Epic Of Jangar Research Articles

К изучению источников по духовной культуре олетов Хулун-Буира

The article studies some sources that deal with certain aspects inherent to spiritual culture of Hulun Buir Olots (PRC). The work is topical enough since the ethnic group is small, and its size tends to further decrease. Insight into various aspects of history and culture of Hulun Buir Olots may be instrumental in clarifying individual issues of the historical and cultural unity of Western Mongols — Oirats (until the middle of the 18th century) — and reconstructing certain elements of their traditional culture. Goals. The paper aims to identify and investigate sources in Classical and modern Mongolian (Cyrillic) containing data on folklore, religion, and the formation of Olots in Hulun Buir. Results. The study reveals spiritual culture of the ethnic group is still characterized by many features typical for that of the Oirats. So, Olots of Hulun Buir have preserved the folk song Altai Khangai, songs and legends about the Oirat leader Galdan Boshogtu Khan. The lingering folk songs performed by Olots of Hulun Buir are similar to the those of Olots in Khovd (Mongolia). The article also examines pastoral songs, shamanic invocations, legends about the struggle between shamans and Buddhist priests. It is noteworthy that the first Buddhist monastery called Buyan Tsugluulagch was founded in 1785, and contributed a lot to the strengthening of Buddhism in the region. Olots paid great attention to the development of school education. For example, Zhalfun (a common clerk) founded a home school in an ordinary yurt around the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He was teaching Mongolian and Manchu writing. Master Buyantogtokh founded an elementary school during the Manchukuo period and his student Ts. Hada grew to become a prominent scientist. The work also analyzes modern poems of some Olot intellectuals about Anu Khatun (Galdan Boshogtu Khan’s wife), school, etc. The study of Olot proverbs shows some of them belong to the general Mongolian cluster, and some have analogies in the Buryat and Barga (Barghut) languages. Moreover, the study discovers that until recently Olots of Hulun Buir have had storytellers that could recite the Jangar epic. Conclusions. Olots of Hulun Buir have a rich spiritual culture, and some elements of the latter go back to the common Oirat cultural heritage. At the same time, the spiritual culture of the ethnic group has its own local characteristics resulting from their long stay in Hulun Buir.

Выставка изобразительного искусства, посвященная 500-летию эпоса «Джангар»: первые профессиональные художники Калмыкии

The article examines the emergence of Kalmykia’s professional arts activities in the 1930s. Goals. It seeks to review formation stages of the ethnic school, determine its essentials and local features as part of Soviet artistic culture. In this regard, a fundamental research problem is that the vast majority of local pre-war visual arts works had been lost during the Great Patriotic War and Kalmyk deportation (1943–1956). Materials and Methods. Considered are works of Kalmykia’s first professional artists ― such as I. Nuskhaev, L. Ochirov,R. Bogoslavsky, etc. ― inspired by epic heritage and realia of Socialist construction. The study employs a historical-and-cultural approach which determines the use of sources (archival papers, eyewitness reports, available pictorial works and studies); characterizes the pre-war life of the republic and its integration into Socialist cultural environment. Results. The paper reveals a central event of the era, examines the preparation and arrangements of the 1940 jubilee exhibition to celebrate 500 years of the Kalmyk heroic epic of Jangar. Conclusions. Cultural heritage proved most essential to the formation of Soviet Kalmykia’s pictorial arts trend, central to the latter being traditions of Russian realistic art represented by ethnos-related works of V. Favorsky and his colleagues.

Finding the ‘Epic of Jangar’: the literary construction of an early Oirat epic in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region

ABSTRACT During the early reform period in China beginning in 1978, intellectuals and government agencies expended significant resources collecting, ‘revising’, and publishing folk literature in collaboration with local folk artists and amateur collectors. While folk artists were encouraged to re-engage with past folk practices, academics were required to analyze and preserve this ‘folk culture’ ‘scientifically’, ‘objectively’, and ‘correctly’. This paper utilizes oral narratives of surviving agents and related materials to follow the politicized process of collection, ‘revision’, and publication of what would be called the ‘Epic of Jangar’ of Xinjiang’s Oirat Mongols. Through this process, a unified narrative began to emerge that assisted in the construction of a unique ‘excellent’ Mongol – but above all Chinese-Mongol – culture. Through textualization, historical ritualized socializing performances were systematically decontextualized and simultaneously recontextualized as a great contribution to Chinese national literature.

