakh people are reflected. He argues that, similar to the annals (historical stories) in European historiography, the Kazakh historical epic was formed as a special form of historical consciousness and knowledge in the nomadic Kazakh society.

Feminist and Materialist Philosophies of History in Caryl Churchill’s Top Girls

The first act of Caryl Churchill’s Top Girls does away with temporal boundaries, inviting women across historical periods, artistic masterworks, and literary epics to a dinner party. During the evening, the women share their life stories, interrupt each other, and attempt to be heard over the roar of their fellow guests. In some ways, it resembles an indecipherable oral history. What is history if not indecipherable? It is the role of the historian to wade through primary and secondary sources, cultural memories and forgotten artifacts, in order to construct a written, visual, or auditory historical narrative. Thus, a history as we consume it, although based in fact, necessarily relies on narrative structure. Top Girls reminds us that history is like any other narrative: shaped by social, political, and economic forces; made unintelligible, fantastical, and surreal at times, by representative modes and their failings. By playing with the notion of history, notably combining fictional and historical figures in the first act, Top Girls emphasizes the claim that history is, among other things, reliant on both factual and fictional elements, like concrete dates and narrative structures. Top Girls narrows in on two models of historical narratives: the feminist history and materialist history. In this play, there are only women onstage. Women picture, or reference, the men in their past and present—an alcoholic father, a lousy ex-husband, an insecure coworker, Rocky Mountain Jim, and the Emperor of Japan—but a man never sets foot on stage. Only women enter and exit, only women go to and from work, only women tell their histories, signaling Churchill’s dual interest in a Marxist philosophy of history and the notion of a feminist history, which emerged in the feminist movement in the ‘70s and ‘80s. Through the dramatic form, which provides a fantastical element, Churchill animates and complicates history as a feminist and socialist practice.

Чура Нарыков – политический деятель Казанского ханства

Research objectives: To reconstruct the image of Chura, the son of Naryk (Chura Narykov) – a political figure and historical personality of the period of the Kazan Khanate – based on a comparison of the historical epic with the history of the Tatar kha­nates in the first half of sixteenth century. Research materials: The author analyzes various historical sources and literature with information about the real personality of Chura Narykov, his life, and his work. She focuses on the history of the Kazan Khanate in the sixteenth century and analyzes the texts of dastans collected and published by Russian and foreign scholars from the second half of nineteenth century, along with archival and published epic texts in various versions dedicated to Chura Batyr which were distributed and recorded by Tatar-speaking informants in the Volga region. In turn, information about Chura Narykov as a real person is contained in Russian chronicles, the anonymous “Kazan history” of the sixteenth century, and in publications of Kh. Atlasi (1993), R. Fakhretdin (1995), M. Khudyakov (1990), A.Kh. Khalikov (1992), D.M. Iskhakov (1994, 1997, 2017), S.Kh. Alishev (1995), A.-Z. Validi (1992), and others. Results and novelty of the research: The author draws parallels between historical reality and the epic Chura-batyr, addresses the problems of the historical explanation of the rich material of folk art, and reveals the commonality between reality and epic works about Chura-batyr. The study systematically proves the relevance – in the history of the Turkic peoples – of political events associated with the Tatar khanates that existed until the late Middle Ages, focusing on the fact that during this period Kazan was a major political center of important events of a global scale. Key aspects of the topic raised in the study contribute to a more detailed study of the history of the Golden Horde and the Tatar khanates, determining the role and historical significance of the Tatar version of the dastan about Chura-batyr along with other Turkic versions and variants. The historical personality of Chura Narykov is considered as a prototype of not only the Tatar, but also the Turkic historical and heroic epic.