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DOI: 10.46698/VNC.2024.25.18.010

THE IMAGE OF A WOMAN WARRIOR IN THE WORLD AND NORTH CAUCASIAN HISTORICAL HEROIC EPIC

Berberov, Burhan A.
Kavkaz Forum. 2024. Issue 18.
Abstract:
The object of our research was «female plots» in the world and North Caucasian
historical and heroic epic. A comparative analysis of motives of different origins
made it possible to classify gender-marked narratives according to the degree
and nature of the involvement of female protagonists in the process of resistance
to foreign invaders. As a result of continuous sampling and anthropocentric
analysis, the following behavioural patterns were identified: «victim position»,
«active position», «verbal interaction», generally characteristic of both the world
and the Karachay-Balkarian historical-heroic epic. All three behavioural types are
most clearly realized in the songs of the «Timur cycle» – «Crying of the mother of
twins», «Black Storm», «Crying for Aznaur», «Crying for a husband who died in
battle», «Dugerbiy», «Princess Zurum», «Princess Akbilek». The method of folklore
comparative studies made it possible to discover a typologically similar picture
in Dagestan, Kabardian, Ossetian, and Chechen epic texts, where socially and
culturally determined models of women’s reaction to the aggression of a foreign
enemy are also updated. A special place among all the studied folklore works
is occupied by the polyconflict song «Princess Zurum», which includes several
behavioural constructs at once – victimization, resistance, and also oriented
towards cultural, peacemaking dialogue. The commonality of human thinking
and behaviour is shown in the article by referring to a broad historical and
cultural context, including relevant works from the Altai, Greek, Iranian, Italian,
Chinese, Mongolian and Russian legends. All theoretical positions in the article
are supported by relevant illustrative material, as well as the necessary scientific
comments.
Keywords: world and North Caucasian historical and heroic epic, female warrior, Caucasian woman, self-sacrifice.
Download the full text  
For citation: Berberov, B.A. The Image of a Woman Warrior in the World and North Caucasian Historical Heroic Epic. KAVKAZ-FORUM. 2024, iss. 18(25), pp. 5-20. (In Russian). DOI 10.46698/VNC.2024.25.18.010
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