COMBINING FUNCTIONS OF SHAMAN AND STORYTELLER IN THE ORAL TRADITION OF PEOPLES OF SIBERIA

In Russian ethnography and folklore studies, the question of combining the functions of a shaman and a rhapsode in a comparative aspect at the interethnic level is one of the topical and poorly studied problems. The purpose of the work is to identify mythological, functional and genetic connections between shamans and rhapsodes. In the course of the study, for the first time in Russian science, through a comparative analysis for identifying the universal functions of shamans and storytellers in the tradition of peoples of Siberia, a unified archetype of the syncretic image of a bard was revealed. It has been established that the picture of the world in epic texts among the peoples of Siberia is built according to the traditional shamanic mythological version. For the first time, using specific examples, a comparison is made between epic and shamanic texts recorded both from a rhapsode performing the functions of a shaman and a shaman performing an epic text. The general functions of the shaman and the rhapsode as the heaven’s chosen one, the prophet and the soothsayer, possessing a gift from above, an inspiration, are revealed. The universal motives of the divine gift, involuntary actions, punishability, deprivation are defined. As a result of the study, we come to the conclusion that the functions of the shaman and the rhapsode in the Buryat, Yakut and Tuvan traditions have typological similarities. The ancient functions of a shaman and a rhapsode separated with the development of the oral tradition, but in subsequent generations they could be simultaneously performed mainly by those who have shamanic roots. The Buryats retained the combination of the functions of a shaman and a rhapsode as long as the storytelling tradition was alive. In the Khakass traditions, the functions of the shaman and the rhapsode have completely diverged over time, but our research reveals the rudiments of ancient syncretism.

epos, rite, text, mythology, ethnos, cultural universals, syncretism