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Introduction. The article provides a comparative analysis of artistic expressiveness means inherent to the Yakut Olonkho and Tuvan epics. The point is that poetics of the epic work Nurgun Bootur the Swift by P. A. Oyunsky recreated on the basis of folk tales has actually remained understudied, and this paper fills the gap. Goals. The work — as part of Yakut folklore studies — makes the first attempt to consider poetics and the system of artistic techniques of the Olonkho Nurgun Bootur the Swift in comparison to Tuvan heroic epics. Methods. The study employs a comprehensive approach that includes comparative historical and typological research methods. Results. The comparative analysis concludes that P. Oyunsky’s Nurgun Bootur the Swift is based on the principles of traditional folk epic, and reveals parallels to Tuvan heroic narratives. Special attention is paid to the means of artistic expression — hyperbole and comparison. There are functional semantic dependence and structural unity indicating a typological similarity of the epic works examined. The vivid language of Tuvan epic narratives and that of P. Oyunsky’s Olonkho are explicitly characterized by elements observed in heroic epic proper, and the poetic analysis shows the Yakut text is distinguished by artistic completeness. So, P. Oyunsky revived the Yakut heroic epic, enriched its conceptual/thematic essentials — to strengthen the unique poetic form.

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.

The article deals with introductory parts of olonkhos in the northern regional tradition of the Yakuts. The authors of the article divide the introduction into two segments as follows: a narrative part comes first and is followed by a descriptive one. Narrative parts of olonkhos within this tradition are classified into three groups. Compositions of the first group describe single heroes who have neither father, nor mother, nor sister, nor brother. The second group comprises plots according to which the main character has sisters and brothers but they live all alone without parents. And the third group consists of plots that begin with fairy-tale motifs. The most common plot of introductory parts of olonkhos within the northern regional tradition presented in seven texts describes the main character as a full orphan. The hero is reported never to have seen his revered parents and, thus, lives in the Middle World alone, unaware of his origin: he wonders whether he fell from the sky or appeared from under the ground. Still, in some olonkho texts of the tradition the main character has brothers and sisters. The distinct feature of northern olonkhos is that their introductory parts contain fairytale motifs. Such olonkho texts begin with descriptions of the lives of an old man and an old woman, or an old man with three sons. The descriptive part is divided in two, and it is the house of heroes that is described first: there are detailed descriptions of the building, its interior decoration, household utensils and facilities. The second section describes the Middle World with its mountains, ponds and rivers, plants, trees and grass. The final episode of the narrative includes a description of the Sacred Tree the main character runs across on his way of adventures. And there are different names used to denote the Sacred Tree. The paper concludes that introductory parts of olonkhos of this tradition differ from those of the central and Vilyuisky epic traditions. Narrative parts of olonkhos within the studied tradition are usually incomplete due to the lack of descriptions of the universe.