A JANGAR-CHAPTER CHANTED BY THE BAARIN KHUURCH RINCHIN

In the present paper, one chapter of the Jangar epic, chanted by the famous storyteller, khuurch Rinchin of Inner-Mongolian Baarin origin, is discussed from two main points of view: (1) the spread of Jangar among Mongols not belonging to Oirats and Kalmyks, and (2) how contemporary social circumstances transform the traditional heroic epic into another folkloric genre, i.e. the so-called khuuriin ülger. The chapter ‘Minggan, the Beauty of the World’ told by khuurch Rinchin—discussed here—is well known from other Jangar publications like the ‘Mingyan the Beauty of the World’ (published in the Thirteen Chapters Jangar/Jinggar: Takil ǰula qaγan-u üledel Tangsuγ bumba qaγan-u ači Üǰüng aldar qaγan-u köbegün üye-in önöčin Jingγar-un tuγuǰi arban γurban bölög). The life story of Rinchin and his creative innovation in traditional folklore genres are typical phenomena of the contemporary transitional period in preserving and sustaining folklore genres and performance.

Лексико-семантическая структура глагола движения һарх ‘выходить’ в калмыцком языке (на материале калмыцкого героического эпоса «Джангар»)

Лексико-семантическая структура глагола движения һарх ‘выходить’ в калмыцком языке (на материале калмыцкого героического эпоса «Джангар»)

Прилагательные, выражающие тактильные ощущения в калмыцком языке (на материале калмыцкого героического эпоса «Джангар» и Национального корпуса калмыцкого языка)

Прилагательные, выражающие тактильные ощущения в калмыцком языке (на материале калмыцкого героического эпоса «Джангар» и Национального корпуса калмыцкого языка)

Анализ употребления коллокационного ряда лексемы «күдр» в эпосе «Джангар»

Анализ употребления коллокационного ряда лексемы «күдр» в эпосе «Джангар»

Лексико-семантическая структура глагола движения һарх ‘выходить’ в калмыцком языке (на материале калмыцкого героического эпоса «Джангар»)

Лексико-семантическая структура глагола движения һарх ‘выходить’ в калмыцком языке (на материале калмыцкого героического эпоса «Джангар»)

Матримониальные коллизии в калмыцком эпосе «Джангар» и сказаниях тюрко-монгольских народов Сибири

Introduction. The Jangar epic is an essentially heroic composition represented by five cycles and one separate song. Goals. The paper aims to consider songs of the early Baγa Tsokhor Cycle of the Jangar based on archaic epic patterns nuclear elements to which being those dealing with the hero’s matchmaking. Methods. The revealed nuclear motifs of matrimonial collisions – within a comparative and typological analysis involving matchmaking-related legends of the Altaians, Buryats and Tuvans – allows defining somewhat invariant motifs of the archaic epos that trace their origins back to mythology and previous epic traditions. Results. The research reveals the role of the father-in-law who acts as a master of waters and whose image goes back to ‘hunting’ epic patterns. The description of the father-in-law’s invariant role became possible due to the use of epic compositions of Siberian Turko-Mongols since the Kalmyk epic tradition contains only rudimentary elements of this image. The paper also shows that in the legends examined– texts of the Baγa Tsokhor Cycle being no exception – it is a representative of the water world who acts as the hero’s betrothed, the hero here being rivaled by creatures of heavenly origin. Motifs of search of the betrothed in the other world, Khan Jangar’s travels through alien worlds also attest to archaic nature of the cycle. Conclusions. Songs of the Baγa Tsokhor Cycle are based on the invariant nuclear motif cluster of the archaic epos, as well as epics of Siberian Turko-Mongols, and it is comparison with the latter that sheds light on numerous ancient motifs or their rudiments that cannot be described or explained in any way. A possible development of the cycle gets clearer when viewed through the prism of the ‘initial nucleus’ theory. So, the Baγa Tsokhor Cycle formed as a result of growth and ‘volume swell’ of nuclear topics and motifs of the archaic epos. The Jangar’s archaic songs developed into a classical heroic epic in accordance with general epic development patterns.

