Traditional formulas in Yakut folk songs recorded S. I. Bolo and A. A. Savvin

Abstract

The paper presents the results of the study of Yakut folk songs, with the principle of classification of traditional formulas of folk tales applied. The study focused on the songs included in the manuscript of the volume “Yakut folk songs” 2012 of the series “Monuments of folklore of the peoples of Siberia and the Far East”. The author draws several conclusions. All the songs under consideration contain some categories of medial formulas. Besides having the categories of medial formulas, the songs with their own plot contain some groups of initial formulas (“Song of the broom”, “Sippie”, “Ann with candy”). Three songs lack categories of initial formulas (“The song about cuckoo”, “The bull’s Song”, “The pedestrian’s Song”), all of them having only the categories of medial formulas. All these songs have the following medial formulas: formulas defining the characters’ image, formulas describing the characters’ actions, formulas included in the dialogue (typical characters’ phrases). There are no categories of final formulas in these songs. Whi le the categories of initial formulas in Yakut folk tales are used once, in folk songs, as in Olonkho, they can be repeated several times. Whereas the medial formulas in folk tales are found in the middle of the story, in folk songs, they can be found in all parts of the text.