Structure of Kalmyk Heroic Fairy Tales in the Light of the V. Y. Propp''s Morphological Theory
Modern scholars consider folk fairy-tale text as coherent, distinctive, structured poetic system. In this regard, the study of the structure of the fairy-tale text as a systemic phenomenon acquires particular urgency. The aim of the study is to identify the invariant structure of the metaplot of the Kalmyk magic-heroic and heroic fairy tales.The article defines the following tasks: review the narrative structure of the Kalmyk heroic tales with the application of morphological theory of V. Propp, based on the basic functions of characters, and identification of plot types and transformation of syntagmas. The morphological approach developed by V. Propp made it possible to reveal the invariant structure of the metaplot of a fairy tale, consisting of a syntagmatic sequence of a certain number (31) of functions of acting characters. As a rule, each character has its own set of actions i.e. one or several functions. The study examined the narrative structure of the Kalmyk heroic tales, consisting of a syntagmatic sequence of the following: shortage (sabotage) -elimination, prohibition - violation of prohibition, difficult task - decision, fight - victory. These elements represent semantic oppositions and relate to the plot, event collisions. The fundamental structural opposition of the heroic fairy tale is the opposition of one's own / another's. The analysis revealed that the structure of the Kalmyk heroic tales coincides with the structure of fairy tales in relation to part of the main functions, which build the invariant structure of the metaplot. In the structure of both types of fairy tale narratives, there are similar elements - preliminary testing, obtaining miraculous means, narrowing, meeting with miraculous helpers, complicity, sabotage, elimination of shortage, obtaining the object of searches, etc. Heroic tales do not contain the full syntagmatic functions. Most often they have a reduced structure, but almost all reproduce the basic functions of fairy tales, identified V. Propp, in various combinations and sequences. In addition, there is a transformation of the sequence of structural elements (functions), as well as their assimilation. Differences of fairy types are due to the main plot-forming function of the protagonist - "performing a difficult task" (fighting against the antipode or heroic matchmaking). In the long term, the structural approach of V. Propp opens up the opportunities for discovering a number of regularities and internal properties of fairy-tale texts of various national traditions, which in turn makes it possible to reveal the essential features, methods and ways of plotting, and also their typology.