Особенности сюжетологии в синьцзян-ойратской эпической традиции

Studies of epic plots constitute an urgent issue of present-day folklore poetics. The paper considers plots of the Jangar epic as living narratives in all their structural complexity, relevance of motifs, and eventfulness on the content level. Goals. The study aims to provide an insight how the tradition organizes and presents epic plots, reveal semantic and structural ties, relations between characters, discover some hidden expositions, contaminations, novelties, plot transformations, and modifications. The research objects are Xinjiang Oirat Jangar epic plots dealing with the hero’s matchmaking. Results. The analysis of the mentioned plots in the context of the contemporary Xinjiang Oirat national tradition reveals some typical plot formation features. In the Xinjiang Oirat tradition, the universal Turko-Mongolic epic theme of the hero’s matchmaking is characterized by diversity mirroring various matchmaking forms inherent to the fabulous-and-epic antiquity, as well as consecutive changes in marriage patterns and family relations, vestiges of matriarchy and patriarchal trends, marriage by abduction, cradle marriage, traditional marriage, etc. The study reveals that the Xinjiang Oirat tradition contains all types of plots: archaic plots rich in motifs, traditional and classical ones. The discovered polystadial patterns include ― to a greater or lesser extent ― impacts of archaic and classical types of the epos. It should be noted that some traditional motifs have experienced transformations within classical plots, and their content, event background, functions of characters come close to historical reality. Plots of the late ‘living’ epic Xinjiang Oirat tradition illustrate processes of introducing taletelling novelties and contaminations. The latter can be manifested in episodes determined by contextual interrelations of plots within the tradition and community, as well as in borrowings from the Kalmyk version (‘About Uzyung Aldar Khan’s Marriage’, ‘About How the Glorious Noyon Bogdo Jangar Married Aga Shavdal’, ‘About Khoshun’s Marriage’). The paper traces plots with double contaminations, e.g., the plot ‘about an imaginary bridegroom’ (‘About Khan Siyr’), the plot ‘about the imaginary bride’ (‘About Khongor’s Marriage’), the plot ‘about a prohibition and its violation’ (‘About Uzyung Aldar Khan’s Marriage’). The commonality of epic plots is traced on the contensive level of epic situations and collisions, functions of characters, movement of narratives.

О некоторых наименованиях посуды и кухонной утвари в калмыцком языке (на материале «Толкового словаря языка калмыцкого героического эпоса „Джангар“»)

The article deals with the thematic group ‘Names of Cooking Wares and Utensils’ in the context of the creation of the Explanatory Dictionary of the Kalmyk heroic epic of Jangar (EDJ). The work reveals some peculiarities and distinct features of names of wares and utensils, examines the lexemes хәәсн ‘cauldron’, ааһ ‘bowl; cup’, шанһ ‘ladle’, and provides examples of concise dictionary entries with the mentioned lexical units acting as header words. In general, names of cooking wares and utensils are poorly represented in the Jangar Epic. This is likely to have been determined by the nomadic lifestyle of the Oirats - ancestors of the Kalmyks - which required universal minimalism, including in household activities. The epic narratives contain no detailed descriptions of such wares or utensils, and to restore some missing distinct features during the compilation of corresponding definitions authors of EDJ turn to lexicographic, ethnographic, and other sources to clarify the meanings of certain words.

