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DOI: 10.46698/VNC.2021.15.8.010

DEMONOLOGICAL IMAGES IN THE KARACHAY-BALKAR HEROIC EPOS «NARTA».

Gergokova, Leila S.
Kavkaz Forum. 2021. Issue 8.
Abstract:
The article examines demonological (zoomorphic, anthropomorphic
and zooanthropomorphic) images based on the oral monument of the
Karachai-Balkarian folklore of the heroic epic «Narts». Characteristic
examples of these images are given, who are protagonists in the texts of
the spiritual heritage of the studied ethnos.
The relevance of the work is due to the fact that the types of demonic
characters of the Karachai-Balkarian Nart epic were discussed in a number
of research works, but this issue has not yet been sufficiently studied. To
reveal some of the characteristic features of antagonists of epic heroes,
when writing the work, textological, descriptive, comparative, structuraltypological
and structural-semantic research methods were used.
The article provides a comparative analysis of the anthropomorphic
images in mythological customs of the geographically neighbouring
peoples of the Caucasus. The materials of the research were the texts
published in the 1994 academic edition «Narts» (compiled by Khadzhieva
,T.M.), which contains records of oral stories of Karachai and Balkarian
storytellers collected during the field expeditions.
The category of presented demonic characters of the Karachai-
Balkarian Nart epic includes, first of all, "emegenle" − "giants", "saryuekle,
zhelmauuzla" − "snakes, many-headed dragons", "almostu" − «almasts,
female anthropomorphic creatures», "gubula" − "spiders", "jinle −" inn",
"obur, kurtha" − "old woman-witch", living in a world parallel to the Narts.
The folklore texts describe in some detail the appearance, habitat,
physical and mental capabilities of zoomorphic, anthropomorphic and
zooanthropomorphic images of the studied epic. Mythological heroes
carry destructive force, which leads to their incompatibility in the world
with the Nart heroes, who in their turn are the creators. Therefore, a
constant enmity appears between them (the struggle between good and
evil). The analysis showed that thanks to the mythical images available
in oral works, the epic of «Narta» is filled with rich imagination and
picturesque content.
Keywords: Nart epic, oral folk art, folklore, image, demonological character
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