The Epic of Geser: Local Features of Buryat Versions Reviewed

Abstract

Introduction. The article aims to analyze Buryat versions of the epic Geser to identify their local features. It includes a detailed review not only of published texts, but also of manuscripts stored in the archives of Buryatia. For the first time, the regional versions of Geser are systematically examined as a necessary stage for further comparative studies of the genesis and transformation of epic traditions in Central Asia. Methods. The work uses comparative-historical and comparative methods of analysis. Of these, the latter was of key importance in comparing the versions of the epic that differ in terms of the place of their origin and temporal parameters. Results and discussion. The analysis began with a detailed discussion of published authentic texts of Geser represented by the Ekhirit-Bulagat and Ungin versions. Then, the features of archival versions of the epic are systematized and defined. The previous work on the plot composition and characters of each individual text is thoroughly compared to finally identify the features of the Buryat versions of the epic. Conclusion. The authors argue that the Ungin versions are quite close to the Mongolian ones, while the Ekhirit-Bulagat version, in their opinion, stands apart both in terms of their composition and themes. The introductory part of the uliger, a mythological prologue with a shamanic pantheon of deities, is characteristic only of the Buryat versions of Geser. Also, as far as the Western Buryat version is concerned, it may be pointed out that the influence of Buddhist teachings, which were not widespread in the heyday of the epic, was minimum. Of relevance are also the contaminations of the common Mongolian storytelling traditions with the characteristic motifs of the Central Asian epic. The identification of specific features of the local versions of Geser may expand our understanding of the specifics of the national epic as one of the main manifestations of traditional culture.

Keywords

• buryat folklore
• geser epic
• ekhirit-bulagat tradition
• ungin version
• mongolian version
• beijing version
• buryat epic
• features