К вопросу о причастных формах калмыцкого языка (на материале эпоса «Джангар»)

The article deals with the use patterns of participles as revealed by a case study of varying versions of the Kalmyk heroic epic of Jangar recorded in different periods. Participles play a special role in grammatical structures of Mongolic languages. In different positions they denote either processes, or a corresponding attribute, or a performer of the action. This is what actually distinguishes participles from other verb forms. The examined texts of the Jangar Epic vividly illustrate the structural variety of Kalmyk participles. Being efficient expressive means, attributive verb forms facilitate more comprehensive descriptions of events/situations and attach special dynamics to the latter.

Об указателе эпических мотивов (к опыту составления)

Introduction. The article considers and analyzes efforts of domestic and foreign folklore specialists to compile indexes of folklore genres. So far there is no universal index to have united epic materials of various cultures. The index of epic motifs being developed is based on texts of six songs of the Baγa-Tsokhor and Baγa-Dorbet cycles of the Kalmyk heroic epic of Jangar recorded in the mid- and late 19th century. Goals. The work aims to develop principles and methods of compiling an index of motifs traced within the early cycles of the Kalmyk epos of Jangar (Baγa-Tsokhor and Baγa-Dorbet ones). Methods. A structural-semantic approach allows to study this perspective in detail, to disclose semantics of a certain motif and more widely consider a motif fund of the Kalmyk epic tradition which will is, in turn, compared with the all-Mongolic epic fund of motifs. Results. The research identifies three motif blocks, namely: ‘epic time and space’, ‘a feast of heroes’ and ‘the hero’s biography’ that also to be divided into separate motifs. The first block, ‘epic time and space’, reflects motifs of an epic prolog ― the ‘exposition motifs’ which are least dynamic within an epos plot. The early cycles contain sizeable epic prologues which make a third in some epic songs. Motifs of a prologue most informatively reflect a picture of the world, give important information and serve as codes for interpretation of cosmogonical representations of the ethnos. The second block of motifs, a feast of heroes’, contains the ‘linking motifs’ facilitating further deployment of a plot. A feast in the Kalmyk epic serves a starting point of an epic plot. A message about intentions of antagonists predicted by the prophet or an antagonist hero to have arrived to a feast acts as a dynamic beginning of the sequence of events. This is followed by that a hero to tackle the challenge is determined by a lot or self-promotion. And it is here that the place and time of another meeting of heroes is discussed. The feast comes to an end after a departure of the chosen hero. Pictures of the feast in a prologue and a final part are similar. The third block of motifs, ‘the hero’s biography’, reveals stages in the biography of the epic hero and contains sections, such as miraculous birth, heroic childhood, marriage collisions, combat collisions, death. This block contains the main standard motifs, most dynamic ‘event motifs’, ‘motifs of action’. Conclusions. The Baγa-Tsokhor and Baγa-Dorbet cycles of the Jangar represent the earliest records (19th century) the Kalmyk heroic epic. The cycles retain a rich archaic motif fund stemming from mythology and preceding epic traditions. Systematization of epic motifs is based on the biographic description of an epic character and is constructed according to a song plot.

Образ коня в устном народном творчестве калмыков (на материале архивных аудиозаписей КалмНЦ РАН)

The article examines the image of the horse depicted in a number of archival materials. Being a thinking being, the horse has always been of interest to both Russian and foreign scholars. And it is definitely integral to the Kalmyk nomadic culture. The horse is constantly praised in Kalmyk songs and the heroic epic of Jangar. It also occupies a prominent place in different genres of ethnic folklore, acting as a devoted friend and aid. In proverbs the horse is often associated with male humans. The paper narrates about distinctive marks (Kalm. шинҗс) and curative powers of the horse.

