The Selkup folklore on the formation of the local groups of the Selkup people: methodology of the areal folklore study

The article presents the results of the analysis of the distributive correlation of the Selkup folklore plots and motifs with the data concerning the formation ofthe local Selkup groups of people. In examining the problem, the author used a method that can be described as a variant of the "areal method" developed by Yu. Berezkin. With the help of this method the areas of the distribution of the folklore motifs in different ethnic folklore traditions are revealed. However, the article presents the author's version of the areal method: the identification of areas of the distribution of the folklore plots and motives is based exclusively at the intra-ethnic level and the comparison of the configurations of the revealed areas with the areas of the settlement of the local groups of Selkups. Thus, to study the distribution of the folklore plots within local groups of Selkups, the author produces a selection of the representative texts, and, above all, identifies the range of the plots that have the widest distribution among Selkups (these are the texts about the hero Itya). Therefore the classification of these plots based on the intercomparision study, and their marking was made. In analyzing the existence of five clearly cut folklore areals was revealed - Middle Taz areal, Turukhansk areal, Upper-/Middle-Ket areal (Sussykum), Middle Ob (Ivankino / Shoshkup) areal and Tym-Vasjugan (Chumylkup) areal. This fact clearly demonstrates the result of deep linguistic and folklore divergence. In addition, according to the data obtained by the author in the course of the study, it is possible to conclude that the Selkup people of the Upper-/Middle-Ket areal are considered to use the motifs which are regarded as the «connecting links» as well as for the the Northern and Southern areal Selkup plot funds. «Upper Ob» or «Highly Southern» Selkup people, as well as Shoshkup people, are closely connected by the plot and motif «ties» with the Shoshkup people of the river Ket. This could be an argument in favor of the resettlement of the Selkup speaking (Sussykum) population on the river Ob through Ket. On the contrary, the Central dialectal areal (Chumylkup) shows high degree of the isolation of its folklore, which raises the question about the historical reasons of this phenomenon. Thus, the areal method in the study of the spread of the folklore plots and motifs at intra-ethnic level has allowed the author to obtain a number of valuable findings that are important for the reconstruction of ethnogenetic processes among the Selkups.

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