Article

Name: Features of the historical tale about Ir Tokhchin in Khakass non-fairytale prose

Authors: V. V. Mindibekova

In the section Прозаический фольклор

Abstract: The article discusses Khakas historical texts (polɢan kip-chookhtar) about Ir Tokhchin. One particularly valuable feature of this text is that it contains variants in all four Khakas dialects: Sagai, Kachin, Kyzyl and Shor. Non-fairytale prose is one of the most substantial components of the Khakas folk heritage. This paper discusses the genre features of Khakas non-fairytale prose that have been little studied until recently. Non-fairytale prose are one of the most important sources for studying the material and spiritual culture of an ethnos. Based on archival materials, an attempt is made at making a genre differentiation of non-fairytale prose. Historical tales form the largest and most content-rich aspect of the Khakas folklore tradition. An important place among them is occupied by a cycle that includes stories about famous persons, about the struggle of the tribes that de-veloped historically into the modern Khakas nation. They tell of famous past heroes and describe various incidents that took place in the nation’s history. Particularly widespread are tales about Ir Tokhchin. The types of story lines of Khakas historical tales include narratives about the nation’s resistance to aggressors, the destruction of encampments by enemies, enslavement and flight from captivity, and the people’s renewed unification around courageous leaders. Some conclude with a description of how fighters perished in fierce battles; others tell of how victory over the enemy was achieved. Sometimes, even the most diverse story lines share motifs of heroic competi-tions. They provide a broad picture of the everyday life and social relations. The creation of historical tales from the point of view of their development was originally connected with the depiction of actual events and people. They clear-ly reflect the actual historical and geographic entities. Among them we find a cycle including stories about the struggle of the tribes against their oppressors: Mongols and Jungars. They mention specific enemies who bear the name of ‘Mool’. The article on folklore explains the place these tales occupy in the ethnic traditions of the Khakas people, the specif-ics of different genres, poetic values, and also ethnographic and historical information about the Khakas, their language, dialects, writing system, and the history of collecting and studying the Khakas folklore.

Keywords: non-fairytale prose of Khakas, historical tales, plots, Ir Tokhchin

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