Oriental Studies (Dec 2020)
The Tree of Aal Luuk Mas: Semiotic Interpretation of the Mythological Image in Olonkho Epic Revisited
Abstract
Introduction. Interpretation of sign systems inherent to archaic texts of Olonkho epic remains an important issue within Yakut epic studies. The situation is complicated by the ongoing penetration of network structures into all spheres of human activity in modern society, and requires further systemic studies in the nature of mythological consciousness. The article examines the mythological image of Aal Luuk mas Tree which steadily functions in mythological contexts of the Yakut Olonkho epic. As is known, the ‘pith and marrow’ of any phenomenon can be comprehended only through the study of its formation. So, the work analyzes all stages of the development of the image, starting with the sources proper. Goals. The research aims to identify the sequence of stages in the formation of the mythological image of Aal Luuk mas, determine the model archetype within the ethnic mythopoetic consciousness, and demonstrate modeling and structuring functions thereof as the main generating idea in the Sakha view of the world. Materials and Methods. The work considers mythological views of the Sakha people reflected in Yakut Olonkho epic texts, and employs an interdisciplinary approach that includes various methods of modeling, structural-semiotic analysis, and deduction. Results. The stadial research shows that Olonkho texts contain fragments of mythological cosmogenesis, archaic motifs of the world egg, world sea, elements of zoomorphic space, anthropomorphic characters to have preceded the era of the Tree ― to further shape a complex image of Aal Luuk mas as a model that structures a multilevel Universe. The work mentions a geometric representation of the Tree in the form of a static pyramid and a dynamic cone identical to the Olonkho epic model of the world discovered by the author in previous studies. The paper concludes that in addition to the well-known ideas about the image of Aal Luuk mas as a symbol of fertility and the eternal cycle of life and death, the form and content of this archaic image largely determined the emergence of many sign systems nowadays integral to Yakut material and spiritual culture. And this circumstance proves instrumental in recognizing an invariant archetype scheme with the preservation of semantic ‘valencies’ in modern texts of the tradition, thus indicating further research prospects.
Keywords