Лексема билцг: к вопросу о происхождении и семантике (на материале эпоса «Джангар»)*

The article presents results of a study conducted within the project framework ‘A Definition Dictionary of the Language of the Kalmyk Heroic Epic of Jangar’. 28 Jangar epic songs have been investigated, the object of research being the lexeme biltsg ‘(signet) ring’ included in the word list of the Definition Dictionary. So, the paper attempts to examine the etymology and semantics of the mentioned word. Analysis of the thematic group of adornments can hardly introduce any critical discoveries in linguistics or history and ethnography, but it does facilitate solving questions on separate aspects of spiritual and cultural life of people, helps reconstruct fragments of the archaic view of the world once developed by the Turco-Mongols. The lexeme biltsg is one of the most rarely used words of the epic: only 4 patterns discovered in the whole of the Jangar. The analysis of the etymology — with due regard of related scholarly literature — concludes that the Kalmyk biltsg ‘(signet) ring’ cannot be reduced to the Turkic bizelüq. Still, two etymologically opposing variants of the lexeme were used in Mongolic languages. Thus, the forms bilesüg and bilüčеg have differing morphemic structures. The first one is a compound word and stems from — as aforementioned — the Turkic bilek ‘wrist’ + üsüg ‘ring’ which was actually never adopted by Mongolic languages due to the absence of a corresponding regular affix in the mentioned language systems. The second form is a completely Mongolic word structure, namely: the stem bile- + affix -čЕg. The lexeme is determined (motivated) by a relict stem to have constituted the basis of the proto-Turkic *bilek and that of the proto-Tungus-Manchu *bilen; though the stem is no longer to be traced in modern languages. The historical morphemic structure of the Kalmyk word consists of бил + цг < *bülü + čЕg where the first part is a nominative or verbal (?) stem, and the latter one is an affix applied to form nouns with meanings of either result or object nomination, their main function being that what is denominated by the motivating stem. The epic uses the word biltsg in the meaning of ‘signet ring’ which serves as a symbol of power and strength, also acting as a protective amulet which is typical for traditional culture of the Kalmyks.

Синьцзян-ойратская версия «Джангара»: эпосоведческие исследования в Китае

Academic studies and theoretical comprehension of the Jangar Epic had long been solely based on materials of the Kalmyk version discovered over 150 years before the Xinjiang Oirat tradition was introduced into scientific discourse, which had largely determined the establishment and development of Jangar studies as a research discipline. Since the 1980s, numerous texts of the Xinjiang Oirat version have been published, thus revealing a formidable original national epic tradition that has become integral to present-day Jangar studies. At the initial stage, Jangar studies in China consisted in collecting and publishing diverse episodes (chapters) of the epic monument. Within quite a short period of time common efforts resulted in multiple recordings of both complete and incomplete episodes of epic texts, i.e. a total of 70 songs and 150 variants. Epic studies by academic folklorists in the PRC initially examined the actual performing schools of the Jangar, peculiarities of the tale-telling tradition inherent to Xinjiang Oirats. Areal traditions of the Xinjiang version of the epic were investigated by Liu Shiu who pointed out some specific features typical for different ethnic groups. The famous scholar T. Jamtso paid great attention to dissemination and preservation of the Xinjiang Oirat epic tradition, and concluded that essentially taletellers could be referred to somewhat old and new formations respectively. The Xinjiang Oirat tradition stems from Central Asian epic entity and is characterized by typological unity and stability. According to T. Jamtso, variability of texts is linguistically determined by the origins and status of a certain jangarchi (Kalm. ‘epic reciter’). The variable nature of the version is also explained by regional peculiarities of different traditions and result in separate studies of epic traditions existing in different areas. In this regard, one should stress the influence of the written tradition on the oral one, and the role of bookish epic texts in the Xinjiang Oirat oral tradition. The vast majority of researchers mention the oral tradition of the Jangar in Xinjiang, but there had also existed a written tradition that gave rise to a number of epic texts (manuscripts). With evidence from predecessors’ experiences, D. Taya investigates a set of questions related to the history of the Jangar epic tradition, its dissemination, characteristics of early and later jangarchis, traditions of performing schools, customs and rituals accompanying the recitation process and their meanings. Researches by Chinese scholars also touch upon the debating point as to when and how the Epic of Jangar took shape. Zh. Rinchindorji characterizes the Jangar as a fairy-tale based literary composition which developed into a huge multiversion narrative between the 13th and 17th centuries. He attempts to confirm his conclusions by references to the main contents of the epic reflecting an internal struggle of the Oirats against aliens, and distinguishes between some main plot and co-occurring ones, the core of the composition and some secondary elements. T. Jamtso provides an overview of interpretations of the name ‘Jangar’ existing in both the Xinjiang Oirat and Mongolian traditions, and sets forth an original hypothesis: ‘jangar’ is etymologically Oirat, while the phrases ‘Jangar-Khan’ and ‘Bogdo Noyon Jangar’ can be translated as ‘an ingenious ruler of the state’ and ‘a wise khan of the northern state of Bumba’ respectively. Thus, epic studies of the Xinjiang Oirat version of the Jangar in China develop and deal with topical issues of the current trends and peculiarities inherent to the tale-telling tradition, areal traditions, dissemination and preservation of the epic, its typology and variable nature, genesis and formation activities. Epic studies and publications of the Xinjiang Oirat version provide wide opportunities for comparative and typological investigations of the literary monument.

