THE IMAGE OF GENGHIS KHAN IN THE FOLKLORE OF THE BURYATS
DOI: 10.23951/2307-6119-2022-3-149-159
The article discusses the image of Genghis Khan in Buryat folklore, including oral stories, legends, and songs. The aim of the study is to understand the level of preservation or loss of mythological and historical elements in Buryat folklore. Through analysis of the available material, it is revealed that Genghis Khan is depicted as a mythological hero, endowed with the features of an epic hero and connected to the anthropogonic and cosmogonic myths of the Buryats. He is also portrayed as a cultural hero, creator and inventor, with parallels drawn to the future Buddha. In toponymic legends, some areas are associated with Genghis Khan's presence in those places. It is concluded that the myth and history in Buryat folklore are represented unequally, with Genghis Khan being characterized in three aspects: mythological, folklore-epic, and Buddhist. In some versions of the folklore, he is depicted as the initiator of certain wedding ceremony rituals, while in others he is portrayed as a cultural hero and the creator of a set of moral and ethical rules. The article also discusses the portrayal of Genghis Khan's horses as his unchanging companions and the inclusion of the motif of a red fox, which refers to the plot of were foxes and emphasizes the harmful nature of this mythological character.
Keywords: Buryat folklore, Genghis Khan, folklore character, cultural hero, toponymic legends
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Issue: 3, 2022
Series of issue: Issue 3
Rubric: ANTHROPOLOGY
Pages: 149 — 159
Downloads: 473