Story-typological features of the legend "Bogdo Changar Khan" in the tradition of Tuvans and the epic “Dzhangar” in the national versions of the Kalmyks of Russia and the Oirats of Xinjiang

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.25178/nit.2019.4.11

Keywords:

Bogdo Changar Khan; Jangar; epic; legend; epic typology; epic narrative; plot; motif; Tuvans; Kalmyks; Oirats; Xinjiang; Turko-Mongolic epics

Abstract

The article examines the legend of ‘Bogdo Changar Khan’ once integral to the Tuvan epic tradition, establishing its plot-typological parallels to Kalmyk and Xinjiang-Oirat versions of the ‘Jangar’ epic.

The legend of Changar (Jangar) that was created and took shape within the Tuvan epic tradition has retained some structural poetic features of the ancient original culture, bearing traces of the patriarchal lifestyle and indigenous ideology, genre syncretism of the heroic epic and magic-heroic tale, mythological layers rooted in archaic narratives of Siberian Turko-Mongols. At the same time, it shows certain typological affinities with Kalmyk and Xinjiang-Oirat Jangar texts in terms of themes and plots, motifs and images, definite cyclical structures.

The paper reveals the dissemination and existence of the legend about Changar (Jangar) in the Tuvan tradition was closely related to the cult of the epic hero Changar (Jangar) and determined by most ancient historical, cultural and ethnic ties with the Oirats that reached their peak during the era of the Dzungar Khanate.

References

Bogdo Changar Khan (1973). In: Uchenye zapiski. Elista, KNIIYaLI. Vol. XI. Pp. 122–127. (In Russ.).

Dzhangar. Kalmytskii geroicheskii epos [Jangar. The Kalmyk heroic epic] (1990). Comp., prep., comment. and glossary by N. Ts. Bitkeev et al. Moscow, Nauka. 475 p. (In Kalm. and Russ.).

Dzhangar. Geroicheskii epos sin'tszyanskikh oirat-mongolov [Jangar. The heroic epic of Xinjiang Oirat-Mongols] (2005). In 3 vols. Elista, Dzhangar. Vol. 1. 856 p. (In Kalm.).

Dzhangar. Geroicheskii epos sin'tszyanskikh oirat-mongolov [Jangar. The heroic epic of Xinjiang Oirat-Mongols] (2006). In 3 vols. Elista, Dzhangar. Vol. 2. 831 p. (In Kalm.).

Kichikov, A. Sh. (1973) O tuvinskoi bogatyrskoi skazke «Bogdo Changar khane» [About the Tuvan heroic tale ‘Bogda Chagar-Khan’]. In: Uchenye zapiski. Elista, KNIIYaLI. Vol. XI. Pp. 118–121. (In Russ.).

Kuular, D. S. (2004) Tuvinskaya versiya «Dzhangara» [A Tuvan version of the Jangar]. In: Dzhangar» i problemy epicheskogo tvorchestva [The Jangar and problems of epic creativity]. Conference proceedings (Elista, 22–24 August 1990). Ed. by N. Ts. Bitkeev, E. B. Ovalov. Elista, Dzhangar. 542 p. Pp. 143–148. (In Russ.).

Meletinsky, E. M. (2004) Proiskhozhdenie geroicheskogo eposa. Rannie formy i arkhaicheskie pamyatniki [Origins of the heroic epic. Early forms and archaic monuments]. Moscow, Vostochnaya Literatura. 462 p. (In Russ.).

Orus-ool, S. M. (2011) «Dzhangar» i epos tyurko-mongol'skikh narodov [Jangar and the epic of Turko-Mongols]. In: Orus-ool, S. M. Izbrannye nauchnye trudy [Selected scholarly works]. Abakan, Zhurnalist. 296 p. Pp. 35–55. (In Russ.).

Taube, E. (2004) Sledy syuzhetov «Dzhangara» v fol'klore tuvintsev na Altae [Traces of the Jangar’s plots in folklore of Altaian Tuvans]. In: Dzhangar» i problemy epicheskogo tvorchestva [The Jangar and problems of epic creativity]. Conference proceedings (Elista, 22–24 August 1990). Ed. by N. Ts. Bitkeev, E. B. Ovalov. Elista, Dzhangar. 542 p. Pp. 172–189. (In Russ.).

Published

29.11.2019

How to Cite

Селеева Ц. Б. Сюжетно-типологические особенности сказания «Богдо Чаңгар хан» в традиции тувинцев и эпоса «Джангар» в национальных версиях калмыков России и ойратов Синьцзяна[Электронный ресурс] // Новые исследования Тувы. 2019, № 4. URL: https://nit.tuva.asia/nit/article/view/889 (дата обращения: дд.мм.гг.). DOI: 10.25178/nit.2019.4.11

Seleeva T. B. Story-typological features of the legend "Bogdo Changar Khan" in the tradition of Tuvans and the epic “Dzhangar” in the national versions of the Kalmyks of Russia and the Oirats of Xinjiang. The New Research of Tuva. 2019, № 4. URL: https://nit.tuva.asia/nit/article/view/889 (access date ...). DOI: 10.25178/nit.2019.4.11

Issue

Section

Aspects of Culture

Author Biography

Tsagan B. Seleevа, Kalmyk Scientific Center, Russian Academy of Sciences

Candidate of Philology, Research Associate, Department of Mongolian Philology, Kalmyk Scientific Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

Postal address: 8 Ilishkin St., 358000, Elista, Russian Federation.

Tel.: +7 (4722) 3-55-06.

E-mail: tsagana007@mail.ru