Article

Name: Continuity of the Khori-Buryat epic tradition as reflected in Mongolian Buryat uligers narrated by Dugar Manzaron, the Mongolian Buryat, with a focus on his narrative technique specifics

Authors: Badma-Khanda B. Tsybikova

Institute for Mongolian, Buddhist and Tibetan Studies of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Ulan-Ude, Russian Federation

In the section Study of folklore

Abstract:

The research investigates two uligers that were originally introduced into scientific circulation by Ts.-A. N. Dugarnimaev. These uligers were recorded from Dugar Manzaron, a talented storyteller representing one of the Buryat ethnic groups living in Mongolia. A brief historical background is provided on the Buryats’ migration to Mongolia. The purpose of the study is to identify common and local connections between the uliger texts analyzed, within the Khori-Buryat epic tradition. The plot, motive structure, and features of the motive fund realization are characterized. Both texts share a central narrative core, which involves the hero’s departure for marriage, battles, and the completion of assigned tasks. Common elements include the return of a kidnapped bride, wife, or parents by a hostile khan or mythical creature. Differences are observed in the elaboration of specific plot motives, such as the location of Mangadhai’s soul, the main character’s metamorphosis, and reincarnation as a relative of Mangadhai. A notable feature of the texts recorded in Mongolia is the incorporation of Buddhist characters, attributes, and rituals into their plots. The analysis of the relationship between plot and motives within the epic narrative is crucial for revealing the artistic space and structure of uliger texts. The plot-compositional organization of the uligers by D. Manzaron is disclosed for the first time, and the consistent nature of the epic tradition across time is identified. These findings provide a valuable comparative framework for analyzing the traditions of other ethnic groups.

Keywords: uligers, epic tradition, Buryats of Mongolia, plots, motives, general, distinctive

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