Story-typological features of the legend "Bogdo Changar Khan" in the tradition of Tuvans and the epic “Dzhangar” in the national versions of the Kalmyks of Russia and the Oirats of Xinjiang

Abstract

The article examines the legend of ‘Bogdo Changar Khan’ once integral to the Tuvan epic tradition, establishing its plot-typological parallels to Kalmyk and Xinjiang-Oirat versions of the ‘Jangar’ epic. The legend of Changar (Jangar) that was created and took shape within the Tuvan epic tradition has retained some structural poetic features of the ancient original culture, bearing traces of the patriarchal lifestyle and indigenous ideology, genre syncretism of the heroic epic and magic-heroic tale, mythological layers rooted in archaic narratives of Siberian Turko-Mongols. At the same time, it shows certain typological affinities with Kalmyk and Xinjiang-Oirat Jangar texts in terms of themes and plots, motifs and images, definite cyclical structures. The paper reveals the dissemination and existence of the legend about Changar (Jangar) in the Tuvan tradition was closely related to the cult of the epic hero Changar (Jangar) and determined by most ancient historical, cultural and ethnic ties with the Oirats that reached their peak during the era of the Dzungar Khanate.

Keywords

• богдо чаңгар хан
• джангар
• эпос
• сказание
• типология эпоса, эпическое сказание
• сюжет
• мотив
• тувинцы
• калмыки
• ойраты
• синьцзян
• тюрко-монгольская эпика