Генезис образа Сээркээн Сэсэна в эпосе олонхо
Genesis of the Image of Seerkeen Sesen in the Olonkho Epic

Summary/Abstract: The article attempts to reconstruct the genesis of the image of the elder Seerkeen Sesen, presented in the mythological outline of a major genre of Yakut folklore — the olonkho epic. Research materials included the texts of olonkho records from different times, namely the pre-revolutionary and Soviet periods. A phased analysis demonstrated the formation of the image of Seerkeen Sesen by layering elements of various historical eras. The image goes back to the female prototype of the fruiting forces of mother earth, and further evolves into the image of the giver of souls, the bearer of secret knowledge. Subsequent development, influenced by shamanic cosmology, contributed to the emergence of a wise old man who predicted the fate of the world. A later interpretation of the anthropomorphic image is associated with the attribution of the functions of the inventor of writing (equivalent to the creative act of a cultural hero). The work shows the complication and dismemberment of the initial prototype of the syncretic worldview; therefore, there is a clear genetic connection of the image in question with other olonkho characters — the mistress of earth, the deity of hunting, the thunder god, the creator god — is indicated. As a result, a conclusion was made about the complex genesis of the mythological image, which embodies chthonic, cosmic, zoomorphic, animistic features, as well as the features of the demiurge and a cultural hero, linked by the specific function of a mediator between the worlds, and classifies him as an immortal deity.

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