Трехмирие в героическом эпосе «Джангар» и сказочной традиции калмыков (на материале архивных аудиозаписей КалмНЦ РАН)

В статье рассматривается мотив трехмирия в калмыцком герои­ческом эпосе «Джангар», в «Сказании о хане Мань Вадр», записанном у сказителя Н. Надвидова, а также в калмыцких народных сказках, хранящихся в Научном архиве КалмНЦ РАН. В результате сравнительного анализа героического эпоса «Джангар», «Сказания о хане Мань Вадр» и народных сказок выявлена сохранность мифологической основы. В статье описаны мифологические представления калмыков об окружающем мире и т. д. В эпосе «Джангар» и народных сказках содержится богатый материал для изу­чения мифологического представления калмыков о трехмирии, которое своими корнями уходит в глубь веков.

Анализ фразеологизмов со значением «подвергнуться наказанию» и «казнить, наказать», в структуре которых имеется глагол харһх (на материале эпоса «Джангар»)

Анализ фразеологизмов со значением «подвергнуться наказанию» и «казнить, наказать», в структуре которых имеется глагол харһх (на материале эпоса «Джангар»)

О СОМАТИЧЕСКОЙ ЛЕКСИКЕ В «ТОЛКОВОМ СЛОВАРЕ ЯЗЫКА КАЛМЫЦКОГО ГЕРОИЧЕСКОГО ЭПОСА „ДЖАНГАР“» (НА ПРИМЕРЕ ЛЕКСЕМ ТОЛҺА ‘ГОЛОВА’, ЧИРӘ ‘ЛИЦО’)

The article analyzes the somatic vocabulary included in A Definition Dictionary of the Language of the Jangar Epic, and also examines cases of use of lexical units with the somatisms tolɣā ʻheadʼ and cīrǟ ʻfaceʼ, evaluating some dictionary entries with the specified header words.

ТИТУЛЬНЫЕ ЛЕКСЕМЫ ХАН, ХААН, ХАТН В ТОЛКОВОМ СЛОВАРЕ ЯЗЫКА КАЛМЫЦКОГО ГЕРОИЧЕСКОГО ЭПОСА «ДЖАНГАР»

The article examines the thematic group ‘titles’ in the context of development of the Definition Dictionary of the Kalmyk Heroic Epic of Jangar, and analyzes the title lexemes khan, khān, khatn. The frequency of use of the titles allows to identify their place in the language of the Oirats — ancestors of the Kalmyks, a detailed study of the titles helps determine the meanings of some rare titles (e.g., söltg ‘prince possessing no subjects’), as the Jangar epic is probably the only remaining source they can be borrowed from for studies. Compilation of dictionary entries containing title denoting lexemes as header words with application of all illustrative examples from songs of the epic might be useful for researchers of the Kalmyk language and folklore, it may also be used in supplements to lexicographical works. In modern Kalmyk, the title lexemes act as historicisms. Keywords: Kalmyk language, text corpus of the Jangar Epic, definition dictionary, dictionary entry, titles.