Article

Name: Poetics of shamanic text dedicated to the deity Altai-Kudai, in the recording of A.V. Anokhin

Authors: N. R. Oinotkinova

Institute of Philology of the SB RAS, Novosibirsk, Russian Federation

In the section Обрядовый фольклор

Abstract: The paper is devoted to identifying the compositional and semantic features of the shamanic text recorded by A. V. Anokhin in 1910 from the Tuba shaman Balandi. The analysis showed the text to consistently reflect all the ritual actions characteristic of the shaman rite. The main actions are invoking deities and host spirits, sacrifices to deities and master spirits of the Middle World, and sprinkling of the Ot-Ene, home spirit of fire. The ceremony had a family and household character, with the main purpose being to ask for grace for one family. The cult of mountains, worship of the deities and spirits of the Middle World reflected in the rite (Altai-Kudai ‘Altai-God’, Jayik ‘Dyayik (Idol Creator)’, Ot-Ene ‘Fire-Mother’) indicate the involvement of the performer of this ritual text in the South Altai tradition of shamanism. The appeal to the deity Altai-Kudai testifies to the fact that already at the beginning of the twen- tieth century, the Altaians formed a monotheistic image of a single deity. The key mythologeme in the text is the shaman’s journey to the top of the ridge inhabited by the deity Altai-Kudai who gives grace, happiness, and prosperity to the souls of cattle and children. The analyzed shamanic text is distinguished by a high solemn style. The poetic form of the shamanic text provides maximum expressiveness and ultimate emotional and semantic richness. Its syllabic structure varies from seven to twelve syllables. The ritual structure consists of three-day actions with sacrifice to the spirits-masters of the sacred mountains.

Keywords: Altai folklore, rituals of the Altaians, Altai shamanism, shamanic text, structure and semantics of shamanic

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