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Genre Specificity of Shamanic Narratives in the Folklore Tradition of Tuvans

Zhanna M. Yusha

Critique and Semiotics 2022 DOI: 10.25205/2307-1737-2022-2-258-274 (opens in new tab)

Study at a glance

AI-extracted from the abstract
Characteristics Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed
Topics Shamanism
Key points Argues that Tuvan shamanic narratives fall into two complementary types, those performed by the ritual specialist and those by the bearer of the tradition, and that they combine features of oral narrative, myth, mythological narrative, and legend, which the authors attribute to archaic syncretism of folklore consciousness. The narratives also contain shamanic algysh-chants whose pragmatic functions and thematic range the work describes.

Abstract

Genre features and structure of shamanic narratives existing in Tuvan folklore are analyzed. Two types of stories have been identified in the performing tradition – from the ritual specialist and the bearer of the tradition. The mythological picture in both types of stories complement each other, in them the general narrative model characteristic of shamanic narratives is preserved. It is revealed that shamanic narratives combine features of various genres of non-narrative prose: oral narrative, myth and mythological narrative, legend and legend, which indicates the archaic syncretism of folklore consciousness. In the structure of shamanic narratives, the differentiating features characteristic of a particular genre of non-narrative prose are described in detail and described. In shamanic narratives, the presence of shamanic algysh-chants is revealed; their pragmatic functions are determined; their thematic diversity is revealed.

Comparable studies

Other theoretical and historical papers on shamanism, most cited first.

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